Trek Remedy 9 29er - Tested

The Trek Remedy 9 has been the in form, value for money trail machine since the recent emergence of the more aggressive trail bike, renowned for its ability to climb like a mountain goat yet equipped for eating up those fast, rougher descents we all crave.

Having owned a 26 inch Remedy 9 from 2012, I was excited to test the new Remedy, in particular with the recent modifications including 140mm Pikes married up with the well acclaimed RE:aktiv shock damper and the cleaner 1×11 gearing set up. My expectations were set high considering I had purchased a premium all mountain dream bike only 6 months earlier. Trek are offering the new Remedy in 27.5 and 29 inch wheel options in 2015, and in this case, to my initial disappointment I was testing 29 inch wheels, which I had reservations about  – based off nothing other than what I’d heard and read!

Initial Impressions – Warm Up at Stromlo

The testing was in and around The Cannonball Festival at Thredbo but since we bypassed Canberra I felt Mt Stromlo would be a perfect playground to get my head around this sexy blue machine. On the climb the Trek was feeling exceptional as I expected. The roll was noticeably more efficient than its 26-inch friend I’d come to know all so well and I was immediately comfortable and naturally set up on the bike after a quick seat, gear and brake position adjustment.

Gearing and pedalling felt crisp and clean with an excellent range from the SRAM X1 group set. But the real surprise was on the fast, flowing runs down Skyline and the Luge and later the more techy Pork Barrel/Double Dissolution; the ability of the bigger wheels to soak up the rougher parts of the trail yet still remain feeling extremely fun and lively was proof that bigger wheels have a place in the trail bike market place. The bike stayed solid yet agile when I wanted it to throw it through multiple berms, tabletops and drops. Trek have worked out some clever bike geometry changes, which I had running on the slacker of the two options using the Evo Link which gives you an extra ½ degree slacker head angle at 67.5 and made the Remedy perfect for those long techy descents.

DEREK RECIO RIDER BIO

Riding Experience: Plenty of years riding the trails around Sydney in pursuit of good times and good lines.

Generally Rides:

Rocky Mountain Altitude Rally Edition

Height: 176cm

Weight: 80kg

Bike Test Track: Thredbo, Stromlo,

local Sydney trails

I finished with a grin from ear to ear, realising that this bike was a true trail machine and that with a few minor adjustments would be primed for the adventure that lay ahead in the NSW Alpine region. The main issue I had was the handlebar width being narrower than what I was used to, so we swapped out for the new Bontrager Rhythm Pro Carbons (cutting them down to 740mm)… Perfect! A touch more pressure than what was recommended in both the Pike Forks and Fox DRCV RE:aktiv shock and I was set. It was time to get on the road for some lift assisted runs at Thredbo and whatever else the Snowies had to throw at us over the next four days of trail riding and gravity racing.

Thredbo and the Snowies

Straight out of the gate the Remedy felt like a bike I was excited to race on! It was slack but responsive – and the length of the 17.5” frame felt perfect. My concerns of 29-inch wheels being a hindrance in turning and cornering were unfounded. The wider handlebars and well-tuned suspension front and back completed my confidence levels for chasing mates down the mountain.

Thredbo was such a fun mountain to test this new toy – fast, flowing and at times technical, plus you could push the limits if you were game to try out the DH track, which we did. The Remedy certainly held its own and impressed on the fast open stuff and managed to handle the roughness and tech of the DH course, a trail that the bike was not quite designed for!

29ers that are made right are efficient pedalling bikes. The past few years have seen lots of tweaks and refinements by multiple brands aiming to get these larger wheels working how they were meant to. Trek are self-proclaimed to be at the head of this game and we felt the 2015 Remedy has the 29er trail set up dialed. 29er riders have been stereotyped as fire trail loving lyrca bandits, keener on tamed down tracks and long XC races (not that there’s anything wrong with that), however Trek’s 2015 Remedy 29er dismissed that myth immediately. She was sooooo much fun eating up every bit of tech and roughness that that she blazed past.

The Remedy climbed like a mountain goat. And with a 32 front chain ring and 10 – 42 out back there was easily enough range for all the elevation changes in Thredbo and the Snowies. SRAM’s X1 shifters were crisp and clean the whole test, and it’s great to see this simpler drivetrain system continue to ‘trickle down’ the range. I only had one issue with a dropped chain going down the DH course. If you were taking your descending more seriously and are situated near rougher trails a chain guide could be a nice addition with ISCG tabs included for installment.

