Today Trek officially unveils the Supercaliber, though those who have been following the brand closely are already somewhat familiar with the new bike. Now it’s time to cut through the speculation, and get straight to the facts.
Trek says the Supercaliber is “Not quite a hardtail. Not just a full suspension bike.” Despite soft tail design hallmarks like pivotless seat stays and the lack of a linkage, Trek says the Supercaliber offers 60mm of rear travel by way of an IsoStrut, which is basically a shock that’s structurally integrated into the frame. The rear suspension is both damped and tunable, and a remote lockout makes on-the-fly adjustments possible.
The IsoStrut is easily the most unique and recognizable aspect of the new frame, and Trek says the structural nature of the design improves lateral stiffness since it removes the need for a linkage. Not only that, the linkage-free design cuts down the overall weight of the bike. At 1,950g the frame and shock combo isn’t the lightest available, but it’s certainly competitive.
Thanks to the tucked-in shock position, Trek managed to squeeze two water bottle mounts inside the front triangle which is rare for a full suspension bike.
The frame can accommodate up to 2.2-inch-wide 29er tires, though not a front derailleur. For some dedicated XC racers, this might be a deal breaker. Fortunately the bike fits up to a 36T chainring for race day. Sizes small through extra, extra large will be available.
Stock builds feature a 100mm-travel fork up front, though it’s possible to run up to a 120mm-travel fork. The 69° head tube angle is just slightly more relaxed than the hardtail Procaliber, but steeper than the Top Fuel. Pricing starts at $4,799.99 for the least expensive build with an NX drivetrain and Reba fork. The top-end build will sell for $10,999.99 with an XX1 AXS electronic drivetrain and RockShox SID Ultimate fork. A frame by itself is priced at $3,699.99. All Supercaliber frames are constructed from carbon fiber.
The Trek Supercaliber will be available starting in November, 2019.
