trek e bike rail 9

Trek Rail 9.9 first ride review: fully tech-loaded flagship, long travel, e-MTB

Trek’s rail 9.9 emtb is loaded with carbon fiber and wireless tech. guy kesteven explores what the pricey bosch powered flagship is like to ride on a wet and rocky lake district demo loop.

BikePerfect Verdict

Trek’s Rail 9.9 is definitely excessive rather than essential in terms of spec but it’s a genuinely outstanding superbike with lightweight and responsive, yet unshakeably confident and controlled, Bosch Smart System boosted performance

Lightweight yet super precise full carbon frame

Extended enduro geometry

Superbly controlled suspension performance

Latest big battery Bosch Smart System

Full SRAM AXS and Wiz comms componentry

AirWiz feels gimmicky

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Trek’s Rail e-MTB was already one of the best electric mountain bikes available, the 2022 9.9 gets new longer frame geometry based on the excellent Slash Enduro bike .

For information on Bike Perfect's testing procedures and how our scoring system works, see our how we test page.

It also gets a bigger battery, Bosch’s latest Smart System motor and management suite, and a full set of the latest SRAM wireless AXS componentry including unique wireless tire and suspension monitoring tech. Retailing for $13,799.99/£12,600 it’s a vast amount of money though, so does it all add up on the trail?

Design and geometry

At first glance, the new Rail frame looks the same as last year's bike. Trek’s classic rocker link, rear axle concentric ABP suspension, the RIB (Removable Integrated Battery) side entry battery system in the down tube, geometry tweaking MinoLink eccentric shock chip and Knock Block 58-degree steering lock system are all carried over. The head tube on the full carbon frame is now a massive, oversized 1.8in tube though. Reach numbers are extended significantly with the large stretching from 465mm to 491mm and the XL we tested growing to 521mm. That makes the new Rail even longer than Trek’s Slash Enduro bike and makes room for Bosch’s new 750Wh PowerTube battery on every size but the small, which gets a 625Wh cell. The small 9.9 has no space for a bottle either, but a standard bottle fits on the bigger sizes.

While you can get your Rail with any of Trek’s Project One custom options if you’re prepared to wait, the three stock finishes are all very special anyway. The metal flake Dark Prismatic finish of my sample looked stunning when the sun occasionally shone in the Lakes. 

Components and build 

There are two other big upgrades with the Rail 9.9 too. The bigger battery is joined by the latest Smart System bar remote controller and top tube mounted KIOX 300 display. Teamed with the Bosch Flow smartphone app this gives much more customization of modes and displays including biometric wattage and heart rate displays (needs a third party sensor) and servicing/software update prompts. You get one of the best eMTB motors in the form of Bosch’s well-proven Performance Line CX Gen4 motor with 85Nm of torque. This is matched to e*thirteen’s latest Carbon Race cranks with a 34T chainring (the largest the frame will take). Trek also complements the frame finish with the ‘oil’ anodized version of SRAM’s premium XX1 AXS wireless groupset including chain and 10-52T cassette.

SRAM has also given Trek two exclusives for the 9.9. The Zeb Ultimate fork and already Trek only RE:aktiv Thru Shaft Super Deluxe rear shock are both equipped with AirWiz Bluetooth pressure sensors. These let you calculate and then set your target fork/shock air spring pressures in SRAM’s AXS smartphone app. LEDs on the AirWiz fork top cap and shock top block will then flash green or red depending on whether you’re in the sweet spot. TireWiz 2.0 valve sensors do the same for the tire pressure on both wheels. These versions are also custom-shaped to sync with the Bontrager Line Pro carbon rims.

SRAM also provides the excellent Code RSC brakes with 200/180mm rotors. You should get a RockShox Reverb AXS wireless operated post too but our bike came with a Bontrager cable-operated unit. The rest of the kit is top-line Bontrager (Trek's own brand) too. That includes carbon 780mm bars, a 45mm (same on all sizes) stem, and its SE5 and SE6 Enduro tires in 29 x 2.5in sizes. That brings the whole bike in at just over 22kg which is impressively light for a bike with such a large battery.

Ride, handling and performance

I tested the Trek Rail 9.9 at the Wheelbase Cycles Demo Day so bike time was limited and they only had an XL size when I'd normally ride a large. The test trails were excellent though and riding it alongside four other eMTBs from Mondraker, Whyte and Scott meant I could still learn a lot about this flagship e-MTB.

Firstly, despite the massive reach, larger battery, and 64.6-degree head angle (I ran the geometry in the low mode) I was surprised how responsive the Rail still felt. The healthy surge from the Bosch motor certainly helps, but it consistently felt bright and precisely alive in terms of where it put its tires and responded to my weight shifts. That’s partly due to the very accurately metered mid-stroke movement of the RE:aktiv Thru Shaft shock that I’ve previously put plenty of time into on the Slash enduro bike. Despite the oversized headtube and open side of the downtube where the battery slides in, the frame has a really well-balanced feel too. Definitely decisively locked onto whatever trail target you choose but not in a brutal or bruising way. Add the Zeb Ultimate fork upfront and even the most geologically aggressive situations are smoothed very effectively with minimum speed loss. Only 150mm of rear travel, relatively short 446mm chainstays and the shock character means it’s certainly not a dumb or numb ride experience though. So while the sheer length of the XL and the down tube full of battery took some turning compared to a conventional rig or a shorter e-bike it didn’t stop me popping and playing around with whatever features I spotted. 

The welterweight Bontrager carbon wheels work well with the bike too. The lifetime rim warranty removes some of the worries about charging headlong into sharp and pointy situations. The instant pick-up freehub syncs really well with the half kick power surge of the Bosch motor to hoik the Trek up stepped, scramble climbs, or power wheelie it off drops/through puddles. Neutral ABP pedaling action and very supple top end to the suspension stroke means it charges up technical climbs with real relish too, and I could stay on line up rocky sections even when filming GoPro footage one-handed.

The Bontrager tires have largely benefitted from recent updating too. A softer TW top compound right across the tire means they roll slower and wear quicker than previous versions, but braking and driving grip are noticeably better. They’re really consistent in the grip they offer at all lean angles too, so while I was still drifting through high-speed boggy grass sections on the Rail I wasn’t wiping out in comedy 360 spins like those around me. The extended wheelbase definitely helped in these situations too, and once I’d realized how much the big Trek liked getting sideways, that became my grin guaranteeing mission for the rest of the test ride even on loose rock sweepers.

If you want a more trail happy feel as standard on your Rail, it can be set up as a mixed wheel-size mullet bike. The resulting 63.9-degree head, 336mm bottom bracket height geometry would be proper slack and slammed as well. Though the 29er wheels on both ends fitted as standard, definitely help when it comes to smoothing out the trail and keeping speeds higher.

The Rail was one of the Bosch Smart System bikes I rode over the demo weekend and first impressions are very good. There are a lot of buttons on the 3D remote, but they’re reasonably intuitive in terms of placement, and quick glance power setting color swatches are easy to read. The KIOX 300 display is super clean and while the top tube mount means more of a deliberate look down than a bar mount I appreciate the crash-proofing gains. SRAM’s AXS Eagle transmission was as flawless as ever, dramatically reducing hang up or worries when changing gears on the charge. I was nervous about the full carbon cage of the XX1 rear mech when getting loose and sideways in the hills around Staveley though. So while I respect the flagship components flex, I can’t help thinking the semi-metal X01 mech would be a smarter option. As AirWiz is just a pressure communicator, not a tuning guide like the standalone ShokWiz box, it feels more like a gimmick than a genuine gain. Especially as shocks and forks rarely lose air for fun. The TireWiz 2.0 sensors on the other hand give useful quick glance reassurance on a component more likely to lose air though.

Early verdict

Trek already had one of the best-regarded e-MTB platforms around with the Rail and this new frame literally extends its performance even further. Despite the extra reach and full-day ride battery capacity, the handling still feels lively and responsive on top of a rock-solid, surefooted baseline. The carbon frame and carbon component parade mean it’s impressively light too with instant reaction wheels adding extra pop and play. 

While the RE:aktiv Thru Shaft shock adds potential servicing complications, I’ve had nothing but outstanding precision control and smoothness on bikes using it despite several months of combined hard hammering. Bosch motors are generally regarded as the most reliable option and the new Smart System adds a lot of useful functionality and much better rider ergonomics.

While AXS was flawless and the Wiz monitors were fun, I’d certainly suggest that the $9,199.99/£8,900 Rail 9.8 GX (same frame, battery, Smart System and color options) is the sweet spot in terms of performance for the price. Then again Trek UK has already sold through its allotment of 9.9s for this year, so there’s clearly a market, so if you want one you need to start searching dealers as fast as possible.

Tech Specs: Trek Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS

• Price: $13,799.99/£12,600.00
• Model name: Trek Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS
• Discipline: E-enduro
• Head angle: 64.6-degree
• Frame material: EW OCLV Mountain Carbon
• Sizes: M, L, XL(tested)
• Weight: 22.2kg without pedals
• Wheel size: 29x2.5in
• Suspension: RockShox ZEB Ultimate, AirWiz 160mm travel, 44mm offset/RockShox Super Deluxe Thru Shaft, AirWiz 150mm travel
• Drivetrain:  SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS 10-52T 12 speed rear mech, chain, cassette and shifter
• Cranks: e*thirteen e*spec Race carbon, 34T chainset
• Brakes: SRAM CODE RSC brakes with 200/180mm rotors
• Cockpit: Bontrager Line Pro OCLV Carbon 780 x 35mm bar, 45 x 35 mm stem
• Wheelset: Bontrager Line Pro 30
• Tires: Bontrager SE5 Team Issue front and SE6 Team Issue rear 29x2.5in tires T7
• Seatpost: Bontrager 175mm dropper post (RockShox Reverb AXS as standard)
• Saddle: Bontrager Arvada saddle

Guy has been working on Bike Perfect since we launched in 2019. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He spent a few years working in bike shops and warehouses before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too.

Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem

Height: 180cm

Weight: 69kg

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Trek Rail 9.9 AXS eMTB—Greatness Bedeviled by Gremlins

Great performance e-bike, killer motor tune, but so many glitchy electronic accessories.

The Takeaway: On singletrack, the Rail 9.9 AXS is a superb e-bike. But wonky electronic accessories and the locked-down Bosch Smart System tarnish its greatness.

• Rail models with Bosch Smart System priced from $9,000 to $13,500
• 750Wh battery one of the largest in its class
• Smart System models get new frame with longer reach and slacker head tube angle
• Rail 5, 7, and 9.7 do not use Smart System and carry forward previous generation Rail frame

Price: $13,500 (Rail 9.9 AXS as tested) Weight: 51.3 lb. (medium)

2022 Trek Rail—What’s New

For 2022, the high-end Trek rail models—the 9.8 and 9.9—get a new frame with geometry inspired by the Slash, as well as Bosch’s latest e-bike system (more on both below). Besides geometry, the new frame features a larger diameter seat tube for 34.9mm dropper posts, a bit more tire clearance (now fits 2.6-inch rear tire), and a new Knock Block with an increased (72 degree) turning radius.

