2021 trek session 8 review

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Trek Session 8 27.5 review

Impressive pedigree, but a letdown in the rough

‘ABP’ rear suspension provides a solid, supple action

Relatively short front end feels cramped, high bottom bracket and short frame deliver a sometimes precarious-feeling ride, harsh fork and weak brakes are disappointing for the price

While Trek's top-end Sessions had a complete redesign for 2018, this budget model uses a frame carried over from previous years. It’s a design that’s enjoyed huge success on the World Cup circuit, but how has it stood the test of time?

Editor's note: This bike has now been superseded by the 2019 model which was not available for review at the time of this test

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Trek Session 8 27.5 frame

Trek’s ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension system is essentially a single-pivot with linkage-driven shock design, except it uses a rear-axle pivot to reduce the effect of braking on the suspension action.

The shock is compressed between the upper rocker link and the forward tips of the chainstays. Trek calls this set-up ‘Full Floater’ and uses it to tweak the leverage curve so that the Session provides 210mm of slightly progressive travel.

A ‘Mino Link’ chip allows the bottom-bracket height to be adjusted by 10mm and the head angle by half a degree.

Trek Session 8 27.5 kit

To be blunt, you don’t get all that much for your money.

The Session 8 has solid DT Swiss wheels, Bontrager tyres and SRAM drivetrain parts, but its BoXXer RC coil fork houses RockShox’s more basic Motion Control damper. The SRAM Guide R brakes were also disappointing, lacking in power and developing a spongy feel after a few muddy rides.

Trek Session 8 27.5 ride

The Session felt small and cramped. In fact, I found myself double-checking that Trek had sent the XL frame I’d requested.

Not only is the reach noticeably short, but the minimal-rise bar (15mm) sits low on the negative-rise stem. With a high-ish bottom bracket, the bar feels even lower when riding. At 6ft 3in, I was practically rubbing my knees on the bar when I leaned forward to pedal. Plus things felt precarious in steep or technical sections.

I ended up swapping out the bar for something taller and with less backsweep, as well as putting a 5mm spacer under the stem. Even then, the high bottom bracket and short front centre meant the ride was far less stable or confidence-inspiring when things got fast or technical.

The Trek’s higher centre of gravity makes pushing hard into turns feel like more of a gamble too, despite the impressive grip of the high-volume Bontrager G4 tyres.

Up front, the Motion Control fork also puts the Session at a distinct disadvantage. It’s noticeably harsh on high-speed hits in particular, where it spikes badly. The damping just can’t react in time to keep up with square-edged bumps and the result is a clunky feeling through the bar.

In contrast, the rear suspension is very supple. The RockShox Vivid R2C shock is fancy for this price point, but doesn’t offer any big advantage over the simpler coil shocks found on other bikes.

Because of the short and tall frame, I had to run the rebound damping (particularly the high-speed rebound) pretty slow to provide enough stability over jumps and G-outs, and this compromised sensitivity a little. I also swapped the stock 500lb/in spring for a 550lb/in replacement to make the bike feel more balanced.

Trek Session 8 27.5 verdict

The outdated geometry, harsh fork and underwhelming brakes meant I really struggled to get on with the Trek.

Smaller riders can go some way to addressing the first complaint by going up a size, to get a longer reach (if the seat tube isn’t too long), but the high bottom bracket still undermines the handling somewhat. Considering all this (as well as the price), it's a hard bike to recommend.

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2022 Trek Session

Test Location: Washington

Test Duration: ~4 months

Wheel Size: 29’’ (27.5’’ and mixed 29’’/27.5’’ compatible)

Travel: 200 mm rear / 200 mm front

Frame Material: Aluminum

Blister’s Measured Weight  (Session 9; Size R3; w/o pedals) : 37.2 lb / 16.9 kg 

Build Overview (Session 9, as tested)

• Fork: RockShox Boxxer Ultimate
• Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH
• Drivetrain: SRAM X01 DH
• Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
• Wheels: Bontrager Line DH 30
• Session Frameset: $2,999 [includes Fox DHX Performance shock]
• Session 8: $4,999
• Session 9 (tested): $6,999

Reece Wilson won the 2020 UCI Downhill World Championship on board the Trek Session, but that success didn’t stop them from making some big changes to the bike for 2021. Gone is the carbon fiber frame of old, and in its place is an all new, aluminum, high-pivot bike. As we talked about in Episode 54 of Bikes and Big Ideas , Trek’s roster of downhill athletes is ridiculously stacked, and now it’s time to check out the bike they’ll all be piloting this season. I’ve spent the past few months on the new Session, and long story short, it’s impressive.

Despite the changes in frame material and suspension layout, the overall silhouette is still recognizably a Session. The biggest change is in the chainstays, which are now elevated to reach the much higher main pivot, and the drive-side houses an idler pulley to redirect the chain up and over the stay.

Trek’s familiar ABP suspension layout — essentially a four-bar arrangement, with a pivot concentric to the dropout and a vertically oriented shock, driven by a rocker link — is still here. But in a major change for the Session, it’s now configured as a high-pivot design with an idler pulley.

Or, more accurately, it’s a change from recent Sessions — the Session 10, from way back in 2006, also featured a high-pivot layout. It’s been a long time since we saw a Session with such a configuration, though, and it’s interesting to see it return. High-pivot bikes are having a bit of a moment again, no doubt inspired in part by the success of the Commencal Supreme on the World Cup Downhill circuit, and it’s interesting to see a manufacturer as big as Trek joining the fray, especially combined with their newly-loaded DH roster.

Trek’s claims about the new high-pivot layout are pretty standard for these types of designs, and make a lot of sense on paper. The two main benefits that they tout are improved absorption of square-edged bumps, due to the more rearward axle path, and reduced pedal kickback, due to the reduction of chain growth from the idler pulley. Both should help the new bike carry speed and smooth out rough terrain better. Trek says the prior-generation Session had 15–27° of pedal kickback (depending on gear), whereas the new one has just 5–8°. The axle path of the new bike is stated to be 12–25 mm more rearward as well.

Unlike the prior-generation Session, the new bike is only available in aluminum. And while the outgoing model offered separate versions of the frame for 27.5’’ and 29’’ wheels, the 2021 Session is designed to accommodate both wheel sizes, as well as a mullet 29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear combination with a single frame.

Complete bikes come in 29’’ only, and feature a flip chip (Trek calls it a “Mino Link”) at the seatstay / rocker link pivot to toggle between two geometry settings, which we’ll outline below. The Session can also be run in a mullet (29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear wheel) configuration in the high geometry setting, as well as a full 27.5’’ setup with the high geometry setting and an external lower headset cup, which is included with the frame kit, and available separately for complete bikes. Rear tire clearance is stated at 2.6’’ for both 27.5’’ and 29’’ wheels.

A second Mino Link at the lower shock mount toggles between two leverage curve settings for the rear suspension, which offer 20% and 25% of total progression. These settings are independent of the geometry Mino Link options, and both settings can be used in any of the wheel size configurations.

The 2021 Session also offers an unusual degree of flexibility when it comes to cable routing. Complete bikes will ship with both the brake and derailleur cables routed through the top tube, but a set of bolt-on cable guides are included if you’d prefer to run them externally, underneath the top tube. A threaded bottom bracket shell is another welcome, mechanic-friendly feature, and the lower two bosses of a standard set of ISCG ‘05 tabs are included — with the idler pulley, an upper chainguide won’t fit. The idler does include its own, integrated chain guide, and removable dual-density rubber guards are included on the chainstay and downtube as well. The rear brake mount features post-mount tabs for a 180 mm rotor, and can be adapted up to a 220 mm option.

Trek is offering the Session in two different build specs, the Session 8 and Session 9. The overview of both is as follows:

Session 8 ($4,999):

• Fork: RockShox Boxxer Select
• Shock: Fox VAN Performance
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX DH
• Brakes: SRAM Code R

Session 9 ($6,999):

Despite all the wheel size flexibility offered on the Session, both complete bikes come as full 29ers only. If you’re interested in a mullet or full 27.5’’ spec, you’ll need to swap some parts out, or start from the frame-only option.

