Trek Rail 9.7 Review

Bosch is the major motor manufacturer in the EMTB world, alongside Shimano - and it's no surprise, as the Performance Line CX shows. The Bosch motor climbs steep ramps effortlessly. The very natural riding feeling combines the Bosch Performance Line CX with a dynamic power delivery. Achieving such a perfect balance between natural support and power is something few other engines can do. Thanks to the good range, longer tours with the Rail 9.7 are no problem.

Rough descents take away some of the fear thanks to the average chassis. On rough descents, the moderate chassis limits you and demands a more precise line choice than bikes with better chassis. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. Especially for heavy riders, the Trek brakes could be a problem. With four pistons they only decelerate averagely. At the drivetrain components and the rest of the parts, Trek uses average parts. When it comes to the geometry, Trek does not go completely crazy. The head tube angle and reach values were chosen with care. The result: A balanced riding behaviour with a good combination of playfulness and straight-line stability. Overall, the Trek developers have done a great job with a god geometry.