trek xcaliber frame weight

Trek X-Caliber 8: Everything You Need To Know

At a Glance: Features of the Trek X-Caliber 8

• Aluminum frame
• RockShox 30 Silver 100mm suspension fork and hardtail suspension system
• Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes
• Shimano Deore front derailleur, Shimano Deore XT rear derailleur, and Shimano Deore 10-Speed shifters

Introduction

Are you going off-roading on rough trails or participating in cross country (XC) mountain biking?

There are many things you need to take care of when doing any of these activities. Before you get anything else done, however, you’ll have to start by choosing a reliable, high-quality bike.

Today, we’re going to check out what kind of companion the X-Caliber 8 from Trek Bikes is for your mountain biking trips.

Let’s get right into it and start with the complete guide on X-Caliber 8.

Our Guide to Trek X Caliber 8

Trek Biking Company has been making bikes since 1976. Across four decades, the company has built a reputation for crafting excellent, durable bikes that offer serious performance, regardless of your experience level.

The X-Caliber series from Trek Bikes takes this legacy forward with their XC mountain bikes. For the purposes of this review, we’ll be focusing on the X-Caliber 8 model only.

So, let’s get started with the features of Trek X-Caliber 8.

The X-Caliber series is a range of XC bikes all made of aluminum frames. These are lightweight bikes with a tapered head tube, and a rack and kickstand mount.

The internal cable routing helps to add to the neat appearance of these X-Caliber bikes.

X-Caliber 8 also features Boost 141 hub spacing that makes your frames stiffer and wheels stronger. It also gives you shorter chainstays, and more tire and chainring clearance. This allows you to ride on low-difficulty terrains with ease but isn’t suitable for particularly rough trails.

Like all XC mountain bikes, the X-Caliber also employs a lightweight geometry that gives you better pedaling efficiency.

The X-Caliber 8 is a hardtail bike, meaning that it does not have suspension in the back and the front suspension locks out. This makes biking on climbs and sprints easier.

The 1x SRAM drivetrain on this X-Caliber requires fewer gear adjustments which means a better biking experience for you with fewer chain drops. However, this configuration also offers fewer gear options.

If you’re looking for better flat-out speed, then a 2x or 3x drivetrain might be better for you.

The company has equipped the X-Caliber 8 with Shimano Deore front derailleur, Shimano Deore XT rear derailleur, and Shimano Deore 10-Speed shifters.

These speed shifters allow you to shift easily between riding positions with their 2-way release triggers.

The tire size will differ depending on the bike size you choose. Trek offers the following size options for its X-Caliber series:

• 29×2.4 inches for medium and large X-Caliber bikes
• 27.5×2.8 for small and extra small X-Caliber bikes

Versatility

Is the Trek X-Caliber 8 a versatile mountain bike?

The X-Caliber 8 is one of the most versatile bikes you’ll find on Trek’s list. The X-Caliber 8 allows you the freedom to go off-road or ride single-track marathons and races.

Can you take the X-Caliber 8 on long rides or touring? Absolutely!

The X-Caliber 8 is durable and will sustain you on long rides and touring as well. It is best suited for long trails with uphill and downhill riding.

Weight and Load Capacity

The medium-sized X-Caliber 8 weighs 28.77 pounds and its total load capacity is 300 pounds.

Braking System

Don’t forget about the braking systems!

This X-Caliber 8 mountain bike comes with the Shimano MT200 hydraulic disk brakes.

Hydraulic brakes are excellent for beginners because they do away with cables and also require less pressure. They are also lightweight so the bike’s overall weight is well adjusted.

But the Shimano MT200 brakes are the best for those looking to try MTB for the first time. These are quiet breaks that utilize one-way bleeding technology to prevent air from entering the hydraulic system.

What this means is your breaks and the hydraulic fluid in them will remain in optimum condition for years, without any need for regular bleeding and maintenance.

Want to add more flexibility to your seat’s height on those rocky terrains?

X-Caliber 8 is internal dropper compatible which allows you to upgrade your seat height limit whenever you want to.

At a rough price of $1,400, the X-Caliber is a cost-effective option among hardtail bikes which typically go up to $1,500.

Accessories

The bike features rack mounts that allow you to carry some accessories on those long trips you’ve been wanting to take.

Want to install accessories such as lights and computers on your bike?

Trek allows you to do that with its Blendr-compatible stem system.

Colors and Sizes Available

Trek makes its X-Caliber 8 in two different color options. One is a combination of lithium gray and trek black. While the other combines a radioactive red with trek black.

The X-Caliber 8 is available in a variety of size options from small and medium to large and double XL.

X-Caliber 8: Pros and Cons

• Great for beginners
• Lightweight
• Easy to maintain
• Easy to make high-end upgrades
• Cost-efficient
• Quality materials used
• Great bike for moderate to smooth trails
• Available in a variety of size options
• Not for technical trails
• Fewer gear options
• Not ideal for very rough trails
• Not the fastest MTB out there

In Conclusion: Is Trek X-Caliber 8 Worth It?

Trek makes quality products and the X-Caliber 8 is one of them. The bike is made of quality parts, has a good design, and has a good frame.

The X-Caliber 8 is a good bike for the new and experienced biker. There’s little to worry about and more to explore with the bike’s great features.

Its front suspension fork is good enough to take a few moderate bumps so you can take it for beginner to mid-level trails.

Overall, the Trek X-Caliber is a great choice among MTB products for beginners.

We hope our guide helped you understand the X-Caliber 8 better and made the purchasing choice a tad bit easier.

What features of MTB bicycles do you think your MTB must-have?

Think it over and write to us with your answers.

Happy off-roading!

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Trek X-Caliber 8 hardtail review

• February 14, 2023

There are plenty of plus-points to the Trek X-Caliber 8 hardtail mountain bike, like reliable components and a sure-footed feel

Product Overview

Overall rating:, trek x-caliber 8 2022.

• Tubeless-ready wheels and tyres
• Heaviest bike on test

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

The Trek X-Caliber 8 is a sure-footed 29er hardtail mountain bike, with plenty of reliable elements that boost its score to impressive levels, but a few missteps that hold it back from quite making it as one of the best hardtail mountain bikes we’ve tested. There’s a whole lot to like though.

Twenty nine inch wheels have long been an integral part of Trek’s mountain bikes, especially the hardtails. And where initially there was uncertainty and hesitation in the industry, Trek pushed on with this larger wheel size and the persistence paid off: with 29in wheels now accepted globally and across all mountain bike categories, not just for the cross country crowd.

Trek’s early 29in wheel bikes were XC hardtails and since then, the X-Caliber has shifted upmarket and now sit between the entry-level Marlin and the carbon Pro-Caliber. All three platforms run 100mm travel forks.

We’ve pulled in the X-Caliber 8 for this review, which is just shy of the Scott Scale 965 in price and shares many of the same components. With all four bikes on test running Shimano brakes and 1×12 transmissions, we were keen to take this consistency a step further and chose models with regular seatposts, rather than droppers. Primarily for comparing the weight of the bikes, but riding dynamics and overall value played a part too as we felt it really levelled the playing field, and maintained the XC hardtail design ethos.

With a steeply sloping top tube and a super-low standover height the X-Caliber is a very striking bike. It’s a silhouette that’s mirrored through all the brand’s hardtails – with the notable exception of the carbon Pro-Caliber – as is the wide size range that Trek is well known for offering. Seven frame sizes are available (with the XS and S rolling on 27.5in wheels to keep proportions in check) with a useful M/L option that’s a great problem solver for riders stuck between the popular M and L options. So hats off to Trek for this level of commitment to getting a good fitting bike.