Fit and Geometry

Trek has moved to what they’re calling “reach based sizing” on the new Session. In short, that means that they’ve decided to keep the seat mast short and the stack height consistent across the size range, and simply let riders pick how long they want the bike to be. There are three sizes on offer, labeled R1, R2, and R3, with 440, 465, and 493 mm reach numbers, respectively (29’’ wheel configuration, low geometry position).

With the new Session, Trek has also chosen to join the growing ranks of brands that vary chainstay length by size. Again with the 29’’ wheel, low-geometry setting, they range from 439 to 452 mm across the sizes, with the R2 getting 445 mm stays. The chainstay and seatstay parts themselves are the same for all three sizes, with the chainstay length variation coming by moving the bottom bracket shell relative to the pivot points on the front triangle. All three sizes get a 63° headtube angle and 22.5 mm bottom bracket drop in the low position. The high position steepens the headtube to 63.6°, and reduces the bottom bracket drop to 13.6–13.9 mm (varies slightly by size). The full geometry charts for the 29’’, mullet, and 27.5’’ configurations are all shown below.

The geometry of the mullet and 27.5’’ configurations is quite close to that of the 29er setup, in the low position. Chainstay lengths shrink by a few mm, and headtube angle varies by a few tenths of a degree, but overall they’re quite close. All of that adds up to wheelbases ranging from an already fairly long 1255 mm on the smallest R1 size, through a massive 1321 mm on the R3 (29’’, low for both).

For the most part, this is all pretty standard for a modern Downhill bike — nothing jumps out as being far outside of the norms. The reach has grown by about 30 mm in a given size, compared to the outgoing bike, and the headtube angle is actually slightly steeper . Though reaches have trended somewhat longer, overall, DH bike geometry has been more stable in recent years than that of Trail and Enduro bikes, and Trek has stuck with the established recipe for a World-Cup-ready race bike.

Flash Review

Blister Members can read our  Flash Review of the new Session  for our initial on-snow impressions.  Become a Blister member  now to check out this and  all of our Flash Reviews , plus get personalized gear recommendations from us, and discounts and deals on gear.

Full Review

I’ve now spent quite a few days on the new high-pivot Trek Session, and have come away very impressed by what Trek has done with their DH race bike. But who exactly is it for, and where does it most strongly excel? Let’s dig in.

Going into the test, I was honestly a bit unsure about the sizing of the Session. As we mentioned above, Trek moved away from the traditional Small / Medium / Large sizing paradigm, into what they call “reach based sizing.” The idea is that, especially on a downhill bike where a seated pedalling position is irrelevant, they can leave the seat and headtube fairly short and let riders pick what size they want largely on the basis of reach. At 6’ / 183 cm tall, I’m a little short of Trek’s recommended size range for the largest R3 Session, but they also acknowledge that there’s a good deal of room for personal preference to factor in here, too. And having now spent a lot of time on that big R3, I think that it is the size I’d go with for how I like to ride.

Now, I definitely could ride the R2 as well — and indeed, that’s the size that Trek athletes Charlie Harrison and Reece Wilson both opt for (both of whom are listed at 5’11’’ / 180 cm). While I’m only slightly taller than those two, I’m happy on the R3 for the following reasons:

(1) I tend to like long bikes in general. For one thing, I’ve got pretty long arms and a long torso for my height, with somewhat shorter legs. And on top of that (or probably more accurately, in part because of my shorter legs), I also like to run my bars a bit on the lower side of average. That decreases the distance between the cranks and bars, making me somewhat less stretched out on longer bikes than I might be if I wanted the bars higher.

(2) I’m a lot more interested in going fast on more raw, technical terrain than hitting jump lines and trying to look good in the air. Now, granted, that’s obviously also true of Reece and Charlie, and they’re both a whole lot better at it than I am (to put it lightly). But more to the point, I’m just more interested in aiming for stability and a planted feel in a DH bike, rather than a more nimble feel and a whole lot of ability to throw the bike around in the air easily.

If I was looking for a more playful park bike, I’d be a lot more inclined to size down to the R2, but I’d also probably be looking at a different bike entirely. As we’ll get into more below, the Session feels like it’s much more interested in being a game-on DH race bike than a super flickable freeride one.

Getting my fit dialed on the Session was fairly straightforward. As I mentioned in my Flash Review, the first order of business was trimming the bars from their gargantuan initial 820 mm width to my preferred 790 mm. With them at full width, the bike felt awfully locked in and hard to turn — my arms were just stretched so wide that I was struggling to move around freely on the bike. No complaints on that spec choice though — I’d much rather see bars too wide than too narrow, since the former is a whole lot easier to address. I also shuffled some headset spacers to drop the bars a little lower than the bike shipped with, fiddled with the bar roll a little, and then I was all set. And while the R3 Session is an undeniably big bike, with a 493 mm reach, 452 mm chainstays, and 1,312 mm wheelbase (low position), it hasn’t felt ponderous or hard to muscle around. It’s just a well dialed, nicely balanced DH bike.

I started my testing with the geometry flip chip in the low setting and never saw any need to deviate from that position. I could see the high position being useful for facilitating a mixed-wheel configuration (which I unfortunately haven’t been able to try on the Session), but as a full 29er, I was never tempted to take the bike out of low. Trek also offers a set of +/- 1° headset cups for the Session (sold separately) and if anything, I could see putting that in at -1° for especially steep tracks.

Build and Spec

I’ve been riding the higher-end of the two builds that Trek offers for the Session, the $7,000 Session 9. As you’d hope for from the top-tier option, it hasn’t given me a whole lot to complain about. The RockShox Boxxer Ultimate fork is excellent, and the 46 mm offset is welcome on a 29er DH fork. The Charger 2.1 damper has been around for a while now (and in a bunch of different forks) but it’s still excellent and easy to set up. Same for the Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock — it’s another long-standing option that still works really well. It lacks a few of the bells and whistles of some other high-end options, with just a single rebound and low-speed compression adjuster, but the tune feels well chosen for the Session and I didn’t feel myself wanting for more adjustability.

The SRAM X01 DH drivetrain also works great and I like the dedicated hub from Bontrager, which features a shortened freehub body to take advantage of the wider flange spacing and more even spoke angles that the narrower 7-speed cassette makes room for. If anything, I could go for even fewer gears with wider spacing on a DH bike, but this combo works really well. It is worth noting that Trek went with the GX-level 11-25t cassette, which uses a Hyperglide freehub body, rather than the X01 that goes on an XD driver. This allows the wider flange spacing on the hub that I mentioned earlier. It also means that there’s a frankly hilarious $256 savings when it comes time to replace the cassette ($32 MSRP vs $288). Trek made the right call there.

My biggest complaint with the spec is that I’d really like to see bigger rotors on the Session. The SRAM Code RSC brakes that come on the Session 9 I’ve been testing are good brakes, but aren’t the most powerful DH brakes on the market — both the Hayes Dominion A4 and Shimano Saint are notably stronger. Given that, I think the Code RSC brakes could use a little more help with power and heat management than the 200 mm front / 180 mm rear rotor combo can offer. If it were up to me, I’d just go straight to 220 mm at both ends, but buying a single 220 mm for the front and moving the stock 200 mm to the rear would be a more economical upgrade, given what Trek specs as standard.

It’s also worth noting that the Session comes with tubes installed — a bit disappointing from a high-end, modern mountain bike (though not totally out of the ordinary). The Bontrager Line DH 30 wheels do come with their excellent molded rubber tubeless rim strips installed, but they’re mounted with tubes. Converting to tubeless is just a matter of swapping the tubes for tubeless valves and adding some sealant, but it’d be nice to have the bike set up that way out of the box. Granted, Trek’s far from alone in sending bikes out the door with tubes installed, but it’s still something I’d love to see change — and given that Trek’s stated weight for the bike on their site specifically says “with TLR sealant, no tubes” I think I can be forgiven for thinking it would come that way.

