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more pics of the 2008 Trek Session 88 DH, I was completley blown away

GPERKINS

Monkey
Jul 25, 2007
303
0
Timberlake
I was looking through the King of the mountain blog and saw a post of the new Trek Session 88 DH. and I was completely blown away when I saw it, and then saw the weight. I'm pretty impressed


quote from Trek:

Vance McCaw (who 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.
 

-C-

Monkey
May 27, 2007
296
10
Repost?

Weight is nothing special, considering its got an All Mountain wheelset & single ply tyres.

Plenty of bikes on here would rival that.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Tires and the Acid pedals are a laugher. Rest is realistic. Even the wheels considering most of you scrawny bean poles on here are 150lbs after a trip to the toilet!


But you're running a 450lb spring? How big are you?
 

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
Tires and the Acid pedals are a laugher. Rest is realistic. Even the wheels considering most of you scrawny bean poles on here are 150lbs after a trip to the toilet!

Hence the reason I try not to poop on race day. The added weight is worth all the extra farting ;)
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
not many frames in that weight ballpark. apparently 7lbs w/o shock (so ~9lbs with shock & steel coil). what else comes close (apart from a socom)?

sweet bike.
i'm fairly sure morewood, sunn, divinci, orange all have bikes in that range. Jedi's are a lb heavier, so not too bad. Theres bikes out there.

cool bike, this is a repost but whatever.

frame price was ridiculous (4000 with DHX 5 in US) but trek came to their senses and lowered it. Still ridiculously expensive (3200) but not quite so bad now given price hikes.
 

-C-

Monkey
May 27, 2007
296
10
I was going to say, the new Morwood frame is meant to be within 0.5lb as is the Radical, the 224 was rumoured to be a similar weight but is about 9lbs without shock.

My point was you could substitute that frame for any one of 3 or 4 others & market it as a 'super light 32lb DH bike', which in reality its not is it? Its a DH bike with an AM wheelset & tyres on it.

Throw a proper wheelset & proper tyres on it & see where it comes out. My guess is between 3 & 4lbs heavier. It would still be a great lightweight bike, and a move in the right direction from the tank that was the Session 10.
 

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
still, if the listed weight is correct, a frame thats 1.5lbs lighter than a 224 that's available at your local trek dealer is like, totally rad (regardless of parts spec). it makes sense that the big manufacturers would have the engineering & manufacturing clout to build something ridiculously light AND durable. hope this is an indication of trends to come. now if they start to implement some of their considerable composite knowledge, we could be seeing some really neat stuff in the future.
 

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
doesn't that bike have a 150mm rear end? wouldn't a 73BB + 150mm rear end throw your chainline off?

also strange to see them using tubeless on the back and tube on the front...I run the opposite so I can get better traction with the front wheel yet don't burp the rear.

still a nice bike...
 

-C-

Monkey
May 27, 2007
296
10
Definately, contrary to how it sounds in my posts above, i'm actually all for lighter bikes personally so other manufacturers coming to the table with lightweight frames (I think anything sub 10lbs with shock is good going) is a great move.

Some will always prefer heavier bikes, but not all of us do, now there are starting to be a few options out there, which is a good thing! :)
 

GPERKINS

Monkey
Jul 25, 2007
303
0
Timberlake
I was thinking the same thing with the wheels being AM. Throw a pir of Industry nine hubs and spokes with a mavic 823 rim or what ever there downhill rim is called it will be a little heavier. But, it is a huge improvment over there plow bike the session 10. But there is no way in hell I'm paying that much for a frame when I can buy a morewood that is hand built. But still sick
 
Jun 10, 2008
14
0
Minnesota
I was one of those people who thought that trek just would never get the mountain bike industry like they get the road racing industry. If they keep turning out bikes like the session 88 I will be proved wrong. That bike looks awesome
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Anybody besides me scratch their heads when it comes to Trek and DH? I'm not saying this bike won't be great b/c it certainly looks like 10 years later, they made a real DH bike after boatloads of tries....but usually they find a way to screw up what should be a simple thing.

Like, oh....price!!! Anybody remember the Trek DH with those machined rear drop outs and the custom idler pulley that was just a single pivot, but b/c they went so insanely one off with the dropouts and machined custom bits, it was more expensive than most cars.

Then the hype of the Session 10 and all the incredible metal fabrication, suspension testing and data acquisition...only to unveil a tank of a bike with a rear shock no one trusted and geometry fit for a giant?

