Is it a hardtail or is it a softtail? That is the question. No; that is A question? THE question really is: How does it ride? Our test team spent a few weeks putting the TREK Procaliber 9.6 through its paces to see just what kind of rider in the South African market should be spending his or her money on this bike…
The TREAD testers
Photos: Dino Lloyd
THE BIKE
It was never really planned that way, but over the years we seem to have taken it upon ourselves to educate South Africans that a softtail and a full suspension bike are not the same thing. Surprisingly, it’s an ongoing education as more and more newcomers discover the benefits and joys of mountain biking.
Okay, small deviation there, but back to the bike: The Procaliber 9.6 is very obviously not a full suspension, but some may argue that it is definitely a softtail. We threw this around for a bit in the TREAD office and decided that it’s actually not a softtail either because the tail (rear triangle) doesn’t actually move. Think about that for a second. The tail (rear triangle) isn’t ‘softened’; it’s the seatpost that moves via TREK’s IsoSpeed Decoupler.
This technology, developed initially for TREK’s road and cyclocross bikes, “decouples” the seattube from the toptube via a carefully placed small pivot, allowing the seattube to flex with the forces of the trail. This is not the same as a softtail, where the rear stays flex or are vibration damped and it certainly had us intrigued.
The frame is made from TREK’s OCLV Mountain Carbon, which is basically the American brand’s tougher, more rugged-riding carbon. With a 69.5 degrees headtube and 72-degree seattube, the geometry is pretty neutral by today’s XC/Marathon bike standards. We tested the 17.5-inch size, which comes in 29-inch, along with the 18.5, 19.5 and 21.5-inch sizes. The 15.5-inch comes in 27.5 wheelsize, incorporating TREK’s ‘Smart Wheelsize’, which essentially pairs frame size with wheel size to ensure ideal proportion for comfort and control. It’s not unique to TREK, but does show just how far mountain bike development has come. What is also not unique to TREK, but which TREK pioneered, is Boost width wheels, which is what the Procaliber has. Wider hubs allow for more frame stability and shorter length chainstays, which in turn improves handling. There’s also plenty of tyre clearance, so expect muddy rides to be easier on the bike (our one very muddy ride was a race and tyre clearance wasn’t an issue).
There’s obviously space for two bottle cages and the shifter cables and rear brake hose are neatly run through the frame for a very clean look. The gloss black finish with aqua blue graphics is striking and the stance of the bike confirms it’s a true performance machine (TREK’s X-Caliber and Superfly are more recreational-style hardtails).
On the Procaliber 9.6, TREK uses Bontrager Mustang Elite alloy rims paired with Bontrager Boost hubs and Bontrager XR1 (2.20) Expert tyres. The fork is a RockShock Reba RL with 100mm of travel and remote lockout. The 2×10 drivetrain is all Shimano except for the RaceFace Ride 36/22 crankset and the KMC chain, while the brakes are Shimano’s M425 hydraulic disc. The cockpit comprises all Bontrager components.
THE RIDE
The Procaliber feels like a performance hardtail the moment you start pedalling hard. It quickly accelerates with a very direct feel of power transfer through the drivetrain and into forward motion.
The rider position is appropriately front-weighted for a XC bike but the 690mm bar immediately felt a bit on the narrow side, most evident when standing out of the saddle and ‘levering’ the front on steep climbs; and also on flat singletrack turns and firm, rocky traverses.
But what about the decoupler? Well it certainly works like it’s meant to. When you look down at it while riding, you see the movement (up to 11mm according to TREK) of the seatpost away from the rest of the frame. You also feel it. It essentially removes ‘trail buzz’ and is most effective on small bumps that normally compel you to unweight your saddle.
On long rides, unweighting your saddle regularly becomes tiring, especially for those not highly conditioned to it, so the IsoSpeed Decoupler essentially saves you energy and allows you to stay seated to pedal in places that might normally disrupt your pedalling rhythm if you were on a regular hardtail, especially those that aren’t able to stand and pedal with poise.
The little bit of movement did catch us off guard a few times, resulting in a pedal strike (while pedalling), but once you get used to the bike you adjust your judgment accordingly in tight-trail scenarios.
Medium and large hits are to be treated as you would on a hardtail and the same with descents. The only time you feel any movement is when you’re seated and normally that means you’re pedalling.
While we thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Procaliber 9.6, we did feel that the handlebar was too narrow (we’d go for at least a 720mm), the brake rotors lacked the kind of bite we’d like on a bike made for blurry-fast speed and the rear thru axle lever was awkward to tighten/loosen.
THE VERDICT
The TREK Procaliber 9.6 is a high-quality performance hardtail that undoubtedly delivers a smoother ride. The unique seatpost pivot is only effective while pedalling as it requires you to be seated for the IsoSpeed Decoupler to activate. And this is fine. This is good actually. Good because the Procaliber is TREK’s performance hardtail XC/Marathon race bike. You want to be able to pedal more if performance is your priority. Everywhere else, it rides like a carbon hardtail should – swift with small margins for error…
Ideal buyer: An ambitious, well-conditioned rider that’s competitive, but isn’t keen on the hassle/expense of a full sus frame. Note, there’s the lighter, more pricey 9.8 SL – Trek Procaliber 9.8 SL, for those with less budgetary constraints.
PRICE: R39 999
SIZES: 13.5’ 15.5’ 17.5 (tested) 18.5’ 19.5’
COLOURS: Gloss Black with Aqua Blue graphics
WEIGHT: 12.03kg (Incl. pedals and sealant)
RIDING: XC-MARATHON-TRAIL-FREERIDE
RIDER: RECREATIONAL-COMMITTED-PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY: EXCELLENT-VERY GOOD-GOOD-FAIR-POOR
TREAD SCORE: 7.5/10
Find the full spec here: Trek Procaliber 9.6
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