Trek District 1 2011 specification

by Matt | September 30, 2020 | Filed under Bikes | 15 replies so far

Trek District 1 singlespeed
Trek District 1 singlespeed from around 2010

I got my Trek District 1 back in early 2013 but it is actually a 2011 model.

In point of fact the specification didn’t change massively year to year when Trek had these in production, apart from the colours going through a rather fetching range of retro colorways (sic). I think this blue and cream iteration was the best of the lot.

I half understand why these didn’t sell in greater numbers. It’s a comfortable urban commuter that requires very little in terms of maintenance. But it had a Gates carbon belt drive – which may have deterred some – and it only had one gear, whch would have deterred rather more. All this combined for me to pick it up for £450 brand new, down from the original £750 (I think).

Neither of these have been issues for me. 7 or 8 years later, my Trek District 1 belt drive is still running as well as when I first bought it, with the addition of some rather nice SKS mudguards (or fenders if you will). I love this bike and during lockdown its been my main form of getting around.

Trek District 1 belt drive rear dropout
Belt drive dropout on the Trek District 1 singlespeed

That single gear is a bit of an issue though. It limits comfortable spinning speeds to about 18mph and it makes you hot climbing relatively gentle inclines. My plan is to get the wheels rebuilt with Pacenti Brevet rims and an Alfine rear hub to give me 8 speeds, albeit with a bit more weight than I’m used to.

For now, I thought I’d record it’s original spec for posterity – you never know how long Trek will keep its archive going.

Trek District 1 2011/2012
Colour Neptune Blue
Frame Alpha Black Aluminum
9×135 thru-axle rear non-QR
Fork Bontrager Satellite Plus, carbon
9×100 thru axle, non-QR
Rims Deep-section colour-matched alloy rims
Hubs Alloy
FW 9x100mm Thru Axle,
RW 9x135mm Thru Axle
Cassette Carbon Drive belt sprocket
22T alloy
Chain Gates
Carbon Drive belt
Chainset Bontrager Satellite Nebula with Carbon Drive belt chainring/sprocket
55T alloy
Brakes Alloy dual-pivot brakes w/Tektro alloy levers
Seatpost Bontrager Satellite Nebula
350mm x 27.2mm
Saddle Bontrager Race
Steel rails
Headset Cartridge bearings, sealed
Stem Bontrager Approved
100mm, 25.4mm clamp, 15° rise, alloy
Handlebar Trek Urban
580mm alloy
Grips White
Tyres Bontrager
FW Race Lite Hard-Case, 700x28c,
RW Race Lite Hard-Case, 700x28c
Trek District 1 Nebula 55T belt crankset
Nebula 55T belt drive crankset for the Trek District 1

Thanks for reading,
Matt

There are 15 replies to Matt so far

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  1. March 5, 2021 at 3:28 pm

    Matthew Pohlhammer says:

    Contemplating TREK District 1 conversion to carbon-fibre belt-drive and NuVinci 360 CVP drivetrain. It’ll be powered by a fussy female who spurns derailleur adjustments, and detests oily chains.

    Please pray for me…

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  2. May 11, 2021 at 3:56 pm

    Hessu says:

    Do you know what the BB is? And how about rim internal width & tyre clearance? Could it fit some 32’s alright?

    Thanks & hölökyn kölökyn,
    Hessu

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    • December 15, 2021 at 10:21 am

      Matt says:

      Hi Hessu, sorry about the late reply – only just seen this comment…

      I think you could probably get 32s into the frame – I run the bike with 28s and full length mudguards without a problem and would like to get 32s in myself.

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      • January 2, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        Peter J Bryce says:

        I am delighted to find this data on the Trek District 1. I have had one from new (grey & orange – 2008? I cannot for the life of me remember the year – it was indeed £750) and used to commute from Southsea to Fareham daily. It’s flat so the single speed was just fine and dandy. I hated the saddle so fitted a Brooks Swift.
        Now I am retired, the orange rims are starting to blister so I too am thinking of a 7 or 8 speed Nexus hub and new rims to improve the look and maybe encourage me to go further afield onto the South Downs and tackle a few hills.

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        • January 4, 2022 at 2:36 pm

          Matt says:

          Glad you find the info useful Peter. The grey/orange colour scheme looked great.

          I agree a multi-speed hub would work well but have not yet done it myself. I fancy some tubeless rims (you can get silver/chrome tubeless retro style rims now). The only potential issue – which I’m sure can be addressed with bolt-on bands – is that there are no cable stops on the frame. Trek really did mean it to be singlespeed!

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  3. December 14, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    Francesco Pianca says:

    I am also keen to learn about the tyre clearance…I am a little more ambitious, I was thinking 700C 35. would that work?
    Thank you in advance and thank you for the nice review of this lovely bike!!!

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    • December 15, 2021 at 10:31 am

      Matt says:

      Hi Francesco. I think you might be at the limit trying 35s – I think 32s would be OK but 35s might rub on the frame and you might struggle with clearance around the brakes too.

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  4. May 22, 2022 at 8:21 am

    Joseph says:

    Do you have a guide on which IGH fits best with the Trek District 1? And possibly all the parts needed?
    I have the exact bike but always demotivated to bike due to uphills in my neighborhood.

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  5. May 21, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    Anas says:

    hello! i recently bought a 3rd district trek frame but i had troubles finding the drop outs can you please tell me where i can find them i live in morocco, i looked for them everywhere and i couldnt find them i would really appreciate it if you could help me!
    Thank you!

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  6. June 9, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    Sakke says:

    Hi , found you great site .. I have a grey-orange 2011, great bike. Still running original with no maintenance, except brake pads replaced. Now the rear wheel has a crack and I’m looking for a replacement. I can’t find a suitable one, I’m planning to service the rear hub and build a new rim on it. Do you know the manufacturer of the rear hub and is there a diagram to break it apart, maybe part numbers. Or if you can recommend a suitable rear hub.
    btw, my tyres are 700c 28 which for my opinion are the max size.

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    • June 11, 2023 at 9:08 pm

      Matt says:

      Hi Sakke, I think the only info I ever found out about the hubs on the Trek District was that it was a ‘Trek’ hub! Sorry, not helpful. But if I was planning to replace the hub I’d say any aftermarket hub from a reputable brand is going to be a lot better that the OE spec.

      I’d look for something with fast engagement and replaceable bearings – something from Hope or Industry 9 or White Industries but it depends how deep your pockets are – you could put a £30 hub on and still be ahead IMHO.

      I’ve toyed with swapping the wheels on mine but the cream is such a key part of the look. If I did swap, I would go for a silver/polish finish to keep it classic, and would like tubeless although I seem to have managed all these years with tubes. But all my other bikes are tubeless and it works for me.

      There are silver tubeless compatible classic style rims out there – Velo Orange, BORG22, Halo Evaura or Retro, Velocity A23. One advantage of a lower profile rim will almost certainly be a better ride quality as the deeper orange or cream rims tend to be relatively harsh.

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      • June 11, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        Matt says:

        And of course, Pacenti do some nice rims too, with the silver Brevet a front runner for classic looking wheels…

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        • June 12, 2023 at 12:46 pm

          Sakke says:

          Rear hub is probably Formula, model DC-52 looks the same, it’s current model with disk brake. Short freehub is uniq on these.

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