Trek Supercaliber: A New Kind of Mountain Bike
What makes the Supercaliber special?
The Trek Supercaliber is a dedicated XC racing bike that combines the best of hardtail and full suspension bikes by integrating an additional shock into the frame. Trek calls this new suspension system IsoStrut, and it's been making serious waves on the World Cup circuit.
What makes it better?
IsoStrut integrated suspension gives riders 60mm of rear travel that offers XC racers more control and traction without all the weight and complexity of a typical full suspension system. More control and traction means a smoother ride. Smooth means fast, and the Supercaliber is very, very fast.
The Bikes
Trek Supercaliber currently comes in 3 high performance, race-ready tiers and is also available as a frameset. There are a few differences among them, the most notable being the drivetrain variations, and we've listed the specific upgrades below. Also note that because Supercaliber is built to win races, Trek has included 29 inch wheels on all sizes.
Among a host of the very best components, every Supercaliber model comes with:
- OCLV carbon frame
- Bontrager Kovee XXX Mountain Carbon Wheels
- SRAM Level Ultimate hydraulic disc brakeset
- 100mm travel fork, 60mm travel rear shock
Supercaliber 9.7
- Drivetrain: SRAM NX Eagle
- Fork: RockShox Reba RL, Solo Air spring 100mm
- Shock: Trek IsoStrut, Fox performance shock, air spring
- Weight: M - 24.63 lbs
Price: $4,799.99
Supercaliber 9.8
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
- Fork: Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast, Float EVOL air spring 100mm
- Shock: Trek IsoStrut, Fox Performance shock, air spring
- Weight: M - 23.06 lbs
Price: $5,899.99
Supercaliber 9.9
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle
- Fork: Fox Factory 32 Step-Cast, Float EVOL air spring 100mm
- Shock: Trek IsoStrut, Fox Factory shock, air spring
- Weight: M - 20.48 lbs
Price: $9,499.99
Supercaliber 9.9 AXS
- Drivetrain: SRAM AXS Eagle electric
- Fork: RockShox SID SL Ultimate, DebonAir spring 100mm
- Shock: Trek IsoStrut, Fox Performance shock, air spring
- Weight: M - 20.48 lbs
Price: $10,999.99
Supercaliber Frameset
- Shock: Trek IsoStrut, Fox Performance shock, air spring
- Weight: M - 4.31 lbs
Price: $3,699.99
The Tech
It's not every day that the cycling industry gets turned on its head by a technological innovation. That's because IsoStrut is no ordinary upgrade, it's a groundbreaking development that's changing the way look at what bikes can do. The Supercaliber is lightning-quick on climbs and sprints, and benefits from smooth control on the downs.
A deep dive into IsoStrut reveals that it's no flashy gimmick. This lighter suspension system brings riders more traction, control, and overall speed than traditional hardtails. The data proves it, Supercaliber might be be the fastest XC bike ever built.
Among a host of high-level carbon components, the frame-integrated IsoStrut is at the heart of the Supercaliber is suspension system, providing 60mm of rear travel to riders who want better traction and control without compromising speed. The result? A faster XC bike, plain and simple.
In order to reinvent the cross country bike, Trek partnered with FOX engineers to make sure that IsoStrut delivered the highest level of performance with the simplest design and smallest weight penalty possible. Check out the details on IsoStrut and some other great tech that come with the Supercaliber.
Lightweight, structural speed
Unlike normal full-suspension bikes, IsoStrut was built as an integral part of the Supercaliber frame. That means you save weight and complexity of parts.
No rotation, no deflection
IsoStrut provides the power transfer of a hardtail and the bump-absorbing benefits of a full-suspension bike. The shock in housed in a structural stanchion that prevents flex, deflection, twisting, and shock damage.
Pivotless seatstays
The additional linkages on full suspension bikes tend to allow more lateral motion. Supercaliber uses wide, flat seatstays that bend vertically instead of side to side, making the bike stiffer and more responsive.
Damped and fully tunable
IsoStrut can be adjusted and serviced just like any other shock. It comes with a lockout, volume spacers to tweak bottom-out resistance, and has a dial for controlling rebound.
Light, stiff carbon frame
OCLV Mountain Carbon offers the best stiffness-to-weight ratio. Straight Shot down tube provides extra stiffness, Knock Block prevent damage from spinning handlebars or fork crowns, and Control Freak Cable Routing keeps your cables tidy and away from debris and obstacles.
Space for 2 bottles
Trek made sure to keep the frame's capacity for two bottles on most sizes because racing thirsty business.
The Geometry
| Frame size number | 15.5 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 21.5 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame size letter | S | M | ML | L | XL | XXL |
| A — Seat tube | 39.4 | 41.9 | 44.5 | 47 | 50.8 | 54.6 |
| B — Seat tube angle | 70.0° | 70.5° | 70.5° | 71.0° | 71.0° | 71.0° |
| Effective seat tube angle | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° |
| C — Head tube length | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10.5 | 12 |
| D — Head angle | 69.0° | 69.0° | 69.0° | 69.0° | 69.0° | 69.0° |
| E — Effective top tube | 56.5 | 59.5 | 61 | 62.5 | 65.9 | 68.3 |
| F — Bottom bracket height | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| G — Bottom bracket drop | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| H — Chainstay length | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| I — Offset | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| J — Trail | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 |
| K — Wheelbase | 107.9 | 110.6 | 112.1 | 113.6 | 117.2 | 119.7 |
| L — Standover | 75 | 76 | 76 | 78.7 | 78.7 | 78.7 |
| M — Frame reach | 39.5 | 42.5 | 44 | 45.5 | 48.5 | 50.5 |
| N — Frame stack | 59.4 | 59.4 | 59.4 | 59.4 | 60.8 | 62.2 |
All measurements are in cm.
FAQs
Does Trek still make regular hardtails?
If you want a true hardtail, you can still buy the Procaliber 9.6 and 9.7 models, plus you can also still get the Procaliber SL as a frameset.
Is the suspension easy to set up?
Yes, you'll set up the shock like any other. We recommend using the Trek Suspension Calculator to get a starting psi and rebound setting. There are numbers etched on the dial fo ease of use. Set your psi for the right sag measurement and then ride and and adjust as you need. If you're a bigger rider, you can use the IsoStrut volume spacers to change the spring volume to make it feel more progressive or gain better bottom-out resistance.
Is IsoStrut easily serviceable?
Yep, upkeep and maintenance on this shock is like any other, but check out the service guide for more info.
What is the max fork travel?
The max fork travel is 120mm, or 531mm axle-to-crown.
Can you use cranks with 30mm spindles?
Yes.
Can I install a chain guide?
Trek built the Supercaliber as a light as they could, so there are no ISCG mounts. There's an aftermarket chain guide (W584677) that attaches to the bottom bracket shell for those who wish to add additional chain security.
Can I run a 2x drivetrain?
No.
How big a tire can I fit?
Supercaliber will take up to 29x2.2” tires.
Can I run 27.5” or 27.5+ wheels and tires?
No.
What's the biggest chainring I can use?
36-tooth.
When will new Supercaliber be available in Project One?
Mid-November
Why do the small sizes of the Supercaliber use 29 inch wheel?
The Supercaliber is made to win races. Serious racers will often trade in a more proportional wheel size to use 29" wheels in order to maximize their momentum and speed.