Gravel Bike or Farm Gate?

The Trek Checkpoint+ takes the brand’s established gravel platform and adds electric assistance, creating a bike designed to make big rides, long climbs or fast group outings considerably more accessible. But adding a motor and battery inevitably brings extra weight and complexity. So the question is: does the Checkpoint+ still feel like a gravel bike or is it more of a farm gate?

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Video Review

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The Bike

The Checkpoint+ uses a carbon frame, fork and seatpost. Extra compliance comes from Trek’s IsoSpeed technology (a slightly flexy seat tube) designed to take the edge off rougher surfaces. The bike features Trek’s gravel endurance geometry that is aimed at balancing stability and comfort whilst putting the rider into a ‘sporty’ position. The bike is available in six sizes, making it easier to get the right fit, which is obviously crucial for any type of riding, particularly important for long days in the saddle.

Officially, tyre clearance is up to 50mm, giving you plenty of options for everything from fast gravel riding to capability on much rougher terrain. I have however seen tyres wider than 50mm slotted into the Checkpoint+, so that is an option, just not recommended by Trek. The bike is also suspension-fork and dropper-post compatible, adding another layer of versatility if your definition of gravel extends well beyond smooth dirt roads.

The geometry is almost identical to the standard Checkpoint SL, with one small adjustment: the chainstays are 10mm longer to accommodate the motor system. This slightly increases the wheelbase, which should increase stability. Through sizes Extra-Small to Extra-Large, the Checkpoint+ fits riders between 1.40m to 2.05m tall.

At the heart of the Checkpoint+ is TQ’s motor, producing 60Nm of torque and up to 350 watts of power. There are three tunable support levels – Eco, Mid and High – which can all be adjusted to suit exactly how much assistance is required. The system uses a 360Wh battery, with assistance cutting off at 45km/h.

Trek quotes an expected range of around 80km when using the motor continuously, although, as always, real-world range will depend heavily on terrain, rider weight and assistance level. The battery weighs just 1.8kg, while the motor is 1.9kg, which helps explain why Trek has managed to keep the complete bike down to around 13.6kg. There’s also the option of a range extender battery, which makes a lot of sense for longer adventures.

The TQ system can be managed through an app, giving you access to motor tuning, navigation and real-time range estimates – all useful features when you’re heading deep into the ‘plaaslands’ and don’t want to discover that your battery calculation was wildly optimistic. Technophobes note: you do not have to use the app, at all – but that’s kind of like taking an international flight and not turning your inflight entertainment system on.

Like its analogue sibling, the Checkpoint+ SL is built with versatility in mind – the frame and fork feature numerous mounting points for accessories, water bottles and bags. These mounts are designed to work seamlessly with Trek’s own range of adventure bags, including the Trek Adventure Triangle Bag and Trek Adventure Frame Bag, making it easy to load up for big outings or multi-day gravel adventures.

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Ride Impressions

The first thing I noticed is the weight. At 13.65kg, the Checkpoint+ is obviously heavier than a conventional gravel bike – by about 5kgs. But once you’re riding, that weight is surprisingly easy to forget. Remember, the bulk of that weight is low – down by the BB – which means you don’t feel it as much as if it was rotational mass or something perched up high, like a heavy saddle bag et al.

Impressive indeed! The TQ motor is extremely quiet and smooth, delivering assistance in a very natural way. TQ is widely considered the best mid-power eBike system and I can see why. It’s so smooth. It’s light, compact and quiet – I’ll say again, it’s very good. Engagement is seamless and the assistance kicks in very gently. At 45kph, the assistance tapers off gently too so there’s no sudden brake-like effect on forward drive. Bloody impressive stuff and I can see why TQ is used by a few bike brands, not just Trek.

In the standard factory settings, Eco gives you a subtle boost while still making you work, Mid takes considerably more effort out of climbs and High is there when you simply want to get up the hill with minimal suffering. The bike is a bit of a rocket ship in maximum support mode and I actually never used this support level much – although it was a cool experience to climb Suikerbossie at Matt Beer speeds.

