trek madone model history

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The whole historical past of the Trek Madone

If somebody wished to encapsulate the shifting traits of race bikes over the previous 20 years, there isn’t any higher instance than the Trek Madone.

‘Whereas the Madone has modified dramatically over the course of its lifespan, essentially we’ve at all times been attempting to do the identical factor, which is make the proper race bike,’ says Jordan Roessingh, Trek’s director of street bikes.

Even the bike’s title hints at its racing roots: the Col de la Madone is a climb that sits simply exterior Good on the French Riviera and is properly referred to as a proving floor for professionals to check their legs. Arguably the climb’s most (in)well-known patron was Lance Armstrong. It was his use of the climb for coaching, mixed together with his relationship with Trek, that prompted the genesis of the bike.

The Texan had gained the primary few of his Excursions de France aboard numerous variations of Trek’s 5000-series bikes however, by introducing an method that Trek nonetheless employs at present, the model used suggestions from its sponsored professionals to develop a successor, and the Madone was born.

‘The Madone was correctly launched in 2003 and represented a giant change over the 5000-series bikes, because it was our first to think about aerodynamics,’ says Roessingh. ‘Though all that actually amounted to was a fin on the seat tube, which appears quaint as of late.’

Trek tasted success instantly with the Madone when Armstrong gained the 2003 Tour utilizing it. Whereas that victory has since been struck from the report books, such a efficiency nonetheless proved that Trek was onto one thing. That mentioned, in 2007 it gave the Madone a whole revamp. The horizontal prime tube was changed by a sloping prime tube in the identical vein because the compact Big TCR, which together with different design improvements noticed the brand new Madone drop 250g.

‘Our design crew would say the second-generation Madone was an engineering marvel,’ says Roessingh. ‘It was the primary Trek to make use of a tapered head tube and the BB90 backside bracket customary, and all bearing bores within the frameset have been moulded carbon surfaces fairly than bonded-in aluminium ones.

‘This Madone additionally pioneered our seatmast design, which we nonetheless use at present. Integrating the seatpost makes the body higher structurally, however by utilizing a mast we retained the adjustability of a traditional seatpost, in distinction to different designs at the moment.’

Fittingly, Trek launched its Venture One customized programme throughout this Madone’s life cycle, the place bikes have been constructed to order and customers might spec customized paint.

‘Even at present, most of our Madones are bought by Venture One,’ says Roessingh. ‘Their graphic design is as a lot part of their story as their efficiency options.’

Evolution then revolution

In distinction to the earlier replace, 2009’s third-generation Madone was a little bit extra iterative. Additional developments in Trek’s OCLV (optimum compaction low void) carbon fibre fabrication method produced an 890g body.

‘The primary aim was to optimise 2007’s design,’ says Roessingh. ‘The bike used most of the identical options however was extra structurally environment friendly due to an enormous quantity of FEA [finite element analysis]. Race bikes presently needed to be mild and stiff above all else. Internally, that is one in all our favorite Madones as a result of it was the inspiration for what would turn out to be the Émonda a couple of years later.’

In a wonderful illustration of the capriciousness of motorcycle tech traits, three years later the Madone had come full circle, as aerodynamics have been again in vogue.

‘By 2012 we had this super-light and stiff bike, however we wished to reintroduce aerodynamic effectivity so it might be quick too,’ says Roessingh.

‘The fourth era introduced in kamm-tail tube sections and a rear brake mounted underneath the underside bracket. This Madone was the primary bike within the trade to make use of direct-mount brakes. We labored in partnership with Shimano to develop the brand new customary, which different manufacturers then adopted.’

Trek says Madone quantity 4 was 25 watts extra environment friendly than the earlier bike at 40kmh, regardless of it nonetheless retaining considerably of an all-rounder focus. Nevertheless, after formally launching the light-weight Émonda and splitting its race providing into two choices, Trek was freed to pursue a extra singular focus when it got here to designing the fifth era of the Madone.

‘Probably the most radical change got here in 2015. We dedicated to aerodynamics and went all-in on integration,’ says Roessingh. ‘It was the primary bike we’d achieved that had totally hidden cables. We even designed our personal brakes.’

The brand new Madone additionally included a model of IsoSpeed to enhance compliance: ‘One of many causes we hadn’t totally stepped into the aero bike realm earlier than 2015 was that different aero bikes rode like crap,’ says Roessingh.

Trek’s IsoSpeed system has been deployed on the Domane endurance bike since 2012, and works by successfully decoupling the seat tube from the highest tube, permitting it to flex alongside its complete size.

‘For the Madone, although, we made a tube-in-tube model,’ says Roessingh. ‘We had a thin inner seat tube for 20mm of compliance on the saddle, and the exterior seat tube linked to the remainder of the body to primarily present a fairing for the interior construction, though we didn’t inform the UCI that’s what it was.’

If the bike suits

The subsequent Madone in 2018 was comparable in nature to the transfer from second to 3rd – refining a daring design. Disc brakes arrived, as did adjustability: the IsoSpeed machine turned tunable and the one-piece cockpit turned separate bars and stem – an aero bike isn’t very quick if the rider doesn’t match comfortably onto it. That Madone was the predecessor to the one being raced at present, which was launched in 2022.

