The new Trek Slash+

A year ago at Crankworx, we saw the latest Trek Slash which was quite a departure from prior versions: it was a bit of a beastly high pivot and idler platform with 170mm of travel at each end, mulleted in all but size S (which is a dual 27), and clearly capable of racing or enduro style riding as well as bike park duty. Cooper reviewed it and it's fair to say he enjoyed that bike.

This new Slash is very similar to that one, except Trek added a 50Nm TQ HPR50 motor with a 580 Wh battery. This is not Trek's first TQ-equipped bike - that was the Trek Fuel EXe that Cam reviewed and it's fair to say he enjoyed that bike.

We'll get into the details, the good and bad. But so far, it's fair to say, I'm enjoying this bike.

Geometry

The Slash+ and Slash are very alike in geometry. Slash+ does not have a ML size and reach has consequently been adjusted slightly to bridge the gap between M and L - 448 and 478 respectively. The head tube angle sits at 63.5 and you can plus or minus that by one degree using included angle adjust cups. Effective seat tube angle is about 77 degrees for the larger sizes and gets to almost 78 for size S. Trek has accounted for tons of dropper insertion but then neutered that on the 9.9 tester I'm riding by spec'ing a RockShox Reverb - only up to 170mm of course.

The lower shock eyelet has two positions which allow you to control the leverage rate between a less progressive position Trek suggests for use with air shocks and/or smaller riders, and a more progressive position for larger/more aggressive riders and/or coil shocks. I've so far left it in the less progressive position and it's paired well with the Vivid Air, but I am curious to try the more progressive setting, especially in some steeper, rougher terrain. Not that traction or control has been lacking so far.

Lastly, Trek is playing ball on size-specific chain stay lengths, with the S getting 434mm stays, the M & L share 440 and the XL gets 445. And, like regular Slash, they're all mullets except the Small which has two 27.5" wheels.

Spec

There are two models in the Slash+ range: the 9.9 I'm testing has a RockShox ZEB Ultimate fork and Vivid Air Ultimate shock, Bontrager Line Pro 30 carbon wheels, a SRAM X0 AXS Transmission drivetrain, the aforementioned AXS dropper, SRAM Maven Silver brakes w/ 200mm rotors, and Bontrager SE6 front/SE5 rear Team Issue tires.

The other model is a 9.7 and its spec highlights include a Fox Rhythm 38 and Performance Float X shock, Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels, Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain with e13 cranks, Shimano M6120 4-piston brakes and Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tires.

Early returns on the ZEB Ultimate and Vivid Air are really good. The Charger 3.1 was easy to set up and nicely balances a variety of different scenarios, from hot and heavy to fast and loose. I'm going to play around with spacers and setup a bit more for the full review. The Vivid Air is a nice complement to Trek's HP+I setup. It's an active combo that makes the Slash+ feel like less than its 170mm when you're throwing it around, but when you need to use all that rear travel it's there for you and never stares back with an evil eye if you sink too quickly into the furniture. On many occasions I've hammered down through successive troughs and hardly found the bottom or - more crucially - lost traction.

We've consistently had good luck with Bontrager wheels and the Line Pro 30 Carbons are no exception (with the exception of the rim strip which works perfectly but makes tire changes a chore). Unfortunately that cannot be said of the Bontrager SE6 front and SE5 rear tires. I've found them to work well in dry, firm, and semi-loose conditions, and they're sure-footed on rock and slabs. Where they let me down is when there is any moisture on the ground. Or when you need to keep air in them. A big ride in Whistler the other day resulted in three flats - always in the space where the side knob contacts the tire bed in the intermediate channel. The first flat was on me - I didn't have enough air in the rear tire to accommodate the rocks at the bottom of the upper slab on Crazy Train. The next two were head scratchers...real JRA type of flats, the kind I hadn't had in years. After three of those and a few stops to reinforce tire plugs, I'd had enough and cut the ride a bit short. The SE6 could stay on until the next rainy day and I'd be happy enough, but that SE5 is a shop floor take off for me in its current form.

This is the first bike I've spent time on with SRAM's new Maven brake, and I'm in like with them. The sheer amount of power took a little getting used to, and I'd prefer a lighter lever feel and more modulation, but I'm adjusting and getting better at applying the power later and using that to my advantage. I think we're going to be good friends.

