trek superfly 29er carbon

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Trek Superfly

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 15.5", 17.5", 19", 21", 23"

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame OCLV Mountain Carbon w/E2 tapered head tube, BB95 bottom bracket, Carbon Armor, G2 Geometry
• Wheels Bontrager sealed cartridge bearing, 15mm alloy axle front hub; Bontrager sealed cartridge bearing, alloy axle rear hub w/ Bontrager AT-850 32-hole double-walled rims
• Wheel Size 29"
• Tires Bontrager 29-1 Expert, 29x2.20"
• Crank Shimano Deore, Shimano M552, 42/32/24
• Bottom Bracket BB95, 95.5mm, press-fit
• Front Derailleur Shimano SLX, Shimano SLX, direct mount
• Rear Derailleur Shimano XT, Shimano Deore XT Shadow
• Shifters Shimano Deore, Shimano Deore, 10 speed
• Brakeset Shimano Deore, Shimano M596 hydraulic disc brakes
• Handlebar Bontrager Low Riser, 31.8mm, 5mm rise, 9 degree sweep
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 2, chromoly rails
• Seatpost Bontrager Rhythm Elite, 27.2mm, zero offset
• Stem Bontrager Race Lite, 31.8mm, 7 degree
• Headset Cane Creek IS-3, E2, alloy cartridge

Q: Where to buy a 2013 Trek Superfly?

The 2013 Trek Superfly may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: What size wheels does the 2013 Trek Superfly have?

The 2013 Trek Superfly has 29" wheels.

Q: What size 2013 Trek Superfly should I get?

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Review: Trek Superfly SS singlespeed 29er

Attachments

I'm with Bryce Moore from the FB comments. This might be the lightest bike available for $1600, but at that price you would think they'd throw buyers a bone and spec decent brakes.  

Braking is overrated, however, the rest of the spec is nice, intriguing bike for the dough  

Chicken_Rider

Seems to expensive for the list unless the frame is made of platinum or this is some uber rare fork.  

I think that all of the haters complaining about the price don't understand the economies of scale here. This is their top end aluminum frame. Trek makes a bike with the same frame (Superfly 5) with an inexpensive RS XC32 fork and mixed Shimano/SRAM drivetrain for the same money, true, but they will sell thousands and thousands of those. This bike has unique dropouts, a carbon fork, through axles front and rear, and some low volume SS specific parts. They will sell only a few hundred of this bike, which makes it way more expensive to manufacture. And it weighs 20 lbs. Sounds like a value to me. Nice review Kurt.  

I own this bike and consider it a great value. I am just as fast on this bike as I am on my $5,000 anthem advanced 1. This bike will make you a stronger and better rider. There is no price for that.  

Cayenne_Pepa

I say $1600 for a new, 20lb bike is simply unheard-of, in today's MTB circles. I'm curious to demo one now!  

you need to get Rich Dillen to test this out... he's one of the oldest SS around... teamdicky.blogspot.ca ...  

I would just buy a Nashbar 29er single speed for $350, and be done with it... hehehehe. Oh Oh.... let me brace myself for the firing squad. Honestly, I have mine down to 23 pounds, along with a Salsa fork at an XL size, and the geometry is amazing for a bike at this price. I could maybe go down a little more in weight, but why? I find any bike less than 23 pounds twitchy, and unbalanced. I sold almost all my expensive bikes after realizing that most bikes are just over priced. This Trek is just ridiculous at $1600. Not even Richie Rich would pay $1600 for this bike with single speed.  

you can't possibly believe a nashbar and a superfly ride anywhere near the same, do you?  

if the tensioning system is a ***** on the trail then fixing tyres must be fun  

stopokingme1

Actually no, fixing tires is a breeze. The QR 12 thru axles just unclamp and unscrew - pull the wheel right off. Its adjusting the chain length that is a hassle due to the 22mm bolt thats the issue - but the really isn't a normal kind of field repair someone has to do. the only reason you'ld normally have to deal with that is if you didn't torque it down hard enought before you went out. I've never had mine slip, either on this bike or on my Trek Stache 29+ that uses the same system.  

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• Crosscountry
• Rider Notes

2015 Trek Superfly SS

A 29″ aluminum frame rigid crosscountry bike with modest components.

For This Bike

View more similar bikes →

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Superfly SS

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(descending)

Add custom gearing

May 2015 · Josh Patterson

Starting at the front, the Superfly SS sports Bontrager’s new Bowie carbon fork.