‘Perhaps extra so than others, the most recent Madone was the direct results of us going to our groups and saying, “How can we make it higher?”’ says Roessingh. ‘The suggestions was to maintain as a lot as we are able to, however make it lighter.’

So simply because it had been greater than ten years in the past, weight was once more a key driver, though that shift in focus needed to be reincorporated alongside the beneficial properties made beforehand in stiffness, aerodynamics and luxury.

‘That meant going again to a one-piece cockpit, however one with altered ergonomics and loads of choices in order to not hinder match, plus changing IsoSpeed with IsoFlow,’ says Roessingh. Crudely talking, IsoFlow is a gap slightly below the seat tube cluster. It creates a cantilevered seatpost, recreating IsoSpeed’s flex to a level regardless of being a lot less complicated and lighter.

‘IsoFlow helps aerodynamics too by funnelling air into the low-pressure wake behind the rider,’ says Roessingh. ‘The change to IsoFlow and a one-piece cockpit helped us save 300g over the previous Madone module. It’s at all times actually telling – we watch our professional riders’ bias once we launch a brand new Émonda or Madone.

‘There was an Émonda bias previous to this one, however now much more riders are on the Madone much more incessantly. To us, at the least, that’s a transparent indicator that in spite of everything this time the Madone recipe remains to be fairly rattling profitable.’

Trek Madone timeline…

The Madone’s greatest moments

2003: First-generation Madone launches as Trek’s first bike with aero issues.

2007: Second era adopts a compact body design and an built-in seatpost in addition to pioneering Trek’s BB90 backside bracket customary.

2007: Using the brand new Madone, Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel) wins his first Tour de France.

2008: On the Giro d’Italia, Contador wins one other Grand Tour on the second-generation Madone.

2008: On the identical bike, Contador follows his Giro win with victory on the Vuelta a España.

2009: The Madone’s third era takes the present mannequin and makes it stiffer and lighter, serving because the inspiration for Trek’s Émonda design.

2009: Alberto Contador once more proves the design, profitable his second Tour de France aboard the third Madone.

2009: Damien Hirst’s ‘Butterfly’ Madone, utilized by Lance Armstrong (Astana) at that 12 months’s Tour de France, is bought for $500,000 at public sale.

2012: Trek provides kamm-tail tube sections and direct-mount brakes to reintroduce aerodynamic efficiency.

2015: The Madone’s aerodynamic attributes are maximised within the bike’s fifth-generation overhaul. Consolation is improved due to the inclusion of the IsoSpeed decoupler.

2018: Disc brakes are added to the bike, together with an adjustable IsoSpeed design and a two-piece bar/stem.

2019: Danish rider Mads Pedersen wins the World Championships Highway Race aboard the Madone.

2022: Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) notches up one of many sixth era Madone’s final wins, at Gent-Wevelgem.

2022: IsoFlow body construction replaces IsoSpeed machine to drop weight whereas preserving consolation.

2023: Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) wins Stage 8 of the Tour de France aboard seventh-generation Madone.

• This text initially appeared in problem 143 of Bike owner journal. Click here to subscribe

EF Schooling-EasyPost add one other neo-pro in 19-year-old Briton Lukas Nerurkar

How the Madone Gen 8 was designed, tested, and brought to life

The new do-it-all road bike is the results of a years-long effort using Trek's unique resources

Here’s a secret about Trek’s brand new Madone Gen 8. While the bike was designed for all racers — whether they love long, vicious climbs or laying down enough watts to bust a power meter — there was one person, above all, who engineers wanted to please: Mads Pedersen.

The Lidl-Trek rider deserves this distinction for good reason. The first is the most obvious: He’s a damn good bike racer. Pedersen has won a World Championship, multiple classics, at least one stage of all three Grand Tours, and the points jersey at the Vuelta a España. He is an influential leader within the team. If Mads likes something, people listen.

But in addition to his athletic gifts, he’s also a shrewd ride tester. Anyone who has listened to his post-race interviews knows that he doesn’t mince words. He’s honest and outspoken, but also fair. And he’s as meticulous and in-tune with his equipment as perhaps any bike rider in the world. His feedback has become a barometer by which not just Trek bikes are judged, but products like helmets , too.

Mads Pedersen won the first ever WorldTour race on the Madone Gen 8 when he took Stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier this month. | Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

“His honesty is believable,” says Scott Daubert, who oversees equipment for Trek’s racing programs. “He’s never asking for something that he doesn’t need. And he’s thoughtful about what he’s asking for. If we’ve got something we want to produce for consumers, and he picks it, then we know we’re all on the same page.”

Last October, on a team visit to Trek headquarters in Waterloo, Wisc., Trek’s road bike engineers took the decorated Dane out for one of the final road tests for the new Madone. After two years of simulations, prototypes, and testing, they had honed the shape of the bike and needed to make one last decision on its carbon laminate. Pedersen had already started his offseason. He had been off his bike for several days after a trip to China. He was worried at the time that he wouldn’t be able to give the bike a fair evaluation, especially while riding on rural, sub-WorldTour quality Wisconsin roads.

