Trek Rail upgrades, what have you done?

[Whitby Chris]

Burgtec Pedals and grips,
mudhugger front guard.... bikes new so more to come

 

[ricko]

E Thirteen Carbon Cranks
Line Pro Carbon Wheels
Rockshox Superdeluxe Ultimate Rear Shock 230 x 60
Charger 3 Damper Upgrade
170mm Air Debonair +Spring
Ultimate Black brake pads

 

[fasterjason]

XT 11sp shifter/mech with Dura Ace 12-27 cassette and 36t chainring
Dura Ace poly cables for shifter and dropper post
E*13 Helix 155mm cranks with Frogs
Fox 38 Factory and DHX2 shock stroked to 62.5mm and 525lb spring
Bontrager Kovee Pro wheels with 180mm rear rotor
Line 35 aluminum bar with RaceFace grips

 

[Third-Reef]

New brake pads. We shall see how the switch from stock resin to metallic goes

 

[JP-NZ]

New brake pads. We shall see how the switch from stock resin to metallic goes

A pretty large increase in bite and power.

 

[Third-Reef]

Went for the first ride yesterday with the new ceramic pads and the WTB Vigilante tire on the rear. The brakes have lots more bite/grip and don't seem to squeal or growl. Did about 8 mi. 1100' with a couple of pretty solid down hills. I never had an issue with my resin pads so these are better but not game changing in any way. I may appreciate them more when i head south to the desert next month for the winter and put them to the test on some real big time descents.

 

[IanB-UK]

Went for the first ride yesterday with the new ceramic pads and the WTB Vigilante tire on the rear. The brakes have lots more bite/grip and don't seem to squeal or growl. Did about 8 mi. 1100' with a couple of pretty solid down hills. I never had an issue with my resin pads so these are better but not game changing in any way. I may appreciate them more when i head south to the desert next month for the winter and put them to the test on some real big time descents.

Sounds great! I would just like brakes that don’t squeal! Doesn’t seem to matter how much I avoid contaminating them, or clean them, they just squeal all the time. Maybe it’s the rotors as I’m on my 3rd set of pads! They weren’t all worn, I just got fed up with the noise!

 

[Mountainlake]

E Thirteen Carbon Cranks
Line Pro Carbon Wheels
Rockshox Superdeluxe Ultimate Rear Shock 230 x 60
Charger 3 Damper Upgrade
170mm Air Debonair +Spring
Ultimate Black brake pads
View attachment 121652

Hi,
Is it a M size ?
Original Rear Shock is 2030 x 57,5, with a 230 x 60 the shock may hit the down tube.
Did you check this without the coil to get full travel ?
Thanks

 

[ricko]

Hi,
Is it a M size ?
Original Rear Shock is 2030 x 57,5, with a 230 x 60 the shock may hit the down tube.
Did you check this without the coil to get full travel ?
Thanks

No, it is a large. Clears the down tube comfortably.

 

[irie]

A pretty large increase in bite and power.

And often also a pretty large increase in noise. I stayed with boring stock Shimano resin pads but increased rotor size. Large increase in braking power but still little or no noise. Result.

 

[Mountainlake]

No, it is a large. Clears the down tube comfortably.

Thanks, good to know.

 

[JariL]

Trek Rail 7 gen3
- Smashpot 170mm coil front
- EXT E-Storia 230x57.5 back
- Ergon GA3 grips
- CB Stamp 7 large pedals
- Muckynutz rear fender

Waiting for installation:
- Line Elite wheels from my Slash
- XT brakes
- GX AXS drivertrain

 

[Mr_Price]

2021 Trek 9.8XT
Project One Paint Job (apart from the rear triangle which was a replacement after I broke a seat stay)
170mm air spring
Push Industry HC97 damper
Jade X Coil
One Up Bar, EDC, pedals & Dropper Post
Shimano Saints (Zee rear calliper because I’m lazy)
Reserve Wheels (27.5 rear)

It’s been a rollercoaster of loving and then hating this bike. Last summer I got a new Santa Cruz Nomad and thought this bikes days were numbered. Going carbon wheels in MX and finally dialling in the suspension has make me fall head over heels again. Looking forward to e-bike season.

 

[Gianni]

The last update, RS Zeb Charger + with customized decals

View attachment IMG20231014080916.jpg

 

[Gianni]

After having mounted an RS ZEB 170 Select+ fork, an X2 FOX shock absorber and an 80 Renthal handlebar, it's now the turn of a Shimano SAINT brake kit with Hope 220/200 floating discs. I'm increasingly satisfied with my Rail, too bad the limitations of the 625 battery

 

[Geedog]

Hello, major upgrade this week, new bike day was Wednesday, pretty happy with this. Hope it is as good as it's elder brother.