Read Review

The Angry Singlespeeder puts Trek's budget-friendly one-gear bike through its paces. See if he was still angry at the end of his ride. - Mtbr.com

July 2014 · Emily Schaldach

The Superfly 9.7’s biggest selling point is its frame, and though the parts are modest, it has potential

May 2014 · MBA Action

Primed For Adventure Or The Podium Being at the forefront of the 29er movement, Trek’s Superfly FS was one of the first full-suspension, cross-country,

Trek's line of Superfly cross-country 29ers includes nine hardtail models and seven full-suspension versions, giving riders ample options at many price points.

Oct 2013 · Dirt HQ

The Trek Superfly range has been overhauled for 2014 with carbon and alloy bikes, trickling technology from the top-end models lower down the price points.

On a long ride or during the wee small hours out on track at a 24hr race, it’s not unusual to get a song stuck in your head. Traditionally it’s something dire, like Peter Allen’s ‘Rio’. But on board this bike, the groove is strong; feel the soul, channel the year 1972. It’s Superfly. We …

A light, fun, fast cross country machine

Superbly relialbe

Clean looks

Not the plushest or stiffest of rides.

Last updated 29 June Not listed for 2,515 days

First Ride: Trek Superfly Elite

Snappy reflexes with ultra-sharp steering

Trek was one of the earliest proponents of carbon 29" hardtails and its latest Superfly Elite 29er hardtail gets a wholly revamped frame for 2011. The test period has only just begun but it's already evident that this new version is notably sharper and leaner than its forebear.

Product review: Elite E-motion rollers

Tech news: Is electronic Shimano Ultegra on the horizon?

Product review: Mavic Propane jacket

Tech feature: The work of Wheel Energy

Product review: Scott Scale 29 RC

Ride and handling: stiffer chassis delivers quick moves but a stiff ride, too

The Superfly's standout feature is its brilliant handling, courtesy of the Trek-exclusive G2 fork crown and its increased offset that produces trail figures similar to those of a standard 26"-wheeled bike. While other 29" frames can produce good handling characteristics via slightly steeper head tube angles or by simply having ultra-stiff, flex-free front ends, the Superfly tackles the root of the issue and just feels flat-out 'normal' with little to no adjustment period required.

High-speed stability is rock-solid as you'd expect from a two-niner but it's the low-speed stuff where the G2 design really shines. There's nary a hint of wheel flop and when the usefully wide Bontrager Big Sweep carbon bar with 12 degrees of rearward bend and short 90mm stem are added in, even tight corners are reduced to a simple matter of point-and-shoot as long as there's enough room for the 1,116mm wheelbase.

The newly puffed-up frame only further bolsters that intelligent geometry as there's now a greater sense of solidity to the structure overall. It's especially noticeable when you're bombing through sketchy terrain or muscling the bike out of the saddle as there's little front-end twang to pop you off your line. The 20mm front travel bump to 100mm augments the bike's abilities on a wider selection of terrain, too.

That added chassis rigidity also helps counteract the negative effects of the bigger wheels – namely their extra mass and inertia. While they'll never feel as quick to spin up as a feathery set of 26" hoops, the Superfly at least does a good job of the additional heft with its direct power delivery, all while still offering the same benefits – namely the ability to roll through and over obstacles with greater ease, the enhanced stability in technical terrain and the improved drive and cornering tracition.

In general, this latest iteration is less twangy and springy than last year's version and definitely more of a honed cross-country racer than it's ever been.

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Ride quality leaves a bit to be desired, though, as while the Superfly is stiff everywhere it should be, it's stiffer than we'd like it to be elsewhere. Trek frame designers have specified a smaller-diameter 27.2mm seatpost to help lend a bit of cushion to the rider's back end but that's only useful when seated and it's plainly evident that there isn't much movement inherent to the frame itself.

This doesn't detract from the bike's thoroughbred capabilities but it does give us a bit of pause for multi-hour trail days and upcoming enduro events planned for later this season.

Frame and equipment: borrowed road tech and a high-performance, no-nonsense build

The new Superfly carbon frame borrows a few key features from other items in the Trek corporate design bag, namely the tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" tapered front end and 95mm-wide integrated bottom bracket shell – both with molded-in bearing seats that eliminate the redundancy of aluminum collars and sleeves.