Tony Gallopin testing an early version of the Madone Gen 8 at December team camp in 2022.

Trek design engineer Adam Bird handed Pedersen the first of two laminate options — specifically, the option that he secretly hoped Pedersen would prefer. Bird and a cadre of internal ride testers all agreed that it was the best version of the bike, but they had another version ready with a different carbon layup just in case.

“We’re nervous because, of course, he didn’t know what was what. We just gave him two bikes,” Bird says. “He didn’t know that one of them was the bike we wanted him to like. So there was the potential that he picks the other one, or he doesn’t like either of them. We’d make it work, but it’d mean a lot more work, and it would affect the production.

“But after he rode the first one, he loved it, and we were like, ‘Yes, we got it.'”

Prototype frames ready to go for Circle, Square, Triangle testing among Trek's internal riders.

If that sounds like Trek’s engineers slayed their final boss a little easily … well, yes, maybe they did. But that’s because they had been preparing for the moment for a very long time. Pedersen’s ride test was one of the very last steps of a long, slow, iterative process. The goal from the jump was to make “the ultimate race bike,” merging two road racing platforms — the ultra-light Émonda and the ultra-fast Madone — into one do-it-all speed machine. Making two great bikes better, at the same time, is exactly as agonizingly hard as it sounds.

Research and development on the new Madone technically started in Summer of 2021. Trek, at the time, was planning on introducing an Émonda Gen 4 to be released in 2023, but in the course of development, engineers realized that they could significantly improve the bike’s pure speed. Rather than try to make an even lighter Émonda that offered little in terms of aerodynamic improvements, they pursued the Holy Grail: A bike that had the best of weight and aero benefits.

Adam Bird on site at road team camp in December, 2022.

Trek’s road engineers restarted development towards this goal in late 2021 by cutting alloy frames to put into wind tunnel testing to refine the Madone Gen 7’s already best-in-class design. Once they settled on the shape of the frame, they made a tool that could create carbon prototype frames for ride testing.

The next step was assembling an elite A-Team of ride testers from within Trek HQ. The Bicycle Company has a lot of fast riders within its walls who are eager to lend their legs towards the pursuit of science. The core group was refined down to Trek store design manager Justin Marshall, road bikes and Project One director Jordan Roessingh, former road product manager Max Ackermann, and Daubert, who in addition to his duties in the Trek Race Shop also won a U.S. national cyclocross title last December. Those riders are not only fast, they are well known for their equipment acumen and ability to detect and vocalize subtle differences in ride quality from minor changes.

Scott Daubert putting the Madone Gen 8 through the paces.

“Trek wanted a lighter Madone. So then it kind of made sense to go, ‘OK, let’s really focus on making an aerodynamic bike lighter,'” Daubert says. “There were no holds barred.”

That detectability group did their first ride test in November of 2022 in California. There, they did Round 1 of “Circle, Square, Triangle.” In order to avoid even an ounce of unconscious bias seeping into rider feedback, engineers didn’t label the bikes “A, B, C” or “1, 2, 3.” Riders would ride Circle and Square back-to-back, then say which they liked better. Then they’d repeat the process with Square vs. Triangle, and Triangle vs. Circle, and hope that a clear winner emerged from the group.

Keeping bike setups consistent across tests was paramount to the process. Every time riders swapped bikes, they made sure they were using the exact same wheels and tires, and that bike fits were perfectly aligned, from saddle heights to stem lengths. Bird recalls Roessingh feeling hesitant to give feedback after one ride test because the brake lever throw — the distance between the brake lever and the grip — had been different from one bike to the other.

Early IsoFlow.

Trek’s engineers are an empirically-minded species, but bike design isn’t an exact science.

“Sometimes you contradict yourself. You might not like a bike one time, but like it another time, or vice versa,” Daubert says. “It’s really frustrating if you’re trying to hone your detecting skills, but that’s the way we do it.”

The bike first went in front of Lidl-Trek riders in December of 2022 at team camp in Spain. Otto Vergaerde and former road captain Tony Gallopin took out the prototype bike (at that point, it had no name — Madone, Émonda, or otherwise) and did their own Circle, Square, Triangle testing. Their feedback largely aligned with the internal group’s, which was an important breakthrough: It meant that the test riders in Waterloo were dialed in to what the largely Europe-based pros felt they needed to win.

The bike being worked on during a camp test ride.

The internal group did a series of ride tests at Wildcat State Park in the ensuing months, roughly two hours away from Trek headquarters. Wisconsin may not have any climbs rivaling the Alps or the Pyrenees, but Wildcat’s easily repeatable switchbacks did the job. There, the riders continued the Circle, Square, Triangle process, largely testing new laminates and subtle tweaks to the frame.

The engineers’ biggest headache wasn’t necessarily making an already fast bike lighter. The Madone Gen 7 gave the Gen 8 team a solid foundation to apply weight-saving techniques that it had developed. The early prototypes received overwhelmingly positive feedback in both climbing and sprinting, suggesting that Trek had achieved its ultimate goal. But there was still one aspect in which the older platforms reigned supreme.

Otto Vergaerde pushing the pace.

