trek superfly 100 elite carbon

Trek Superfly 100 Elite SL review

29er full-suspension race bike.

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This article originally published on BikeRadar

Trek set out on an aggressive weight-saving campaign for the latest Superfly 100, and by all accounts its engineering team was largely successful.

Even with a not-incredibly-light Shimano Deore XT group and mid-range wheels, our medium-size Superfly 100 Elite SL test bike weighs just 10.90kg (24.03lb) without pedals. The lack of mass is noticeable on the trail but, unfortunately, so is the lack of stiffness and so-so pedaling performance.

Ride & handling: Lightweight with good suspension but lacking in efficiency

The revamped Superfly 100 platform feels right at home on fast and flowy trails with lots of wide open, high speed sections.

The long wheelbase and relatively low bottom bracket provide a very stable feel through sweeping corners. And even though it's lost 10mm of movement compared to its predecessor, the remaining 100mm of rear suspension is active and pleasantly progressive, impressively sucking up smaller trail chatter without bottoming out harshly on bigger impacts while maintaining a lively feel throughout.

The rear end offers a good amount of pop for leaping out of berms and dips. And, as we've noted in the past, Trek's G2 geometry, with its increased-offset fork crown, goes a long way towards neutralizing both the big feel of 29in wheels and its unusually long wheelbase.

Steering feels light and natural without requiring much in the way of excessive rider input, and it's usually only in very tight switchbacks that you notice the Superfly 100 Elite SL's considerable overall length.

Like the Giant Anthem X Advanced 29er we tested last year, though, the Superfly 100's chain stays are still a little long at 452mm. Therefore, it's not the most natural bike to manual or wheelie.

Such handling traits would generally be no big deal in the Superfly 100's intended context of cross-country racing, where speeds are usually higher and there often aren't as many technical features as in general trail riding or enduro. However, the Superfly also doesn't pedal that efficiently, either.

Switching the Fox Float CTD rear shock to its middle Trail setting is a must nearly any time pedaling is required, and we frequently resorted to the firmest Climb position even on short sections of fireroad. We saved the fully open Descend setting for extended downhills only. Otherwise, there's far too much movement and a somewhat dull feel under power, particularly when you're hammering along in the big ring.

Nor did we find the Superfly 100 Elite SL's new carbon fiber frame particularly rigid. Front triangle stiffness is admittedly quite good, with the large diameter, nominally round main frame cross-sections and tapered head tube.

That's largely squandered out back, though, with an appreciable amount of out-of-plane flex, particularly in high-load situations such as bermed corners or excessively rough sections of trail. Here, instead of the rear wheel tracking precisely behind the front one, we repeatedly noticed the rear loading up – only to spring back when unloaded, which occasionally sent us off-line.

One simple test verified our suspicions, too: stand beside the Superfly 100 Elite SL with one hand atop the rear tire and the other on the saddle, push forward on one side while pulling back on the other, and you can see the top of the seat stays moving side to side relative to the seat tube more easily than one would expect from a bike of this caliber.

We should note that two BikeRadar testers independently came to identical conclusions on two separate test samples. Naturally, Trek has expressed concern over our findings.

"We're going to be testing that bike to evaluate stiffness testing," said Trek mountain bike brand manager Travis Ott. "I trust you felt what you experienced. Numerous sessions with pros and test riders haven’t exposed any weakness with the rear end stiffness.

"At this point, we’re concerned about repeating what you experienced so we can better figure it out. We’re also retesting stock frames currently. Point being, we take this seriously and when we get conflicting reports, we try and get to the bottom of it.

"As for the suspension spec and pedal bob, four out of five Trek Factory Racing riders also use the same rear shock tune. They wanted a very stiff lockout and we were able to achieve that with this tune. Thus far, the feedback and results from our pro riders have been exceptional. To date, we’ve been happy with the feedback on the bikes from our testers and pros."

Frame: Elegant lines and light weight but could use more brawn

The Superfly 100 Elite SL's performance is particularly disappointing given that the new frame is a gorgeous piece of hardware. The low-slung, molded carbon fiber front triangle features nominally round tubes devoid of superfluous kinks, bulges, or edges, while the one-piece molded carbon fiber seat stay assembly is similarly sleek and clean looking.

As opposed to the original Superfly 100 – or the current Superfly 100 Pro SL flagship model – this version uses TIG-welded aluminum chain stays, which adds some weight but should prove beneficial in terms of long-term durability.