Trek has also subbed in sleeker carbon fibre dropouts in place of the old alloy units though the faces are still protected by slim bolt-on aluminum plates that protect against aggressively knurled hub end caps. Down below, a glued-on Carbon Armor rubber cap protects the down tube and bottom bracket area from rock strikes so there's at least some assurance that this thing will withstand some abuse.

Much has been written about whether shorter riders can fit on 29" bikes and Trek deserves some major kudos here. Despite the bump to 100mm of travel up front, Trek still manages to include a 15.5" size in the range and keeps head tube lengths admirably short to help yield suitable bar heights. If you need more proof, consider that even team rider Willow Koerber seems to manage just fine at a height of just 1.57m (5' 2").

Naturally, Trek's in-house Bontrager division supplies as much as possible, including the Race X Lite FCC Scandium Disc 29 wheelset and matching tires, the aforementioned carbon bar and forged aluminum stem, as well as the comfy Evoke saddle and carbon-wrapped Race X Lite ACC seatpost. As we've already mentioned, the seatpost doesn't flex as much as we'd like on a hardtail like this but otherwise the rest of the bits are showing lots of promise.

The wheels are a noticeable improvement over some older 29" Bontrager wheels we've sampled in the past what with their taller flanges and modest bump in lateral stiffness, the swept-back Big Sweep is easy on the hands and provides much-welcome leverage over typical cross-country bars, and the Evoke saddle is supportive and comfy as we've noted in the past. So far, so good.

The jury's still out on the Bontrager tyres, though. The Subaru-Trek team mechanic was kind enough to expertly build our bike before we picked it up and subbed in a set of Bontrager XR3 tyres – his personal choice for local Colorado conditions. The open tread and meaty knobs grip pretty well on both loose terrain and hardpack and they're light at a claimed 545g apiece but the casings are rather stiff and small (despite their 2.1" marking), and they're not the fastest rolling on harder surfaces, either.

However, the verdict still stands on the lightweight Bontrager Race X Lite foam grips. For sure they're extremely light but they also tend to spin on the bars and they're not all that comfy. If foam grips are a must-have on your equipment list, ESI's silicone foam rubber jobbies are still the way to go (and coincidentally, what the team uses, too).

On the other hand, the SRAM XO group has been faultless for the first few rides. Shift quality has been on par with the much more expensive XX but with a firmer and more familiar lever feel, and the corresponding hydraulic disc brakes offer excellent lever feel along with easily controllable power.

Truvativ's Gutter-equipped GXP bottom bracket bearings seem much improved over older versions as well with far less initial drag and despite the two-piece construction, the carbon-and-alloy cranks are rock solid and thus far, creak-free.

Gearing is spot-on for the bigger wheels, too, with direct-mount 26/39T rings and a 12-36T ten-speed cassette.

Total weight for our tester as pictured is just 10.11kg (22.29lb) – 400g (0.88lb) heavier than the Scott Scale 29 RC we just wrapped up but more than US$2,000 cheaper at US$4,729.99.

Stay tuned for a more thorough long-term report once the local trails are in more consistently rideable condition but we're very impressed with Trek's latest big-wheeled racer so far.

Specifications - at a glance

Price: US$4,729.99 Weight: 10.11kg (22.29lb) as pictured, without pedals Available sizes: 15.5", 17.5" (tested), 19.5", 21", 23" Pros: Natural-feeling Trek-exclusive G2 front end geometry, newly found chassis rigidity, very lightweight, superb SRAM X0 componentry, seemingly effective FCC hub design, reassuring Carbon Armor cladding, generous size range Cons: Frame has minimal built-in comfort, grips are awful More information: www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/gary_fisher_collection/

Cyclingnews verdict: 4 stars

Full specifications

Frame: Trek Superfly Elite Fork: Fox Racing Shox 32 F29 FIT RLC, custom G2 geometry Headset: Cane Creek IS-2/ZS-3, 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" Stem: Bontrager Race X Lite Handlebars: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Big Sweep Tape/grips: Bontrager Race XXX Lite Front brake: Avid XO, 160mm rotor Rear brake: Avid XO, 160mm rotor Brake levers: Avid XO Front derailleur: SRAM XO Rear derailleur: SRAM XO Shift levers: SRAM XO Cassette: SRAM PG-1070, 12-36T Chain: SRAM PC-1071 Crankset: Truvativ XO, 39/26T Bottom bracket: SRAM GXP, press-fit for BB95 Pedals: n/a Wheelset: Bontrager Race X Lite FCC Scandium Disc 29 Front tyre: Bontrager 29-2 Team Issue, 29x2.1" Rear tyre: Bontrager 29-2 Team Issue, 29x2.1" Saddle: Bontrager Evoke 3 Seat post: Bontrager Race X Lite ACC

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Gary Fisher Superfly 29er Hardtail

• USER REVIEWS

Weight, handling, geometry,components, warranty

Cracked the 2009 and the 2011 models. Stock wheel set not that great.