When it comes to new frame standards, Trek has always been an early adopter, so it’s no surprise to see a tapered head tube and Boost hub spacing on the X-Caliber frame. But it’s Boost with a twist… here, Trek using 141mm rear dropout spacing with a traditional Q/R hub, rather than a 148mm bolt-thru design.

It’s not a deal breaker though, as the fixed rear triangle of a hardtail doesn’t need stiffening up like a full suspension design, and a quick online search reveals plenty of wheel upgrade options from the likes of Hunt, Hope and Bontrager for the 141 standard.

A modern touch that hasn’t been executed as well as on other bikes in test, is the internal frame routing for the cable and rear brake hose – they’re not clamped where they enter the down tube and rattle noisily on rough terrain, just like on the Trek Roscoe in our Hardtail of the Year test.

Trek has equipped the X-Caliber 8 with a RockShox fork and it’s listed as a Judy SL, so we expected to see an upgrade or two. However, all the tech is identical to the regular Judy forks seen on the Cube and Scott – a tapered aluminium steerer, steel upper legs, a Solo Air spring and the brand’s basic TurnKey damper.

The Trek is the only bike in test that doesn’t have a remote lockout lever though, just a simple dial on the top of the fork leg, with an on/off function and no graded adjustment between those points. At least it’s one less cable to maintain and gives more handlebar space for a dropper post remote lever.

And while the X-Caliber frame does not use a bolt-thru rear axle, the 100mm travel Judy fork does have the 15x110mm Boost hub standard – although the website lists the lighter tooled axle as standard, our test bike had the same QR lever operated version as the Scott Scale.

Shimano was slow to filter its 1×12 transmissions down to the lower price points, but it’s there now and proving to be a very popular choice, all four bikes in this test using Shimano drivetrains. The X-Caliber’s specification lists a Shimano chainset, but our bike shipped with a model from FSA, and it’s the only deviation from a complete Shimano drivetrain.

Trek has also gone with a smaller 30t chainring and combined with the Deore 10-51t cassette you get a super-low gear, which is useful on the climbs because at 13.53kg (29.82lb) the Trek is the heaviest bike in test.

Another wise move is the genuine Shimano chain which performs faultlessly in wet filthy conditions and plays well with the steel FSA chainring. The benchmark XT rear mech is good to see, as is the rubber chainstay protector, which is a detail the other three brands seemed to have overlooked.

Performance

The dropped top tube, wider 750mm bar, long wheelbase and slackish 68º head angle (the slackest of the four bikes) give the X-Caliber the look and feel of a trail bike. However, the Trek’s geometry and attitude is not in the same league as the most progressive 100mm trail hardtails such as Kona’s test-winning Mahuna .

Even on this size XL, the frame’s front triangle is very compact, especially when compared to the Giant XTC, but it still sports two sets of bottle cage mounts – essential on an XC bike. In fact, Trek has added plenty of mounts to the X-Caliber, with fittings for a rack and kickstand making it a very capable all-terrain bike.

With one of the lightest wheelsets on test, we expected some zip and liveliness from the X-Caliber but it lacked the immediate urgency of the Scott and Giant and on longer non-stop cross country blasts, its weight was noticeable, certainly towards the end of the ride.

You can’t knock the Trek’s sure-footed nature though – the lengthy wheelbase (for an XC hardtail) and wide bar aid stability, and it was only the Judy fork’s lack of refinement that held us back from diving into more challenging terrain. A slightly shorter stem would no doubt help here too.

Although the compact front end still has a tall 525mm seat tube, the seat stays are dropped, giving a tighter rear triangle. This certainly gives the X-Caliber a chuckable hardtail vibe, but the ride quality was a touch less compliant than the other bikes here.

With that in mind, there’s plenty of frame and fork clearance for higher volume tyres to help smooth the ride further, and Trek helpfully supplies the X-Caliber 8 with rim strips, valves and sealant so you can go tubeless straight from the box and reap the benefits immediately.

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With a sure-footed ride, reliable Shimano components and a sorted tubeless wheelset, it feels like there’s a trail bike hiding under the X-Caliber’s glossy frame finish just waiting to get out, but being held back by the fork and lack of a dropper post. Stepping up a model to the X-Caliber 9 would be our recommendation then, as it gets a dropper post and a more capable and refined fork. Ultimately, the Trek X-Caliber 8’s weight is noticeable and even with the same control tyres fitted to all of the test bikes, the Trek lacks the race-bike urgency of the Scott and Giant.

Trek X-Caliber Frame

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Specifications

Sizes and geometry.

​ www.trekbikes.com ​

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Trek X-Caliber 9

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 15.5", 17.5", 18.5", 19.5", 21.5", 23"

Weight / 12.61

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Gold Aluminum, E2 tapered head tube, internal derailleur & dropper post routing, rack & kickstand mount, Boost141, G2 Geometry
• Fork RockShox Recon Silver RL, RockShox Recon RL, Solo Air, rebound, remote lockout, E2 tapered steerer, G2 Geometry w/51mm offset on 29ers, Boost110, 100mm travel (13.5: 80mm travel)
• Hubs Bontrager sealed bearing, Boost141
• Wheels Bontrager Duster Elite Tubeless Ready 28-hole, tubeless strips and valves sold separately
• Wheel Size 29" 27.5"
• Tires Bontrager XR2 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, 120 tpi, aramid bead, 29x2.20˝ (13.5 & 15.5: 27.5x2.20˝)
• Chain KMC , KMC X11-1
• Crank Shimano XT, Shimano Deore XT, 36/26
• Bottom Bracket Sealed cartridge
• Front Derailleur Shimano SLX, Shimano SLX M7020
• Rear Derailleur Shimano XT, Shimano Deore XT M8000, Shadow Plus
• Shifters Shimano SLX, Shimano SLX M7000, 11 speed
• Brakeset Shimano , Shimano M425 hydraulic disc
• Handlebar Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 5mm rise, 720mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 2, chromoly rails
• Seatpost Bontrager alloy, 2-bolt head, 31.6mm, 8mm offset
• Stem Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, 7 degree
• Grips Bontrager Race Lite, lock-on
• Headset Semi-integrated, cartridge, 1-1/8˝ top, 1.5˝ bottom

Q: How much is a 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9?

A 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 is typically priced around $1,579 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9?

The 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 weigh?

A 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 weights 12.61.

Q: What size wheels does the 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 have?

The 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 has 29" and 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2018 Trek X-Caliber 9 should I get?

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Results have arrived, trek x-caliber small frameset - 2021, item #fmt11497, condition: pre-owned used condition with signs of use but functions as intended. backed by tpc's risk-free return policy., fit range: 5'0" - 5'6" sizing guide.

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Prize Money Will Pay This Off in No Time

The Trek X-Caliber is one of the brands lower cost mountain bike models, which causes many riders to look past it, but we'd encourage you take another look. The X-Caliber frame is made from durable and impressively responsive aluminum, can take a 27.5" or 29er wheelset and features a lively tapered headtube. The X-Caliber's geometry puts you in the driver's seat ready to punch the gas pedal when the gun goes off. For newer to moderate races looking for a spirited bike that won't break the bank, check out the X-Caliber.

• Lightweight and responsive aluminum frame
• Commanding XC geometry gets the job done
• 27.5" or 29" wheel capability (if upgrading wheels, the rear dropout is quick release)
• Includes: Frame, headset, and rear derailleur hanger (installed)
• Great condition
• Light wear and tear from cable/tire rub, heel rub, chain, etc
• Moderate paint chips/scuffs along the top tube, downtube, head tube, bottom bracket, seat tube and seat/chain stays
• Missing derailleur, downtube, bottom bracket and seat stay plug

Added to Cart

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Trek Madone Gen 8 SL7: First ride review

Trek's new madone supersedes its aero champion and kills off the emonda altogether - so is this one bike to rule them all.

