Trek's Supercaliber XC race bike gets a full reboot for Gen 2

Four years on from its launch, and with numerous race wins under its belt, Trek brings us the updated Supercaliber. It may look similar but this Gen 2 platform is the result of a full rethink.

Trek Supercaliber Gen 2 Credit: Cam MacKenzie

TAGS: Top Story

In 2019 Trek launched the first generation Supercaliber. A race-focused XC bike that aimed to combine the pedalling efficiency of a hardtail with the compliance of a short-travel full-suspension bike. A bike that allowed the rider to attack the climbs as aggressively as the descents.

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Four years on, and with numerous race wins, Trek has taken a long look at what would make this already fast bike even faster… and with race courses getting even rougher, with more technical features and drops, its arrival is well timed. Not to mention other brands that have developed XC race bikes with a similar style suspension platform. It was time for Trek to step it up a notch…

The race-proven Trek Supercaliber has evolved into a bike that can tackle more technical courses

There are now two unique Gen 2 Supercaliber frames, a lightweight SL frame and an even lighter pro-level SLR version. The bike model range starts with the Supercaliber SL 9.6 at £3,780 and tops out with the SLR 9.9 XX AXS at £10,800.

Although the blueprint looks similar, this Gen 2 frame is completely new. Trek’s design brief was to take the Supercaliber – which has proved itself on the race circuit – and make it a more capable, without sacrificing any of its raw speed. And making it lighter was on the design brief too.

For the 2024 model year full bike builds are offered with both SL and SLR frame platforms. If you’re considering a custom build then it’s only the SLR that will be available as a bare frame and rear shock.

The Gen 2 Trek Supercaliber has travel boosted to 110mm up front and 80mm at the rear

Need to know

SL and lighter SLR carbon models
SLR frame available separately
29in wheels front and rear on all frame sizes
2.4in max tyre clearance
100-120mm recommended fork travel
110mm travel forks on stock bikes
80mm rear travel
SRAM UDH hanger
Press Fit 92 bottom bracket
Floating rear brake mount
Dropper posts on all models

Suspension

A headline revision on the Gen 2 Supercaliber is the suspension travel, which has been boosted at both ends: from 60mm to 80mm rear travel and the fork has increased from 100mm to 110mm. Trek does approve the use of any XC fork with travel between 100 and 120mm though.

This is a reflection on the more technical and challenging XC race courses and it mirrors the spec of modern forks such as the new 2024 RockShox SID models.

The Supercaliber’s IsoStrut suspension platform carries over to the Gen 2 but gets refined

Trek hasn’t ignored the rear shock either, spec’ing a new RockShox SIDLuxe IsoStrut on all models on both frame platforms. This new shock has higher anti-squat values to resist pedalling input and a more linear leverage ratio. Trek says that the new IsoStrut shock is also easier to service and tune and has sag etchings to assist with set-up.

Trek has worked with RockShox on the latest evolution of the IsoStrut rear shock

Frame specs

Externally the frames may look identical (and size the same too) but it’s beneath the surface where the differences lie. Both bikes use the same rear triangle but its their main frames that are unique to each.

Gen 2 Trek Supercaliber now uses a floating rear caliper mount to work with the flexstay swingarm design

The SLR frame uses a lighter carbon layup, with lower FAW (fibre aerial weight) material, more higher modulus material, and overall less material (ie fewer plies). It also foregoes internal cable routing guides on the mainframe, although lightweight foam tubes are supplied to dampen vibrations and reduce noise.

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The SL frame may be the heavier option but it hits the scales at 2030g (size dependent), about the same weight as the Gen1 SLR. The new Gen 2 SLR drops another 200-250g off that number (1950g including the IsoStrut shock).

The frame has two bottle cage mounts for long haul marathon events

Geometry and sizing

The Supercaliber’s geometry has been updated too. Both frame options take a leaf out of the trail bike rule book, with slightly longer reach measurements and a slacker head tube angle too.

‘Geometry needs to balance descending with pedalling performance’

Take a size large for example: the reach has grown 10mm to 465mm, head angle slackened by 1.5° to 67.5° and the chainstay length grown by 5mm to 435mm. Off the back of these changes, the wheelbase now sits at a lengthy 1170mm. The stack hasn’t changed though, sticking at a low 594mm.

A slacker 67.5° head angle and longer reach numbers are part of the long list of updates

Trek hasn’t compromised in giving its usual wide range of frame sizes too. Five options are available, including the super-useful M/L inbetweener size that’s a problem-solver for many riders.

The Gen 2 Supercaliber is compatible with the new SRAM T-Type Eagle AXS Transmission

Model range

For the 2024 model year there are two SL and five SLR bikes. The SL models run aluminium wheels, bar and stem. The SLR goes with Bontrager carbon wheels and one-piece bar and stem. Dropper posts are a common site on XC race bikes and are standard on all Gen 2 Supercaliber models.