Bought the 2009 Superfly to replace my full suspension Trek Top Fuel. Loved everything about the bike. Then it cracked between the headset and down tube. They said this was a common issue on that frame and warrantied it. They sent me the 2011 Superfly frame. Many of the components, most notably the fork, were not compatible so more cash out of pocket. Once it was built up it was actually better then the 2009. Felt stiffer and the steering was just a tad more relaxed. This 2011 crated at the front derailleur mount as mentioned in these other reviews. The Trek rep again said that this was a known issue with this frame and that they would warranty it. LBS told me that the replacement frame will be here in a week and that it would be the 2013 carbon Superfly Comp frame. I pointed at the 2013 Superfly Pro SL on the website and inquired why I wouldn't be getting the latest and greatest like they sent last time. He chuckled and said those frames will never see the light of day. Too many issues with the frames breaking.

Similar Products Used:

Giant Reign, Trek Top Fuel, Niner one9

Strong and lightweight could be a real pro ride for racers. Geometry works well for once when applied to a Carbon frame it makes almost no sense with aluminum engineers know what I mean. 29 wheels are super light tubeless setup.Rode some trails that used to take me much longer to cover. Front shock has lots of optiond for picky riders. Shifts with ease click of the button and BAM I am in the next gear. Total weight seems to be under 25lbs wow.Brakes are like powerfull enough for a motorcycle lol. Crank technology saves weight and has good tenil strength.

Minor issues with shifting uphill may just need some fine tuning bought this one used it is a 2009. Suprised that the Fox F29 has less than 120mm travel.

Great bike find one used unless your wealthy then 4400.00 should not be your problem haha I only paid 950.00USD for mine.

poor design. Carbon cracked on the 3rd ride. See picture. Trek warranteed it, but they charged me. This wasnt a manufacturing flaw, but a design flaw, too much space on seat tube for a hardtail.

Carbon cracked on the 3rd ride. See picture. Trek warranteed it, but they charged me. This wasnt a manufacturing flaw, but a design flaw, too much space on seat tube for a hardtail. Sold the warranteed frame as soon as I could. Very disappointed in how they handled the warranty

specialized stumpjumper

excellent gear set, really smooth. 29 inch wheels awsome, smooths the trail out and rools over obsticles. Turns fast. I am 5,11 inches and its suits me fine. Due to low mount angle bike may be suitable for all sizes.

have to watch extreme loose cornering as wheels can wash out, not great lateral traction on standard tyres. Pedal height seems low as I have bumped rocks on down stroke climbes.

Awsome bike that I hope to grow with. In fact the bike is so far ahead of my potential that I will never grow bored trying to reach the bikes limits.

Light, Suberb Quality, Performance

Not a fan of a aluminum brake levers on XO brakes, instead of the carbon levers. They work fine but I feel a bike in this price range should have the true XO carbon levers.

My review is for the 2011 Superfly Elite. Simply outstanding bike, without question. Light, stiff, but gives an incredible ride. I’ve experienced zero “creaking” or any other odd frame noises. It rides like a dream and the SRAM XO is the finest drive system I have never used. I strongly prefer it over XTR. I’ve heard complaints about XO/XX brakes but since this is my first disk brake bike I would not know the difference. To me the brakes are incredible. Other than the aluminum brake levers instead of carbon XO like they should be my only complaint is that it does not say “Gary Fisher” on it except for the little “Gary Fisher Collection” signature on the top tube.

Fat City Cycles Yo Eddy Proflex 856 Independent Fabrications Deluxe

I've been riding this bike (MY 2009, size XL) for more than 2 years now. I think it is a great machine. Strong points are weight, stiffness, drivebalility and geo, The SRAM X0 shifts great under any circumstance; never any hesitation. The bike simply rolls and rolls and cornering can be done at high speed.

