trek madone 600 series oclv carbon

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I've had a soft spot for Trek's Madones for a while because the ones I've ridden in the past have been soooo responsive. They're light and punchy, sharp-handling and lots of other things that you want from a performance-driven road bike. The good news is that this new design is the best ever. It's an absolute delight to ride.

What we have here is a bike built around the 2013 Madone 6 Series frame. You'll find the new features described below on the cheaper 5 Series (complete bikes starting at £2,100) and the newly introduced and more expensive 7 Series.

The difference is in the carbon. The 6 Series bikes use 600 Series OCLV (optimum compaction low void, if you're interested) carbon which has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than you get with the 5 Series but a lower stiffness-to-weight ratio than the 7 Series.

All three of these Series (but not the lower end Madones) get a completely new frame design for 2013...

New KVF tubing

The biggest new feature is the KVF aero tubing. KVF? It stands for Kammtail Virtual Foil and it was first introduced on Trek's Speed Concep t time trial bike.

Essentially, the KVF tube profile is an airfoil shape with the tail chopped off square. Trek reckon that the design makes the air behave as if the tail was actually there in order to reduce drag. The advantages of cutting the tail off are that it uses less material and so reduces weight; it works well in crosswinds; and it allows Trek to stay within the UCI's equipment rules.

You can see the KVF shape most clearly on the down tube – the sides curve around and then the rear edge is cut off flat. Trek use the same shaping on the head tube, seat tube, the seat stays and the upper portion of the fork blades. Extensively, then.

How much difference does it make? You have to have a statistic these days and Trek say the KVF shaping reduces frame (not including fork) drag by 60g over the previous generation Madone. Without taking the bike to a wind tunnel, we couldn't tell you how accurate that is. We're reporting it rather than confirming it.

Brake design

Integration has become ever more important in bike design recently with manufacturers seeking to reduce drag by making everything blend together for more aerodynamic efficiency.

Trek have been busy creating their own new front brake that fits neatly to the fork. Well, their in-house Bontrager brand have. One arm of the Bontrager Speed Limit brake is attached via a central bolt, the other fixes direct to the fork leg. This saves a little weight and allows the two arms to sit flush against the fork crown. Trek reckon that the combined effect of the KVF fork shaping and the integrated front brake reduces drag by another 76g.

Trek put the rear brake just behind the bottom bracket – a position that has been used on many bikes down the years including a whole bunch of today's time trial machines.

Slinging the brake down here allows Trek to keep it hidden from the wind for improved aerodynamics. It also means there's no longer any need for a brake bridge between the seatstays, cleaning up the airflow in that area. Plus, because they don't have to deal with the braking forces, those seatstays can be made with less material to reduce weight.

It works well. You'd be hard pressed to tell any difference between the braking power you get with Trek's new design and a standard set-up. I wouldn't say there's much in it either way. You can adjust the pad position of the rear brake on the fly just as easily as if it was mounted in the standard position because Trek fit a barrel adjuster at the point where the cable enters the head tube.

I did wonder whether the positioning of the rear brake would mean it would get bunged up with gunk from the UK's perma-damp roads, but that hasn't been an issue. It is a little more awkward than usual to clean but it's really not much of a problem.

Other features

The new Madone naturally comes with internal cabling, the rear mech cable emerging right at the end of the chainstay, and it's fully compatible with Di2 electronic shifting.

Trek continue their integration theme with a DuoTrap digital sensor recessed into the chainstay. You'll probably already know that this can take speed and cadence measurements and send them wirelessly (ANT+ compatible) to a computer on your bars.

Trek also integrate their 3S chain keeper directly onto the frame. It's a tiny plastic stop that bolts to a threaded hole just above the bottom bracket. There's no great level of technology going on here but it's really unobtrusive and it works to prevent the chain coming off the inner chainring and damaging any of that lovely carbon.

Okay, so that explains a few of the 2013 Trek Madone's key design features, but how does it ride? That, after all, is what matters.

Well, put simply, this bike rides beautifully. For a start, the lightness and punchiness of previous generation Madones is still there. Our complete bike weighs in at 6.78kg (14.9lb). That's with a mechanical Dura-Ace 7900 groupset and Bontrager's Aeolus 5 clinchers (we're going to do a separate review of those, so standby for that).

You can choose your own spec through Trek's Project One custom programme. Our one would cost you £6,725 – those wheels really jack the price up – although you can have a 6 Series Madone from £3,400 if you adjust the spec.

The Madone really flies forward the second you increase the power. It reacts so quickly. And when you get busy on the climbs, it's perfectly happy to pitch in and do its part.

I'm pretty big by cycling standards (75-77kg) and, despite its light weight, the Madone stood up to all the power I could sling its way. Trek's E2 head tube houses a standard 1 1/8in upper bearing with a big 1 1/2in bearing at the bottom, and it's a chunky piece of work. It holds the front end super-stable and, along with those KVF fork blades, it makes for precise handling through long, sweeping turns and quick, zigzagging ones.

The bottom bracket is Trek's BB90 standard with widely spaced bearings and there's very little flex there either. As far as I can tell, Trek have managed to keep all of the Madone's frame stiffness with this latest incarnation. Despite the big changes, it's every bit as solid as before.

The other big feature is vertical compliance. Now, I don't really like to go on about vertical compliance too much because it's the biggest cliché in cycling. On Road.cc, we tend to take the Mick when manufacturers mention it because they'll wheel out the phrase even if their bike rides like a boneshaker. But that's not to say that vertical compliance isn't a valuable property for a bike to have; it certainly is if you want a comfortable ride.

The reason I bring it up is because the new Madone does have plenty of, you know... VC. Sorry, it just does, especially compared to other aero road bikes I've ridden. That back end in particular just seems to soak up rough roads, unexpected dips and so on.

It helps that I have such a massive (some might say 'ridiculous') amount of seatpost to take the sting out of things. Well, not seatpost exactly... the Madone uses what Trek call 'a no-cut Ride Tuned seat mast'. In other words, you get an extended seat tube with a long mast topper on the outside that gives you 10cm of adjustment. As the name suggests, you don't need to cut the seat tube to length like you do with some systems.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of the Bontrager Inform Affinity RXL saddle. Buy it separately and it's a £100 perch with carbon rails and a carbon-fibre reinforced shell. It's just that I found it to sag in the middle and that's really not comfortable for me. But, when it comes to saddles, one man's meat is another man's poison. Probably not the best choice of words there. Ahem!

As for the ride position, our 6 Series frame is built to Trek's H1 fit which is designed to be low and aero. Trek have increased the reach of the existing H1 geometry a touch for a slightly more stretched ride position.

I'm happy with that setup and find it perfectly comfortable but you might not, in which case, you're in luck... The 6 Series is available in an H2 fit too. The biggest difference is in the length of the head tube. With the H1 fit it's 16cm on a 58cm frame; with the H2 fit it's 19cm. That means your ride position is a little more upright to take the strain off your back and neck, without the need to use a stack of flexing spacers. The H2 setup is still performance-orientated, but it's a bit more relaxed.

I won't bother telling you about the Shimano Dura-Ace groupset because it's not standard – although, as I said, you can spec it if you go through the Project One system. You can also choose your own colour and have your name on the top tube if that's your thing.

I won't tell you about the Aeolus 3 wheels either because we're going to cover them in a separate review. They're brilliant though.

So, that just leaves me to round things up and I'll do that by saying the new Madone is an absolute triumph. It really is. It's light, it's very, very fast and it's way more comfortable than you've a right to expect of a high-performance bike (albeit that I didn't get on too well with the saddle).

I'd love to be more critical and give you a few negatives as well but I'm not going to do that just for the sake of it. This is one of the very best road bikes out there. If the 7 Series is even better, well, we'll happily ride one of those for a bit too. In the meantime, I suppose we'd better box this one up and send it back.

Lightweight, very fast and comfortable - a super-high performance bike that won't disappoint, if you have the cash.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Madone 6 Series 2013 (custom build)

Size tested: Project One build

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

The frame is made from 600 Series OCLV carbon

The fork is full carbon too, including the dropouts

Our bike came with this spec:

Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace 7900

Brakes Bontrager Speed Limit integrated brakes with Shimano Dura-Ace levers

Wheels Bontrager Aeolus D3 3

Handlebar Bontrager Race XXX Lite VR-C

Stem Bontrager Race X Lite

Saddle Bontrager Affinity RXL Carbon

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

It's a race/performance bike. The pros teams might be on 7 Series Madones but, really, the 6 Series of bikes are professional level.

In the build we have, it's 6.78kg without pedals (size 58cm). Add the pedals and it's just above the UCI's 6.8kg minimum weight limit for racing.

Trek say, "Madone 6 Series is race-bike royalty, with its legacy of 9 Tour de France wins. Still the same incredible ride feel and hand-built quality, now with an all-new super-aero shape.

"6 Series has charged the steepest climbs, staged the biggest comebacks, carried the greatest legends. It will take you past your limits, beyond your expectations."

Frame and fork

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

Spot on. You can chose your own colour from a vast selection.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

The frame is Trek's 600 Series OCLV carbon. For all the details, including how it compares to their other grades of carbon, go to Trek .

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

You get to choose between Trek's H1 and H2 geometries.

Essentially, H1 is low and aero. H2 is a little more relaxed. The main difference is in the height of the head tube. It's a bit longer with the H2 so you get a more upright ride position - although it's still a performance-orientated set-up.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

See above on that. You can go for low and stretched or a bit more relaxed.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Very comfortable, yes, especially for a performance-orientated machine.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Yep, it's as rigid around the front end and bottom bracket as previous generation Madones, as far as I can tell.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Yeah. Trek have built plenty of Tour-winning bikes in the past and this one is the equal of those in terms of efficiency.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

A touch on the 58cm frame we have. Not a problem, though.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? The lively side of neutral.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

It feels super-smooth compared to a lot of other high-performance bikes and the steering is pin sharp.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

I actually didn't especially like the saddle. I felt the comfort was despite the saddle rather than because of the saddle. It's always a matter of individual taste. There's plenty of give in the frame and seatmast to keep things feeling smooth.

