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Trek Roscoe 7 Review

A highly adaptable hardtail suited for anything from bikepacking to after-work laps on singletrack
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Trek Roscoe 7 Review (The Roscoe 7 is a great value and a lot of fun.)
The Roscoe 7 is a great value and a lot of fun.
Credit: Pat Donahue
Price:  $1,399 List
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Manufacturer:   Trek
By Pat Donahue, Joshua Hutchens  ⋅  Aug 21, 2023
71
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 11
  • Fun Factor - 30% 7.0
  • Downhill - 30% 6.0
  • Climbing - 25% 8.0
  • Build - 15% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Trek Roscoe 7 is an adaptable and well-rounded hardtail mountain bike that is competent in most of situations. Climbing abilities were rock solid and this bike is more capable than you might think on the descent. This hardtail rolls on 29 x 2.6-inch rubber that delivers a comfortable and surprisingly efficient ride. We could see this bike being used for anything from bikepacking to singletrack shredding or cruising with the kids. As a result, the Roscoe was an easy choice for a Top Pick as Most Versatile Hardtail. To compare it to the competition, check out our article on the best budget mountain bikes.
REASONS TO BUY
A versatile bike that is competent in a variety of situations
2.6-inch tires
A generally solid spec
REASONS TO AVOID
Shimano shifter issues
Not suited for chunky trails
Can feel twitchy at high speeds

Compare to Similar Products

 
trek roscoe 7
This Product
Trek Roscoe 7
Awards Best Buy Award Editors' Choice Award Best Buy Award   
Price $1,399 List$1,899 List$1,799 List$1,499 List$1,450 List
$1,350 at REI
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line A versatile hardtail that is comfortable in a number of situationsA true singletrack slayer at an eye-popping priceA quick-witted and agile bike that boasts incredible uphill efficiencyA quality, versatile, entry-level full-suspension mountain bike with a very reasonable price tagA simple trail bike that gives you access to the trails but won't wow you with its comfort or value
Rating Categories Trek Roscoe 7 Norco Fluid FS 4 Canyon Neuron 5 Polygon Siskiu D7 Cannondale Habit HT 2
Fun Factor (30%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
Downhill (30%)
6.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
Climbing (25%)
8.0
7.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
Build (15%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
5.0
7.0
Specs Trek Roscoe 7 Norco Fluid FS 4 Canyon Neuron 5 Polygon Siskiu D7 Cannondale Habit HT 2
Wheelsize 29" 29" 29" 29" (27.5" on sizes S, M) 29"
Weight 31 lbs 12 oz (tubeless) 36 lbs 2 oz (tubeless) 33 lbs 10 oz (tubeless) 33 lbs 32 lbs 2 oz (tubeless)
Frame Material Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
Size Tested L XL L L XL
Available Sizes XS, S, M, ML, L, XL S-XXL XS-XL S, M, L, XL S, M, L, XL
Fork RockShox Recon Silver RL, 140mm RockShox Recon RL, 140mm RockShox Recon Silver RL, 130mm RockShox Recon RL, 120mm RockShox Judy Silver TK, 130mm
Rear Shock N/A X-Fusion 02 Pro R, 120mm RockShox Deluxe Select RockShox Deluxe Select+ N/A
Wheelset E*Thirteen LG1 Enduro rims with Shimano MT 510 hubs Stan's Flow D Rims with Bear Pawls hub Iridium 30 Shimano hubs with Entity X15 doublewall disc rims WTB STX I30 with Formula Hubs
Front Tire Bontrager XR4 29 x 2.6" Goodyear Newton 29 x 2.4" Folding Schwalbe Nobby Nic 29 x 2.4" Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25" Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5" EXO TR
Rear Tire Bontrager XR4 29 x 2.6" Goodyear Escape 29 x 2.35" Folding Schwalbe Wicked WIll 29 x 2.4" Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25" Maxxis High Roller 29 x 2.5" EXO TR
Shifters Shimano Deore 12-speed Shimano Deore 11- Speed Shimano Deore 12-speed Shimano Deore 11-speed Microshift Advent X Pro 10-speed
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore 12-speed Shimano Deore 11-speed Shimano Deore 12-speed Shimano Deore 11-speed Microshift Advent X 10- speed
Cranks Shimano MT-511 FSA Comet Praxis Shimano Deore ProWheel
Chainring 30T 30T 32T 32T 30T
Bottom Bracket Shimano SM-BB52 FSA Mega EXO Shimano Shimano Deore Prowheel
Cassette Shimano Deore 12-speed 10-51T Sunrace 11-speed 11-51T Shimano Deore 12-speed 10-51T Shimano Deore 11-speed Microshift Advent X 10-speed 11-48T
Saddle Bontrager Arvada Norco Trail Selle Italia X3 Entity Void Cannondale Ergo XC
Seatpost TransX Dropper 150mm SDG Tellis Dropper 200mm Iridium Dropper 150mm Tranz-X 170mm (L-XL) 150mm (S-M) TransX Dropper 130mm
Handlebar Bontrager Alloy 780 E*Thirteen 800mm Iridium Flat. 780mm Entity Expert Alloy 780mm Cannondale 3 Riser, 780mm
Stem Bontrager Alloy 50mm Alloy 40mm Iridium, 50mm Entity Expert 45mm Cannondale Alloy 50mm
Brakes Shimano MT-200 Tektro HD-M535 Shimano BT-MT10 Shimano MT201 Hydraulic Disc SRAM Level
Warranty Lifetime Five years Six Years 5 Years on frame Lifetime

