A few days Trek added a full suspension bike to their gravel line, the CheckOUT. That’s right, a dropbar dedicated full-sus bike. This caught my attention because this type of bike is a really uncommon thing.
There is only one other example of a true full suspension gravel bike with a fork and rear shock that I know of, and that was the Niner MCR (Magic Carpet Ride). The MCR was released for the 2020 model year, and did not stick around for very long. The MCR was pretty harshly criticized mostly for being the weight and complexity of a mountain bike with a fraction of the capability.
Niner MCR gravelbikedatabase.com
Trek is hoping that now, five years after the MCR, the gravel community is ready for full suspension. It’s unclear if this is the case, but one thing is for sure, is that gravel has evolved a lot in this time. The best example of this can be seen with the MCR itself; it was spec’ed with a 2x drivetrain and 40mm tires. Both of these things would not be seen anywhere near a modern aggressive gravel bike.
I’m still not sure if a full suspension gravel bike makes sense for me; even in 2025. I would suspect that on the type of terrain that the CheckOUT would excel at, I personally would have more fun on a xc mtb with a minimal speed penalty. On a rough gravel road, my normal average speed is normally less than 15mph, where the aerodynamic benefits of droop are less than on smoother and faster roads.
Given how divided the cycling community was on the Niner bike years ago, I figured that different people would have different opinions on the new CheckOUT, and if it goes against the spirit of gravel.
Here are some responses of people I interviewed about their first impressions of the new CheckOUT, and whether or not it goes against the spirit of gravel:
B.G. : “Now that is a beautiful thing.”
D.A. : “I think it makes sense as a Tour Divide/multi-day bikepack bike. Otherwise I feel like it's the wrong bike for everything else. I don't think it's against the spirit of gravel, as I think of gravel as adventure rides with a variety of terrain, but I also don't look for terrain where I need a full sus in my gravel rides.”
J.R. : “I think it’s interesting. When the Specialized Diverge STR came out I was like nah that’s so dumb why would I ever want that. Then I rode it, and it was an absolute rocketship. I’m not sure about the weight on the trek, treks are usually pretty chunky but the diverge was marginally heavier at probably 22 ish lbs with carbon wheels etc – and it rode like my crux at 16lb it was an absolute rocketship. My concern with a lot of these is the longevity of the suspension, how available parts/seal kits for the shock will be in the future. I feel like the big s was expecting the STR to be this hugely popular bike and it’s not. So the longevity of these bikes is my main concern. However with the trend of large gravel tires in high level racing I think courses like Leadville or the WW100 this is the machine to do those things on. I think it has its place, I think we are still in the infancy stage of this breed of bike and will certainly start to see more, just like when Dylan Johnson was the first person running 2” tires on his gravel bike in the lifetime series.”
M.D. (Paraphrased): looks cool but unnecessary; I don’t know why more brands don’t copy the Salsa Cutthroat.
A.H. : “That’s F***ing crazy. I’ll have to mull on it, I can’t say I have too strong of an opinion right off the bat.”
T.Z. : “I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong, but I think it’s further blurring the line between gravel bike and mountain bike. It seems, like many bike fads such as oval chainrings and funky colors and patterns, that we’ve come nearby to the era when mountain bikes were first experimenting with suspension (not quite full circle, more like a boomerang throw). Maybe it’s influenced by my dad, who still prefers to ride his mid-80’s rigid Jamis over anything with damping fluid and frame pivots, but if gravel bikes continue to add suspension for chunkier and chunkier terrain, we’ll very quickly be creating another genre of bike. Which, I must stress, is not necessarily a bad thing. Innovation is a natural evolution, especially in a world as technical as bikes. But first I believe you should quit wishing you had the latest thing all the time, and just go ride your dang bike.”
All in all, I was surprised at how positive the response was, most people seem open to the idea of it at least. It will be interesting to see if this is the start of a paradigm shifting trend, or it is just a one off thing like the Niner MCR was.