The drivetrain

Not especially good value compared to Ultegra or 105 but very good value compared to top-end groupsets from the other leading brands

Wheels and tyres

You can get lighter wheels; these major on aerodynamics.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes.

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Without doubt.

Overall rating: 9 /10

About the tester

Age: 41   Height: 190cm   Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:    My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years   I ride: Most days   I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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It's possibly a small detail, but one of things I love about the Trek kit is the DuoTrap compartment. Attention to detail like that matters to me and hints that other things have also had a little more care taken over them. Personally I'd go for a Domane as the roads around where I live are far from ideal...but this is stunning.

I think the translation to grams is effectively a comparative that makes it easier for cyclists to understand. Rather than talk about how it reduces the drag coefficient, they talk in grams because people can understand how this is equivalent to, say buying a lighter group set, or saddle, for instance. So if I am thinking of buying a bike, and like one that weight 6.80Kg, and the other weighs 7.0Kg, but is fandangled in such a way that it reduces drag by 200g, there's no real difference.....I think that is the logic.

But if I was an engineer I would probably dislike the terminology, but I guess most people without an engineering background would struggle to understand how a drag coefficient would affect their ride, especially when so often there are so many factors that add to or detract from riding performance - aerodynamics and weight being just two.

im going to say something i have never said before.. these new treks actually look really impressive.

russyparkin wrote: im going to say something i have never said before.. these new treks actually look really impressive.

Have to agree. Never liked Trek much, always seemed a bit sterile and a bit ugly. Nothing offensive, just very anonymous. This model really does look the part.

In science and engineering drag would typically be measured in Newtons, ie. units of force.

I'm not sure why the cycling community measure it in grams, as of course grams (kilograms SI) is a measurement of mass. Weight on the other hand, is a force due to mass sitting in a gravitational field. Measuring drag in grams, is, in my view (as an engineer) just wrong.

Why is drag measured in weight (grams) as opposed to er...erm, well whatever you measure drag with?

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Trek Madone long-term review: Hyper-aero, surprisingly comfy

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The Madone is the oldest model name in the current Trek road lineup, with the first dating back to 2003. That nameplate has worn several hats in that time, but it’s always represented the best that road bike Trek had to offer. The latest generation is no different, offering cutting-edge aerodynamics, an incredible level of integration, and a level of comfort that is unmatched by its competitors.

But what’s it like to live with a Madone over the long haul? CyclingTips US technical editor James Huang sought to answer just that, spending nearly two full years of quality time on a workhorse Madone 9.5 model. The honeymoon ended long ago, and there have been some rocky moments since then. But for the most part, it’s been a pretty solid relationship.

Aero performance without compromise?

The science of bicycle aerodynamics has greatly matured in recent years, and it seems like every major industry player has cracked the code on how best to reduce drag. While it could easily be argued that aero road bikes from different brands are looking increasingly derivative, it could just as easily be argued that it’s because there just aren’t many ways known to do it well without sacrificing other performance metrics, such as chassis rigidity and weight, and staying within the stringent UCI technical guidelines for frame design.

As a result, the never-ending fight to save watts is increasingly a matter of splitting hairs, but even independent third-party tests have confirmed that Trek’s latest Madone is one of the absolute best in this regard. It’s fast when pointed straight into still air, but also posts enviably low drag numbers at a wide range of wind angles, meaning that it also maintains that aerodynamic edge in more realistic outdoor conditions.

Trek was one of the earliest proponents of the flat-backed, Kamm-tail tube profiles that are now so common; its original Speed Concept time trial/triathlon bike debuted the concept almost 10 years ago, at the 2009 Tour de France. It’s not surprising that Trek has continued to refine the idea, incorporating the philosophy fully in this latest Madone. While the down tube, seat tube, head tube, seatstays, and fork blades all look conventionally deep in profile, a closer look reveals that they all have clipped tails, with the theory being that the truncated shapes maintain the aerodynamic efficiency of full airfoil sections, but with the weight and stiffness advantages that come from the rounder cross-sections.

Details matter as always, and Trek has complemented the frame’s basic shape with similarly well thought-out ancillary components. The front and rear rim brake calipers are nicely integrated into the surrounding structures, and Trek has gone the extra step of partnering with TRP to create dedicated units specifically for the Madone. They blend in so well, in fact, that were they painted to match, they’d almost be invisible at first glance.

Up front is a proprietary one-piece carbon fiber cockpit; the steerer clamp is matched with profiled headset spacers for a cohesive surface contour. Save for very brief appearances at both derailleurs and the rear brake, cable routing is fully internal from tip to tail, running inside the flattened bar tops, through the bulbous molded carbon-fiber stem, and down the sides of the unique square-profile steerer tube before making their way inside the frame. On the down tube, just aft of the head tube, is a small hatch with either a holder for a Shimano Di2 junction box or a barrel adjuster for a cable-actuated front derailleur. It’s very slick.

Overall, the layout is strikingly clean, and it makes other aero bikes with exposed cabling look comparatively unfinished and cluttered.

Other examples of integration include proprietary bolt-on accessory mounts for computers and front and rear lights, a pocket in the non-driveside chainstay for a wireless speed and cadence sensor, and Trek’s now-commonplace BB90 press-fit bottom bracket shell , whereby the crankset bearings are pressed into seats that are molded directly into the shell; no separate cups are required. A chain keeper is mounted to the base of the seat tube, too.

Such deep-section tubing would normally produce an unyieldingly stiff ride quality, but it’s here where the Madone shines brightest.

Trek has incorporated its ingenious IsoSpeed “decoupler” into the Madone, which places a pivoting axle at the seat cluster to promote movement on rougher roads. Even adding a pivot axle and a pair of cartridge bearings isn’t going to make a deep-section seat tube flex much under load, however, so Trek has instead developed a rather brilliant tube-within-a-tube design. That aero-profile extended seatmast necks down at the seat cluster to a much smaller, round-profile seat tube that is hidden inside the seat tube. In this way, the main frame can still be shaped to cheat the wind, but the ride quality is akin to a more traditionally shaped frame.

As on the previous three generations of Trek’s flagship road racer, this latest Madone features a clever semi-integrated seatmast design that requires no cutting. Although it looks cool (and omits many of the hassles of full-length integrated seatmasts), it’s also what makes the IsoSpeed concept possible since more traditional designs with overlapping frame-plus-seatpost layouts would make that area too stiff.

It makes little sense to report a traditional frame-only weight here since there is so much integration on the Madone and so many proprietary parts that must be included for it to function. Instead, it’d be more telling to describe the “module,” including the frame, fork, headset, headset cover, seatmast head, cable hardware, front and rear brake calipers, and bottom bracket. Actual weight for that configuration is 2.27kg (5.00lb).

A different approach toward bike reviews

It’s commonplace for us here at CyclingTips to test bikes for several weeks — or sometimes, several months — before sharing our impressions. The current Madone iteration had already been around for a couple of seasons by the time I took delivery of my review sample, and since I was unlikely to add much to the existing conversation, I decided to take a different approach. Savvy readers may notice that the Madone model pictured here is thoroughly out of date, but that’s because I’ve been evaluating it for the past two years .

Piling on miles quickly is obviously one way to get to know a bike, but there’s no substitute for simply living with the thing over an extended period of time: winter, spring, summer, fall, repeat.

For this unique ultra-extended test, I went with a workhorse Madone 9.5 model, built around Trek’s second-tier 600 Series carbon frame and its standard H2 semi-upright geometry. The bike arrived with Shimano’s now-previous-generation Dura-Ace mechanical groupset, Bontrager aluminum/carbon aero clincher wheels, and Bontrager finishing kit, with a total weight of 7.26kg (16.00lb, without pedals). Nearly every component was traded in and out over those two years, but that’s just as well; I was mainly trying to get thoroughly acquainted with the frameset.

And let’s just say that after two laps around the sun, I got to know the thing quite well.

For more information on current Madone models, visit Trek .

A sleek shape, a comfy ride, and lots of integration

Having already spent several months on a flagship model prior to starting this review, I was already familiar with most of the Madone’s salient performance traits, and am happy to report that most of them carry forth on this more affordable version.

Aerodynamic efficiency is always a dubious thing to evaluate from the saddle, but the Madone indeed feels fast on the road, especially when fitted with matching aero wheels. The bike accelerates just like non-aero bikes of similar weight and stiffness from a standstill, but it’s when you’re moving at higher speeds that you notice how much easier it is to do so. Scoff at the concept of aero gains all you wish, but the effect is real — and tangible, in this case.

More striking is the bike’s surprisingly comfortable ride. Most carbon fiber aero road bikes do a decent job of filtering out high-frequency road buzz, but kick back hard on bigger impacts. However, the Madone’s pivoting seatmast even manages to quell those handily. Whereas you’d normally brace for impact when approaching ugly-looking bumps on more traditional aero road bikes, you quickly learn on the Madone that you can simply stay seated and pedal through.

IsoSpeed is now featured on Trek’s Madone, Domane, and Domane SLR road platforms, and it’s perhaps worth noting how the ride quality differs between the three. Whereas the original Domane — with its rear-only IsoSpeed design — offered a pillowy ride out back, the fully rigid front end was comparatively harsh, and the feel was markedly unbalanced as a result. Trek corrected this on the Domane SLR with its new Front IsoSpeed device and newly adjustable rear IsoSpeed design, and the ride quality is decidedly more cohesive as a result.

Like the original Domane, the Madone features IsoSpeed only at the rear end, but it doesn’t suffer from the same mismatched feel. Whereas the first-generation Domane (and current second-tier ones) are plush out back, but very firm up front, the Madone’s stock IsoSpeed tuning is firmer to begin with, and feels more balanced overall. It strikes a pleasant balance between bump isolation, road feel, and efficiency with no noticeable saddle movement during normal pedaling. A plush endurance machine the Madone is most certainly not, but it’s still a striking improvement over the vast majority of aero bikes on the road.

