Trek has launched the CheckOUT, its first full-suspension gravel bike, claiming it offers greater comfort and control on rough terrain without sacrificing speed.
Unlike drop-bar mountain bike conversions, Trek says the CheckOUT was designed from the ground up as a gravel machine.
Trek says its lab testing shows its suspension reduces rider fatigue by cutting vibration and steering input, while a new geometry, wider bar, and extensive mounting options further underline its adventure focus.
We originally spotted the new Trek back in June, where it was ridden to victory in the Trans Balkans ultra race by Justinas Leveika.
The new bike debuts alongside the RockShox Rudy XL fork, developed specifically for gravel.
Lab-led development
According to Trek, the CheckOUT’s suspension is primarily intended to enhance rider comfort and reduce fatigue.
Trek says it paid particular attention to the relationship between conventional chassis bounce and bike-rider decoupling, where you’re thrown out of the saddle on rough terrain.
Trek found that when a rider moves out of the saddle, they naturally put in more effort to maintain control and stability.
For a bike that’s aimed at tackling singletrack and the toughest gravel endurance events, Trek says reducing this fatigue-inducing element was the priority.
Trek says its lab treadmill, which mimics rough gravel surfaces, proved essential in the development and testing of the bike.
Trek tested the new bike against a rigid gravel bike, plus a CheckOUT with a 55mm tyre.
The engineers then monitored the rider’s motion and tracked the movement of the rider’s tailbone (sacrum).
Trek says this shows how well the rider stays coupled to the bike, especially on rougher terrain
The CheckOUT suspension design provided a 27 per cent reduction in rider position variability with 50mm tyres, reducing a further 32 per cent when a larger 55mm tyre was used.
The suspension design also reduced vibrational forces reaching the rider by 41.5 per cent compared to a rigid gravel bike.
Trek’s testing also showed that rough surfaces have a significant impact on a bike’s steering, with the constant corrections required when riding a fully rigid gravel bike causing fatigue.
Under testing, it showed that with the CheckOUT setup, steering saw a 23 per cent reduction in variability with a 50mm tyre. This was further reduced to 16 per cent with a 55mm tyre fitted.
New design and new suspension
Trek didn’t want to use a mountain bike fork on the CheckOUT, so it worked with RockShox to create the Rudy XL – a burlier version of its existing gravel fork, which ups travel to 60mm and tyre clearance to 56mm, while maintaining a gravel-friendly 45mm offset.
The Rudy XL will be available separately in 50 and 60mm travel options and priced at $929, €1,010, £900.
RockShox provides a SIDLuxe 170 x 27.5mm shock. This gives 55mm of travel at the rear wheel.
All models come equipped with a dropper post.
TransX is providing a cable-operated dropper on the SL5 model and RockShox’s wireless Reverb AXS on the SL7.
New wider bar
Trek bucks the trend towards narrow bars with the new GR Checkout bar.
The bar is designed to be more aero on the hoods, with a narrower position, pushing out 12cm wider in the drops. Trek claim this gives more confident handling over burlier terrain without sacrificing aero performance.
The top section of the bar is designed to add all-day comfort. The rounded top’s larger radius on the rear gives you somewhere for your palms to rest. Trek’s longstanding Carbon IsoCore construction is used to further absorb vibrations.
New gravel geometry
The CheckOUT features Trek’s new adventure geometry.
Compared to the rigid adventure-focused Checkpoint, the CheckOUT gets both a longer reach and a higher stack.
Up against Trek’s lightweight XC race bike, the Supercaliber, the CheeckOUT has a more upright position that also places the rider further back.
Specific storage
The CheckOUT doesn’t have any in-frame storage, but Trek has collaborated with Topo on a frame bag that fits within the front triangle in colour-matched finishes.
At the rear, a proprietary rack with a built-in linkage matches the rear suspension movement, so your bikepacking load won’t get shaken.
The frame features a huge number of mounts, with 18 in total on size M/L and above bikes.
There are two on the top of the top tube, seven on the downtube, three on the seat tube, and three on the underside of the downtube.
Trek CheckOUT range overview
Both models of the CheckOUT are built from Trek’s OCLV 500 series carbon and tested to mountain bike standards.
The SL5 and SL7 AXS complete builds are joined by a frameset option.
- Trek CheckOUT SL5: $5,799/ £4,500 / AU$6,999.99
- Trek CheckOUT SL7 AXS: $8,999 / £6,500 / AU$10,999.99
- Trek CheckOUT frameset: $3,699.99 / £2,700 / AU$6,300
