New Trek Gas EX ups journey and flexibility
Trek has launched its up to date Gas EX path bike, taking it from a lighter-weight, short-travel ripper and turning it right into a extra aggressive path bike within the course of.
The Gas EX receives 140mm of journey on the again, paired with a 150mm fork, and options adjustable geometry and the power to run a coil shock.
The brand new-shape bike takes clear aesthetic influences from Trek’s additionally new Gas EXe eMTB that was launched this summer time. Reasonably curved prime tubes and a decrease shock mounting level on a bar linking the down tube to the seat tube, above the underside bracket space, are the clearest visible hyperlinks between the fashions.
Trek claims the path class is a very powerful a part of its mountain bike household, and so the Gas EX is the important thing bike within the vary.
As such, it is a bike Trek desires to excel in all circumstances, and attraction to a variety of riders. It has to climb properly and descend confidently, in addition to being heaps of enjoyable. Trek claims it’s probably the most feature-full bike it has ever made.
The bike makes use of the model’s ABP suspension linkage, and within the smaller sizes is obtainable with 27.5in wheels.
Trek Gas EX body particulars
Trek is providing the brand new Gas EX in each aluminium and carbon choices, which share the identical geometry and suspension headline figures.
The form of the body has needed to change on this model of the bike to allow Trek to realize quite a lot of its targets.
For instance, it needed a shorter seat tube size, to permit for longer-drop droppers, however wanted to steadiness this with an extended seatpost insertion size to permit for these longer posts.
This implies the shock has been moved ahead within the body to accommodate the brand new seat tube. Nonetheless, Trek says it didn’t wish to compromise water bottle storage or standover peak.
Trek additionally wanted to make sure a broad vary of shock sizes may match – together with coil and piggy-back shocks. Trek says this implies all of Fox and RockShox’s air and coil shocks can slot in, in addition to the likes of DVO/Push/Marzocchi.
On some smaller frames with water bottles, there could also be compatibility points with large-architecture shocks.
Trek is utilizing the 34.9mm seat tube diameter commonplace, permitting for extra dependable long-drop droppers. This bigger diameter permits for stiffer dropper publish building, and means seals are simpler too.
The Gas EX options down tube storage on each carbon and alloy fashions, with the door positioned underneath the bottle cage.
There’s additionally absolutely guided inside cable routing – a primary for the Gas EX, enabling you to push cables in on the head tube, and look forward to them to exit on the proper place with out fishing round internally to information them.
Just like the Trek Slash and Session, the down tube has full-length rubberised bolt-on safety. This extends excessive up the down tube for riders who sling their bikes over a pickup’s tailgate.
Trek Gas EX suspension particulars
Trek’s ABP suspension linkage includes a rear pivot concentric to the rear axle (moderately than near it on the chainstay, as per a 4-bar, or on the seatstay in a linkage pushed single-pivot design).
That is stated to keep away from the suspension stiffening up underneath braking. It’s a system that has reviewed properly on a variety of Trek mountain bikes.
Trek has added a ‘Development Chip’ to its ABP suspension system, which alters the leverage price of the suspension.
Successfully, this enables each air (progressive in nature) and coil (linear in nature) shocks for use. Nonetheless, Trek says the chip can be used to change the best way your bike feels with the identical shock.
Within the much less progressive setting, it’s designed to behave like earlier generations of the Gas EX. It ought to cope properly with rocky, lumpy trails with huge hits, the place you wish to simply and reliably entry all of the bike’s journey.
Within the higher-rate setting, you get extra development and extra bottom-out resistance, which Trek says is good on extra flowy trails, the place you need the bike held up increased in its journey, and to supply extra pop once you hit a leap.
It is a step up from altering the spring price of the suspension, as a result of the leverage price impacts on the damping of the shock as properly. That is trickle-down tech from Trek’s Session DH bike.
Trek Gas EX geometry
Bikes at the moment are, as you’d anticipate, longer, decrease, slacker and steeper. This implies the pinnacle angle has been chopped to 64.5 levels, the attain has gone up 10 to 20mm relying on measurement, and the seat angle has been steepened too.
Chainstays are size-specific, from 435 to 450mm relying on body measurement. This has been finished to maintain a extra constant weight steadiness throughout the eight sizes (XS to XXL).
The XS bike is 27.5in solely, whereas size-small bikes might be bought in both 29in or 27.5in. The remainder of the vary is 29in.
Trek has constructed the Gas EX with each the Mino Hyperlink Hello/Low flip chip and an adjustable headset system with three positions – Steep, Impartial and Slack.
By itself, this offers six geometry choices. Nonetheless, it additionally signifies the bike might be run as a mullet, in M to XXL sizes.
When run as a mullet, Trek says the Mino Hyperlink must be run within the excessive setting, and an extended 160mm fork must be used.
The present Hello setting on the Mino Hyperlink is similar because the earlier era’s Low setting.
Beneath is a 29in, Mino Hyperlink Low, headset Slack geometry chart. Trek’s web site has a dynamic geometry chart, which updates once you digitally alter the settings on the bike.
Trek Gas EX fashions
The mannequin line begins with the Gas EX 5, which makes use of the previous-generation body.
The brand new chassis lands on fashions EX 7 and up. Trek will even offer each the carbon and alloy body as a frame-only possibility for many who want to spec their very own bikes.
All bikes characteristic largely Bontrager ending equipment, together with dropper posts. On the time of writing, we do not need pricing.
Trek Gas EX 5 specification
- Body: Alpha Platinum
- Fork: RockShox Recon Silver
- Shock: X-Fusion Professional 2
- Groupset: Shimano Deore
- Brakes: Shimano MT200
- Wheels: Alex rims, Bontrager hubs
- Tyres: Maxxis Rekon
Trek Gas EX 7 specification
- Body: Alpha Platinum
- Fork: RockShox 35 Gold RL
- Shock: Fox Efficiency Float
- Groupset: Shimano Deore/SLX/XT
- Brakes: Shimano MT420
- Wheels: Bontrager Line Comp 30
- Tyres: Bontrager XR5 29×2.6in
Trek Gas EX 8 specification
- Body: Alpha Platinum
- Fork: Fox Rhythm 36
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Efficiency
- Groupset: Shimano SLX/XT
- Brakes: Shimano MT6120
- Wheels: Bontrager Line Comp 30
- Tyres: Bontrager XR5 29×2.6in
Trek Gas EX 9.7 specification
- Body: OCLV Carbon
- Fork: Fox Rhythm 36
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Efficiency
- Groupset: Shimano SLX/XT
- Brakes: Shimano MT6120
- Wheels: Bontrager Line Comp 30
- Tyres: Bontrager XR5 29×2.6in
Trek Gas EX 9.8 GX AXS / Shimano XT specification
- Body: OCLV Carbon
- Fork: Fox Efficiency 36
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Efficiency
- Groupset: SRAM GX AXS or Shimano XT
- Brakes: SRAM Code R or MT8120
- Wheels: Bontrager Line Elite 30 Carbon
- Tyres: Bontrager XR5 29×2.6in
Trek Gas EX 9.9 XX1 AXS / Shimano XTR specification
- Body: OCLV Carbon
- Fork: Fox Manufacturing unit 36
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Manufacturing unit
- Groupset: SRAM XX1 AXS or Shimano XTR
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC or MT9120
- Wheels: Bontrager Line Professional 30 Carbon
- Tyres: Bontrager XR5 29×2.6in
