2017 Trek Slash 29er first look
The downtube meets the headtube in a straight shot to provide maximum stiffness.
Trek proudly showed us its newest Enduro racing bike, the Slash 29er sporting 150mm of rear travel. Focused on going fast and winning races, they made some hard choices by not trying to please all demands. They determined that it had to be carbon and had to have 29er wheels to put forward their best effort in the category.
It is stiff indeed as it rivals or bests Trek’s Session downhill bike in many stiffness measures. The key to the Slash’s lateral rigidity is a huge carbon downtube that does not bend and contort to meet the head tube. Rather it goes in a straight shot with no size reduction producing the strongest and lightest bond possible. But the fork can hit the downtube in this configuration so Trek developed two key technologies in the headset and on the downtube to avoid any damage to the fork and frame.
It is aggressive with a 65.1 degree head angle for a 29er.
Geometry is truly aggressive with a 65.6/65.1 degree head angle, very slack for a 29er. The 1187 mm wheelbase for a medium bike almost matches a Trek Session; and the 434 mm chainstays are short for a bike with 150mm travel and allows 2.6″ tires. The bottom bracket sits right around 13.5 inches is low but not too low to pedal through the rocky descents of an Enduro race.
Color is a stunning red tint only and we should see this bike in shops in October.
Travel is 150mm rear and 160mm front.
Specifications
- Frame material: carbon
- Travel: 150mm rear and 160mm front
- Wheel size: 29er
- 65.6º or 65.1º head angle configurable with Mino Link
- 148mm Boost rear and 110 Boost front
- MSRP: $3,700 (frames w/ Float X2), $5,500 to $9,000 complete
Slash 29 FAQ
What’s new with 2017 Slash?
With the new 2017 Remedy moving deeper into All-Mountain territory, the new Slash sets its sights squarely on Enduro racing. With that in mind, we designed it around a carbon frame with the fastest-rolling wheel size. All 2017 Slash models use 29” wheels with Boost110 & Boost148 hub spacing. Rear travel moves to 150mm for the right balance of capability and efficiency. Both models get Enduro-minded 130mm/160mm forks which offer a better climbing position in the 130mm setting, and more confident descending in the 160mm setting.
Like the Fuel EX & Remedy, Slash gets a Straight Shot downtube with Knock Block frame defense for DH-worthy frame stiffness with no added weight. It also gets our extra-versatile Control Freak cable routing system to tie it all together.
How many Slash bike models are there?
Two. Both the Slash 9.8 and Slash 9.9 RSL share the same race-ready, full-carbon, 1x-specific frame.
What does Race Shop Limited mean?
Race Shop Limited, or RSL models are built with a parts spec that meets the demands of our top-level Enduro racers, including extra suspension adjustments, a Rapid Drive rear hub, and the new SRAM X01 Eagle 1×12 drivetrain.
Continue to page 2 for more of the 2017 Trek Slash 29 FAQ and a full photo gallery »
The post 2017 Trek Slash 29er first look appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.