Andrew Fiore, our Downtown service manager, and a group of fellow Downtown staffers had the opportunity to test ride the newest mountain bike offerings from Trek and Gary Fisher on real trails instead of just around the block. We asked him to give us an idea of what the demo day was like and this is what he wrote:

It’s around this time every year when bicycle manufacturers finish releasing their newest line of bikes and make them available to the public. It should come as no surprise then that around this same time bike shop employees are given the opportunity to take out some of these new releases and get an idea of what the upcoming year has to offer. Bicycle manufacturer powerhouse Trek is no different and this past weekend Bike Gallery staff members were set free in the Tillamook forest aboard some of Trek and Gary Fisher’s latest off-road creations to put them through the ringer and see how they fared. This is only one of the very cool perks of working in a bike shop, and I for one was certainly looking forward to tearing up some trail on some super nice bikes. This type of on-bike experience is also one of the best ways to let our customers know how these bikes ride, allowing the Bike Gallery staff to offer “best in class” information regarding how the bikes handle in different situations. We would be riding at the Brown’s Camp trail network which I think is an ideal spot to test the merit of these bikes in true Northwest trail conditions. .
Well, as Sunday morning arrived - demo day - so did the rain. In your formative years your dad may have said something profound (in his mind) and as you would realize years later, cliche: something to the affect of “nothing is free” or “anything worth having is worth working for.” It turns out that dad was right on this Sunday and we would, indeed, have to “pay to play” (I’m sticking with cliche; it worked for dad). As we drove west towards Tillamook it didn’t take long to notice the snow on the hills in the distance. It took even less time to realize that those hills is where we were headed. As we closed in on Brown’s Camp snow fell from the sky and we geared up in our cold weather gear topped with our rain gear (payment for a day full of riding?). Immediately upon entering the parking lot of Brown’s Camp we noticed that the Trek Demo trailer, a 20 plus foot trailer packed to the gills with 2010 road and mt. bikes, was nowhere to be seen. Hmmm, that’s odd. Where could Dax (the northwest demo rep for trek) and his trailer of goodies be? Sure would be nice to have cell phone coverage out here…

So, to make a long story short, after forty minutes of searching the maze of access roads in and around the Brown’s Camp area (more payment?), as well as changing an unfortunate flat on the car (which is a story in itself-even more payment?) we finally descended upon Dax and his toys. With the unexpected “pay to play” aspect of the day behind us it was time to actually work and when I say work, I mean play! Although snow and rain are not necessarily ideal riding conditions, they are ideal demo conditions, especially in the Northwest. Around these parts we spend about eight months a year in the rain and mud so it makes sense that we would test bikes in these same conditions and really see how these bikes would handle the extremely harsh conditions of our little corner of the country.

We gave ourselves two trail options off of the main access road: taking a right onto some single track lead us into a short smooth climb followed by a quick, twisting descent followed by a long rooty climb. Increasing the difficulty of this second climb was the addition of a literal river running down the middle of the trail do to all the rain fall and snow melt. After climbing this section of roots we would spin a 180 and do the trail in reverse offering us a wet and slippery descent, a quick climb and a final descent back to the main access road. The other option was to take a left off the access road onto a flowy, relatively groomed downhill, winding down to the river with one short, steep climb in the middle. Both trails offered some good technical riding, descents and climbs giving us a pretty good testing ground. Now, without further ado let us get to the bikes!

For 2010 Trek and Gary Fisher have, to an extent, joined forces by taking some of the best technologies from each company and utilizing them in both manufacturers lines resulting in some of the best handling and most versatile line of bikes I have ever ridden. Think ABP (Trek’s ‘active braking pivot’), think E2 (Trek’s tapered headtube), think DRCV(Gary Fisher/Fox Racing Shox collaboration rear shock technology) to name a few technologies found on both companies line of mountain bikes. These designs have lead to bikes that are laterally stiff front and rear, accelerate with gusto, climb with grace and efficiency and descend with confidence and stability. What does all that mean to the rider? In one word: FUN!
The first bike I rode was Trek’s newest addition to their off-road line: Scratch. Scratch is Trek’s freeride, dual-slalom, dirt-jump, pump-track, super-D point and shoot bike. Basically a downhill bike on a diet Scratch is designed to allow riders to attack the downhill but not have to rely on a chair-lift to get back to the top. I was amazed at its pedaling ability considering the amount of travel front and rear as well as the geometry, which is perfect for what it is designed for. With a super short top tube and what felt like a matching wheel base the Scratch was incredibly maneuverable, held its turns in the wet and climbed! In fact, it is the only bike I was able to climb a tough section on with-out having to get off and push. The Scratch I rode was also set up with a stunning color-way thanks to Sram’s color options, which matched some anodized shifter and derailleur parts with the frame’s decal kit. It makes for a very eye-catching bike. If Hood River’s Post Canyon trail network and Black Rock are some of your favorite trails then this may be the bike for you.

The next bike I got on was Trek’s Fuel EX 9.9. This is Trek’s full carbon trail bike that is outfitted with Fox’s DRCV rear shock for 2010. This rear shock has been discussed at length (go ahead, google it) and changes this bikes small bump compliance and climbing prowess. This bike has been a favorite among Bike Gallery staff and the biggest difference I noticed from previous years is its acceleration and responsiveness when climbing out of the saddle. Most of which I attribute to the new rear shock, but I am sure that the full carbon frame doesn’t hurt either. Up, down all around this bike leaves little to be desired and it is my belief that for the majority of the trails in our area this bike borders on perfection. However I can’t deny that many people currently have a desire for more suspension as longer travel bikes become more efficient climbers. Enter Trek’s Remedy.

The Remedy 9.9 is by and far the most impressive bike available in Trek’s line and left the majority of test riders licking their chops and trying to figure out how to save money for their own. This bike takes the climbing ability of a cross-country bike and combines it with the descending ability of a freeride bike creating the most versatile and fun bike I have ridden in recent memory. Add a Fox TALAS suspension fork with QR15 axle to the front, a Joplin adjustable height seat post and a full carbon frame with “carbon armor” (google that too) and you have one bike that can do absolutely anything outside of the pro level cross-country and downhill events. Stiff, light, adjustable, efficient up, rippin down? check, check, check, check and check! If the Fuel EX borders on perfection, the Remedy steps over that border and re-defines perfect. Sure, this is just my opinion, but bottom-line is this bike is worth a test ride.

Four hours of biking in a river left me soaked to the bone, but also left me with an ear to ear smile that I could not wipe off my face. Every bike I rode was an absolute pleasure and was well worth the minor challenges we had to face to make this demo happen. Sure, as dad said “anything worth having is worth working for”, or something like that, and Trek’s line of mountain bikes for 2010 is well worth working for. Get on one!