“Throughout the whole day, all the feedback was super positive,” Bird says. “And at the end of the day they compared it to the Madone Gen 7, and I remember Max [Ackermann] telling me, ‘I thought this descent was just super technical and I wasn’t pushing the bike hard enough, but then I rode the Gen 7, and that thing felt like it was on rails.'”

According to Bird, there was no eureka moment to fix the Madone Gen 8’s descending capabilities. Instead, his team began an arduous process of increasing and decreasing stiffness in certain areas of the bike, testing those changes, and gradually reshaping the ride feel to a point where it seemed like the bike could truly do everything well.

“I think from the first couple of test rides, we did not have a good enough product. We kept comparing it to the Madone Gen 7 and the new bike couldn’t measure up,” Daubert says. “And then there was a day when we finally were like, ‘OK, now we got it. Now we’ve improved on the old bike.'”

The internal ride crew taking a break in California.

The internal group did their final test ride in August, 2023, in North Carolina, where a longtime road rider on a competitor’s bike joined the group and sung the Madone’s praises. The same two versions of the bike that Pedersen rode in October went to December team camp in Spain where other top Lidl-Trek riders like Elisa Longo Borghini, Giulio Ciccone, and Jasper Stuyven confirmed exactly what Pedersen and everyone else had experienced.

Longo Borghini had so much faith in Trek’s process, she didn’t bother trying the second version.

“I was like, ‘Well, we want to give you options.’ And she was like, ‘Do I have to? I like this one.'” Bird says. “The riders were sitting on the Madone Gen 8, and they were like, ‘We love the way this descends.’ Over a year ago, we were like, ‘How are we going to figure this out?’ And now we’ve got something excellent.”

In all, Bird estimates that between 30-40 different prototypes were made for the Madone Gen 8, which includes models that were made solely for wind tunnel testing, and roughly 25 carbon laminates, eight of which made it to road testing.

The finished product.

That time, effort, and endless Circle, Square, Triangle testing resulted in a bike that is truly special, with near universal acclaim from Trek’s most demanding customers: The pros whose livelihoods depend on world class equipment. In the end, they had just one outstanding complaint about the bike after the design was finalized and sent to mass production in early 2024.

“They wanted to ride it earlier,” Daubert says. “They actually asked to race it at Roubaix and Flanders this year. That would have been a few months ahead of when Trek was able to provide enough bikes. But they were calling Trek to say, ‘Hey, we want to ride this now, can you change your launch?'”

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Filter by category:, evolution of the trek madone: part two - the aero development.

Previously we looked at the early years of Trek's iconic Madone race bike, from its inception in 2003 up until 2010, and in part two we're going to look at the how it has evolved in the last seven years.

By 2010 the Madone was really starting to become a seriously lightweight race bike with some cutting-edge features that helped mark Trek out as an innovative company working hard to supply the best bikes it could for the race teams it supplied bikes to. By now Trek had gotten used to winning and it was intent on keeping up the development to ensure the Madone could cut it against its key rivals. Looking back at past Madones also provides an interesting reminder of how tech trends have been introduced and influenced bicycle design, and the story of the Madone is the story of keeping abreast of the rapidly changing developments, trends and tastes.

While lower weight and higher stiffness have been the focus of the Madones development, in 2012 the Madone came over all aerodynamic. Aero was the newest buzzword and the era of aerodynamics influencing road frames, components and clothing were upon us, no longer just confined to the time trial discipline where aero first made its impact.

The Trek Madone 7 marked a brand new top-level offering (previously the Madone only went to 6) and the big news was both a drop in frame weight, from 815g to 750g for a 56cm frame, and an aerodynamic design good for a 25 watt saving at 40kph compared to the previous Madone. That aero claim came courtesy of a frame designed with Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) shaped main tubes that satisfied the UCI's 3:1 ratio rule on tube dimensions. Along with slippery tube profiles, Trek also put the rear brake under the chainstays and introduced a new direct mount brake on the fork, which is now a lot more common on modern road bikes.

You can read a review of the Madone 7 by the guys at CyclingTips here

Having untapped the aero genie, in 2016 the Madone undertook its most radical update in its long history. With the launch of the Emonda a year earlier, a bike designed with the simple brief to be as light as possible - it weighed just 690g for a 56cm and a 4.6kg complete build was possible - the Madone was free to take on a simpler focus: aerodynamics.

The Madone 9 Series as it was introduced not only took aerodynamics to another level, resulting in the first proper dedicated aero bike from the US company but in borrowing the Domane endurance bikes Isospeed decoupler, it was also taking a stab at offering comfort at the same time. Early generation aero bikes were notoriously stiff and uncomfortable and this was clearly something Trek wanted to avoid. This was Trek's answer to the vexing question of what is the ultimate race bike.

Aero bikes have surged in popularity since Cervelo broke new ground with the Soloist in 2002, and popular now with professional racers as well as amateur racers and speed freaks. Trek created the new Madone by evolving the KVF tube profiles first developed on the previous Madone and taking the design to their logical conclusion, and the result is a striking aero looking machine with deep profiled tubes in all the key areas.