Early Verdict

The new Madone has big shoes to fill by replacing two of the most impressive bikes on the market, but initial impressions indicate it's done just that

Fantastic ride quality and comfort

Rigid in power transfer and handling

Stunningly light

A blisteringly fast bike

The accompanying water bottles may take some getting used to

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

It’s hard to conjure a bike more iconic to pro cycling than the Trek Madone. The Madone was born out of the glory years of Lance Armstrong’s now-shamed successive Tour de France wins, and named after his key training climb – the Col de la Madone. But the Trek Madone achieved the rare feat of surviving the Texan’s fall from grace and living on independently with its own unique legacy. 

The Madone Gen 8 is arguably the most true-to-nature version of Trek’s flagship racer since its original iteration - combining the aerodynamics of the previous Madone with the lightweight design of the Emonda and doing away with the latter model altogether in the process. It brings Trek’s entire performance road bike line back to basics - the Domane is still there for the comfort-cum-cobble market, but the Madone is now Trek’s one and only flagship racer. In the years before the dedicated aero bike, that was the norm, and Trek claims to have returned to that with no downside.

Trek claims that the new Madone SLR hits a frame weight of 765g and a fork weight of 370g, making it the same weight as the outgoing Emonda. It also manages that while exceeding the aerodynamics performance of the previous aero-focussed SLR - by a slender 0.1 watt at 22mph (and marginally faster all the way up to 40mph).

With its shift back to narrow tubes and lightweight performance, alongside the end of the Emonda, it seems fitting to pull back and take a look at how the Madone evolved to reach this latest and perhaps most complete iteration.

The Trek Madone - from the start and back again

Originally billed as an aerodynamic lightweight racer in 2003, it didn't dazzle in weight terms and aerodynamics was limited to a fin on the seat tube. The bike arguably didn’t disrupt that status quo until its second iteration in 2007, and in 2009 came a sub 900g OCLV masterpiece in the bike’s third and most iterative design. However, it still looked, largely, like a bike.

In 2015 that was no longer the case, as Trek unveiled a new Madone which completely transformed the genre. In (unintentional) sync with the launch of the Specialized Venge Vias, the Madone 9 series was the first road bike to completely conceal its front cabling – making the front of the bike completely clean with the help of integrated Bontrager brakes developed specifically for the Madone. To facilitate that, the headtube of the bike had retractable carbon flaps which would open when the handlebars were moved to an acute enough angle, in order to let the brakes pop out from within the headtube.

This was a truly unhinged design (albeit with actual hinges) which offered a seismic leap in aerodynamic performance and overall speed - I attended the launch in 2015 and assumed I was suffering from jetlag delirium. The weight suffered as a result of the aero design. That was exacerbated by the IsoSpeed decoupler on the seatpost which compensated for the harsh aero tubes. In the era of rim brakes and early aerodynamic advances, though, overall weight being a kilo over the UCI minimum weight limit was nothing compared to the enormous watt savings. 

Since then, the Madone developed an adjustable IsoSpeed and gained disc brakes which negated the carbon flaps, before gradually converging back toward a more all-around bike. The 2022 update of the Madone sided for lighter weight at the expense of the IsoSpeed, providing instead an exhaust-like cantilever chasm in the seat tube known as the IsoFlow - still present in the design of the Madone Gen 8.

Indeed, having already taken a step toward being an all-around racer, the Gen 8 looks like the last generation Madone has been on a diet with thinner tubes, radically reshaped for aerodynamics and comfort, all powered by improved 900 OCLV Carbon – Trek’s proprietary blend of carbon fibre.

On the whole, though, Trek’s goal was clearly to make an irrefutably fast bike, which wins both on the ascents, descents and solo into the wind.

More of everything

“To our knowledge this is one of the if not the fastest road race bike that exists within the professional peloton and in the market,” says Jordan Roessingh, Director of Road bikes at Trek. 

“When you're comparing both attributes [weight and aero] of either previous platform, it's 77 seconds per hour faster than Emonda. So that's an enormous difference in aerodynamic performance compared to the previous Emonda despite the fact it's the same weight.” 

The real sell is that the new Madone nails the Emonda’s weight while matching the previous Madone’s aerodynamics. “When you're comparing to a Madone, it's the exact same aerodynamic performance,” Roessingh says. “But 320g lighter – so an enormous weight saving between those two. So again, we're taking the best of both worlds here and merging them and still achieving the highest performance of both attributes.”

The new tube shapes play a big role in the lower weight, better ride and claimed aero benefits. It’s odd as the cross-sections of the aero tubes look blunt and devoid of aerofoil or Kamm-tail shaping. However, when taken as a whole system, sandwiched between a horizontal cross-section of the front rim profile, aero bottles and the rear bottles, the tubes form a sort of neat holistic aerofoil.

Said with almost a grimace, as it’s become an industry cliche, Trek boasts that the bike has better vertical compliance alongside more lateral stiffness. The central IsoFlow seat tube gap claims an 80% improvement in the Madone’s vertical compliance and a 24% improvement over the IsoFlow-less Emonda.

The new Madone carries over the same splayed integrated bar concept as the Gen 7 - positioning the rider 2cm inward on the hoods compared to the drops for aero gains while sitting on the hoods (which has increasingly become the standard aero position).

Strangely, Trek claims the handlebars are less aerodynamic than the Gen 7 iteration, but with a wider cross-section offer a better overall aero performance when air interacts with the bars and then the rider.

In another gravel-like nod to versatility, the new Madone has clearance for 33mm tyres - up from 28mm on the previous Madone. Trek argues that the previous Madone could have handled 30mm or larger in most rim combinations, and for the Gen 8, similarly, 33mm is a conservative estimate. We can believe that given the visible clearance.

Sizing, spec and bottled-up speed

Trek’s aero bottle design is intriguing because this is ground that the bike market had trodden before. Aero water bottles have been commonplace in triathlon and time trial for over a decade, and have crept up into the build of aero road bikes from time to time but never managed to break through.

It’s also intriguing because the Madone is slower than its previous iteration with round bottles. What’s more, without any bottles on the bikes at all, it’s slower - so no ditching your bottles at the base of the climb.

Given the fixation on aero gains, it’s surprising that the claimed 3.7-watt gains with Trek’s RSL water bottles haven’t been adopted across the peloton. In reality, though, aero bottles present a few issues. Typically the aero cages restrict the use of round bottles, while any minor challenge in liberating a bottle is a big issue to a WorldTour rider on a critical climb. Trek claims to have solved both of those problems. 

“These bottle cages are compatible with round bottles” explains Adam Bird, Trek’s Design Engineer for the Madone. “So from a practical perspective, it's something that we expect the pro riders to be trying at the Tour de France – they're actually intending on using aero bottles at the tour. But they need to be able to grab any water bottle from any team or any neutral service and be able to put it in there. So we're balancing the aerodynamic performance with practical performance.”

In terms of breaking through to riders in the WorldTour where in the past the idea may have been dismissed as impractical, Bird argues, "There's a difference in the rider mentality… a lot of the riders now in the peloton are really young. They're very interested in learning about all those slight performance gains that they could potentially find.”

“Ten years ago, we would have shown them this water bottle and they would be like: screw off! There's no way we're gonna practically try them in a peloton. Three Watts? We don't really care about that.”

The proof of concept will be in whether Lidl-Trek riders commit to these bottles throughout the Tour - a piece of minutiae of team tech which I’ll personally be following closely.

The bottles are still not able to be stacked upright, given their angular nature. So don’t pop it on a table ready for a refill.

The change is a bold one given the cycling community’s aversion to change, and for now will be shipped as standard only with SLR – the bottles will be an add-on for lower-tier SL bikes (hence making them comparatively slower than the outgoing Madone SL).