2022 Trek Rail—Bosch Smart System

Matt phillips bosch claims 85nm of max torque, but the motor feels stronger..

The Rail 9.8 and 9.9 use Bosch’s new e-bike ecosystem, which the company calls “Smart System.” One important note: Bosch’s 2022 Performance Line CX motor for Smart System offers identical performance to the previous Performance Line CX. But while motor performance hasn’t changed, almost everything else has.

One of the most significant changes is the new, larger, 750Wh battery (for most sizes—more on this below), a significant bump up from Bosch’s previous 625Wh battery. That gives the Smart System Trek Rail one of the biggest batteries: larger than a Specialized Levo’s 700Wh battery and the new Pivot Shuttle’s 726Wh battery. (Norco still wins the battery game with its optional 900Wh battery for the latest VLT models.) There’s also a new 4A charger that’s only compatible with the new battery—Bosch’s older charger does not work with the new battery, even though the plug looks the same.

The range is very condition-specific, but I did a 31-mile ride with over 2400 feet of climbing using a combination of eMTB (mostly) and Turbo (occasionally) modes and finished with plenty of battery remaining (I forgot to write it down, but I remember being impressed: Around 40 percent remaining sticks in my brain).

Unfortunately, the 750Wh battery does not fit in the size small Rail frame, so those must make do with a 625Wh battery.

Other new Smart System bits include a new Kiox 300 color display and a new handlebar remote. The latter is large and seems overdone (six buttons, lots of lights), and it looks like it just wants to get wrecked in a crash. The lower profile remotes of Specialized and Shimano seem more suitable for mountain bike riding.

On the Rail, the Kiox display resides on the top tube just behind the stem. This enduro placement keeps it more protected in a crash but also harder to look at while riding. It is a bright and clear display, though it’s not customizable and has some other faults I’ll get into later.

A new smartphone app named Flow ties the whole system together. It connects to the Smart System bike and records activates—a GPS track, elevation, speed, distance, power, and cadence—which riders can then download as a GPX file and manually upload to their favorite ride logging site. At present, you can’t pair a heart rate monitor to the Kiox (or the Flow app), the only service integration built into the Flow app is Apple Health, and there’s no web portal for accessing the information.

Trek and Bosch representatives hinted that heart rate connectivity to the Kiox, Strava integration, and a web portal are coming in future updates. The app also allows riders to push over the air updates to the bike, tune some assist modes, and provide information about the remaining range and other ride metrics. Activity tracking is not perfect, however. On one occasion, I started the ride with the Flow app paired with the bike, but I saw it did not record elevation or the GPS track when I finished the ride.

One annoying thing about the Smart System: it only talks to Bosch computers. You can’t connect a Garmin or Wahoo computer to a Bosch e-bike (Shimano and Specialized e-bike systems connect to third-party GPS computers). So, if you’re like me and ride with heart rate and use Strava, you have to use the Kiox—the bike doesn’t function without the Bosch display— and a Garmin or Wahoo.

Bosch has a locked ecosystem where bikes with their systems only work with their displays and their apps. This, in my opinion, is dumb and highly frustrating from a user’s perspective. Specialized and Shimano’s systems work with third-party products and services, why can’t Bosch’s? It also makes me fear that there’s some sort of subscription lurking on Bosch’s roadmap, which forces you to pay to access features or updates. As you’ll see below, the Bosch motor is excellent, and the Rail is a very good bike, but the locked ecosystem, the lack of features compared to the competition, buggy activity tracking, and the hulking handlebar remote are very annoying.

2022 Trek Rail 9.9—All The Wizards

The top-of-the-line Rail 9.9 models get Quarq TyreWiz and RockShox AirWiz sensors. These pressure sensors (in a perfect world) provide a quick visual check to let you know if the tire and suspension pressure is in the proper range. For example, slow blinking red means the pressure is too low; fast blinking red means it is too high; blinking green means it’s in the correct range.

Note that the AirWiz is not the same as SRAM’s ShockWiz: The latter is far more advanced and collects much more information. AirWiz simply tells you if your pressure is in the proper range.

You still set up your suspension the old-fashioned way: put enough air in the fork and shock to achieve your sag. Then, after you know your suspension pressures, you use SRAM’s AXS app to set the AirWizards target pressures: When they drift plus or minus five PSI from the target pressure you selected, you’ll see a red light. The app suggests suspension pressures, but I found them way off for both the fork and the shock.

It’s much the same for the TyreWiz, though you can select a plus/minus PSI range of one to 20 (?) PSI. I don’t like that you can only set PSI in whole numbers, and I prefer my tires at 23.5 in the front and 26.5 in the rear (those pressures result from a lot of time and experimentation). I also wish you could set a smaller plus/minus range: 22.5 PSI and 24.5 PSI are, to me, a lot different than 23.5.

Assuming they work as they should—one of my TyreWizards read minus 23.5psi with no pressure in the tire and zero with the tire at 23.5psi—it is, in theory, nice to have a quick way to check and see if your pressures are correct. But the wizards don’t seem to wake up consistently, and app pairing is wonky. For example, to see pressure changes in the shock, I’d need to open the app, connect the AirWizard, read the pressure, adjust the pressure in the shock, close the app, open the app, reconnect the AirWizard, read the pressure… repeat until I hit the proper pressure.

Then there’s the drawbacks: all of those batteries, the increased size of the shock (which eats into clearance), and the fact that you’re supposed to remove the TyreWyz and install a little plastic spacer if you’re going to inject tubeless sealant through the valve.

We’re talking about $12,500 to $13,500 bicycles here: any added gizmo should be flawless and seamless. The Wizards are far from that. Frankly, I think Trek should save the rider a lot of money and hassle and just ship the bike with a digital air pressure gauge and a digital shock pump.

2022 Trek Rail Models

There are five Rail models with the Bosch Smart System. They are:

• Rail 9.8 GX $9,000
• Rail 9.8 XT $9,000
• Rail 9.8 GX AXS $10,000
• Rail 9.9 XTR $12,500
• Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS $13,500

There are also three lower-priced Rail models—two aluminum, one carbon—with Bosch motors, but without the Smart System. These models also use the previous generation Rail’s frame and not the new frame with the new geometry and other updates of the more expensive models.

• Rail 5 $5,600
• Rail 7 $6,600

Trek Rail—Geometry

The Rail 9.8 and 9.9 models get revised geometry inspired by the Slash. Compared to the previous Rail, teach grows by an average of 19mm per size, and the seat angle gets two degrees steeper.

Trek’s Mino Link in the rocker link offers a low and high geometry position with a +/- 0.4-degree change in angles (64.6° or 64.2° HTA and 77.1° or 76.7° STA) and six millimeters of BB height change. Trek ships the bike in the low position and recommends high for mullet (27.5-inch rear wheel) setups. There are four frame sizes (small through extra-large), though the small size frames are currently unavailable.

The Rail 5, Rail 7, and Rail 9.7 carry forward with the geometry of the previous generation bike.

Trek Rail 9.9 XX1-AXS Ride Impressions

I loved riding the Trek Rail 9.9. It handles well, the suspension is excellent (once again, the extra weight of an e-bike makes the suspension, especially the fork, feel extra smooth and supple), and Bosch’s motor is excellent—especially the e-MTB mode.

But, all the gremlins from the Wizards, apps, Kiox computer, and the locked-down ecosystem that doesn’t work with a hugely popular ride logging platform (Strava) or connect to hugely popular GPS computers (Garmin or Wahoo) computer are just ridiculous.

A few more examples of the annoyances I encountered. There are four riding modes, but Bosch only lets the user customize two of them: Shimano and Specialized let the user customize all the riding modes. The battery—even when on the charger for 24 hours—wouldn’t charge more than 97-percent. And the data screens on the Kiox cannot be customized: a feature found on even low-cost cycling computers.

Electronics, apps, and connectivity are an increasing part of the cycling experience, especially the e-bike experience, and especially the high-end e-bike experience. But while the goal of all these features is a better user experience, it’s the opposite when those features are buggy or don’t work at all. On an unpowered bike you can replace the brakes if you don’t like them, or take the Fox fork off and install a RockShox if it is a better fork. But on an e-bike, you can’t change out the drive system and its display, or use Shimano’s e-bike app to tune your Bosch e-bike motor. With the Rail, you’re wedded to the Bosch Smart System and the rest of its ecosystem for the life of the bike.

Ideally, a bike should be flawless and easy to live with; yet, some of Rail’s the flashiest features were quite the opposite. So many times, I felt like I ran into a brick wall while trying to get it to do something that is easy to do with another e-bike—if it could at all—or get some gizmo to work as advertised. Apps, software, and firmware, however, are never done. Bosch and SRAM could roll out updates and a lot of the frustrations I encountered on the Rail could go away in a blink. I hope that blink comes soon.

But, when I got out on the trail with the Rail, and I almost—almost—forgot about the gremlins and annoyances because it is brilliant on the trail. And despite all my complaints about the Bosch system, one of the best parts about the Rail is the motor.

Trek Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS

The maximum quoted torque is 85Nm, the same as a Shimano EP8, but the Bosch motor feels stronger. It feels close to and maybe even a bit more potent than Specialized’s 95Nm “Full Power” motor. It doles out power beautifully, especially in eMTB mode, which let me flow through low-speed technical sections with challenging traction without lurching yet offered a full-power boot when I stomped on the pedals, accelerating out of a switchback. I’d put the Bosch equal with the Specialized motor at the top of my list as far as the motor tune goes. I still give the overall edge to the Specialized though, because the Bosch has a high-pitched whine, some inelegant clunking, and a bit of vibration that the ultra-smooth and quiet Specialized motor does not have.

That great motor is attached to a well-done chassis. Of the three longer-travel e-bikes I’ve been r this year (the Levo, the Yeti SB160, and the Rail), the Rail feels the most tossable to me. It’s a robust bike free of detrimental flex but still feels supple and lively—surprisingly so for an e-bike.

There’s excellent suspension here too. Or was once I figured out that the weird harshness and noise I felt/heard on larger hits came from the shock’s reservoir smashing into my water bottle. I scooched the bottle cage up enough that the shock cleared the bottle, the rear end got smoother, and the bike got a whole lot quieter. There was great support on climbs and higher G corners, with little harshness on square-edge bumps and impressive sensitivity on smaller bumps.

