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Trek Procaliber focuses in on pure cross country racing

Pro-level performance at a wide range of pricepoints

Trek Procaliber Emily Batty

In redesigning its top-level hardtail, the Procaliber, Trek focused in on one thing: making a truly race-worthy hardtail.

The redesigned race bike, often seen under Emily Batty at World Cup’s and on racecourses around the globe, is more focused than ever on being a pure cross country race bike. Many of the updates follow Trek’s flagship full suspension XC bike, the Supercaliber. With the simplicity of a race hardtail, though, Trek is able to deliver the Procaliber’s international level performance at a price any aspiring racer will find reasonable. With the new Procaliber 9.5, a race-ready carbon fibre frame comes in at just $2,750.

Trek Procaliber
2021 Trek Procaliber 9.7

2021 Trek Procaliber

What is new?

What’s new with Trek’s race hardtail? First off, every size of Procaliber now rolls on 29-inch wheels. As a purely XC race-focused frame, the efficiency of 29-ers is hard to argue against. With six sizes now in the Procaliber range, there’s a frame to fit anyrider.

Trek updates the geometry to be consistent with the full suspension Supercaliber. The bike is slacker, longer, and snappier for 2021. Head tube angles to go 68.75-degrees (from 69.5) while reach grows 8mm, with the seattube steepening to 72.75-degrees to keep the rider centered over the bike. Chainstays shrink by 3mm to 432mm, keeping the Procaliber snappy in tight turns and accelerating out of corners. In keeping with the modernization of the geometry, the Procaliber can now fit wider, high-volume 2.4″ tires.

There are more changes to the frame, including a straight downtube to add stiffness to the frame. This requires Trek to bring over its Knock Block system, which is updated with a wider turning range. The 2.0 Knock Block can rotate 62-degrees versus 58-degrees on earlier frames.

Trek’s new frame also adopts SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger standard. This should make it easier to find a replacement, no matter where you’ve travelled to race. Also making things easier are fully enclosed internal cable routing channels, so you can route drivetrain, rear brake and dropper posts hassle-free.

What is back?

ISOSpeed returns to the Procaliber for 2021. The decoupler lets the seat tube flex, instead of the chainstays, smoothing out trail chatter and reducing fatigue, without sacrificing pedaling efficiency.

Every Procaliber frame is made from Trek’s OCLV Mountain Carbon fibre this year. Instead of offering aluminum versions of the XC race frame, Trek adds the budget-friendly Procaliber 9.5.

Trek’s Procaliber is designed around a 100-mm fork, with a frame maximum of 110-mm if you want to increase the travel. There’s room for two water bottles inside the frame, and the XC hardtail uses only 1x drivetrains.

2021 Trek Procaliber: pricing and availability

The 2021 Trek Procaliber is available now through Trek retailers. In Canada, the Procaliber will be available in three different builds, the 9.5, 9.6, and 9.7, as well as a frameset-only option.

These range from a Shimano Deore 12-speed and RockShox Judy-equipped Procaliber 9.5. At the other end, the 9.7 delivers carbon fibre Bontrager Kovee Elite 23 wheels, RockShox Reba RL 100-mm travel fork, and SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain.

Sizes: S, M, ML, L, XL, XXL

9.5 $2,750
9.6 $3,500
9.7 $5,300
Trek Procaliber Frameset $1,900

Trek Procaliber Emily Batty
Emily Batty racing Trek’s 2021 Procaliber.