The new Madone is set to go from a 105-equipped SL5 for £3,250.00 ($3,499.99) to a £14,700 ($16,999.99) Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) with the only deviation in the frame itself being 500 series OCLV in the SL vs new 900 series OCLV in the top-tier SLR. The SLR is also compatible only with electric drivetrains.

Interestingly, the overall offering has shrunk from eight sizes to six.

“We had a lot of sizes that had a lot of overlap,” Roessingh explains. “Many riders could actually ride two different sizes and that created some confusion of just what frame size to ride, as there were some that were like unbelievably close to each other.” In some cases as little as a 4mm difference in stack height.

The fewer sizes are billed as reducing confusion and consolidating the design of each size. The cynic in me naturally assumed that there was perhaps some manufacturing saving at work there, but Roessingh later walked me through some of the logistics of manufacturing on the scale needed for the Madone. Essentially, reducing eight moulds to six may offer substantial savings for a small frame manufacturer, but when selling thousands of frames per year the turnaround of worn moulds means fewer mould sizes doesn’t necessarily mean fewer moulds.

First ride impressions

Trek’s global launch took place near Cebreros in a mountainous corner of the Castile and León region in Spain. Our riding took us directly into the mountains and into open windy plains. 

I was riding the second-tier (Ultegra Di2-equipped) SLR 7, though it was identical to the top-spec SLR 9 as far as the frame design and material. No surprise, then, that there was an immediate sense of speed, power transfer and sharpness riding the Madone.

The previous aero-focussed Madone always excelled in comfort, however, its bulky tubes ultimately gave it the sensation of driving a beefy sports car, while the new SLR not only felt palpably lighter but seemed so much closer to the Emonda in general ride quality. This has the sharp turn of speed and lively handling of a lightweight climber while promising the same speed as an all-out aero machine.

When it comes to all-out speed, it’s very hard to quantify that through a pair of initial test rides. Perhaps the best I could say is that it carried speed well on flat terrain, and at times felt simply blisteringly fast, and was truly a beast on the descents.

It has been too long since I’ve been on a long alpine descent, and despite the relatively shallow inclines, I found myself happily edging toward 80kph. The Madone definitely dared me to take more speed into corners, with a rigid handling character and sat extremely steadily at high speed. 

While I always rated the IsoSpeed system for its abundant comfort, the slight detachment between the front and back of the bike with the 9 series was a bit of a sacrifice for the resulting ride quality. With the IsoFlow system, I didn’t notice any discomfort or bumps on the rear end that I felt needed to be filtered out, and the reward in weight and connection to the road was palpable.

The finishing kit tweaks were probably the most surprising element of my first ride. The squeezed-in handlebar hoods make so much sense. The slight splay in a bar has long been a trend in gravel - offering the wider drops for stability and the narrow for speed. It works very well on the Madone and I was left wondering why we ever bother with hoods that are 42cm apart. 

The bottles, despite my scepticism, were easy to handle and never once a hassle to stow or release from the cage.

Early verdict

While I’ve only had a fleeting ride experience with the Madone, my first impression is this is a bike that really shows the maturity of cycling tech at its best. While it’s common to chase wattage gains from minor frame changes, Trek is right to focus on the bike holistically from an aero perspective, where a saving of 3 watts on the bottles could eclipse huge cost and weight gains if those same aerodynamic margins were sought on the frame.

Meanwhile to hit 7kg (in the top-spec SLR 9) with range-topping aerodynamic and stiffness performance is something we didn’t dream of with a disc brake road bike even five years ago. That comes with the benefits of wider tyres and a better experience across climbing, descending and sprinting, alongside great comfort.

With that in mind, the new Madone is very much the everything race bike, but one that could bridge that considerable gap between the needs of the WorldTour’s best and the normal enthusiasts.

I’m excited to spend more time with it, and where this new direction will take one of the most storied bikes in cycling’s history.

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Peter Stuart has been the editor of Cyclingnews since March 2022, overseeing editorial output across all of Cyclingnews' digital touchpoints.

Before joining Cyclingnews, Peter was the digital editor of Rouleur magazine. Starting life as a freelance feature writer, with bylines in The Times and The Telegraph, he first entered cycling journalism in 2012, joining Cyclist magazine as staff writer. Peter has a background as an international rower, representing Great Britain at Under-23 level and at the Junior Rowing World Championships.

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How the Madone Gen 8 was designed, tested, and brought to life

The new do-it-all road bike is the results of a years-long effort using Trek's unique resources

Here’s a secret about Trek’s brand new Madone Gen 8. While the bike was designed for all racers — whether they love long, vicious climbs or laying down enough watts to bust a power meter — there was one person, above all, who engineers wanted to please: Mads Pedersen.

The Lidl-Trek rider deserves this distinction for good reason. The first is the most obvious: He’s a damn good bike racer. Pedersen has won a World Championship, multiple classics, at least one stage of all three Grand Tours, and the points jersey at the Vuelta a España. He is an influential leader within the team. If Mads likes something, people listen.

But in addition to his athletic gifts, he’s also a shrewd ride tester. Anyone who has listened to his post-race interviews knows that he doesn’t mince words. He’s honest and outspoken, but also fair. And he’s as meticulous and in-tune with his equipment as perhaps any bike rider in the world. His feedback has become a barometer by which not just Trek bikes are judged, but products like helmets , too.

Mads Pedersen won the first ever WorldTour race on the Madone Gen 8 when he took Stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this month. | Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

“His honesty is believable,” says Scott Daubert, who oversees equipment for Trek’s racing programs. “He’s never asking for something that he doesn’t need. And he’s thoughtful about what he’s asking for. If we’ve got something we want to produce for consumers, and he picks it, then we know we’re all on the same page.”

Last October, on a team visit to Trek headquarters in Waterloo, Wisc., Trek’s road bike engineers took the decorated Dane out for one of the final road tests for the new Madone. After two years of simulations, prototypes, and testing, they had honed the shape of the bike and needed to make one last decision on its carbon laminate. Pedersen had already started his offseason. He had been off his bike for several days after a trip to China. He was worried at the time that he wouldn’t be able to give the bike a fair evaluation, especially while riding on rural, sub-WorldTour quality Wisconsin roads.

Tony Gallopin testing an early version of the Madone Gen 8 at December team camp in 2022.

Trek design engineer Adam Bird handed Pedersen the first of two laminate options — specifically, the option that he secretly hoped Pedersen would prefer. Bird and a cadre of internal ride testers all agreed that it was the best version of the bike, but they had another version ready with a different carbon layup just in case.

“We’re nervous because, of course, he didn’t know what was what. We just gave him two bikes,” Bird says. “He didn’t know that one of them was the bike we wanted him to like. So there was the potential that he picks the other one, or he doesn’t like either of them. We’d make it work, but it’d mean a lot more work, and it would affect the production. 

“But after he rode the first one, he loved it, and we were like, ‘Yes, we got it.'”

Prototype frames ready to go for Circle, Square, Triangle testing among Trek's internal riders.

If that sounds like Trek’s engineers slayed their final boss a little easily … well, yes, maybe they did. But that’s because they had been preparing for the moment for a very long time. Pedersen’s ride test was one of the very last steps of a long, slow, iterative process. The goal from the jump was to make “the ultimate race bike,” merging two road racing platforms — the ultra-light Émonda and the ultra-fast Madone — into one do-it-all speed machine. Making two great bikes better, at the same time, is exactly as agonizingly hard as it sounds. 

Research and development on the new Madone technically started in Summer of 2021. Trek, at the time, was planning on introducing an Émonda Gen 4 to be released in 2023, but in the course of development, engineers realized that they could significantly improve the bike’s pure speed. Rather than try to make an even lighter Émonda that offered little in terms of aerodynamic improvements, they pursued the Holy Grail: A bike that had the best of weight and aero benefits. 

