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Trek Active Braking Pivot ABP


So you're gliding downhill on your mountain bike and get to a rocky patch...You grab your brakes and instead of the smooth controlled response you expect, your brakes bite hard, your bike jerks, and the clean line you were expecting is gone. We know the cause of this and have the cure.

Active Braking Pivot is part of Trek's evolution of full suspension mountain bikes and the cure for this common problem. Before your eyes glaze over from marketing speak, give us a chance! This design makes simple sense and puts these bikes head and shoulders above the competition.

When most full suspension bikes move up and down through their suspension travel the brake caliper moves back and forth across the rotor. This causes problems. When you are braking your suspension will be extended due to the torque exerted on the swingarm from the caliper clamping on the rotor. This problem is referred to as "brake jack." This has been a problem for bike manufacturers for years and one of the drawbacks of full suspension.

Trek solves this by placing the rear swingarm pivot point literally around the rear axle. This is called the Active Braking Pivot or ABP. This pivot location robs the brake caliper of the ability to exert downward pressure on the swingarm thus eliminating brake jack. Grabbing a handful of rear brake flying downhill won't result in the rear of your bike rising up and causing a poorly timed steering geometry change. This gives you increased confidence on those fast or technical descents.

When this design came out in 2008 the reviews were immediately positive. "Bike of the year" was common praise. However, Trek did not rest on their laurels, but continued to revolutionize the market. This is evident in the new 2012 line up. Years of engineering and innovative design have led to the best full squish bikes we've seen. Stop by for a test ride and judge for yourself!

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