If you want an even smoother ride, bear in mind that Trek officially approves the Madone for use with tires up to 28mm-wide (and rims up to 30mm-wide). Two years ago, Trek equipped the Madone 9.5 with 23mm-wide tires on 17.5mm-wide rims; today, the Madone 9.5 comes with 25c tires, which actually measure closer to 27mm when mounted to 19.5mm-wide rims. Especially in that configuration, the Madone is far more comfortable to ride than you’d expect based on appearances alone.

Such clearance would be meaningless without brakes that can handle the extra width, but the Madone’s proprietary calipers are up to the task. Integrated set screws individually adjust each arm’s position and spring tension, and handy quick-release levers are incorporated into the design as well for fast wheel changes. The direct-mount, center-pull design is also impressively rigid and yields excellent lever feel.

I found the calipers easy to control, but overall power is a bit lacking as compared to standard Shimano direct-mount calipers. Most of this difference was eventually sourced back to the stock TRP pads, however, which seemed overly hard and lacking in initial bite. Switching to SwissStop’s purple BXP compound helped tremendously, as did installing a set of HED Jet 6 Black aluminum/carbon clinchers with their aggressively textured sidewalls.

As I’ve come to expect from the Madone family, handling was unflappably capable. Years of refinement have produced a geometry that simply goes where you want it to, when you want it to, with no drama or objection, and with minimal input required of the rider at either the bars or hips. It’s not overly twitchy or stable, but rather as middle-of-the-road as could be for a high-end, everyday road racer; basically the embodiment of neutral handling.

While some might classify that sort of quiet competence as boring, I’d say it’s the perfect scenario for day-to-day riding.

Some will find the fit to be much more polarizing, however.

All of Trek’s aero road bikes wear the same “Madone” label, but there are essentially two different bikes on tap here. Not long ago, Trek offered many of its Madone models in two fit variants: the aggressive H1 version with its pro-friendly long-and-low rider positioning, and the masses-friendly H2 fit, with its taller head tube and slightly shorter top tube. These days, however, the only way to get the H1 fit is to go with a bare Madone 9 Race Shop Limited frameset and build it up from there; every complete Madone is now offered solely in the H2 version.

For my preferred 52cm size, the difference in reach is only 3mm: 379mm vs. 382mm, which basically just takes into account the head tube extension and still offers plenty of room to stretch out. The difference in stack, however, is a much more substantial 552mm vs. 523mm, for a whopping 29mm gain. For the sake of comparison, it’s not far off from what Specialized does with its Tarmac vs. the Roubaix families of road bikes.

Whether that’s a good or bad thing will depend on your personal setup, but Trek has obviously opted to favor the majority of the bell curve here. Truth be told, I was perfectly happy height-wise on the H2 setup just by removing all of the headset spacers. But that said, riders interested in the Madone who want or need a more aggressive position will either need to remove all the headset spacers or start from scratch.

Compounding the fit issue is the aero carbon fiber integrated cockpit. The effective stock stem length on my 52cm sample size was a stubby 90mm, and I definitely needed to go longer; other sizes are equipped with similarly short cockpits as well. Trek supplied me with a longer cockpit per my request, but the internally routed cabling doesn’t make the change remotely quick or easy.

I’ve noticed several Trek Factory Racing team riders opting for more conventional stems and bars for various reasons. However, I would encourage most Madone buyers to invest the time to get the properly sized one-piece cockpit installed because it’s very good once you get the right size. The flattened tops have more rounded edges than many other designs I’ve used, so they’re surprisingly comfortable to hold on long climbs (although I would recommend against leaving them bare as Trek supplies from the factory). And while I would have preferred a bit more wrist clearance when sprinting, the variable-radius drops offer a wide range of comfy hand positions. The monocoque design is also impressively stiff without being overly so, and as long as you’re running one of the supported brands, the slick Blendr bolt-on computer and light/camera mounts make for an ultra-clean setup.

I anticipated all of these fit issues right from the start, but what I didn’t anticipate was the difference in stiffness between the H1 and H2 frames.

Trek builds the top-end, H1-fit Team Issue frames with its premier 700-Series carbon fiber blend; the H2-fit versions get the lesser 600-Series mix instead (and are also made in Asia, not Wisconsin). The modest increase in weight isn’t a big deal, but the softer feel is harder to ignore.

I’ve never found Madones of any generation to be unusually rigid, but I’ve usually been happy to accept that given their balanced ride qualities. The 600-Series frame squirts forward with pedaling pressure well enough, but front triangle torsional rigidity is particularly lacking as compared to the stouter-feeling 700-Series Madone. The chassis feels a little soft when climbing or sprinting out of the saddle, and is especially distracting when hitting bumps in mid-corner, where the sudden out-of-plane twisting can knock you off-line and disrupt your rhythm through a series of turns. No matter how much time I spent on the Madone 9.5, that sudden wiggle was something I never grew accustomed to, and it ultimately sapped my confidence on fast downhills.

After the honeymoon period

It’s relatively easy to gauge a bike’s overall personality after just a handful of rides, but long-term issues often only rear their ugly heads over time.

Trek does its best to make the internal routing setup more liveable, including cleverly split headset spacers that allow for bar height alterations without having to re-run all of the cabling, and built-in adjustments on the brake calipers that can accommodate a reasonably wide range of cable tensions. As with many internally routed bikes, there’s also a big port at the underside of the bottom bracket to help guide everything through. Indeed, just changing inner cables is only mildly anger-inducing.

It’s usually better to replace both the cables and housing at the same time, however, and there’s no point in sugarcoating the process — it’s a royal pain in the ass. Trek thankfully provides guidelines and tutorials for the process, including detailed housing lengths, but there’s still a lot of fishing and disassembly involved. Whereas a reasonably experienced home mechanic could do a complete cable and housing replacement on an externally routed bike in the time it takes to watch a single episode of Game of Thrones (new bar tape included), it’s best to set aside a half day or so here.

Repeated rides in wet weather revealed a few more chinks in the armor.

Cable exit points are reasonably well sealed, but the slot for the semi-integrated seatmast topper is basically open to the elements. Water spraying off of the rear wheel easily gets in, but at least can drain out through the holes in the bottom of the bottom bracket shell. That said, any associated dirt or mud isn’t likely to flow out as well (and yes, I mostly stuck to asphalt for this one).

That’s a good thing in terms of the bottom bracket bearings, which on some frames can corrode from within. There’s an internal plastic sleeve that does a decent job of shielding the Japanese NSK cartridges from that sort of water exposure, but they’re not wholly immune to weather. And from the outside, the supplemental bearing shields — don’t you dare call them “seals” — do little to protect the bearings from road spray. And unlike a more conventional design that uses separate press-in or threaded cups, the molded carbon-fiber structure doesn’t provide as much flexibility for updating those seal designs.

It’s predominantly dry here in Colorado, so this Madone didn’t see nearly as much foul weather as it would have under someone who would ride it day-in and day-out in a wetter climate such as the U.K. Perhaps as a result, my bike stayed pleasantly creak-free during its stay in the Rocky Mountains. But nevertheless, periodic inspections of my bottom bracket bearings revealed a surprising amount of grime behind those plastic shields, and if dust and dirt can weasel their way in there, so can water.

As it turns out, it doesn’t take much online sleuthing to find heaps of Madone owners reporting premature bearing wear. Sure, the cartridges are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace if you have the correct tools, but even that reveals a more critical downside to the BB90 design.

BB90 is extremely efficient from an engineering standpoint since it eliminates every redundant part from the assembly. But since the bearing seats are molded directly into the carbon fiber structure, it’s the frame itself that gradually wears with every bearing removal and installation. Eventually, the bearing seat dimensions will change to the point where a bearing no longer fits tightly, which leads to creaking and even faster bearing wear. Trek’s solutions include oversized bottom bracket bearings for a tighter fit, as well as a factory repair of the bearing seats to restore their original dimensions.

Trek has been using BB90 (and its BB95 analogue) on a huge portion of its higher-end bikes for over a decade now, and these problems aren’t exactly ubiquitous. But when they do arise, neither of those “solutions” are particularly palatable for those affected. Without question, the design is extremely elegant and does save weight, but as with most press-fit bottom bracket systems, I’m left to question whether the performance gains made on paper are worth the real-world costs.

Where the Madone goes from here

I once welcomed with (relatively) open arms the engineering advantages that the BB90 press-fit bottom bracket shell design promised. That was back in 2007, when it first debuted. But the long-term ramifications after a decade of accumulated owner data are impossible to ignore. It’s time for this design to either go away, or at least get a major update in the form of more durable (metal?) bearing seats and/or compatibility with modern oversized cranksets. The new T47 threaded fitment seems like it could be an excellent alternative, and the wide-format version of that would retain much of the current Madone’s existing frame design, too.

I’d also like to see Trek re-introduce the once-plentiful range of H1 and H2 fit options. Trek clearly doesn’t feel it has the demand to support offering H1 and H2 variants of the Madone as it did before — and indeed, the road market has softened to the point where it probably isn’t economically viable — but that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss having the choice. For me, it seems that an H2-fit Madone built with the stiffer 700-Series carbon blend would have been ideal, but alas, such a combination doesn’t exist. At the very least, Trek needs to bolster the front end of the 600-Series frames to lessen the performance gap.

And will we see a disc-brake version soon? That seems inevitable, but it’s anyone’s guess when that might happen.