Adam Bird on site at road team camp in December, 2022.

Trek’s road engineers restarted development towards this goal in late 2021 by cutting alloy frames to put into wind tunnel testing to refine the Madone Gen 7’s already best-in-class design. Once they settled on the shape of the frame, they made a tool that could create carbon prototype frames for ride testing. 

The next step was assembling an elite A-Team of ride testers from within Trek HQ. The Bicycle Company has a lot of fast riders within its walls who are eager to lend their legs towards the pursuit of science. The core group was refined down to Trek store design manager Justin Marshall, road bikes and Project One director Jordan Roessingh, former road product manager Max Ackermann, and Daubert, who in addition to his duties in the Trek Race Shop also won a U.S. national cyclocross title last December. Those riders are not only fast, they are well known for their equipment acumen and ability to detect and vocalize subtle differences in ride quality from minor changes. 

Scott Daubert putting the Madone Gen 8 through the paces.

“Trek wanted a lighter Madone. So then it kind of made sense to go, ‘OK, let’s really focus on making an aerodynamic bike lighter,'” Daubert says. “There were no holds barred.” 

That detectability group did their first ride test in November of 2022 in California. There, they did Round 1 of “Circle, Square, Triangle.” In order to avoid even an ounce of unconscious bias seeping into rider feedback, engineers didn’t label the bikes “A, B, C” or “1, 2, 3.” Riders would ride Circle and Square back-to-back, then say which they liked better. Then they’d repeat the process with Square vs. Triangle, and Triangle vs. Circle, and hope that a clear winner emerged from the group. 

Keeping bike setups consistent across tests was paramount to the process. Every time riders swapped bikes, they made sure they were using the exact same wheels and tires, and that bike fits were perfectly aligned, from saddle heights to stem lengths. Bird recalls Roessingh feeling hesitant to give feedback after one ride test because the brake lever throw — the distance between the brake lever and the grip — had been different from one bike to the other.

Early IsoFlow.

Trek’s engineers are an empirically-minded species, but bike design isn’t an exact science.

“Sometimes you contradict yourself. You might not like a bike one time, but like it another time, or vice versa,” Daubert says. “It’s really frustrating if you’re trying to hone your detecting skills, but that’s the way we do it.”

The bike first went in front of Lidl-Trek riders in December of 2022 at team camp in Spain. Otto Vergaerde and former road captain Tony Gallopin took out the prototype bike (at that point, it had no name — Madone, Émonda, or otherwise) and did their own Circle, Square, Triangle testing. Their feedback largely aligned with the internal group’s, which was an important breakthrough: It meant that the test riders in Waterloo were dialed in to what the largely Europe-based pros felt they needed to win.

The bike being worked on during a camp test ride.

The internal group did a series of ride tests at Wildcat State Park in the ensuing months, roughly two hours away from Trek headquarters. Wisconsin may not have any climbs rivaling the Alps or the Pyrenees, but Wildcat’s easily repeatable switchbacks did the job. There, the riders continued the Circle, Square, Triangle process, largely testing new laminates and subtle tweaks to the frame. 

The engineers’ biggest headache wasn’t necessarily making an already fast bike lighter. The Madone Gen 7 gave the Gen 8 team a solid foundation to apply weight-saving techniques that it had developed. The early prototypes received overwhelmingly positive feedback in both climbing and sprinting, suggesting that Trek had achieved its ultimate goal. But there was still one aspect in which the older platforms reigned supreme. 

Otto Vergaerde pushing the pace.

“Throughout the whole day, all the feedback was super positive,” Bird says. “And at the end of the day they compared it to the Madone Gen 7, and I remember Max [Ackermann] telling me, ‘I thought this descent was just super technical and I wasn’t pushing the bike hard enough, but then I rode the Gen 7, and that thing felt like it was on rails.'”

According to Bird, there was no eureka moment to fix the Madone Gen 8’s descending capabilities. Instead, his team began an arduous process of increasing and decreasing stiffness in certain areas of the bike, testing those changes, and gradually reshaping the ride feel to a point where it seemed like the bike could truly do everything well.

“I think from the first couple of test rides, we did not have a good enough product. We kept comparing it to the Madone Gen 7 and the new bike couldn’t measure up,” Daubert says. “And then there was a day when we finally were like, ‘OK, now we got it. Now we’ve improved on the old bike.'”

The internal ride crew taking a break in California.

The internal group did their final test ride in August, 2023, in North Carolina, where a longtime road rider on a competitor’s bike joined the group and sung the Madone’s praises. The same two versions of the bike that Pedersen rode in October went to December team camp in Spain where other top Lidl-Trek riders like Elisa Longo Borghini, Giulio Ciccone, and Jasper Stuyven confirmed exactly what Pedersen and everyone else had experienced.

Longo Borghini had so much faith in Trek’s process, she didn’t bother trying the second version.

“I was like, ‘Well, we want to give you options.’ And she was like, ‘Do I have to? I like this one.'” Bird says. “The riders were sitting on the Madone Gen 8, and they were like, ‘We love the way this descends.’ Over a year ago, we were like, ‘How are we going to figure this out?’ And now we’ve got something excellent.”

In all, Bird estimates that between 30-40 different prototypes were made for the Madone Gen 8, which includes models that were made solely for wind tunnel testing, and roughly 25 carbon laminates, eight of which made it to road testing.

The finished product.

That time, effort, and endless Circle, Square, Triangle testing resulted in a bike that is truly special, with near universal acclaim from Trek’s most demanding customers: The pros whose livelihoods depend on world class equipment. In the end, they had just one outstanding complaint about the bike after the design was finalized and sent to mass production in early 2024. 

“They wanted to ride it earlier,” Daubert says. “They actually asked to race it at Roubaix and Flanders this year. That would have been a few months ahead of when Trek was able to provide enough bikes. But they were calling Trek to say, ‘Hey, we want to ride this now, can you change your launch?'”

The ultimate race bike

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Review: The New Trek Madone Is Extra Smooth and Still Very Fast

The emonda dies and the trek madone is once again the all-around race bike, but all i can ask is how can a bike this fast be this comfortable.

• Incredibly comfortable.
• Project One build customization.
• Clever aero cage system with real benefit.
• Size specific ride tuning.
• Weighs within 40 grams of previous Emonda.
• Faster than previous Madone.
• High quality outfront mount.
• Power meter included with SRAM builds.
• Stiff when standing.
• Universal derailleur hanger.
• Narrow handlebar diameter as it exists the controls.
• Smooth ride lacks engagement.

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The Trek Madone is one of the most recognizable modern race bikes on the market today.

It came to market in 2003 with a name pulled from a French climb and was quickly synonymous with winning under Lance Armstrong. Those were the early days of carbon fiber and long before aero was everything.

Although the tubes used carbon, they were still mostly round and the Madone was Trek’s do-everything race bike. In 2016, everything changed.

Although the Madone had added aero details steadily since around 2012, weight had remained important. Then the Emonda came to market as a climber’s bike with weight as the ultimate goal. The new bike gave the Madone a new freedom. Aero was everything, weight didn’t matter, and the 2016 Trek Madone was completely different.

Today, eight years later, everything changes again. The Trek Madone is returning to its roots as an all-around race bike and the Emonda is disappearing.

Trek will tell you this is purely because of innovation but it’s largely a result of the UCI keeping the minimum bike weight (6.8kg/15 pounds) unchanged. More and more brands have managed to hit the minimum weight without sacrificing aero performance. The Emonda is no longer needed to offer what the Madone can’t — at least so long as the UCI minimum weight remains the same.

To understand what that means, my latest bike review is the updated Gen 8 Trek Madone I’ve been riding for close to a month now. I tested a top-spec Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS and what I found is that the Emonda disappearing is only a small footnote in the details of this bike. Nearly everything about the 2025 model year Trek Madone is new and the result is a bike unlike anything else.