Linking everything together up front is a minuscule swing link – molded from short-strand carbon fiber, of course – driving Fox's superb Float CTD rear shock.

The back end of the bike features Trek's ABP (Active Braking Pivot) concept, with suspension pivots situated concentrically about the rear axle to produce a pseudo-floating brake effect. Those ABP pivots are so cleanly integrated that you could be forgiven for thinking the rear end was one solid unit, although the axle path is strictly single pivot in nature.

The rear end is effectively a single pivot in terms of axle movement

The main pivot is situated inline with the curved seat tube, about halfway between the inner and outer chainrings in terms of height – about where we'd expect it to be. Moving it a touch higher, however, would make for more neutral pedaling performance in the big ring, and add more anti-squat when clawing up grades in the inner ring. Moreover, the Superfly 100 Elite SL's pedaling performance could further benefit from more aggressive compression tuning.

Other features include thru-axles front and rear, Trek's extra-wide BB95 bottom bracket with bearing seats molded directly into the shell, a tapered 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in head tube (again, with bearing seats directly molded in), a direct-mount front derailleur, post-mount rear brake caliper tabs (sized for 140mm rotors and up), and internal cable routing – including for the hydraulic rear brake.

The latter will be cumbersome if you ever decide to swap brake models (although we're not sure why you would – more on that below). Otherwise, though, Trek's internal routing solution is reasonably easy to service despite not being guided from end to end.

Exit ports are fairly large, the paths are clean and kink free, and the whole operation runs impressively quietly, thanks in part to clamps at either end of the brake hose to keep it from rattling around on the trail.

Further dulling sounds is the thick plastic guard on the underside of the down tube. Unfortunately (and rather inelegantly) it's held in place with a couple of giant o-rings.

Actual frame weight for our 17.5in sample is 2.13kg (4.7lb) including rear shock, seatpost collar, rear derailleur hanger, and water bottle bolts – slightly lighter than the previous edition, which is impressive considering the switch to aluminum chain stays. Riders who place a priority on weight will appreciate the lack of heft, but otherwise we'd rather Trek invested the mass currency on bolstering the chassis.

Equipment: Brilliant Deore XT components and Fox suspension plus solid Bontrager gear

There's little to fault when it comes to the Superfly 100 Elite SL's build kit, with Shimano's faultless Deore XT 2x10 transmission and brakes, a perfectly matched Fox 32 Float 100 CTD fork and Float CTD rear shock, and the remainder filled out with bits from Trek house brand Bontrager.

Shift performance is fantastic, with quick and precise chain movement, impressively hushed running, and excellent shifter ergonomics despite the I-Spec integrated clamps' lack of independent shifter angle or shift paddle adjustment. Gear ratios are smartly chosen, too, with versatile 26/38T chainrings up front and a wide-range 11-36T cassette that works well for both racing or general trail riding provided you've got a reasonable amount of fitness.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, it goes without saying that the matching hydraulic disc brakes are among the best on the market. Power is ample even with just 160mm rotors fitted front and rear, it's very easily controllable even in slippery conditions, and lever feel is arguably second to none.

Riders in extremely mountainous regions might wish for Shimano's finned brake pads and their greater heat capacity, but we never noticed any fade even on longer descents in Colorado.

We were mostly pleased with the Bontrager cockpit components, too. The Race X Lite Carbon handlebar is suitably light and rigid, with just 5mm of rise to help keep the front end low. However, we would prefer something wider than 690mm for more leverage – it's easy to cut things down if need be but you generally can't make a narrow bar wider.

Ditto for the forged aluminum Race X Lite stem, which is always a solid performer, albeit one whose profile hasn't changed in ages and could stand a larger cross-section in this application.

Saddles are, of course, a personal issue. The Evoke 3 should suit most rear ends with its fairly flat profile and densely padded top with rounded rear corners that help boost maneuverability. We've no complaints on the Rhythm Elite aluminum seatpost, either, with its secure two-bolt head and what should be reliable forged construction.

Rolling stock is a little more of a mixed bag, though. The Bontrager Race Lite TLR Disc CL 29 wheels are fairly light (1,640g per pair, claimed), easy to set up tubeless (although Trek doesn't include the requisite rim strips and valves), reasonably stiff, and held up well during testing with no truing required. We feel the 19mm internal width is a touch narrow for general trail use, although most cross-country types probably won't mind much.

Bontrager wraps the otherwise-capable wheels with their rather narrowly focused 29-1 tires, though, which don't even measure 2in across and aren't designed to be run tubeless (although we managed the conversion anyway).