Trek’s updated geometry is longer than the previous Rail, but even so, it’s not a crazy long bike. Overall, I think they’ve hit a nice balance: It’s stable at speed and composed when dropping into the steeps but remains deft and manageable at lower speeds. Even though the geometry comes from the enduro-oriented Slash , this bike rides and feels like an all-arounder to me: You won’t mistake it for a poppy play bike, nor an enduro sled.

The seat angle is reasonably steep at 76.1°, and considering the precipitous climbs you can power up on this bike, it’s probably about right. Even so, I pushed the saddle back on the rails a bit because I felt too far forward on lower angle climbs and flats.

As this is a Trek, this Rail gets the entire suite to Bontrager house brand components. Most worked just fine, though the Line Pro dropper was sluggish, and the remote is meh at best. Again, $13,500 bike—let’s get a Bike Yoke Revive on this, not some mediocre house brand thing. The SE6/SE5 tire combo worked well in my conditions, though I did wish for a sticker compound at times. The casings held up better than I expected—no flats so far—though I think we’re at the point where all 50 pound, 150mm-plus travel e-bikes should get Cush Core liners (or similar) for extra flat protection and tire support. I’ll also reiterate the statement I made in the 160E review about SRAM’s Code brakes with 220mm (front) and 200mm (rear) rotors: they’re enough brake, but only barely. I think we’re at the end of the era where repurposing components designed for unpowered bikes is good enough for a modern e-bike.

Trek Rail 9.9 XX1—Verdict

If it wasn’t clear already, I had a love/hate relationship with the Rail 9.9 AXS. All the electronic gremlins and that locked-down Bosch system—ugh. It’s difficult to recommend the Bosch when the Specialized and Shimano e-bike systems offer excellent performance without the headaches. Hopefully, Bosch and SRAM will work out the issues with updates. And if Bosch continues with their closed system, they have to add all the features its competitors offer, and its platform lacks. Because in this guise, I can’t recommend the Rail without reservation.

But once I got it out on the trail, I loved the Rail. It is one of my favorite e-mountain bikes and the best e-all-arounder I’ve ridden so far.

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race. 

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On Test | The 2021 Trek Rail 9 gets 4 crucial upgrades to take it to the next level

Ooh yes, we’ve just got our dirty paws on the latest version of Trek’s big travel, full suspension e-MTB, the Rail! Essentially an electrified version of the Slash, the Trek Rail is equipped with a 160mm travel fork, 150mm rear travel, 29in wheels and aggressive 2.6in wide tyres. With an eye on big mountain terrain, the Rail’s frame is engineered around the latest 4th generation Bosch Performance CX motor and a big 625Wh battery that stows inside the downtube.

Mick travelled over to the launch of the Rail last year, and you can check out his detailed first look story here for all the ins and outs of this premium long travel electric mountain bike. While Mick was thoroughly impressed with the Rail’s handling and suspension performance, there were still a few areas for improvement. Trek appears to have been listening, because while the chassis carries over for 2021, the Rail has been updated with several key upgrades that are designed to strengthen this bike’s stance amongst an increasingly competitive field. Here we’ll be taking a closer look at our newest test bike, the 2021 Trek Rail 9, to see exactly what’s changed, and why we’re excited to put this e-MTB to the test on home soil.

Essentially an electrified version of the Slash, the Trek Rail is equipped with a 160mm travel fork, 150mm rear travel, 29in wheels and chubby 2.6in wide tyres.

That’s right, the RockShox Lyrik has disappeared from the front of the Rail 9, and in its place is the all-new ZEB, an absolute monster of a fork. Featuring bigger 38mm diameter upper tubes, the ZEB is chunkier than the Lyrik and is designed for big travel enduro bikes, e-MTBs and bikepark-style riding.

The ZEB can be had with 160-190mm of travel. Here in it’s in its shortest travel guise, it gives the Rail a very robust-looking front end. Inside you’ll find the new DebonAir C1 air spring along with the ultra-tuneable Charger RC 2.1 damper, which offers adjustable compression and rebound damping. We’ve already tested the ZEB separately and it’s a brilliant fork that is a welcome addition to the Trek Rail – check out our review of the 2021 RockShox ZEB here .

The 2021 Trek Rail upgrades to the new RockShox ZEB fork and a custom Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, which places a bigger emphasis on grip and high-speed damping control over pedal efficiency. All good things for a big travel e-MTB.

Super Sensitive (And Custom) Super Deluxe

Another big suspension upgrade for the 2021 Trek Rail is the rear shock. It’s a custom shock built by RockShox and designed in collaboration with Jose Gonzalez – the man at the helm of Trek’s Suspension R&D lab in California. This custom Super Deluxe Ultimate shock was first announced a few weeks ago on the brand new 2021 Trek Slash , and Trek has brought it over to the Rail for 2021.

While the shock might not look all that different, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. It still uses the Thru-Shaft damper architecture, but unlike the shock used on the 2020 Trek Rail, there’s no more RE:aktiv valve. Instead, Trek has implemented a standard shim stack, with the goal of prioritising glue-like traction and warp-speed descending control over outright pedal efficiency. That makes total sense for a pedal assisted e-MTB, and in our experience with the new Slash, it’s a seriously impressive shock that should bring greater suppleness and reactivity to the back end of the Rail.

More Powaaah!

The Rail still features the latest Bosch Performance CX Gen 4 engine, though this motor has recently had a significant software update to provide more power and a more natural delivery of that power. There’s now 85Nm of torque (up from 75Nm), and it features an Extended Boost function, so that the motor continues to drive a little longer after you stop pedalling on a tricky technical climb. The eMTB mode has also been refined to be more sensitive to the rider’s inputs, particularly in lower gears, and power delivery is more accessible across a wider cadence range than before.

The newly refined Gen 4 motor comes standard on the 2021 Trek Rail, but it’s worth noting that for those with the 2020 version, you can achieve those same refinements with a simple software upgrade – get in touch with your local Trek dealer to inquire about the upgrade.

Purion Out, Kiox In

Also nice to see is the switch from Bosch’s functional but ageing Purion display to the much more futuristic Kiox display. The head unit sits on the Rail’s top tube just behind the stem, where it’s better protected in the event of a crash. The head unit attaches to its cradle via the sorcery of magnets, while a simple control switch near the left-hand brake lever allows you to change assist modes and scroll through menu options without having to take your hand off the grips.

The display features a sweet colour screen and access to a wider range of metrics on-the-fly, including remaining range, live power output, cadence and riding speed, and it’ll pair via Bluetooth your smartphone to update ride data.

What Models Will There Be In Oz?

For 2021, Trek Australia will have three different models in the Rail lineup, with prices starting at $8,999 AUD for the Rail 7 and going up to $11,799 AUD for the Rail 9.8 XT.

The entry-level option is the Rail 7 . This bike features an Alpha Platinum Alloy chassis, the Bosch Performance CX motor and 625Wh battery, and for 2021 it moves over to a Shimano SLX 1×12 drivetrain with 4-piston brakes. Suspension is handled by a RockShox Yari RC fork and a standard in-line Deluxe shock (the Rail 7 doesn’t get the new custom Super Deluxe Ultimate piggyback shock), and it also relies on the older Purion display.

The Goldilocks bike is what we have here – the Rail 9 . It gets the same chassis, motor and battery as the Rail 7, but upgrades to the new ZEB fork and custom Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock. As mentioned above, it also gets the new Kiox display, along with chunky 2.6in Bontrager SE5 tyres, powerful 4-piston SRAM Code brakes, and a GX Eagle drivetrain with the new derailleur and 10-52T cassette.

And finally there’s the top-end Rail 9.8 XT model. This is the only Rail model in Australia to feature an OCLV carbon fibre chassis, though the spec is otherwise very similar to the Rail 9 – the fork, shock, wheels, tyres and cockpit are identical. You do get carbon bars though, as well as a Shimano XT 1×12 drivetrain and SLX brakes. Trek claims it’s over 1.5kg lighter as a result, but you’ll be paying a $1,300 premium for that pleasure.

The Rail 9 sits in the middle of the lineup, featuring a tough alloy chassis, Bontrager finishing kit, SRAM Code brakes and the new GX Eagle 1×12 drivetrain – complete with that gargantuan 10-52T cassette.

2021 Trek Rail 9 On Test

Over the coming summer season, we’ll be putting our Trek Rail 9 to the test to see exactly how the new changes play out on the trail. In the meantime, let us know if you’ve got any questions about the Rail 9, and read on for a closer look at the specs and our video review from the Trek Rail launch.

• Frame | Alpha Platinum Alloy, ABP Suspension Design, 150mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox ZEB Select+, Charger RC 2.1 Damper, 44mm Offset, 160mm Travel
• Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RT3, Thru-Shaft Damper, 230×57.5 mm
• Drive Unit | Bosch Performance CX Gen 4, 85Nm
• Battery |  Bosch PowerTube 625Wh
• Wheels | Bontrager Line Comp 30, Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Rim Width
• Tyres | Bontrager SE5 Team Issue, 2.6in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 w/X1 1000 36T Crankset & GX Eagle 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Code R 4-Piston w/200mm Rotors
• Handle Bar | Bontrager Line, Alloy, 35mm Diameter, 27.5mm Rise, 780mm Wide
• Stem | Bontrager Line, 35mm Diameter, Knock Block, 50mm Long
• Seatpost | Bontrager Line Elite Dropper Post, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 100mm (Small), 150mm (Medium), 170mm (Large, X-Large)
• Saddle | Bontrager Arvada Elite
• Claimed Weight | 24.04kg
• RRP | $10,499 AUD

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Trek Rail 9 (2021) electric mountain bike review

• Danny Milner
• November 20, 2020

The Trek Rail 9 is as rewarding to ride as it is easy to live with. Our E-Bike of the Year.

Product Overview

Overall rating:, trek rail 9.

• Enduro-bike pace and composure coupled with a superb motor
• Tyres don’t do the bike justice

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

Editor’s Choice 2020

Launched in 2019, the Trek Rail largely flew under the radar, undetected by most of the mountain bike media, ourselves included. The reason for the distinct absence of reviews? Well, it wasn’t because Trek was unsure of its product, it simply didn’t have any bikes to send out to test because they were flying off shop floors at an unprecedented pace.

Thankfully we managed to get our grubby mits on one this year, and the timing really couldn’t have been better, the arrival of the burly RockShox Zeb fork and increased torque on the Bosch Performance CX motor providing the power and steering precision needed to keep the wheels on this 29er monster truck moving forward at a blistering pace.

Make no mistake though, the Trek Rail 9 isn’t just designed to plough. Thanks to its poppy suspension response and balanced geometry, it’s every bit as agile as it is capable on steep technical terrain. It’s beasts climbs too, the instant engagement of the Bosch motor giving you a friendly nudge if you stall, while the overrun of the motor, that briefly gives assistance when you stop pedalling, not only make it easier to get up and over big steps or fallen trees, it opens up lines that are simply impossible on a Shimano equipped e-bike.

