Trek’s speedy mountain bike X-Caliber is aimed at riders who want to have a go at cross country racing, with a view to progressing to the lighter carbon-framed Procaliber and Supercaliber. In this blog we’ll look at who it’s for and where it sits in Trek’s hardtail MTB line-up.
Who is Trek X-Caliber for?
Trek X-Caliber is an efficient and lightweight mountain bike for people who want to push the pace on singletrack. The hardtail frame means it’s for riders who want pedalling efficiency uphill and on the flats, and who enjoy fast and flowy descents without the kind of technical features that demand a full suspension rig and chunky tyres.
It’s not a millions miles away from Trek Marlin’s higher-end models in terms of its set-up, spec and price but its geometry and lower weight are more geared to racing. If you’d like to try out the XC racing scene in the South East, X-Caliber is a brilliant starter bike.
What are the specs?
Trek X-Caliber is available as the X-Caliber 8 and X-Caliber 9 models, both of which are currently available from Activ Cycles with up to 25% off. We’ll look at the key specs of the 9.
- Frame: Alpha Gold Aluminium
- Fork: RockShox Recon Gold RL air fork
- Tyres: Maxxis Ardent Race tubeless
- Rims: Bontrager Kovee double wall 29” (27.5” on XS and S frames)
- Gears: Shimano SLX 1×12
- Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
- Internal cable routing
- Dropper post
- Rack and kickstand mounts
Where does X-Caliber sit in Trek’s hardtail line-up?
Trek does a range of hardtail mountain bikes, including Roscoe, Marlin, X-Caliber and Procaliber. Roscoe is built for more rugged trails, owing to its longer travel suspension and fatter tyres. Marlin is an all-rounder which is happy going cross country, on gentler trails and riding around town.
X-Caliber and Procaliber are aimed at cross country racing, where routes are faster and less twisty than technical MTB trails. XC bikes are built for speed on the way uphill and back down again, with less knobbly tyres for faster rolling and narrower handlebars for more responsive turning.
The key difference between these two is that X-Caliber has an aluminium frame and Procaliber has an OCLV carbon frame, making it both lighter and more expensive. Although it’s not a hardtail, Trek Supercaliber is the next step up in XC bikes and it’s the bike Kish from our Ashford store rode to eighth place in the under-23 category of the British Cycling National Cross Country Championships on the weekend.
Our team’s verdict
Liam from our Folkestone store loves cross country and rides a Procaliber 9.8 He said: “X-Caliber is the ideal bike for a more competitive rider who’s looking to start racing in the southern cross country competitions, like the Bedgebury series in Kent or the Travers Series in Essex. It’s lighter than the Marlin and has more of a race geometry that puts you in a faster position and it’s more affordable than the Procaliber and Supercaliber, which you might upgrade to if you decide to take racing more seriously.”
Come and check out Trek X-Caliber in our Folkestone and Ashford stores, and ask our team for advice to help you choose the ride that’s right for you.
