Trek X Caliber 29er Hardtail

5/5

(7 Reviews)

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MSRP : $1619.99

Product Description

Nothing beats the efficiency and simplicity of a 29er hardtail. Great for XC racing, marathons, 24-hour racing, or simply shredding singletrack. Upgrades from Cobia:

SRAM X.7 10-speed drivetrain

RockShox Reba RL with Motion Control lockout

Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic disc brakes

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Reviews 1 - 7 (7 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

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Submitted by hangdogdaddy38 a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: August 18, 2012

Strengths:    Shock, nice mat color. Sram x7 group

Weaknesses:    mis matched derailleurs

Bottom Line:

I have owned a 2002 Mongoose Sommet Pro, 2009 Gary Fisher Tassajara(beautiful bike), and a Motobecane Fantom DS. By far I am faster on this X-cal than I have been on any other bike. I'm sold on 29er's. It's fast and with some upgraded wheels, post and bars it will be really fast. The bars that come with it may have a little too much sweep for some. I just changed mine out. I love mine.

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Favorite Trail:   Salem Lake, Winston Salem, N.C.

Duration Product Used:   Three months

Price Paid:    $1099.00

Purchased At:   Bicycle Toy and Hobb

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Submitted by MB a All Mountain Rider

Date Reviewed: May 17, 2012

Strengths:    Nice paint, wheelset, light-weight

Weaknesses:    Very squeaky brakes. Kept reading about this thinking it cant really be that bad. It gets annoying.

Bottom Line:

Only been on 2 rides with the bike but it handles great. I'm coming off an old hardtail 26-er and really notice how much quicker this bike seems to be. Also read alot about bad tires - havent had any issues - was actually surprised at how well they gripped. Not a very aggressive pattern but they handled good enough.

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Price Paid: $1300.00

Purchased At: Bike Gallery, Lake O

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Submitted by Lorenzo Sison a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: April 22, 2012

Strengths:    relaxed ride, fast on trails, suspension is good,

Weaknesses:    seat could be more comfortable, mismatched front derailler, brakes and tires can be improved

Bottom Line:

I got the 2012 Trek X-Cal after testing what's available in the market for three (3) months. After riding a number of bikes, I chose the x-cal because I felt more comfortable riding it. I was very conscious not be picky of the other parts because I knew that they can be upgraded in the future.

It's hard to put my finger on it but there's really something about the geometry which won me over. The ride is relaxed but you know that you can also go fast with it if you want to. This is my first 29er and this is to confirm that everything you read about the advantages of going big wheels are pretty accurate.

Even with some of the weaknesses I pointed out, I just love my x-cal and I suggest that you give it a test ride before finalizing any purchase at this price point.

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Price Paid: $1200.00

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Submitted by Necris a Cross Country Rider from Czech Republic

Date Reviewed: December 27, 2011

Strengths:    G2 Geometry, Rock Shox Reba fork, Sram X7 set, Handlebars, Elixir 1 brakes

Weaknesses:    Lack of gear indicators

Bottom Line:

I bought 2012 version of this bike. Before I did so, I tried many other bikes, including Stumpjumper Alu, Zaskar, Merida etc. I also rode 29ers for one whole season before buying this bike. But this one definitely won. I am 193 cm tall, so I bought 21" version.

I will make the long story short. I consider this bike to be the best XC I have ever ridden, no kidding. All components are very well known so there is no need to introduce them. They work flawlessly.

Avid Elixir 1 brakes - big surprise ! They can really throw you over your handlebars just by using one or two fingers. For the price, they perform very well, for XC riding I never needed more braking power, they can always provide more than you actually need. They really perform well.

Bontrager Mustang disc - New Tubeless Ready Assymetric rims came with 2012 version. They are better than 2011 when weight and stiffness is considered, not to say they are TR. One big upgrade. But during winter, I will ride this bike with original tires and with tube. I was used to ride Maxxis Crossmark, which are heavier tires, but they roll better on road, slightly. But everywhere else, those Bontrager tires held like nothing else. Wet roots, wet rocks, hard climbs, they just hold and never let go.

I personaly conside this to be no problem, but for some riders may be the lack of shift gear indicator very disappointng. I got used to it in ten minutes. Also it IS true that you need to get used to X7 shifters to shift accurately. But it's really not a big problem.

This bike offers so much fo it's value. But the most important thing is the geometry, it really works, you have to try it. Every bike has it's weakness and this bike has almost none and offers so much !

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Favorite Trail:   All of them

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1520.00

Purchased At:   Prague

Similar Products Used:   I've been riding 29ers for a season before I bought this bike.

Bike Setup:   2012 version - Complete Sram X7, Avid Elixir 1

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Submitted by Nietz a Weekend Warrior from North East

Date Reviewed: December 12, 2011

Strengths:    Reba fork, smooth riding, decently light, Love the 12* big sweep bars, looks great

Weaknesses:    X7 shifters seem weak, brake noise/pulsation, paint seems to chip easily

Bottom Line:

I love the bike so far, I am a clyde and a big one at that 6'4' 300 pounds and the bike seems to handle me fine to this point, I ride 50 to 100 miles per week mostly rail trails hopping off of the trail here and there to explore and I love the way the bike feels. I will likely upgrade some parts if they break but so far its been good to me, bottom line I would recommend the bike to someone looking for a good solid 29er hardtail.

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Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $1250.00

Similar Products Used:   Specialized Rockhopper Comp, K2 Zed

Bike Setup:   Stock besides grips, seat clamp and some Ti bolts here and there.

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Submitted by Jillzdad a Cross Country Rider from USA

Date Reviewed: October 2, 2011

Strengths:    Quality frame to build up with future components; GFisher geometry; quick up the hilly singletrack.

Weaknesses:    Quality of components for the price - stock tires on the 2012 X-Cal are disappointing, and the derailleurs stressed a little bit on the first hard run but shouldn't disappoint. I can't believe this bike had a "Made in China" decal on the front - quickly removed and destroyed. Trek should know better.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bike and it will handle the wear better than this old boy but hey, let's go find a trail and bang it!

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Favorite Trail:   The trail in front of me

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1400.00

Purchased At:   Ace Bike and Fitness

Similar Products Used:   Tested various Specialized models, GT Karakoram 1.0, Felt Nine Comp and Trek Cobia before investing in the 2012 X-Cal.

Bike Setup:   Stock for now with thorn-resistant tubes thrown in. The tires will be replaced next Spring for more climbing and cornering grip.

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Submitted by quikcolin a Weekend Warrior from London, ON, Canada

Date Reviewed: August 15, 2011

Strengths:    Light weight, Climbing, shifting, "flick-ability"

Weaknesses:    Narrow bars - need to be replaced pronto

Bottom Line:

I absolutely love this bike. It's my first 29er and I couldn't be happier. It climbs like a mountain goat, rolls forever and is very light weight for it's price. If you're looking for good value, solid components, all with great shape and graphics... look no further.

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Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $1500.00

Similar Products Used:   Trek 6700 SLR

Bike Setup:   OEM everything but I've replaced the bars with Easton AC70 Monkey bars - 685mm (to replace the 620mm OEM bars)

Reviews 1 - 7 (7 Reviews Total)

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Trek X Caliber 29er Hardtail

Product Description

User Reviews

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