Braking was everything I expected from the Shimano Deore XT, something that was certainly put to the test working out the speed and terrain of the Flow track before the race run began. Dropper posts are one of those recent technologies where once you have one its difficult to own a bike without, and the Remedy 9 comes with the RockShox Reverb which came in handy.

The plushness of the DRCV RE:aktiv technology suspension allowed the smaller bumps and chatter to be minimised, making general riding and cornering effortless and supportive whether you were sitting down for the long haul or standing and putting the big power strokes in. There was noticeable sensitivity between the low and high compressions, leading to top notch traction and bottom out control. When the bigger drops or hits came, the Remedy was still tracking well thanks to the 140mm RockShox Pikes, a perfect combination with the 29-inch wheels, allowing us to ride out with speed, stability and confidence.

Three things you liked

about the bike

– Lively handling for a 29er

– Solid suspension choice with Pikes and

Fox DRCV RE:aktiv

– Dialled geometry for a truly versatile

trail bike

Three things you would

change about the bike

– Fit some wider handlebars to suit

   your preferences

– Neaten up the cabling in the front end

– Consider a chain guide depending on  

   the terrain you ride

Trek frames boast some exclusive and evolving technology, which I was keen to get back on, including the lighter, one piece Evo rocker link connecting the front and rear triangles and the Full Floater Suspension system allowing clean and uninterrupted suspension movement. Both are proven technologies with added stiffness and control, especially when paired with current suspension technology.

Cornering big open berms on the Remedy is where the bike really shines. I put the Remedy through both dry and muddy conditions and she stuck into every element thrown our way with the more aggressive Bontrager XR4 tyres gripping in up front and XR3 rolling smoothly but with enough stick out back. Plus there was enough side knob bite on each to feel safe though the sharp, rougher terrain that could cause damage along the way. Given the Roam 30 wheelset came out of the box tubeless ready I can’t fault the attention to detail by speccing this wheel and tyre combination.

Our Take

Trek have made the Remedy excel in all aspects of trail bikes, matching my expectations based off the reputation of this leading bike brand. Trek has dialled their 29er Remedy making it shine in places expected and also unexpected like liveliness and responsiveness which the larger wheel size is less known for. While the 29-inch wheels were obviously not quite as zippy as a 26 or even 27.5 inch wheel, they were nothing of a hindrance worth worrying about, with the positives outshining this and I would recommend testing this yourself before making a purchase.

With excellent suspension, a fantastic bike spec, and a quality frame Trek have built a very well rounded trail bike. The Remedy 9 is packed with bonuses proving Trek have listened to its testers, riders and market feedback with the inclusion of a cleaner 1×11 gear system, a Reverb dropper post, narrow-wide chain ring and top quality, Roam 30 tubeless ready wheels. If you are used to wider bars save a little change for an upgrade in store. Regardless of this the Remedy 9 29er is a brilliant trail bike at around $5000.

Essentials

Brand Trek

Model Remedy 9 29er 2015

RRP $4999

Weight 12.6kg (as tested)

Distributor Trek Australia

Contact www.trekbikes.com/au

Available Sizes  15.5”, 17.5”, 19”, 21”,

Frame Material  Alpha Platinum Aluminium

Fork RockShox Pike RC fork 140mm

Shock Fox Performance Series shock RE:aktiv, 140mm travel

Shifters SRAM X1, 11sp

Derailleur SRAM X1, Type 2

Crank SRAM X1 1400 X-Sync, Boost148 spider, 32T

Bottom bracket  SRAM GXP Press Fit

Chain SRAM PC-1130

Cassette SRAM XG-1180,

10-42, 11sp

WHEELS SRAM Roam 30 

tubeless Boost148

12mm rear, 15mm front

Tyres Bontrager XR4 Expert front, Bontrager XR3 Expert,rear

Brakes Shimano Deore XT

hydraulic disc

Stem Bontrager Rhythm Pro, 31.8mm, 7 degree

Handlebars Bontrager Race Lite Low Riser, 31.8mm, 5mm rise

Seatpost RockShox Reverb Stealth

Saddle Bontrager Evoke 2