trek session xl

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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Review: Trek Session 9.9 29

Cool Features

• Rider Notes

2020 Trek Session 8 27.5

A 27.5″ aluminum frame full suspension downhill bike with high-end components. Compare the full range

For This Bike

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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.

Session 8 27.5

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Add custom gearing

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

Read Review

Apr 2021 · Dan Roberts

Out of the box the Session is a full 29” bike with the Mino link giving a High or Low setting..

Mar 2019 · McCoy

Faster than a speeding bullet

Sep 2018 · Seb Stott

A pricey bike let down by a basic fork, disappointing brakes and dated geometry

‘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

If you're a DH racer, your special edition bike usually comes out during worlds - if you're good enough to qualify and your bike sponsor loves you.

May 2017 · Matt Phillips

All new carbon framesets for both 27.5 and 29 inch wheels for Trek's downhill race bike

Trek releases the 2018 Session with updated geometry, refined linkage, and a revamped Float X2 shock. There's also a 29 inch version, which the internet will probably have nothing to say about.

May 2017 · Smurf

The world's first production, carbon 29er downhill bike

Last updated July 17 Not listed for 1,345 days

Downhill Bikes

Trek session 9.9, stunningly crafted. effortless ride dynamic. one of the finest dh bikes in the world.

With eight or more years development behind it the Trek Session 9.9 has evolved into a highly regarded, almost intimidating race bike that delivers pace, well constructed damping characteristics and an impeccable build quality. When it comes to delivering performance and finish the Trek has few rivals. It has been a favourite for many years as we’ve found in past tests .

Trek themselves might well disapprove if we didn’t mention some of the key features of the Session 9.9 including the OCLV carbon, ABP (active braking pivot) which allows the suspension to work freely whether on the brakes or off, Full Floater suspension or Mino Link adjustable geometry but many of these were features that formed the first production Session bikes back in 2008. What Trek have done marvellously well is improve the bike year on year leading to this bike which was one of the first full carbon production 27.5” wheel bikes on the market.

What makes it so special? Very simply is its speed across the ground, but not like some bikes that are great on steep, tight technical but lack pace when the grounds become more level. The Session is fast – everywhere. Offering an engaging ride with precise steering geometry the Session similar to the Specialized Demo seems to build in momentum but in quite a different way. The Session is livelier than the Demo, easier to move around and slightly easier to crank on flatter grounds, the kind frequently found in between rougher sections of track.

“What Trek have done marvelously well is improve the bike year on year. Its also the most incredibly well finished and presented bike”

That doesn’t mean the Trek is lousy in the tougher stuff, oh no, from average damping beginnings in 2008 Jose Gonzalez and his team have stepped up the rear damping on the Session to a place that many can only dream of. Fox suspension played their part too in this process and for 2016 the Session comes with the finest Fox 40 yet to come from the Californian brand.

There are still a couple of minor negative points, for starters the adjustable geometry is still a shade on the high side and we’d like to see the current ‘high’ setting become the standard setting with the addition of a ‘low’ position. The XL is a good size for 6’ riders but there’s still a place for an XXL in the future. And in terms of components whilst the Shimano Saint’s are reliable brakes the Guide Ultimate’s and Code’s offer smoother and more consistent braking through the range. The bar and stem combination takes getting used to – bar too narrow, stem to low.

Overall however if we were to choose a bike for racing on the varied terrain that racing often throws up, then the Session is one of the bikes we would always reach out to. Its pedigree is impressive. A bike that Aaron Gwin steered to nine world cup wins in two seasons and that culminated in two World Cup series wins making it one of the most successful race bikes of all time.

YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS BUT…

Dylan howes, trek r&d.

When we were developing the 27.5 bike, we actually made a full-on carbon prototype with prototype molds that we knew we wouldn’t go to production with. The geometry, suspension kinematics and tube shapes matched the 26” Session exactly with the only changes being wheel size, BB drop (same BB height) and fork offset to maintain the same trail number. We wanted to be able to feel what the wheel size difference felt like before we made any other changes to geometry and suspension kinematics.

