Carbon full-suspension mountain bike Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.8 XT Di2 marble grey: 170 mm dropper, 11.58 kg

Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.8 XT Di2 marbled grey: a long dropper for confident descending

The Gen 2 Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.8 XT Di2 stands out for its Bontrager Line Elite dropper post, which reaches 150 mm in M and 170 mm in L and XL, rare travel on a cross-country bike. OCLV Mountain SLR frame, Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain, 110 mm at the front, 80 mm at the rear and 11.58 kg in size M. The Carbon Smoke/Galactic Grey Marble colour combines smoked carbon with marbled galactic grey.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the mountain biker who loves long sporty rides mixing fast-rolling climbs and technical descents, and wants to be able to drop the saddle right down. It will appeal to taller riders, who benefit from a 170 mm post in L and XL.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. Trek's carbon expertise relies on high-pressure, high-temperature compaction that rids the fibres of internal defects. The mountain bike version of this process, OCLV Mountain, is tuned to withstand the repeated impacts of the trail. The 9.8 XT Di2 uses its SLR level, the lightest Trek offers, on the same frame as the 9.9 models, with a lifetime warranty.

Put simply: the 9.8 XT Di2 offers the SLR frame and SID SL Ultimate fork of the 9.9 models with Shimano electronic shifting one notch down. It is 600 g lighter than the SL 9.7 GX AXS and 1 kg heavier than the 9.9 XTR Di2, the difference coming mainly from the wheels, chainset and post.

A long dropper post changes how an XC bike behaves on descents: with the saddle out of the way, the hips can move back and down, and the centre of gravity drops on steep sections. On the rocky descents of the Caroux, this room to manoeuvre is reassuring and lets you carry speed.

The 2.4-inch Maxxis Aspens roll fast on dry ground and add volume for cushioning; the IsoStrut and SID SL Ultimate fork do the rest. The Line Elite also has the advantage of being operated without leaving the handlebar, so you can drop it at the last second before a tricky section.

Which Supercaliber should you choose?

Our take: no other SLR offers a 170 mm post in L and XL: that is the trump card of this 9.8 XT Di2 at 11.58 kg in M. The lighter 9.9 models fit a Fox Transfer SL limited to 150 mm in XL.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek retailer in Béziers, we adjust your position and post height, set up your tyres tubeless and service the dropper post and suspension.

Please note that the specifications may be changed without prior notice by the manufacturer, based on the availability of components and other factors.