Trek Superfly 6 (2017)

Well-behaved cross-country hardtail fast on groomed trails

Pros

- Responsive and fast
- Excellent Price/Performance ratio
- Reliable RockShox fork

Cons

- Not great in the rough stuff
- Tires a little too light

Review

The new Superfly from Trek is at the forefront of alloy XC hardtail 29er MTB technology – unless you’re short. The 15.5” frame, suitable for riders under about 5’5” (168cm), comes standard with 27.5” wheels rather than as a 29er.

Putting that little quirk to one side, this is a fast, agile bike that just wants to race. It’s fair to say that at low speeds or winding through very technical sections of trail this bike feels slightly awkward, but it more than compensates with its blistering speed and agility on the open trail or bombing down a descent.

The prominent assumption regarding frames was, until recently, that carbon trumps everything. However, bikes like the Superfly show just how advanced the latest alloy frames have come in terms of performance. The complete bike is also a great example of how spending the money in the right places can get you a fast ride at the right price.

The Alpha Platinum Aluminum frame is paired with a RockShox Reba RL Solo Air spring fork with thru-axle to create a high-end frame and fork combination that represents excellent value and quality.

The Bontrager Mustang Elite Tubeless Ready wheelset comes clad in Bontrager XR1 Expert 29 × 2.2” tires, a great combination in terms of agility, rolling resistance and robust reliability. However, in the current climate of road bikes rolling along on 35mm tires and CX bikes venturing out past the 40mm mark, some fatter tires would be nice. They would effectively complement the shock-absorbing ride of the rear and add predictable traction to underline the keen handling front end. As far as complaints go, it’s pretty easy to rectify: just go buy some wider tires after you wear out the first set.

SRAM’s new GX 11-speed groupset compliments the bike nicely; it’s not quite high-end, but it’s fast, reliable and tough. The 36/24 SRAM crankset teams up with an 11/42 rear cassette to all but guarantee you can climb anything on this machine.

Some criticism has been levelled at the Bontrager Evoke 2 saddle – unwarranted criticism, in my opinion. After a couple of hours the sit-bones seem to settle in nicely, so the initial sensation of discomfort can be safely ignored.

The Bontrager alloy 31.8mm handlebars with a 5mm rise are aggressive and lightweight; they come in a very wide standard width that all but the biggest riders will probably want to trim down.

Bontrager also supply the 8mm offset seatpost. It is flexible enough to suck the sting out of sharp edges and floats across rough sections without vibrating or disrupting pedal rhythm, resulting in a surprisingly forgiving, traction boosting long-ride friendly character without the extra weight of a rear suspension system.

The Superfly is not really an all-purpose bike. It’s made to go really fast on trails that have some forgiveness and margin for error built into them – and it’s built very cleverly to come in on quite a frugal budget. So if you want a fast XC hardtail but don’t fancy taking out a loan to get it, this could be your bike.