The Remedy is Trek’s All mountain machine.  Designed around a 150mm suspension platform the bike is destined for going downhill fast. 

Intelligent design ideas such as Treks Carbon armour plating under the bottom bracket protect the carbon models from disaster given their downhill leanings and we found ourselves asking why not across all carbon bikes? 

Trek’s ABP (Active Breaking Pivot) keeps the rear brake active even when the suspension is under loading and their full floater design means that the rear triangle is always active.  An engineer challenged us to ride it without using the Fox Pro pedal facility as he believed enough in the suspension and apart form outright climbing he was spot on.  Speaking of Fox, the bikes use the E2 headtube which uses a staggered steerer tube with a 1 and a half inch lower bearing race and an inch and an eigth upper tube which keeps the front end steering really stiff.

One of the most exciting things about the Remedy though is the DRCV Fox shock.  Developed exclusively for Trek, this is a redesigned RP2 rear shock with an extra air can on the top.  Simply put the main air can operates the first 50% of the travel with the second air can kicking in for the bigger stuff.  A Dual Rate Control Valve (hence DRCV) opens the second can, increasing the volume of air in the can and making that second 50% of the travel more plush.  Air shocks are prone to ramping up near the end of their travel and this overcomes it in a really simple but effective way.  The bike feels like it has bottomless travel.

All this and don’t get us even started on OCLV Carbon!  Very nice they are too and lighter than the aluminium of course.

We rode an aluminium model which was ultra nippy and responsive on the downs but did crawl a little on the climbs.  We were on a dealer demo day and found that the XC riders were trawling us in on the climbs only for us to run away on the descents.  The difference was there for those coming from the more XC side of things but it is not enough to be a total slouch.  For a DH rider this is going to seem like a feather weight.  Unless you are a serious racer you won’t really notice the weight eitherway as its the downs you will be focused on. 

Point it downhill though and the fun really starts.  Repsonsive, quick and nimble all came to mind.  Throw it into corners and the suspension technollogies really work with a great stroke that puts you on the front foot into all obstacles.

But don’t just take our word for it, Irish ace XC and DH rider Niall Davis of All Mountain Experience is piloting a Remedy for 2010 and can not say enough good things about it.

Available from Trek dealers nationwide such as the Cycle Inn in Tallaght.  Get yours quick!