As striking as the full-on aero tubes were the utilisation of integration to further decrease drag. Trek developed its own unique centre-pull brake calipers with the front fitting seamlessly onto the fork and half of it hidden inside the head tube. Two small moving flaps on either side of the head tube - called Vector Wings - open when the handlebars are turned so as not to foul the cable pull. It's a visually neat trick and certainly a clever bit of product design. The rear brake meanwhile moved back to its original position on the seatstays, after a few years in which it was hidden underneath the chainstays, and the cable internally routed through the top tube. The brakes offered easy adjustment with spring tension screws to centre and easily removed brake blocks, and quick release tabs for wheel removal.

A post shared by David J Arthur (@davidjarthur) on Jul 7, 2017 at 2:14am PDT

Speaking of internally routed cables, the other huge design change on the new Madone was the development of a new one-piece stem and handlebar that routed all the cables inside and channelled them into the frame via a specially designed steerer tube. This new handlebar was alone claimed to reduce front-end drag by up to 34 grams compared to the conventional Bontrager XXX Aero bar. And rather than having the Shimano Di2 junction box strapped to the underside of the stem as is all too common on road bikes, Trek tucked it away inside the downtube, whilst ensuring it's still easily accessible for making any gear adjustments. Trek even optimised the water bottle positions, putting the seat tube bottle as low as possible to reduce drag.

So the aero box firmly ticked, the next challenge was to provide suitable comfort. To finish strongly in a race is to conserve energy and the less beat up you are, especially if riding over rough roads, means you'll feel fresher for the final break, attack or sprint finish. Trek developed its unique Isospeed decoupler for the Domane with some success, with Fabian Cancellara involved in the development and favouring this bike for the riding in his last couple of years as a professional. What Isospeed does is decouples the seat tube from the main frame, allowing the seatpost to deflect when you hit a bump in the road, and its range of movement is controlled by the decoupler at the top of the seat tube. Trek had to modify it for the Madone to account for the aero aims of the frame, and the result is essentially a round tube within an aero outer tube.

Trek tuned it for the Madone so it doesn't offer as much deflection as the Domane and provides a firmer ride, but enough give when you need it - it's claimed to offer up to 21mm of vertical compliance, and of course rider weight is going to impact how much it works for you as it's non-adjustable. There are no moving parts, pivots or hardware to worry about, and it adds minimal weight.

The Madone is available in a range of builds and frameset options, including the Race Shop Limited which is basically the same bike the Trek-Segafredo pro team uses, down to the same H1 aggressive geometry and Dura-Ace Di2/Bontrager equipment.

That brings us right up to date with the Trek Madone. From its birth over a decade ago at the dawn of the carbon fibre era, the Madone has been through many changes in its time, and is still the US company's flagship race bike when performance and speed really matters. Where next for the Madone? More aero we would presume, and a disc brake version would be an obvious update whenever that is due.

So is the latest Trek Madone the ultimate race bike as the company claims it is? I've been testing one recently to try and answer that question, stay tuned for a review soon.

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Results have arrived, used bike buyers guide: trek domane model history.

The Trek Domane is an endurance road bike that can do it all — road race, commute, super-long rides, and even light gravel. Trek designed the bike frame's IsoSpeed Decoupler system to offer enough compliance for comfort, while maintaining pedaling efficiency. Here's your guide to the Domane line.

Written by: Micah Ling

Published on: Jun 8, 2021

Posted in: Guides

The Trek Domane is a classic example of an endurance road bike : It can do it all. You can hop in a road race with it, commute on it, take it for your long ride, and even venture onto gravel with it. Endurance road bikes are built to perform, but also to be comfortable.

What Trek Domane is right for you?

History of the Domane

The first-generation Trek Domane. 2016-2019 Domane -Addition of a front IsoSpeed decoupler to decouple the steerer tube from the head tube and further reduce vibrations -New slider introduced on Domane SLR models that allows riders to adjust the level of damping offered by the rear IsoSpeed -Disc version allows 32mm tire clearance 2020+ Domane -More aerodynamic frame -Even more tire clearance added, up to 38mm -Hidden Storage compartment in the down tube

The latest Domane design packs in aero, comfort, and storage features.

Different builds

Here are a few of our favorite Domane builds from Trek that we’ve seen at TPC.

Trek Domane 5.2 Compact Road Bike - 2013

Trek designed the Domane to absorb bumps but also sustain speed. Its IsoSpeed decoupler improves comfort without sacrificing power transfer. This system separates the seat tube from the top tube so that it can flex freely. The compliance helps the bike isolate the rider from bumps and vibration. At the front, Trek designed an IsoSpeed fork that used more rake and a reversed dropout. A carbon IsoZone handlebar featured closed-cell foam pads in the top and drops of the handlebar, to mute the jarring of cobbled roads.

Trek Domane 5.9 Road Bike - 2016

Trek Domane SLR 6 Disc Road Bike - 2017

To further improve vibration reduction, an IsoCore handlebar was added. It includes a layer of rubber inside the carbon fiber. Tire clearance gets bumped up from 25mm to 28mm on the rim brake version, and 32mm on the disc brake model. On high-end models like the SLR 8, there’s also an upgrade to electronic shifting and a removable panel in the down tube for the Shimano Di2 battery.