Our Analysis and Test Results

It's 2024, and prices continue to fall; this bike now sells for $1399, which is $500 less than when we tested it. The bike hasn't changed, and neither have our thoughts about its performance. It's an even better deal now. -May 2024

The 29 x 2.6-inch tires rolled quickly and provided loads of traction.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Should I Buy This Bike?


Should you buy this bike? Perhaps. If you want a mountain bike that is capable of a wide variety of endeavors, the Roscoe might just be the bike for you. Its performance on singletrack mountain bike trails could be described as competent, but one thing we found very appealing about this hardtail is how exceptionally versatile it is. The Roscoe could be a great bike for the rider who is interested in some adventure riding or bikepacking in addition to traditional trail riding. This bike is best for a rider who values versatility over outright singletrack shredding.

If you want a mountain bike to charge downhills or ride aggressive terrain, there are better options available.

trek roscoe 7 - the trek roscoe is all about exploring and a sense of adventure.
The Trek Roscoe is all about exploring and a sense of adventure.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Fun Factor


The Rosce 7 has a “jack-of-all-trades” attitude. While it might not be the best in any one performance metric, it is well-rounded and highly versatile. Owning a mountain bike that is comfortable in a number of situations sounds pretty fun to us. From logging miles on old doubletracks to riding singletrack with your crew, this bike is ready for an adventure.

Traditionally, a bicycle's fun factor relies heavily on its ability to shralp corners, boost jumps, and willingness to engage in trailside shenanigans. The Roscoe 7 isn't the most eager bicycle to engage in such endeavors. The large 29 wheels fitted with meaty 2.6-inch rubber prefer to live life on the ground. Cornering abilities are solid and the reasonable wheelbase is evident when snapping through a tight corner. Being a hardtail, this bike is fairly fun pumping through rolling terrain and maximizes energy transfer.

trek roscoe 7 - the bontrager xr4 tires, despite their underwhelming appearance...
The Bontrager XR4 tires, despite their underwhelming appearance, provide surprisingly high levels of traction.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Downhill


The Roscoe 7 is competent on the descent. This hardtail mountain bike provides a reasonably comfortable and capable ride although you will never mistake it for a full suspension bike. It prefers to live its life carving down flow trails and ripping through berms as opposed to bouncing down chunk. In other words, it thrives on rolling terrain as opposed to steep and rough trails.

When perched atop the Roscoe, the 65-degree head tube angle is confident and progressive without being clumsy. Just a few short years ago, this slack front end would seem out-of-place on a hardtail in this price range. Times are a-changing and this figure is more or less in line with high-end mid-travel trail bikes. The 470mm reach on our large test bike offers plenty of space to shift weight around and feels fine. A 1215mm wheelbase is on the shorter end of the spectrum and allows the bike to change directions relatively quickly. The shorter wheelbase detracts from all-out-stability when you are carrying speed. Where a longer bike tends to be more stable at speed the Roscoe can feel a little skittish. Luckily, this bike doesn't inspire all-out charging and is quite fun at moderate speeds.

The 29 x 2.6-inch Bontrager XR4 tires play a huge role in this bike's ride quality. On a hardtail mountain bike, tire pressure is absolutely critical. Being able to run a slightly lower air pressure allows for a far more comfortable ride as the lower pressure adds an element of damping and enhanced traction. The 2.6-inch Bontrager XR4s can comfortably run 21 PSI while retaining enough support to avoid squirming in corners. A couple of PSI can make an enormous difference and the Roscoe provides a more comfortable ride than many other hardtails we have tested that require closer to 24-25 PSI.

