FAST BIKE FRIDAY – TREK PROCALIBER 9.8

For our Fast Bike Friday feature this week we’re looking at a super-light cross-country racing machine from Trek. The Procaliber 9.8 is a fast carbon fibre hardtail MTB that has been designed and produced in the pure pursuit of off-road speed and boasts a myriad of special features and shrewd componentry specifications to meet that goal. The Procaliber has been an established model in Trek’s MTB model range for a number of years but it has seen some significant changes for this new-gen Procaliber; this MTB is very much the lightest and fastest mountain bike uphill in Trek’s large range of cross-country-focused race bikes.

The Trek Procaliber 9.8 carbon fibre hardtail is a thorough-bred cross-country race bike.

 

A few seasons ago the Trek Cross Country Factory Racing team had a choice between two models – the full suspension Top Fuel for more technically demanding race courses or the Procaliber hardtail which was better suited to less technical race courses with considerably more climbing. Then in late 2019 along came the Trek Supercaliber which featured a very clever IsoStrut integrated shock providing 60mm of travel; this bike was a sort of ‘best of both worlds’ race bike that sat between the Top Fuel full suspension bike and the Procaliber hardtail. Initially it looked like the Procaliber’s day were numbered, however, since then Trek have phased out the Top Fuel as an option for Elite competition and we have seen Trek’s pro riders choosing between the Supercaliber for technical, rocky race courses and the all-new Procaliber hardtail for race tracks that feature more climbing or flat out sprints where every ounce of power needs to transfer through the bike.

Current Cross Country MTB World Champion Evie Richards chooses between the Procaliber and Supercaliber depending on race conditions.

 

An example of this equipment choice could be seen by watching the UK’s very own World Champion cross-country mountain biker Evie Richards this season. She spent 2021 swapping between the Trek Supercaliber and the Trek Procaliber hardtail depending on how she felt the demands of the World Cup Cross-Country courses were best tackled. A great example of this was during the week of the World Championships which saw Evie ride her lighter, stiffer Procaliber to win the Silver medal in the Short Track race before swapping to her more forgiving Supercaliber for the more rocky & technical cross-country race a couple of days later where she duly WON the World Championships!

Evie Richard’s race-ready Trek Procaliber helped her win a Silver medal in the 2021 Short-Track MTB World Championships.

 

Evie Richards (centre) piloted her Trek Procaliber to Silver in the short-track race and her Trek Supercaliber to Gold in the cross-country race.

 

So far in this feature we’ve sort of fallen into the trap of describing the Procaliber 9.8 as a ‘hardtail’ because, well it sort of is compared to Trek’s ‘soft-tail’ Supercaliber bike which could be regarded as having a ‘suspension-lite’ configuration. The Procal isn’t a true hardtail though, thanks to clever engineering in the carbon frame there is actually a fair bit of compliance when you’re in the saddle. The Procaliber features Trek’s highly regarded Isospeed decoupler as seen on a multitude of their bikes but which originated on the first-gen Procaliber.

The Procaliber hardtail boasts extra levels of comfort thanks to their clever IsoSpeed Decoupler.

 

The IsoSpeed decoupler maintains the traditional diamond-shaped frame geometry but ‘decouples’ the seat tube from the top tube, allowing the seat tube to flex with the forces of the terrain while the rider is seated. This genius approach utilises the engineered flex of the carbon fibre making it easier to pedal through choppy terrain helping to save your energy for the climbs and sprints. With no loss of pedaling power the Procaliber remains really efficient while you stay fresher and less fatigued particularly over longer distances making this a perfect bike for cross country races and mountain bike marathons.

Despite this being a super-stiff carbon hardtail the IsoSpeed Decoupler isolates you from rough trails when you’re in the saddle.

 

This all-new Procaliber gave Trek the opportunity to update its geometry and make it more ‘trail-ready’ without sacrificing any of its cross country race speed which the original was so well-liked for. Cross country riding and racing has definitely got more rowdy in recent years and Trek are keeping up with this evolution; the Procaliber’s geometry changes include a slightly slacker headtube angle and a longer reach for a more progressive geometry which is more comfortable and confidence inspiring at speed, particularly on descents. At 432mm the Procal’s chainstays have got shorter to help make the bike feel more agile and there’s also a steeper seat tube which helps to put you in a more efficient climbing position. Tyre clearance has increased too with the option to run tyres up to 2.40” wide, this is another welcome addition if you’re looking for a cross country bike that can be ridden a little harder.

The Trek Procaliber 9.8 features a very special iridescent sparkle paintjob.  