Oh wait, then there was the ....ah heck...the list is too long.

Basicly, why is it everyone else can make a DH bike that is reasonably priced except Trek? Hell, hire me. I can get that bike out to the public at a price point that would be dirt cheap compared to every other company there is. I could make it the Yakuza of the bike world. My god man. They've got their own house brand wheels, stems, bars, etc made in foreign countries.

Is it too much to ask to make that bike in a $3200.00 retail priced, 40lb version that you could buy and just freaking ride until the colors fade like a moto???
 

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
Is it too much to ask to make that bike in a $3200.00 retail priced, 40lb version that you could buy and just freaking ride until the colors fade like a moto???
my kumicho r is in the process of doing that, but for even cheaper.

I think the main problem is that DH is such a small niche in a sport that is already a niche sport. To me it doesn't make sense to crank out a bunch of cheaper bikes with a lower profit margin since you're already not going to be selling very many. There's just not enough people who ride dh to create that kind of demand, look how long it's taken performance to sell off their Kumicho stock for example.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
my kumicho r is in the process of doing that, but for even cheaper.

I think the main problem is that DH is such a small niche in a sport that is already a niche sport. To me it doesn't make sense to crank out a bunch of cheaper bikes with a lower profit margin since you're already not going to be selling very many. There's just not enough people who ride dh to create that kind of demand, look how long it's taken performance to sell off their Kumicho stock for example.
Ever occur to you that one of the key reasons DH is a niche sport because we ride $6000.00 motorcycles sans engine? Think you'd see the ski resorts as crowded as they are on Thursday college night if skis cost $1500.00?
 

Jimmy_Pop

Turbo Monkey
Mar 1, 2002
2,030
0
Phoenix, Az USA
the bike looks kinda funny. maybe cause the seat is pushed forward and just about any stem looks like a 110mm XC on a boxxer fork.

I dunno, there is just something funny looking about that bike. like a DH TRIALS bike. like something Hans Ray would spec.
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
110mm stem? That looks like a Straight Line stem or something like that.

Any way I think the bike looks great and a killer weight. It would be really interesting to ride something that light.
 

Tootrikky

Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
772
0
Mount Vernon
Ever occur to you that one of the key reasons DH is a niche sport because we ride $6000.00 motorcycles sans engine? Think you'd see the ski resorts as crowded as they are on Thursday college night if skis cost $1500.00?
Uh been to a ski shop lately?

You think Trek should change the branding they have established over the yrs from high end Tour De France winning no cost spared, to value/bang for the buck? Seems like you are venting about the industry in general.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Uh been to a ski shop lately?

You think Trek should change the branding they have established over the yrs from high end Tour De France winning no cost spared, to value/bang for the buck? Seems like you are venting about the industry in general.
ummm...my first ever mountain bike was a trek..a whopping 300.00. And I'm pretty sure if you walk in a Trek dealer right now, you can still buy a $300.00 Trek now, only the brakes work, it will have suspension and the bars won't snap off in a crash. :rofl:

I'm lamenting the fact that someone as big as Trek with their buying power & supply chain has boneheaded DH for 10+ years now by coming out with ultra expensive turds that no one could afford. Whereas they could have produced a complete DH bike for around $2500-$3000 for those 10 years and given people with a less than stellar budget a shot at this sport. And DH might be a lot more popular than it is. Simple. :D
 

Tootrikky

Monkey
Jul 31, 2003
772
0
Mount Vernon
ummm...my first ever mountain bike was a trek..a whopping 300.00. And I'm pretty sure if you walk in a Trek dealer right now, you can still buy a $300.00 Trek now, only the brakes work, it will have suspension and the bars won't snap off in a crash. :rofl:

I'm lamenting the fact that someone as big as Trek with their buying power & supply chain has boneheaded DH for 10+ years now by coming out with ultra expensive turds that no one could afford. Whereas they could have produced a complete DH bike for around $2500-$3000 for those 10 years and given people with a less than stellar budget a shot at this sport. And DH might be a lot more popular than it is. Simple. :D
I am guessing that Trek uses their high end Madone's/Session's more as a marketing tool then bread winners in order sell those high margin $300 bikes.

