Trek proudly showed us its newest Enduro racing bike, the Slash 29er sporting 150mm of rear travel. Focused on going fast and winning races, they made some hard choices by not trying to please all demands. They determined that it had to be carbon and had to have 29er wheels to put forward their best effort in the category.

It is stiff indeed as it rivals or bests Trek's Session downhill bike in many stiffness measures. The key to the Slash's lateral rigidity is a huge carbon downtube that does not bend and contort to meet the head tube. Rather it goes in a straight shot with no size reduction producing the strongest and lightest bond possible. But the fork can hit the downtube in this configuration so Trek developed two key technologies in the headset and on the downtube to avoid any damage to the fork and frame.

It is aggressive with a 65.1 degree head angle for a 29er.

It is aggressive with a 65.1 degree head angle for a 29er.​

Geometry is truly aggressive with a 65.6/65.1 degree head angle, very slack for a 29er. The 1187 mm wheelbase for a medium bike almost matches a Trek Session; and the 434 mm chainstays are short for a bike with 150mm travel and allows 2.6" tires. The bottom bracket sits right around 13.5 inches is low but not too low to pedal through the rocky descents of an Enduro race.

Color is a stunning red tint only and we should see this bike in shops in October.

Travel is 150mm rear and 160mm front.

Travel is 150mm rear and 160mm front.​

Specifications

  • Frame material: carbon
  • Travel: 150mm rear and 160mm front
  • Wheel size: 29er
  • 65.6º or 65.1º head angle configurable with Mino Link
  • 148mm Boost rear and 110 Boost front
  • MSRP: $3,700 (frames w/ Float X2), $5,500 to $9,000 complete

Slash 29 FAQ

What's new with 2017 Slash?
With the new 2017 Remedy moving deeper into All-Mountain territory, the new Slash sets its sights squarely on Enduro racing. With that in mind, we designed it around a carbon frame with the fastest-rolling wheel size. All 2017 Slash models use 29" wheels with Boost110 & Boost148 hub spacing. Rear travel moves to 150mm for the right balance of capability and efficiency. Both models get Enduro-minded 130mm/160mm forks which offer a better climbing position in the 130mm setting, and more confident descending in the 160mm setting.

Like the Fuel EX & Remedy, Slash gets a Straight Shot downtube with Knock Block frame defense for DH-worthy frame stiffness with no added weight. It also gets our extra-versatile Control Freak cable routing system to tie it all together.

How many Slash bike models are there?
Two. Both the Slash 9.8 and Slash 9.9 RSL share the same race-ready, full-carbon, 1x-specific frame.

What does Race Shop Limited mean?
Race Shop Limited, or RSL models are built with a parts spec that meets the demands of our top-level Enduro racers, including extra suspension adjustments, a Rapid Drive rear hub, and the new SRAM X01 Eagle 1x12 drivetrain.

Continue to page 2 for more of the 2017 Trek Slash 29 FAQ and a full photo gallery »

The new SRAM Eagle 1x12 drivetrain is used here.

The new SRAM Eagle 1x12 drivetrain is used here.​

Is Slash available as a frameset?
Yes. Slash is available as a frameset, which includes a Fox Factory Float X2 shock, Knock Block headset, and Line Pro 35mm stem.

What are the available sizes for Slash?
All Slash models are available in 15.5, 17.5, 19.5, and 21.5.

While most other long-travel 29ers suffer from design constraints that don't allow for a Small frame size, Slash benefits from Trek's decade of 29er experience, allowing us to offer a fast, great-handling 15.5" long-travel 29er.

Why doesn't the new Slash use Full Floater?
We developed Full Floater years ago to address performance constraints associated with the air shocks that were available at that time. Since then, mountain bike shocks have evolved. More dynamic and responsive dampers, along with more refined air springs like EVOL and Debonair, offer the performance benefits our engineers sought to achieve with Full Floater.

Using a fixed lower shock mount opens up the lower frame area, giving us more opportunity to design stronger, stiffer frames and chainstays. This also gives us more flexibility to accommodate larger, more capable shocks. All of these effects are experienced most dramatically on long travel bikes, like the Slash.

The Full-floater is gone because the new rear shocks are now able to handle the demands of aggressive riders.

The Full-floater is gone because the new rear shocks are now able to handle the demands of aggressive riders.​

Then why is Full Floater still on new Fuel EX and Remedy?
Full Floater works great on short to mid-travel bikes where engineering requirements are not so challenging. The demanding combination of design requirements - frame stiffness, bigger 29" wheel size, long travel, and fitting piggyback shocks- of the new Slash 29 presented the greatest opportunity to incorporate a new direction in suspension layout.

What front derailleurs work with the new frame?
None. The carbon chainstay is 1x only, which allowed our engineers to optimize stiffness and weight, as well as keep the length down to 435mm.

Is Slash compatible with other aftermarket shocks?
Yes. Slash uses new standard metric shock sizing (230x57.5mm).

Does Slash use a G2 fork?
Yes. It's a 29er, and we know that our G2 Geometry with a 51mm offset fork still makes for the best 29er handling at any speed, on any terrain.

The adjustable suspension is configured via the Mino Link.

The adjustable suspension is configured via the Mino Link.​

What Mino Link position is standard out of the box?
All MY17 full suspension bikes (EXCEPT Top Fuel and Session) will ship with the Mino Link in the High (steeper) setting. This gives Slash a headtube angle of 65.6 out of the box.

Is the new frame compatible with 27.5 Plus wheels and tires? 27.5?
No. We designed Slash around 29" wheels and tires for maximum speed. Running any other wheel/tire size will adversely affect handling and speed.

What is the max tire size for Slash frames?
29 x 2.6"

For more information, visit www.trekbikes.com.