Trek’s new Crockett is more than just a cyclocross bike. It’s a bike that can do it all, win ’cross races on the weekend and then rule the urban jungle midweek. But what is it about this new model that makes it so adept on both the tarmac and the mud? Let’s find out…
King of ’cross and commute
This bike has everything you need and nothing you don’t, perfect for a discipline like cyclocross where pure power, speed and technical handling is everything.
The Crockett has an awesome race pedigree, the unique, ’cross-optimised design winning a number of races on the cyclocross calendar all over the world. But it’s not all about racing with this bike. All the features that make it such a competent racer – the lightweight chassis, 1x11 drivetrain and full IsoSpeed ’cross fork – also make it a devil on the commute. It’s also speedy on gravelled tracks and fire roads, making it the perfect choice for multi-day, multi-surface adventures.
How can such a simple bike like the Crockett crush on so many different levels and terrains? It all comes down to its neat yet easily missed key features.
First up is the Crockett’s advanced alloy frame. It looks, feels and even handles like carbon, but it’s not. It’s most certainly aluminium and a lot cheaper because of it. This carbon-like feel is down to the Invisible Weld Technology that has been built into the premium aluminium frame. The result is a bike that provides the perfect balance of stiffness and low weight, just like carbon, but at an aluminium price point.
There is some carbon on the Crockett, however; the IsoSpeed, ’cross-optimised fork is constructed from a lightweight and compliant carbon material. The compliant nature of carbon, and the sublime stability offered by the IsoSpeed technology, create a fork that is an absolute dream to ride on – one of the smoothest out there, even over rough and muddy terrain.
The new and updated Crockett frame has also been given a little extra tyre clearance, giving you the option to slap on a pair of gravel-munching tyres for your next off-road adventure.
The closer you look at the Crockett’s new frame, the more you’ll discover, like the super neat and tidy Control Freak cable management system. This allows any combination of shift and brake housing to be routed through the frame seamlessly, giving your bike those killer aesthetics that most of us can only dream of.
Control Freak cable management doesn’t just make the bike look great, it also makes it faster. Trek spent three years designing this new system and it certainly shows. The new routing system virtually eliminates friction, resulting in crisp shifting no matter the weather conditions.
It’s not just the frame that make this bike such a rocket to ride, there’s also a 1x11 drivetrain complete with SRAM Rival (Crockett 5 Disc) or Apex (Crockett 4 Disc) shifter and rear derailleur to fawn over. This one-by drivetrain is perfectly suited to racing cross, but also to riding round the city. With fewer gears and no front derailleur to worry about, maintenance is incredibly simple.
The Crockett also comes with a pair of powerful, flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes. As well as being incredibly reliable in virtually all weather conditions, these brakes also offer a large amount of modulated power, meaning you can brake both efficiently and effectively with just the lightest squeeze of the levers.
To complete the incredible build, Trek have added 12mm thru axles to the new Crockett. These thru axles are both stronger and stiffer than previous models, allowing you to lay down even more power as you mash the pedals. The stiffness also helps the bike handle better and feel a little more responsive – perfect for when you’re racing in your local cross series.
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Does the new Crockett sound like the kind of bike for you? Are you looking for a bike that can really ‘do it all’? Then why not head down to the store and try one out for yourself, we’re certain you’ll love it.
