![]() Why do we need an IFP in the first place? Firstly, that gas-charged chamber is necessary to accommodate fluid expansion as the oil heats up. In the image on the left, #1 is the main damper shaft, #2 is the main piston, and #3 is the IFP. The Thru-Shaft damper eliminates the traditional gas-charged IFP found on a conventional shock. The job of the IFP is to separate the damper fluid on one side, from a small nitrogen-charged chamber on the other side. The IFP is a sealed piston that sits at the base of the shock underneath the oil chamber. In essence, Thru-Shaft eliminates the traditional Internal Floating Piston (IFP) that is found inside most rear shocks. Trek first introduced the Thru-Shaft damper design back in 2017, where it debuted on high-end Fuel EX, Remedy and Slash models. Thru-Shaft itself isn’t a new technology in itself. The adjusters are different, and the engineers have gone to significant lengths to separate the low-speed adjusters from high-speed damping. On the inside you’ll find the Trek-designed Thru-Shaft damper, along with some magic sauce the two brands have cooked up together. It’s essentially a Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, which features adjustable air pressure, air volume, rebound and compression damping. On the outside, it doesn’t look dramatically different. This shock is currently exclusive to Trek for 2021, and it’ll come on all of the Slash models in Australia, bar the cheapest Slash 7. There’s a new custom shockĪt the heart of the new Slash is a unique rear shock that Trek has co-developed alongside the gurus at RockShox. The Slash range is built around a custom RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, which you won’t be able to get anywhere else. The Slash takes on board input from Trek’s EWS racers to make it even more capable for hectic enduro race courses. ![]() Before we get to our ride impressions though, let’s take a detailed look at what sets the Slash apart from its predecessors and its contemporaries. Along with the unique rear shock and adjustable geometry, Trek is making use of every tool in its disposal to produce what it says is the fastest and most technically proficient Slash yet.įor the past month we’ve been testing the top-end Slash 9.9 to see how all of those changes play out on the trail, and whether this newly refocussed enduro race bike is now more of a one-trick-pony. Following requests from Trek’s EWS athletes, it also gets a bit slacker and longer as expected, which is to help it cope with the gnarlification of modern day enduro racing.Īll of that is built around a brand new chassis that features in-built storage, a new Knock Block system, and a serious amount of battle armour. Taking on board these changes, the new Trek Slash has had a 10mm lift in travel at both ends, and now features a 170mm fork matched to 160mm of rear wheel travel. ![]() Given the evolving demands of enduro racing, enduro bikes need to evolve too. The 2021 Trek Slash bumps up the suspension travel, tweaks the geometry, and introduces a new rear shock. Watch our video review of the 2021 Trek Slash 9.9 here! Oh, and they’re regularly racing those trails blind too. Unlike DH racing though, enduro racers have to back up those race runs over multiple stages, often over multiple days, with hundreds and thousands of metres of climbing between the start and finish. As the sport has professionalised, we’re seeing athletes train harder, race times get tighter, and courses that wouldn’t be out of place at a World Cup downhill race. Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an EWS team that isn’t rolling on 29in wheels. No longer are 29in wheels looked upon with concern and disdain. In that time the enduro racing scene has changed considerably. As the spiritual successor to the Remedy 29, the current Slash was released over four years ago. Trek’s flagship enduro pinner, the Slash, is receiving a major and welcome overhaul for 2021. We'd like to see a slightly steeper seat tube angle Downtube storage could be more generous
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |