Trek to Debut All-New Session 88 Bike at 2008 Sea Otter Classic

WATERLOO, WI, Apr 17 (MARKET WIRE) --
Trek Bicycles has today announced that it will unveil its all-new Session
platform at the 2008 Sea Otter Classic. The new platform will support two
separate bikes -- the Session 88 DH and Session 88 FR -- and promises to
out-perform all other bikes in their respective categories on the market today.
The
grand unveiling will occur at a VIP-only party on Friday, April 18th, and
then be open to public viewing on Saturday and Sunday.

"Our goal with developing a new Freeride and DH bike is in line with
Trek'sguiding principle to have the best in class product for every category we
pursue," said Joe Vadeboncouer, Product Manager for Trek. "The new Session
products are my personal favorites of all the full suspension bikes we build
at Trek."

The development focus of the Session design team was three-fold: create a
new platform for gravity application that capitalizes on all of Trek's recent
suspension technology improvements, optimize geometry and reduce overall bike
weight.

The testing for the new Session platform took place over the past three
years,
as a staff of engineers, designers and test riders traveled the globe to find
the most diverse conditions under which to test the platform. "The bike's
development reaches far into Trek's history. In a sense, we've been waiting for
this moment for a very long time," said Senior R&D Suspension Engineer Dylan
Howes.

Considered the innovator of Trek's ground breaking new patent-pending
technology, Active
Braking Pivot (ABP), Dylan Howes found himself and his development team in a
precarious spot when an 8" version of the Session was approved for production
two years ago. "We really had something with the original Session 8. The
geometry was dialed, we were spellbound with the handling, and the weight was
acceptable. But we knew from the Fuel EX and Remedy development that new
technology would surpass what we were developing. So we stopped production and
went back to a clean sheet of paper."

The team went back to the drawing board. Inspired by the "best in class"
principle, Trek engineers and designers evaluated promising new technologies
and embarked on a journey that would take two years to complete. The new and
improved version of the Session platform would come to be known as the Session
88.

The Session 88 platform features all of Trek's recent full suspension
development
efforts including the one piece of technology responsible for creating the
most active suspension system under braking, ABP. The Session 88 platform also
combines Trek's Full Floater shock mount with a custom-tuned Fox DHX 5 coil
shock, delivering the small bump compliance, good mid-stroke control and
bottomless
feel associated with all of Trek's full suspension offerings.

Stiffness and strength, balanced with market-leading frame weight, were a
major concern for the Trek team. To that extent, Trek's industrial designers
employed hydroforming and extensive frame shaping to achieve project goals.
Beyond its structural elements, designers styled the Session frame to exude a
visual aggressiveness intended to inspire confidence in the rider before he
or she even sits on the bike. Also of note in the frame construction is the
one-piece EVO rocker link and E2 tapered steerer/head tube technology, both of
which
make a powerful visual statement.

The two distinct bikes feature category-specific parts builds for both
Freeride and Downhill, as well as graphics inspired by the environments in
which the bike will be used. "Our engineers did a great job creating a
bikethat's inspiring to ride. On the styling side, our goal was to use every
component to create something that's equally inspiring to look at," said
Trek's Graphic Designer Chad Bailey, who orchestrated everything from the
gold anodized frame hardware to the custom Session-branded chainstay
guard."I think we pulled it off, but we'll let the riders be the judge of that."

With the frame construction and aesthetics dialed, the performance of the
Session 88 platform is remarkable as well. "The most exciting thing about the
Session 88 is that there is not a single bike that can match its overall
performance," said Jose Gonzalez, Director of Full Suspension Technology.
"Another
platform might offer a similar weight, or geometry, or braking performance,
but nothing else out there can match the overall package. This truly is a bike
that leapfrogs all existing bikes."

A key member of the product development team is Trek sponsored athlete and
Freeride legend Andrew Shandro. "There's a trail at Whistler called Dirt
Merchant. I know that trail front and back, but on the Session, I
completely overshot the jump," he said, citing his first test ride on the
final version. "The suspension technology, the platform's efficiency, and the
bike's overall weight allowed me to carry so much more speed than I ever
thought possible. It has all the qualities you want out of a performance
gravity mountain bike."

Regarding suspension performance, Trek takes considerable time and effort to
fine tune its suspension componentry. "In addition to the bike's features, the
amount of testing and development we did with Fox on the suspension parts
insures that no bike available will work anywhere near as well as ours, even
if they also use Fox parts," said Vadeboncouer, noting the extensive development
work performed with Trek's primary suspension partner, Fox Racing Shox.

The Watsonville-based suspension manufacturer supplies its popular DHX 5
coil rear shock, but with a special custom tune specific to the Session
platform.
"During development, we had prepared several different shock tunes to perform
back to back blind taste tests on repeatable terrain across a broad cross
section
of riders. The resulting feedback on shock tunes and bike geometry ultimately
led to the production version of the Session 88," said Fox's Mario Galasso.
"The Trek/FOX relationship has developed into a mutually beneficial one and
we look forward to being included at this level of the product development
process in the future."

When riders finally get on the new Session 88, they'll find that it's a
bike by which all others will be judged.

The Session 88 DH and Session 88 FR will be available in three sizes: small,
medium and large, and are slated for June production. They will be released
to U.S. and International markets mid-summer. Final pricing has yet to be
established.

About Trek Bicycles:

Headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin, Trek Bicycle Corporation is a global
leader in bicycle design and manufacturing. From the original hand-built steel
touring frames introduced in 1976 to the revolutionary OCLV carbon fiber first
introduced in 1992, Trek's passion for innovation, quality, and performance
leads the industry with next-generation technology and thinking. With an
unprecedented eight Tour de France titles in the last nine years, six straight
24-hour World Solo Mountain Bike Championships, and countless other professional
wins,
Trek enjoys a rich tradition of victory in the world's premier cycling
events. Today, with a broad range of bicycles and cycling products under the
Trek, Gary Fisher, Bontrager, and Klein brand names, Trek continues to pursue
new ways to bring the joy of cycling to all people.

CONTACT:
Michael Browne
(800) 313 8735, ext 12523
Email Contact

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