Hardtails are always a popular choice here at Bay Cycles and the Roscoe is a key player in Trek's comprehensive line up.
We often recommend hardtail mountain bikes for their versatility – they work for a wide range of riding, whether straight from your front door on mixed surfaces or on more challenging terrain such as trail centres. They're ideal for the off-season too, where the simplicity – with fewer moving parts – makes them easier to maintain in mucky UK conditions. Hardtails are bikes that give you more options and more for your money, especially when you roll in Trek's superb build quality and lifetime frame warranty.
Trek's hardtail range is comprehensive – from the value-orientated Marlin to the race-ready Procaliber – but it's the X-Caliber and Roscoe trail bikes that have always been the core of what we sell, hitting a good blend of performance, quality and reliability. With the 2023 model year seeing a full refresh of the Roscoe 7, 8 and 9 models we thought we'd give you a run through of these updated models.
With the latest component tech and progressive geometry, hardtails have been given a new lease of life – the new 2023 Trek Roscoe is bang on trend and ready for UK trail riding, bike parks and back country adventuring. Let’s take a look at the bikes…
Trek has brought this new Roscoe right on trend with a fully revised frame design for the new model year. The Roscoe 7, 8 and 9 use an all-new frame specifically aimed at trail riding – with hardware to match this intent. Stability has been improved by lengthening the wheelbase and slackening the head angle (now 65º) – giving you more confidence in the rough and the steep stuff. Boost frame spacing is a welcome update so there are now bolt-through axles front and rear for added stiffness and security.
Rolling on bigger 29” wheels (on all sizes except the XS) rather than the 27.5” size of the previous generation Roscoe, the 2023 models are spec’d with chunky 2.6” tyres that give more bite into looser, muddy terrain than the older model’s 2.8” rubber. The new Roscoe 7, 8 and 9 use tubeless compatible tyres and rims as standard and we’ll set them up correctly when we build your bike.
A longer travel 140mm suspension fork soaks up roots and rocks with the high volume Bontrager 2.6’’ tyres boosting traction too. Air sprung RockShox forks are standard on the Roscoe 7 and 8 with a burly Fox 36 leading the way on the range-topping 9. Smooth, well-damped performance is a given and if you provide us with your weight we can tune your forks and run you through the dials and settings – all part of the Bay Cycles service.
The new Roscoe trail bike is a well-dialled package. Trek has sweated the details here too – a wide 780mm Bontrager handlebar matched to a short 35mm or 50mm stem (depending on frame size) add stability yet keeps the handling sweet. A long stroke 150mm dropper seatpost lets you slam the saddle down and out of the way for drops, jumps and technical terrain.
Frame details are on point too - ISCG mounts allow a chain device or bash guard to be fitted. Seriously robust down tube and chainstay protection has been added, reducing noise and keeping the paint looking sharp.
Single chainring transmissions are a go-to choice for trail bikes of all types these days and Trek specifies 1x12 gear systems from SRAM or Shimano on the Roscoe 7, 8 and 9. Quiet, simple, intuitive and reliable. SRAM’s new and easier to source UDH rear mech hanger is also standard hardware on the new Roscoe frame.
Check out the new 2023 Trek Marlin hardtails HERE if you’re looking for a more affordable all-rounder.
2023 Roscoe 7 £1620 - Read more HERE
2023 Roscoe 8 £2270 - Read more HERE
2023 Roscoe 9 £2550 - Read more HERE
