The FX Sport 6 is Trek’s top-of-the-range fitness bike, and with a £1,900 price tag, I was hoping for something special. On paper, this carbon-framed speedster, with Shimano 105 gearing and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes certainly looks like it should be.
Trek has employed its IsoSpeed decoupler technology on the lightweight 400 Series OCLV carbon frame. Along with the frame itself helping with road sting, this system allows the seat tube to flex independently from the top tube to smooth out the ride.
This system was first seen on Trek’s Domane models in 2012 and was designed to help pro racers with the punishing surfaces found at the Spring Classics. On the Sport 6 it’s a nice addition to the overall comfort without sacrificing rigidity or efficiency, whether riding on typically potholed UK roads or more adventurous gravel paths.
Up front, the bladed carbon fork performs well in terms of ride quality and looks. It features 12mm thru-axles for the disc brakes, and, for more practical days, there are hidden mudguard mounts at the front to match those at the rear.
The ride is light and nimble and is backed up by a quality engine room comprising Shimano 105 gears, 11-32 cassette and 50/34 compact chainset. Wherever I rode, I never felt like I was running out of gears. Changing gear is also reassuring thanks to the RS700 shifters.
Rolling on Bontrager’s TLR (Tubeless Ready) Road wheels means you’ve got a good set of hoops with fewer worries about pinch flats. Bontrager’s 32mm AW2 Hard-Case Lite tyres with beefed-up carcasses back this up. Whatever the weather, these performed well, especially on the road, offering a good balance of speed, comfort and reliability.
Tektro’s HD-310 hydraulic disc brakes allow for progressive braking and even when pulling hard in hairy situations they never felt grabby. The matching straight-blade levers may look bland, but they allow you to efficiently apply the brakes, however many fingers work for you.
The flat bar on offer here is Bontrager’s 6061 T6 alloy Satellite Plus IsoZone, 15mm riser option. It has elastomer inserts in the bar ends to absorb vibrations and impacts to reduce body fatigue.
Alongside Bontrager’s Inform grips, the pairing is said to reduce pressure on the hands by up to 30 percent. While the grips aren’t particularly attractive, the hand position is natural and the ride feels indulgent.
The Sport 6 is a classy flat-bar bike, and it’s good to see Trek has pulled several of its proven attributes from its road bikes and included them here. It shows that the brand understands there’s a demand for a quality flat-bar bike beyond the classic hybrid.
The Sport 6 is an extremely capable bike that is a joy to ride. It’s almost too good as a daily commuter and definitely comes into its own on longer rides with its forgiving handling.
Its setup and components also take out some of the harshness over rougher terrain, making it a quality all-rounder, but you do pay a premium for this.