Rolling resistance is noticeably very low, but it comes at the price of traction in anything other than tacky dirt, what with its hard rubber compound and tightly spaced array of small knobs. We'd advise at least swapping out the front for something a little more secure and saving the extra one for a spare, fast-rolling rear.

Price: US$5,569.99/£4,250 Weight: 10.90kg (24.03lb, complete bike, 17.5" size, without pedals); 2,133g (4.70lb, frame only, including rear shock, seatpost collar, rear derailleur hanger, and water bottle bolts) Pros: Good high-speed geometry, lively rear suspension performance, lightweight Cons: Not very efficient, not very stiff, very long wheelbase BikeRadar verdict: 3 stars More information: www.trekbikes.com

Complete bicycle specifications

Frame: Trek Superfly 100 Elite SL, 100mm travel, OCLV Mountain Carbon main triangle and seat stays, aluminum chain stays Available sizes: 15.5, 17.5 (tested), 19, 21, 23" Rear shock: Fox Float CTD Performance Series Fork: Fox 32 Float 100 CTD Performance Series Headset: Cane Creek IS-3, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2" Stem: Bontrager Race X Lite Handlebars: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon, 5mm rise, 690mm width Tape/grips: Bontrager Race Lite lock-on Front brake: Shimano Deore XT BR-M785, 160mm SM-RT81 rotor, standard (non-Ice Tech) pads Rear brake: Shimano Deore XT BR-M785, 160mm SM-RT81 rotor, standard (non-Ice Tech) pads Brake levers: Shimano Deore XT BL-M785 Front derailleur: Shimano Deore XT FD-M785-E2 Direct Mount Rear derailleur: Shimano Deore XT Shadow Plus RD-M786-SGS Shift levers: Shimano Deore XT SL-M780-I Cassette: Shimano Deore XT CS-M771-10, 11-36T Chain: KMC X10.93 Crankset: Shimano Deore XT FC-M785, 38/26T Bottom bracket: Trek BB95 by Enduro Pedals: n/a Wheelset: Bontrager Race Lite TLR Disc CL 29 Front tire: Bontrager 29-1 Team Issue, 29x2.2" Rear tire: Bontrager 29-1 Team Issue, 29x2.2" Saddle: Bontrager Evoke 3 Seat post: Bontrager Rhythm Elite

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Long Term Test: Trek Superfly 100 Elite

The not-so-minor details.

Trek Superfly 100 Elite

Trek Bikes Australia

AUD5,999.00

Size tested

A light, fun, fast cross country machine Superbly relialbe Clean looks

Not the plushest or stiffest of rides.

On a long ride or during the wee small hours out on track at a 24hr race, it’s not unusual to get a song stuck in your head. Traditionally it’s something dire, like Peter Allen’s ‘Rio’. But on board this bike, the groove is strong; feel the soul, channel the year 1972. It’s Superfly.

We took possession of this sleek number back in late January as a long-term test bike and as platform to carry out a review on SRAM’s XX1 groupset . Almost seven months in, we’d like to think we’ve given our Superfly the kind of life that Trek intended.

There’s a reason we’ve shot our Superfly like this, all caked in mud, with a water bottle, race plate and spare tube/C02 strapped under the saddle. This is how she’s done a fair bit of riding – the Superfly is at home on the racetrack.

In the last few months she’s raced the Capital Punishment marathon, the Willo Enduro, the Mont 24hr, the SRAM Singletrack Mind Taree 7hr and the JetBlack Sydney 12hr. She’s also accompanied us on our travels to Alice Springs and Tathra , plus ridden hundreds of kilometres on our local trails in between. No one can say this bike has hung about!

Out of the box – what’s it all about?

The Superfly 100 is built from Trek’s OCLV Mountain carbon, with alloy chain stays. The frame weight (including hanger and seat post collar) is claimed at 2.1kg for a medium frame, making it one of the lightest dual suspension platforms out there. The geometry figures are cross country through and through: a relatively steep 70 degree head angle, 100mm of travel at both ends, and top tube length built around running a 90mm stem for a medium-sized frame.

The attention to detail and build quality is pretty special – the smoky carbon finish is hot and the graphics matched our fluoro Flow stickers perfectly. Cable routing is fully internal, and large ports make threading the brake and gear lines a simple affair. There’s some neat armour for the down tube to guard against wombat strikes, and the chain slap protection is muchos comprehensive. As an experiment, we didn’t so much as tighten or check the tension of a single suspension pivot bolt during our build, just to see if any dramas would emerge down the line.

