Trek Bicycle has today launched an all-new generation of its ground-breaking Speed Concept triathlon bike. Building on the previous bike’s Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) aerodynamics, storage integration, and adjustability, the new Trek Speed Concept’s design drops nearly a pound in frame weight.
According to Trek, the new Trek Speed Concept also saves the rider up to 148 seconds (2 mins 28 seconds) on an Iron-distance bike course over the original Speed Concept, whilst removing an hour of assembly time.
By measuring real-world wind conditions, Trek engineers identified a more precise window of yaw angles that athletes are likely to encounter on-course, and modified the frame shape to maximize efficiency in those conditions. By testing in the wind tunnel using this real data, Trek reduced the frontal area of the bike, deepened the fork profile, refined the KVF tube shape, and retained the cross-wind performance KVF is known for, all while removing a whopping 437g from the frame.
The cockpit’s frontal area alone was reduced 30%, while simplified adjustment points reduce the amount of hardware and simultaneously increase the range of fit positions. All cables and housing are completely internal on the new Speed Concept, and it includes an internal battery option for electronic drivetrains.
According to Trek, the integrated brakes are both easier to work on, and provide more stopping power, particularly on the rear where the new Speed Fin brake booster doubles as a wheel faring that saves ten grams of drag.
The new Speed Concept’s storage solutions make the rider faster when used together, with the Speed Box 2 storing a full flat repair kit or tubular behind the seat tube and extending the airfoil design. The Speed Box 2 top tube storage transports more nutrition holding up to 8 gels or shots and provides easier access for feeding, while the RXL TriCarbon computer cage holds a bottle and computer between the rider’s arms.
Lastly, the Two Pack Aero ‘leaves saddle bags in the dust’ by holding two bottles and tons of storage space above and behind the rider’s saddle. Here, according to Trek, this can save 253 seconds on an Iron-distance bike course when combined with the Speed Concept’s other storage solutions.
The new Speed Concept comes in five frame sizes, with six stem options, and thanks to a new cockpit, increases the number of fit positions available, improving on the bike’s range of fit options. Lastly, all the integration has been simplified, chopping an entire hour out of the estimated build time.
