Trek 1.9 WSD review

Trek's development of the Women’s Specific Design (WSD) range means that there are now six WSD bikes in the range, from the carbon Madone to the entry-level 1.2. Our Trek 1.9 WSD is at the top end of the aluminium range.

With a design based on the carbon Madone frame, the 1.9 WSD comes packed with features and ticks a lot of the boxes for an all-round bike.

A snazzy paint job isn’t the only thing that makes this bike stand out in a crowd. Factory fitted with a 12-27 cassette and a triple chainring means that no hill is unconquerable, even for beginners.

Bontrager FIT VR women’s bars mean the curve of the drop comes in closer to the shifters, enabling smaller hands to ride on the drops while still being able to brake. Hood wedges, a genius touch, bring the brakes in even closer for safer handling on the drops.

A shorter than normal top tube keeps you on top of the bike and in control. Keeping women’s reach in mind, the stem length is relative to the frame size and geometry, and ensures that cornering is responsive and yet not too twitchy. Carbon forks helped to minimise jar from the road, meaning arms didn’t get sore on rough farm roads.

With the Ultegra groupset, Bontrager finishing kit and Race Lite 700c tyres, it weighs a perfectly respectable 19.53lb.

The only negative has been the Bontrager Race FIT women's saddle, which is plump, wide and generally uncomfortable. We didn’t get along but that can always be swapped out.