Endurance Gear Review: Trek Remedy 9 29er - Fun and safety maximized.

I'm regularly asked why I've chosen the Trek Remedy 9 29 for VES events and as my daily whip and the simple answer is that it's a mountain biking fun maximizer. Pinkbike concurs:

"I was a pretty big fan of Trek's aluminum Remedy 29er when I reviewed it back in September of last year, with the bike surprising me with just how capable it is. Such was the chrome machine's adeptness that I didn't hesitate to put in 70km death marches with 9,000ft of climbing on a Saturday before heading to Whistler on Sunday. Sure, it wasn't the best at either task, and it isn't intended to be, but I can honestly say that it might have been the most fun for both jobs. You can't say that about many bikes, can you?"

The other very important aspect for me is that I do *not* like crashes & injuries. I'm closing in on 45, so I

don't recover from injuries as quickly as I used to, but I still enjoy riding technical backcountry gnar. The more slack angles of the Remedy (67.5° head angle) combined with it's 140mm of dialed-in travel result in a bike that helps keeps me out of trouble ... and the Remedy often saves me when I inadvertently ride myself into a situation beyond my skill set.

While the Remedy 29 is not a climbing KOM killer it is a very capable and comfortable ascender. Leave the rear suspension in Trail mode and climbing traction and stability are incredible. You'll find yourself riding technical trail climbs that you've never cleaned before and you can comfortably climb and climb and climb ... staying on your bike more, pushing your bike less.

A truly unexpected and fantastic surprise for me was how well the Remedy 29 rides tight switchbacks - especially uphill. The bike turns back on itself with stability and control like no 29er I've ridden. 

The only subtle handling mod I made to my 21" Remedy 9 29 was swapping out the stock 750mm handlebar for a Spank Spike EVO 777 and in my opinion the slightly wider bar nicely compliments the Remedy's layout and handling. I opted for a white and black 777 but Spank makes a chrome and black version that would be a crazy perfect match for the bike's oem aesthetics (if you're into that).

Tire clearance is absolutely outstanding on the Remedy 29. When Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.35s are mounted

to American Classic Wide Lightning rims (look for a full review of these wheels in the coming weeks) the casing width measures a massive 2.407 inches and the Remedy 29 easily accommodates these large aggressive tires with gobs of room to spare!

Since Trek's Remedy 29 introduction earlier this year, the rave reviews and its popularity speak volumes for the bike, but I highly recommend taking one for a test ride at your local dealer or during a Trek Factory Demo Day near you. 

Bottom Line: The Trek Remedy 29 enables people to ride longer with more comfort and ride technical terrain with more confidence and safety ... which conflates into very high levels of mountain biking fun!

For 2015 Trek is adding lighter carbon framed models to the Remedy 29 lineup. Click here for a preview from Pinkbike.