Trek Scratch Adj. Geo. -- Flip the Mino Link

Another cool feature of the Scratch platform is its adjustable geometry. The Mino Link is the rear-most link of the EVO rocker link. By turning its orientation, it's easy to customize the feel of your Scratch to your local terrain.

Slacker setting: 66.0° head angle + 14.175" bb height
Slack setting: 66.5° head angle + 14.480" bb height

Scratch Air 6 and Air 8 models are set from the factory with the "slack" setting, while the Scratch 7 and 9 are set at the "slacker" setting.

Check out this cool video to see how to make the adjustment yourself:

142x12 System Explained

After returning from the Trek Ultimate Ride: Moab where we introduced the Scratch and Remedy to the world, I'm reminded of how skeptical mountain bikers can be to new "standards" and ideas. Regarding the 142x12 system featured on the new Scratch platform, many riders ask, "Why?"

Here's why: It's Simpler.

142x12 is a system that allows easier and quicker rear wheel removal. It is not a stiffer design. It is currently being offered by Bontrager, DT Swiss and Syntace, and you'll most likely see it across many brands in the future.

Here's a simple video to help tell the story:

Now that you understand the system, you're probably asking, "why make a new hub? why not just use the shoulder from an existing 135 hub?" The answer is that you can't.

A 135mm hub uses its entire width for properly spacing out the cassette and disc rotor. If you took the required 7mm from the 135 system, there would be interference with the drivetrain and disc. So, that's how you end up with 142. 

Notes from the Dirt Pile: Cam's Front Flip

So I got this message from Cam McCaul the other day:

Got home yesterday morning at 5am from the epic road trip.  The last leg of the trip was Teva games and it was sweet!  On the way to Vail from Jersey, we stopped in PA to ride Woodward for a little bit and work on frontflips.  We went straight from the foam pit to Teva games- a nonstop 26 hour drive- and arrived a few days early to help build the course.  I filmed a ton of stuff and I'm working on a web vid from the whole trip. 

Long story short,  I dialed in frontflips at Woodward and sent a huge one in my final run at Teva.  I ended up in second place and I was stoked.  After 3 years working on the trick, it means more to me to finally land one in contest than to win the comp.

Of course, that prompted me to go take a look at my favorite webzine, Littermag.com. Cam's ridiculously smooth and perfect front flip starts at about 2:40, so go ahead and just fast forward there if that's all you want to see.

But then Gordo the photographer put together a ridiculous photo set. What I found there was phenomenal. Using my handy-dandy screen capture tool, I snagged the one shot that inspired me more than any other:

Wow. Can you even imagine what that feeling is like? I sure can't...

Cam's [other] New Movie

Way to go Cam! This time, he actually thought ahead and sent me a link to some fresh new video content.
This is Cam gapping Hood River for New World Disorder 9, which came out last fall.

Semenuk's Winning Rampage Run

Session 88 & Semenuk Rule Rampage

This is quite possibly Trek's biggest win in big-hit riding to date.

Even better than a World Cup win, even more phenomenal than a World Championship... The return of the RedBull Rampage has ushered in a new era of big mountain riders.

World, welcome Brandon Semenuk. His his epic, never-to-be-forgotten win at RedBull Rampage: the Evolution is a proud day for Trek Bicycles.

Video: Session Launch at Highland Mountain Bike Park

On May 25-28, 2008, Trek launched the all-new Session 88 at Highland Mountain Bike Park.

A group of 10 journalists accompanied Andrew Shandro, Cam McCaul and the entire Trek development team for 3 days of park riding bliss.

Experience it now.

Photo Gallery: Session Launch @ Highland

Memorial Day Weekend. Highland Mountain Bike Park. New Hampshire.

Pics by Sterling Lorence. Bikes by Trek. Fun had by all.

How low can you go?

It's not often we can show off bikes in this blog. So much of what we're working on are protos of "next year's bikes" or something secret we're not yet ready to let out of the bag.

Once in a while, there's something we can show off.

Vance McCaw (whoe works in the Product group) and Brady Schroedl (the engineer responsible for making the Session a reality) built this Session 88 up from "some parts laying around." Ok, maybe not laying around, but certainly stock parts we could easily get our hands on. Really, the only exotic part here is the RCS ti coil spring on the Fox DHX.

Here's the good part:

That, folks, is the full truth, no trickery, complete bike weight, with pedals, ready to fly. 32.56 lb. 14.77kg. Keep in mind, outside of shaving down the BB, this is a stock frame. There were no silly light bolts, nothing drilled out to within an inch of its life. Just good parts choices and the best full on DH frame going (ok, I had to throw that last part in - I do actually work here!)

Specs:

Session 88 frame, polished, size L (BB shaved down to 73 to use the XT cranks), Fox DHX 5.0 shock with 450 lb ti coil spring

Rock Shox Boxxer WC, Sunline direct mount stem

Bontrager Duster (Rhythm) 28mm wide rims, 32 hole, King Earl Hubs, Big Earl 2.5 Kevlar tires, Stans rear, tube front

XT cranks with MRP carbon chainguide, Crank Brothers Acid 2 pedals (steel)

King Earl alum bars (full width), King Earl alum seat post, silly light racer saddle

Avid Juicy 7's (203 F, 185 R), XO drive train, 11-26 9 speed cassette

I'm actually at a loss for what more we could say about this bike. Even I'm a little stunned we got it so light.

Throwin down for Tara

By now you've probably heard about Tara Llanes' accident. The ripper from out west experienced a crash like no other, which has given her a temporary disability. Unfortunately, the road to recovery is a long and expensive one, and it just began only 5 months ago.

Thankfully, the mountain biking and BMX community is coming together  to support her