Our E-bike of the Year test wasn’t just a willy waving contest about which bike was the longest, slackest or had the most power, even if Trek won on all fronts. It was also about the user interface and how easy the bikes were to live with. With Trek’s side mounted Removable Integrated Battery (RIB), with its integrated protective cover and handly carry handle you can swap batteries in seconds and charge the 640Wh powerpack on or off the bike. Providing, of course, you don’t lose the bloody key.

If Tonka did mountain bikes, we reckon they would look a lot like the Trek Rail 9. Pumped up in all directions, the Rail is like a two-wheel linebacker. With a head tube thicker than a rhino’s neck and a down tube with the diameter of a tree trunk. Somehow, though, it all looks entirely in proportion thanks to the 38mm stanchions of its RockShox Zeb fork and the generous sizing of the Alpha Platinum alloy frame.

Trek has taken a novel approach to battery removal and installation. Unlike most e-bikes, where the battery inserts through a hole in the underside of the down tube, Trek has cut a window in the side. This makes removing the RIB (Removable Integrated Battery) battery a breeze – no bending down, looking for keyholes and trying to catch it before it drops on the floor. The cover has been attached to the battery, so they both come out as one, and there’s even a carry handle at one end. The only criticism we can level at the Rail is that you still need to carry around a key to unlock the hatch.

Read more: Best electric mountain bikes – E-Bike of the Year

Trek has thrown its full arsenal of tech at the Rail: ABP, Mino Link, Knock Block, Straight Shot and Thru Shaft. And while these headline features are great sales tools, it’s little details like the hidden speed sensor, with magnet attached to the brake rotor, and Kiox display unit mounted to the top tube, that show the lengths Trek has gone to designing the Rail. The only hairline cracks in its armour are that the rear brake hose rubs on the seatstay, and that there are no stiffness-boosting Torque Caps at the front hub.

Thru Shaft Damper makes for supple, sensitive suspension

There’s enough stiffness to the chassis of the RockShox Zeb that this minor omission is forgivable. It feels unflinching in every situation and this serves to amplify the rock-solid nature of the bike. Due to the larger air volume, pressures are relatively low – even for an e-bike – and this means one or two psi can make a big difference to the feel. In the end we added a third token to the air chamber to help cushion those big bottom-out events, but overall we felt like the Select+ Zeb had marginally less damping control towards the middle and end of the stroke compared to the Whyte’s Fox 38.

No such complaints at the rear however, where Trek’s exclusive F1-derived Thru Shaft damper (a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate) gave both excellent small bump sensitivity and generous mid-stroke support. The damping rod passes right through the shock body, so there’s no need for a pressurised internal floating piston to allow for oil displacement, and this creates a more sensitive damping circuit. We mostly ran the shock in the softest low-speed compression setting, but did find the middle position useful for raising the ride height slightly without eating into comfort levels too much.

160mm-travel RockShox Zeb fork is burly enough to take on any terrain

Trek’s in-house Bontrager cockpit put us into the perfect attacking position, with the short head tube making it easy to get enough weight over the front end. The saddle rails on the Bontrager Arvada seat got bent in a crash, and the 170mm Bontrager Line Elite dropper post had noticeable play at full extension.

Although Trek has fitted a big 36t chainring, the SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with its 52t sprocket ensured we never ran out of gears on the climbs, even if traction was in short supply from the shallow-tread of the stock Bontrager SE5 Team Issue tyres . Just about acceptable on dry trails, they don’t have the bite that a bike like the Rail demands, or deserves, in the soft conditions we typically see in the UK.

Kiox display unit is neatly incorporated into the top tube

Trek Rail 9 performance

Everyone who rode the Trek Rail 9 was impressed by how capable it is. With the Mino Links in the slack position, it boasts a 63.5º head angle that is comparable with its enduro race bike, the Slash. In fact, in a straight fight , it would be interesting to see which Trek would be fastest against the clock on a downhill track, because the Rail always remained utterly placid however nasty the terrain beneath its wheels. It really is a sledgehammer on the descents, yet it never feels too unwieldy at slower speeds, and although it takes a bit more effort and a more dynamic riding style to change direction than either the Whyte E-160 or the Merida eOne-Sixty, it still corners like it’s – you guessed it – on rails.

Trek hasn’t tried to achieve the shortest chainstay length, so with the steep effective seat angle, you’ve got a bike that’s just as capable up as down. And the instant response and addictive boost of the Bosch motor meant we had a ton of fun challenging ourselves on the most technical climbs.

What’s new for 2021?

Who knows what will change. But if anyone at Trek is reading this, the Trek Rail 9 needs better tyres as the Bontrager SE5s don’t have enough bite to transfer all of that power into forward movement in damp conditions. We’d also like a more user friendly controller for the Bosch Kiox display and possibly a hex bolt to replace the key to release the battery. All minor niggles that don’t distract for the stellar ride quality, so please don’t change anything else.

The Trek Rail is as rewarding to ride as it is easy to live with. True, the Whyte E-160 nudges ahead by a few percentage points in terms of suspension performance, but the Trek beats it hands down for convenience, and yet never lets it get out of sight out on the trail. In fact, in terms of pure downhill speed, the Trek has so much stability that we were continually shocked just how fast we could ride it. The Rail dominates the descents and flattens the climbs, and in that respect it’s every bit as potent as the Slash, but with its own built-in uplift.

Trek Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS Review

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• Trek's best long-travel electric mountain bike, designed for All Mountain and Enduro Riding. Light weight optimum compaction low void (OCLV) carbon fiber and magnesium frame comes in three sizes. Flip chip spacer in the rear swing arm further refines geometry for low and high settings.
• Available in three premium color schemes, the bike is setup with 29" wheels but can accommodate 27.5" or a mixed mullet setup (smaller rear wheel, larger front). Sturdy 12mm and 15mm thru-axles with Boost hub spacing offer stronger spoke bracing angle. Magnetic 6mm hex wrench quick release lever makes trail-maintenance convenient.
• SRAM AXS wireless electronic shifting, dropper post, and air pressure settings and alerts for the tires and suspension. Bosch Smart System LED Remote, Kiox 300 display, PowerTube 750 battery, and CX motor with eBike Flow app. Premium quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes with extra-large 220mm front extra thick front rotor. Bottle cage bosses and ABUS keyed-alike code keyset.
• Excellent weight positioning with the motor and battery low and center, but the PowerTube 750 goes from 9.7lbs to 10.8lbs with the color-matched Trek RIB cover and handle. Longer wheelbase due to longer battery design. Two smartphone apps required to configure all of the electronics (SRAM AXS and Bosch eBike Flow). No USB charging with the Bosch LED Remote despite having a USB-C port built in.

Video Review

Introduction

Body position:, suggested use:, electric bike class:, learn more about ebike classes, availability:, model year:, bicycle details, total weight:, battery weight:, motor weight:, frame material:, frame sizes:, geometry measurements:, frame types:, frame colors:, frame fork details:, frame rear details:, attachment points:, gearing details:, shifter details:, brake details:, seat post length:, seat post diameter:, tire brand:, wheel sizes:, tire details:, tube details:, accessories:, electronic details, motor brand:, motor type:, learn more about ebike motors, motor nominal output:, motor torque:, battery brand:, battery voltage:, battery amp hours:, battery watt hours:, battery chemistry:, charge time:, estimated min range:, estimated max range:, display type:, display accessories:, drive mode:, written review.

This review was provided for free, but Trek Coquitlam supplied a temporary demo bike for me to test. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Trek products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the Trek electric bike forums .

Observations:

