Converging eMTB and non-assisted bike weights signals the death of long-travel enduro rigs

By Alex Evans

Published: Thursday, 25 July 2024 at 15:00 PM

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Trek’s all-new ebike platform, the Slash+, is an electrified version of the brand’s long-travel, high-pivot enduro bike, the Slash. It could signal the ultimate death of the non-assisted enduro bike.

Previously the Rail was the brand’s hardest-hitting electric bike. However, the Slash+’s 170mm of suspension travel, slack 62.6-degree head tube angle and mixed wheel sizes – except the small, which uses 27.5in front and rear – all outdo its previous long-travel eMTB.

In the Slash+ two-model range, prices start at £7,500 / $7,999.99 / €8,000 (country dependent) for the 9.7 and rise to £11,000 / $11,999.99 / €12,000 for the 9.9, which is nigh-on identical to the equivalent human-powered Slash’s prices.

Like the Fuel EXe – Trek’s true SL electric mountain bike – the Slash+ uses TQ’s HPR50 motor, which can be paired with 580Wh or 360Wh batteries.

Trek claims the new Slash+ weighs 20.38kg in 9.7 guise and 20.88kg for the 9.9.

As electric bike motors and batteries get both lighter and more powerful, we’re seeing the lines between lightweight, mid-power and full-power electric mountain bikes blur.

But do these tech advancements also signify the slow demise of non-assisted enduro bikes?

Quite possibly, yes.

With your standard non-motorised enduro bike weighing anywhere between 15 and 19kg, the difference between the two categories is becoming even narrower.

Providing context

Trek’s new Slash+ is quite possibly setting the tone for things to come.

Claimed to handle “more like an analogue bike than a typical e-bike”, it’s designed to help riders climb to the trailheads with Herculean-like fitness rather than serving as a full-power shuttle rig as eMTBs of this ilk usually do.

Thanks to TQ’s 50Nm HPR50 motor and chunky 580Wh battery – or optional lighter 360Wh unit – you can expect impressive range.

When testing the Fuel EXe with a 360Wh battery, Rob Weaver ticked off more than 1,300m of ascent on a single charge – so the Slash+ should comfortably beat that, all other things being equal.

Its 170mm-travel high-pivot suspension design is truly descent-focused. Trek has given the Slash+ a rearward axle path, claimed to improve momentum and reduce the negative, speed-sapping effects of square-edged impacts.

Pedal kickback is mitigated against with an idler wheel that routes the chain close to the bike’s main pivot. According to Trek, anti-squat sits just above 100 per cent throughout its travel, which means it’s more likely to resist pedal-induced bob than suffer from it.

There’s also a flip chip on the lower shock mount to switch between less and more progressive kinematics, depending on rider preferences.

There’s no conflating the Slash+’s intentions when looking at its geometry. Compatible with angle-adjusting headset cups, its figures are adaptable. The head angle is 62.6 degrees in its slackest setting and 64.2 at its steepest.

The four-size range (small to extra-large) gets size-specific chainstays ranging from 433.6mm up to 439.2mm.

Its seat tube angle hovers around a pedal-friendly 77.5 degrees (depending on size and geometry setting).

With the zero-degree headset cup fitted, reach figures start at 430.8mm for the small and lift to 518.9mm for the XL. However, the Slash+ forgoes Trek’s ML size that usually bridges the gap between medium and large bikes.

With two models in its range – the 9.7 and the 9.9, each costing £7,500 / $7,999.99 / €8,000 (country dependent) and £11,000 / $11,999.99 / €12,000 respectively – there’s little price difference between this bike and its non-electric counterparts.

Trek’s Slash 9.8 (the most affordable carbon-framed standard Slash) will set you back £7,425, while the most expensive Slash 9.9 costs a whopping £11,750. Lined up side-by-side, it makes the ebike version look like a veritable bargain given all the extra tech that’s included.

But why does all this mean human-powered enduro bikes are dead?

Let’s start with the obvious.

Assuming you don’t just hate electric bikes (which you’re entitled to), if a human-powered bike has an electric equivalent – and they’re pretty close in cost – I bet a large chunk of people would stump up their cash for the eMTB.