 

The Procaliber 9.8 is constructed from Trek’s own OCLV Mountain Carbon; this carbon fibre is tougher than standard carbon fibre, while it retains its lightweight, stiff properties it is significantly more durable than carbon fibre from other mountain bike brands. With clever material composition and sophisticated lay-up procedures OCLV Mountain Carbon has been proven during Trek’s stringent testing and easily matches the demands of today’s more aggressive riding styles.

Calling on decades of experience the Trek Procaliber 9.8 boasts sophisticated construction techniques that make the frame stiff, light and responsive.

 

Further changes to this new-gen Procaliber include the addition of Trek’s ‘Straight Shot’ downtube, a design that has been successful on other models in their mountain bike range. The previous Procaliber included a bend at the junction with the head tube which was mainly there to avoid any potential problems with fork crown clearance on tight turns and the potential for frame damage when the bars turn suddenly during crashes. For the new generation Procaliber Trek have used the Straight Shot principle to add extra frame stiffness and make steering more precise without adding extra weight. Gear cables and brake hoses are neatly routed through the frame using internal channels making home maintenance easier.

The rear hydraulic brake hose is neatly routed internally through the Procaliber carbon frame.

 

So if Trek have used their Straight Shot downtube surely there’s a potential for frame damage from the fork crown as we just highlighted above? Thankfully no; in unison with their Straight Shot downtube Trek have developed the ‘Knock Block’ a feature that’s seen on many of their mountain bikes, from full-on gravity-focused bikes to their lightweight cross country mountain bikes. The Knock Block is basically a steerer stop which prevents your handlebar controls from hitting the frame’s top tube in the event of a crash and also stops the bikes’ fork crown from hitting the Straight Shot downtube. The newest version of the Knock Block (as seen here on the Procaliber 9.8) features an increased turning radius so even the tightest, slow speed turns aren’t an issue.

The Procaliber 9.8 includes Trek’s Knock Block headset which prevents the bars turning too far in the event of a crash and helps stop damage to the frame.

 

The Trek Procaliber 9.8 sits at the top of the Procaliber range of bikes and so obviously boasts a very lust-worthy component specification. With low-weight at the front of their minds the Trek product managers have spec’d suitably feather-weight components throughout. First-up there’s an integrated handlebar and stem from in-house brand Bontrager. This bar is an all-carbon construction made from the same OCLV material as the Procaliber frame; at 750mm wide there’s plenty of leverage and control to be had on technical descents with these bars. A -13° rise on the integrated stem further hints at how Trek see this bike being ridden – with an aggressive heads-down position for racers who are squeezing every ounce of energy into their race.

Reflecting its race-bike credentials the Procaliber 9.8 comes spec’d with an ultralight OCLV carbon fibre integrated handlebar and stem.

 

The Bontrager RSL integrated handlebar/stem combo boasts a negative-13-degree stem rise for an aggressive race-ready position.

 

Keeping overall weight down and helping to increase comfort thanks to their carbon construction the Bontrager RSL bars are a nice 750mm wide.

 

This uber-light, fast cross country mountain bike needs a capable suspension fork to help you negotiate fast-paced, technical sections of the race course; Trek have spec’d a pair of 100mm travel Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast, Float EVOL air spring suspension forks featuring a GRIP 2-position damper. That unique cut-out section of the lower fork legs is what Fox call ‘Step Cast’, it enables a narrow stance and significantly saves weight as well as providing clearance for spokes and rotor. This race-ready suspension fork features a remote lockout too so when you’re taking on long fire road climbs and are out of the saddle putting the power down there’ll be no unwanted suspension bob or loss of energy.

Trek have spec’d the Procaliber 9.8 with a pair of race-proven Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast Float EVOL air spring suspension forks.

 

These capable Fox forks feature 100mm of plush travel to help take the sting off any xc race course.

 

Fox’s unique ‘Step-Cast’ construction helps strip away any unwanted weight while still retaining overall stiffness.

 

Fox’s GRIP 2-position lockout means you can firm up your fork for long out-of-the-saddle uphill efforts.

 

The 2-position lockout lever is conveniently located for on-the-fly adjustments to your Fox fork.

 

Trek have spec’d the Procaliber 9.8 with a super-efficient Shimano 12-speed groupset.

 

The Shimano XT 12-speed rear derailleur provides consistent, crisp gear selection every time you shift.

 

Ready for the very-steepest mid-race climbs, the Shimano 10-51T 12-speed cassette gives you every gear ratio you’ll need.

 

The Shimano XT 12-speed cassette is cleverly constructed to keep weight to a minimum.

 

In a further effort to keep overall weight down Trek have included a lightweight & stiff carbon chainset from e*Thirteen.

 

A simple Shimano XT 12-speed trigger shifter provides light & precise gear shifts from your handlebar.

 

Shimano XT disc brakes are famed for their power, modulation and user-friendly serviceability.