• Trek is one of the “Big Three” North American bicycle manufacturers, along with Specialized and Giant. Trek launched in 1975, making hand-brazed steel frames. Since then, they have grown into a global powerhouse in the cycling industry with distributors in 90 different countries and hundreds of dealers that assemble and support the products. In my opinion, they are one of the very best ebike makers with high quality, support, and dealer availability.
• You might notice the Bontrager name on some of the components in this review. Bontrager is Trek’s in-house component brand, and is therefore common on many of Trek’s electric bicycles. Basically, Bontrager is the same company as Trek but they focus on accessories like rims, bars, posts, pedals, racks, bags, and lights.
• This ebike uses the Bosch Smart System generation of motor, battery, and display units. It requires the Bosch eBike Flow app to configure and track rides. None of these systems are backwards compatible with older generation Bosch ebike hardware. The Performance Line CX motor offers the same ratings, but seemed quieter than prior generations.
• While many of Trek’s products come in five frame sizes, I was very impressed with the three sizes for the Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS given how premium it is… not to mention three very fancy color schemes. When you consider the flip chip, which shortens or lengthens the rear swing arm, the bike offers a lot of adjustability. You can run it with the stock 29″ x 2.5″ tires or run 27″ and even mix for a mullet setup if you wish.
• A bit more background here, the adjustable “flip chip” washer called the Mino Link allows you to change the frame geometry on the fly, when the link is extending the stays it provides quick performance for cross country quick-handling use but when you shorten the stays it slackens the head tube angle by about 1° for stable downhill riding, positioning the suspension fork to take hits more directly. This makes the Trek Rail extremely versatile for a range of riding from heavy cross country, AM, Enduro, and even some Downhill.
• Excellent wheel and hub setup here! The rims are made from light weight carbon fiber, the rear hub uses a SRAM XD driver that allows for a super small 10 tooth cog, the rear axle is Boost 148mm wide with 12mm thru-axle, and the front axle is Boost 110mm wide with 15mm thru-axle. I was told that Trek invented the Boost standard… which is awesome. Benefits of this setup include higher weight capacity of 300lbs on this bike, easier disc brake alignment, stronger wheel support with fewer spokes (28 in this case) because of the spoke bracing angle. I love that they include a magnetic 6mm hex tool shaped like a quick release lever for use on both the front and rear wheels.
• Best air suspension I’ve ever ridden, with the easiest clickers to understand and configure. Apparently these were developed by SRAM RockShox in partnership with Penske racing shocks. Both shocks have black anodized stanchions, and the front stanchions are super wide at 38mm to handle long travel 160mm without requiring a triple crown. The SRAM AirWiz smartphone app helps you configure the proper air pressure range and alerts you with a red blinking LED when they need adjustment. The rear shock is a new design that foregoes a gas chamber (which slows rebound) and instead uses a single thru-piston. Both shocks have rebound adjust, and the rear shock has a numbered clicker that’s easier to configure and adjust. The front shock has high speed and low speed compression, and the rear has + 0 and – with an on/off lockout. The interfaces are just excellent, and I show them in the video review above.
• Trek really dials in their rear suspension and is an innovator in the space. The Active Braking Pivot (ABP) rear link reduces lockup and skipping so the rear wheel can stay more planted on the ground, the Rocker Link piece is made from light weight magnesium and positions component mass (including the rear shock) directly below the rider for better handling than if it was horizontal, they optimized the leverage rate between the rear wheel and rear shock to provide excellent mid-stroke control for less bobbing, more stable cornering, and and better acceleration.
• The SRAM AirWiz settings for tire pressure are especially useful when running tubeless, which tend to lose air quicker than tubes in my experience. It’s satisfying to check an app for precise settings vs. using a physical gauge or pump to connect to the presta valve of each tire each time you want to ride.
• Even though the demo bike I rode did not come with the SRAM Reverb AXS wireless dropper post, I read about it and watched videos to see how it performs… and it looks awesome. It’s very fast and precise. I believe that it offers the same benefits as the other wireless elements here including pressure recommendations based on body size and alerts when needing adjustment.
• Incredible drivetrain with SRAM XX1 wireless derailleur that’s precise, quick, and very reliable. It even has a self-protection mechanism that brings the derailleur in and then resets if physically bumped. The ultra wide XG-1299 cassette offers a 10 to 52 tooth spread for 502% gear ratio. I love that you can adjust the electronic SRAM Eagle AXS trigger shifter to swap which lever goes high and low, and you can configure multiple shifts for longer press/hold of the triggers.
• Light weight carbon fiber crank arms from e*thirteen with plastic protectors where the pedals mount (in case of rock strikes), and plastic chain guide to prevent drops and kickback on very bumpy terrain as the rear section of the bike travels with suspension. The chainring uses a narrow-wide tooth pattern to further prevent slippage and drops.
• Outstanding hydraulic disc brakes with quad piston calipers that provide more surface area and more even brake pad action. The two-finger brake levers both have tool-free throw (how much the pads move relative to your input) and reach adjust (how far the levers are spaced out from the handlebar), so you can refine to your hand size and braking preference. Note the very large 200mm rear brake rotor and extreme 220mm front brake rotor which offer improved mechanical advantage and cooling. The front rotor is extra thick at 1.7mm vs. 1.55mm to reduce the potential of bending and warping during use and when parking and transporting the bike.
• Great touch points here with locking grips, a very comfortable but still high performance saddle, and upgraded 35mm wide carbon fiber handlebar vs. 31.8mm. The cockpit is very clean because everything is wireless, and Trek chose to mount the Kiox 300 just behind the stem to keep it low and protected. Note that the bike can be operated without this display, and it’s very easy to remove by pulling down and then angling up from the bottom. I show this in the video review above. The headset is tapered for strength, and uses Knock Block to prevent oversteer that could damage cables in the event of a crash or rough transport.
• The Bosch Kiox 300 offers a larger 2″ diagonal screen vs. the original Kiox with 1.9″ and it runs completely off of the ebike battery vs. using its own disposable coin battery. There are no buttons on the display. It offers responsive backlighting to reduce distraction, and remembers the last menu view when the bike is power cycled (so you don’t have to hunt for it with lots of clicks each time).
• The Bosch LED Remote is a big upgrade from all other Bosch ebike control pads in my opinion, because the buttons are more reliable and predictable. The right/left and +/- buttons are rockers vs. independent, and the have icons that communicate how to activate or de-activate lights (hold +) and walk assist (hold – and push the bike). The LED remote is all you need to operate the bike, you can remove the Kiox 300 display and forego the smartphone app if you wish. I love the big colored swoosh that communicates assist level, and appreciate the ambient light detector at the top edge that reduces brightness automatically if it’s dark.
• The Bosch eBike Flow smartphone app for iOS and Android records your rides and stats, allows you to adjust Eco and Turbo assist settings (assistance, power application, top speed, maximum torque), allows you to update the bike software over time without visiting a shop, and interfaces with Apple health and Strava to track fitness. It’s a clean and simple app, but it has the potential to do a lot more in the future as Bosch innovates and third party systems are built on top of it.
• I’m a big fan of the Smart System Bosch Performance Line CX motor because it’s very powerful (up to 85nm of torque), extremely responsive (measuring pedal cadence, torque, and rear wheel speed 1,000 times per second), offers shift detection to reduce drivetrain wear, is much lighter than prior generations due to magnesium body (weighing just 6.39lbs), and is much quieter than most of the older Performance Line motors! This thing is awesome.
• I love the metal shielding below the Bosch CX motor, which has good venting and drainage, and appreciate how Trek mounted the rear wheel speed magnet onto the left side of the rear hub (with the sensor mounted on the chain stay), vs. the older design that used a spoke-mounted magnet that was easily bumped and would throw an error.
• I really like the Tour+ and eMTB drive modes that Bosch developed. They allow the motor to respond with a range of power that is based on how hard you pedal. It feels natural and precise, which is great for doing wheelies or navigating technical terrain. I think of Tour+ as just a weaker version of eMTB.
• Another feature of the Bosch Performance Line motors that I really appreciate is how they can support higher pedal rates without fading out, you can reach 120+ RPM (pedal strokes per minute) and the motor is still there for you. This is extremely important if you prefer to downshift when approaching a big climb and like to spin fast vs. pedaling super strong to climb.
• All of the Bosch ebike systems are IP54 (ingress protection) rated which means that they are protected against contamination from limited amounts of dust and other particles. In my experience, they tend to be very durable, and tend to be supported for many years… I think Bosch officially offers support for 10 years on their products from the day they are discontinued.
• The Bosch PowerTube 750 offers 20% higher capacity than the Bosch PowerTube 625, which allows for longer rides and prolonged high-power operation between charges. This is especially useful if you’re riding all mountain terrain, doing lots of climbs and replacing the chair lift. Higher capacity might also lead to longer lifespan because extreme discharge (down to zero) is hard on Lithium-ion batteries. It’s less likely to get stranded with a heavy ebike, and you can really enjoy the eMTB and Turbo modes here without as much range anxiety.
• I really like the Bosch ebike battery chargers because they tend to be compact, high speed, and fairly light weight. That is the case for the Smart System charger here, which puts out 4 amps vs. 2 amps on most competing systems. A full fill is estimated at 6 hours but a half-fill from zero only takes 2 hours because the cells don’t need to be balanced as precisely when starting out. The charger uses a proprietary plug interface that works on the bike frame or directly to the base of the battery, so you can charge on or off the bike. I recommend removing the battery during transport and for periods of storage so you can keep the pack maintained above 20% to avoid cell damage. I believe that storing Lithium-ion batteries in a cool dry environment is best, avoid extreme heat and expect a 40% drop in usable capacity temporarily in extreme cold.
• The left chain stay has a 20mm kickstand mount, which is great for handling the additional weight of this bike when parking, when removing the battery pack, and in general because the slack head tube angle that makes the bike tippy when parked.
• Excellent use of slap guards, there’s a long rubber strip on the top and bottom portions of the right chain stay, this will keep the paint job and carbon fiber in good shape while reducing noise on rough sections of trail.
• The stem is Blendr compatible to work with many Trek/Bontrager aftermarket accessories such as lights and phone mounts… this may be why the Kiox 300 is mounted to the top tube vs. the handlebar mount that Bosch also offers.
• ABUS makes the locking core that secures the battery pack, and Trek chose the premium keyset that comes with a code for ordering additional keys or getting keyed-alike accessories such as folding locks. You could mount one of these on the downtube if you wished, or use that spot for a side-entry water bottle as shown in the photos and video review.
• Trek only sells through dealers at this point, and this strategy allows them to provide the best quality control, assembly, fitting, and post-purchase support. They are one of the largest bicycle brands in the world, so they also achieve economies of scale and aren’t the most expensive (despite this being an extremely expensive model). You get a two year warranty that is emphasized by both Trek and Bosch.
• Being a top-of-the-line build, this electric bike is extremely expensive at $13,550 USD. That said, it’s neat that Trek sells such a premium product with cutting-edge technology in three frame sizes and three colors with an excellent two year warranty and vast network of shops. It’s like buying an F1 race car.
• As nice as Trek’s removable integrated battery (RIB) cover looks, and as useful as the handle mechanism at the top of it is, thic cover system adds 1.1lbs (498 grams) of weight. Also, since the RIB is also paint matched, it probably costs more to replace if scratched or damaged.
• I was a bit surprised by the overall weight of the bike at 52.6lbs (for the size Medium) given the stock 29″ x 2.5″ tires running tubeless, carbon fiber frame and air suspension setup. I think this comes back to the high capacity battery pack, weight of the cover, and thicker handlebar, suspension stanchions, and higher 300lb weight capacity rating. It’s a sturdy bike. I think it would be cool if you could split the PowerTube 750 to make a lightweight version for shorter rides or mostly downhill and then the full battery capacity for longer rides and more up and downhill.
• Both the battery charge port and battery lock cylinder are positioned on the left side of the frame. This is the side of the bike that should be facing down towards the ground when the bike is parked and laid on its side (since it does not come with a kickstand). This makes charging and removing the battery more difficult, and suggests to me that the bike should simply be leaned against a wall, which seems risky given the weight and price tag. The battery charge port is also directly in the path of the left crank arm when rotated, so it could easily get snagged and and unplugged if bumped.
• In order to mount the battery pack into the downtube bay, you actually have to insert and twist the key while holding and balancing the battery pack (which is 10.8lbs). You can’t just slam it in and have it click into place like some competing designs. This probably makes the locking mechanism more tamper resistant and may reduce rattling, but seems to require more time and balance to do properly. I wish that the first half-step of mounting the pack could initiate without having to insert the key, just to keep the pack from tipping out if your hands are full and you’re struggling to balance the bike and twist the key. since the key inserts into the left side of the frame, the whole process is a bit tricky and definitely requires both hands.
• In order to configure both suspension elements, both tires, and operate the dropper post and derailleur on this ebike, you’ll need to download the SRAM AXS smartphone app. A second smartphone app is required to configure the Bosch drive system operation. Both apps work well, but having to download and interact with two just takes more time and requires more permissions and storage space on the phone.
• Two of the SRAM AXS wireless elements are rechargeable: the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS derailleur and SRAM Reverb AXS dropper post. But the shifter mechanism, both shocks, and both tire pressure gauges utilize disposable CR2032 coin batteries. As cool as the technology is, and as long as these little batteries last, it’s just one more thing to fiddle with, expire between long periods of travel or during the winter months, and the waste is a bit annoying for me. It would be great if all electronics were run off of the main rechargeable ebike battery.
• Considering the very high capacity 750 watt hour Bosch PowerTube battery pack and Smart System smartphone app used to track rides, and adjust Eco and Turbo assist modes, I was very disappointed to find that the USB-C port built into the LED Remote button pad is not active for charging portable electronics. It seems like a missed opportunity to me, especially given the earlier generations of Bosch displays have provided some level of charging (Bosch Intuvia, Bosch original Kiox, and Bosch Nyon).
• The Bosch Smart System components are not backwards compatible, and even use a new battery charger. If you wanted to change displays or share chargers from prior generations, you are not able to. I was surprised about the charger, because it seems to offer the same output.
• The bike frame appears to be longer than the non-electric equivalent from Trek. This may be due to the length of the PowerTube 750 and its supporting interface, as well as the mid-drive motor. While this provides some stability for climbing, it makes the bike less nimble.