[This particular spec choice bit me on a road trip in the middle of my testing. I’d spent several days on the bike already without incident, but then developed slow leaks in both tires on the same day. Assuming — incorrectly, as it turned out — that the bike would be set up tubeless, I bought all 8 oz of Stan’s sealant that the local bike shop had in stock, removed the valve cores, and dumped 4oz into each… tube. I also tightened the valve nuts slightly and actually got the rear tire to hold air, but the front remained leaky for the rest of the day. That night in the hotel parking lot I took the front tire off to investigate, and discovered that there was in fact a tube installed. With no sealant left and no tubeless valves on hand, I decided that my best move was to cut the badly pinch-flatted tubes up to get the sealant out, and fashion a pair of valve stems for myself. It turned out that the Bontrager rim strips and tires held air so well even without sealant that the rear tire held despite the tube being toast, and the front was close to holding on. That was a big part of why I assumed that the tires had to be set up tubeless — I figured that they’d be leaking a lot faster if there were tubes in there. Live and learn I guess.]

Setup aside, I also really like the Bontrager G5 tires that come on the Session. They look a bit like a mix between a Maxxis Minion DHF and DHRII (with a little Specialized Butcher thrown in on the side knobs). Their braking performance in particular is very, very good; they also corner well and predictably, though, like most tires with a big open channel between the center and side knobs, do require a fair bit of commitment to get over on edge for aggressive cornering. I tend to get along well with those sorts of designs, but riders who prefer more consistent grip across varied lean angles will probably have the same complaint here. For better or worse, I haven’t been able to test their wet-weather performance much (it’s been a really dry summer here) but their performance has been strong in conditions ranging from full-on hero dirt through loose and dusty, with a good bit of bike park hardpack and loose-over-hard thrown in.

Suspension Performance and Handling

While it’s got a high enough main pivot placement to require an idler pulley, the rear suspension on the Session could be described as something of a “mid-pivot” layout. The distinction I’m drawing here is that, unlike a lot of high-pivot bikes (including the Forbidden Dreadnought that I just reviewed), the Session’s axle path is only rearward for about the first half of the travel. The whole point of a high-pivot layout is that it helps the rear wheel travel up and away from bumps, with the goal of improving square-edged bump absorption and the ability to carry speed through rough sections. My time on the Dreadnought and several high-pivot DH bikes that I’ve ridden before has borne those benefits out, but I’ve also found that they come with tradeoffs when it comes to how a bike pumps through and pops off terrain features, and how much the rear-center length changes as the suspension cycles. And so I was very curious to see what kind of a balance the Session struck on those fronts.

[And for a whole lot more on high-pivot suspension designs, including why they require an idler pulley to work properly, check out the section of our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide on suspension kinematics, starting on page 74.]

In short, the Session really does feel like a middle ground between a fully-rearward high-pivot design and a more conventional suspension layout — but in a way that feels like an excellent compromise, especially for a DH bike. To start, the Session mows down small to medium chop — think exposed roots or brake bumps — exceptionally well. It’s smooth, planted, and extremely composed when carrying way, way more speed than it seems like should be possible into rough sections and just letting the bike do its thing. But crucially, it also feels like the drawbacks of the high-pivot layout are a lot less pronounced on the Session than on other, fully-rearward bikes that I’ve ridden. The Session pumps through rollers just fine, pops off lips reasonably well, and doesn’t feel like it has some impossibly long rear end that’s hard to muscle around in tight spots (despite the very long 452 mm chainstays on our size R3 test bike). And the bit of extra drag from the idler, while still present, really isn’t a big deal on a DH bike, like it might be for some riders on a bike they’re planning to pedal back up to the top.

That’s not to say that the Session is some best-of-all-worlds magic machine, though — the Session feels like it’s very much meant to be a DH race bike first and foremost, and is definitely not what I’d choose if I was looking for a more playful park bike that was easy to throw around in the air. Sizing down to the R2 would probably help some, but I also think that would be trying to turn the Session into something that it isn’t. And it’s probably worth noting that some of Trek’s athletes, including Casey Brown and Kade Edwards have been riding a 27.5’’ wheeled “Session Park” without the high-pivot layout at freeride events, including Audi Nines. I really never felt like the R3 was too big for me, even on some flatter, tighter, more awkward trails where a DH bike might have been a bit overkill. It’s just a focused DH race bike that wants to be going fast first and foremost.

This was most apparent on flatter, tighter trails and bike park jump lines with steeper, lower-speed jumps. Even compared to many other DH bikes, the Session feels just a bit less engaging and slightly harder to muscle around in certain spots. And while I did just say that the Session pumps and pops off things “fine,” it really is only fine — a super poppy freeride / park bike this is not. The prior Session felt a bit more like an all-rounder DH race / park bike, but the new model feels much more focused on being the former. And I think that makes a lot of sense. For one, Trek has one of the most stacked team rosters in DH racing right now, and it’s no surprise that they wanted to have a bike to match all that talent. And on top of that, as Enduro bikes have gotten more and more capable over the years, more and more people are using them in the bike park as well, leaving room for the Session to move more specifically into the DH race role. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that we loved riding Trek’s latest Slash in the park…

The Session’s suspension also remains notably active under braking — which is one of the main benefits that Trek touts of their ABP layout. The lack of pedal kickback, due to the high pivot / idler arrangement is apparent too. There’s very little interaction between the suspension movement and the pedals, which both helps with the Session’s exceptional sensitivity on mid-sized chatter, and also seems to help a bit with keeping your feet planted when riding flat pedals.

I already mentioned this in the Flash Review, but it’s also worth pointing out again just how quiet the Session is. Trek did a really good job nailing their frame protection, and despite my general aversion to internal cable routing , I never noticed any noise from that, either. And while I’d prefer that the bike came with at least the brake hose routed via the external option, it’s nice that the frame has provisions for both. Good job, Trek.

Flip Chip Settings

I experimented a bit with both of the progression flip-chip settings, and while they make an appreciable difference, it’s a fairly subtle one. In the 20% setting, the rear suspension feels a touch more plush and planted; bumping the progression up to 25% adds a little bit of support and pop, but it’s by no means a dramatic change. Trek’s World Cup athletes are running a mix of air and coil rear shocks (albeit RockShox Blackbox ones that aren’t available to the public currently), but I suspect that I’d personally want a slightly more progressive leverage curve to run a coil shock on the Session. There’s definitely a degree of personal preference at play here — as evidenced by the lack of agreement within the Trek race team — but I mostly preferred the 25% setting with the Super Deluxe Air, and do wonder if I’d want more progression than I’d get with a coil. The shock shipped with two volume spacers installed, and that setup felt about right — I wasn’t inclined to change anything there.

As mentioned above, with the stock 29’’ wheels at both ends, I wasn’t tempted to deviate from the low geometry setting. With a 63° headtube angle in that setting, the Session isn’t crazy slack, nor is the bottom bracket particularly low. The high setting seems most useful for trying a mixed-wheel size configuration (which I unfortunately was not able to experiment with).

And finally, one note on the progression flip chips — they’re helpfully labeled with which side is positioned up for which setting… but if you swap the two chips from left to right on the bike, the settings end up labeled backward. The head of the lower shock bolt is supposed to be on the non-drive side to produce the correct labeling. Or, if you prefer, the rear hole yields 25% total progression, and the forward one is the 20% setting.

Who’s It For?

This one’s pretty straightforward: the new Session is a great option for riders either looking to race DH, or just to ride lift / shuttle-accessed trails as fast as possible — especially if those trails are on the steeper, rougher end of the spectrum. The Session can definitely also serve as a park bike for more flow trails and jump lines, but that’s not really where it excels. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Trek stacked their roster of DH racers just in time to put them all on the most committed DH race bike that they’ve made in a while, and they’ve done a great job — both with the team signings and the bike.