Overall, the handling is confident and predictable. In every riding condition, that’s gravel, climbs, descents and stomping the flats, the bike actually feels more planted and more stable than an analogue gravel bike. That stability encourages you to relax a little, let the bike carry speed and enjoy the rush – unlike one would do on a farm gate I might add.

As a fan of eBikes, I was keen to try a Checkpoint+ and since the only bike that was available was a size too big, I went for it anyway. Despite the size Large test bike, I could feel I’m still sitting in a recognizably gravel-bike position. The body position is comfortable without feeling inefficient. What is blatantly obvious from my time testing is the Checkpoint+ with it’s endurance-focused geometry makes long days much easier on the body.

As I’ve said before, I reckon most gravel bike owners spend at least 50% of their total bike time on tar roads and so it’s important to mention the performance on tar; – the Checkpoint+ is very lekker on the road. I really enjoyed my road outings! The motor is quiet, I mean it’s actually almost inaudible – with a little wind or bunch riding noise, you really can’t hear the TQ motor at all. On one of my road outings, I was cruising in and out of bunches and noted some seasoned riders didn’t notice (or seem to care) I had electric assistance.

Looking through the components, the Shimano GRX shifting and brakes were flawless throughout. I’m particularly fond of the braking modulation – the initial bite isn’t violent and there is plenty stopping power available, when needed. The bars have decent flare – nothing too crazy, the drop isn’t excessive and the ergonomics of the whole cockpit are great – one thing worth mentioning, thicker bar tape would be something you might want to consider if you are sensitive to vibrations and/ or are planning on long saddle time.

I never noticed the saddle – which is a good thing and exacting proof it’s suitably comfy – for me anyways. The wheels felt super strong – on one of the rides I was running out of light, had no flat repair with me and of course I punctured. To get home, I ended up doing a couple km’s on a flat tyre and the rim doesn’t have any damage from the abuse. Sorry Trek!

In terms of range, if I look at my battery usage across the various rides I’ve done, I’m confident an average 70kg rider, using Eco mode, could get around four hours of ride time doing around 100km and say 500m of climbing; from a single charge of the internal battery. Adding a range extender would get you more mileage – like 44% more.

It struck me that the key with this bike – to get the best out of it and still enjoy a decent workout – is to start the ride on Eco and only use more assistance when it is absolutely necessary. Choose zero support when you don’t need it – like in a mad tailwind scenario. Conversely, jumping in with a fitter crew, use the support of the TQ system to match the effort of your mates and stay in contact with the bunch. This is the beauty of eBikes – they can be used in many different ways to add to your ride experience.

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Who Is It For?

Honestly, the Checkpoint+ could suit almost anyone. It’s particularly compelling if you regularly ride with a fitter or faster group and don’t want to constantly have them wait for you. It’s also a brilliant option for someone returning to riding after injury, illness, surgery, childbirth and so on. In fact, anyone dealing with a health or fitness challenge that prevents them from being as fit or strong as they’d like – would really enjoy the benefits of a little extra assistance.

For riders who have never ridden an eBike – this TQ motor doesn’t mean you stop riding and become a passenger – it simply gives you the option to ride further, climb more easily and stay involved with your riding mates when your circumstances might otherwise make that difficult.

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Bottom Line

The Trek Checkpoint+ combines a lightweight carbon gravel platform with a remarkably quiet and natural motor system, creating an eBike that still feels very much like a gravel bike. On purchase, I’d fit 50mm tyres right away – you’ll need them for most of South African gravel. Also, consider a range extender battery for bigger adventures and you’ll be able to ride really far. For riders who want to go further, keep up with friends or simply make riding more accessible, the Checkpoint+ is a seriously capable and fun machine. //

| Visuals: Ruben Oosthuizen |

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