Carbon cyclocross bike Trek Boone 5: OCLV 600, IsoSpeed, SRAM Apex 1x12, 32 mm tyres, 8.50 kg in size 56

Trek Boone 5: a true cyclocross bike, not a gravel bike

The Trek Boone 5 is a race-bred carbon cyclocross bike in OCLV 600 Series carbon, with IsoSpeed, a SRAM Apex 1x12 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, weighing 8.50 kg in a size 56. Trek has chosen to keep a platform dedicated to cyclocross rather than offer a do-it-all gravel bike: geometry, tubes and tyres are designed for race circuits. Its Plasma Grey Pearl finish is a light pearlescent grey that catches the light; it only comes in 54, 56, 58 and 61.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the racer who lines up for winter cyclocross rounds, from regional series to UCI races, and for the roadie or mountain biker who wants to stay sharp between October and February with short, intense efforts.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. The in-house process, in use since 1992, cures the fibre layers under high pressure so that no voids are left between them. The Boone gets the 600 Series, one step above the carbon of the Checkpoint SL: slightly less material for equivalent stiffness, which matters on a bike you lift and sprint out of corners dozens of times per race. The frame is covered by Trek's lifetime warranty.

In short: the Boone is not a gravel bike in disguise. Its material, geometry and 32 mm tyres are aimed at one-hour races on a circuit, with planks, steps and off-camber sections; a Checkpoint or a Checkmate will do better as soon as a ride goes beyond two hours on tracks.

On a cyclocross circuit you dismount several times a lap: planks, steps, banks too steep to ride. The Boone's tubes are shaped so the bike sits snugly on your shoulder, and at 8.50 kg it lifts with ease. IsoSpeed lets the seat tube flex over bumps and ruts, keeping the rear wheel hooked up in wet grass and off-camber turns.

The 40-tooth single chainring and 11-44 cassette keep things simple: no front derailleur to clog with mud, just one lever to manage when you accelerate. The 32 mm CX3 tyres stay within the width allowed in UCI racing; on the white tracks around Béziers, a Checkpoint with its 42 mm tyres will be more comfortable.

Which cyclocross bike should you choose?

Our take: compared with the Checkmate SLR 7 AXS (8.47 kg in ML), the Boone 5 weighs almost the same but gives up aero profiles and wide tyres in favour of handling and shouldering. The Checkpoint SL 5 AXS, at 9.50 kg, is aimed at touring and long rides, not one-hour races.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek dealer in Béziers, we cut the seatmast to your height, build and set up the Boone in our workshop, and get it back in shape between muddy race rounds.

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