 

Compact Shimano XT hydraulic brake levers only require one-finger-braking to keep you in control.

 

OK, we say this a lot, but it bears repeating – the specification of wheels on a bike can make or break its performance; put a heavy, inefficient set of wheels on a super-light bike and the ride quality and performance will be heavily compromised. Thankfully there’s no such concerns with the Procaliber 9.8 which is spec’d with a super-light, fast rolling pair of Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 29” wheels constructed from Trek’s own OCLV carbon. These lightweight but durable wheels feature a wide 29mm internal rim width to provide enhanced tyre support and allow you to run the sort of super-low tyre pressures you’ll need to remain in control on tight, loose turns and wet roots. Needless to say the wheels are tubeless-ready which will help you to further reduce overall weight, decrease rolling-resistance and of course enable you to run those incredibly low tyre pressures.

This race-ready, ultralight cross-country MTB comes spec’d with an equally light and efficient Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 Carbon wheelset.

 

The Bontrager sealed-bearing hubs are durable and smooth.

 

Trek have spec’d the Kovee Elite 30 Carbon wheels with fast 2.20 wide Bontrager XR2 Team Issue cross-country tyres.

 

A carbon fibre Bontrager Pro OCLV seat post helps cut weight even more, although you can fit a dropper-post if you prefer.

 

A Bontrager P3 Verse Elite saddle comes in a 145mm width, features a cut-out and should suit most riders.

 

Lightweight foam grips are popular on the World Cup cross-country circuit thanks to their comfort and low weight.

 

It’s very clear from the get go that the all-new Trek Procaliber 9.8 is a nailed-on race machine designed to excel within the world of fast, frenetic cross country mountain bike racing. The fact that it’s been proven at the highest level of competition on the World Cup circuit should give us mere mortals all the confidence we need to believe that this bike will enhance our performance and enjoyment of riding and racing. If you’re the kind of rider who likes to take on long, hilly and physically demanding rides or is preparing to launch into a full-on competitive season of mountain bike marathons and cross country races then the Procaliber 9.8 is most definitely up to the job. With a super-light, stiff efficient AND comfortable chassis at its heart the Procal boasts the kind of specification you would find on any elite rider’s race bike, with no compromises on carbon components and lightweight parts.

The Procaliber boasts a rich racing heritage and multiple medal-winning performances; it’s guaranteed to enhance your racing performance too.

 

Trek Procaliber 9.8 2022 RRP £3,775.00

Full Specification:

• Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon, IsoSpeed, tapered head tube, Knock Block, internal control routing, balanced post-mount brake, Boost148
• Fork: Fox Performance 32 Step-Cast, Float EVOL air spring, GRIP 2-position damper, remote lockout, tapered steerer, 44 mm offset, Boost110, 15 mm Kabolt axle, 100 mm travel
• Suspension Lever: Fox 2-position lockout lever
• Crank: e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon, 30 mm spindle, 34T alloy ring, Boost, 170 mm length – SML, 175mm length – M, ML, L, XL, XXL
• Rear Cassette: Shimano XT M8100, 10-51, 12-speed
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8100, long cage, 51T max cog
• Shifters: Shimano XT M8100, 12-speed
• Integrated Handlebar & Stem: Bontrager RSL Integrated handlebar/stem, OCLV Carbon, 0 mm handlebar rise, 750 mm width, -13-degree stem rise, 70mm length – SML, M, 80mm length – ML, L, 90mm length – XL, XXL
• Grips: ESI Chunky
• Headset: Trek Knock Block
• Brakes: Shimano Deore XT M8100 hydraulic disc
• Brake Rotors: Shimano RT76, 6-bolt, 180mm front, 160mm rear
• Rear Wheel: Rim – Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 Carbon, Tubeless Ready, Hub – Bontrager Alloy, Sealed Bearing, 6-Bolt, Boost 110, 15mm Thru Axle
• Front Wheel: Rim – Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 Carbon, Tubeless Ready, Hub – Rapid Drive 54, Microspline, 6-Bole, Boost 148, 12mm Thru Axle
• Rim Strip: Bontrager Tubeless Ready
• Tyres: Bontrager XR2 Team Issue, Tubeless Ready, Inner Strength sidewall, aramid bead, 120 TPI, 29×2.20″
• Saddle: Bontrager P3 Verse Elite, Stainless Steel Rails, 145mm Width
• Seatpost: Bontrager Pro OCLV Carbon 31.6mm, 0mm Offset, 330mm length – SML, 400mm length – M, ML, L, XL, XXL

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

Have you seen our weekly Fast Bike Friday feature? Missed some of our best bikes? You can now see all of our featured bikes in one place over on Pinterest where you’ll find links to each of our Fast Bike Friday Blogs too!

Click the link below and search our archive…