Trek's Supercaliber currently has the most eye-catching suspension system on the cross-country circuit. But Jolanda Neff's race bike is not just an eye-catcher because of its suspension: the Supercaliber's paintwork has been specially customized for the team using Trek's Project One program. The paintwork resembles a starry sky on a clear night. A paint job with symbolic character?

But the bike is not only visually impressive. Even the prototype suited Neff perfectly, as she explains: "I've been riding the Supercaliber for more than a year now, and since I got it, I've never wanted to switch back to another bike. I've only ridden the Supercaliber in all my races because it's the perfect race bike for me. It's another advantage, especially in the World Cup, as we have to ride short track and cross country on the same bike. So I never have to think about it again, because for me the Supercaliber meets all the requirements in every situation and on every course."

Low stroke - high stiffness

The semi-integrated IsoStrut suspension looks as if it has been cast in one piece and only has 60 millimetres of travel. It features a Fox Performance air shock with DPS damping and two modes that can be operated from the handlebars. In the air chamber, 125 psi is the ideal spring rate for Neff. The stroke length and design also combine several advantages:
"Thanks to the special shock design, the Supercaliber has much more stiffness and directness than a conventional fully. Of course, it's also lighter, but that's not the decisive factor for me," explains the two-time overall World Cup winner.

The suspension also includes the suspension fork: with the Sid Ultimate, Rock Shox delivers the latest from the fork department. In its air suspension, 85 psi is the optimum air pressure for Neff. It locks the 100 millimetre stroke with the twist lock rotary switch, simultaneously with the rear triangle.

From shifting to force measurement

Like her team colleagues, Neff also shifts electronically. Sram's XX1 Eagle AXS shifts twelve gears as standard, from the 10 to the 50 sprocket. The rainbow-colored chainstring is driven by a 34 chainring. The forces that Neff transmits to the closed chainring are recorded by a prototype of the Quarq watt measurement system and sent to the Garmin device.

The Reverb AXS dropper post from Rock Shox works both electronically and wirelessly. This has 100 millimetres of travel and is now standard in the World Cup circuit.

Components from our own company

Practically every component on Jolanda Neff's Supercaliber comes from Trek's component brand Bontrager. The Kovee model line includes the XXX carbon handlebars with a nine-degree bend and shortened to a width of 69 centimetres for the Swiss rider. It is supported by a Kovee Pro stem with a length of 80 millimetres.
The wheels of the same name consist of carbon rims with an inner width of 29 millimetres and DT Swiss rotors. The wheel pair weighs just 1300 grams.
The Kovee XXX-30 wheels are fitted with XR1 Team Issue tires, also from Bontrager.

Neff is not only known for her active riding style, she is also considered a downhill genius in the Cross-County World Cup. And anyone who is fast downhill needs sufficient braking power. The 27-year-old finds it in Sram's Level Ultimate stoppers with 160 millimeter brake discs. What is striking about her brakes is that they are fitted with anodized titanium bolts and therefore perfectly match the colour of Sram's rainbow chain.

Special paintwork is gaining in importance

Professional bikes always have that certain something. With Jolanda Neff's Trek Supercaliber, it's several things at once. Many details combined with the unique suspension system probably make it one of the most special race bikes. But in the end it is the special paintwork that makes the bike so unique. And this example is not an isolated case. Downhill pioneers have gradually transferred the idea of unique colors to the cross-country circus. Since then, there have often been paint jobs at the start of the season or at the respective season highlight that are not available off the peg, and that is what makes the professional circus so special.

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