The X0 AXS Transmission has been excellent. The AXS Reverb post too, but the 170mm drop length is sadly outdated. Because I can run an e-bike's saddle a little lower than on a regular bike, this is mitigated by 5mm or so and it hasn't held me back in the steeps too badly, but I'd really appreciate 30-40mm more room back there.

TQ

The TQ HPR50 motor is a revelation. Trek made some lofty claims about its 'tonality' or the perception of sound the user feels with the TQ vs unassisted, full power and light power assisted bikes. Tones and perception are probably beyond the scope of my knowledge, this first look, or your interest level, but let's leave it here: the chart they showed has the perceived tonality of an unassisted bike being just below that of the TQ, with a high-power and light power motor at four times (!) the amount (or 4x t.u. HMS whatever that unit means). I scoffed a little inside. Then I rode the TQ and forgot I was supposed to be paying attention to how much noise it makes because a lot of the time, I couldn't even hear it. Trek wasn't exaggerating - the TQ does make a light amount of noise when you're pushing it hard or starting up from a standstill, but otherwise the sound of your ride (tires on dirt or gravel most notably) will drown it out. It's remarkable.

Fifty newton meters is still plenty of power, but it's notably less than the 85Nm that you get from a Shimano EP-801 or Bosch CX. The lighter combined weight of TQ's motor and less than full-sized 550wH battery does make for a much more natural pedaling dynamic. There is less weight to hoist up the hill, but less power to do it with, meaning your pedal strokes generate a response more akin to riding a regular bike. I have really enjoyed riding in the mid power setting except on steeper climbs where I'll bump up to full assist.

The Fuel EXe comes with that same TQ motor, but a smaller battery - 360Wh vs the 580Wh unit in the Slash+. If you wanted to run the smaller battery in the Slash+, it will accommodate it with a different upper end cap. Both are designed to fit in securely without any rattling, and the 580 has been rattle-free. After going back to a different full power bike the other day, I couldn't believe how bad the rattling was in comparison.

Setting numbers aside, I also appreciate the TQ's natural power delivery. It never feels like a burst or a surge but rather rises to meet your power level in a more gradual way. You can feel your pedal stroke pull on the chain and translate into drive, like on a regular bike.

Early Thoughts & Impressions

In writing this, I realize that there is a lot to digest here. Would I enjoy a mid-power ebike, particularly on a long travel platform? Is the high pivot as awesome as the hype? Solid yes to both of those questions. There are some setup and range questions I need to dig into more deeply to really get things dialed, but my general 10 or so ride impression is that this is an especially fun bike in the steep, chunky terrain it was designed for, but it doesn't wallow or feel like a barge in mellower terrain - the motor helps with that for sure.

It's helping me form a solid opinion on mid-power bikes, and it's a super positive one. In a variety of rides with others on full power and regular bikes, the mid-power Slash+ affords the flexibility to cover most bases pretty well. If you had a fitness deficit to some of your regular ride buddies, it'll make that up. If you don't want a full power bike but ride with those that have them, you'll still be slower but they won't hate having to adjust their pace to accommodate you. If you want to reduce your pace and focus on a close to unpowered experience, that's available to you and it's not hard to make your assist level cover the extra weight and feel more 'natural'. If that sounds problematic, remember that you also have the range to overcome longer pedals to the trailhead, eliminating the use of a vehicle to many rides. Different use cases all, but a bike like this can be all of those things provided your trails call for a big hammer.

The Bits tool is great with two caveats: it's become harder to remove from its home in the steerer, and second, just like the one in Cooper's Slash, it rattles. That's closer to unforgivable for me - or at least annoying enough that I prefer to pocket the tool while I ride, somewhat nullifying its utility. Time to break out the Sugru, foam, and mastic tape...

Pricing

There's no getting around the fact that these are very expensive toys, a fact that leaves very little room for errors or compromises. I'll leave the models and pricing here without further comment.

Slash+ 9.7 (SLX/XT): 7,999 USD / 10,999 CAD

Slash+ 9.9 (X0 AXS): 11,999 USD / 15,999 CAD