Building the beast:

Aside from the frame itself, the suspension, the headset and (seriously good) saddle, there’s barely an original part on our Superfly 100. This isn’t a criticism of the original build kit, not by any means, just a reflection of what items we were testing and our personal preferences. (See at the very bottom for our tweaks and why we made them.)

Stock as rock, the Superfly weighs in at under 11kg, decked out in full Shimano XT, with Bontrager RL wheels and Bontrager components. That’s a mighty fine effort – you could take it out the door and race it the next day very happily.

We, being spoilt and pedantic, made a load of changes. First, off went the Shimano and on went an XX1 groupset. The brakes were swapped out too, for a set of Avid X0 Trail brakes with 160mm rotors. Yes, these are kind of overkill for a cross country bike, but they weigh the same as the Shimano XTs and mesh nicely with the SRAM shifter.

To fit the XX1 monster cassette we needed a rear hub that was compatible, so we replaced the wheels with a set of Bontrager RXLs , which use DT rear hub internals and can accept an X-Drive freehub body. The scary skinny XR-0 tyres went under the bed never to see the light of day, and in their place we fitted up some grippy Bontrager XR-2 rubber in a far more sensible 2.2″ width, running them tubeless with Bontrager’s own sealant. The stem was flipped (as the head tube is actually rather tall), the steerer tube chopped, and badda-bing badda-boom we were ready to roll! With a set of Shimano XT pedals, the complete bike tipped the scales at 10.5 kg.

This is a fast, fast bike. Everywhere – not just in a straight line. We never wanted or expected the Superfly to be a particularly plush or forgiving ride – we wanted it be fast off the mark, responsive to every stab at the pedals. It didn’t disappoint; with the suspension set to around 25% sag out back and with the FOX CTD shock left in the Trail mode, the Superfly takes off like an scared rabbit. It’s no ground hugger, and we enjoyed the way the suspension always seemed to have enough support to really push against when you wanted to pop the bike into the air or dig the side knobs into the dirt round a corner.

The singletrack performance is bloody excellent. Typically we’re adamant about the need to keep the rear end of a bike short, and the Trek is actually on the long side, with stays of 450mm. But somehow it just works. It could be a product of the G2 geometry (Trek’s custom fork offset) or perhaps just a result of the low weight of the whole package, but Superfly flicks from corner to corner like a young Schumacher. It never failed to leave us with a grin, even 22 hours into the Mont 24hr race.

When you’ve only got 100mm of suspension it’s good to know you’re using it as intended. As such, we did a fair bit of experimenting with the fork and shock settings and pressures. Dropping the rear pressure and speeding up the rebound gave the bike a slacker head angle and more supple performance, but the pedalling efficiency wasn’t so good. Plus it just didn’t feel right – this bike needs to feel taught, lively. We played with the fork pressures a lot too. In end the the setup we liked was to run the fork on the firm side. Following the FOX recommended setup (using their own IRD App) yielded a bike that felt too soft in the front end for our liking – we wanted it a bit firmer, especially as the head angle is already quite steep.

The penalty for the frame’s low weight is a little bit of flex through the rear end. Compared to a lot of cross country dual suspension bikes we’ve ridden, it’s barely an issue, but when riding the Trek back to back with other stiffer bikes, it did become apparent. Would it turn us off the bike? No sir.

Durability:

Quite frankly, it’s ridiculous how little maintenance we’ve needed to give our Superfly. If it were a child, DOCS would be knocking on the door, such is the neglect. Aside from washing it and throwing a bit of chain lube at it in between race laps or rides, we’ve literally done nothing to it since the very first ride.

If we go searching for issues, then the rear shock bolt became loose on the maiden voyage, but we applied a dab of thread lock and it hasn’t budged since. And the o-rings holding the down tube protector in place broke the first time we looked at them, so we replaced them with bits of inner tube. There’s also a little bit of creaking beginning to emerge, but it’s nothing a two-minute clean and lube wouldn’t fix. If you’re looking for a reliable machine, this is it – when it comes to effort to reward ratio, it’s the equivalent of winning $100,000 from a scratchie.

We did drop the bike onto a particularly nasty piece of Alice Springs granite of the supremely pointy variety. It gouged the carbon of the seat stay, but we’ve been watching closely to see if it would cause a problem and to date everything is hunky dory. We’ve got no doubt the impact would’ve caused inoperable damage to many other frames, so bravo to Trek’s Mountain Carbon.

