Hello, World: Trek’s Checkpoint Takes You Anywhere
Gravel bikes seem made for South Africa, and Trek's Checkpoint will help you make the most of the versatility these drop-bar studs offer.
Trek’s Checkpoint is made for adventure, no matter if you’re racing Around the Pot, the Swartberg 100 or any of the other endurance gravel events that fill our calendar, bikepacking on a remote Karoo country road or cruising for coffee across the city. It’s fast, comfortable and smooth. The versatile design ensures you’ll reach all the places you dream of exploring on two wheels.
THE FRAMES
The Checkpoint is available in either carbon fibre or aluminium options, both offering the same go-anywhere geometry in choices that speak to rider choice and wallet-friendliness as much as style and durability.
The Checkpoint ALR is an alloy gravel bike that’s ready for bikepacking and off-road adventures. It’s equipped with fork, frame, top tube and bottle mounts galore so you can carry all your gear. With an ultra-sturdy frame, progressive geometry and generous 45 mm tyre clearance, Checkpoint ALR will become your gravel bike that can handle it all.
The Checkpoint SL is Trek’s carbon gravel bike that’s ready for any adventure ahead. Designed with a light, yet economical, 500 Series OCLV Carbon frame, generous 45 mm tyre clearance and mounts galore, this bike is just as capable on long gravel rides as it is on epic bikepacking adventures. And if you want to turn the pedals in anger, it’s as ready to race as anything out thee, with a light, responsive frame that gobbles the corrugations and saves you watts wherever you choose to compete.
THE BIKES
The ALR is offered as a complete bike with Bontrager Paradigm tubeless-ready wheels and Bontrager GR1 40mm tyres (with sealant) out of the box, ready for most of the places you might want to explore in your early gravel-bike career. The 46/30 Shimano GRX 600 cranks turn an 11-speed 11-34 cassette – climb anything, and race down the other side without spinning your legs off. Stopping is also courtesy Shimano, the GRX 400, with full hydraulic disc (160mm front and rear) and aluminium finishing kit – bars, stem, seatpost – also from Bontrager, as is the Verse saddle to finish off your new comfort zone. All in, at a claimed weight of 9.7kg, you will struggle to find a better value all-adventure companion in the South African market.
The SL is a step up from the ALR, but only in raceability. As an explorer, you are equally equipped to find new frontiers, albeit on a slightly lighter carbon fibre machine that will also give you a smidgen more comfort on the corrugated backroads you will enjoy as your new cycling home. The SL5 spec available in South Africa runs a Shimano GRX 810/600 groupset – 46/30 x 11-34 gearing for the go-anywhere – with GX 400 braking and Bontrager Paradigm SL wheels shod with 40mm GR1 Team Issue rubber and an Elite Gravel-level Bontrager finishing kit supporting you with a Verse Comp saddle.
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