cyclocross, Tech, Tech news, trek - September 15, 2021

Trek’s new Boone is still a dedicated cyclocross race bike

Trek's new Boone is still a dedicated cyclocross race bike

As used by the likes of cyclocross world champion Lucinda Brand and rising star Thibau Nys, the Trek Boone has long been a narrowly focussed race machine. Now Trek has overhauled the model, and it’s rather obvious that the Emonda road bike was the inspiration.

Focussed on CX

While some brands have muddied the waters by combining their gravel and cyclocross platforms, Trek continues to offer distinctly different platforms for the different disciplines. The Boone remains a dedicated cyclocross race machine, and Trek isn’t shy about the fact that if you want an all-road machine then you should look at the Domane, and if you want to do gravel, then you should get the Checkpoint.

By contrast, the new Boone is quoted as only having clearance to match the UCI’s 33 mm tyre limit. However, officially the frame will fit a 38 mm tyre, and that’s a conservative figure that provides 6 millimetres of wiggle room. Either way, there’s plenty of room for mud and to ignore the UCI limits. Similarly, in another nod to this being a dedicated race machine, the only mounts on the new Boone are for two bottle cages within the main triangle.

There’s plenty of room to avoid thick mud from building up, and therefore there’s plenty of room for going wider than a 33.

And then there’s the unchanged geometry that offers a shorter wheelbase and taller bottom bracket height when compared to the gravel-going Checkpoint. Trek continues to offer the Boone in six sizes, all of which feature 425 mm chainstays and a bottom bracket drop that sits somewhere between 70-65 mm depending on size.

More like an Emonda

The new Boone now looks a whole lot like the current generation Emonda road bike. Here, Trek has given the frame tubes an aero overhaul with similarly curvaceous truncated airfoil shapes seen throughout.

Similarly, the Emonda’s method of guiding the cables and brake hoses in from the front of the head tube carries over, giving a cleaner aesthetic to the bike, but one that may prove a maintenance nuisance after a season of pressure washing.

The cables now enter at the top of the head tube and run through the upper headset bearing, just like on the Emonda. Time will tell if this opening proves problematic with constant mud and washing.

While the Boone is intended to be raced at the top level, Trek has elected to make the frame with its OCLV 600-level carbon fibre layup versus its truly top-end materials. This surely makes the Boone a more affordable option, but in turn, it’s likely to carry a slight weight penalty. Still, the new Boone frameset manages to save approximately 270 grams compared to the previous version, with a 56 cm frameset quoted at about 1,500 g according to Trek’s website, a figure that likely includes the frame, fork, headset and seat post topper. Trek claims a bare frame is 950 g.

A big part of that weight saving is likely the result of the new Boone dropping the IsoSpeed decoupler from the front end. The Boone’s front end now returns to a standard head tube system, while the back still features Trek’s unique IsoSpeed concept that allows the carbon seat tube to more freely flex by pivoting at the top tube. This IsoSpeed system continues to use Trek’s reversed seat tube design with a topper seatpost head.

Trek’s well-proven IsoSpeed remains at the seat tube.

The other big news is that the Boone now features a T47 threaded bottom bracket.

One model

Trek will only be offering the new Boone in a single complete bike model or as a frameset (US$2,700 / £2,400). Each is available in stylized black or a neat red, navy, and teal fade. The Boone 6 Disc bike (US$4,000 / £3,450) features a Shimano RX810 groupset in a 1×11 configuration, Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels, and Bontrager finishing kit. Trek’s 3S chain guide is fitted as stock.

You can find more information at trekbikes.com.