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helmet what you need on your next casual group ride\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/poc-procen-air-oakley-aro7-helmet-integrated-visor-review\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"poc procen air vs oakley aro7: is an integrated visor helmet what you need on your next casual group ride\"}}\u0027>\n poc procen air vs oakley aro7: is an integrated visor helmet what you need on your next casual group ride\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"bike check: lael wilcox\u0027s around-the-world specialized roubaix","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/bike-check-lael-wilcoxs-around-the-world-specialized-roubaix\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/bike-check-lael-wilcoxs-around-the-world-specialized-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", 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\"title\": \"pedal, drink, eat, repeat: a look into how the pros fuel for unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/pedal-drink-eat-repeat-a-look-into-how-the-pros-fuel-for-unbound-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"pedal, drink, eat, repeat: a look into how the pros fuel for unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n pedal, drink, eat, repeat: a look into how the pros fuel for unbound gravel\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: trek carback bike radar makes big promises","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/review-trek-carback-bike-radar-makes-big-promises\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/review-trek-carback-bike-radar-makes-big-promises\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: trek carback bike radar makes big promises\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/review-trek-carback-bike-radar-makes-big-promises\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: trek carback bike radar makes big promises\"}}\u0027>\n review: trek carback bike radar makes big promises\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"unreleased 13-speed sram xplr drivetrain spotted at unbound gravel","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-13-speed-sram-xplr-drivetrain-spotted-at-unbound-gravel\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-13-speed-sram-xplr-drivetrain-spotted-at-unbound-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"unreleased 13-speed sram xplr drivetrain spotted at unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-13-speed-sram-xplr-drivetrain-spotted-at-unbound-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"unreleased 13-speed sram xplr drivetrain spotted at unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n unreleased 13-speed sram xplr drivetrain spotted at unbound gravel\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"power analysis: poga\u010dar\u2019s giro d\u2019italia domination was like nothing in recent memory","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/power-analysis-pogacars-giro-ditalia-domination-was-like-nothing-in-recent-memory\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/power-analysis-pogacars-giro-ditalia-domination-was-like-nothing-in-recent-memory\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"power analysis: poga\u010dar\u2019s giro d\u2019italia domination was like nothing in recent memory\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/power-analysis-pogacars-giro-ditalia-domination-was-like-nothing-in-recent-memory\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"power analysis: poga\u010dar\u2019s giro d\u2019italia domination was like nothing in recent memory\"}}\u0027>\n power analysis: poga\u010dar\u2019s giro d\u2019italia domination was like nothing in recent memory\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"unbound, the \u0027world\u0027s premiere gravel event,\u0027 doesn\u0027t have prize money. should it","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/unbound-gravel-prize-money\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/unbound-gravel-prize-money\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"unbound, the \u0027world\u0027s premiere gravel event,\u0027 doesn\u0027t have prize money. should it\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/unbound-gravel-prize-money\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"unbound, the \u0027world\u0027s premiere gravel event,\u0027 doesn\u0027t have prize money. should it\"}}\u0027>\n unbound, the \u0027world\u0027s premiere gravel event,\u0027 doesn\u0027t have prize money. should it\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage 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TriTech for the Masses

2016 Trek Madone – First Look

You can have an aero bike or you can have a comfortable bike – you can’t have both. This has long been one of the accepted realities of the aero road bike category. Sure they’re fast, but staying in the saddle for 5+ may not be the most comfortable experience. Trek has heard this one too many times and decided that this would be the challenge the new Madone was built to meet. Trek set out to build a bike with unparalleled aerodynamics and unmatched ride quality, and the 2016 Madone is the result of that effort.

The 2016 Trek Madone

The first thing you notice when you see the 2016 Madone is the cable-free front end of the bike. Starting at the top, you’ll find the integrated aero bar and stem. This is the result of Trek’s goal to leave “no stone unturned, no cable in the wind.” The integrated bar uses Kamm Virtual Foil (KVF) tube shaping, which was first introduced on the Speed Concept to improve the aerodynamics over a separate system. Keeping the housing fully internal through the head tube required the design of an integrated top cap cover and spacers. The headset spacers use a two-piece clamshell design for easy adjustability, allowing addition or removal without rerouting any housing or cables.

The fork uses aerodynamic KVF legs, cheating the wind at all yaw angles while maintaining stiffness. The fork crown is pocketed out for smooth integration with the front brake, and the fork uses a proprietary steerer tube shape to allow internal routing of the housing through the top headset bearing.

The brakes have been designed to seamlessly match the fork and seatstay surfaces, integrating with the recessed areas and allowing air to flow smoothly over the entire surface. The housing of the front center-pull brake is routed down the front of the steerer tube through the head tube and to the brake, all fully internal. The brake arms use independent spring tension adjustment screws to center the brake pads and adjust lever pull force to the desired feel. Additionally, two spacing screws allow for precise pad adjustments as brake pads wear. The spacing screws’ range allows swapping between rims with up to 6mm difference in width without adjusting the center wedge.

Madone’s Vector Wings protect the front brake from the elements to ensure consistent braking function. To accommodate the function of the center-pull brakes, the Vector Wings articulate during turning in order to allow free rotation.

On the downtube is the Madone’s “Control Center.” On mechanical set-ups, the Control Center houses the front derailleur trim dial. For electronic set-ups, the Control Center houses the Di2 battery port and junction box in one location, providing access to the trim button through the window in the top of the Control Center.

Below the control center are the water bottle bosses. The locations have been optimized so that the front bottle offsets drag for the rear bottle.

The Madone features an integrated chain keeper that has also been aero optimized (talk about “sparing no expense”).

All of the above features aid in the goal to achieve unparalleled aerodynamics. While the Madone doesn’t beat its competition at every yaw angle, it does come close.

But what about the goal of unmatched ride quality? That job falls to the Madone IsoSpeed Decoupler. First shown on the Trek Domane, the IsoSpeed Decoupler separates the seat mast from the toptube and allows the seat tube to rotate independently from the top-tube-to-seatstay junction, increasing vertical compliance without compromising pedaling efficiency.

Using the IsoSpeed system freed up the seatpost to use KVF technology, matching the seat tube profile. The seatpost head uses an independent pinch bolt and rail clamp system to allow for infinite tilt and setback adjustment.

Trek Madone Builds

At launch, the Madone will be available in three builds – 9.2, 9.5, and 9.9, plus a special Madone Race Shop Limited build. The 9.2, 9.5, and 9.9 all use Trek’s 600 Series OCLV carbon.

The 9.2 features a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and Bontrager Paradigm Elite tubeless-ready wheels. It will be available for $6,299.

The 9.5 features a Shimano Dura-Ace mechanical groupset and Bontrager Aura tubeless-ready wheels. Upgrading to Dura-Ace sets you back $8,399.

The 9.9 is available in both a men’s and women’s design. Both feature Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Bontrager Aeolus 5D3 tubeless-ready wheels. The 9.9 will go for $12,599 at your local bike shop.

Finally, there is the Madone Race Shop Limited build. This is the same bike used by Trek Factory Racing and is built with 700 Series OCLV carbon. Like the 9.9, it features Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Bontrager Aeolus 5D3 tubeless-ready wheels. This top-of-the-line build will go for $16,999.

Our Thoughts

We are big fans of Trek as evidenced by the recent addition of a Speed Concept to our test fleet . So it should come as no surprise that we really want to spend some quality time with the new Madone. Our only reservation is that the integrated bars will most likely not be able to accommodate any type of aero bars. However, for most looking to purchase this bike, that probably won’t be a major issue. The price is also obviously a big consideration of ours, but we expect that price to come down next year (something we are routinely seeing with other new bikes). Really our biggest question is whether we work with Trek to do a review now or wait until they can do a Project One build to match our Speed Concept. These are the tough decisions we love to make!

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Trek bikes range: which model is right for you?

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The humble beginning of Trek bicycles took place in the "red barn" - once a carpet warehouse - in Waterloo, USA. The first bikes were steel touring frames , but within three years the brand had expanded substantially.

Eventually outgrowing the barn, Trek moved into a much larger headquarters - still in Waterloo - in the year 1980. From there it began to manufacture road racing bikes, then in 1983 created its first mountain bike before moving into accessories come 1984.

Having started out in steel, Trek moved into developing aluminium bikes in 1985. The first Trek branded full carbon frame came in 1989 - the Trek 5000 had a frame weight of 1.5kg. It was built by an outside manufacturer and discontinued after a year. Trek made its own efforts at carbon, with an in-house production, in 1992 to much greater success.

>>> Trek mountain bikes: which model is right for you?

Now, Trek offers the Madone (aero bike), Domane (endurance bike), Emonda (lightweight race bike) and Checkpoint (gravel bike) as well as the Boone cyclocross and Speed Concept time trial machine.

Trek's OCLV Carbon

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Trek's carbon bikes have always used their own patented 'OCLV carbon' - this stands for Optimum Compaction Low Void. It believes this carbon creates the best compromise between low weight and high strength and stiffness.

Optimum Compaction refers to the way sheets of carbon are layered into the mould, and optimised via heat and pressure - in Trek's opinion the two treatments are administered to the perfect ratio. Low Void refers to the minimisation of space between the layers of carbon, which might otherwise reduce strength and durability.

In 1995, Trek opened an independent facility inWhitewater, Wisconsin. The idea being that the Waterloo factory would work in frame development only. For those who want to customise their ride, the'Project One' custom paint programme arrived in 2001.

Trek's pro cycling support

Trek supported now disgraced American cyclist, Lance Armstrong, through his peak years. In 1997, it helped him sign with their sponsored team, US Postal Service Pro Cycling. He won his seven editions of the Tour de Frances on bikes bearing the brand name, but all of said wins were later taken from him following doping violations.

In 2014, the brand sponsored the Trek Factory Racing Team, now calledTrek–Segafredo. In that role, it provided bikes for high profile winners such as Fabian Cancellara and Alberto Contador,as well as Jens Voigt, and notably his Hour Record in September 2014.

In 2020, Trek continued to support the Trek-Segafredo men's and women's race outfits, two highly successful teams.

Trek's acquisitions

Over the years, Trek has made a number of high profile acquisitions. The most famous, perhaps, Gary Fisher bicycles - the mountain bike brand which it took over in 1993.

