Trek Session 88
Is this the one?
Words by Cam McRae. Photos by Sterling Lorence.
In late May I was invited to be one of the first journalists to ride the new Trek Session 88. The camp was held in New Hampshire at the Highland Mountain Bike Park – a defunct ski hill that has been resurrected for summer use only. Before I go into my ride impressions or tell you about the bike park, here’s a look at the process that culminated in the release of the Session 88 bikes.
While brand new short-travel platforms pop up ever spring like dandelions, completely DH bikes are a more rare and noteworthy occurrence. Despite what you might see on the Shore, long travel bikes are a tiny slice of most bike companies’ sales figures. Unfortunately they cost just as much to develop and re-tool so they tend to have a longer shelf life. When I heard that Trek was incorporating their Active Braking Pivot technology, as well as Full Floater, into a new DH platform I was more than a little keen to give one a go.
Andrew Shandro with his Trek Diesel circa 2003. The Diesel never had a huge following. Photo ~ Cam McRae
Trek’s history in the DH and long travel world might be best described as spotty. If we examine the recent era (rather than going back to Scott Sharples’ DH1 from the late 90s) it all began with the diesel – a behemoth of a single pivot bike that was built in Wisconsin. It may have been expensive but at least it was heavy. Probably the best part of the Diesel was the inclusion of the Chain Torque Eliminator. CTE incorporated a high chain pulley to align the chain path with the pivot line and virually eliminate chain growth. The bikes I rode with CTE pedaled extremely well.
The Session 10 was an improvement on the Diesel in terms of geometry and aesthetics but it suffered from saddle buzz at full compression and – being a single pivot bike – was subject to brake jack unless a floating caliper was added to the design.
My first glimpse of the Session 10 was in a North Van hotel room. Very cloak and dagger. The 10 rides nicely but it's heavy and not up to taking on the competition in the marketplace. Photo ~ Cam McRae
The 10 was still too heavy and 10 inches of travel made it seem like a dinosaur, so Trek began to pursue a lighter, eight-inch travel version of the bike to be called the Session 8. Unfortunately it was still a single pivot bike up against more elegant and efficient linkage systems but development continued nonetheless. (note - Trek is still selling the Session 10 as of 2008)
Now we're talking. The new Session 88 in DH trim. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
According to Trek, the first trials of a long travel bike incorporating a pivot that moving concentric to the rear axle (what Trek now calls Active Braking Pivot or ABP) were done in Whistler in August 2006. A Session 7 with a crude version of ABP was on display at our recent camp in New Hampshire. Andrew Shandro’s impressions of the pivot position were positive and despite hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars already spent on the Session 8, the decision was made to scrap it in favour of an ABP downhill platform. When the Fuel and then the Remedy were very well received by the media and the public, Trek must have known they were on the right track with the Session development.
The freeride version has a wider gear range and a single crown fork. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
I don’t think it’s too early to say this represents a new era for Trek in the world of DH. One look at the bike tells you that. Aesthetically it’s as easy on the eyes as any DH bike around and the clean lines make you want to saddle it up and give it a go. Still that doesn’t take you very far if the ride isn’t there. Thankfully, with the help of Trek’s Suspension Development Centre in California and constant input from Shandro, it seems they got that right as well. 
Smiling under his full face. It's pretty clear that Shandro loves his new bike. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
I’ll be following up with my impressions of the ride and spec. of the Session 88 as well a tour of the Highland Bike Park shortly - accompanied by more bangers from Sterl.
For more on the Session 88 check out trekbikes.com
Anyone lusting for a Session 88? Questions that need answering? Right this way...