Wrapping up:

It’s a fairly glowing review we’ve given the young Superfly, but don’t for a second think it’s unjustified. There are better all-rounders (try the Fuel EX 29er on for size) but we wanted something more single-minded, and the Superfly is just that. After seven months of riding, we’re just as thrilled with the Superfly as the day we pulled its glossy, shiny shape out of the big cardboard box.

Other changes we’ve made over the test period, and why we made them:

• Enve stem, 90mm – Just because…
• Enve post – Just because…. wouldn’t you too?
• Pro Tharsis bar – We wanted something a little wider than the stock 690mm Bontrager bar, and the Pro Tharsis at 710mm is an old favourite. It gave the bike a more roomy, comfy feel on the descents.
• Roval Control Carbon Trail wheels – These have been a test item that we’ve continued to run, mainly because of their wide 21mm internal width (compared to 19mm with the RXLs), which gives more support to larger volume tyres. We really like the RXL wheels, but we’re suckers for a wider rim!
• Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25″ Snake Skin tyres – These are actually an older set of tyres we installed after slicing our Bontrager XR-2 rubber during a race. The Bonty rubber is lighter and just as grippy, but we appreciate how tough these Snake Skin versions of the Racing Ralph are.. There’s nothing worse than a sliced tyre in a race!
• Frame Wrap – With the XX1 drivetrain, chain slap is barely an issue, so we removed the original chain slap protection and installed some lightweight Frame Wrap instead.

The Superfly in action:

Alice Springs

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Bike Test: Trek Superfly 100 Elite SL

The Trek Superfly 100 (Superfly FS for 2014) comes in six models: Three with carbon fiber frames from $3890 to a little over $9000, and three with aluminum frames from $2260 to $3890. The Elite SL is second from the top. 

WHO IS IT MADE FOR? While the Superfly 100 Elite SL is the second model from the top, the step to the top is a big one. You would have to spend an extra $3460 to move up to the more expensive components (SRAM XX drivetrain and RockShox SID World Cup fork) and carbon fiber stays of the Pro model. The Elite SL model uses a lower-priced component mix and aluminum stays that make it more affordable while remaining a competitive choice for cross-country racing.

WHAT IS IT MADE FROM? Trek starts with its Optimized Compaction Low Void (OCLV) Mountain carbon fiber for the main frame. The “Mountain” designation means the OCLV carbon is reinforced in areas where mountain biking takes a toll on a frame. For added protection, a layer of vinyl is applied to the downtube in the area most likely to be pinged by trail debris. A removable bash guard comes with the bike if you race in rocky conditions. The frame features G2 geometry, which, combined with a custom-offset fork, is supposed to deliver great low-speed quickness without compromising high-speed stability. The chainstay and seatstays are aluminum. The frame uses an E2, integrated, tapered head tube; BB95 bottom bracket; a Flow Mold carbon swing link; and internal cable routing (even routing for a dropper post, should you plan to upgrade). The rear axle runs inside Trek’s Active Braking Pivot (ABP) to keep the rear suspension active under braking. The front derailleur is pivot-mounted, eliminating a band clamp and excess complexity. The rear brake is post-mounted. Yes, Trek really sweats the small stuff.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM? The setup: Trek understands that the best suspension design is worthless if not set up properly. The Elite SL comes with sag-measuring tools that snap on the shock and fork, taking the guesswork out of setting sag. Trek also delivers the bike with a suspension pump. Trek’s recommended sag settings are ideal.

On the trail: The Elite SL’s riding position feels like slipping on an old baseball glove. It fits like it was formed just for you. With the rider seated in a slightly aggressive yet comfortable position, with his weight slightly biased to the rear, the internal cables and well-designed frame and stays will never contact the rider. The saddle is on the firm side, while the bar width and bend feel custom.

Acceleration: The Shimano XT drivetrain gives the rider plenty of options for flatland or uphill starts, while the bike’s light weight and Bontrager 29-1 Team tires make the Elite scream from the moment you drop the hammer. You have to remind yourself you are on a 29er. It just feels too quick. On our dry trails, we had our best results leaving the shock in Trail mode and staying in the saddle to keep weight on the rear wheel.

