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Grab Trek's Carbon 2022 Slash 9.9 MTB With Wireless Suspension Tech for $12.5K

"I swear man, it's perfect!" "Nope, no such thing. I don't believe you. There are too many variables that need to be controlled." "Exactly dude, that's what makes it so cool; all that's taken care of for you. Get it?"
2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant 14 photos
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant (Radioactive Coral to Yellow Fade)2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant (Matte Battleship Blue)2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Dropper post2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Frame Armor2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Brakes2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Linkage2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Knock Block2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Shock2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Frame Storage2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant AXS Crankset2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant AXS Drivetrain2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant (Lithium Grey)
Folks, if you haven't figured out what the two above may be talking about, it's a bike. However, to call 2022 Slash 9.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant MTB from Trek just a bike would be somewhat of an understatement.

Sure, it's a machine crafted and honed by one of the cycling world's renowned manufacturers, with a history dating back to 1975, but what makes this Slash so special is the inclusion of some pretty high-tech gear.

I feel it's safe to say that most of us know who Trek is, so I'll just jump straight into the bike. The manufacturer's website shows an MSRP of 12,550 USD (11,103 EUR at current exchange rates) for this machine. But why so dang much?

Well, aside from the bike being completed by Trek's OCLV mountain-specific carbon fiber, another reason for the price is the inclusion of a cycling industry's first, a wireless and electronically-controlled suspension system. Huh?

2022 Slash 9\.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Frame Armor
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
That's right. Towards the end of last year, SRAM released for their RockShox brand a suspension system that takes care of all your needs with nothing more than the press of a button.

It's called Flight Attendant and is a system based on SRAM's AXS technology. If this sounds familiar to you, AXS was first introduced as a drivetrain system allowing for wireless shifting of gears.

As it would appear, SRAM was able to take things a bit further and has adapted the tech to suspensions. Since this article is about the bike, I'll touch up briefly on Flight Attendant.

At the press of a button, the electronics take over and adjust the travel, rebound, and anything else that would affect your ride. To rock this new tech, you won't be able to buy the pieces separately as SRAM is furnishing them directly to manufacturers of MTBs and selling them as part of a whole machine, like the Slash, for example.

2022 Slash 9\.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant Shock
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
This system benefits a rider and their experience in several ways, one of which eliminates the need to fidget with knobs and levers for that perfect ride. If you really know what you're doing with Flight Attendant, you can customize the experience. Press a button, and an optimized ride is at hand.

Overall, the fork offers 170 mm (6.7 in) of travel, while the frame can cover 160 mm (6.3 in) of travel. The shock is sporting 230 mm (9.1 in) x 62.5 mm (2.46 in) dimensions. Another component with travel is the AXS dropper seat post, rocking 100 mm (3.9 in) of travel to get out of the way, also controlled wirelessly.

Trek continues their collaboration with SRAM by also throwing on an XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain; it makes sense, really. Overall, Slash is sporting a 12-speed drivetrain with a 10-52T cassette, enough to climb hard and descend fast. As for braking, you'll have the choice of choosing 180 mm (7.1 in) or 200 mm (7.9 in) CenterLine rotors with four-piston Code RSC brakes.

2022 Slash 9\.9 XX1 AXS Flight Attendant \(Radioactive Coral to Yellow Fade\)
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
Some of the money you'll be spending on this bike also aims to offer a safer and more resilient machine. With that in mind, Trek also includes frame armor on the underside of the down tube and crank housing. But they also include Knock Block 2.0, tech that's meant to keep your fork from hitting the frame in case of an eventual wipeout by limiting the amount of rotation it can achieve.

All other components like handlebar, rims, tires, and grips, all from in-house Bontrager. Together, Slash comes in with a weight of 31.37 lbs (14.22 kg), pretty dang light for a bike that's full of tech.

What Trek has achieved through its collaboration with SRAM may be just the sort of event that's meant to show the world just how far bicycles and technology can mix. I feel it may be a couple of months or so before someone integrates a motor and battery to something like this. When that happens, can we still consider these machines as bicycles?

Whatever they'll be called, look like, and perform, I'd love to take a spin on something like that or just this fresh 2022 Slash 9.9; I'm ok with both.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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