Useful Resources:

• Trek electric bike dealers .
• Official Trek website.

Review Updated On

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Comments (6) YouTube Comments

Hi, you may want to consider adding to the Con list “product availability”. Many of the Trek reviews I’ve seen lately are not available until 2023, at least here in Canada and I’ve contacted multiple dealers, both on the west and east coast. The reviews should be rephrased to “Teasers”, LOL.

Hi Chris! I like your suggestion about renaming :P and I’ve seen this same inventory challenge when visiting shops. That said, the Trek dealer I borrowed this review bike from does have lots of inventory in a range of models. I’m not sure about size availability, but they just got a bunch of new stuff in. I do my best to cover products from a range of brands and price points, this one came up as unique because it’s so fancy… I try to stay down to Earth and be honest about the shortcomings that I see. Inventory might be a temporary con for most of the bikes right now. Hope you can find the bike you want… call the Port Coquitlam Trek store if you haven’t already! Even if you don’t live in this region, perhaps they could ship products to another outlet near you?

Thank you Court! We appreciate all you do bringing our attention to all of these awesome ebikes.

Top of the line 13K and you hear a train horn when you hit the brakes. lmao 🤣

Yeah… I think it must have been the water, possibly the cold, and maybe the brakes weren’t bed in yet? I’ve heard brand new brakes squeal many times, but especially in wet conditions.

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Trek Rail 9.9 in Review

The brand new Trek Rail replaces the Powerfly. With the flagship Rail 9.9, Trek have finally put more focus on trail performance than long-distance comfort. Does it ride as if it’s on rails?

Click here for an overview of the best eMTB 2020 group test .

The Rail 9.9 is distinctly recognisable as a Trek. The beautiful, high-quality carbon frame with 29″ wheels is very similar to the non-motorised Slash, also offering 160 mm travel up front and 150 mm at the rear. Trek have integrated the current Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which can generate 75 Nm torque, nicely into the frame, and it is powered by an equally well integrated 625 Wh battery. The battery can be removed from the side of the down tube within seconds and is easy to carry thanks to the convenient handle. The Kiox display is elegantly mounted on the top tube of the Rail 9.9, though unfortunately, the lower end models have to make do without it. Only the cable routing along the frame to the display disrupts the very clean look.

Components, weight and technical details of the Trek Rail 9.9

In addition to the in-house Bontrager carbon cockpit, the € 10,999 flagship Trek Rail 9.9 comes with SE5 Team Issue tires and Bontrager Line Pro carbon wheels. Unfortunately, the rear rim broke during our tests, but thanks to the Bontrager Carbon Care program, you’ll get replacements for up to two years after your purchase. Apart from the Shimano XT 4-piston brake, Trek rely on the know-how of SRAM and RockShox. Neither the wireless X01 AXS drivetrain or the Reverb AXS dropper post are the real highlight here. Instead, it’s the RockShox Deluxe RT3 RE:aktiv Thru Shaft shock. Specially designed for Trek Bikes, the shock has fewer seals and makes for super responsive rear suspension on the Rail 9.9.

Trek Rail 9.9

Specifications.

Motor Bosch Performance Line CX 75Nm Battery Bosch PowerTube 625Wh Display Bosch Kiox Fork RockShox Lyrik Ultimate 160 mm Rear Shock RockShox Deluxe RT3 RE:aktiv Thru Shaft 150 mm Seatpost RockShox Reverb AXS 150 mm Brakes Shimano XT 4-piston 200/200 mm Drivetrain SRAM X01 Eagle AXS 1x12 Stem Bontrager Line Pro 50 mm Handlebar Bontrager Line Pro Carbon 780 mm Wheelset Bontrager Line Carbon 30 29"

Technical Data

Size S M L XL Weight 22 kg Perm. total weight 136 kg Max. payload (rider/equipment) 114 kg Trailer approval no Kickstand mount yes

Specific Features

individual Project One paintwork available for additional charge

Geometry and size of the Trek

Although the Rail looks similar to Trek’s old enduro bike, the Slash, its geometry is much more modern. With a reach of 465 mm, the Rail is positioned in the middle of the test field. The bottom bracket, on the other hand, is very low with a 35 mm drop.

The Trek Rail 9.9 on the trail

The striking kink in the seat tube is another typical Trek design feature. Because of it, the effective seat tube angle of the Rail gets slacker the more you extend the seat post. If you’ve got long legs, this will place you further over the rear wheel than smaller riders. On steep climbs, taller riders, in particular, have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it on the ground. Keep the front down and you’ll benefit from the Rail 9.9’s low weight of just 22 kg and easily get up the climbs. Because of the low bottom bracket, you have to time your pedal strokes as you traverse obstacles to avoid clipping your pedals.

The Trek Rail 9.9 can take on any trail: Smooth and flowing, with jumps, through roots and rocks or steep and fast. Choose anything!

Thanks to the flip-chip, the geometry of the Rail 9.9 can be adjusted to suit your preference. Since, like us, the Rail is all about the descents, we kept it in the “low” setting throughout our test. In that setting, the rider’s centre of gravity is positioned nice and low on the Trek Rail and thanks to the long front triangle, you still have plenty of room to move around. Besides the low weight, we were especially impressed by the suspension performance of the Trek Rail 9.9. It simply swallows up holes, rocks and roots whether you’re riding fast or slow without ever giving up too much of its travel. As a result, the handling feels direct even on flowing sections of track, you can get it airborne without much effort and it invites you to pull manuals – though it requires speed to do so. On very flat terrain, the weight distribution on the Rail 9.9 is less well-balanced and you have to actively shift your weight forward to have enough precision and grip in the corners. In summary, active and experienced riders will benefit most from the bike’s direct handling and its high-speed capabilities. The only thing you might not like are the wide and undefined 2.6″ Bontrager SE5 tires.

The Trek Rail 9.9 is composed, yet playful – as long as you’re carrying speed!

Tuning tip: narrower tires for even more direct handling | aluminium rims

Riding Characteristics

Motor feeling, motor power, value for money, application, forest road, flow trail uphill, flow trail downhill, technical single trail uphill, technical single trail downhill, downhill tracks.

At high speed, the Trek Rail 9.9 does indeed glide over super rough terrain as if on rails. Active and fast riders can push their limits on any trail without the Rail 9.9 nearing its own. The design is beautiful and Trek have done a great job of integrating the Bosch system into the bike.

• almost limitless capabilities on the trail
• it looks great
• integration of the Bosch system

• bored at slower speeds
• flimsy carbon wheelset
• slack seat tube angle when the seat post is extended

You can find out more about the Trek Rail 9.9 at trekbikes.com .

The test field

You can find everything you need to know about our test for the best eMTB of 2020 right here!

All bikes in test: BULLS SONIC EVO AM 6 | Cannondale Moterra 1 | Canyon Spectral:ON 9.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM 2020 | CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC | FANTIC XF1 180 Race | FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER | Giant Reign E+ 0 Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Liteville 301 CE MK1 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K | Moustache Samedi 27 Trail | Norco Range VLT C1 | NOX Hybrid Enduro 7.1 | Orbea WILD FS M-LTD | Pivot Shuttle 29 | Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90 Rally Edition | ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax | Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo | Trek Rail 9.9 | Whyte E-180 RS V1 | YT DECOY CF Pro Race

Relaxed and comfortable riding on surfaced roads, both uphill and downhill. ↩

Easy climbs up trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate incline. ↩

Active and playful descents on easy trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate slope. ↩

Single-track climbs on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and occasionally extreme inclines. ↩

Singletrack descents on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and small jumps as well as some very steep descents. ↩

High speed descents on sometimes very rough trails with large jumps and obstacles that you can’t roll over. ↩

The rating used for riding characteristics refers to the bikes in the group test and the current state of development of eMTBs. The best bikes managed to blend supposedly opposite riding characteristics, feeling both lively and stable at the same time. The handling describes the balance of the bike on downhill sections. The information regarding motor-power refers to the ride-feeling in the overall context of the bike and not exclusively to the motor – that’s why the same motor can present different values. ↩

Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Click here to learn more .

Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann

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2022 Trek Rail 9.9 and 9.8 - The Most E, eMTB to Date 7

The 2022 trek rail 9.9 may be the culmination of every mtb technology shift we've been seeing..

T rek's newest update to the Rail 9.9 and 9.8 see a host of changes for 2022. From revised geometry to an abundance of technology, the 2022 Trek Rail might be the most E, e-bike we've laid our hands upon. Vital has only just taken custody of this new eMTB and in that time we've been flooded off the trails with rain. We'll be looking to log the miles and pit some challenges to the new Trek Rail in the coming months. For now, let's dig into the details of this electrified mountain bike. As a quick aside, the Rail 9.7 and lower will not be seeing any of these updates for 2022.

• 160mm (6.2-inches) front travel // 150mm (5.9-inches) rear travel
• Trek ABP suspension design
• Carbon frame
• 29-inch wheels
• Mino Link adjustable geometry
• Bosch Performance Line CX Motor - 85Nm
• 750Wh battery
• Bosch Smart system
• Boost 148 rear hub spacing with 12mm axle
• Custom RockShox Super Deluxe with ThruShaft
• Knock Block 2.0 - 72-degree turning radius and removable
• 34.9 Seat tube
• Air Wiz Fork and Shock integration (as tested)
• Tyre Wiz wheel integration (as tested)
• Weight - Rail 9.9 XX1 AXS: 50-pounds (size medium, no pedals)
• Price range: $5,599 - $13,499 USD
• Price: $13,499 as tested

We'll begin with what we know best, the bike portion. Trek's new Rail 9.9 gets an update to the geometry, bringing it more in line with the latest Slash. As riders may safely surmise, the Rail now sports a longer reach across all sizes and a steeper seat angle. While the growth is rather large, the Rail's reach numbers now sit among the average for bikes of equivalent sizing designations. The new 77-degree seat angle is steepish but not wild. We are good with that, as climbing with an e-bike takes a different approach and positioning than a mountain bike.

Through the use of the Mino link (flip chip) riders can put the Rail in the high setting and run a 27.5-inch rear wheel. The result is a bike that is .3-degrees more slack and slightly lower than the stock, 29er option in the low setting. Trek will be shipping the Rail in the low position but riders can run it in high for sharper angles and greater pedal clearance.

