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trek remedy 8 first impressions
well yesterday i purchased a new bike, the trek remedy 8,and took it for a spin today.previuosly i have ridden a 2006 and 2007 reign.the 2006 reign i have converted into a "reign x" so i wont compare it to the trek,my 2007 is bog stock,kinda. first off the trek is 20mm longer in the wheelbase ,3mm shorter in the rear and 9mm longer in top tube.BB is the same.trek is 2'slacker in the HT,but the same in the ST angle..the longer slacker trek was more stable in the rough and in a straight line, but a little slower changing lines.the trek didnt pop and jump as well as my reign,or manual either.the suspension feel in 'trail' mode was very supportive and didnt wallow or pack down,it felt very planted,not as plush as trek would have you believe.in the 'descend' mode the trek became a bit bogged down and harder to pump through the rocks and felt sluggish,for the best over all feeling i left it in trail mode for climbing and descending..Pedalling was very efficient and the 10 speed gearing much better than the 9 i was used to.The slx brakes got better as the day went on and feel very nice at the levers and strong and consistant.The XT rear mech with clutch worked flawlessly, the clutch actually works, no chain slap, now the bad stuff.I swapped over the stem to the 70mm i normally use and there was a knocking in the headset.it didnt go away when retightened several times, but i couldnt actually feel it when riding.the front wheel has a ticking sound when coasting, one tick per revolution,and the seatpost is crap and fiddly to adjust.overall the trek is more comfortable to ride and the tech on it great,its just not as responsive and fun as my reign,i suppose when i get used to the trek these traits will improve
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interesting comments. i have a 2012 remedy8 and love it. took 2 rides to set it up. basically i set it up at lancasters so i nearly used all travel off the ladders as then it was the biggest stuff local. anyhow if i can help to setup let me know.
sounds like your shock is different, i only have pro pedal and manual front lockout. love that tho, hate all the tecko stuff. i just leave it open unless i have to ride it on bitumen.
Not sure if you know but the trek website has recommendations if you punch in yor bike model and weight. i did my setup all by feel but then checked website and it was exactly the same! might help.
A mate has a reign and i have ridden it a couple of times, that thing is soft and squish and bombs anything, but i found far from responsive and so heavy.
Maybe it just needs different responsiveness and maybe you just need to get used to it.
sounds crap bout the headset tho... get onto the shop about that.
my bont wheels fell apart quite quickly so i put hope hoops with flows and so much better. i find stock wheels always fall apart anyhow.
1x10 with dropper post and it is a perth weapon. hope you get along with it.
sag is spot on,bike feels very balanced,the mech at the shop told me it takes a while for the suspension to break in, so i'll give it time, quite like the firmer feeling actually, the forks and shock are fox ctd, im sure as i ride the bike more i will find the sweet spot and the bunny hops and manuals will appear. on my reign i run small volume cans to help it pop and give better bottom out resistance, the hv cans are too linear for my liking,if you see some goon trying to wheelie his bike on the trail its probably me, give me a yell
Good to read an analytical analysis of the new bike & refreshing to hear something other than my new bike is awesome rah rah rah.
As above I'd say give it a few rides for the shocks to free up (Not mentioned or felt as much anymore)and once you are near the feel that you want don't change too many things at once.
I believe that if you actively try to get the most out of your bike rather than simply ride & maintain it a new bike takes quite a while to feel just right.
It gets worse the better you are at riding & fettling.
My mistake is usually basing every change on the last ride rather than evaluating what's going on over a few rides.
Showing my ignorance now. Does "pop" mean intentionally compressing the suspension just before hitting something to then let the suspension rise back & pop you up in the air as you ride it rather than absorb it? I've read the term a lot recently.
yep thats how i understand it, i might also suppliment pop for bunny hop or j hop, basically using the bikes suspension to "Boost" off an object. also boot or prejump could come into this category ....
I think "Pump" is the correct term, though "pop" could be used, though it is pretty much weight loading and unloading. You unload your weight on the bike on the fronts of jumps, on the trail, even over a rock garden to help maintain speed and keep the front from bogging down or catching on a rock. Not necessarily a bunny hop but a bunny hop would be the most extreme end of unloading.
Loading the bike on the backs of jumps or a low spot in the trail helps to boost speed and traction, should be done leading into corners to give better traction and helps with flow on the trail.
Basically if you look at it, if the trail is undulating, you should be constantly loading and unloading with it to improve your ride. That is why they build pump tracks, so that you can practice your loading and unloading. You shouldn't need to pedal, and someone with a good understanding of pumping can increase their trail speed without the need to pedal harder.
what i meant was maybe a bit less willing to pop,on the reign i could use rocks or logs on a trail to lightly unweight my bike agianst, by lightly tapping the front and (or) rear wheel against i could gain sufficient "air" and forward momentum, and preloading the bike into jumps or holes in the trail i could do the same, given that the remedy is 1 ride old it will prob take quite a few rides to break in the suspension, it just feels a bit less willing to "pop", more of a wheels to the ground bike , rather than a "chuck me round the trail" type of bike the reign was,im not dissapointed with the remedy, it just needs a little more effort to play, cheers for the heads up radar...yeooooo