Domane SL5 - 2020

With the newest models of the Domane, the top tube IsoSpeed on high-end SLR models has been improved. It is tunable and offers a finer balance between stiffness and comfort. It uses a repositioned slider under the top tube and an additional elastomer integrated into the design to offer more damping (SL models retain the original non-adjustable IsoSpeed system). The tube shapes have all been tweaked, borrowing technology from Trek’s more race focused road bikes to improve aerodynamics. The new Domane offers more tire clearance and can fit up to 38mm tires. The Hidden Storage compartment in the down tube provides a discrete space on the bike to store spare tubes, tools, and snacks.

If you’re looking for a versatile bike, the smooth ride, predictable handling, and upright riding position make the Domane perfect for both a new cyclist looking to push their mileage, and a seasoned racer, interested in rougher roads. The IsoSpeed technology reduces muscle fatigue and joint stress by absorbing vibrations from varied terrain, making it ideal for someone who truly wants to explore. Generally, if you want disc brakes, look at 2015 models and newer. Trek offered the Domane with rim brakes from 2013 to 2019. From 2020 onward, the new generation Domane will only be available with disc brakes. If you want electronic shifting , look for 2017 and newer. And if you want clearance for tires as wide as 38mm, or aero features, look at the 2020 and 2021 models.

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First Look and Ride: 2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

Trek shoots for the moon with its new aero road bike

It was a Friday afternoon in late May and I was sitting in the atrium of Trek’s Waterloo, Wisconsin headquarters. I was there to get my first look at Trek’s new 2016 Madone and, during a small break in the action, catching up on some email. A meeting-room door opened to my left, and I watched over 100 men and women stream out. “Company meeting?” I asked my handler, Royce Breckon, Trek’s service brand manager. “Nope,” he said, “Engineering department meeting.”

As I would later learn, Trek has about 80 engineers worldwide; when support staff is counted, Trek’s engineering department employs about 200 individuals. While not all of them were involved in the creation of the new 2016 Madone 9-Series, this gives you an idea of the resources and horsepower that the company was able to put into its new aero road bike—and most ambitious model to date.

Trek has very high aspirations for the new Madone, calling its release, "the biggest launch in Trek’s history." Its tagline is “the ultimate race bike,” and to try and reach that benchmark, Trek considered aerodynamics, handling and rider comfort.

Related: Pro Cyclists Debut 2016 Trek Madone 9-Series

The frame is carbon composite, naturally, and the design is highly integrated in the pursuit of (claimed) class-leading aerodynamics. The new Madone also gets Trek’s IsoSpeed Decoupler—a seat tube decoupled from the top tube and seatstays so it may flex further and more easily, increasing vertical compliance—which was originally found on the Domane.

The 2016 Madone will be offered in two variations. One uses Trek’s highest grade 700 series carbon and the company’s H1 long-and-low fit, and is made in Waterloo, Wisconsin. The second is made of 600 series carbon and uses Trek’s H2 fit–taller stack and shorter reach compared to the same size in H1–and is made overseas.

The difference, besides fit: The H1 bike is a 100 grams lighter, and in Trek’s testing appears a bit stiffer and a bit more vertically compliant; however, on the open road, the two ride very similarly, says Michael Mayer, Trek’s global road brand manager. Both are considered the company’s top of the line 9-Series frames, but Trek says the customer who wants the H1 fit is more race-oriented and desires every bit of weight savings. A women’s version will be offered; however, it uses the same geometry as the standard H2 with some spec adjustment.

Trek claims a 56cm H1 Madone frame weighs 950 grams, and that a complete 56cm H1 bike with Dura-Ace Di2 and Bontrager Aeolus 3 wheels weighs just over 15 pounds.

Aerodynamics and Integration Using an iterative process, Trek took a computer model of the first aerodynamic Madone, launched in 2013, and modified, then tested; then modified some more and tested again. Hundreds of virtual models were created, each one trying to make the Madone a bit more slippery, but always with an eye on the bike’s other performance goals. Bottle placement alone was subject to 140 iterations before arriving at the most aerodynamic position, and Trek claims the Madone is more aerodynamic with bottles than without.

Shadows of the old Madone exist. Geometry is slightly tweaked, and the new Madone’s primary tube shapes are evolutions of the KVF (Kamm Virtual Foil) truncated airfoils introduced in the previous generation. But the new Madone has a much deeper downtube, and aerodynamically shaped seat tube and seatstays where the old used round tubes.

Trek tested the new Madone against the Cervelo S5, Giant Propel, and a Felt AR in the San Diego Wind Tunnel, which Trek considers to be the best and most accurate. Ben Coates, Trek’s road product manager, stressed that the company was pursuing real-world aerodynamics, so all the bikes in the wind tunnel comparison were equipped with two water bottles.

Though the Madone was not fastest at all yaw angles (the S5 and AR eclipsed it at some), Trek’s white paper on the new Madone claims the 2016 Madone is the “overall fastest bike across all yaw angles.” Trek also tested a first-generation Specialized Venge , but didn’t include it in their comparison, “based on data collected from previous test that showed it was not a leader in aerodynamics.” How the new Madone compares to the new Venge is unknown.