Trek has outfitted the new Rail with the same RockShox Super Deluxe ThruShaft shock found on the Slash . The customized approach to compression tuning was actually something we enjoyed, so we're pleased to see it show up on the Rail. Additionally so, because we were less than impressed with the unit on the prior Rail . Trek upped the ante though. Incorporated on both the rear shock and fork is an Air Wiz unit. This particular setup is a Trek exclusive and will not be available aftermarket or via other brands (as far as we know.)

Riders will download the SRAM AXS app and sync their phones with the shock units. By inputting your rider weight, the app will tell you how much air to put into the shock and fork. From there, a blinking LED light will go green with the proper pressure or red if you are outside the threshold of what is recommended. Riders can see how much pressure is in the fork or shock by accessing the app, rather than hooking up a shock pump.

With Flight Attendant so freshly on our minds, we had to know if there was more. There is no diagnostic or tuning feedback provided. The Air Wiz units are strictly a tool to visually check shock pressure and see if the setting is within the baseline recommended window. So no, this is not Flight Attendant "light."

Moar Wireless Syncing

Our test bike was not done with the blinking lights though. While in the AXS app, we went ahead and synced up the Tyre Wiz units to get our tire pressure set to the recommended levels. We tested these units some time ago but have yet to see them as part of an OE build. Just like the shock units, the wheels will flash green for go and red to indicate an issue. Just as with the suspension, riders can see their tire pressure via the AXS app, rather than connect a pump.

For a total of six synced parts, we linked up the SRAM XX1 AXS derailleur and shifter. We've covered SRAM's AXS system plenty and it goes without saying that we are familiar and always pleased to ride it. It would seem that the new Rail 9.9 is ushering in an era of digital integration into mountain biking. While we are seeing all of this for the first time in one place on an e-bike, there is nothing keeping this from being on your next mountain bike. Love it or not, we are here.

For the remainder of the parts, our Rail 9.9 saw some familiar faces. Bontrager's Line Pro 30 rims are light, fast, and super stiff. They toed the line during our last go with the Rail. We were also quite happy to see some new Bontrager rubber on our 9.9. Again, one of our chief complaints with our Rail during Test Sessions was the front tire's inability to contain the fury of this e-bike. The new SE6 looks to be a promising update.

It wouldn't be an e-bike without a motor and battery. Bosch recently launched its Smart System , which is specced on the new Rail. This system, along with a 750Wh battery should have riders going all darn day. Trek's slick removable battery system stays in place. Riders can quickly remove the battery with a key. The battery can be charged separately (not mounted) from the bike, or while installed.

The Bosch Performance Line CX motor puts out 85NM of torque, right in line with its competitors. Bosch offers four different power settings to suit riders' needs. Eco, Tour, and Turbo are the most familiar to non-Bosch users as they reflect what many systems offer. The differentiating setting is eMTB, just below Turbo. This is an adaptive setting that uses a variety of assistance based on rider input. Riders wanting more assistance, while still getting improved range can just put the bike in eMTB mode and let it run.

Mounted to the left side of the handlebar is a control module that lets riders navigate the new Kiox 300 display on the top tube. Smartly, when turning on the bike, there is a warning about distracted riding, much as we see in our automobiles today. Once you've dismissed the warning, riders can begin navigating the system. There's a bevy of information to be had here and a variety of diagnostic information.

The Kiox 300 screen can be easily dismounted by hand if riders prefer to not have the display or are doing some riding where the display is in the way (bikepacking, kid seat , etc). The Bosch system will still turn on and function like normal. With a bright LED display on the bar control unit, riders will know what mode they are in via color illumination. There is even a bar graph to show the battery level.

Want even more digital tools at your disposal? The Bosch smart system will sync with your phone via the Flow app and further integrate into other apps and tools. Riders will get diagnostic information, ride stats, and the ability to integrate into health apps.

As mentioned, only the Trek Rail 9.9 and 9.8 models are receiving the latest updates. That includes a total of five different builds. The Rail line has a total of ten different builds. We recommend heading to Trek's website to see what the full lineup consists of. For now, here is how the updated 2022 models are looking.

All of Trek's 2022 Rail 9.9 and 9.8 models will use the Bosch Performance Line CX motor with a 750Wh battery. Models below this tier will use the Bosch Performance CX Magnesium motor with 625Wh batteries (500Wh on the entry, Rail 5).

The Rail eMTB line starts out with the Rail 5, listing for $5,599 ($7,499 CAD). Riders can get into the updated 2022 Rail 9.8 GX just shy of the five-figure mark for $8,999 ($12,499 CAD). The Rail line tops out with our 9.9 XX1 AXS model at a scant $13,499 ($17,999 CAD).

We've touched upon all of the wild integrations and electro-wizardry of our top-tier Trek Rail 9.9. It does not stand alone, however, as Trek is also offering a Rail 9.9 XTR ($12,499) with the same Shock Wiz and Tyre Wiz integrations. The differentiating factor here is the obvious swap from the SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS to Shimano XTR 12-speed. Due to supply shortages, our test bike is equipped with a Bontrager dropper but customers will receive a RockShox AXS dropper while the XTR build will have the Bontrager dropper post.

Trek's Rail 9.8 series offers three different builds. The 9.8 line ditches the Wiz monitoring systems on the suspension and wheels. The fork moves from Ultimate to a ZEB Select+ while the rear shock is still a RockShox Super Deluxe Thru Shaft as found on the higher-end models. The key differentiating factor on each of the 9.8 models is the drivetrain. Trek is offering a GX Eagle, GX Eagle AXS, and Shimano XT. All three models use Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels.

We've only been able to get the Rail out on a singular ride since its arrival. Bikes all across the industry are showing closer to the launch date, it's just how things are these days. In addition, our region has been getting pounded by rain, shutting down almost every trail. We did get out on one local moto trail. Being nothing but thirsty decomposed granite and solid rock, it runs best when wet.

Pressed for time between storms, we furiously pressed the control buttons until our Rail glowed red, indicating we were in Turbo mode. The soggy fire road ascent was no match for the Rail and we feverishly hummed up the hill at an easy 15mph. It has been some time since we rode the Bosch system and even though Shimano has upped its game, the Bosch just hits differently.

At the top of the initial climb, there is a short, fun descent that is pretty rowdy and has several natural doubles. Never missing a pedal stroke, we charged right in. Through the nasty bits and doubles, the Rail was making an odd sound. We assumed it to be a motor clack and carried on. After punching back up to what would be our actual descent, we reached for our water bottle. It was empty.

Upon inspection, we saw the shock was striking the bottom of the water bottle and had torn a hole in the bottom. The noise was not a motor clack, it was our bottle being torn asunder. With no room to adjust our 22-ounce Purist bottle any higher in the frame, we accepted our fate. The damage was already done and we at least knew the noise at this point. Size medium Rails will come with a spacer installed in the frame to get proper bottle clearance. Our test bike was missing this spacer, which resulted in the bottle damage.

Piloting the Rail 9.9 downhill was a blast. We were a bit mad at it for killing our Attitude Adjuster bottle, so we held no punches on our line. Only the most direct would do in the rock gardens. Much like a Sour Patch Kid , the Rail made nice with us and by the end of the descent, it was all hoots and hollers.

We are nowhere near drawing any conclusion on the 2022 Rail 9.9 but we will say there are immediate improvements over the prior model we tested. Bontrager's SE6 tire offers decidedly more grip than its predecessor. Additionally, Trek's new RockShox Super Deluxe ThruShaft kept its composure and was far more compliant than the older model.

To learn more about the 2022 Trek Rail line, head to Trekbikes.com

View key specs, compare bikes, and rate the 2022 Trek Rail  in the Vital MTB Product Guide.

View replies to: 2022 Trek Rail 9.9 and 9.8 - The Most E, eMTB to Date

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2024年5月14日 09:05

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その後コロナ禍が訪れたりし、「Rail 9.7」への憧れもややしぼんできたりして……。Rail 9.7の購入意欲も低減してしまいました。

しかし去年2023年の9月、新型のe-MTB 「Rail 9.7 Gen 4」 が発売され、パッと購入した筆者。あることがきっかけで、急にRail 9.7に対する意欲が復活したからです。

期待を裏切らない走り、アシストの強さと自然さ、扱いやすかったトレックの最新e-MTB

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2024年1月15日 08:05

2023年の9月頃に納車されましたが、厳しい残暑がありつつ仕事も忙しかったので、少し我慢して、12月頃の寒い季節になったら乗ろう! と決めました。ところが、体を痛めてしまいました。

購入したばかりのトレックe-MTB「Rail 9.7」で雪道を走る方法を考える

2024年1月23日 08:05

体を治しつつ(といっても強烈な肩こりですが)、Rail 9.7 Gen 4で走ることを妄想する日々。Rail 9.7のようなe-MTBは、どこでも走れちゃうからな～! どこを走ろう? そういえばe-MTBで伊豆大島を走ったな～。今度は自分のRail 9.7で伊豆大島サイクリングしたいな～。

【手ぶらでe-bike離島旅】東京とは思えない裏砂漠! 絶景連続の伊豆大島へ行ってきた

2021年12月24日 07:30

体を治しつつ自宅で妄想していたら、伊豆大島の楽しい思い出とともに、ちょとイヤなことも思い出しました。三宅島サイクリングの終盤で日が暮れてしまったこと。またお尻の痛みも思い出しました。

上記の関連記事ではヒルクライムの途中で日が暮れた件はサラリとしか書いていませんが、離島の夜は閑散とした道はホントに真っ暗。手持ちのライトは近くを照らす程度の明るさしかなく、暗いなか、おっかなびっくりヒルクライムしたことを覚えています。

またバックパックにそこそこ荷物を入れていたのと、わりと長距離の座りっぱなしのヒルクライムだったので、お尻の痛さもよく覚えています。立ち漕ぎをすれば少し楽になりますが、e-bikeなので立ち漕ぎの必要はほとんどありません。とにかく「あーこれでリアキャリアに荷物詰めたらなぁ」とお尻の痛みをこらえながら思いました。

そんなことを思い出していたら、思いつきました。「あ! そうだ! まだ少ししか走ってないRail 9.7 Gen 4、いまのうちにカスタマイズしようかな」と。

そこでRail 9.7 Gen 4を購入したスポーツ自転車店 「バイクプラス所沢店」 にカスタマイズの相談を。たしか店長の宮崎さんはe-MTBのRailに(も)乗っていて、リアキャリアが装着されていたような。スーパー何とかってライトが凄く明るくて配光もイイ、とも言っていたような。

Rail 9.7 Gen 4に、まずは前後ライト!

