Well it’s been one Season on the 2010 Trek Remedy and thought I would give you guys my thoughts. I started off with a mission to build up a true Do-It-All-Bike due to being low on funds in 2010. A lot of us saw some cuts due to the economy in 2009 and 2010. I thought it would be fun to build up this Week-In-Warrior bike. So I started off by talking to my local Trek Rep and took delivery on a 2010 Trek Remedy 7 in Feb of 2010. I choose this bike because I had a 2008 Remedy before and loved it. Once I took delivery of the bike, I knew it would need some upgrades to please my riding style and needs.
A little about me:
I have been racing DH/DS/4x on and off for over 13 years. I like a bike that gives some feedback from the trail. Most bikes that do this are Single Pivots as Virtual Pivots have a little more dead feel to them. I have raced on many different styles of Frame Designs over the years. I like a bike can provide a feeling between a normal Single Pivot and a Virtual Pivot. Treks ABP/Split Pivot provides that feeling. You can get good feedback from the trail without the problems you see that most Single Pivots have. You know, like pedal feedback, pedal bob, brake jack, and that hang up feeling when your floating through rock gardens. Most Virtual Pivots, don’t provide good feedback from the trail due to the way the track the trail. Now that is not a bad thing!!! I am just saying for me, I like that feeling between. Others may like the way a Single Pivot feels or a Virtual Pivot feels.
On to the bike build:
As I knew the stock build would not please me, I called up some of my great sponsors from the past for some help. What I was looking for was 160mm fork up front with adjustable travel to be able to handle the DH trails I like to ride here in the South. The trouble is the climb up, having a 160mm fork, makes it harder to climb the steep trails. The front tends to pull up. Well with the adjustable travel, you can drop the front down for the climb, then open the fork up for the DH runs. As for the rear suspension, Trek didn’t leave us many options with the new DVRC style Fox Rear shock. One thing I missed from my 2008 Remedy as I put a Fox DHX 5.0 coil on it and boy did it make that bike feel sick. Trek please bring back the normal shock mounts!!! Next was the drive train. I wanted set it up like I have setup most of all my bikes in the past. Single speed up front with a chain guide and 9 speed in the rear. Gearing was 32th up front and a 34/11 in the rear. The stock cranks were just you run of the mill low end mountain bike cranks. I wanted to upgrade them to something light but strong. From there the wheels were next. The All-Mt wheel set that came with the bike were just too light. I knew I was going to need something a little stronger and could fit at least a 2.35 tire for DH riding. I was happy with the stock Brakes, so I left them on. Now was the Seat and Controls. I put on a low rise wide bar with a short stem. For the seat and post the goal was to drop weight.
The Specs:
2011 Remedy 17.5 frame 150mm rear travel
2011 Rock Shox Lyrik 2-Step Air 115mm -160mm travel
2011 Fox RP3 DRVC Rear Shock
Avid Elixir 5’s 170mm
MRP Chamber Cranks 170mm
MRP 32th Chain Ring
MRP G2 Mini Chain Guide
Answer 30” Lower Rise Bars
Thomson 4x 50mm Stem
Sram Chain
X9 Rear Shifter
X9 Rear Derailleur
Sram 34/11 Cassette
Thomson Seat Post
WTB Seat
Azonic Outlaws
Crank Brothers Pedals
Tires, well depends on what I am riding that day, Sizes from 2.1” to 2.35”
Bike build weight:
30.20lbs with All-Mt Tires
31.5lbs with DH Tires
Geo:
66 HA
22.5" TT
45.5" WB
13.8" BB
Thoughts on performance:
I have done everything from 30 mile XC rides to Race DH on this bike over the past season. I can say this is a true Do-It-All bike build. Climbing with the Lyrik dropped down to 115mm really made it easier to climb than running it in 160mm mode. The Remedy itself climbs as well as any 4” travel bike I have owned or ridden. When I was at the top of the Mt. I just dropped down the seat and opened up the Lyrik to 160mm mode. There was a lot of front in flex with the stock 150mm Fox Float 32 on it when riding DH. After putting the Lyrik on it like what came stock on the earlier models, really provided the stiffness and plushness I was looking for from the font of the bike. The lyric is butter!!! I am 175lbs and I run about 55psi at all times with the High-Speed set half way and the Low-Speed all the way open. As for the Rear Suspension well I knew I had my work cut out for me to find the setup I wanted out of a Fox RP3 DRVC. I will say I never found that!!! Trek really messed the Remedy up by building it around the DRVC rear shock. Ended up leaving 145psi in the shock. You ether had it setup to stiff and the bike didn’t track as well as I wanted or you had the setup soft and blew through the travel to get traction. Being able to put a good Coil Shock on the bike really makes it way better!!! Too bad you can without modifying the frame some. The ABP/Split Pivot really helps out with braking. With only running 150mm in the rear I am shocked you don’t feel any brake jack. No feedback when standing and dropping down on the pedals when pushing it hard on the trail. One other thing I really like about this bike is it feels like you on rails when being aggressive in the turns. Here in the South trails are tight and being able to whip it around is a most to go fast here. You can do this on this bike!!! When I hit the slopes for the few DH races I did this year I was really shocked as I got faster on my runs throughout the day the bike held up really good. Yes, It was nowhere as nice as being on a full on DH rig and I couldn’t compete at the level I wanted to from being held back to the bikes limits. Well, this wasn’t what I built the bike up for. I will say for most racers looking for a Weekend Warrior Bike build this will be plenty and you will have a smile from ear to ear doing so. It has been a great bike and I will be sad letting it go as I will be riding for a different brand this coming season, but will recommend the Trek Remedy built up this way to anyone looking for a True Do-It-All bike that is a Weekend Warrior.