Bottom Line

The latest Trek Session definitely wants to go fast, first and foremost, and it does a very impressive job of combining excellent bump absorption and stability with just enough maneuverability and pop to manage tighter spots when called upon. It’s a much more focused DH race bike than the previous iteration, but in the right terrain and with the right approach from the rider, it’s excellent.

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The brand new 2021 Trek Session 8. 

Despite its capabilities in the rough stuff, the Session is still a fun ride. 

The cable routing is fairly neat. 

Trek give riders the option of routing the cabling internally or externally.

The Session 8 model we tested features a Boxxer Select with 5 clicks of compression damping. 

The new Session enjoys fast, chundery terrain. 

We liked the bold new graphics on the Session. 

The new Session is compatible with both coil and air shocks. 

The move to a high pivot idler design is the main revision on the new Session. 

The Session eats up this type of terrain. 

7 speed GX is a fantastic drivetrain for downhill. 

The smaller derailleur is well protected from rock strikes. 

We were impressed by the performance of the Fox VAN Performance Shock. 

Reckless swinging off the back is encouraged by the Session. 

Bontrager wheels and tyres got the job done. 

SRAM's Code R brakes offer great modulation.

The new Session retains Trek's Mino Link geometry adjustability.

The Session was confidence inspiring in chunky terrain. 

There's also two levels of rear shock progression on offer, 20 percent and 25 percent.

Internal or external - it's your choice with the new Session.

The chainstay protection kept things reasonably quiet throughout testing.

The rear wheel was used and abused throughout testing. 

The new Session features sturdy and replaceable downtube protection. 

The new Session is quite simply a fantastic downhill bike. 

TESTED: 2022 Trek Session 8

AMB tests the all new Trek Session - high pivot and full noise.

Words: Will Shaw

Photos: TBS

The Trek Session is the bike with the most UCI Downhill World Cup wins to its name (38 to be exact). It’s also the downhill bike by which all others are judged. The phrase ‘looks like a Session’ recognises the Session’s distinctive look and consistent performance for the last two decades.

In recent years high pivot downhill bikes with idler pulleys (I’ll just say high pivot from now on) have become more and more popular. The Commencal Supreme is not only dominant at the top of the men's and women's fields but is also the bike of choice for privateers. Norco’s HSP downhill bike and GT’s current iteration of the Fury are also high pivot designs.

If you’re somewhat new to the sport, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this design style is one that’s relatively new. Whilst Trek’s brand-new Session using a high pivot design is different to its predecessor, it’s a concept Trek first implemented in their gravity line in 2003. The Trek Diesel was a high pivot bike that freeride legend and current Trek Gravity Team Manager Andrew Shandro piloted to second place in the 2003 Red Bull Rampage.

Fast forward nearly 20 years, and on paper the latest iteration of the Session ticks all the boxes for a high-performance gravity machine. The bike’s high pivot design has the tick of approval from current World Champion Reece Wilson, as well as team members Charlie Harrison, Loris Vergier, and Vali Höll.

Initial Impressions:

The new Session is an entirely aluminium affair (with the exception of the magnesium rocker link). This is another trend in the current crop of downhill bikes, and Trek say this is a result of direct rider feedback from their pro athletes. According to John Riley (Trek’s Director of Mountain Bikes), there was a feeling that the aluminium design kept the bike ‘calmer’ in rough terrain.  

Despite the move to a high pivot design, the shape of the Session remains immediately recognisable, and the bike features classic Trek technologies such as the ABP (Active Braking Pivot), Mino Link adjustability, and a magnesium rocker link.

My first impression of the bike was that it focuses on practicality over aesthetics. The down tube protection is extensive and removable, the chain stay protector is far beefier than many out there, and even the welds on the frame look like they mean business.

The frame has some great features that Trek deserves to be commended on. The replaceable down tube guard is gargantuan, a must on a bike that’s going to have things striking it frequently. The standard cable routing is internal through the top tube, but there’s also the option to route cables externally on the underside of the top tube. Trek have done this to allow for fast race day swaps and repairs, or for customers who want the bike to be easier to work on. Whilst the unused cable guides underneath the top tube might look messy to some, I know quite a few racers and bike park riders who’ll appreciate this option.

The Session 8 model I received was in the R2 size. Trek are offering three sizes of the Session, and are doing away with the traditional ‘small, medium, large’ sizing structure, much like Specialized’s S system. The Session range comes in R1, R2, and R3.

What Trek have done with the three sizes is pretty nifty. The standover is pretty much the same (754.6mm, 758.7mm, 756.8mm) between the sizes, so you’re selecting a bike on your preferred reach (446.8mm, 471.6mm, 448.2mm) and chainstay length (435.1mm, 441.1mm, 448.2mm).

The bike ships as standard with the Mino Link in the high position, and that’s the geometry I’ve discussed above. Moving the Mino Link to the low position will shorten the reach and lengthen the chain stays among other things. Despite having varying chain stay lengths depending on size, it’s actually the same chain stay used throughout, with the bottom bracket position changing slightly with each frame size.

My Session 8 in size R2 weighed in at 17.95kg without pedals. All complete bikes come in 29” only, however all three combinations of full 29”, mullet (29”/27.5”), and full 27.5” can be run on the Session using the Mino Link adjustment, and a headset cup extender in the case of full 27.5”. For both mullet and full 27.5” setups you’ll need to run the Mino Link in the high position, which is the setting the bike comes in as standard.

Another feature Trek have added with the new Session is the ability to adjust the bike’s progressivity. A flip chip in the lower shock mount allows for two amounts of progression, 20 percent and 25 percent. The bike ships with 25 percent progressivity as standard, and it’s the setting I ran throughout testing.

The Session in Australia is available as the complete Session 8 tested here, as well as the Session 9 frame set. The frame set comes in the team replica colour with a Fox Performance DHX shock and the headset extender to run 27.5” wheels front and rear. The 8 model I tested is $6999, whilst the frame set will set you back $4999.  

Tester:  Will Shaw

Riding Experience: More Queenstown Bike Park laps than my bank account appreciates

Generally Rides: Moustache Game 6, Norco One25, Norco Section A1

Height: 185cm

Weight: 84kg

Bike Test Track: Ourimbah DH, Awaba DH, Mona Vale DH

On the Trail:

I immediately felt comfortable aboard the new Session. Trek have added about 30mm of reach onto each size of the new bike, and the 471mm reach on the R2 size felt bang on from the get-go. I wouldn’t have minded lopping an inch or so off the bike’s seatpost, but this is easily done at your local dealer if necessary. The cockpit was similarly easy to get along with.

In terms of setting the bike up, The Boxxer Select fork and Fox VAN rear shock don’t have lots of adjustments to worry about. Once the fork’s sag is where you want it to be there’s rebound damping and five clicks of compression to play with. On the rear shock there’s low-speed compression and rebound adjustment.

A specific aim in the development of the new Session was to increase the bike’s traction and control in high speed ‘chundery’ terrain. According to lead engineer Dylan Howes (who has worked on every iteration of the Session for the last 20 years), the rearward axle path allowed by the new design moves the rear wheel from 12 to 25mm further backwards compared to old Session, depending on where you are in the travel.

On the trail this is immediately noticeable. Repeated harsh hits are kept under control at the rear, encouraging you to hit chunky sections faster. Bigger impacts are swallowed up by the new Session, which has reduced pedal kickback by 10-19 degrees (from 15-27 degrees on the old Session to 5-8 degrees on the new bike). If I had to describe the new Session in a word, it’d definitely be calm. There’s none of the pitching forward sensation you can get from pedal kickback, or the rear end losing composure under repeated hits or heavy braking.

