Trek arrived at the gun fight with a knife, being the only alloy competitor in our cyclocross grouptest. But the company certainly had good reason to be confident — the Crockett is an awesome race-ready rig that is sub $3k with a Force 1 group.
The Crockett 7 Disc can be set up 1x11, as it’s sold, or as a singlespeed. Of course, this doesn’t speak to all riders, but the engineering it used to create this adaptability is crafty, making for a somewhat easy transition between ‘freshly shaven’ and ‘moustache-flannel’.
The front end of the bike is a tad unforgiving on bigger hits, but Trek product managers executed a very comfy bar wrap to take the edge off. Additionally, this is likely an artefact of alloy, rather than a flaw in the bike’s design or the full carbon fork. For the most part I’d say this is mostly only noticeable because of the company the Crockett was keeping through this test (all carbon, and subsequently highly tunable ride character).
The Crockett also possesses a cable management system that clearly shows Trek’s passion for 'cross, overall attention to detail and longstanding commitment to aluminium. The Crockett’s full-housing strategy has seamless entry and exit points for easy service and clean aesthetics.
The Crockett could easily win the award for best chain catcher, and it’s blessed with abundant tire clearance.
If maximum spec for your dollar is what’s on the menu, the Crockett is a clever bet.
We weren't able to test a Trek Boone this year — Trek's carbon race rig that BikeRadar testers have consistently rated very highly.