Spy Shots! Trek 29er Downhill Mountain Bike Prototype

I ride’em!

Ohioguy: It’s a DH bike. I’m sure not many are sold in places with 2-dimensional terrain, like Ohio (lived there for 3 years). Nobody has bought this bike though, because it’s a prototype.

29ers make big obstacles much easier to handle, but are heavier. Seems perfect for a DH bike. The only reasons they haven’t caught on sooner is because 1) Necessary wheel strength/stiffness is more difficult, or costs a lot of weight 2) Long travel is difficult to work around big wheels..

If they can solve those, I think 29er DH bikes will really catch on.

Ya, you should post a bunch of stuff on $500 bikes because that is the really cool stuff! hmmmmm

@ohioguy – if you think statistics should drive content, Bike Rumor should be reporting on sub-2k hardtails because they are by far the most common MTB sold. Boring, eh?

Trek, as of late, makes THE DH bike. The Session is probably the most lauded rig.

I have one and an M9. The “10 Session is my fave. The geometry, suspension and ABP (ABP is friggin awesome).push it over, IMO.

look forward to a niner version.

Folks,
I guess I should have been more clear, in no way do I have issue with 29er’s.
it was more about the size of the suspension and what is the market for these large travel bikes?
You are correct Adam, there is no terrain here, but for real, who wants to pedal a 40 lb bike around? period. I can get one of those at target.
Do these 8″ travel bikes make up what? 3 percent of sales for the manufacture?
or 10 percent?
They are almost very downhill specific and unless you live near a ski resort with a track, or have red bull as a sponsor, I am not really seeing the market?

Gravity takes care of the 40 lbs… you don’t pedal it much on uphill or even flat.

You have to go to Tahoe, Whistler, etc. to see how large this segment has become.

All that said, this is an ugly bike to me. the shock placement just looks cluttered and too high. That frame looks like it needs the fox/scott/cannondale pull shock.

As the owner of both 26″ and 29er mtn bikes I can say one of the big deterrents to freeride/DH on 29er is the height of the wheels making the bike harder to deal with. Much like dirt jumping on a BMX being way easier because the bike has more clearance and maneuverability. Trying to pick and choose lines through rocks or adjust in the air is more cumbersome the bigger the wheels you have. Granted this all relative to your size, if your 6’6″ that is not as big of a deal. But there is not getting around the fact that the smaller the bike is the more you can toss it around.

Also rotational weight is an issue in DH as you often have to brake and then accelerate repeatedly in a race. And for those of you who think weight doesn’t matter in DH, you haven’t been paying attention.

I will say I think the bike world should look to motocross, as they have been doing mix match wheels forever and it makes a ton of sense when you are trying to fit wheel travel into the equation.

who buys these bikes? ever gone to whistler on crankworks weekend or visited pinkbike?

Plenty of gravity riding to be had in ohio…don’t have to go all the way to crankworks to see it

Hmmm…Looks like a Lenzsport PBJ to me, actually looks like they changed the design a little..but not much! I Still go with Lenzsport!!!!