As a final goodbye to the bike, I attempted to take it on a 230-mile trip to the beach and back. Things didn’t quite work out as planned, but my time with the Trek Madone was spent marveling at how smooth and comfortable it is. If you are looking for a new road bike this summer, keep reading to see what works and what doesn’t on the latest Madone.

Quick hits: standout details of the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS

• More aero than a Gen 7 Madone and nearly as light as the Emonda.
• For that reason the Emonda is leaving the Trek lineup.
• Comfort is the most noticeable part of the ride experience.
• There’s a high quality outfront mount.
• Power meter is included with SRAM builds.
• Aero cages will take standard bottles.
• Trek Project One allows you to get the exact bike you want.
• Sizing changes from numbers to T-shirt style of small, medium, etc.

Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS frame details

The Gen 8 Trek Madone, is an attempt by Trek to turn back the clock. The Emonda came to market as a solution for a problem. Now there’s a better solution and Trek is recombining the Madone and the Emonda. The question is, can you do that without losing anything?

To answer that, Trek started by looking to add aerodynamics to the Emonda. Pretty quickly it was clear that a weight first focus wouldn’t cut it. You can add aerodynamics to a lightweight frame but it’s not as difficult as it once was to match the UCI minimum weight. A brand either has to blow past the UCI weight limit, ala the Specialized Aethos , or make an aero bike just light enough.

Having once again proven that, Trek started expanding the possibilities. Instead of a new Emonda, the goal was now to create a bike that was faster than both the Emonda and the Madone on any gradient between zero and 12 percent.

To get there, Trek developed a pair of algorithms that would both develop cross section shapes and test them. You can think of it as a brute force attack on aerodynamics and it allowed a speed of testing that would otherwise be impossible. This process led to a new shape called “Pareto” that’s more square than previously thought efficient. It minimizes weight while maximizing aerodynamics and it provides a range of options.

With that in mind, the next stage of development was to use those new building blocks to create a bike. Some of the shapes identified were lighter, some more aero, and the team used a combination of CFD and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to find the best places for different shapes. Instead of simply trying to use the most aero option at every opportunity, Trek instead takes a system approach the brand is calling “Full System Foil.”

The idea here is that air flows at different speeds around different parts of the bike. Interactions at the front of the bike, or with the rider, sometimes slow it down and sometimes speed it up. Knowing this means different solutions are needed in different places. A chunky downtube that’s lighter and less aero makes sense because the front wheel slows the air. This slower air means low-drag shapes are less important for the downtube. At the same time, the legs of the rider actually speed up the airflow as it passes through. For that reason the area where you’d normally find a seat tube and post benefits from aero shapes and Trek uses the isoFlow design with aero shapes for the seat mast and post.

The last example Trek gives is the new Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem. This is another piece that’s actually slower if you look at it in isolation. That increased drag is intentional though. According to Trek, the “wake of the thicker handlebar slightly reduces drag on the pedaling legs by slowing down the air in front of them.” Given that a rider’s legs are a bigger drag contributor, the net effect is a gain.

Overall, those little details are the point. Each little aero detail adds up and Trek quotes a 0.1 watt saving at 22 mph for the Madone Gen 8 vs Gen 7. If that sounds small, it is — but a win is a win and the numbers compared to the old Madone aren’t that important anyway. The place where you see bigger numbers is when compared to the Emonda. That comparison shows an 11.3 watt advantage at 22 mph while also dropping the weight to a 36 gram penalty for the vastly more aero bike. If you are curious, there’s also a savings of 322 grams for the frame and fork when compared to the Gen 7 Madone.

Trek Madone SLR Geometry

Although the various geometry options disappeared before this generation, that continues. There’s no longer a reference to various names and it’s the same as the previous h1.5. There’s also less sizes covering more range with a move from eight options, labeled using the seat tube length, down to six options labeled XS-XL. As you move up and down those sizes, Trek is offering size-specific tube shapes to go with them. Smaller and larger bikes will now have better balanced stiffness, better aesthetics, and actual wind tunnel testing.

Builds and pricing

Frame: 900 Series OCLV Carbon, Full System Foil tube shaping, IsoFlow seat tube, RCS Headset System, electronic-only routing, removable aero chainkeeper, T47 BB, flat mount disc, UDH, 142x12mm thru axle

Fork: Madone Gen 8 full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat mount disc, 12x100mm chamfered thru axle

Shared with every build option: T47 bottom bracket standard, RSL Aero Bottle and Cage system, UDH (universal derailleur hanger), 32 mm max tyre clearance

Frame: 500 Series OCLV Carbon, Full System Foil tube shaping, IsoFlow seat tube, RCS Headset System, electronic or mechanical routing, removable aero chainkeeper, T47 BB, flat mount disc, UDH, 142x12mm thru axle

Shared with every build option: T47 bottom bracket standard, UDH (universal derailleur hanger), 32 mm max tyre clearance

Trek Madone build details

One of the innovations that comes to the Gen 8 Trek Madone is the new full carbon one-piece fork. The same fork comes on every model of the bike but there’s also an updated 900 series OCLV carbon only available for the SLR builds. Along with the new carbon, the SLR builds also bring the addition of the one-piece bar and stem, electronic only groupset compatibility, and the aero bottle system. If you do decide to start with an SL build, the bar/stem and the aero bottle system are available as aftermarket accessories.

Among the build options you will also find customization options. If you prefer a frameset only, there’s one available in both carbon options. If you’d rather have a complete build but you want to customize the details, check out Project One. If you, like me, prefer better climbing gears and a 1:1 ratio, you could change the gearing that comes with your bike as well as any other sizing details. You can also adjust components up or down and there’s plenty of paint options. Depending on budget you can stick to picking a simple color scheme for no up-charge or take a look at the Project One ICON series premium paint schemes. Launching with the bike is a new option in that lineup called Chroma Interstellar.

Ride experience

Sometimes testing doesn’t go according to plan. My plan with this bike was to cap off more than a month of riding with it by doing a roughly 230-mile ride from my house to the coast and back. I’d written headlines talking about spending 15-hours (just a guess) on it and I’d prepared the bike. After 10 miles, my riding partner and I collided, the bike went down, and the UDH broke. The ride was over. I could hide that but I think there’s value in what it says about the Trek Madone Gen 8 even if it didn’t go off as planned.

The idea of the trip came to me because of how this bike felt. From the very first moment I swung my leg over it, I was immediately blown away by how smooth it is. The terrible pavement as I leave my neighborhood is nearly imperceptible on the Madone. As I went over a rough wooden bridge on a later ride I realized that it was actually a moment I could attack as my buddy slowed. At one point I even started to wonder how well it would do off-road on its max 32 mm tires.

I initially worried that it was smooth because it had a lot of flex but as soon as you stand, you know that’s not the case. My notes from those early rides are all questions trying to get to the bottom of when it feels stiff vs compliant. The more I tested, the more amazed I was with the dual nature of the latest Madone.

If you cruise with it, it’s smooth and comfortable. If you push it, the bike responds. Stand to sprint and it feels like a different bike. When it’s time to climb, the 6.9kg (as measured ready to ride minus pedals) and stiff frame are willing partners. This dual nature is backed up with a comfortable riding position as well.

Like with the Enve Melee , holding the tops puts you somewhat upright. Trek counters the upright position with the Trek Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem that uses a proven trick of simply being narrow. Size it like other bars on the market and you’ll notice narrower hoods that provide a big aero upgrade. I tend to find this unnoticeable and, given it’s faster, that’s a good thing. The only detail I would love to see addressed is the narrow, rounded, nature of the bar immediately behind the controls. If this was my bike, I’d want to add a bit more padding right there.

