When we first saw news from Trek around this new Thru Shaft we had next to no idea what they were banging on about, what is a Thru Shaft and what does it do? We had to see a moving image of the shock for us to grasp the concept,
For the full story, video and technical details on the new shock, dive in deeper right here – All the details.
Long story short, by replacing the classic internal floating piston design with a thru-shaft design, there is claims of reduced friction in the whole system. RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft is the latest development from the brand’s partnership with Penske Racing Shocks, while not unseen in the suspension world before it’s new to mountain bikes.
RE:aktiv with Thru Shaft is available on select Trek trail bikes, including Slash 9.8, Slash 9.7, Remedy 9.8, Remedy 9.8 Women’s, Fuel EX 9.9.
Enough about the shock, what else is new for 2018?
Plenty to get excited about with the new Remedy 9.8, especially as we had the 2016 model on long term test, and got to know it intimately. The 2018 model is even burlier with its spec and uses more SRAM across the board. The new model has also dropped in price, down $300 to $6499, that’s a bonus for sure.
Read more about the frame’s features like their massive down tube, Knock Block headset and more in our 2017 Remedy review here.
While the frame remains the same, spec highlights for us, include the shift from a Shimano XT drivetrain with a double chainring to a SRAM Eagle GX 12-speed single-ring drivetrain, though we’d traditionally prefer Shimano XT brakes over the Guide RS. The fork jumps from a RockShox Pike up to the Lyrik which uses a more robust chassis and feels more like a single crown downhill fork than a trail bike fork, a super impressive fork indeed.
Other highlights include seriously meaty tyres from Bontrager on their new Line wheels, and the 35mm clamp bar and stem for even more of an aggressive appearance up the front.
Full review to follow shortly, it’s time to shred this thing!