Cornering: This G2 geometry stuff is not a gimmick. The Elite hides its large hoops when negotiating tight corners and switchbacks while still giving you tons of traction. It is the best of both worlds. In Trail mode, the rear suspension is free of braking influence, thanks to the ABP, so you can brake later into corners without losing control or traction. You can feel the rear tire starting to come close to the edge of traction and react by lightening up on the brakes before you start to skid. Pay attention and you will be a better rider.

Descending: Flip the shock and fork to Descend mode and the G2 geometry and big wheels deliver as promised. We already mentioned how light-steering the bike is, but that doesn’t come with a trade-off in downhill stability. The Elite SL is comfortable and predictable to ride at speed down pretty nasty stuff. Again, the rear end stays active under braking, adding to the bike’s downhill chops.

BUYING ADVICE While we see plenty of Superfly 100s on our local trails, Trek makes it clear this is a cross-country race bike, and they steer trail riders toward their Fuel EX. By doing this, Trek has been able to optimize the Elite SL for the cross-country racer. The Superfly 100 Elite SL gets that single job done well with speed and grace. It is the type of bike that will make you the best rider you can be. Riders always ask, “What do you do with the test bikes when you are done with them?” Well, we send them back. In the case of the Superfly 100 Elite SL, however, that is going to be one very sad day. 

________________

www.TrekBikes.com

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Trek Superfly 100 Elite

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Size / 15.5", 17.5", 19", 21", 23"

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Specifications

• Frame OCLV Mountain Carbon co-molded main frame & rear swingarm, G2 Geometry, E2 head tube, ABP, topswing carbon link, 110mm travel
• Wheels Bontrager Race X Lite FCC 29, 28 hole
• Wheel Size 29"
• Tires Bontrager 29-2, Team Issue, 29x2.1"
• Crank SRAM X0, SRAM X.0, 39/26
• Front Derailleur SRAM X0, SRAM X.0
• Rear Derailleur SRAM X0, SRAM X.0
• Shifters SRAM X0, SRAM X.0, 10 speed
• Brakeset Avid, Avid XO hydraulic disc brakes, center lock; G3 160mm rotors
• Handlebar Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Big Sweep, 12 degree sweep
• Saddle Bontrager Evoke 3, titanium rails
• Seatpost Bontrager Race XXX Lite ACC, 31.6mm, 5mm offset
• Stem Bontrager Race X Lite, 31.8mm
• Headset Cane Creek Frustrum

Q: Where to buy a 2011 Trek Superfly 100 Elite?

The 2011 Trek Superfly 100 Elite may be purchased directly from Trek .

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The 2011 Trek Superfly 100 Elite has 29" wheels.

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2013 Trek Superfly 100 AL Elite

A 29″ aluminum frame full suspension crosscountry bike with high-end components.

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Superfly 100 AL Elite

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Add custom gearing

Trek's line of Superfly cross-country 29ers includes nine hardtail models and seven full-suspension versions, giving riders ample options at many price points.

Read Review

Dec 2013 · MBA Action

The Trek Superfly 100 (Superfly FS for 2014) comes in six models: Three with carbon fiber frames from $3890 to a little over $9000, and three with

Oct 2013 · Dirt HQ

The Trek Superfly range has been overhauled for 2014 with carbon and alloy bikes, trickling technology from the top-end models lower down the price points.

On a long ride or during the wee small hours out on track at a 24hr race, it’s not unusual to get a song stuck in your head. Traditionally it’s something dire, like Peter Allen’s ‘Rio’. But on board this bike, the groove is strong; feel the soul, channel the year 1972. It’s Superfly. We …

A light, fun, fast cross country machine

Superbly relialbe

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Not the plushest or stiffest of rides.

Trek sought out to drop a full pound from their already lightweight Superfly 100. They wanted to maintain all stiffness numbers to build a worthy race bike. Did they succeed? - Mtbr.com

Feb 2012 · Seb Rogers

Everything’s in the right place but the frame finish isn’t quite up to the very high standard set by the competition

Aug 2011 · Emily Schaldach

Among a handful of fast women set to face-off with Rusch are top riders such as Jenny Smith, Kelli Emmett, Gretchen Reeves and Sari Anderson.

Last updated June 29 Not listed for 2,495 days

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Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t be the competitor he is without setbacks. Made for those obsessed with the game, this version of the Superfly 9 Elite has disruptive ripples that signify the sagas we endure while energetic greens represent the breakthrough that arises when we overcome obstacles. You also get a soccer-specific Air Zoom unit, so you can put the pedal down in the waning minutes of a match—when it matters most.