Another area the Session shines in is front to rear balance. The geometry was spot on for me, striking a great balance between stability, whilst still being able to link the bike through tighter turns and ride nimbly at lower speeds. The Mino Link and progression adjustments are also handy for different tracks where certain handling attributes might be more useful. I rode the majority of the testing with the Mino Link in the standard high position and 25 percent progression.

The idler is a key component of the Session, and it allows the bike to have its rearward axle path and reduced pedal kickback. Despite this, because the idler isn’t concentric with the main pivot Trek have been able to tune the anti-squat to allow the bike to remain agile and ‘poppy’. This is noticeable out on the trail, however if you’re the kind of rider that likes a bit of feedback about what’s happening underneath you, the Session almost completely mutes these sensations. Despite this, if you push into the bike it’ll give you the energy back, so I had no issues popping over trail features, or pre-jumping to pump terrain.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the new Session. Whilst the previous Session is the bike ridden by the current World Champion, I suspect Reece Wilson will have no problems remaining at the top of the results sheet aboard this new bike. The way Trek have blended the Session’s handling and suspension kinematics makes for a confidence inspiring ride that keeps things calm when the trail gets rough and fast.

After more downhill and long travel bike reviews? See below for some more heavy hitters.

TESTED: YT TUES CF Pro Race

TESTED: Revel Bikes Rail

TESTED: Trek Slash

TESTED: Sunn Kern EN 29 Finest

TESTED: Canyon Torque CF 8.0

One componentry choice on the new Session I was confused about was the 180mm rear rotor. Whilst I didn’t ride the bike on any tracks long or steep enough to really need a bigger rear rotor, I think 200mm should come as standard front and rear on a downhill bike, and there’s plenty of professionals running 220mm rotors on the World Cup circuit. Whilst you’ll need to source adaptors, you can run 220mm rotors front and rear aboard the Session.

The Session is a great choice if you’re after a Downhill race machine that’ll go fast from your first ride. One style of rider I wouldn’t recommend the Session to is the rider who enjoys selecting the smoothest lines and feeling what’s going on underneath them to achieve this. Whilst the Session responds well to being pumped and pops around the trail nicely, the bike will happily smash through most lines without letting you know your line choice could be better.

In terms of value for money, the Session 8’s price of $6999 is there or thereabouts in the 2022 downhill market. In terms of componentry, I had no issues with the spec that came on the Session 8, and key components like the brakes and suspension offered fantastic performance.

RRP:  $6999

Weight: 17.95kg (size R2 as tested, without pedals)

From:  https://www.trekbikes.com/au/en_AU/

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Trek Session 8 27.5

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Weight / M - 16.27 kg / 35.87 lbs (with tubes)

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminum, tapered head tube, internal control routing, integrated frame protection, downtube guard, ISCG 05 mount, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ABP, 157x12mm thru axle, 210mm travel
• Fork RockShox Boxxer Select, DebonAir spring, Charger RC damper, 46mm offset, 20x110mm Boost thru axle, 200mm travel
• Wheels Front: Bontrager Line DH 30, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, 110x20mm Boost thru axle Rear: Bontrager Line DH 30, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, 157x12mm thru axle
• Wheel Size 27.5"
• Tires Bontrager G4 Team Issue, Inner Strength sidewalls, wire bead, 60 tpi, 27.5x2.40''
• Chain SRAM PC-1110, 11 speed
• Crank Truvativ Descendant DH, DUB 83, 34T steel ring, 165mm length
• Shifters SRAM GX DH, 7 speed
• Cassette SRAM PG-720, 11-25, 7 speed
• Brakeset Size: S, M, L, XL Size: S, M, L, XL
• Handlebar Bontrager Line, alloy, 35mm, 27.5mm rise, 780mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, hollow chromoly rails, 138mm width
• Seatpost Bontrager Rhythm Elite, 31.6mm, 0mm offset, 330mm length
• Stem Bontrager Line Pro, 35mm, Direct Mount, 50mm length
• Grips Bontrager XR Trail Elite, alloy lock-on
• Headset FSA Orbit, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

Q: Where to buy a 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5?

The 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 weigh?

A 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 weights M - 16.27 kg / 35.87 lbs (with tubes).

Q: What size wheels does the 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 have?

The 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 has 27.5" wheels.

Q: What size 2021 Trek Session 8 27.5 should I get?

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2021 Trek Session: The High Pivot, Idler Pulley, Fast And Fun Machine

by Chipps April 8, 2021 0

Right, get comfy, we have much to talk about. The new 2021 Trek Session is very different, and yet very familiar. Firstly, do we call it a downhill bike? A freeride bike? The Session has great history and has succeeded in many places – notably Rachel Atherton’s ‘Perfect Season’ and at Red Bull Rampage, under Semenuk and Rheeder. This new 2021 Session, though, has much in common with the Session from 2006, and the 2003 Diesel before that. Why’s that then?

Idler Pulley

That’s the biggest visual change to differentiate the 2021 Trek Session from the 2018 model. There’s a carefully positioned high pivot on the frame, with an idler pulley to isolate the drivetrain from pedalling forces. As mentioned, the ‘single pivot with idler’ idea first appeared on the Trek Diesel way back in 2003, before the first Session appeared in 2005. Then in 2006, the Session 10 incorporated an idler pulley too. Later Sessions moved away from this, with Trek’s ABP system being adopted, as well as carbon frames in 2011. That’s another thing that the new session has in common with its older siblings: the frame material.

Trek claims the High Pivot offers a smoother, plusher ride and better square-edge bump resistance, as the wheel is moving more backwards than just upwards. This should help it carry speed better. The idler pulley allows for much less pedal ‘kickback’, where the pedals are jolted backwards on hitting bumps, thanks to the suspension pulling on the chain. The previous model moved the pedals 15-27° through the suspension range, where the new 2021 model’s pedals are only affected around 5-8°.

Aluminium frame

In a surprise move, Trek has gone with aluminium frames throughout the range of the 2021 Session. This was a surprise to Trek’s engineers too. What happened was that several alloy ‘mules’ were welded up to get the frame dimensions right and to test the suspension. It turns out the team riders like World Champion Reece Wilson said they preferred the ride of the alloy framed prototypes (presumably over similar carbon prototypes, though that wasn’t clear). The bike has certainly been in development long enough to have made a carbon frame if Trek had wanted to. The initial test sessions were right after the end of the 2019 DH season – Trek rented a whole downhill park in New Jersey to test the prototypes in secret.

Suspension Mino-Link

Trek’s Mini Link has appeared before, but it’s usually to adjust a bike’s angles. This time, the link at the bottom of the shock mount adjusts the shock’s progression. There’s a 25% option for smoother trails and a 20% option for the rough stuff.

Trek has joined a few other companies in doing away with height-specific sizing. There will be three ‘sizes’ of the new Session, measured by their reach measurements: R1 has a reach of 440mm, R2 is 465mm and R3 is 495mm. Overall, the reach measurements have increased by nearly 10% on previous models. The standover height is the same across all three sizes. However, shorter riders will be disappointed that the equivalent ‘small’ frame has gone away.

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Size specific chainstays

Geometry hounds will be pleased to hear that the three sizes of bikes will features three different chainstay lengths too, to balance out that increasing reach. These are: R1 – 439mm, R2 – 445mm and R3 – 452mm.

Mullets? If you want!

As you might expect these days, some riders are after a mullet setup, with 29in up front and 27.5in at the rear. That’s entirely possible, as is a full 29 and a full 27.5in rig. This happens thanks to a second ‘Mino Link’ on the seatstays. This isn’t to adjust geometry, but to allow for different wheel sizes. So, the bike comes stock as a 29er, but if you run the Mino Link in High, then your Session becomes Mullet-friendly. If you want to run a full 27.5in wheel setup, then add the optional EXT Headset cup and run the link in High again for full 27.5in compatibility.

Other cool stuff.