Call me jaded but it's kind of lame imo that severalof the big companies that could of saved DH racing instead completely abanded it, and now are jumping back on the bandwagon.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I am guessing that Trek uses their high end Madone's/Session's more as a marketing tool then bread winners in order sell those high margin $300 bikes.

Call me jaded but it's kind of lame imo that severalof the big companies that could of saved DH racing instead completely abanded it, and now are jumping back on the bandwagon.
why...whatever company could you mean?:brows:
 

karpi

Monkey
Apr 17, 2006
904
0
Santiasco, Chile
Maybe you guys are right, I remeber the old ironhorse sgs, the 02 and 03 versions were crap, but were cheap, had boxxers, hayes, etc. The started to improve little by little, when they got the sunday, the elite model (not world cup) was actually quite affordable and very well specked. It was a new tecnology and not that many people seemed to dig it. Slowly everyone heard about it, rode it, and boom the 06 model came about... and surprise! the price had gone up! If we look at treks frame record... they have made good frames, with some nice welding and materials etc, but apparently they never took off, no that many trek DH bikes are seen around... why? Hi price? It's most likely one of the reasons. I believe Trek should lower the price abit more, get everyone riding the bike, talking about the bike, talking about trek, and then see if next season the top the thing abit more.... just my 2 cents
 

klunky

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2003
1,078
6
Scotland
Is it too much to ask to make that bike in a $3200.00 retail priced, 40lb version that you could buy and just freaking ride until the colors fade like a moto???


UK pricing is competative. Session 8 frames and bikes are cheaper than Intense/Sunday/Turner V-10 etc. Not by much but cheaper all the same and a frame that is built in the USA with a lifetime warranty with dealership back up. I imagine spare parts that will always be instock etc.

Seems like a great deal to me!
 

Pslide

Turbo Monkey
UK pricing is competative. Session 8 frames and bikes are cheaper than Intense/Sunday/Turner V-10 etc. Not by much but cheaper all the same and a frame that is built in the USA with a lifetime warranty with dealership back up. I imagine spare parts that will always be instock etc.

Seems like a great deal to me!
Ding ding ding! :lighten: Made in USA + low volume = $$$
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
UGGGGG. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why do we need 60+ frame mfg's each making tiny tiny production runs at super high cost, when there are 5 or so moto mfg's making dirt bikes on a much larger scale for less than DH bikes?
 

Stray_cat

Monkey
Nov 13, 2007
460
0
Providence
UGGGGG. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why do we need 60+ frame mfg's each making tiny tiny production runs at super high cost, when there are 5 or so moto mfg's making dirt bikes on a much larger scale for less than DH bikes?
Are you saying the bike industry should get together and decide who and who cannot produce DH bikes, for the greater good? Sounds like communism.

If the market will bear the cost, than you will continue to see prices rise.
 

MDJ

Monkey
Dec 15, 2005
669
0
San Jose, CA
UGGGGG. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why do we need 60+ frame mfg's each making tiny tiny production runs at super high cost, when there are 5 or so moto mfg's making dirt bikes on a much larger scale for less than DH bikes?
This is a normal business cycle for a relatively new industry. When (if) the DH market gets big enough, consolidation will occur and prices will come down. Until then, everyone with a welder can build and sell a bike. The technology isn't that difficult either and barriers to entry are low. There a bunch of other business school BS explanations that I don't feel like getting into.
 

SylentK

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2004
2,287
854
coloRADo
Is it just me or is $2999 (suggested)/$3299 (advertised) for a frame a little high?

What else is that expensive? A 303? M6?
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
This is a normal business cycle for a relatively new industry. When (if) the DH market gets big enough, consolidation will occur and prices will come down. Until then, everyone with a welder can build and sell a bike. The technology isn't that difficult either and barriers to entry are low. There a bunch of other business school BS explanations that I don't feel like getting into.
I know, its already happening with dorell buying up GT mongoose schwinn and c-dale now. Just a few years now and hopefully we'll see all these boutique companies out of business. Yes I said that. Hopefully companies that make ridiculously small batches like yeti etc. will be gone and mass production will be in.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Are you saying the bike industry should get together and decide who and who cannot produce DH bikes, for the greater good? Sounds like communism.

If the market will bear the cost, than you will continue to see prices rise.
No, I didn't say that at all. Isnt easy to criticize people and draw unwarranted conclusions? I'm suggesting that the stronger/bigger companies begin to swallow up the smaller ones, or at least ramp up production enough to lower their prices to drive them out of business.