Meet the Trek Checkmate, our Unbound tested (and approved!) gravel race machine
The new Trek Checkmate was built for maximum speed on the meanest roads. Compared to the adventure-forward Checkpoint, the Checkmate is lighter, with a racier geometry, while maintaining the compliance necessary for extra-long days via IsoSpeed. It has everything you need — from mounts for bags and bottles, to new aero features — to light up any gravel course in the world.
Need evidence? Just check out how the bike handled 200 miles of racing in Emporia, Kans., for its not-so secret debut at Unbound Gravel. The Trek Driftless crew of Paige Onweller, Russell Finsterwald, Haley Hunter Smith, and Torbjorn “Toby” André Røed all raced the Checkmate at gravel’s premier event. They not only took home impressive finishes — Onweller and Smith both in the top five of the women’s race, and Røed and Finsterwald just outside the top 10 in the men’s race — but they suffered zero mechanicals.
Toby digs his ride!
“Equipment performed flawlessly and the staff was incredibly dialed,” Smith said. “It was a really good day for everyone on the team, which is very rare at Unbound.”
The Checkmate will be in action once again this weekend in Colorado for SBT GRVL, taking on 100 miles of glorious gravel roads around Steamboat Springs, Colo. Be sure to follow the riders and the Trek Race Shop to keep up with the action and see even more of the bike. In the meantime, you can enjoy the new bike in all its glory below, taking on the chunk and mud of Emporia.
SRAM RED XPLR AXS help make the new Checkmate lighter and more reliable than ever.
Still plenty of room for bags and bottles.
Capable of handling everything Unbound could throw at it.
Stylish, too.
All dressed up for a speedy adventure.