As far as the rest of the finishing kit goes, there’s not a single detail I can complain about. Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 TLR Disc Road Wheel shrugged off crosswinds and felt fast. The Aero bottles are very usable plus offer an easy 3ish watts savings depending on speed (3.7 watts at 45 km/h) and I love the outfront mount. That’s something I often complain about because it can be such an annoyance when it’s not right, but this time Trek nailed it. Even the included saddle is great and actually a piece I’ve used on other bikes a number of times over the years. If any of those details, including specifics like gearing, aren’t quite right for you, then Project One will fix it without issue.

The Gen 8 Trek Madone is the kind of bike I want to share with you. When I packed it up to head to the beach, I swapped out the aero bottles for a set of HydraPak Breakaway+ 30oz bottles (with the filter swapped for standard tops) and it just worked without issue. Then I added the light mount and attached an Outbound Lighting Detour . Again, everything just worked.

That idea of things just working is what I look for in a bike. Trek wants to talk about smashing an aero bike and a climbing bike together but that’s only part of the story. The Madone is so comfortable, smooth, and usable that Trek is really offering one bike to cover all of your needs. If you want to do some kind of huge ride, that’s a five-minute swap from fast bike to long distance bike. If you want to take a bike out climbing grab this one. If you have a fast and flat day, the Madone works there too.

However you decide to use it, Trek thought through all the little details. Creating a good quality outfront mount is a small thing that has a big impact on your experience of riding a bike, Trek nailed that for you. There’s aero bottles but they are good for drinking water and you can also use standard bottles if you need to. You can go fast or slow over rough or smooth pavement and the Gen 8 Trek Madone is a capable partner. If there’s anything you want changed, Trek makes it easy to customize your build. Even the builds with included power meter are part of the picture. Nothing ever feels cheap and, sadly, that’s not always true even on a bike this expensive.

The only thing that kept sticking in my mind during this test was whether I wanted a bike this smooth all the time. The first time I took it out I’d just gotten off my Look 795 Blade RS while testing the Specialized Roval Rapide CLX II wheels. The Trek is just as fast, I actually matched my fastest time, but it doesn’t feel as fast. The Look is a visceral ride with controls that are two inches lower. It’s not smooth, it requires a good stretch before and after a ride, and the combination of those wheels and the Hope RX4+ brakes make for a lot of noises. When you ride that bike, you feel like you are pulling the performance out of it. The Trek Madone is just as fast but it lacks all the drama. Is that a good thing?

Would you prefer a bike that’s borderline uncomfortable but very engaging or a bike that’s precise and smooth but feels a little less heroic? If you want a go fast bike that can do anything you ask, no drama included, check out the latest Trek Madone.

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When the weather allows, going for a hike is a great way to explore the beauty of nature, get some exercise and even bond with friends and family. If you’re a casual hiker, all you really need is a good pair of hiking boots —or even just some decent sneakers, in a pinch—a water bottle and appropriate clothing . That said, the more involved and challenging the trails get, the more your hiking gear becomes important—which is why the best gifts for hikers are tried-and-true items that will improve any trek.

From waterproof boots to versatile packs, here are the best gifts for hikers that will enhance their ... [+] time on the trail.

As someone who has been a regular hiker for more than 25 years—and who admittedly geeks out over outdoor gear—I can tell you that the best hiking gifts are those upgrades that a hiker probably wouldn’t be willing to buy on their own, but will immediately put to good use. So, even if your hiking buddy already has a decent pack and a pair of old hiking poles, they’ll be all too happy to replace their aging kit with the best new hiking gear you so thoughtfully supply. Here are 25 of the best gifts for hikers that will instantly upgrade their next adventure.

• Best Gift For Hikers Overall: Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot
• Best Luxury Gift For Hikers: Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket
• Best Value Gift For Hikers: LifeStraw Sip Water Filter Drinking Straw
• Best Sun Protection Gift For Hikers: Mountain Hardware Crater Lake Hoodie
• Best Food Gift For Hikers: Mountain House Kung Pao Chicken
• Best Backpacking Gift For Hikers: Mystery Ranch Terraframe Pack
• Best Practical Gift For Hikers: Leatherman Rebar Multitool
• Best Unique Gift For Hikers: Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube Telescope

Best Gifts For Hikers Overall

A hiking boot that's been trusted on millions of miles, merrell moab 3 mid waterproof hiking boot.

The Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof boot is a gold-standard hiking boot trusted by countless hikers all over the globe. The style is supportive and rugged, with a semi-aggressive tread pattern that works as well on solid rock as it does on loose scree or mud. It’s also waterproof yet relatively breathable—and affordable, too, so if you’re looking for a hiking gift to give yourself, this is fine choice. As footwear is the most important overall piece of hiking gear, why not start off your gifting where it matters most?

A Headlamp That Lights Up The Night

Black Diamond

Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 Headlamp

The Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 headlamp shines out at a stunning 1,100 lumens when at its brightest setting, bathing the trail ahead with dozens of yards of light. It can also be set to any level of dimmer light the user wants, and it can glow in soft red, blue and green shades as well.

Strong Trekking Poles That Take The Load Off

Leki makalu lite cork trekking poles.

These trekking poles from Leki weigh just 1.2 pounds—and that’s for the pair. They are, in other words, amazingly lightweight yet, being made from HTS 6.5 aluminum, but they’re also strong enough for a hiker laden with a heavy pack to lean into as they conquer that mountain. The poles extend to a max length of 53.1 inches and collapse down to 26.3 inches.

A Lightweight Water Bottle That Keeps Drinks Icy Cold

Snow peak titanium aurora bottle.

Yes, this is a pricey water bottle, but when every ounce of gear weight counts, every penny is worth it. This titanium water bottle by Snow Peak weighs just 5.3 ounces, yet it can hold 27 ounces of liquid. It can also be used as a cooking vessel if needed, so it’s as versatile as it is lightweight.

Best Luxury Gifts For Hikers

A packable jacket that's perfect for layering, patagonia nano puff jacket.

The Nano Puff from Patagonia is a veritable must-have. It’s supremely packable yet very warm, especially when worn over a base layer and under a shell. Sure, your hiker friend will use this jacket in everyday life, but they’ll truly appreciate it when it keeps them warm on the trail.

A Cool Way To Track Every Aspect Of The Hike

G-shock rangeman gprh1000 watch.

As tough as a piece of electronic hardware comes, this water-, dust-, impact- and mud-resistant watch is ready for use in truly trying conditions. It’s GPS-enabled, so a hiker always knows where he or she is, plus it tracks heart rate and steps, monitors altitude and barometric pressure and seamlessly syncs with a smartphone and apps like Strava. Oh, and it recharges itself in the sun.

A Truly Lightweight Shelter To Rest In

Nemo hornet osmo ultralight backpacking tent.

When paired down to its minimum trail weight, this one-person tent from Nemo weighs just one pound and 13 ounces, yet it’s rated for three-season use, and is large enough for one sleeper to use in comfort. It has a floor area measuring 87 inches by 30 inches, so you can roll out a sleeping pad and still have room for your pack.

A Chair So Light You Can Pack It Along

Helinox chair zero ultralight compact camping chair.

Yes, bringing a chair along on a hike might sound a bit crazy, but when that chair is the Chair Zero from Helinox, it only adds 1.1 pounds to your gear weight, and it packs down small enough to fit in a water bottle pouch on the side of a hiking pack. So, if comfort on the trail is key, this is chair to buy.

Best Value Gifts For Hikers

A pocket-sized water filter, lifestraw sip water filter drinking straw.

The LifeStraw Sip water filter is not much larger than a standard drinking straw, yet it allows its user to safely sip from just about any freshwater source, including lakes, streams or even muddy puddles. The 3.1-ounce straw can filter out 99.9% of bacteria and 99.9% of parasites. It also filters out microplastics, heavy metals and other unwanted little bits, delivering only pure, safe water.

