I’m forever tinkering with my bikes. Even if I’m not changing anything I often check them over, adjusting cables or clearances to ensure they’re always running smooth. I also like them to look dialled. After cutting the steerer tube on my Canyon the other week, I thought I’d give the Trek a similar treatment. The large “chimney stack” above the stem had been annoying me for a while!

Being an older bike, the fork has carbon legs bonded to an alloy steerer tube. Cutting it was as straightforward as a full-carbon one, but I did have to knock the steerer plug down into the tube a little first. Then it’s as simple as “measure twice, cut once” and job done! I lopped around 15mm off the top of the steerer, leaving my preferred 10mm above the stem.

The Trek is technically a size or two bigger than I usually ride, so getting a super aggressive position is tricky. Even with the stem slammed it’s still not as low as I’d like. Maybe I’ll experiment with a different degree stem next.

I also scored a K-Edge tri-colour Garmin mount. Before the Canyon (which came with an out front mount) I’ve always just used the rubber band mounts around the stem, but the out-front position of the bike computer has really grown on me.

In flashy red, white and blue, the K-Edge mount is certainly loud and lairy, so a perfect match for the Trek! Combined with the shorter stack above the stem, it gives the bike a far cleaner look. This bike just keeps getting better! #buyupgrades