2019 Trek Remedy first ride
Stunning backdrop provided by the smokey skies
The Trek Remedy is near and dear to many Trek fans since it is a bike that stamped Trek’s arrival in the all-mountain bike scene. This bike has always been capable and was not afraid to go up against any of the competition in its class. This year, it goes even bigger with travel and tires as it sports 150mm rear and 160mm front travel. 2.6 tires are stock and 2.8’s fit as well.
The big Achilles heel of dropper post limitation (at 125mm drop for most) has somewhat been addressed with longer travel dropper seatposts from Bontrager. The seat tube has been shortened by 10mm and the Bontrager dropper’s stack height has been improved allowing a 150mm drop for most Medium-Large size riders.
Agile and capable bike
Climbing has been improved with a 1 degree steeper seat tube. This allows the rider a more forward position during climbs, weighting the front wheel more and unloading the rear suspension to make it more efficient. The dropper post gets the saddle out of the way anyway on descents.
The rear shock now has a fixed lower shock mount for better mid-stroke control. New rear shocks now have small bump compliance that rivals the old floating mount so Trek abandoned its signature design. Chainstay length is shortened and weight is dropped with these simpler frame structures.
The big tires are a good match for the sand covered rocks
The frame is 100 grams lighter and 5% stiffer. We doubt that any rider will notice this but it’s a good evolution of improving design and construction as suspension components continue to improve.
Note our ride impressions of the Trek Remedy at the bottom of this story.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wX8KsPyN0I
MY19 Trek Remedy FAQ
Why does Trek Remedy use a fixed lower shock mount instead of Full Floater?
We developed Full Floater years ago to address performance and tuning constraints associated with the air shocks that were available at that time. In recent years, air shocks have improved dramatically. More responsive dampers, along with more refined air springs like DebonAir, offer the tuning ability and performance benefit our engineers originally sought to achieve with Full Floater.
Now that we have better air shocks, we can use a fixed lower shock mount to address other constraints. The fixed mount opens up the lower frame area, giving us more opportunity to design a stronger, stiffer frame and chainstays. This also gives us more flexibility to accommodate larger, more capable shocks. All of these effects are experienced most dramatically on long travel bikes, like Remedy and Slash.
Bars, saddle, sag, tires, check
Why is Full Floater still on Fuel EX and Top Fuel?
Full Floater works great on short to mid-travel bikes where engineering requirements are less challenging. The demanding combination of design requirements for long-travel bikes like Remedy
Slash presented the greatest opportunity to incorporate a new direction in suspension layout.
Did the new frame get lighter or stiffer?
Yes. It’s about 5% stiffer and 100 grams lighter.
Will it accept 29” tires?
No. Riders looking for a long-travel 29er should consider Slash.
2.6 tires are right sized.
What is the maximum tire width?
Remedy will accept up to a 27.5 x 2.8” tire.
What is the maximum fork length?
562mm axle-to-race, which is commonly 170mm travel.
What is the maximum chainring size?
36-tooth. 1x only with no 2x options allowed.
Epic views at Mammoth were found
What is the rear brake mount? What is the maximum rear rotor size?
The rear brake is a 180mm post mount, adaptable to a max rotor of 203mm.
Are there any options for tool storage on the frame?
Yes! The B-Rad system from Wolf Tooth can easily be installed using the threaded inserts on the underside of the downtube.
Why aren’t there any Women’s models?
Market research and rider feedback has indicated that aggressive female riders want the same geometry and performance as the main line. We’ve also found that, while many female riders love our “women’s” colorways, just as many prefer the main line paint colors. Rather than offering separate “women’s” colorways, we’re giving ALL riders more selection by offering every model in two colors to suit a variety of tastes, regardless of gender. We’ve also improved the fit of the smallest 15.5” size so it works for more riders.
Double trouble Remedies
Pricing
Model Advertised Retail First Available
Remedy
Remedy 7 27.5 $3,299.99 August/September
Remedy 8 27.5 $3,799.99 NOW-October
Remedy 27.5 AL F/S $1,889.99 August
Remedy 9.7 27.5 $3,999.99 NOW-October
Remedy 9.8 27.5 $5,499.99 NOW-October
Remedy 9.9 27.5 $6,999.99 NOW-October
Remedy 27.5 C F/S $2,999.99 September
Our take
It is a refined and dialed iteration of the impressive Remedy line. For a rider that wants a burly 27.5 option with a massive price range from $1900 – $7000, this offers tremendous choices. Suspension, geometry, wheels, and tires are very good indeed.
However, it is not long in the current ‘long reach’ spectrum with only 420mm of reach for a 17.5-inch frame. Dropper length is improved but not up to the 170mm and 180mm that others offer. And the Knock Block limiting the range of the handlebar steering is an annoyance compared to the competition.
But riding the top of the line $7k Remedy around in Mammoth in difficult conditions, this big, capable bike was supple, agile and easy to ride well.
For more information, visit https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/remedy/c/B331/.
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