2012 Trek Superfly Elite Carbon 29er
If you asked us earlier this year what could be improved with the 2011 Superfly 29er bike, we would have stared back at you blankly and possibly even kicked you out of the shop - "How do you improve on the fastest hardtail on the market?!" Well for 2012, Trek continue to trump us all with the continuing theme of evolving their 29er range with an improved spec, small ergonomic tweaks and lower pricepoints across the board, making it very hard for the competition to keep up.
The Matte Carbon & Blue Trek Superfly Elite is the mack-daddy of the Superfly range, featuring the beautifully organic carbon frame that features the new blend of "OCLV Mountain" Carbon Fiber that is specific to their MTB lineup. This type of carbon is designed to withstand impact damage more readily than the carbon used on their road bikes, and is a more durable material that is made to stand up the rigours of regular mountain biking. Trek are continuing with their industry leading BB95 press fit bottom bracket system, that utilises Net Molding for the BB shell to allow the bearings to be directly dropped in without any need for alloy inserts or additional machining. The "95" stands for 95mm wide (compared to the usual 68mm BB shells that most other companies use) and is a simple way of maximising stiffness around the crucial BB area so that all of your pedalling efforts are directed straight to the rear tyre. The Tapered E2 headtube up front is joined to a massive down/top tube interface that looks like it could belong on a spaceship, and serves to dish out laser-accurate steering up front with minimal deflection. All of this carbon wizardry adds up to a seriously light and laterally stiff frame that will respond to pedalling and handling inputs like no other, and makes the Superfly Elite THE choice for competitive XC racing or for weekend warriors after the best 29er hardtail on the market.

One noticeable improvement for the 2012 Superfly Elite is the addition of the QR15 thru-axle fork up front to complement the snappy handling of the carbon 29er frame, with Fox supplying the 100mm travel RLC FIT damper to suit. The Float 100 features the obligatory G2 custom offset that makes the Superfly handle so well off road and its FIT damper is also re-worked by the Trek Suspension team in California with a custom tune you would normally pay somewhere around $150 for aftermarket. A lightweight and adjustable Air Sring, adjustable Rbound, Lockout with Force Adjust and Low-Speed Compression make this a seriously tuneable fork depending on your riding conditions and preferences.
Trek have dressed up the Superfly Elite in the slick 2012 Shimano XT groupset so you're left with little to worry about whilst you're quietly shifting through the gears. The new Ice Tech brakes are used for fade-free braking performance and rest nicely on the carbon RL handlebars, and even down to the Titanium railed Evoke 3 saddle Trek have thought of everything with the Superfly to ensure you can get the most out of this gorgeous frame.

Our favourite features of the Superfly Elite

	Fragile carbon? Think again!   A few years ago Trek realised that everyday riders was still scared of taking carbon off-road. As the leaders in carbon fiber technology, Trek knew they could offer a better solution. So they  took the best engineers and designers, and asked for better carbon, built for off-road use. The result? OCLV Mountain Carbon. OCLV Mountain Carbon takes the patented OCLV process and figures in the rigors of off-road use. It is reinforced in the right areas with unique materials, but preserves the lightweight, stiff carbon feel. Today, every carbon mountain bike Trek makes is built using OCLV Mountain Carbon—carbon that’s tougher than the trail, without the added weight.
	Carbon Armour Sometimes you need a little extra protection, so Trek developed a light, tough external shield. In addition to OCLV mountain Trek have developed another layer of protection for those vulnerable areas The Carbon Armour polymer shield provides reassurance to riders who know their down tube is bound to take some abuse.
	FCC MTB Oversized hub, flanges, and end caps create a flex-free 29" wheel capable of chewing through technical terrain. With a 29er wheel that has Wider and taller flanges with outboard J-bend spokes you get a stiffer wheel system.  FCC wheel system pushes the wheel flanges out and up, improving the bracing angle between flange and rim also adding strength and rigidity to the wheel.  A stiffer and stronger 29er wheel, that’s the result.
	Slow-handling 29ers? The many advantages of bigger wheels can come with a price: sleepy handling. Gary Fisher solved that with G2 geometry. G2 Geometry is a system-wide solution to slow 29er handling. Trek have optimised frame geometry and fork geometry in tandem to create a bike that handles nimbly in tight, twisty singletrack without compromising high-speed stability. It's why the Fisher Collection 29ers handle better than any others and can be ridden the same way you would a 26” bike