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diegocc28418029a54e8fa5406799ae1af57f - Mar 21, 2024

i think these cleats are very good.

MikeG772137117 - Feb 26, 2024

Look good play good. Nice fit all around and feeling super fast in these boots!

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Springy Underfoot Feel

The 3/4-length Air Zoom unit sits in the outsole and provides another level of springy underfoot feel that helps you move fast on the field. It creates separation when it matters the most—whether you're scoring goals, being first to the ball or going by defenders.

Dig In, Take Off

Tri-star studs provide multidirectional traction with every step, so you can change directions quickly and confidently. Heel studs provide traction and stability when braking. Toe-off center studs give you traction during quick starts.

Improved Fit

Flyknit wraps your ankle in soft, stretchy fabric for a secure feel. A redone design improves the fit, so that it better simulates the foot. We did this by conducting multiple wear tests on hundreds of athletes. The result is a more contoured toe box and better fit in the heel.

Feel the Ball

The upper is made of Vaporposite+, which combines a grippy, grid mesh with a premium lining for optimal ball control at high speeds. The lining provides a tactile feel across the surface of the upper. It’s soft, but stable and wraps tightly around your foot. The pliability offers a more natural on-ball feel for dribbling, passing or scoring.

Drive Your Speed

The speed cage inside of the structure is made of a thin but strong material that secures the foot to the outsole without adding weight.

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Trek Superfly Elite 29er – First ride review

Snappy reflexes with ultra-sharp steering

James Huang/Future Publishing

James Huang

Trek were among the earliest proponents of carbon 29in-wheeled hardtails and their latest Superfly Elite 29er gets a wholly revamped frame for 2011. Our test period has only just begun but it's already evident that this new version is sharper and leaner than its forebear.

Ride & handling: Stiffer chassis delivers quick moves but a stiff ride, too

The Superfly's standout feature is its brilliant handling, courtesy of the Trek-exclusive G2 fork crown and its increased offset that produces trail figures similar to those of a standard 26in-wheeled bike. While other 29er frames can produce good handling characteristics via slightly steeper head tube angles or by simply having ultra-stiff, flex-free front ends, the Superfly tackles the root of the issue and feels 'normal' with little to no adjustment period required.

High-speed stability is rock-solid, as you'd expect from a two-niner, but it's the low-speed stuff where the G2 design really shines. There's nary a hint of wheel flop and when the usefully wide Bontrager Big Sweep carbon bar with 12 degrees of rearward bend and the short 90mm stem are added in, even tight corners are reduced to a simple matter of point-and-shoot as long as there's enough room for the 1,116mm wheelbase.

The newly puffed-up frame further bolsters that intelligent geometry as there's now a greater sense of solidity. It's especially noticeable when you're bombing through sketchy terrain or muscling the bike out of the saddle as there's little front-end twang to pop you off your line. The 20mm front travel bump to 100mm augments the bike's abilities on a wide selection of terrain, too. That added chassis rigidity also helps counteract the negative effects of the bigger wheels – namely their extra mass and inertia.

While they'll never feel as quick to spin up as a feathery set of 26in hoops, the Superfly at least does a good job of the additional heft with its direct power delivery, all while still offering the same benefits – the ability to roll through and over obstacles with greater ease, the enhanced stability in technical terrain and the improved drive and cornering tracition. In general, this latest iteration is less twangy and springy than last year's version and definitely more of a honed cross-country racer.

Ride quality leaves a bit to be desired, though, as while the Superfly is stiff everywhere it should be, it's stiffer than we'd like it to be elsewhere. Trek's frame designers have specified a skinny 27.2mm seatpost to help lend a bit of cushion to the rider's back end but that's only useful when seated and it's plainly evident that there isn't much movement inherent to the frame itself. This doesn't detract from the bike's thoroughbred capabilities but it does give us a bit of pause for multi-hour trail days and upcoming enduro events planned for later this season.

Frame & equipment: Borrowed road tech and a high-performance, no-nonsense build

The new Superfly carbon frame borrows a few key features from other items in the Trek corporate design bag, namely the tapered 1-1/8 to 1-1/2in tapered front end and 95mm-wide integrated bottom bracket shell – both with molded-in bearing seats that eliminate the redundancy of aluminum collars and sleeves. Trek have also subbed in sleeker carbon fiber dropouts in place of the old alloy units, though the faces are still protected by slim bolt-on aluminum plates that protect against aggressively knurled hub end caps.