Those changes were things like overall bike geometry (top tube length) and suspension improvements that we were planning on regardless of wheel size. On those protos, we also built a full carbon chainstay, which we hadn’t done on a downhill bike before. Even in prototype form, it cut a huge amount of weight from the aluminum (fine, aluminium!) stay and was really robust.

“The chainstay became one of the hardest parts to mold and took months of iterations on layups to get it to pass”

But, we felt we could do it even better and make assembly easier by changing exactly how we molded the parts for production. And then the problems really started! The chainstay became one of the hardest parts to mold and took months of iterations on layups to get it to pass. It became the longest development time of any carbon chainstay we had done, and led to the team, and your test bike, having aluminum chainstays to start the season.

We did solve the molding problem, created a lighter and stronger chainstay than we had in aluminum, and learned some good molding lessons. Future versions would be made like the proto’s. Sometimes you get it right the first time….

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Trek Session 9.9 29

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / SM High, SM Low, MD High, MD Low, LG High, LG Low, XL High, XL Low

Weight / 15.27

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame OCLV Mountain Carbon main frame & stays, tapered head tube, integrated frame protection, Control Freak internal routing, magnesium rocker link, Mino Link, ISCG mount, ABP, 12x157mm thru axle, 190mm travel
• Fork RockShox BoXXer Ultimate, RockShox Boxxer Ultimate, DebonAir spring, Charger 2 RC2 damper, straight steerer, 46mm offset, Boost, 110x20mm Maxle Stealth, 190mm travel
• Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH, RC damper, 225mm x 70mm
• Wheels Bontrager Line DH 30, Tubeless Ready, 6-bolt, 110x20mm Boost thru axle
• Wheel Size 29"
• Tires Bontrager G5 Team Issue, wire bead, 2-ply 60tpi, 29x2.50''
• Chain SRAM NX, SRAM PC-1110, 11 speed
• Crank SRAM X01, SRAM X01 DH, DUB 83, 36T, 56.5mm chainline, 165mm length
• Bottom Bracket SRAM DUB, 83mm, BSA threaded
• Rear Derailleur SRAM X01, SRAM X01 DH, medium cage
• Shifters SRAM X01, SRAM X01 DH, 7 speed
• Brakeset SRAM Code RSC, SRAM Code RSC 4-piston hydraulic disc
• Handlebar Bontrager Line Pro, OCLV Carbon, 35mm, 15mm rise, 820mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Arvada, austenite 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

Q: How much is a 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29?

A 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 is typically priced around $7,999 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29?

The 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 weigh?

A 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 weights 15.27.

Q: What size wheels does the 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 have?

The 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 has 29" wheels.

Q: What size 2021 Trek Session 9.9 29 should I get?

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Check out Moscow’s NEW electric river trams (PHOTOS)

Water transportation has become another sector for the eco-friendly improvements the Moscow government is implementing. And it means business. On July 15, 2021, on the dock of Moscow’s ‘Zaryadye’ park, mayor Sergey Sobyanin was shown the first model of the upcoming river cruise boat.

The model of the electrical boat with panoramic windows measures 22 meters in length. The river tram - as Muscovites call them - has a passenger capacity of 42, including two disabled seats. The trams will also get cutting edge info panels, USB docking stations, Wi-Fi, spaces for scooters and bicycles, as well as chairs and desks for working on the go. The boats will be available all year round, according to ‘Mosgortrans’, the regional transport agency. 

Passengers will be able to pay with their ‘Troika’ public transport card, credit cards or bank cards. 

The main clientele targeted are people living in Moscow’s river districts - the upcoming trams will shorten their travel time in comparison to buses and other transportation by five times, Mosgortrans stated. 

As the river trams are being rolled out, Moscow docks will also see mini-stations, some of which will also be outfitted with charging docks for speed-charging the boats.  

Moscow is set to announce the start of the tender for construction and supply in September 2021. The first trams are scheduled to launch in June 2022 on two routes - from Kievskaya Station, through Moscow City, into Fili; and from ZIL to Pechatniki. 

“Two full-scale routes will be created in 2022-2023, serviced by 20 river trams and a number of river stations. We’ll continue to develop them further if they prove to be popular with the citizens,” the Moscow mayor said .

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• Session 9 X01

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

Reviving classic Russian cuisine

Oct 19 2018.