That’s nearly the whole bike, but what else is there on the Trek 2021 Session? There’s bolt-on and extended downtube armour for starters, there’s a moulded, dual density (and replaceable) rubber chainstay guard and there’s also cable routing options. You can run the cables through the top tube for neatness – but if you’re likely to need to swap your brakes over a race weekend, for example, then there are also external cable guides so you don’t need to pull hoses through frames.

For 2021, there will be two complete versions of the 2021 Trek Session – the Session 9 and the Session 8.

The Session 9 features a Boxxer Ultimate, Rockshox SuperDeluxe Air, SRAM X01 transmission and Code RSC brakes along with Bontrager Line DH wheels.

The Session 8 will have a RockShox Boxxer Select+, a Fox Van Coil, SRAM GX DH drivetrain and Code R brakes.

There will also be a Trek Session frameset too. This will come with the Fox Van Coil shock and will include the EXT headset cup so you can run it with whatever wheels you want.

• Trek Session 9: £6300
• Trek Session 8: £4500
• Trek Session Frame: £2750 (includes shock and EXT headset cup)

Knowing Trek, the bike will be shipping to dealers this week, so if you’re interested, then don’t delay…

See more of the new 2021 Trek Session at Trek’s Website .

• This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by Eddiebaby .
• NEWS: 2021 Trek Session: The High Pivot, Idler Pulley, Fast And Fun Machine

Right, get comfy, we have much to talk about. The new 2021 Trek Session is very different, and yet very familiar. Firstly, do we call it a downhill bike? A freeride bike? The Session has great history and has succeeded in many places – notably Rachel Atherton’s ‘Perfect Season’ and at Red Bull Rampage, under Semenuk and Rheeder. This new 2021 Session, though, has much in common with the Session from 2006, and the 2003 Diesel before that. Why’s that then? Chipps

Not sure about those trousers though… 🙂

Doesn’t look like a Session. #pinkbikecomments

Trek call t the 2022 Session. That’s early. Or is it down to them still being caught up in the Covid world of low stock and late delivery?

Are we going to talk about the sparkly paint job? I likey.

There’s a lot of classically trek about that, do like. Proper thinking for different wheelsizes rather than compromises…

Irrelevant to me, I’ll keep riding my ancient 224 Evo that cost about as much as the shock in those treks, but, I like

That looks nice. Trek are weird aren’t they? Make very nice yet boring bikes then every now and then they throw something unexpected at you. This, the Stache and full Stache, Sawyer etc.

A metal frame ? External cables or hoses ?

Halleloooooyaaah.

Just need a threaded BB rather than the dumb-ass press (creak) fit, to get fully back to common sense.

Why are the comments on this forum style rather than the normal ones? Can’t see it on the forum and no comments show on the page header.

The topic ‘NEWS: 2021 Trek Session: The High Pivot, Idler Pulley, Fast And Fun Machine’ is closed to new replies.

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 22 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

New Trek Session doesn’t look anything like the previous Session

• Alan Muldoon
• April 8, 2021

2021 Trek Session is a 200mm travel 29er downhill bike, with high pivot idler design, that can also be configured to run mullet or 27.5in wheels.

As downhill race bikes go, the Trek Session is easily one of the most decorated – racking up a whopping 38 world cup wins under the guidance of Aaron Gwin, Tracy Moseley and the Athertons. More recently Reece Wilson piloted the Session to its first male World Championship title at Leogang, Austria.

Read more: Best electric mountain bikes, E-Bike of the Year

Trek Session need to know

• New high pivot ABP suspension layout with an idler gives a more rearward axle path and reduced pedal kickback
• Alloy only frame construction
• New shock Mino Link offers adjustable progression rate
• R sizing is based on reach, not seat tube – three sizes available 440/465/495mm
• Size specific chainstay lengths 439mm R1, 445mm R2 and 452mm R3
• Full length bolt on down tube protection
• External cable routing option for ease of maintenance
• Two bolt ISCG mount with 32-38t chainring compatibility
• Two models: Session 9 £6,300, Session 8 £4,500, frame only £2,750

Leverage curve changes via lower flipchip

With such an impressive list of palmares, Trek could easily be forgiven for taking the “if it ain’t broken, why fix it?” approach. But at the performance end of downhill racing time rests for no one, so instead of polishing the brass in its sizeable trophy cabinet Trek is going after more titles.

And to do that it’s actually looking backwards. Backwards to the rearward axle path and idler design of the original Session 10 and the Diesel before that. In fact, the new Session is a hybrid of old and new, combining the current ABP suspension layout with the higher pivot and idler of old to produce a 200mm travel 29er downhill race bike that can also be adapted for events like Red Bull Rampage with a few tweaks that we’ll get to in just a minute.

Why introduce the additional complexity of an idler? Well, the science behind the more rearward axle path clearly shows that it reduces the peak vertical velocity of the rear wheel, or to put it another way, it gives the wheel more time to climb the bump. And unlike some idler designs, the main pivot piston on the new Session is not so high as to give a completely rearward axle path.

Geometry changes via MinoLink flipchip on rocker

The idler location plays a key part here too. It’s not concentric with the main pivot as Trek wanted to retain some chain tension, which in turn helps stabilize the suspension and make the bike pedal more efficiently for those all important finish line sprints. It’s a big departure though; compared to the old Session suspension design the new layout has a maximum pedal kickback of 8º vs 27º, which will allow the rear suspension to react more freely to impacts as it’s not fighting against the same degree of chain tension.

Chainstay protector follows modern Toblerone aesthetic

And unlike the single pivot idler designs used by the likes of Norco and Forbidden , Trek’s ABP design transforms the seat stays and rocker link into a floating brake mount which helps keep the anti-rise in check, so the rear suspension shouldn’t squat too much under heavy braking either. That’s the theory at least. We’ve not had the chance to ride the new Session yet, so it’s all we have to go on. Nonetheless, it’s interesting that it could be braking performance that really separates the raft of new idler designs.

External or internal cable routing – it’s your choice

New frame, new sizing

One criticism fairly leveled at the Session was that it was too short. Well, Trek has addressed that and gone a lot further with the latest design. It has now switched to what it’s calling R sizing. It’s based on the reach measurement rather than seat tube length and it’s a lot like Specialized’s S sizing. Trek offers the new Session in three frame sizes R1 (440mm), R2 (465mm) and R3 (493mm). It’s clear that reach measurements have been increased by about 30mm across the board, so there should be no need to upsize, even if Trek has actually made that easier thanks to the R2 and R3 sizes both sharing 450mm seat tubes. There’s currently no carbon frame option on the new Session and it’s hard to say if this is purely about economies of scale, but it certainly hasn’t stopped Commencal or Specialized racking up multiple world cup wins on aluminium bikes, so who knows.

ABP axle-concentric pivot

Size specific chain stays

To balance weight distribution across all three frame sizes, Trek has also introduced size specific chainstay lengths. Taking design cues from Owen Pemberton, formerly of Norco and now Forbidden, the rear ends on the Session don’t actually change. Instead, it is where they attach to the front triangle that gives the dedicated chainstay lengths. By simply moving the main and rocker link pivots backwards relative to the BB as the frame sizes increase, the chainstay lengths, or more accurately, the rear centre measurements grow from 439mm on the R1, to 445mm on the R2, than max out at 452mm on the R3. It’s a neat, cost efficient way to offer size specific chainstay lengths as the same rear end can still be maintained across all frame sizes.

That high pivot idler arrangement

Geometry adjustment

Trek’s trusty Mino Link offers two geometry settings on the Session. With the 29er configuration in the high position the claimed BB height is 358mm and the headangle is 63.6º. Dropping it into the low setting chips approximately 9mm off the BB height and slackens the head angle by 0.6º. But the Mino Link is not simply about offering two different ride charastices with one bike; combined with a headset extender cup, Trek can transform one frame from full 29in all the way to full 27.5in, for the likes of Brandon Semenuk , with the mullet setting slotting seamlessly in between. To correct the geometry Trek says the mullet configuration just requires a 27.5in rear wheel and the Mino Link in the high position, while the full 27.5in bike also needs the headset extender that’s supplied with the bike.

