Trek is one of the biggest bike brands in the world, and it sells all sorts of different bikes, from road, through gravel and mountain biking to downhill, plus hybrid and cargo, and electric and analogue.
But until now, there hasn't been a dedicated electric gravel bike - something many brands now offer - in its lineup.
That changes today, as the Wisconsin brand has launched its first-ever e-gravel bike in the form of the Checkpoint+ SL.
Whilst Trek offered its popular Domane, one of the best endurance bikes, in an electronic form with clearance for up to 38mm tyres, the Checkpoint+SL offers a dedicated e-gravel platform.
We don't cover too many electric bikes here at Cyclingnews, but I've ridden three electric gravel bikes in recent times, most recently the monster Canyon Grizl: ON. All three have slapped a big smile on my face as they ate up the rough stuff.
Many roadies are still a little funny about e-bikes, in my opinion, but the best line I've heard yet on them so far is this: "Do you ever see a rider step off an e-bike without a smile on their face? No."
I tend to agree, a good e-bike will put a grin on your face, and this looks like another good option.
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The Checkpoint+ SL is suspension fork friendly (Image credit: Trek )
The TQ motor is built neatly into the bottom bracket (Image credit: Trek )
Buttons just below the shifters allow riders to cycle through modes(Image credit: Trek )
The Checkpoint is Trek's all-rounder, adventure gravel bike, and it sits alongside the racier Checkmate.
Trek claims the Checkpoint+ SL electric version offers the same gravel credentials and comfort, only equipped with a TQ HPR60 mid-mounted motor, which is located at the bottom bracket area of the bike.
The neat TQ motor means this bike, at a glance, looks pretty close to your standard non-electric gravel or road bike, something that seems to be a key selling point these past few years.
The TQ HPR60 is said to provide a range of up to 50 miles paired with a 360Wh battery and 60Nm of torque, as well as a 350-watt max power output. There's a neat top tube-mounted digital display and mode shift buttons at the levers for a seamless e-experience.
The battery itself weighs a claimed 1.835kg and, like most sleek drop bar e-bikes, is located in the down tube of the bike; an additional bottle cage-mounted range extender is also available.
Trek says the bike should let riders say yes to the group ride, and just generally venture into unfamiliar or unknown terrain more easily. Speaking from my own experience, it's easier to see 'what's down that road' when you have the zip of a motor to lend a hand.
Comfort is never a bad thing off-road, and Trek cites a comfortable gravel endurance geometry as well as smoothing from the Isospeed rear suspension system to smooth out rough chatter. The 50mm tyre clearance will also help riders add speed and comfort, as we found in our CN Labs gravel tyre rolling resistance test.
Elsewhere, there are various mounts for frame bags, fenders and a rear rack, dropper and RockShox Rudy suspension fork compatibility, with one model coming equipped with a RockShox Rudy fork.
The frame is also UDH hanger compatible, which should save effort should you ever need to replace it.
One model will come with a RockShox Rudy fork (Image credit: Trek)
Checkpoint+ SL bikes will be available in three model tiers and three colours. There will be SRAM Force and Rival mullet builds alongside a Shimano GRX-equipped SL5 model. The SL 7 AXS bike will come with a suspension fork as standard.
Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.
He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.
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