Roads & Kingdoms talks to Russian chef Vladimir Mukhin of Moscow’s super-restaurant, White Rabbit.

Still in his mid-30’s, Vladimir Mukhin is already one of Russia’s best known chefs and the leading culinary light of the White Rabbit Group, which has 16 restaurants around the country. The most well-known of these, Moscow’s  White Rabbit , was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world last year. Roads & Kingdoms’ Nathan Thornburgh talked to Mukhin in Moscow about being a fifth-generation chef, reviving classic Russian cuisine, and finding good product in the age of embargoes.

Nathan Thornburgh: Tell me about White Rabbit, what is the food? What are you trying to accomplish there?

Vladimir Mukhin: The White Rabbit is a big restaurant. We’re trying to revive Russian cuisine. I’m a fifth-generation chef, so I’m passionate about the food we create. During the Soviet Union period, we killed Russian food. Classic Russian recipes became too simplified. For example, usually you drink tea, but if you want to be, just to be creative, want to make the tea with milk, you can’t. It would be like stealing milk from the government. People went to jail.

When I was growing up, I remember my grandfather coming to the kitchen and crying because he couldn’t experiment with his food.

Thornburgh: Wow. I remember this famous photo session with Che Guevara which came up with some of his best pictures, maybe two incredible iconic portraits came from an entire roll of film, and the photographer went to him and showed him this roll of film and Che said, What the hell are you doing? You wasted all of these images. You took 30 pictures to get one? That’s the government’s film. It’s a similar mentality.   So you’re telling the story of a kind of cuisine that was lost on the Soviet history and now you’re playing with this idea of finding it again. What does your process look like? Do you get as many grandmothers as you can round up and just kind of shake recipes out of them? How were you doing this?

Mukhin: I just try to work with as many local farmers and producers as I can, so we can use as many Russian ingredients as we can.

Thornburgh: So this is a close relationship.

Mukhin: Yes. I traveled throughout Russia—not just the big cities, but also the villages to talk with older people.

Thornburgh: You know I think people don’t understand the vastness of Russia, and how big it’s collection of cultures and languages and cuisines is. What parts of the country influences your food?

Mukhin: I’m inspired by the whole country. It’s a big territory, and sometimes it feels like it’s too big. I try and use different techniques and ingredients from all over the country, which I think makes my menus distinct.

We have an a la carte menu with about 50 dishes of classical Russian food. Everything looks modern because I’m a young chef. But if you close your eyes and try these dishes, you’ll taste 100% classic Russian flavors.

I want to highlight all aspects of Russian cuisine. Before the Olympic Games in Sochi, we opened a restaurant there, not just to make money, but to expose people visiting for the Olympics to Russian food. That’s why we opened The Red Fox restaurant. It’s all about Russian ingredients.

Thornburgh: Sochi, at least when I’ve been there, is like a Miami Beach. It’s like a place to get pizza and sushi, and go to the nightclubs.

Mukhin: You been?

Thornburgh: Yeah.

Mukhin: It’s crazy.

Thornburgh: It’s a little crazy, but it’s interesting to bring in Red Fox and sort of say okay, because people are coming out, let’s bring Russia to Sochi.

Mukhin: It was incredible. We had thousands of visitors at the restaurant.  

Thornburgh: So you really looked internally for inspiration. Did working outside of Russia motivate you to focus on Russian cuisine?

Mukhin: Yes. I spent time working in Avignon, France. I worked with Christian Etienne, and he would make a special Russian meal once a year.  It was crazy.

Thornburgh: How was the food?

Mukhin: It was shit. I told him that I would cook real Russian food for him, and I did. I cooked borscht, blinis, and other classics. He liked it and said that once a year we should use my recipes, but with his influence. I agreed, and we went on to make amazing food. Eventually, I wanted to come back to my motherland. So I left and I started working on making White Rabbit a reality.

Thornburgh: When people go to White Rabbit, what are they going to find?

Mukhin: Someone once told me that there is a new Russian cuisine and an old Russian cuisine. I think Russian cuisine is going through an evolution. So I hope people will come and see evolution at White Rabbit.

Thornburgh: Great. Always good to end on an invite. Thank you.

Mukhin: Thank you so much.

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