Trek’s evaluation then stepped outside the virtual world and the controlled environment of the wind tunnel, and into a velodrome and out on open roads. The claimed results: At 40kph, the new Madone provides a 19-watt savings over a non-aero race bike (Trek used their Emonda as a representative) in a solo time trial situation, and a 14-watt savings when drafting.

To realize these aerodynamic gains, Trek considered more than just the frame, designing dedicated brakes and an integrated bar and stem. The integrated bar and stem saves 34 grams of drag compared to a Bontrager XXX Aero bar, says Trek. The tops are intended to be ridden naked; wrapping them with tape wrecks the bar’s aerodynamics.

More drag savings, up to 37 grams, were realized by hiding the cables. They are run internally through the bar, exiting the stem just in front of the steerer clamp and immediately entering the frame. Except for the rear derailleur loop (or wire) and a tiny bit of rear brake cable, the new Madone has no exposed cables, housing, or wires.

Though the fork’s steerer tube where the stem attaches is effectively 1-1/8” diameter, it is relieved so the cables can enter the frame directly from the integrated bar. While it is possible to clamp other stems to the steerer, it is presently not possible to route the cables properly with anything else, nor use any headset spacers other than those that come with the frame. Speed and integration has its compromises.

For safety, Trek typically recommends that a fork steerer be cut so a few millimeters are exposed above the stem clamp. Doing so requires an extra headset spacer above the stem. The Madone’s stem, however, is designed with the extra spacer built in so the preload cap sits flat for less drag. Trek’s Blendr system accommodates the mounting of computers and lights to the bar.

Trek will offer 13 different versions of the integrated bar; all use the same Bontrager VR-CF variable radius drop, however, you will see some Trek Factory Racing riders with a team-only ergo-bend version. Bar widths are 40,42, and 44, all in 90-120mm lengths, as well as a 42x130.

The center pull brakes are unique to the Madone; no other brake is currently compatible with the frame. The brakes are “designed to seamlessly match the fork and seat stay surfaces, integrating with the recessed areas and allowing air to flow smoothly over the entire surface,” according to the Madone’s white paper. Though the mounting format looks similar to the Shimano direct mount standard—used by the previous Madone and Emonda—it is different enough that only Trek’s brake will work properly.

The dual-pivot brake matches the power of Shimano's excellent 9000-series brake caliper, says Trek, and leverage is adjustable for proper feel and performance with all the major component-maker’s brake levers. Wide rims are no problem, says Coates. Independently adjustable arm position allows the brake to, “work with every rim on the market today.”

After taking a trip down under the bottom bracket on the previous generation, the rear brake returns to the seatstays on the new Madone. Trek says this placement is a bit less aerodynamic, but easier to access and adjust, and, because of the way a wheel flexes, reduces brake rub. Almost all the hardware on both brakes is uncovered and easily accessible, and there is a lever to open the arms for wheel changes. You can’t compensate for brake pad wear by adjusting on the fly with a knob at the housing stop like you can on a typical side pull caliper. Instead, the arms must be moved closer to the rim with a hex wrench.

One of the more curious details of the new Madone are the “vector wings”. Government regulations state that a bike’s front wheel must be able to turn up to 65 degrees from center, even though a rider would almost never turn the bars that far when riding. However, the shape that Trek desired for the head tube, with internal cable routing for the front brake, did not allow this much rotation. The solution was a cover with sprung wings that accommodate this amount of steering. When the bar is turned far enough, the wing is pushed open by the brake; when the bar is turned back, the wing snaps closed.

“Ma-domane” Historically, one of the biggest complaints about aero bikes is an unrefined ride feel. Trek’s solution: Borrow the IsoSpeed Decoupler from the Domane. But Trek ran into a problem in applying it to the new bike: The aerodynamically shaped seat tube (the Domane’s seat tube is round) could not flex enough to provide worthwhile vertical compliance. The solution was to give the Madone a second, internal seat tube.

While the exterior “seat” tube is a structural part of the frame, the seat post is attached to second tube hidden inside the exterior tube. That way, the exposed part of this system is aero shaped, but it transitions to a round, bowed tube inside the frame. Anchored at the bottom bracket shell on one end and with the IsoSpeed decoupler at the top, the interior seat tube can then bend under load, providing about 20mm of vertical compliance; double that of its nearest competitor, claims Trek. Overall, Trek says the 2016 Madone has the same amount of vertical compliance as the Emonda, however, the Domane is about 50 percent more complaint than both.

Trek will offer two seat mast lengths, and two offsets, 5- and 25mm. The saddle clamp is all new, and provides independent adjustment of tilt and fore/aft position.

More Than Just Numbers Echoing a theme we’re hearing more often from more companies, Trek looked beyond just the on-paper numbers when refining the Madone’s feel and handling. The Madone’s white paper, available at Trek’s website, goes into detail on the topic, but here’s a summary based on my conversations with the people involved in the Madone’s development.

To collect real world data about the loads on a bike in typical riding situations, Trek builds aluminum test models and equips them with strain gauges to measure deflection, power meters, and speed and cadence sensors. Test riders subject the bikes to routine events: climbing, sprinting, and cornering, etc., while data recorders collected information from the sensors about the bike’s behavior in response to the events. Trek used this real world data to evaluate computer models, and to be sure the simulations they run on the frames provides an accurate picture of the way a bike would behave in the real world.