The Bontrager RXL wheels are not my favorite. I already broke 2 spokes, and after 1 yr the rear bearings and the freewheel had to be replaced. The made a terrible noise and had scratched the axle. And Trek gave NO warrantie. Bad! The Bontrager parts (handlebars, tyres, wheels) are not as 'high end' as they are promised to be. Don't really like those. Furthermore a 160mm rotor in the front is too small, I upgraded that to a 185mm rotor. In the rear the frame is too narrow to store a 2,4" tyre and NOT let it run to the front derailleur while riding the smallest blade.

I was lucky to buy this bike in a final-end-of-season-super clearing for almost half the price. Not only that but the way this bike rides, makes it a great pleasure to step on it everytime.

26" alu bikes. Not half as good as this one. Compared with my former bikes and with my bike-friends, I'm driving in a different league.

creeky, horrible matte paint, junk bb, g2 and e2 design is very janky and moves all over the place. 'light' wheels are not light weight. overpriced, fox factory 29 fox leaks oil right off the bat. flat bars? really trek? even jhk doesn't use flat bars. take lessons from your pro riders and listen to them, not just you budget.

trek cut corners big time and it shows within a test ride on the bike. very unfortunate.

I'm rating a 2011 Trek Superfly. Great balance and handling, even around slow, tight switchbacks. Great climbing. Awesome descending. Very smooth ride for a hardtail. Reasonably light for a 29er in this price range. Great price.

I wish it were lighter. I have a problem. After riding the bike a few times, I found a crack in the backside of the front derailleur mount. It was just the mount. No structural integrity issues on the frame. Nevertheless, the very day my LBS/Trek dealer reported the warranty with just a photo of the crack, Trek shipped out a new frame for me, no questions asked. I was bummed out about the crack and I hope it doesn't happen again, but I was very impressed with Trek's warranty and service.

This is my first 29er after riding 26 for several years. I'm 5' 10" and technical bike handling isn't my greatest strength. I was skeptical to go 29. But man! After riding the Superfly, with it's fantastic geometry, I'll never go back to 26 again. This bike is way easier to handle than my 26 inch bikes in all situations and conditions. At just under 24lbs, it's not as light as my 22.5 lb motobecane but it rides 10x better. I'm climbing as fast if not faster and descending significantly faster. Just one thing... Please no more cracks.

Specialized stumpjumber FSR elite. Motobecane Fly 9357.

Weight for a large 29'er.(10.3kg) frame quality, Fox F29 G2 fork. Great spec. Awesome handling.

Shocking tyres. Creaky crank.

I will never ride a 26'er hardtail again. The frame is stiff and light, perfect for racing, the handling on this 29'er absolutely rocks. Bring on the technical singletrack.The SRAM XO transmission is the most honest i've ridden (2 X 10), brakes modulate beautifully. The entire product is awesome save the shocking Bontrager WR Jones tyres it came with. Unable to convert to tubeless and then delaminated after a week. Buy one you wont be dissapointed these GF missiles inspire confidence especially if ure over 6"

Giant Anthems(3 models), Santa Cruz Tallboy.

Light, fast, turning is exceptional. Decent suspension, good uphill, Great Downhill. 2011 price dropped ~grand; good value.

A little twitchy in tight, slower corners. Wide handle-bars take some getting used to, but will never switch-out now. Stock grips were a little slick and narrow for my fat hands.

I'm concerned about the complaints about the frame cracking or being weak. I am 6', 220 lbs and am pretty hard on bikes. The second day on my Superfly 100, I raced the 25 mi Fall Colorfest in the Kettle Moraine and this machine was a dream. I was making uphills that used to have me walking and sailing downhills with a new level of confidence. I heard someone make the comparison of "riding in the bike" vs. "riding on the bike" with the Superfly, I agree. I had test rode a Specialized 29" FS Aluminum on a trail before going to the SF 100 and I really prefer the geometry and cockpit of the Superfly. May just come down to personal preference when getting to this price level. Rode it on a dozen trails so far and no sign of cracks or lose joints yet.........

2000 Rocky Mountain FS, 2002 Fisher Sugar, 2010 Specialized FS 29er.

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Trek Superfly SS review

Affordable singlespeed XC racer

Josh Patterson / Immediate Media

Josh Patterson

The Trek Superfly SS is quite the rig. Yes, that was a pun, and yes, it was intended. You see, this bike has a legacy stretching back a decade to the introduction to the introduction of the Gary Fisher Rig for the 2005 model year.

