Trek is Racing a New Prototype XC Bike, But You'll Likely Never Get to Ride It

"Simply put, the sport has evolved. Longer rock gardens, drops, doubles, and just trails that most of us would want 150mm of travel on. For these spicier tracks, the 80mm Supercaliber just wasn't cutting it, with plenty of racers reaching for the Top Fuel, despite the weight penalty."

"So, work officially began on a new XC Prototype bike in January 2024. The bike would, on the one hand, be a unique build from the ground up. On the other hand, Trek brought loved aspects from both the Supercaliber and Top Fuel platforms. And their goal was simple: craft the fastest 29er XC race bike possible."

Trek has created a new XC prototype bike designed to meet the evolving demands of modern cross-country racing. Modern XC tracks now feature longer rock gardens, drops, doubles, and technical terrain requiring more suspension travel than the Supercaliber's 80mm design provides. Trek's designers recognized that while the Supercaliber remains excellent, racers increasingly choose the heavier Top Fuel for these challenging courses. Development began in January 2024, with the goal of creating the fastest 29er XC race bike possible. The prototype incorporates flex stays similar to the Supercaliber but abandons Trek's traditional Active Braking Pivot suspension system. The bike features a horizontal shock mounted to the top tube and represents a completely new design combining the best aspects of both existing platforms.

Read at Bikerumor