Even if the components are not quite as good – Fox’s Rhythm rather than Performance forks, or an SLX instead of XT drivetrain, for example – there’s no denying how much extra value there is in buying a bike that includes a motor and battery, on top of all the other stuff for the same cost.

And that’s without even considering the added on-trail benefits having a motor gives, such as increased climbing speeds, longer days in the saddle and more laps before you’re knackered among others.

When geometry and suspension performance are equal across both, choosing between electric or human power sways – in my opinion – in favour of the ebike.

However, the biggest difference between non-assisted and electrically powered bikes is weight.

Bulky motors and batteries – along with the extra frame material and component strength needed to handle that weight – have created the stigma that ebikes ride like monster trucks.

While you can still find ebikes out there with hefty figures, most brands are putting their latest models on diets to mark a downward trend in overall weight.

Models such as Specialized’s 2021 Turbo Kenevo SL – which was one of the first descent-focused SL ebikes – are as svelte as 19kg. In technological terms, the components used in the Kenevo are long in the tooth, so you’d be a fool to bet against imminent improvements.

Because technology is advancing so incredibly fast, and potentially exponentially – making a choice between a human-powered bike and an ebike may soon be a thing of the past.

In the context of the new Slash+ and Slash, the human-powered model weighs around 17kg, while the ebike version is just over 20kg.

I’ll admit three kilos isn’t to be sniffed at, but in the context of overall system weight, there’s only a few per cent between the two.

A key distinction here is this applies quite firmly to the gravity segment, where descending performance – with or without a motor – is the priority.

I definitely don’t think XC bikes or trail bikes will see an assimilation between man and machine quite in the same way as enduro bikes. Fortunately for purists, this leaves scope for the continued development of our cherished human-powered steeds for years to come.

But, if like me, you’re into gravity riding and are willing to blend church and state, we’ll all agree the apex performer is a bike that climbs like an ebike and descends like a downhill bike.

In my opinion, the Slash+ is Trek’s fledgling take on this concept.

It’s not the first – the aforementioned Kenevo SL holds that title – and neither is it alone, with a fresh crop of similar bikes spawning from other brands.

Choosing between power and weight is quickly becoming a compromise brands don’t have to make; we’ve seen an uptick in long-travel, lightweight electric enduro bikes.

YT’s recent launch of the Decoy SN – which stands for Super Natural – was another attempt to put the gravity-focused enduro ride first and the fact it has a motor second.

While there are only a few mid-power, mid-weight enduro ebikes out there, I think these models are just the tip of the demise of the traditional enduro bike iceberg.

Realistically that means there’s still work to be done, but it’s not inconceivable that we’ll see an influx of new 15kg to 17kg electric enduro bikes within the next few years.

And, once they’re available, I think we’ll be saying RIP to long-travel human-powered enduro bikes.

2025 Trek Slash+ models and pricing

Launching with a two-model range, the new Slash+’s prices start at £7,500 / $7,999.99 / €8,000 (country dependent) for the Slash+ 9.7 and lift to £11,000 / $11,999.99 / €12,000 for the Slash+ 9.9.

2025 Trek Slash+ 9.7

• Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon, 170mm travel
• Motor and battery: TQ HPR50, TQ 580Wh battery
• Fork and shock: Fox 38 Rhythm 170mm, Fox Float X Performance
• Wheels and tyres: Bontrager Line Comp 30, Bontrager XR5 Team Issue tyres front and rear
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT / SLX mix
• Brakes: Shimano M6120
• Price: £7,500 / $7,999.99 / €8,000

2025 Trek Slash+ 9.9

• Frame: OCLV Mountain Carbon, 170mm travel
• Motor and battery: TQ HPR50, TQ 580Wh battery
• Fork and shock: RockShox ZEB Ultimate 170mm, RockShox Vivid Ultimate
• Wheels and tyres: Bontrager Line Pro 30, Bontrager SE6 Team Issue front and Bontrager SE5 Team Issue rear tyres
• Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
• Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver
• Price: £11,000 / $11,999.99 / €12,000 (country dependent)

2025 Trek Slash+ geometry

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