Later came Bontrager Cycles in 1995 and Electra Bicycle Company in 2014. Bontrager, now Trek's component and apparel brand, maintains the same name as does Electra, the creator of leisure bikes and accessories.

Useful links for road bike shoppers…

Trek's road bike models

Trek is able to offer a wide range of different bikes, each tuned to a slightly different purpose. Some model families are available in a selection of standards (SLR premium carbon, SL carbon, ALR premium aluminium and AL aluminium), and then these come with assorted levels of componentry to suit your price bracket.

To add even more depth to the range, Trek offers many models in two different 'fits'. The Madone and Émonda come as standard in an H2 (traditional) fit, but there are versions in what it calls 'H1' fit. This is more aggressive, shaving off about 30mm on the head tube to create a longer, lower ride. The Domane comes in an H2 'Endurance' fit, with a few models in 'Pro Endurance', again with a longer and lower stance on offer.

Here's a look at the key model families...

With each product is a ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Best Deal’ link. If you click on this then we may receive a small amount of money from the retailer when you purchase the item. This doesn’t affect the amount you pay.

Trek Domane

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

The Trek Domane was introduced in 2012. It was created to offer a comfortable ride, the key feature being an IsoSpeed decoupler which separated the seat tube from the top tube, thus reducing vibrations and fatigue.

In 2016 it gained theFront IsoSpeed, which helps to reduce vibrations at the front end without impacting handling. This came alongside a new slider, which alters the level of dampening offered by the rear.

In its most recent update , the Domane took notes from the Madone with an aero fork profile, whilst becoming more versatile thanks to clearance for 38mm tyres (without mudguards, 35mm with). It also gained a downtube compartment for stashing tools (or snacks!).

Though comfort is important to the Trek Domane, it's still a racing frame, and its prowess has been demonstrated by UCI WorldTour riders at major one-day Classics, such as Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders. The top Domane bikes come with an H1.5 fit, which was developed with the Trek-Segafredo teams to offer the optimal balance between aerodynamics and endurance.

The Trek Domane - available as a men's build or with women's specific componentry - is a fast selling model, which comes in a range of frame materials.

The Domane SLR uses the lightest carbon Trek offers, the SL is one step down, whilst the AL uses aluminium and is the cheapest of the range.

Trek Madone

The Trek Madone is quite another beast, and the bikes come built for men and women; the latter's models with women's saddles and narrower handlebars . With an aggressive geometry and stiffness to boot, it's a road race hero, and aerodynamics have become part of its lifeblood. When we tested five aero bikes , head to head, the Trek Madone came out fastest.

Modern Trek Madone's feature a high level of integration, with the cables tucked away yet reachable via an access point at the top of the down tube.Wind tunnel testing has helped Trek to create theirKVF (Kammtail Virtual Foil) tube shapes, used on the frame and fork. These unconventional tube shapes are designed to further reduce drag, helping the rider/bike unit to slice through the air efficiently.

Because being bumped around doesn't make you faster, the Madone also features an IsoSpeed decoupler at the seat tube and more recently an adjustable one at the head tube, which offers greater compliance whilst still being integrated to prevent adding drag.

The newest model, according to Trek, can offer 17 per cent more compliance through to 21 per cent more stiffness, depending upon your chosen setting. A damper at the seatpost is also said to cut rebound by 13 per cent. All of these stats add up to a bike that can be comfortable and stiff at the same time - and one that earned a place in our 2018 Editor's Choice awards.

The majority of the bikes come in a more relaxed 'H2' geometry, save for the Madone SLR, which is in an 'H1.5' fit - this is designed to allow riders to achieve an H1 fit or an H2, depending upon their set up.

Trek Émonda

Adding more depth to the Trek family is the Trek Émonda, launched in 2014. Designed to be a climbing bike, newer adaptations are capable of negotiating mixed terrains - with disc brakes available and tyre clearance to 28mm.

>>> Trek Émonda range explained

Trek continues to work on developing the Émonda, dropping the weight of the top end Trek Émonda SLR to 640g in a size 56cm (665g with discs) and 1091g for the Trek Émonda SL (1149g with discs). The weight difference is largely achieved by the use of700 Series OCLV carbon on the SLR, as opposed to 500 series on the SL.

The aluminium model has seen some major work and the result earned it a place in the Editor's Choice 2019 awards. The key characteristic we loved was the way it simply didn't look, or ride, like aluminium. A lot of this is down to Trek's 'Invisible Weld Technology' which increases the surface area of the frame, adding to strength and reducing weight. The ALR model's frame weight comes in at a competitive 1112g, or 1131g with discs, and it uses the brand's 300 Series Alpha Aluminium.

The carbon models are available in 'SLR' build or 'SL', the former being the lightest and the latter more affordable. The majority of Trek Émonda bikes cone in an 'H2' fit, but they can be purchased in an 'H1' geometry, if you choose the top end 'Race Shop' version.

There are a few nods to neatness and integration around, such as the use of 'Blendr Integration' which seamlessly mounts Bontrager’s cycling computer, Ionbike lights or even Garmin computers directly to the handlebars. On SLR versions there's ‘Control Freak Cable Management’ which allows for shifter and brake cables to be housed through the frame.

Trek Checkpoint

With gravel and adventure bikes a fast growing category, the Checkpoint is Trek's offering to fill that sector. The crucial element here is that both the SL and ALR frame options come fitted out with 35c gravel tyres, and can accommodate rubber up to 45c. They've all got internal cable routing, to ensure much stays out, whilst the higher end models use 'Control Freak' routing which is neater.

>>> Best gravel bikes: the top models reviewed

If you opt for the carbon SL model, you get vibration dampening from an IsoSpeed decoupler at the rear, too.  To provide stability and confidence on light trails as well as comfort on all-day adventures, the geometry is not as aggressive as the road bikes elsewhere in the range. Such all-day rides warrant plenty of kit, so there's mounts for racks and mounts. Similar to elsewhere in the range, there's AL, ALR and SL models.

Trek Speed Concept

Trek's Speed Concept time trial bike has been raced by the pros yet is still seen on the amateur race scene as a popular option.

>>> Check out Fabian Cancellara's 2016 Speed Concept

The frames use 500 Series OCLV Carbon, boasting the KVF (Kammtail Virtual Foil) tube shapes described in the Madone, plus a carbon fork with integrated brake and stem - the key goal being cutting through the air quickly.There's space to fit Trek's SC Draft Box and SC Sped Box, largely used by triathletes carrying snacks.

Trek Boone 5

Trek's got plenty of experience in the muddy realm of off-road cycling - and they've got a selection of cyclocross bikes. The Trek Boone 7 model comes with hydraulic disc brakes, a one-by crank and 12-speed cassette and they've all got Bontrager's own 33c cyclocross tyres.

The frame material is Trek's 600 series OCLV carbon, and there's front and rear IsoSpeed decouplers to help riders negotiate the mud without excess transfer of vibration. Combining the mud ready tyres, disc brakes, 'cross focused cable routing and geo into an aluminium package is the Trek Crockett family.

They key differentiation is the frame material, which is300 Series Alpha Aluminium, and there's no decoupler. However, it's still a performance bike that's ready to race.

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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.

Brand new wheels designed for the two faces of gravel: speed and exploration. They’re well designed, but also very expensive

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As the dust settles on the Giro d'Italia, it's the Tour of Norway that grabs our attention

By Tom Davidson Published 31 May 24

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Trek Madone 5.0 Road Bike

Trek's Madone 5.0 is made in the USA from their Tour de France-proven OCLV carbon for impressive lightness, awesome efficiency and precision handling. Plus, with carbon's inherent vibration damping and the Bontrager Race X Lite carbon fork, this bike is velvety smooth on even rough pavement. And, Bontrager's Race wheels get up to speed fast and are built to last. What's more, this thoroughbred boasts Shimano's beautiful 20-speed Ultegra component group for first-rate shifting and braking.

• USER REVIEWS

Ultegra components, semi-stiff frame, comfortable setup, responsive and fast.

Weight - a bit of a pig at 19-20 lbs. Bontrager bars, stems, wheel set.

Great price for a bike with great Ultegra components. Frame takes a beating on the rough roads of PA - Very little play or vibration. Needs upgrade of stem, seatpost, handlebars, wheelset to lighten up considerably.

Similar Products Used:

2009 Giant TCR, 1987 Battaglian with full Campy components

Geometry, handling and stiffness

Being a recreational rider first and foremost, I find this to be an excellent bike. Unlike many others I have also been happy with the Bontrager components although some them may contribute to the overall weight which I belive is a litte above average at this level. Still, the stiffness of the frame and the overall handling make this a very nice bike both for climbing and flat rides while it also feels comfortable after several hours of riding. If some of the componentry is replaced (which could be done fairly cheaply), you have in my opinion a bike just short of a top level racing bike although at an affordable price. Lastly, I replaced my Trek 2300 after one season in order to get a Madone basically because I wanted the full racing geometry. I have not regretted in for one second so far.

frameset groupo cost weight climbing sprinting

saddle, never liked bontrager saddles needs like lighter wheelset(but like i always say you get what you pay for) so cant complain. but other than those LOVE THIS BIKE!!!!

this is my first roadie, but working in a bike shop has given me a chance to demo alot of bikes and the new '08 madones, would have gotten a new one but the cost is pretty high for being 17 on a mechanic salery. but for the money i love my 5.0, sprinting and climbing is phenomenal, love the ultegra groupo. wish wheelset was a little, and higher end, want to upgrade to ksyrium elite. but by far best bang for the buck. great bike to get into, perfectly after being on a mtn. bike since i was ten

madone 5.9sl madone 5.2 my '87 lemond steel frame converted to single speed:)

Smooth ride, light, responsive, swift shifting. Just great.

Not that I can think off.

Great bike. I didn't want to seped so much but after riding this bike I realized that you get what you pay for. I really enjoy it. For $2000 it was a good deal and the bike is just amazing.