 

[Zed.]

recent upgrades?

'borrowed' my mrs's new Ohlins rear damper (bought for her s-works 'Evil-Kenevo) and 'tested' it on the rail
I already had a suitable spring so was just a case of sorting the fitting hardware
2 test-rides done & it's a vast improvement over the origonal rockshox air thinggy...

also, decided to 'improve' the rear mudguard as it didn't stop shit covering the chainstay pivot area - piece of polyeurothane sheet & 2 cableties later & it's been declared a great success

also, the newly fitted Michlin E-Wild tyre won't hold air (seems to be weeping sealant through the sidewalls!) but feels ok & grips well over Bpw's red tech trails...

Rich.

 

[irie]

recent upgrades?

'borrowed' my mrs's new Ohlins rear damper (bought for her s-works 'Evil-Kenevo) and 'tested' it on the rail
I already had a suitable spring so was just a case of sorting the fitting hardware
2 test-rides done & it's a vast improvement over the origonal rockshox air thinggy...

also, decided to 'improve' the rear mudguard as it didn't stop shit covering the chainstay pivot area - piece of polyeurothane sheet & 2 cableties later & it's been declared a great success

also, the newly fitted Michlin E-Wild tyre won't hold air (seems to be weeping sealant through the sidewalls!) but feels ok & grips well over Bpw's red tech trails...

Rich.

Is that Rail a 2022 Medium?

Have the same shock fitted to my 2022 Large Rail 5 and thinking about putting one on my wife's bike.

Asking because don't know if it would fit her 2022 Medium Rail 5. Could take mine off and try it on her bike but CBA'd tbh.

 

[Doomanic]

It will fit.

 

[irie]

It will fit.

OK, thanks

 

[Zed.]

Is that Rail a 2022 Medium?

Have the same shock fitted to my 2022 Large Rail 5 and thinking about putting one on my wife's bike.

Asking because don't know if it would fit her 2022 Medium Rail 5. Could take mine off and try it on her bike but CBA'd tbh.

it is indeed a 2022 Rail5 medium frame, the damper & spring fits without clashing - as I'm a Fact-Hunt I definately would have given it all the travel
the damper travel is the full 65mm as....

1, I was too lazy to fit the spacers...
2,thought as I'm a Fact-Hunt it might help
3, I've fitted my 'spare' pair of Manitou Mezzer forks and set them to 170mm travel - 10mm over what Trek fit (see point 2 above)

the biggest improvement was the forks as it made the bike so much more confidence inspiring! next was the rear damper / spring as I regularly blasted the travel on the standard 'deluxe' thing (even though I had to overpressurise it slightly by ~10psi above recomended maximum)
going to Sram's Code RSC brakes also was helpfull...

fitting the Ohlins I used the Trek damper fittings from the origonal Rockshox but had to trim the pkastic side-spacers (to the 'wasting' so ~3mm a side?) but different dampers might not need such?

Rich.

 

[arTNC]

Got the Gen 2 Rail 7 put together and got one ride in last Friday with the Domain RC and OEM rear shock. However, I already had a Marz Bomber 170mm coil fork and Fox DHX2 coil shock...230X60...ordered. Got those installed yesterday and got the first ride in today. I had no big complaints with the OEM suspension, but I'm a long time mountain biker used to riding coil suspended bikes like the Santa Cruz Bullit and Nomad for many years. Owned the first Bullit made in 1998 and turned my 2003 Bullit into an emtb 3 years ago with a Bafang mid-drive. So it was logical for me to go coil on this Rail.

The ride today on the Marz coil and Fox DHX2 was awesome. I'm an off road dirt motorcycle guy, and I've always set up my big hit mountain bikes closer to my dirt bike ergonomics with a higher bar position and lower saddle height...more like a DH bike than a trail bike. Plus I'm 72 years old and my wrists/hands don't do well on a long ride with a low bar. The advent of the emtb was a real boon for me. There's still work to be done with pedaling, but the assist lets me ride like a kid again...LOL! I've been fortunate in that I'm not a normal 72 year old as far as health and fitness. I'll enjoy it as long as I can.

The rest of the mods to the bike are as follows: e-thirteen 160mm cranks, Maxxis Minion 2.6 DHF/DHR tires, Hussafelt 40mm rise DH handlebar, program Bosch motor to full potential, old Shimano DX-DH SPD pedals, Mino link in the "high" position.

One other thing that may seem odd to some is something I learned from my SC Bullit/Bafang bike. On that build with a 42T chainring, I ran a Shimano 11-36 9-speed cassette. The BBSHD Bafang is a powerful motor that was programmed to my liking on my laptop. This gearing span was more than adequate. The Rail of course comes with a 12-speed setup that frankly seems to fit a pedal-only bike more than an emtb. The shop I've worked at part time has a demo Rail 7, and I never used those super low gears or the super high cogs. I went to a 9-speed Shimano Cues setup at 11-36. Cues is a relatively new and very sturdy and robust drivetrain that Shimano rates for emtb.

