Trek Project One Top Fuel 9.8 SL

Here we have the Top Fuel, Trek's full-sus cross country race champion, tricked out in a special Project One colour scheme and with some nicely judged upgrades.

This is the "Frequency" paint, glowing brilliantly against the autumnal colours, in black and "radioactive orange".

Fox Factory suspension, with its distinctive golden Kashima coating, provides real race-proven performance and zero stiction.

The Kovee XXX wheelset features wide but lightweight carbon rims designed for serious traction and allowing lower pressures, all without excess weight - and built onto super-reliable and precision engineered DT Swiss 240S hubs.

Bontrager's own Line dropper post also makes an appearance. We're seeing more and more XC riders moving to dropper posts as the weight comes down and the performance improves. Bontrager's is one of the best.

Equally up to date is the 35mm bar and stem. As XC bikes become more and more capable, and courses become more extreme, the added stiffness and control is starting to become popular with a broader range of riders.

The XT Di2 1x gruppo keeps things smooth, simple and reliable, with all the info - and controls - you need right at your fingertips.

photos by Bobby Whittaker