Frame geometry Tour proven frame Not made in china Feels smooth Bonty wheels don't mind big pot holes in road. Warranty Freewheels quietly Value for money

If not a lance fan it may sway your choice from buying a really great bike. Saddle Me Traditional straight top tube mightn't suit everyone. Tyres a bit slippery in wet. Painted finish could be better

What a great bike. Was initially looking at a Scott, but the equivalent was an additional $800. This came up on sale as a run out model when the new Madone was being launched. Best time to buy! The bike would have been good enough to win a Tour on a few years ago. Love the geometry, as soon as you get rolling you know it means business. Handling is point and shoot. Power transmission is great. Everything you put in to it you get a reaction from. I like the Bonty selection.This would have been pro level gear only a few years ago. The bike is really light, feels strong,nimble and forgiving.The only thing that limits you spending more time on it,is your schedule. Otherwise ride it all day, every day. I can't imagine the next level[5.5]to be signicantly better, unless you want to get into racing.Probably overkill for the average rec. cyclist. The bike feels like it wants you give it your very best every time you ride it, so keep an eye on your HR monitor! Comming from down tube shifters, i find the Ultegra STI amazing, seamless shifting, quiet and reliable. Select, and bang in it goes, even on standing accellerations.

Centurion,shimano 105, 4130n frame. Custom alloy frames

Good frame, brand, and component package for the price.

Good bike overall. However(!), my left non-drive chainstay pulled out 1cm from the dropout after 4 weeks of riding- not good. The bike was warrantied, but Jax replaced the complete bike when the process was taking so long.

Good light bike, good carbon frame-MADE IN THE USA,good components (full ultegra), good geometry, and reasonably spec'd bike at a great price. I was looking for a bike I would not HAVE to upgrade parts on over a year. This is the lowest of the made in USA Madones. It rides well, did my first century on it, it's a bike I would recommend to others.

none- first road bike for a serious mountain biker.

Very good value for the money, good frame geometry(makes all the diffrence), reliable ultegra 2007 group

not a very light carbon bike, the Bontrager low end components (saddle bar and stem are really crappy)

I`ve recently purchesed the trek madone 5.0, mostly because it was on sale far a great price, 1500 euro(aprox 2000$), what could beat that offer for a new bike!?!The first thing that striked me while riding it was, the cornering capability, most bikes i`ve ridden had problems at high speed turns. The geometry of madone frames is great indeed.The frame is very stiff in power transfer. The only weak part of the bike are the Bontrager cheap low end, wheels and parts (got rid of them, I`m using fsa carbon parts)

Various steel, aluminium and alu+carbon bikes

Frame & Fork Full Ultegra groupo

Bontrager stock componants

This is a great bike for the price. The geometry is full race and it lives up to the task. Tough to beat this price for a full carbon full Ultegra machine!!! Which is why I purchased it. This is my first road bike since 97' and I didn't feel like building one from the ground up and you can't beat this for the cost. Handling is superb since I got a complete retro-fit right away. it is very easy to lighten it up with a few simple upgrades. It absorbs road vibrations extremely well and accelerates fassst! so stiffness is great!

old 97 GT road bike...that's it! so take this review for what its worth. I did race a Trek Pro Issue carbon mtn hardtail for years so I knew the trek rep for carbon frames.

Stiff frame, light weight looks Good, good components

Tires, I had lot's punctures Seat, I could never get used to it

After much research I chose the Trek Madone 5.0 because of the quality and price. This is the first carbon frame that was stiff enough for my weight 250lbs. I have tried Felt, Bianchi, and Kona. To me this bike had the best ride quality and stiffness. It comes with full Ultegra drive train, Bontrager Race wheels, Bontrager Race bars, stem, seatpost and seat. The only parts I changed off the bat where the tires, and saddle. It's perfect for my commute and weekend rides. Also they had this model on sale with a program called hit the road it was like $300.00 off.

Felt, Bianchi, Kona.

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Trek Madone 6-Series review

Long term review of redesigned road bike

James Huang/Future Publishing

James Huang

Trek cooked up a radical redesign of its workhorse Madone 6-Series road chassis last year, infusing a healthy dose of aero ingredients borrowed from its groundbreaking Speed Concept TT/tri bike.

As expected, the aero claims are eye opening: 25 watts of saved energy at 40km/h compared to the previous Madone – nearly two minutes per hour. We can't verify those figures ourselves without hitting the wind tunnel – and they certainly can't be felt while out on the road – but what we can confirm is that Trek has carried over most of the existing Madone DNA to produce yet another solid ride.

Ride and handling: Same Madone brilliance but with a slightly smoother ride

Purported aero benefits aside, the new Madone feels much like the old one in many ways – and that's a good thing. As always, one of the best features is the bike's handling.

While many machines are billed as 'neutral', the Madone defines the term with intuitive manners that practically require just a thought to go where you want. Neither overly twitchy nor somnabulantly boring, the pitch-perfect geometry – 73-degree head tube angle, 976mm wheelbase, and 72mm bottom bracket drop on our 52cm sample – carves a wicked arc through sinuous high-speed descents, confidently switches lines mid-corner, and still nails the proverbial 'peel a banana at speed' test.

Trek has, however, tweaked the numbers a bit. Specifically, the more aggressive 'H1' fit variants now have a slightly more stretched-out position but the consequently longer (and, thus, more stable) front center is offset by a slightly steeper head tube. Aside from the increased reach, then, riders moving from an older H1 frame to a newer one shouldn't notice any difference handling-wise.

The latest Madone again uses Trek's no-cut seatmast design

Drivetrain and front-end rigidity also feel unchanged from before, which is again just fine given that the predecessor was very good in those respects. While still not quite on par with some more stoutly reinforced options, the Madone 6-Series is an eager and lively beast when you get on the gas. Save for especially fit riders with above average power outputs, we doubt most people will notice a difference.

Ride comfort has improved too, albeit marginally. Trek's move to a chain stay-mounted rear brake (more on this later) leaves the seat stays unencumbered by extra reinforcements, and they're impressively slim from seat cluster to dropouts in order to flex a bit more under impact. Despite the major visual change – this is the first carbon Madone not to use some sort of seat stay wishbone – it's still a fairly firm ride.

Frame: Dramatic Kammtail shaping

Rather than run two separate carbon road bike campaigns – one that prioritizes stiffness and weight and another that concentrates on aerodynamics – Trek has decided to roll all three priorities into one chassis.

As with the Speed Concept, the key element is Trek's Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) tube shaping, which uses truncated airfoil cross-sections that supposedly maintain the aerodynamic performance of a traditional teardrop shape but without requiring unusually narrow profiles that might compromise structural requirements or violate UCI technical regulations.

As such, the Madone looks fairly traditional from a distance, and includes Trek's long-standing design features: the ultra-wide BB90 bottom bracket, the fat E2 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in tapered head tube, the round no-cut integrated seatmast, and the generously proportioned down tube and chain stays. However, a closer looks reveals that the more upright elements are shaped more like a 'U' with flat trailing edges.

Further nods to cheating the wind include direct-mount front and rear brakes, with the former's shape integrated and blended into the fork crown and the latter moving down beneath the chain stays where the airflow is already turbulent.

Virtually everything is carbon fiber, too, including the bearing seats for the integrated headset and bottom brackets and the rear dropouts. Once again, the non-driveside chain stay incorporates a pocket for the ultra-tidy Bontrager DuoTrap wireless speed and cadence sensor.

Cabling is internal throughout and convertible between electronic and mechanical drivetrains. Removable ports at the rear brake and under the bottom bracket shell ease maintenance some but the lack of internal guides still makes servicing tricky if you don't have the forethought to run liners through the frame before yanking out the old cables.

Internal routing and the chain stay-mounted rear brake make for a clean-looking package

Unfortunately, we took issue with some of the routing's entry and exit ports, too. The entry ports for the derailleurs and rear brake are too far forward, meaning that riders with smaller frames (or ones using shorter and/or lower stems) will have to run bigger loops of housing to prevent binding.

Trek recommends running derailleur lines around the head tube and crossing them back over inside the down tube but we had better luck both visually and functionally by straightlining everything front-to-back.

Likewise, the rear brake path is less than optimal. While the port placement is questionable on its own, Trek further complicates matters by adding a plug-in quick-release and barrel adjuster – necessary evils given the brake placement.

However, while the add-on fits sloppily in the stop (making for a vague feeling lever), it effectively kicks the port even further forward. And the exit port's location immediately behind the bond line at the bottom of the down tube makes feeding a cable through an exercise that almost requires having a stiff drink on hand.

Even worse, the cable noticeably drags on the exit port's aluminum noodle, too. Adding in a short piece of housing liner helped with the friction, though, while yanking out the crank and bottom bracket (not to mention a flashlight and a spoke on hand) made it a little easier to run the cables. Even so, what should have been a five-minute job was anything but.

On the plus side, the hidden rear brake and internal routing yields a distinctly clean-looking rig with minimal filigree to muddy up the sleek lines. Once those lines are run, the frame will also mostly protect them from dirt and water, so at least you won't have to deal with replacements that often.

While the new frame might be more aero, it isn't any lighter. In fact, the 52cm H2 Madone 6-Series frame we tested more than two years ago weighed 948g, while this new one is 1,000g even despite the more compact H1 front triangle geometry. Likewise, fork weight has climbed a bit, up from 300g to 330g.

Equipment: Mostly solid kit but integrated brakes are disappointing

Our wonderfully light, 6.54kg (14.42lb, without pedals) custom-built test bike was an early media sample sent before Shimano had adequate stock of the new Dura-Ace 9000 group. As such, Trek built it up with previous-generation Dura-Ace 7900 that will no longer be available, so we won't bother to comment on it here aside from saying that the new kit will be even lighter.

As usual, Trek's house brand Bontrager label adorns just about everything. The lightweight RXXXL carbon handlebar is comfortable in terms of its compact bend and shock absorbing abilities, the Affinity RXL saddle is light and distributes pressure fairly evenly (but seems better suited to slightly more upright positions), and the utterly reliable RXL forged aluminum stem gets the job done with minimal fuss, although its relatively small-diameter extension is falling behind the times stiffness-wise.