So, the two rides on the Rail show me this gearing setup will work equally well on the Rail. The Bosch is a fairly powerful motor, and while the Rail needs more shifting than my Bullit/Bafang did, the gearing seems plenty capable.

 

[Zed.]

bit of an update (or followup?)

recent upgrades?

'borrowed' my mrs's new Ohlins rear damper (bought for her s-works 'Evil-Kenevo) and 'tested' it on the rail
I already had a suitable spring so was just a case of sorting the fitting hardware
2 test-rides done & it's a vast improvement over the origonal rockshox air thinggy...

also, decided to 'improve' the rear mudguard as it didn't stop shit covering the chainstay pivot area - piece of polyeurothane sheet & 2 cableties later & it's been declared a great success

also, the newly fitted Michlin E-Wild tyre won't hold air (seems to be weeping sealant through the sidewalls!) but feels ok & grips well over Bpw's red tech trails...

Rich.

so...

the Ohlins coil shock had went back to it's owner (Mrs Zed.) and fitting it into her S-works EvilKenevo thing was interesting to say the least - but thats not really relavant here...

back to Rail stuff

I have a Manitou Mara (inline) damper to try, shown with an Ohlins TTX2 for scale and as the Mara runns at a lower pressure than most

Mara fitted on the Rail, looks sorta small?

post ride photo, Sunday pedalup session @ BpW.

how did the Mara perform?
lower air pressure (170psi compared to the ~325psi I needed in the Rail's origonal Rockshox that was not happy with my mass) and this was similar to the Manitou Mezzer forks as they run with 70psi as main air pressure so definately designed for such?
on the trails (blues & reds, I'm not into jumps but tech drops & rockgardens are my thing) it was good and compaable with the Ohlins! the springing was lighter but I didn't bother adjusting as I enjoyed the ride

clean bike photo!

I'm thinking of modifying the Mara valving BUT want a Mara Pro damper to try....

Rich.

 

[obiwun]

750w Gen 4 Rail 9.8 GX AXS size L.
So far I've changed the following
- Ergon Sm-E Core Prime saddle. Stock Bonty saddle was the first thing to go, the Ergon e-bike mtb saddle is like wearing a Nike trainer on your bum. It is so comfy.
- Bontrager Line Elite carbon wheels. I destroyed the aluminium wheels on my previous Rail within months. Carbon are taking the hits. The rims are perfect. 3 broken spokes in 3 months so it's getting re-spoked under warranty with upgraded spokes.
- Hope Tech 4 V4 brakes. Just lots of power, pretty handy on a heavy derestricted emtb.
- RaceFace Affect 160mm emtb cranks. I bent the standard crank so I replaced with a 5mm shorter crankset.
- Bontrager 780mm Aluminium handlebar. I had a crash and damaged the carbon bars that came on the bike. Ali set is on there for now. Perhaps I'll try the One-Up carbon bars but I'm concerned about the extra 10mm in rise.
- NLS Speedi derestrict device. Such a cool device that works really easily with the Bosch smart system. Planetary gear that physically slows the disc brake magnet down by 1/3. ie giving you 50% more cut-off speed. Dead easy to install.
- Schwalbe Magic Mary Front and Big Betty Rear. 29x2.4, Front Ultra Soft Super Trail, Rear Soft Super Gravity.

Loving the bike.

View attachment IMG_4753.jpeg View attachment IMG_4892.jpeg

 

[Geedog]

750w Gen 4 Rail 9.8 GX AXS size L.
So far I've changed the following
- Ergon Sm-E Core Prime saddle. Stock Bonty saddle was the first thing to go, the Ergon e-bike mtb saddle is like wearing a Nike trainer on your bum. It is so comfy.
- Bontrager Line Elite carbon wheels. I destroyed the aluminium wheels on my previous Rail within months. Carbon are taking the hits. The rims are perfect. 3 broken spokes in 3 months so it's getting re-spoked under warranty with upgraded spokes.
- Hope Tech 4 V4 brakes. Just lots of power, pretty handy on a heavy derestricted emtb.
- RaceFace Affect 160mm emtb cranks. I bent the standard crank so I replaced with a 5mm shorter crankset.
- Bontrager 780mm Aluminium handlebar. I had a crash and damaged the carbon bars that came on the bike. Ali set is on there for now. Perhaps I'll try the One-Up carbon bars but I'm concerned about the extra 10mm in rise.
- NLS Speedi derestrict device. Such a cool device that works really easily with the Bosch smart system. Planetary gear that physically slows the disc brake magnet down by 1/3. ie giving you 50% more cut-off speed. Dead easy to install.
- Schwalbe Magic Mary Front and Big Betty Rear. 29x2.4, Front Ultra Soft Super Trail, Rear Soft Super Gravity.

