News came from Trek World Racing earlier this week that team rider George Brannigan won the New Zealand national downhill title while riding a 27.5in prototype Session this past weekend in Rotorua.
Brannigan and teammate Brook MacDonald took possession of their prototype Sessions a few days before Nationals. They had the option to ride their team-issue 26in Session, but they both chose the 27.5.
“I felt comfortable on this bike from the beginning. It’s crazy the difference to the 26, as a race bike. It’s a lot faster for sure! I’m really looking forward to racing it on the World Cup this year,” said MacDonald
Brannigan spent most of 2013 recovering from knee surgery, but added, “It’s good to win that race and show the new bike is where it’s at! I have put in a huge amount of work to get back. So this makes me so happy.”
We contacted Trek world headquarters about the production status of the ‘Session 650B’. While Trek World Racing athletes are racing the new bikes, and Trek staff are evaluating them, there are no solid plans to put the 27.5in wheeled bike into production just yet.
Travis Ott, Trek mountain bike brand manager, told us, “I can confidently say that there will be a 26in Session next year, but there is room to create more distinction between a 26in DH rig and a [27.5in] DH rig. There has to be a more satisfying reason to buy a different bike than just a slightly bigger wheel.”
But Trek is definitely investing in the 27.5in concept.
Ott adds, “It’s important to note that the (27.5in) Session that Trek World Racing is riding was a ground up redesign. Updated geometry, tube shapes, suspension kinematics. It’s a new bike, not just a stretched out Session with slightly bigger wheels.”
Ott goes on to say that Trek is still 100% supporting 26in Sessions on dealer floors, and that the company is strongly committed to the 26in platform in the gravity category.
Until Trek officially puts the 27.5in Session into production, we’ll have to settle with watching the Trek World Racing pros have all the fun riding the prototypes.
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So that’s a 27.5 one, NOT a 650B one. Right?
Brand new, bike, with latest geo, tech, components and some pretty dam fast riders goes faster than old bike shocka! And it’s even got slightly larger wheels……… 😉
@Legend…never ridden one, have we.
Garage full of 26″ wheels, tires, etc…thinking they’re worthless, right? It’ll be ok…
Do you think the top teams would be going that way if it was slower? DH is like F1…it is so tight at the top end of the sport, any and all advantages are used.
The Haterz will come up with some excuse
Ah, from the above it’s started already I see 🙂
http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2014/01/beautiful-bicycle-benedicts-trek-970-650b-shred-sled/#1
Nowt New
If DH was like F1 they’d wear skinsuits, not pajamas
“If DH was like F1 they’d wear skinsuits, not pajamas”
That’s like saying “If F1 was like DH they wouldn’t have plywood strapped to the bottom of the cars”
Do you really think that F1 cars would look the way they do, if the rules were removed. Really heavily regulated.
They did used to wear skin suits but they are banned by the UCI now.