Bontrager also includes its latest Aeolus 3 D3 carbon clincher wheels wrapped in aero-profile R3 tires. At a claimed 1,440g per pair they spin up reasonably quickly, as expected, while the ultra-fat, 35mm-deep rim supposedly matches the aero performance of much deeper wheels.

As an added bonus, they're impressively stable in crosswinds, and because the rim is actually wider than the tire there's no need to undo the brake quick-release when changing a flat. The ultra-reliable, DT Swiss-built star ratchet rear hub internals should last for ages, too. Stiffness could be a little better, though – we noted repeatable brake rub up front when climbing out of the saddle.

Likewise, the R3 tires might be more aerodynamically efficient than traditional rubber with their slightly oval profile and molded-in 'wings' to smooth the gap between tire and rim, but the stiff casings don't ride as well as the Madone chassis deserves. In addition, the raised center lends a tippy feeling on-center with a disconcerting transition that makes the bike want to 'fall' into corners.

We swapped them out for a set of Continental Force/Attack clinchers and happily restored the Madone's innate handling prowess, along with a much improved ride quality.

The one major Bontrager-related disappointment is unfortunately a significant one. While Shimano will soon have its own direct-mount brakes to offer, the stock Bontrager Speed Limit calipers are just about all that's available for now.

The rear brake isn't accessible while riding

Weight is competitive, at 154g apiece with mounting hardware, but they're visually chunky and cheap looking. The associated hardware feels rather low-rent, too, with a lowly steel M6 locknut used for the rear cable anchor and soft aluminum pad hardware that easily takes a set, making it difficult to get a good adjustment.

More to the point, they don't work as well as they should. The flex-free mounts yield a firm lever but high-end power is lacking, exacerbated by the stock Bontrager cork pads' so-so initial bite. We had to squeeze awfully hard to rein in speed when hurtling down some of our most familiar descents. In addition, the pivots bind if they're tightened down too much. Loctite on the threads is a must.

Even the brakes' placement complicates matters. None of the pad fixing screws can be readily accessed on the bike – meaning you have to readjust the cartridges every time you swap pads – and it's virtually impossible to sight the rear brake pads on the rim while simultaneously squeezing the lever. Adding even more fuel to the fire is the fact that they simply don't look very high-end, either.

Trek has managed to integrate aerodynamic performance into the new Madone while impressively maintaining all of the old bike's most important characteristics: weight, stiffness, ride quality, and handling. The devil is in the details, though, and we can't help but feel a few important ones were overlooked here.

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Shop new & used Trek Madone bikes at TPC - The Pro's Closet. Find reviews, specs, weight info, prices and size charts on various models (SLR 9, 7) and popular years (2018, 2021, etc). Read our Trek Madone Quick-Take Review below.

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Trek Madone SLR Gen 7 - Weight, Specs, Price

Trek madone 3rd party reviews ,   trek madone size chart, 2022 trek madone review - a tpc rider's quick take.

• Aero masterclass
• Trek engineers locked themselves in a wind tunnel with this bike. Every curve, edge, and component shouts aerodynamics. From the IsoFlow tech to the one-piece aero bar and stem this bike is designed for slicing through air.
• IsoFlow Comfort
• One of the standout features of the Madone is Trek’s IsoFlow technology, which makes for a forgiving ride, especially on longer epics. IsoFlow helps the seatmast flex, soaking up road vibrations. It’s rare for a speed-focused road bike to excel in comfort, yet here we are.
• Integrated everything
• In the Madone, the term "fully integrated" is taken to new heights. From the cables to the cockpit, everything is tucked away, contributing not just to aerodynamics but also to a jaw-dropping aesthetic.
• Speed and beauty come at a cost. The Madone’s premium price could act as a barrier for many. It's a serious investment, and budget-friendly aero options are out there.
• Price: $7,999 (SLR 6)
• Weight woes
• Despite the carbon fiber frame and components, the Madone isn't a featherweight in its category. It's a solid build, but riders focused on climbing might find it a tad on the heavier side.
• Weight: 17lbs (56cm)
• Versatility questions
• While the Madone excels on flat terrain and downhill blasts, it's not the most versatile option for a wide range of riding conditions. Climbers and those who encounter varying terrain may find it limiting.

• Rider Notes

2018 Trek Madone 9.0

A carbon frame aero bike with high-end components and rim brakes. Compare the full range

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes. Report your fit

Dec 2019 · Symon Lewis

Cycling Weekly has shown that the Trek Madone is one of the fastest aero bikes available today, but has the update with discs made it even better? I certainly think so

Ride quality

Performance

Read Review

Jun 2019 · David Arthur @davearthur

Seriously fast aero race bike with great handling, but not the smoothest and not the ultimate spec it should be

Jul 2018 · Dan Cavallari

Trek has fine-tuned its IsoSpeed Decoupler, improved the fit, and added disc brakes, making this edition of the Madone even better.

It might look the same on the outside, but underneath it's an all new Madone

Jul 2018 · Philippe Tremblay

New aero road bike gets features for increased comfort, customization and aerodynamics

Feb 2018 · Peter Stuart

The Trek Madone 9 is a rather special aerodynamic redesign of the flagship Project One bike.

Feb 2018 · James Huang

The Madone is the oldest model name in the current Trek road lineup, with the first dating back to 2003. That nameplate has worn several hats in that time, but it’s always represented the best that road bike Trek had to offer. The latest generation is no different, offering cutting-edge aerodynamics, an incredible level of […]

Dec 2017 · Ben Delaney

An exceptionally smooth and fast aero bike, but with a relatively tall front end, toe overlap and limited saddle-height adjustment. Buy if you want a comfortable aero bike with an adjustable handlebar

Tangibly fast and blatantly comfortable, very good braking for aero calipers, well-thought-out integration

Steep price, tight fit parameters, toe overlap

Last updated February 15 Not listed for 2,291 days

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Trek Madone Road Bike Review  

  December 27, 2017

By   Max Shumpert

Reviewed by Jeroen De Haas

The Trek Madone SLR 9 is designed with the professional racer in mind, offering both speed and precision when handling.

Its lightweight frame has been engineered with an aerodynamic shape to minimize wind resistance and improve speed. A robust carbon fiber frame with Kammtail Virtual Foil aerodynamic tube shaping makes this bike both sleek and strong.

Trek’s 800 Series OCLV Carbon is made using a patented process that produces a lightweight, almost impossibly strong material that’s also compliant enough to absorb shock from the pavement.

A road-smoothing IsoSpeed decoupler also helps to provide a smoother ride for cyclists. This decoupler allows the bike’s seat tube to rotate independently from the top-tube-to-seatstay junction, reducing stress on the rider’s body. The design also makes pedaling more efficient, letting riders race harder and for longer.

The Trek Madone’s frame comes in an H2 fit , which is engineered to place most riders in the optimal position. This helps to prevent cyclists from losing any power as they pedal. The frame can comfortably seat individuals ranging from 4’11.8” to 6’5.2” and can carry a load up to 275 pounds.

The technologically advanced Shimano Di2 electronic drivetrain or the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 makes Madone bike models easy to handle . Shifting gears is seamless , even at high speeds, and riders don’t have to worry about accidentally slipping out of gear as they move.

Trek's Madone gives riders a variety of options when it comes time to purchase a bike.

The company produces several different bike models that cater to every lifestyle and budget, including:

• Madone SL 6 : This is the most simplified Madone racing bike model, the SL6 boasts a lightweight frame and high-performance Bontrager Aeolus Comp tires. The Shimano Ultegra 11 speed shifter makes it easier to change gears, even while racing at high speeds.
• Madone SLR 7 : The Madone 7 is slightly more expensive than the SL6 model, but it also comes with a more advanced build that helps riders to reach and maintain incredible speeds . Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3 tires keep the bike grounded without weighing it down.
• Madone 7 Women’s : This bike is designed with women in mind, offering a comfortable ride for the female rider. Its touchpoints are specifically designed for women, and it includes a specially engineered Bontrager Ajna Elite saddle to reduce stress on the hips.
• Madone SLR 9 : The SLR9 is the top-of-the-line Madone model , offering unparalleled speed and comfort for riders. Instead of a Shimano Ultegra shifter, it uses more advanced Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 tires give the bike a smooth ride without losing traction on the road.

FRAME SIZE : 800 Series OCLV Carbon BRAKE TYPE:  Integrated Madone Aero SHIFTER:  Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, 11 speed or Shimano Ultegra Di2, 11 speed WHEELS:  Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3 or Bontrager Aeolus Comp TIRES:  Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite, 120 TPI, aramid bead, 700x25c

Things We Like

First off, we love the look of the Trek Madone SLR 9.

Its curved, aerodynamic appearance is highlighted by an elegantly curved frame and sleek wheels . The bike is also fully customizable through Project One.

You can order the Trek Madone in a variety of personalized colors, making your bike easier to spot in a crowd while also making a statement. Models come in a variety of color combinations, including:

• Trek Black/Viper Red
• Radioactive Orange/Trek Black
• Viper Red/Trek White
• Radioactive Yellow/Trek Black
• Matte Quicksilver/Gloss Blue (Madone SLR7 Only)
• Matte Dnister Black/Quicksilver

The Madone women’s model has entirely different color palettes that include both soft pastels and bold metallics.

You can customize the women’s model of the Trek Madone by choosing from four color combinations:

• Radioactive Pink/Trek Black
• Radioactive Purple/Deep Dark Blue
• Matte Metallic Gunmetal/Trek Black
• Matte Dnister Black/Gloss Old Style

The bike comes pre-assembled, so it’s ready to go right out of the box. If the bike comes to you damaged, or if you need help getting it road-ready, you can register it to take advantage of Trek’s lifetime warranty . Under this warranty, free Trek Care will fix and fine-tune your bike free of charge .

