The Trek Procaliber is as much Fully as drag queen Olivia Jones is a woman. Somehow it is and somehow it isn't. It bounces, but only a little. But it's not really rigid either. Hordes of engineers have worked hard to get rid of the hardtails' stubbornness. One clever solution came about thanks to racing bike star Fabian Cancellara. To make the cobblestone madness of Paris-Roubaix ("The Hell of the North") more bearable, he developed the IsoSpeed joint together with Trek. A bearing that decouples the top tube and seat tube from each other so that the seat tube can absorb road shocks. It goes without saying that Trek also implanted this technology in the Procaliber race hardtail. And yes, the bumps are actually softened quite a bit. Pleasant. But does it last in the long run? The seat post swings like a yacht mast at wind force 10 - and that with a lightweight carbon race frame!
Any doubts disappeared in the rush of the first few kilometres. The Trek was hungry for kilometres. The SID fork, XT brakes and Sram X1 drivetrain - all robust, tried and tested parts - did their job routinely. It was only during a three-day, briskly ridden bikepacking tour through the Thuringian Forest that the small weak points crystallised. The relatively heavy DT Swiss wheels, for example, which noticeably reduced the bike's agility. Or the 1x11 drivetrain, which was a little too pithy, with the smallest 32x42 gear ratio forcing me to push again and again on steep sections, even though my mates were still pedalling breezily. The Trek took every mud fight, every kilometre orgy and even two bike park visits in its stride. One chain was worn out at some point, a few brake pads had disintegrated into dust. The lockout lever jerked tiredly because the Bowden cable housing was corroded. 08/15 wear and tear. And the fact that the headset bearings turned reluctantly towards the end of the test and begged to be replaced - no problem. In any case, the support swung as lively as on the first day. No creaking, no cracks. Everything was fine.
CONCLUSION: the comfortable way to ride puristically. However, many normal top-of-the-range hardtails are now just as comfortable. The equipment could be of higher quality, but is reliable. Top long-distance bike.
Mileage: 3,612 km | 35,500 m elevation gain
Functionality 4 out of 6 points
Durability 5 out of 6 points
DEFECTS / MAINTENANCE
- 2800 km - chain worn out: After a holiday on Lake Garda, even cleaning and oiling no longer helps. The long-planned chain replacement is overdue.
- 2800 km - brake pads worn out: After the tours on Monte Velo and Monte Altissimo, the brake pads are also worn down for good.
- 3150 km - Lockout bowden cable stiff: The lockout lever of the SID only jerks slowly back to the starting position after release. Cable change due.
- 3300 km - headset stuck: Oops, has someone poured glue into the head tube? Nothing turns any more. The headset is tight. After a firm tug on the handlebars, the bearings grumpily start working again. But they won't last much longer.
TUNING
- 2380 km - saddle replacement: The original Bontrager saddle was okay, but eventually had to give way to a firmer model from SQlab.
RELATIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
Relaxed full throttle: For me, the crank is the most important part of the bike. I use it often and with pleasure. Bikepacking adventures, cross-country units, Alpine tours - the Trek got around a lot. One highlight was definitely the three-country tour including the legendary Val d'Uina gorge. For once, the cranks had a break in the famous tunnel gallery. Reason: pushing was compulsory!
THE TESTER
Henri Lesewitz, BIKE reporter
45 years / 1.79 m / 81 kg
Rider profile: Sporty tours, marathon races
Favourite areas: Alpine foothills, German low mountain ranges
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