Cecil Linder
A little about me:
I have been racing DH/DS/4x on and off for over 13 years. I like a bike that gives some feedback from the trail. Most bikes that do this are Single Pivots as Virtual Pivots have a little more dead feel to them. I have raced on many different styles of Frame Designs over the years. I like a bike can provide a feeling between a normal Single Pivot and a Virtual Pivot. Treks ABP/Split Pivot provides that feeling. You can get good feedback from the trail without the problems you see that most Single Pivots have. You know, like pedal feedback, pedal bob, brake jack, and that hang up feeling when your floating through rock gardens. Most Virtual Pivots, don’t provide good feedback from the trail due to the way the track the trail. Now that is not a bad thing!!! I am just saying for me, I like that feeling between. Others may like the way a Single Pivot feels or a Virtual Pivot feels.
On to the bike build:
As I knew the stock build would not please me, I called up some of my great sponsors from the past for some help. What I was looking for was 160mm fork up front with adjustable travel to be able to handle the DH trails I like to ride here in the South. The trouble is the climb up, having a 160mm fork, makes it harder to climb the steep trails. The front tends to pull up. Well with the adjustable travel, you can drop the front down for the climb, then open the fork up for the DH runs. As for the rear suspension, Trek didn’t leave us many options with the new DVRC style Fox Rear shock. One thing I missed from my 2008 Remedy as I put a Fox DHX 5.0 coil on it and boy did it make that bike feel sick. Trek please bring back the normal shock mounts!!! Next was the drive train. I wanted set it up like I have setup most of all my bikes in the past. Single speed up front with a chain guide and 9 speed in the rear. Gearing was 32th up front and a 34/11 in the rear. The stock cranks were just you run of the mill low end mountain bike cranks. I wanted to upgrade them to something light but strong. From there the wheels were next. The All-Mt wheel set that came with the bike were just too light. I knew I was going to need something a little stronger and could fit at least a 2.35 tire for DH riding. I was happy with the stock Brakes, so I left them on. Now was the Seat and Controls. I put on a low rise wide bar with a short stem. For the seat and post the goal was to drop weight.
The Specs:
2011 Remedy 17.5 frame 150mm rear travel
2011 Rock Shox Lyrik 2-Step Air 115mm -160mm travel
2011 Fox RP3 DRVC Rear Shock
Avid Elixir 5’s 170mm
MRP Chamber Cranks 170mm
MRP 32th Chain Ring
MRP G2 Mini Chain Guide
Answer 30” Lower Rise Bars
Thomson 4x 50mm Stem
Sram Chain
X9 Rear Shifter
X9 Rear Derailleur
Sram 34/11 Cassette
Thomson Seat Post
WTB Seat
Azonic Outlaws
Crank Brothers Pedals
Tires, well depends on what I am riding that day, Sizes from 2.1” to 2.35”
Bike build weight:
30.20lbs with All-Mt Tires
31.5lbs with DH Tires
Geo:
66 HA
22.5" TT
45.5" WB
13.8" BB
Thoughts on performance:
I have done everything from 30 mile XC rides to Race DH on this bike over the past season. I can say this is a true Do-It-All bike build. Climbing with the Lyrik dropped down to 115mm really made it easier to climb than running it in 160mm mode. The Remedy itself climbs as well as any 4” travel bike I have owned or ridden. When I was at the top of the Mt. I just dropped down the seat and opened up the Lyrik to 160mm mode. There was a lot of front in flex with the stock 150mm Fox Float 32 on it when riding DH. After putting the Lyrik on it like what came stock on the earlier models, really provided the stiffness and plushness I was looking for from the font of the bike. The lyric is butter!!! I am 175lbs and I run about 55psi at all times with the High-Speed set half way and the Low-Speed all the way open. As for the Rear Suspension well I knew I had my work cut out for me to find the setup I wanted out of a Fox RP3 DRVC. I will say I never found that!!! Trek really messed the Remedy up by building it around the DRVC rear shock. Ended up leaving 145psi in the shock. You ether had it setup to stiff and the bike didn’t track as well as I wanted or you had the setup soft and blew through the travel to get traction. Being able to put a good Coil Shock on the bike really makes it way better!!! Too bad you can without modifying the frame some. The ABP/Split Pivot really helps out with braking. With only running 150mm in the rear I am shocked you don’t feel any brake jack. No feedback when standing and dropping down on the pedals when pushing it hard on the trail. One other thing I really like about this bike is it feels like you on rails when being aggressive in the turns. Here in the South trails are tight and being able to whip it around is a most to go fast here. You can do this on this bike!!! When I hit the slopes for the few DH races I did this year I was really shocked as I got faster on my runs throughout the day the bike held up really good. Yes, It was nowhere as nice as being on a full on DH rig and I couldn’t compete at the level I wanted to from being held back to the bikes limits. Well, this wasn’t what I built the bike up for. I will say for most racers looking for a Weekend Warrior Bike build this will be plenty and you will have a smile from ear to ear doing so. It has been a great bike and I will be sad letting it go as I will be riding for a different brand this coming season, but will recommend the Trek Remedy built up this way to anyone looking for a True Do-It-All bike that is a Weekend Warrior.
Cecil Linder
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