The long-travel e-MTB category is one of the most hotly contested spaces in modern mountain biking and, if we're honest, Trek's Rail has got a little long in the tooth. Thankfully, the brand has refreshed its flagship e-MTB platform with the Rail+, which gets the very latest Bosch tech and simply packs more punch than before. Here's everything we know. 

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The new Trek Rail+ has been sculpted for the rider who wants to pack in big miles without compromise. With that, it also exhibits plenty of suspension travel, which has been upped from the previous generation to 160mm at both ends. Then, to take riders over longer distances, the battery's capacity has been expanded to 800Wh, and it's compatible with the 250Wh PowerMore range extender.

2024 trek rail + motor.JPG, by Liam Mercer

The Rail+'s big headline is that it joins Haibike in donning Bosch's new Performance Line CX motor. It's said to be quieter than before and presents 50 per cent less drag when pedalling. Bosch also promises a more natural power delivery. On top of the new motor is a new battery that we're told has the highest energy density yet. Trek claims the 800Wh option weighs 3.9kg while the 600Wh battery comes in at 3kg. (The previous battery was rated at 750Wh and weighed 4.3kg).

To keep the battery in place, Trek has created the RIB 2.0 system designed to be more secure and keep the bigger battery from rattling. It relies on a single 8mm Allen bolt but there's an extra tension bolt for those who ride particularly rough trails. As seen on other e-bikes, there's a secondary retention latch, too, that stops the battery from freely dropping from the frame.

2024 trek rail+ battery.JPG, by Liam Mercer

Moving onto the geometry, there's a fresh level of adjustability present. But first, the head tube angle sits at 64.5-degrees which is adjustable by +/- one degree through an adjustable headset. The effective seat tube angle is 77-degrees and the reach measures 450mm on a medium frame. All sizes get a mixed wheel size apart from the small which features 650b hoops at both ends.

Thanks to Trek's famous Mino Link, there's also adjustability in the BB height with it sitting at 338m in low and 345mm in high. There's also half a degree of head angle change, too.

2024 trek rail + shock chip.JPG, by Liam Mercer

As seen on the Top Fuel, the Rail+ also offers adjustability in the leverage rate. Out of the box, it comes with 19 per cent progression but by flipping a chip at the lower shock mount, progression can be ramped up to 24 per cent. That's for riders who run a coil shock or want more bottom-out resistance.

Trek's Gen 5 Rail+ comes in six models featuring componentry from Shimano with pricier bikes running SRAM T-Type drivetrains. To keep the range more accessible in terms of pricing, the Gen 4 Rail will still be available and act as the budget-friendly offering in the range.

Prices start at £5,000 and go up to £12,000.

• www.trekbikes.com

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