When things get rough, the RockShox Recon fork is easily overwhelmed. It is difficult to set this fork up to feel good. The best you can do is air it up to achieve the desired support. For our 6'2" 195-pound tester, this meant running 130 PSI and a bunch of low-speed compression to keep the fork from diving into its travel too easily.

trek roscoe 7 - a hardtail paired with efficient tires is a recipe for excellent...
A hardtail paired with efficient tires is a recipe for excellent efficiency.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Climbing


The Roscoe 7 is an efficient climber thanks to the direct power transfer and nice tire spec. When perched atop this bike you feel like you are right on top of the cranks. The 74.7-degree seat tube angle may not sound all that steep, but it is important to know how seat tube angle works on a hardtail. Without rear suspension, the seat tube angle actually steepens when your fork sags under your riding weight, and your rear end, due to the lack of suspension, remains static. All of that is to say the seat tube angle is plenty steep and riders are put in an efficient position. The generous reach measurement allows the rider to shift weight to maintain traction effectively.

The 2.6-inch Bontrager XR4 are surprisingly fast-rolling tires. When sitting and spinning, the bike feels efficient and it carries speed effectively. On technical punches, the lower tire pressure delivers loads of traction on steppy or ledgy portions of the climb. At 31.5 pounds this bike isn't a featherweight. That being said, it feels light enough to log big miles.

We played with handlebar height by adding and removing spacers from under the stem. When we dropped stem/bars into the lowest possible position, the climbing efficiency really skyrocketed. That said, we preferred the stem with 3-4 10mm spacers under it for a more upright feel. The point is, the bike is adaptable and highly versatile.

trek roscoe 7 - the roscoe 7 has a great buildkit...and a great paintjob.
The Roscoe 7 has a great buildkit...and a great paintjob.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Build


The build kit on our Roscoe 7 was rock solid. It was fitted with some impressive components but there was a significant hitch that kept this build kit from reaching its full potential.

trek roscoe 7 - the rockshox recon is a little difficult to set up to achieve enough...
The RockShox Recon is a little difficult to set up to achieve enough support.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Fork- A 140mm RockShox Recon Silver RL was fitted to the front of our test bike. It worked fine especially within the Roscoe's sweet spot of adventuring and exploring trails. We had to run a high pressure to keep the fork from diving into its travel too easily. Though it didn't feel plush, we still identified some settings where could essentially forget about the fork.

trek roscoe 7 - we typically love shimano deore 12-speed drivetrains. our test bike...
We typically love Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrains. Our test bike had a wonky shifter that hindered performance.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Drivetrain - A Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain should have been a highlight of this build kit. We have ridden numerous bikes with this groupset and it is among the best wallet-friendly drivetrains available. Unfortunately, we experienced a persistent issue with our test bike.

Immediately upon unboxing our bike, we identified a shifting issue that could be traced back to a bad shifter. The Shimano M6100 12-speed shifter's spring didn't function properly and you couldn't get clean “clicks” when shifting. As a result, shifting was a bit sloppy throughout testing and we couldn't get a replacement part before our test period ended.

trek roscoe 7 - shimano hydraulic brakes are easy to work on and parts are readily...
Shimano hydraulic brakes are easy to work on and parts are readily available at all shops.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Brakes- The Shimano M200 hydraulic disc brakes worked well enough. They offered plenty of power when riding the bike within its intended application. They aren't the most powerful, but they got the job done in an understated manner.

trek roscoe 7 - bontrager xr4 tires were mounted front and rear. these tires deliver...
Bontrager XR4 tires were mounted front and rear. These tires deliver a great blend of traction and rolling speed.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Tires- The Bontrager XR4 tires have sneakily become some of our favorite light trail tires. They feature a somewhat rounded profile with mellow shoulder knobs but they are very easy to ride and offer a surprising amount of grip in loose conditions. We settled on about 21-22 PSI in these tires and they also offered a damp ride that mellowed out the harshness of a hardtail.

Wheels - The E*Thirteen rims laced to Shimano hubs worked just fine. They set up tubeless very easily and remained straight.

trek roscoe 7 - the roscoe is a great adventure partner for exploring remote trail...
The Roscoe is a great adventure partner for exploring remote trail systems.
Credit: Pat Donahue

Conclusion


The Trek Roscoe 7 is a versatile hardtail mountain bike that is ready for adventure. There are definitely bikes in this test class that shred a little harder, but we really appreciate the adaptable nature of the Roscoe. Whether it's a multi-day bikepacking trip or an after-work lap on the local singletrack, this bike is comfortable…as long as things don't get too rowdy.

Pat Donahue, Joshua Hutchens