The chances are, though, that you won’t need to use Trek Care’s services very often.

The Trek Madone may be lightweight, but we love how durable the frame is. It’s made from 800 Series OCLV carbon, Trek’s strongest carbon fiber to date , which makes the bike nearly indestructible. The frame can withstand harsh weather, rough terrain, and other unfavorable conditions without taking on too much damage.

Perhaps our favorite aspect of the Trek Madone is its smooth ride. The bike’s IsoSpeed Decoupler design helps to make pedaling easier and more efficient by helping to absorb shock from the road.

With so much to brag about, it’s no wonder that the Trek Madone has won top marks and Bike-of-the-Year awards from many of the cycling industry's top media outlets. The bike is also ridden by a number of racing pros.

• Customizable
• Lifetime warranty
• Durable frame
• Smooth ride

Things We Don’t Like

While the Madone frame is sturdy, it can only hold a load of up to 275 pounds.

This is less than some competing models and may be a drawback for heavier riders or for those who wish to transport gear. The frame is liable to break if overloaded.

Our least favorite thing about the Trek Madone has got to be its price.

While the bike is a top-of-the-line piece of equipment, the old adage is true: you pay for quality. The Trek Madone starts at around $4000, with more advanced models costing upwards of $12000.

• Can’t hold much weight

Our Buying Advice

The Trek's new Madone is the ideal bike for racing cyclists , boasting a lightweight, aerodynamic design .

It comes in models for both men and women , offering optimal comfort without sacrificing quality.

More advanced cyclists may want to opt for the more advanced Madone 9.5 or even 9.9 model, as the design of these bikes allows you to achieve even faster speeds on the road. High-performance wheels and a superior drivetrain make these models the perfect choice for the professional racer. 

Recommended - trek emonda review

The Trek Madone provides everything that a cyclist could possibly want in a racing bike, with a carefully crafted design that allows riders to reach incredible speeds without compromising handling.

If you’re looking for a road bike that’s the top of its class, you should look into the Trek Madone and all that this bike model has to offer. You can also check out trek's hybrid bikes. Trek FX1 leads the category on sales, reviews and popularity.

Trek lays up OCLV 500 carbon fiber to lower the entry point on new Madone SL

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Love the Trek Madone SLR but can’t stomach the price tag? Now there’s hope with the new Madone SL. Built from the very same molds as the SLR, the SL model includes the use of a slightly heavier grade of carbon fiber which adds some weight, but helps lower the price – making Madone tech accessible to more riders than ever.

The Madone SLR frame is a thing of beauty, and the SL is no different. After all, they literally come from the same molds. However, Trek builds the SL with OLCV 500 carbon fiber instead of the OCLV 700 found on the SLR. This is said to add about 100g to the weight of the frame, with a 56cm painted Madone SL frame said to weigh 1225g.

Because the frame is the same, you’ll find Trek-specific features like their Adjustable Top Tube IsoSpeed unit which allows you to fine tune the rear end compliance by moving the integrated slider. It also uses the same proprietary seat mast assembly as the SLR.

Up front, the SL uses the same fork as the SLR, but one huge difference is the use of a standard bar and stem rather than the integrated unit found on the SLR. This is done in part to keep the cost down, but it also makes it easier to better fit more riders, and also allows for the use of clamp on aero bars.

Like the SLR, you’ll find integrated lighting and computer mounts through the use of the Bontrager Blendr system.

Elsewhere, the frame uses the same specifications as the SLR with flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru axles front and rear, internal cable routing, Duo Trap S compatibility, BB90 bottom bracket, and clearance for 28mm tires. Calling it their H1.5 fit, the bike is built with a performance geometry and KVF aero tube profile to be every bit as racy as the higher end versions.

Two different builds will be offered with the SL 7 running Shimano Ultegra Di2 with Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 carbon wheels, and the SL 6 which runs Shimano Ultegra mechanical with hydraulic brakes and Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 carbon wheels. While the Madone SL 7 is close to the price of the Madone SLR 6, you’ll find the SL gets you a Di2 drivetrain, while the lighter SLR frame is equipped with mechanical. There’s also a frameset available if you want to build it yourself.

All models are in stock and available now.

• Madone SL 6 Disc $4,699.99
• Madone SL 7 Disc $6,499.99
• Madone SL Disc F/S $3,499.99

trekbikes.com

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor . He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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I will never buy a Trek with a BB90 bottom bracket.

Rumors of T47 BB standard coming to Trek OCLV carbon can’t come true fast enough?

Needs BSA. At least Specialized is going back to basics with their new Roubaix line.

YMMV, but I’ve got a Trek with BB90 and have never had a moment’s problem with it in 4 years.

4 years isn’t very long and it’s really mileage and your power that matters for causing the inevitable unless you have a one piece BB like a BBinfinite setup

Looks a bit weird with that seatpost with half a mile of setback.

Really? I’m considering selling a kidney to buy one! 😛

Would agree friend of mine has an RSL edition with rim brakes and I was just thinking how much better his frame looks than the disc brake one.

It’s not a bike it’s a ugly Trek billboard! The designers are tasked with fitting the biggest trek logo on it while allowing the thing to be semi rideable.

You’re right… what’s up with the size of the TREK logo? I used to think the Madone was so sleek and beautiful, but somehow it’s gotten really ugly.

Yeah, the black on black “ghost” logo is textbook complimentary color strategy for maximum contrast…

Veru odd looking bike especially that seat/setback but I’m really liking the integration with lights.

I do wonder if that bike will say “Made in USA” on it (like so many other Treks that were at best assembled in the USA). At least the big S was honest-ish with “Designed in California” (that to me is a reason to not buy one).

I do prefer made in USA frames (with made in Italy bits)…that said, I do prefer to meet the person who builds my frame in person as well.

I think Trek already moved all production back to Asia.

Trek never did that. They’re all made in Asia(even when this post was made), but they used to make their 6 series and up frames in the US while the 4/5s were made in Asia. The frames stated where they were made.

I’ll take my Fuji Transonic 2.1 over that bike anyway. It’s a rocket ship and is $1K less than the Ui2 version Trek is offering. And they didn’t dummy down the carbon to hit a price point.

Nothing about this bike or the SLR appeals to me in the slightest.

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Need to Identify a Trek OCLV Carbon Road Bike

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Trek has a great site for this 2007 Bike Archive - Trek Bicycle I'm guessing it's in the 2005-2008 range based on shapes and gears, but you will have to dig more to figure out exactly which one. Happy hunting!  

JapanCycles8 said: Trek has a great site for this 2007 Bike Archive - Trek Bicycle I'm guessing it's in the 2005-2008 range based on shapes and gears, but you will have to dig more to figure out exactly which one. Happy hunting! Click to expand...

I have a 2013 model and says same thing on frame something they were playing with around that time Ultegra components look around same time period I hope this helps you  

It's a 2003 or 2004 5200. In 2005 they went to the 'Madone' name and got rid of the wishbone seatstay. Yours is made with OCLV120 carbon. I checked some of the model year links from the archive link and was surprised that the paired spoke wheels went on for a few more years. Lots of people had issues with those wheels, but I never did with probably 25k miles on those wheels. The galvanizing/corrosion between the dropouts and the carbon fiber show some of the bike's age, but that's no worry, that's a fine bike to ride.  

2007 Madone SL 5.2 - Bike Archive - Trek Bicycle

Guess I thought you were saying that this was 9-speed?  

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How we created 800 Series OCLV Carbon Necessity is the mother of invention. Like a lot of other big tech developments, 800 Series OCLV Carbon was created to solve a problem—we wanted to make our aero bikes lighter. Aero tube shapes take more material to make, so they are generally heavier than typical tubes. A new, lighter carbon layup would ensure the added weight of aero tubes wouldn’t offset gains in speed.

A game-changing new fiber

800 Series OCLV Carbon contains fibers that are 30% stronger than previous carbon fibers we’ve used, while retaining the same amount of stiffness. That means that we can use less of it than a different type of carbon, and still get the same effect. This is huge—it allows us to make aero shapes without adding a ton of weight.

A dialed process

There are lots of carbon bikes out there, but not all carbon bikes are created equal. Carbon fiber is an incredible yet complicated material to build things from. To do so successfully takes a lot of expertise—something we’ve been cultivating for over 25 years through our OCLV Carbon process. We’ve learned that the real magic comes in knowing what types of fibers to use, and where to use them. It’s a process our engineers compare to tuning a piano. It’s not just about materials the piano’s made from or having the loudest piano. It’s about creating something that’s more than the sum of its parts—a beautiful sound. Getting a piano to sound stunning (or building a bike that’s a joy to ride) is both a science and an artform.

It’s all about the layup

800 Series OCLV Carbon consists of several different high-end carbon fibers, and the quality of a frame comes from getting the right fibers in the right place. This layup is the secret sauce—it's what creates the perfect harmony of stiffness, strength, light weight, and performance.

Testing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

With the help of advanced computer modeling, we developed over 50 layups to find the new 800 Series OCLV. Each prototype had different kinds of carbon placed in different areas depending on the stressors occurring at each part of the frame, and on the qualities we wanted the new frame to have. We meticulously tested and quantified each laminate’s structural integrity, weight, and ride quality, which was crucial in helping us determine exactly why we liked the performance of one laminate over another. Once we narrowed it down to just a few layups, we had Lidl-Trek racers test ride the bikes and tell us which frame they liked the best.

Our best carbon ever

It took more than two years of development, but 800 Series OCLV is the lightest and highest-performing carbon layup we’ve ever created. It’s stronger than our previous laminates, yet just as stiff. The advent of 800 Series OCLV marks the start of a new era for our highest-end aero bikes—never again will we have to sacrifice weight for speed.

Lightest, fastest, first up every climb—this bike delivers incredible ride quality and aerodynamic advantage. It’s made of all-new 800 Series OCLV Carbon and weighs less than 700 grams.

The superbike you know and love, made even lighter than before thanks to all-new 800 Series OCLV Carbon.