Down below, a glued-on Carbon Armor rubber cap protects the down tube and bottom bracket area from rock strikes so there's at least some assurance that this thing will withstand some abuse. Much has been written about whether shorter riders can fit on 29in bikes and Trek deserve some major kudos here. Despite the bump to 100mm of travel up front, they still manage to include a 15.5in size in the range and keep head tube lengths admirably short to help yield suitable bar heights. If you need more proof, consider that team rider Willow Koerber seems to manage just fine at a height of just 1.57m (5ft 2in).

Naturally, Trek's in-house Bontrager division supply as much equipment as possible, including the Race X Lite FCC Scandium Disc 29 wheelset and matching tires, the aforementioned carbon bar and forged aluminum stem, as well as the comfy Evoke saddle and carbon-wrapped Race X Lite ACC seatpost. As we've already mentioned, the seatpost doesn't flex as much as we'd like on a hardtail like this but otherwise the rest of the bits are showing lots of promise.

The wheels are a noticeable improvement over some older 29in Bontrager hoops we've sampled, what with their taller flanges and modest bump in lateral stiffness. The swept-back Big Sweep is easy on the hands and provides much-welcome leverage over typical cross-country bars, and the Evoke saddle is supportive and comfy. The lightweight Bontrager Race X Lite foam grips, on the other hand, may be extremely light but they tend to spin on the bars and they're not all that comfy. If foam grips are a must-have, ESI's silicone foam rubber jobbies are still the way to go (and coincidentally, what the team use, too).

The jury's still out on the Bontrager tires. Subaru-Trek's team mechanic was kind enough to expertly build our bike before we picked it up and subbed in a set of Bontrager XR3 tires – his personal choice for local Colorado conditions. The open tread and meaty knobs grip pretty well on both loose terrain and hardpack and they're light at a claimed 545g apiece but the casings are rather stiff and small (despite their 2.1in marking), and they're not the fastest rolling on harder surfaces, either.

On the other hand, the SRAM X0 group has been faultless for the first few rides. Shift quality has been on par with the much more expensive XX but with a firmer and more familiar lever feel, and the corresponding hydraulic disc brakes offer excellent lever feel along with easily controllable power. Truvativ's Gutter-equipped GXP bottom bracket bearings seem much improved over older versions as well, with far less initial drag.

Despite the two-piece construction, the carbon-and-alloy cranks are rock solid and, thus far, creak-free. Gearing is spot-on for the bigger wheels, too, with direct-mount 26/39T rings and a 12-36T 10-speed cassette. Total weight for our tester as pictured is just 10.11kg (22.29lb, without pedals) – 400g (0.88lb) heavier than the Scott Scale 29 RC we just wrapped up but more than US$2,000 cheaper at $4,729.99.

Stay tuned for a more thorough long-term report once the local trails are in more consistently rideable condition but we're very impressed with Trek's latest big-wheeled racer so far.

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Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports

• Domestic Catalysts
• Published: 28 June 2013
• Volume 5 , pages 156–163, ( 2013 )

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• V. V. Gur’yanov 1 ,
• V. M. Mukhin 1 &
• A. A. Kurilkin 1  

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The possibility of using furfurol for the production of ash-free high-strength active carbons with spheroidal particles as adsorbents and catalyst supports is substantiated. A single-stage process that incorporates the resinification of furfurol, the molding of a spherical product, and its hardening while allowing the process cycle time and the cost of equipment to be reduced is developed. Derivatographic, X-ray diffraction, mercury porometric, and adsorption studies of the carbonization of the molded spherical product are performed to characterize the development of the primary and porous structures of carbon residues. Ash-free active carbons with spheroidal particles, a full volume of sorbing micro- and mesopores (up to 1.50 cm 3 /g), and a uniquely high mechanical strength (its abrasion rate is three orders of magnitude lower than that of industrial active carbons) are obtained via the vapor-gas activation of a carbonized product. The obtained active carbons are superior to all known foreign and domestic analogues and are promising for the production of catalysts that operate under severe regimes, i.e., in moving and fluidized beds.

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Original Russian Text © V.V. Gur’yanov, V.M. Mukhin, A.A. Kurilkin, 2013, published in Kataliz v Promyshlennosti.

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Gur’yanov, V.V., Mukhin, V.M. & Kurilkin, A.A. Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports. Catal. Ind. 5 , 156–163 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2070050413020062

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Received : 08 December 2011

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1134/S2070050413020062

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Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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