A lot has changed since then – the Fisher brand was assimilated into Trek, 29er geometry finally got sorted out, and 26in vs 29in disputes have been replaced by 27.5in vs 29in arguments. What hasn’t changed is the fact that big wheels and singlespeed drivetrains go together like peanut butter and jelly (with apologies to UK readers). The purple accents on the matte-black frame may hearken back to the original Rig, but the Superfly SS is thoroughly modern machine.

• Highs: Clean lines; good geometry; clever sliding thru-axle design
• Lows: Abysmally narrow handlebar
• Buy if: You’re looking to simplify your life and strengthen your quads

Frame and equipment: simple and straightforward

Starting at the front, the Superfly SS sports Bontrager’s new Bowie carbon fork. The stock fork has an alloy steerer to keep the price in check, though the US$450 aftermarket Bowie Pro version sports a tapered carbon steerer. Much like carbon forks offered by Niner and Enve, the Bowie features a 15mm thru axle. It also has integrated guides for the front brake and enough clearance for 29+ rubber, should you feel the need to beef up the volume to take the edge off the Superfly’s rigid ride.

The Superfly SS frame is essentially the same alloy chassis as Trek’s geared Superfly hardtails, minus the cable stops and ports for internal routing. The tubing is heavily shaped, particularly around the press-fit BB95 bottom bracket.

Unlike the other members of the Superfly line, the Superfly SS sports a clever sliding 142x12mm axle system. At first glance, the rear brake mount appears to be attached to the chainstay. Closer inspection reveals that it’s actually part of the sliding assembly, so there’s never a need to realign the caliper after removing the wheel or tensioning the chain.

The Race Face narrow/wide chainring might be overkill for singlespeeding, but it sure is pretty

A singlespeed with a properly tensioned chain doesn’t have a need for the stock, 32t Race Face narrow/wide chainring, although the color-matched ring is a nice touch that’s sure to win the hearts and minds of matchy-matchy types. Race Face also supplies the crankset, which is appropriately stiff for single-minded mashing.

While superfluous for singelspeed drivetrains, this narrow/wide chainring might come in handy if you decide to run the Superfly SS with a 1x drivetrain. Trek offers a geared, drive-side slider for the Superfly SS, although the absence of cable guides would require resorting to zip-ties to route full-length shift housing along the frame.

The Shimano Deore disc brakes are outstanding for the price — they truly buck the law of diminishing returns with exceptional modulation that would give top-end brakes from a few short years ago a run for their money.

Shimano's Deore brakes back plenty of power in a budget-minded package

The stock stamped 18t steel cog is a bit of a throwaway item, but that’s fine, considering the fact that cogs wear out and many riders will swap it for a different tooth count to suit their local trails. The Bontrager Mustang rim and fast-rolling XR2 Expert are both tubeless compatible, so you can shave a bit more weight off this 20.4lb/9.3kg bike, if you’re so inclined.

The parts kit is quite reasonable for the money. The only item we took issue with was the aluminum Bontrager RL handlebar, which measures in at a scanty 690mm. While this handlebar would have been considered wide once upon a time, it’s much too narrow for modern taste; fitting a wider one, which you can always cut down would have made more sense.

The ride: fast, nimble and quiet

On the trail the Superfly SS is a nimble beast. The Bowie fork is as forgiving as one would expect two sticks of carbon to be, which is to say: if you wanted a forgiving ride, you’d be riding a suspension fork.

Rigid singlespeeding does have its merits. The Superfly SS tracks with precision and there’s no bobbing from the front end when it comes time to stand and mash up the climbs.

Trek's 142x12mm sliding thru-axle system is slip-free and silent

Singlespeeds need leverage, though, and the narrow bar left us lacking it when grunting up those steep climbs. Nor did it inspire much confidence when attempting to keep the front end tracking true through rock gardens. This tester would have preferred something in range of 750mm.

The sliders are the stand-out feature of the Superfly SS frame – and one you'll appreciate in use. Unlike many eccentric bottom brackets, which are prone to creaking and groaning under torque, Trek’s cleverly designed sliders proved quiet and easy enough to adjust.

Verdict: less is more – provided your body can take it

Despite misgivings about the stock handlebar, the Superfly SS is a good choice for riders looking to simplify their stable. And if you feel the SS will write checks that your quads just can’t cash, you may want to consider the Superfly 5. It retails for the same price and comes with a suspension fork and 2x10 drivetrain.

The Superfly SS is not currently available in the UK. As and when this changes we'll be sure to let you know

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