Trek's Latest Procaliber Is the Sweetest Balance Between "Race-Ready and Pocket-Friendly"

Folks, I'm a sucker for a hardtail MTB, but I also don't have thousands of dollars to spend on one, and if I did, I surely wouldn't be able to tap into all that it can do; I'm no pro rider. I have, however, been riding a bike since I was six, and I have broken bones, torn muscles and ligaments, and fake teeth to show for it. What can I say? I love them!

Well, upon seeing one of Trek's newest additions to their family, I may have fallen in love yet again. I'm talking about the rather simple yet capable creature before us, the Procaliber 8. Best of all, certain parts of the world are dishing these babies out for around $1,800, some more, some less, depending on the dealership you find one in.

This brings me to my next point: according to Trek's US website, the 8 is all gone, and to put your hands on one, you'll have to reach out to the countless dealerships in your area. Maybe you'll even have to travel out of state, as my own search revealed. But they're out there, so let's see what's in store.

Now, since I've started covering just about anything on two wheels, I realized that most people don't have a whole lot of cash to spend on a bike that they'll use mostly for day-to-day riding, and Trek seems to know this, too. However, being Trek, for that price tag, the 8 is equipped with some rather neat hardware.

Just to give you an idea of what's in store, Trek mentions that this is the one that "confidently rolls the fine line between race-ready and pocket-friendly," and all that starts off with an aluminum frame. Carbon fiber versions are also available for this line, but those are clearly to be used for bringing home the gold.

As for the version before us, the aluminum one, take a moment to look closely at the frame and all it has to offer. We can start off with that tapered head tube, which is supported by the top and down tubes, the former blending beautifully into the seat stays.

Am I mistaken, or is there a slight curve to the stays? The seat tube is clearly curved. Speaking of the seat tube, I loved the fact that Trek built this bike around an internal dropper post, giving riders precious wiggle room for more hectic rides.

Overall, the bike is built around 29-inch tires, so rolling through the proverbial deep is bound to be smoother and a tad faster than on 27.5s. But, and this is a big one, forks with up to 130 mm (5.1 in) of travel can be used on this one, and as standard, the manufacturer throws on a RockShox Recon Gold RL with motion control damper, lockout, and 120 mm (4.7 in) of jelly-like goodness.

Moving onto the next stage in our journey of the Procaliber 8, we arrive at the all-important drivetrain. Again, I liked that Trek was able to give us a rather decent setup, considering this bike's price. Typically, we see a Shimano SLX shifter, cassette, and chain being managed by an XT M8100 derailleur. All that's tuned to the sounds of 1x12 speeds, so there's no getting your trigger fingers mixed up.

While Shimano and SRAM on the same machine might be considered blasphemy by some, I'm just glad I don't see the new Cues components anywhere. As for brakes, Shimano handles that too with up to 180 mm (7.1 in) rotors, so more than enough for a hardtail. All that and a bag of potato chips later, the size M frame only weighs 27.12 lbs (12.3 kg).

"But, wait, there's more!" and there really is. Last but not least, this timeless manufacturer also took the time to include countless mounts all over the Procaliber's frame. Not only do the seat and down tube include mounts for things like water bottle cages, but once we consider that the seat stay can accommodate a cargo rack, the 8 transforms into something more than just a hardtail MTB; it's a cross-country and cargo-carrying machine.

Heck, throw out the water bottles, come in with frame bags and even suspension fork mounts, and take those long rides to the edge of town and back again. This ability is bound to prove useful in an urban setting, too, allowing us to ditch the old gas-guzzler in the garage and grab a breath of fresh air when in need of some light groceries. On your way home, mix the OJ with an off-road ride through a local park.

Look, I understand it may be rather difficult to know what this bugger feels like from wherever you're standing or sitting, so to really see what we're in store for, find a dealership in your area, and go from there; most have a test bike that you can whip around the lot or some singletrack.