Loving the bike.

View attachment 134396 View attachment 134397

Hello, nice upgrades, and the NLS speedi definitely works on a gen 4?

 

[Ride 2d@y]

Got the Gen 2 Rail 7 put together and got one ride in last Friday with the Domain RC and OEM rear shock. However, I already had a Marz Bomber 170mm coil fork and Fox DHX2 coil shock...230X60...ordered. Got those installed yesterday and got the first ride in today. I had no big complaints with the OEM suspension, but I'm a long time mountain biker used to riding coil suspended bikes like the Santa Cruz Bullit and Nomad for many years. Owned the first Bullit made in 1998 and turned my 2003 Bullit into an emtb 3 years ago with a Bafang mid-drive. So it was logical for me to go coil on this Rail.

The ride today on the Marz coil and Fox DHX2 was awesome. I'm an off road dirt motorcycle guy, and I've always set up my big hit mountain bikes closer to my dirt bike ergonomics with a higher bar position and lower saddle height...more like a DH bike than a trail bike. Plus I'm 72 years old and my wrists/hands don't do well on a long ride with a low bar. The advent of the emtb was a real boon for me. There's still work to be done with pedaling, but the assist lets me ride like a kid again...LOL! I've been fortunate in that I'm not a normal 72 year old as far as health and fitness. I'll enjoy it as long as I can.

The rest of the mods to the bike are as follows: e-thirteen 160mm cranks, Maxxis Minion 2.6 DHF/DHR tires, Hussafelt 40mm rise DH handlebar, program Bosch motor to full potential, old Shimano DX-DH SPD pedals, Mino link in the "high" position.

One other thing that may seem odd to some is something I learned from my SC Bullit/Bafang bike. On that build with a 42T chainring, I ran a Shimano 11-36 9-speed cassette. The BBSHD Bafang is a powerful motor that was programmed to my liking on my laptop. This gearing span was more than adequate. The Rail of course comes with a 12-speed setup that frankly seems to fit a pedal-only bike more than an emtb. The shop I've worked at part time has a demo Rail 7, and I never used those super low gears or the super high cogs. I went to a 9-speed Shimano Cues setup at 11-36. Cues is a relatively new and very sturdy and robust drivetrain that Shimano rates for emtb.

So, the two rides on the Rail show me this gearing setup will work equally well on the Rail. The Bosch is a fairly powerful motor, and while the Rail needs more shifting than my Bullit/Bafang did, the gearing seems plenty capable. View attachment 133879

I think you said you work at a Trek shop, so I have a question - are CSUs' available for fork upgrades? Fox, SRAM maybe? (looks are important, but I bet it is stronger too?)

 

[arTNC]

I think you said you work at a Trek shop, so I have a question - are CSUs' available for fork upgrades? Fox, SRAM maybe? (looks are important, but I bet it is stronger too?)

OK...I'm not up on the acronym "CSU" you mentioned. Remember...I'm just a mechanic. Plus, I'm in Texas, and we speak hillbilly around here.

At first I thought maybe you were referring to one of those new crime scene investigation TV shows...LOL!

 

[Ride 2d@y]

CSU is crown steerer unit -the upper part of a fork, that on Trek Rail is oversized to match the oversized head tube. A normal fork (without the oversized csu) looks weird, even weak compared to stock.

 

[arTNC]

Ah, got it. I'm not aware of availability outside of models offered to manufacturers, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are. It looks like Rock Shox may offer this on their Domain and some other models that come on emtb's...they do have a decal that says ebike approved...but...I'm pretty sure that this doesn't have anything to do with required strength for an emtb as much as it has to do with a cosmetic element to fit the bigger head tube sizes usually brought about by emtb's having large down tubes that support battery packs. Forks in the 35-38mm stanchion diameter have been getting approved and used for freeride and enduro bikes for many years, and probably the biggest safety and strength issue came from the lower bearing mount and head tube size growing to 1.5".

Rock Shox is pretty good about supplying fork components, usually even complete lowers and uppers. Maybe a call to them would reveal whether you can buy an upper for an existing fork that has the enlarged bridge for an emtb. Fox may do the same. My Marz Bomber coil fork has the conventional sized bridge on the 1.5" lower bearing support, and it doesn't bother me.

 

[Ride 2d@y]

Here is a Zeb 170 from a Slash when I installed it on my Rail 5 - yes it works, but I hate the look