Coil or air shock? You choose.

Rather than striking a compromise between the most effective progression rate for either air or coil shocks , the new Trek Session has a second Mino Link in the lower shock mount that offers two distinct progression settings. In the forward position the Session has 20% total progression making it ideal for air-sprung shocks. Flip the shock Mino Link to the rearward setting and the total progression increases to 25% to better resist bottoming when used with a coil sprung shock.

So the new Trek Session is packed with innovative features and the alloy frame certainly keeps the pricing competitive with the top end Session 9 at £6,300 and the entry-level Session 8 at £4,500. If you want to go down the custom build route there’s also a frame only option for £2,750. The bike also appears to be every bit as customisable as it is capable and even though it looks very different to the previous Session it’s evident that it builds on the foundations laid down by over a decade of racing at the very highest level. All we need now is for the racing to start so we can see if Trek has maintained that winning pedigree.

Trek Session 8 2021

About the Trek Session 8 2021

The Trek Session 8 2021 is a Full suspension Downhill Mountain Bike with a alloy frame. Equipped with a SRAM GX drivetrain of 7 gears (1x7). Its features include internal routing, boost 110 , and e-thru axle. The bike weighs approximately 16,27 kg.

Internal routing

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2022 TREK SESSION 9 X01 REVIEW

The purpose-built speed machine.

Review by Drew Rohde | Photos by Dusten Ryen

When it comes to downhill bikes, few have an identity as established as Trek’s Session. For over 15 years, the Session lineage has been gracing the top steps of podiums the world over. Trek refuses to rest on their laurels however and continue to push the Session’s development to create what they hope will be the fastest bike in the world. After a spectacular World Cup Downhill season, it seems they’re not far off! The new Trek Session has gone both forwards and backwards as cutting-edge tech seems to have revisited older suspension designs and materials but with many advancements. Back in 2006, the Trek Session 10 featured a high pivot design and aluminum construction. Fast forward to the 2022 Trek Session 9 high-pivot race machine and it’s awesome to see history working so smoothly with the present to offer downhill riders one of the fastest bikes we’ve ever ridden. Our team has been pushing the new Session 9 as hard as we dare for the last few months and can now share our verdict on how it stacks up against the fastest downhill race bikes in the world.

•High-Pivot • Full 27.5 / Mullet / Full 29 Compatible • HTA 63 ° / 63.6° • STA 42.5° • REACH 472 / 465mm (Large)

Price: $6999/£6300 Website: Trekbikes.com

THE LAB The biggest talking point, and perhaps the most significant design change to the Trek Session since the 2008 Session 88 model was introduced, is the shifting of the main suspension pivot upwards to produce a high pivot variant of their ABP-equipped, linkage driven single pivot suspension platform. We covered this in detail in our Dissected feature of the bike , so we’ll keep it brief here. The high pivot design produces a wheel axle path that is more rearward than the previous generation without being too extreme to cause some hang up that we’ve felt on other high-pivot enduro bikes lately. This mild wheel path and pivot location leads to improved square-edge bump performance as well as greater stability when deep in the travel. Both good things when you’re looking to go as fast as possible down rough terrain. While it is high enough to necessitate an idler, it’s close enough that we’d be comfortable saying it’s almost a mid-pivot bike, which isn’t a bad thing since the drawbacks of a super high rear pivot aren’t felt but you still get many of the advantages.

The 2022 Session sees a departure from the last iterations by only offering an Alpha Platinum aluminum frame – there’s no carbon fiber option here. This decision was made following the feedback from their World Cup Downhill riders, who had tested an aluminum prototype and suggested the feel of the frame was superior to the carbon frames they had used previously.

The frame retains the Mino link geometry adjustment in the seatstay from previous frames, but it serves a dual-purpose to also allow for adjustment from dual 29” wheels, through to a mixed 29/27.5 setup and even dual 27.5” wheels with an external headset cup fitted. This allows the Session to be set up as a wagon wheeled race machine, or with the smaller wheels for those looking for some extra agility and maneuverability in the bike park. Further adjustment is offered with the Mino Link on the lower shock mount, which lets the progression of the suspension to be switched between 20% and 25% and provide a plusher or more efficient suspension feel, with both offering adequate progression to use a coil or high-volume air shock.

Trek has all the details well covered by this point, with options provided for internal or cleanly executed external cable routing; a generous bolt-on downtube guard for protection from ride and shuttle damage; two ISCG05 mounts to attach a lower guide and bash guard, and some generous chainstay protection to keep noise to a minimum. The rear axle is the downhill 157x12mm standard, with a ZS49/56 headset and 83mm BSA threaded BB. A 13t idler pulley is fitted with a serviceable sealed cartridge bearing, to keep it spinning smoothly for longer.

Another new feature on this year’s Trek Session is the adoption of a reach-based sizing system, with conventional Small, Medium and Large being replaced with R1, R2 and R3. This is a result of the low and consistent 425mm seat tube length allowing riders to focus solely on the length of the fit when choosing their bike size. This will offer most riders the choice between two sizes, so they can tailor their preference of out-and-out stability with the longer size or increased agility on the smaller size. Trek has opted to go the route of size-specific chainstays, which helps to keep weight balance more consistent throughout the size range. Shared across the size range in the Low Mino link setting with dual 29” wheels are the 63-degree head angle, 21mm bb drop, 639mm stack and aforementioned 425mm seat tube. At 5’11 – 6’1” we opted to go with the R2 size since we prefer a more maneuverable bike for tighter, technical terrain. The R2 tested had a 465mm reach paired with a 445mm chainstay, producing a lengthy overall wheelbase of 1,277mm. Flipping the Mino link into the High setting steepens the head angle by 0.6 degrees, with a 9mm bb height increase and 7mm increase in reach.

Trek offers the Session in a choice of two complete builds or as a $2,999/£2750 frame only. The Session 8 retails for $4,999/£4500 and is spec’d with a solid SRAM GX level kit featuring their 7spd GX DH drivetrain, Code R brakes with 200/180mm Centerline rotors, RockShox Boxxer Select fork, Fox Van Performance coil shock, Bontrager Line DH 30 wheelset with Rapid drive 108 hub and Bontrager alloy finishing kit.

Opting for the higher spec Session 9 (tested) will run you $6,999/£6300. For that money, you get an upgrade to the Charger 2.1 RC2 equipped RockShox Boxxer Ultimate paired to an air sprung Super Deluxe Ultimate DH with RC damper. The gearing is provided by SRAM’s X01 DH 7spd setup with an X01 DH carbon crank, and braking is controlled by their Code RSC’s. You get the same Bontrager Line 30 DH wheelset with Rapid drive 108 hub, but get upgraded to a Line Pro carbon bar to input your control to their Line Pro stem. This adds up to a total weight of 36.6lbs  for our size R2.

THE DIRT We were quite impressed with the new Session after our first run but had to reserve any detailed feedback until after we completed our Dissected feature. Since then, we’ve grown to like this bike more and more. Although it took us ditching the 820mm wide bars that almost seem to have a drop to them, to eliminate the diving passenger feeling on steep, double black diamond downhill trails. Once we got some 780mm bars and slid the forks down a bit to raise the front end, it rode as if we unlocked a cheat code in MTB DH video game land.

Now, before we get into all the places the Session 9 excels, lets address a couple of nitpicks. We’d like to see one more size added to the lineup. At 5’11 we found ourselves split on thinking a 465 may be a touch short but knowing we’d not be happy with how long a 495mm reach would feel. A 480mm reach option with a 505mm XL or are R4 would be our suggestion. Next up is the choice to go with a 180mm rear rotor. We’re not sure if Reece Wilson, Loris Vergier or the rest of the Trek Race team are using 180mm rear rotors, but we’d absolutely like to see a 200mm out back. We reached out to Trek and while they said they choose a 180 for a more balanced braking feel, they hinted that next year we may be seeing larger rotors getting spec’d, which is definitely a smart move.