A Compact First Aid Kit

Adventure medical ultralight/watertight medical kit.

No one wants to get hurt while hiking. And no one wants to get hurt while hiking and then have no way to deal with the injury. This compact first aid kit from Adventure Medical has all the supplies needed for treating basic wounds, burns and bug bites, so it should always be along for the trek.

Walkie Talkies For Chatting En Route

Midland walkie-talkies.

With a pair of these affordable, easy-to-use and reliable walkie talkies from Midland on hand, a pair of hikers or even groups of hikers can stay in touch—zero cell service required. In wide open conditions, they have a range of up to 28 miles, and in dense woods or the mountains, they reliably connect for several miles.

Bug Spray To Keep The Pests At Bay

Ranger ready permethrin + picaridin insect repellent.

Ranger Ready makes two different kinds of insect repellent: one uses picaridin and is quite effective at repelling insects while being totally safe for your skin; the other uses permethrin and not only repels bugs but is lethal to them as well and is designed for use on gear and apparel. When your skin is coated in picaridin and your gear is sprayed with permethrin, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats and other bugs will keep their distance.

Best Sun Protection Gifts For Hikers

Upf 50+ protection from head to hem, mountain hardware crater lake hoodie.

Nothing ruins the fun quite like a bad sunburn. This lightweight, moisture-wicking and quick-drying sun shirt from Mountain Hardware will protect your favorite hiker from UV rays from their wrists and waistline right up to the top of their head. It’s a soft, comfortable shirt made with a polyester and elastane blend that’s rated at UPF 50-plus.

A Packable Hat That Keeps You Cool

Sunday afternoons ultra adventure hat.

Super lightweight, packable, moisture-wicking, rain-repelling and sun-blocking, the Ultra Adventure Hat from Sunday Afternoons is a great choice for the hiker that’s watching their gear weight, but still wants protection from the elements. It offers UPF 50-plus protection and it’s made by a Climate Neutral Certified company.

Best Food Gifts For Hikers

A protein-packed meal that's ready in minutes, mountain house kung pao chicken.

At the end of a long day of hiking, there’s nothing better than a delicious, hearty meal. The freeze-dried options from Mountain House taste very much like food because they very much are. Rich in flavor and with plenty of protein, dishes like this Kung Pao Chicken will satisfy and satiate.

A Pocket-Sized Cooking Powerhouse

Msr pocketrocket 2 ultralight backpacking stove.

This little stove from MSR may be small, but it sure is mighty. The PocketRocket 2 can crank out 8,200 BTUs, bringing a liter of water to a boil in just over three minutes. It weighs 2.6 ounces and can fold down and tuck into a pocket.

Best Backpacking Gifts For Hikers

A versatile hiking pack that can be expanded, mystery ranch terraframe pack.

The Mystery Ranch Terraframe may be a 51-liter capacity hiking pack at its base, but that’s just the starting point. This unique hybrid internal and external frame backpack can have its primary pack offset from the frame and strap system, allowing you to sandwich much more gear between your back and the storage compartments, effectively almost doubling the cargo capacity. It’s rated for use with loads up to 150 pounds.

Bring The Kiddos Along On The Adventure

Kelty journey perfectfit elite child carrier.

The Kelty Journey PerfectFit Elite Child Carrier lets Mom or Dad carry their little one along for the hike from the time they are just a few months old well into their toddler years—or even into the pre-K years for smaller kids. The pack is easy to adjust for ergonomic comfort and has plenty of storage space, too.

Best Practical Gifts For Hikers

A multitool to stay prepared, leatherman rebar multitool.

One never knows what they’ll face out in the wilderness, but it’s a sure bet it’s better to face the unknown with a saw, a knife, a pair of pliers and the other many tools tucked into this little multitool from Leatherman. It’s compact, tough and will also be plenty useful in everyday life.

A Power Bank To Keep Them Juiced Up On The Trail

Walmart.com

Raycon Magic Power Portable Power Pack

With a Raycon Magic Power Portable Power Pack tucked into their bag, your hiking pal will never have to worry about a dead phone, headlamp or camera. This slender power bank weighs just a quarter pound, yet it can recharge most phones two to three times.

Hiking Socks That Will Be With Them Every Step Of The Way

Darn tough merino wool boot sock.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of having great hiking socks. They keep feet warmer in cold weather and, by releasing excess heat and moisture, they keep feet cooler on warmer days. The best hiking socks prevent blisters, add support and cushioning and generally improve the trekking experience.

Wound Care Spray For Bumps And Bites

Bldg active skin repair.

A veritable first aid kit in a bottle, this spray-on solution can ease the pain and speed the healing of minor scrapes, cuts, burns and bites. It uses hypochlorus acid, which is a wound cleanser that also stimulates white blood cell activity, speeding up the body’s repair mechanisms.

Best Unique Gifts For Hikers

A telescope that brings nature into view, nocs provisions zoom tube monocular telescope.

Lightweight and easy to use, a monocular telescope is a great gift for the hiker who is also a birder or just appreciates getting a closer look at wildlife and landscapes. The Zoom Tube from Nocs Provisions offers 8x magnification and is tough enough to withstand a drop or two.

A Lightweight Vest That Packs In The Fluid Ounces

Nathan trailmix running vest and hydration pack.

If the hiker on your list is a day hiker or trail runner who is all about hydration—as well they should be—then this pack from Nathan is a great gift. It comes with a two-liter hydration reservoir and can be outfitted with the two additional water bottles stashed in front pockets. It has seven liters of storage space for snacks, a phone, a first aid kit and a swap of socks, plus a daisy chain system on the back allows for the securing of additional gear.

A Satellite Messenger To Stay Connected

Spot x two-way satellite messenger.

With a Spot X Two-Way Satellite Messenger in hand, hikers can stay in touch even if they’re a hundred miles from the nearest cell tower. This text communicator uses satellite connectivity, so it can send and receive messages (and emergency notifications) anywhere on the planet.

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How to organize your refrigerator to reduce waste and eat better, what should i give a hiker as a gift.

The best gifts for hikers are items that will improve their safety and enjoyment, which essentially means gear upgrades. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with outdoor products that are hardly practical, but there’s always a use for a brand new set of hiking boots, a hiking pack that lets them bring a child along or a lightweight set of hiking poles that will make their trek that much easier by shaving off a few ounces.

Dedicated hikers likely already have all the gear they need, so think instead about the gear they want. New and upgraded hiking gifts are usually the best choice, but there are exceptions when a product they might never have thought of makes a great present, like the SPOT X satellite messenger or a monocular telescope .

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Where XC bikes get serious X-Caliber is a high-value cross country mountain bike that performs way out of its class on singletrack and long XC rides. It has a lightweight aluminum frame, quality parts, and more versatility than you can shake a spoke at. Whether you’re lining up at your local XC races or chasing daylight after work, this bike will give you speed and efficiency for your best days on the trail.

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Built for speed Every X-Caliber has fast-rolling tires and front suspension that locks out for efficiency on climbs and sprints, plus simple 1x drivetrains with a wide range of gears for scampering up hills and racing to the finish line.

The best fit for every rider X-Caliber comes in seven frame sizes to suit any height, and Smart Wheel Size ensures every rider gets the fastest wheel that fits. Larger sizes have bigger 29˝ wheels and smaller sizes have more proportional 27.5˝wheels.

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Explore the X-Caliber family

Additional mtb options.

Need something more fun than fast? Roscoe is a fun-loving trail hardtail with wider wheels that give you extra traction and stability over roots, rocks, and loose trail.

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2021 Trek X-Caliber 9

A 29″ / 29″ aluminum frame hardtail crosscountry bike with upper mid-range components. Compare the full range

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