A DH/FR/dirt bike (with rider) in a wind tunnel is about as artificial as it gets.no one rides like that (road bikes with a rider in a tuck position is a different question). Sorry, but the wind tunnel testing is a massive red herring IMHO. Having spent time on older Sessions, I can confidently say that there is quite a difference in this regard between the two. The result is a shock tune that noticeably lessens that harsh spike when hits come fast and hard when the bike is already deep into its travel. The 2011 88 seemed to deal especially well in the situations, which isn't surprising considering that both Fox and Trek's ACG spent a year and a half working to remedy this issue. The next few hits come hard and fast and the average bike would be very susceptible to getting knocked off line or at least passing a harsh feeling through to the rider. Picture coming into a boulder strewn section of trail of substantial length, with that first big hit using up much of the bike's travel. The Fox shock was also noticeably more forgiving when already deep into its travel as well. Despite the forgiving early stroke, I didn't feel that under damped sensation that you'd expect to be associated with it. But this is where Jose's and Fox's know how comes into play. After a few break-in runs on the bike it was very clear that the rear wheel was more eager to enter the first parts of its travel than the previous bike. It is one thing for someone to tell you the changes and that you're sure to notice them, but it is an entirely different thing when they are this noticeable. The trails at Brian Head are littered with rock debris and there is nary a smooth bit to be found, which made the improved sensitivity of the rear end very evident. To be clear, I was pleased with how last years bike performed and didn't expect a drastic improvement over that bike's performance in this regard, but the Fox shock's action on the is substantially different from 2010 and earlier. If I was happy that Trek didn't muck about with the 88's geometry, I was even more stoked about what was done inside the Fox DHX RC4 damper that is bolted to the bike.
The angles remain the same as previous years which results in a bike that is easy to move around when the time demands, but also happy to be straight lined through the worst a trail has to offer.
2010 trek session 88 free#
I have always been a fan of 88's quirk free personality, something that not a lot of DH bikes can brag about. Those who are already familiar with the bike's neutral handling will be pleased to find that this hasn't changed. Jumping on a new bike and riding hard on very foreign trails is always a challenge when trying to get a feel for any new bike, but I found the 88 to be a confidence inspiring machine. So how did the bike ride? I was very impressed, especially considering the demanding and unfamiliar terrain. Can a bike be considered hot? Apparently so. You'd be mistaken if you thought that the bike has a matte gray finish to it, it's actually bare brushed aluminum with red and white highlights and finished off with a protective clear-coat. All the new frame and shock changes are great, but I know some of you are still staring at the new bike's graphics instead of reading these words. That's all well and good, but you tech heads out there may be most interested in the very special tuning that has been done to the Fox DHX RC4's insides, which you can read and hear more about down below.
Trek has employed a brand new large diameter downtube that has a much taller (and more aerodynamic) cross section, a lighter toptube and seattube, new box section stays that give added tire clearance, and even some very clean looking integrated fork bumpers. While the 88's lines look very similar to previous year's offerings, there are many big changes that have been made in the name of all out speed and control. Do bikes get any more stunning than this looker? This is Trek's 2011 Session 88, a machine that apparently has no qualms about both looking great and being fast as hell.
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