2023 Trek

Slash 7 Gen 5

How did the Trek Slash 9.8 XT fare against the competition in our big 2024 enduro comparison test? Read the full review to find out!

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With 170mm travel and a complex high pivot layout with upper idler wheel and lower guide, Trek’s new Slash prioritizes bump swallowing and DH capability without sacrificing the ability to be a sorted enduro all-rounder

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With high-pivot suspension, mullet wheels and multi-adjustable frame, the latest Trek Slash is about as modern a bike as you’ll find in 2024. It’s more than just trendy though, this sixth incarnation of the famous enduro sled uses tech borrowed from Trek’s Session DH bike to take on enduro terrain, meaning it should come alive when the trail points down. Trek’s long travel enduro bike has been around for over a decade and always been closely related to the Session, but this latest iteration is the most radical yet and even more DH-optimised. The new model gets more travel and now boasts 170mm travel at both ends, which should stand it in good stead against the best enduro bikes on the market.  Trek Slash need to know Trek Slash Gen 6 switches to a high-pivot suspension design with upper chain idler and lower guide 170mm RockShox Ultimate suspension with Zeb fork and Vivid Air shock Full carbon frame with downtube storage and multi-adjustability SRAM electronics including T-Type transmission and Reverb AXS Mullet wheels with own brand carbon rims and Bontrager tyres Trek’s DH DNA The burlier outlook, extra complexity and additional 10mm of travel bring with it extra heft, which is presumably why Trek still offers the Gen 5 Slash with 29in wheels as a more traditional enduro bike, one that’s lighter and simpler. However embedded Trek’s DH DNA is though, to be an effective enduro bike the new Slash still has to pedal and climb efficiently and cope with longer rides. The brand’s engineers have built that capability into the suspension and geometry, and also squeezed in a downtube lunchbox for spares and a BITS steerer tube tool to keep you going, if slashing turns turns into crashing berms. Typically for one of the bigger bike brands, there is a huge range of models and frames. It comes in full carbon fibre, like this blinged-out 9.9 version that’s the best part of ten grand, as well as multiple aluminium frames starting at the much more affordable price of just over 4k. Trek’s high pivot idler design While the Slash has changed year on year, each generation has proven itself to roll smoothly and possess good tracking under braking. In fact, that’s my impression of a lot of the brand’s bikes, including the Trek Fuel EX, which easily earns its place as one of the best trail bikes around. So the big question: why has Trek bothered adding the extra complexity and drivetrain complications of a high-pivot suspension design and idler, when the Slash rolls so well anyway? Simple really, the brand was after the rearward axle path engineers covet so badly, which lets the back wheel can move in the same direction as impact forces while riding along. In theory, this translates to more momentum in rough terrain, fewer hook-ups on square-edged hits and a bike that holds pace and stabilises the rider better in the roughest terrain. With the new Slash having the upper idler mounted to the …Continue reading »

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