Trek Powerfly LT 9.7 Plus

The "LT" in the name of the Powerfly LT 9.7 Plus stands for Long Travel, and this is a proper trail beast, with 160/150mm of travel front/rear and a chunky 27.5in "mid-fat" wheelset (shod here with 2.8in tyres).

But what comes down must also go back up... and that's where the "e-Bike" part comes in...

The carbon frame hides an integrated battery unit (easily removed without tools, for charging) and a 250 watt Bosch motor provides variable pedal assistance, on tap when needed.

This is a well specced bike with a sensible mix of components based around SRAM's 1x12 Eagle NX drivetrain. The inclusion of a dropper post is pretty much taken for granted on a bike like this, but nonetheless it's a good indication that the Powerfly is a serious trail bike - the motor is simply there to let you explore further and harder.

With a total weight of just over 23kg (in a Medium) this is no lightweight XC rig, but the 4-pot Shimano disc brakes do a fantastic job of stopping it even on the steeper stuff, and provide excellent modulation.

photos by Bence Bujaki