Thanks to the excellent Trek customer service I’ve now got a 2011 Elite 9.9ssl instead of a broken 2009 one.

Weight comes in at 10.005KG with bar ends and bottle cage, not super light, but OK with XT bits and alloy 3t stem and bars.

Off for a shake down ride later on today.

Looks swift, nice one. I presume you race ?

Yes, I race the regional XC series as well as the national marathon (?) series, both in the UK equivalent of expert class

Only thing is 9.95kgs sounds so much lighter 😉 Get your credit card out.

Yeah agree, carbon cage maybe, and I could loose a CM off each side of the bars to reduce it a bit.

It wouldn’t take much to drop it a whole kilo to be honest, simply going XTR would do that, however that’s the cost of a pair of hand built wheels for the CX season. Oh decisions, decisions

What’s the concept behind having long seat tubes? Does it mean you can have a short seat post?

It a compromise to having the complete seatmast you’ll see on road bikes. I believe it allows the frame designer more control over the desired feel of the frame by eliminating an external factor like a seatpost. Yes its lighter however the supplied carbon seatpost is a normal 330mm length.

Official trek spiel:
Seatmast systems are lighter and offer an added level of compliance to a frame, allowing the rider more control and less fatigue. However, traditional seatmast systems require cutting the frame to achieve the perfect fit.

With our no-cut system, riders can get the performance advantage of a seatmast system with the versatility and adjustability of a traditional seatpost.

Nice!

A Freind wants to build a bike around that frame, he doesnt race (so not super fit / flexible etc) he just likes nice kit, main concern is comfort, do you intend to ride that for marathons? or is it an out and out ‘back-breaking’ 2 hour race machine? (which is what the limited reviews i have found suggest)

nice,

but 10kg?

where is the weight hiding?

10kg, was that with pedals too?

10kg is with everything, pedals, cage, bar ends.

9.9ssl frame size 19.5
2010 Reba race with remote lockout
American Classic tubeless wheelset with RR and NN tyres and normal tubes
Complete XT gears and brakes
3T alloy bars and stem

I race the Swedish “long race series” on it, not sure if that’s marathon or not. All races are between 80 and 110KM, so race time between 3 and half and 4 and half hours.

I find it very comfortable, especially with bar ends to give my hands a more relaxed feel.

nice!