Rail 9.7 Gen 4にライトとか取り付けたいでーす! とバイクプラス所沢店のスタッフに相談していると、筆者的に「ですよね～」となる気づきがいくつかありました。

まずライト。十分明るいライトなら、ハンドルに着脱できるタイプでいいかな、と考えていました。

しかし相談していると、e-bikeのバッテリーを電源にできるライトが結構出ていることを知りました。また外付けライトだと充電が必要ですが、e-bikeから電源を取るライトなら充電を気にすることがないこともあらためて認識。ですよね～せっかくe-bikeなんだし、ライト電源はe-bikeのバッテリーからがいいですよね～、と。

そして、スタッフが気に入って使っている高性能なライトがあるということで見せてもらいました。 SUPERNOVA(スーパーノヴァ) というブランドのLEDライトで、 「M99 Mini Pro 25」 というモデル。

47,740円という価格には怯みましたが、実物が点灯する様子を見てみると……ああっ! 明るい! これなら夜の伊豆大島でも全然問題ない!

しかもロービームにしたときとハイビームにしたときの「配光」が素晴らしい。こんなに明るいのに、ロービームにすると、ライトを前方から見てもぜんぜん眩しくない! ハイビームにすると前方全体を照らすようになり、真っ暗闇のトレイルでも走れちゃいそう!

さらにロービーム・ハイビームを切り換えられるスイッチを、ハンドルのどこにでも装着できる。むむむ～コレは抜け目のないライト! 最強のライトだなぁ……じゃあコレで!

それから、リアライト(テールランプ)もe-bikeのバッテリーを電源にできるものが結構あるそう。いろいろ紹介されましたが、結局は 「M99 Tail Light 2 Pro」 を選びました。

リアキャリアも! キックスタンドも!

さらに続いてリアキャリア。実はフルサスe-MTBにリアキャリアはどうなんだろう……と少々躊躇していました。でもツーリング時に荷物をリアキャリアに積むと「体がぜんぜん疲れない」「お尻の痛みも減る」ということを経験的に知っている筆者。う～ん。 ちなみにバイクプラス所沢店の宮崎さんは、ご自身のe-MTB「Rail 5」にリアキャリアを装着しています。その使い勝手はバイクプラスのブログ 「E-MTBバイクパッキングで荷物満載！お花見女子キャンプツーリング」 で読むことができます。

宮崎さんオススメのリアキャリアは、OLD MAN MOUNTAIN(オールドマンマウンテン)ブランドの 「Divide Rack(ディバイド ラック)」 。

実はこのキャリア、スルーアクスル用の取り付けキットが用意されています。スルーアクスルはホイールの中央のハブを貫通してホイールを固定するしくみ。ハブの中央に金属の棒(アクスル)が貫通しており、これを抜くことでホイールを外すことができます。

スルーアクスル採用の自転車にそのキットを装着(アクスルを交換)すると、アクスルがキャリア取り付け部にもなります。アクスルとキャリアの着脱は容易。シートステーにも固定しますが、その部分の着脱も容易。なのでトレイルやパークなどで激しく走るときはキャリアを外し、ライトなサイクリングや通勤・通学時はキャリアを装着するという使い分けができるそうです。

あーら便利そう! しかも宮崎さんの実車に装着されていたゲンブツを見せてもらうと、かな～り頑丈そう……なのに、軽いっ! これだ! これを使っていきたい!

それからキックスタンド。寄り道や休憩時に自転車が自立するのはやっぱり便利。モノはBontrager(ボントレガー)の 「リア マウント アジャスタブル キックスタンド, 24-29"」 。ボントレガーブランドはトレックブランド自転車の純正アクセサリーとなりますので、問題なく装着可能です。

えー? フルサスe-MTBにリアキャリアとキックスタンドぉ～? とか思われたかもしれません。

トレイルをガンガン走るのがフルサスe-MTB、とすれば、似合わない装備ですよね。でも、前後のサスペンションでどこでも快適・乗り心地よく走れるのがフルサスe-MTB、とすれば、便利なんですよリアキャリアもキックスタンドも。

e-bikeだから重量なんて気にしない!! RIDGE-RUNNERにリアキャリアを装着したら快適すぎる♪

2021年1月12日 08:00

ということで、通常はRail 9.7 Gen 4にリアキャリアを装着して(荷物など積んで)走り、必要に応じてリアキャリアを取り外します。キックスタンドもボルト×2本で固定できますので、必要に応じて着脱できます。

カスタマイズはプロ任せ、手際の良さが小気味よく、キレイに仕上がったっ!!

愛車Rail 9.7 Gen 4のカスタマイズ当日、「プロはどんなふうにパーツを取り付けるのか?」と気になったので、取り付け作業を見学させていただきました。興味津々!

ちなみに、バイクプラス所沢店で購入した自転車の場合、同じくバイクプラス所沢店で買ったアクセサリー類の取り付け工賃は1年間無料です。e-bikeはドライブユニットを外してのアクセサリー追加作業などが多いですが、そういった大がかりなカスタマイズでも、上記条件を満たせば1年間工賃無料!! また同様に、自転車を自分の体に合わせるための調整作業(フィッティング)も1年間無料です。太っ腹!

といった感じのRail 9.7 Gen 4カスタマイズ。どこでも走破できるe-MTBに、さらなる実用性が備わりました。カスタマイズすることで愛用の自転車がさらに便利で楽しくなりますので、興味があればぜひカスタマイズしてみてください!

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Detailed Road Map of Omsk

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Locations near Omsk

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• Ostrovka 4.6 km
• Karzhass 6.6 km
• Novomoskovka 7.7 km
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• Rostovka 11 km
• Pushkino 12 km
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The Top 12 Things to Do in Omsk

Feel the love in the very heart of Russia

In Russia, all roads lead to Moscow , on account of the city's status as the national capital and its importance throughout history. If geography were the deciding factor, however, the Siberian city of Omsk would be the point where all Russia's roads converge—it's located literally in the heart of the country, approximately as far from Vladivostok as it is from the Belarusian border. Omsk boasts a spate of exciting attractions, even if you simply make a stop here as you ride the Trans-Siberian Railway eastward or westward.

Marvel at Assumption Cathedral

Chelsea Hicks/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Orthodox architecture never gets old, even if you've been traveling in Russia for a long time. This is particularly the case when it comes to the Assumption Cathedral of Omsk, whose gold-and-turquoise domes look resplendent under the blue skies that bless Omsk during the warmer months of the year. The cathedral was built in 1891 under the orders Nicholas, the last Tsar of Russia.

Time Travel at Omsk Fortress

Ogg-omsk/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

The bad news? Much of what was once Omsk Fortress is now a residential area, with the only notable landmark that still stands being Tobolsk Gate (think Paris' Arc de Triomphe , but yellow and smaller). The good news? There's essentially no reason for a military fortification to exist in today's peaceful Omsk, which means you can stroll amid parks and cafés and imagine the area being war-torn—a small sacrifice to make in exchange for not being blown to bits.

Go Green at Ptich'ya Gavan'

Forinrap/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 

Or white, as it were: Omsk is covered with snow several months of the year, which means that its prized Ptich'ya Gavan' central park is often more of a winter wonderland than the green reprieve you experience in summer. The park is popular with local families, to whom you can say "Privet" (Hello) as you walk past.

Walk on Omsk's Artsy Side

G0rn/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0

Although the building that houses Omsk District Museum of Visual Arts is unmistakably Russian, the collection you find inside is surprisingly eclectic for a city deep in Russia's interior. Recent collections have included a revival of Van Gogh's great works, among others. This is a particularly enjoyable Omsk attraction on cold winter days, when temperatures can drop far below freezing and sunshine can be rare.

Shoot for the Moon

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Though Omsk is a relatively large city, the skies over it become dark enough in the evening for stargazing. While visitors are not permitted to use the expensive telescopes housed inside, exhibits inside the museum provide a fascinating look into the cosmos, narrated by expert astronomical guides.

Shop on Lenin Street

yykkaa/Getty Images

Lenin Street's name is appropriate: Although it's the high street of a city thousands of miles from Moscow, the European-style architecture and cosmopolitan vibe you feel as you stroll past its boutique and cafés evokes the capital of Russia more than its forlorn interior. Local specialties you can purchase here include rustic jams made from local berries (and even, in some shops, cedar cones), as well as handmade rugs from Kazakhstan, which sits just south of Omsk.

Sample Siberian Cuisine

Quynh Anh Nguyen/Getty Images 

Speaking of unique Siberian food, it's not just preserves made from the fruits of evergreen trees. Omsk is a great place to discover the flavors of Russia's wild interior, whether you eat zagutai and stroganini (Siberia's take on sushi) or classic Russian plmeni dumplings filled with decidedly Siberian ingredients, such as bear and rabbit meat. Vkusno ! (That's Russian for "delicious"!)

Enjoy Historical Houses—While You Still Can

Simon Richmond/Getty Images

The wooden houses that line Nikolskiy Prospekt aren't protected, but they should be. Historical structures that are unfortunately in a state of disrepair, these houses are slated for demolition at some unspecific point in the future. Be sure to catch a glimpse of these historical house before they're gone. There will, however, be at least one left standing for a long time. The Omsk State Art Museum is in a traditional wooden house.

Go to the Circus

Vladislav Domnich/Getty Images

Omsk State Circus is a popular spot for local families, whose children love the opportunity to see acrobatic performances and animals that wouldn't otherwise make appearance in Siberia. If you do attend a show here, keep in mind that ethics with regard to animal treatment might not match up with those in North America or Western Europe, to say nothing of the smell that can pervade the auditorium during and even after a show.

Be a Drama Queen

While there's no guarantee that any shows will be playing at Omsk Drama Theater at the time of your trip, a visit to this 19th century building is a spectacle in and of itself. While not as huge, say, as Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, it's nonetheless an ornate architectural wonder that hearkens back to a glorious time in history. The interior of the theater is even open during the daytime; ask the person who's inside if any tours are available when you turn up.

Explore Cities Deeper in Siberia

Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images

Siberia starts in Omsk, even if you can't continue far into it. If you don't plan to travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway, take one of two day trips from Omsk. Travel to Tobolsk, whose hilltop Kremlin is one of the most picturesque in all of Russia, and whose beauty inspired a photo by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that ended up winning several awards. Or visit Tomsk, where you'll find a botanical garden dedicated to Siberian flora, and a museum that celebrates wooden architecture.

Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway

 lvinst/Getty Images

The idea of leaving Omsk behind can seem difficult, especially now that you've gotten to know this city in the heart of Siberia as well as you have. The mint-colored facade of Omsk Railway Station will make you smile, however, even if you're crying inside as you depart. Though it's not quite on the mid-line of the Trans-Siberian route between Moscow and Beijing , Omsk is a worthy starting place to begin a journey to either. If you head east make sure to stop in Irkutsk , the home of Lake Baikal and another underrated Siberian city.

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