Third on our short list of criticisms is the bike’s behavior on slower speed technical corners, specifically switchbacks. During our testing we exclusively ran the Session 9 in full 29er mode and noticed that trying to get the back tire to snap late into corners or squaring up switchbacks, was a bit of an awkward effort. It seems that the 445mm long chainstays, that get even longer once into the travel, combined with the G5 tire’s Velcro-like traction meant we had a bit of a learning curve. It wasn’t the easiest rear end to correct with a simple slide or twist of the hips. Picking the race line through corners worked much better than coming inside and trying to get the back end to come around. Something we find ourselves doing a lot in the loose, rocky trails of Mt. Bachelor.

If you’ve got open trails and corners that don’t close off awkwardly, then it likely won’t be an issue you’ll have to deal with. We don’t see too many World Cup DH courses that have corners like that, but sadly, we don’t always get to ride World Cup DH courses, instead we ride trails built 20 years ago before modern geometry was a thing.

Once out of the tight stuff and charging at speed, the Trek Session 9 let’s you know how happy it is. The high pivot Session rewards riders who keep their fingers off the brakes and want to ride faster than their brain wants them to. It is fast and does an incredible job of smoothing out choppy terrain, obstacles and even slower riders who won’t get out of your way. Just kidding, don’t run over other trail users! In all seriousness though, this bike continually had us playing a game of chicken as we’d see a corner approaching yet it felt so good eating the braking bumps that we DID NOT want to touch the brakes and slow down. I hate braking bumps. My fingers hate braking bumps. My feet hate braking bumps. Yet, this bike somehow made me feel like Eli Tomac grazing the top of a supercross whoop section.

Similarly, small to medium-sized trail obstacles like rocks and roots were no match for the Trek Session 9’s suspension. The mid-high pivot and wheel path worked so well at moving out of the way that foot feedback was almost non-existent and we were able to maintain our attack position on the bike without feeling like we were getting bucked or bounced around and fighting to keep in a stable position. The Boxxer fork definitely needed some volume reducers added but the rear shock tune and OE-spec’d spacers in the Super Deluxe Ultimate DH are spot on for our 170-175lb rider weight and advanced riders. We couldn’t have wanted anything more out of the rear suspension when it came to plowing terrain and going fast.

When it came time to hit jump trails, the new Trek Session 9 is plenty capable. It’s not going to be the bike Trek’s C3 athletes choose to ride at Rampage, Crankworx events like A-Line Race or other jumpy days, but if you don’t want to buy a Session Park and a Session race bike, it will do. Where some DH bikes favor jumpy, bike park riders, the Session 9 is designed to go fast! There are some great bikes that offer impressive performance in both areas, the Canyon Sender comes to mind, but we think riders who are looking at the Session 9 will likely be focusing their time and energy on racing raw, high speed chunk rather than sessioning flow trails.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Last year we made a pretty bold claim when we reviewed the Canyon Sender and said it was the best downhill bike out. The Trek Session had us questioning that claim so much that we spent the last month riding both bikes in a head to head format with timed runs and we’re working on finalizing now, so be sure you stay tuned. Even without the final verdict in, the fact we questioned how the Session stacks up against the Sender means it’s a helluva downhill bike!

Price: $6999/£6300 Weight: Size R2 – 36.6lbs Website: Trekbikes.com

SPECIFICATIONS

CHASSIS Frame: Alpha Platinum Aluminum | high main pivot | idler pulley | 200mm Fork: RockShox Boxxer Ultimate | 200mm Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH

COCKPIT Handlebar: Bontrager Line Pro | OCLV Carbon | 820mm – 15mm Rise Stem: Bontrager Line Pro | 50mm Shifters: SRAM X01 DH, 7-Speed Brakes: SRAM Code RSC Saddle: Bontrager Arvada Seatpost: Bontrager Rhythm Elite

WHEELS Wheels: Bontrager Line DH 30 Tires: Bontrager G5 Team Issue | 29×2.5″

DRIVETRAIN Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB Derailleur: SRAM X01 DH Crankset: SRAM X01 DH | 34t | 165mm Cassette: SRAM PG-720 | 11-25 | 7-Speed Chain: SRAM PC-1110

Holy Moly Fast! Smooth as butter Fair value Inspires confidence like few others Looks good, paint splatter! G5 Tires

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2020 Trek Session 8 27.5 Bike (discontinued)

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First Ride: 2022 Trek Session - Nope, Not Going to Say It

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Trek Session 8 27.5 Downhill Bike 2021 Rage Red

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Season:2021

Code:592253-TREK20

• Session 8 has the heart of a monster truck: it rolls over everything, gives you the confidence to take on rougher trails and saves you when you don't take the right line
• The quality suspension set-up paired with our ABP frame design is made to keep you in control
• The durable, DH-specific 7-speed drivetrain keeps things simple, so you can focus on shredding and getting rad
• Mino Link lets you make small adjustments to your geometry quickly and easily, even mid-ride
• 27.5 wheels are great for flicking the bike around through the most technical trails

Trek Men's Bike Sizing Guide

We have put together a general sizing guide for Trek road and mountain bikes. Please see the below for a general size and check out the Trek Bikes Sizing Guide for all bike model guides and how to measure yourself. 

Trek Men's Road Bike Sizing Guide

Trek men's mountain bike sizing guide, trek men's commute bike sizing guide, write a review for trek session 8 27.5 downhill bike 2021 rage red, also in the range.

• £7510 £7510 Trek Session 9 X01 Downhill Mountain Bike Team
• £5995 £7400 Trek Session 9 X01 Downhill Mountain Bike 2023 Team
• £5550 £5550 Trek Session 8 GX Downhill Bike 2024 Satin Black
• £5499 £6400 Trek Session 9 X01 29er Downhill Mountain Bike 2022 Blue

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• Rider Notes

2024 Trek Session 8

A 29″ aluminum frame full suspension downhill bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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5'3" – 5'10"

5'8" – 6'3"

6'1" – 6'6"

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Oct 2023 · Dario DiGiulio

Trek did a very good job making the Slash a quiet bike, then seemingly lost the plot when they specced a hard rubber chainslap protector that does little to mitigate the drivetrain noise in bumpy terrain.

Excellent geometry and balanced ride

Composed, capable, and predictable suspension

Climbs well for such a downhill-focused bike

Excels in challenging terrain

Chassis may be too stiff for some

Chain drop issues due to improperly spaced lower idler (fixed)

Stock chainstay protector did very little to manage noise

Read Review

Oct 2021 · Drew Rohde

If you’re looking for a bad ass downhill bike that will literally have you taking your fingers off the brakes longer as it floats over the chunder beneath you, the 2022 Trek Session 9 is worth a solid look.

Holy Moly Fast!

Smooth as butter

Inspires confidence like few others

Looks good, paint splatter!

180mm rear brake rotor

Rear end can be awkward, long feeling in tight, slow corners

Handlebar sweep/lack of rise

The new Trek doesn't look like a Session...ok maybe it does, but it's still all new!

Last updated April 18

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It's our mission to provide you with world-class hospitality every time you visit us online or in-store. We're always here to help you. It's the Trek way.

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All bikes ordered online ship for free to your local Trek shop for professional assembly. Participating retailers will even deliver your new ride to your doorstep!

Warrantied for life

Each Trek carries a simple promise. We'll take care of you and do what's right.

A damn fast bike

Session allows you to hit sections at ridiculous speeds and commitment levels. It's been nothing but grin-inducing to get to know the Session so far.

"Fastest World Cup DH Bike of 2021"

"With 13 wins across World Cup races and the World Champs, the Session is leagues ahead of the other bikes that took home victories this season."

For riders who charge full speed

A fast, versatile, confidence inspiring downhill bike that will let you push harder and ride faster than you thought you could.

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