Roscoe (acoustic hardtail; NOT an e-bike)

mtb– EUR

Origin

The Trek Roscoe launched in 2017 as Trek's 'aggressive' or 'long-travel' hardtail — more trail-oriented and rowdy than the entry-level Marlin. It pairs a slack 65° head angle with a 140–150 mm fork, wide 2.4–2.6" tyres and a dropper post to deliver near-trail-bike confidence at a hardtail price. Despite the filename 'roscoe-e', there has never been an electric Roscoe: the Roscoe is purely acoustic (non-electric). Trek's electric hardtail equivalents are the entry-level Marlin+ (Bosch Active Line Plus, 50 Nm, 400 Wh) and the higher-power Powerfly+ (Bosch Performance Line CX, up to 85 Nm, 600 Wh).

Specifications

Frame: Alpha NEXT Platinum Aluminium (Gen 4), ~100 g lighter than previous gen; Alpha Gold Aluminium on earlier generations
Weight: kg
Drivetrain: Roscoe 8: Shimano Deore 1×12. Roscoe 7: Shimano CUES 1×10 (Gen 4). Earlier Roscoe 7 used Shimano Deore 1×12
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes (Shimano, 4-piston on higher trims for trail descending)
Wheels: Mullet-by-size: 27.5" on Small frames, 29" on Medium–XL (Gen 4)

The verdict

+Strengths

Exceptionally versatile — equally happy on singletrack, adventure rides and bikepacking, a true jack-of-all-trades
Confident, progressive 65° head angle that stays composed without feeling clumsy
Wide trail tyres deliver surprising traction and damp out the harshness of a hardtail
Strong value: dropper post, slack geometry and a 140–150 mm fork at a budget-friendly hardtail price

−Weaknesses

Not built to charge aggressive or fast downhill terrain — dedicated trail/enduro bikes do that far better
Shorter wheelbase can feel skittish and less stable when carrying real speed
Wide 2.6" tyres tend to squirm and feel vague when pushed hard, with a sense of the tyre rolling on the rim
As a hardtail the rear end is unforgiving on rough, rooty descents compared with a full-suspension bike
2025 Gen 4 line-up is narrowed to just two builds, reducing spec/price choice versus the old 6/7/8/9 range