Do any of you have any experience with the Trek Procaliber*?

* The one with the IsoSpeed decoupler

As above.

I need a mass clear out and consolidation and I keep coming back to a build based around the Trek Procaliber.

Keen to get thoughts good, neutral and bad on them.

I think the main question about this bike is whether the Isospeed decoupler makes a noticeable difference or if its a gimmick? If its a gimmick, there are several similar XC race bikes in the price range which have a better spec, are lighter etc.

I looked into this and found really conflicting accounts both anecdotally from owners and from professional bike reviewers. There were a bunch of people saying Isospeed is great and comfortable, while others saying they couldn’t notice it. One reviewer seemed to have done more work testing it than others, and said it basically felt equivalent to reducing your tire pressure by 0.2-0.3 psi IIRC.

It’s a nice looking bike but the proprietary nature of the Isospeed and the knock block puts me off. It looks like the newer version gets rid of these and makes several other changes too. If the Isospeed is really that great, why have Trek removed it and replaced it with an “Isobow” technology on the new version?

I did give the Procaliber and the Xcaliber a test ride and I didn’t notice much difference so I went for the cheaper and less proprietary Xcaliber. But I’m very far from a racer, and a complete novice to MTB at the time so wouldn’t be able to detect marginal differences.

Thank you HR.

I was working on the basis that the amount of flex is somewhere between a soft tail and a hardtail.

I wasn’t aware/I’d not clocked its been dropped. Will do some further Googling.

If the Isospeed is really that great, why have Trek removed it and replaced it with an “Isobow” technology on the new version?

I would say as much marketing and ability to sell more bikes ‘because better’ as any significant improvement.

Although reading about it the other day, it is simpler and lighter apparently.

Got the isospeed decoupler on my Domane and love it.  Really comfortable.

Been wanting to get a procaliber for most of ten years as a consequence, but never did.

I’ve got a Procaliber, had it for a couple of years and done about 3000-4000km on it. Absolutely love the frame – in my opinion the iso thingy really works and takes loads of trail buzz away. I can feel it working. Have upgraded the seatpost to carbon(and the bars). I generally ride south downs and Dutch singletrack so nothing gnarly but bumpy and longer rides – say 50-75km sometimes further. Knock block is not as bad as people make out and allows a straight downtube. All in all I’m very happy with it and for a sub 2k bike it rides well – mine was a 9.6 and the only disappointment was the Recon fork which is rubbish.

I’ve got the newer 9.6 released early this year. Still has the isospeed tbh I can’t feel it but that’s the point? Less fatigue maybe. I got mine to replace the gravel bike which tbh I never got on with.

Use the procal for work commute, fitness rides on canals, fire roads and round the chase blue and red, it’s a great bike very quick and nimble, my only gripe is it has a creak I have no idea where it’s come from, mine has the 110mm recon forks which perform well, got it in the grey fade and it looks great!

On Facebook there’s a trek procaliber group, worth a look post any queries there.

It makes a difference if you were riding cross country for a hundred miles, it’ll stop the vibrations jarring your back etc and you’ll feel fresher for longer etc but over a 20 mile nimble through the woods and on tarmac it’ll make little to no difference. I’ve had a 9.6 for 18 months. They do ride lovely in an old school, non LLS style though.

Plus there should be some bargains out there now the new design is out

I have just bought the new one to replace my old one , I prefer my old one

Thanks folks :-)

My mate has a 9.6 and really likes it + reckons the Iso-thing does make a difference. He replaced the stock forks with some slightly longer (120mm?) SIDS. I had a quick go and it felt really comfortable and smooth. Front’s a bit low though. He got it to replace a gravel bike too.

I’ve had a procal 9.6 for the last 1.5 years (got a good deal on the 2022 paint job in spring 2023) and like it.  I do think the rubber coupling thingy reduces harshness/clatter on rocks or hard dry mud.  However, I haven’t ridden many modern hardtails so can’t say for sure whether it is worth it.

I’ve done a mixture of XC racing, bridleway crunching, red trails (Cannock mostly but also a few others incl. CyB) with it.

I actually found the Recon Golds slightly better than the poor reviews suggested.  I expected just to use them for a year while getting back into riding then replace but kept them this year too.

The brakes aren’t great and I have some M7000/SLX brakes from my old bike I want to put on.  The only things I have changed so far are XTR M9000 cranks and saddle (also from my old bike).

Can’t say the new 2025 Procaliber excites me as an upgrade prospect.  The best thing about it might be the discounted 2024 model..

They are comfy. I’m looking out for an old one to convert to a drop bar bike for, er, UK gravel.

Never ridden one but just leaning on the saddle in a shop the seat tube visibly bends so it’s definitely not a gimmick.

Disappointed to see the new one doesn’t have this feature and Trek say it’s 20% less effective.

I got the 9.6 this year and love it. Fast and surprisingly comfy, you can feel the isospeed working if you hold it whilst riding.  I suspect the Isobow is cheaper and lighter to produce.  It does feel a bit like a soft tail, it doesn’t buck you out of the saddle all the time.

I did the Southern Divide on it this year and it coped really well with bikepacking luggage and a Tailfin, part of the reason I chose it was seeing how many people use them for fast bikepacking.

I think I read that the isospeed provides 11mm of flex at the saddle which is significant, especially if you are running a stiff dropper post

I suppose the interesting thing is the new checkmate gravel bike keeps the isospeed and the new procaliber drops it, lots of people using 29er mtbs as gravel bike

I’ve got a 9.8sl, it’s a fantastic bike and the isospeed works really well. It’s one of these things you won’t notice when riding, but will significantly improve pedalling over rougher ground and overall fatigue for longer rides. You can only really see how effective it is by doing a back to back comparison with a similar bike without the isospeed. I’ve got a checkpoint which replaced my boone, both of those had it as well and it was a main point of me choosing these bikes and buying treks.

I have the 9.8 Procaliber – think it’s great and use it for gravel as well as light duty mtb’ing