Using this method, Trek’s engineers could build several versions of a frame, each having different characteristics. Test riders then provided feedback about each frame’s desirable and undesirable traits. Essentially, the models gave Trek the tools to identify and tune the nuances that add up to what riders call “feel.”

In designing the new Madone, Trek took feedback from its pro factory racing team riders who said they really liked the way the Emonda rode. Thanks to its testing process, engineers had a good idea of what contributed to these positive characteristics, and they built much of that into the new Madone, even though the latter’s tube shapes are much different.

Then, in January 2014, Trek had its factory team riders evaluate three prototypes of the new Madone, each with a different carbon layup. That feedback was taken and used to further develop the new bike. A year later Trek had “full production” versions, again in three different layups, tested by the team again and used the feedback to lock in the final layup of the production 2016 Madone.

At the bike launches I attend, there is almost invariably some slide or discussion about drivetrain, head tube and torsional stiffness and how much awesome-r it is than the previous generation frame and/or competitor’s frames. But Trek’s people didn’t talk much about the Madone’s stiffness at the launch. My impression: They weren’t specifically gunning to achieve a benchmark in a certain test, or notable gains over the previous Madone, or exceed that of competitor’s frames. Their primary concern, I felt, was achieving the ride and handling goals that fulfilled the bike’s purpose, and they seemed quite confident that those goals were met. The resulting stiffness, measured in the traditional ways, is what it is—or so it would seem. They did let on that the Madone is, “a bit stiffer than an Emonda, and less stiff than a Domane.”

The Rest Aerodynamics, IsoSpeed and feel are the three points Trek is emphasizing with the new Madone, but there are other notable details as well.

The frame can accept up to 28mm wide tires. Yes. An aero frame with rim brakes that takes 28mm tires.

The Control Center is flat-out nifty. Found high up the down tube where it is accessible on the fly, it houses an electronic shifting system’s junction box (with Shimano, the junction box button for adjusting trim and to fine-tune shifting is accessible) or, for mechanical, contains a front derailleur cable-tension adjuster. When it’s time to charge the Di2, the charging port is accessed by releasing a catch, popping open the Control Center. Note: The frame is compatible with Campagnolo EPS drivetrains, but the battery must be mounted on the outside of the frame.

Carried over from Trek’s other models is its chain retention device (though the Madone’s is “more aerodynamic,” of course), DuoTrap speed and cadence sensor pocket, and BB92 bottom bracket.

Trek also incorporated a few Easter Eggs into the Madone’s paint. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I’ll leave them to you to find.

Four complete bikes are offered, three with H2 geometry. All use the same brake calipers and integrated bar. Sizing now mirrors the Emonda. Seven sizes, 50-62cm, are offered in H1; and nine from 47 to 64cm in H2. - Madone 9.2, $6300, built with Shimano Ultegra 11 mechanical and Bontrager Paradigm aluminum wheels; - Madone 9.5 $8400, built with Shimano Dura-Ace 11 mechanical and Bontrager Aura 5 carbon wheels (aluminum brake track); - Madone 9.9 $12,600 built with Shimano Dura Ace Di2 11 and Bontrager Aeolus 5 carbon wheels. Also offered in a women’s version.

Also offered is the Madone Race Shop Limited $13,650, a replica of the bike the Trek Factory Racing team rides, with H1 geometry, Shimano Dura Ace Di2 and Bontrager Aeolus 5 carbon wheels.

The Madone in H1 and H2 fits are also offered through Trek’s Project One paint and parts customization program starting in August. The amazing, hot-pink abomination you see in the photos (note that Trek painted it in the colors I requested) was a H2 Project One dreamed up by yours truly.

Also offered is a frame module–brakes, one-piece bar and stem, and seat mast included–for $5,780 for the H1 and $4,730 for the H2.

How it Rides The new Madone H2 Project One came to the office for a couple of our most experienced testers to spend about a week each on the bike. Off the bat, we were impressed by the bike’s ride quality. One tester compared the bike to the Domane Classic, calling the ride “silky and smooth”; another said there was “good, aggressive-type, road and surface feedback with surprising smoothness—there were no instances of rough chatter over the odd bump.” They also noted that the bike felt very connected to the road, and that even when road conditions deteriorated, the tires tracked and stuck to the ground. The IsoSpeed decoupler gave the feeling of occasionally bottoming out—letting us know that it was indeed working. There was also no brake rub under sprinting, climbing, or pedal mashing.

The new Madone is also surprisingly comfortable: “I could be happy riding it all day, or for an hour crit,” was the comment. The bike handled precisely, and was easy to control over the road.

And of course, it felt fast. On one race-like weekly group ride, a tester observed that he seemed to be able to pedal less than others in the group, all else being equal, and that on a shallow downhill where he normally coasted at a steady speed, he felt like he was actually accelerating.

Overall, the impression came back that the Madone didn’t feel like an aero bike in the ways we typically expect: The ride wasn’t harsh and chattery, the bike was stiff, and while it didn’t feel feathery, it wasn’t heavy, either. As one tester put, “This just felt like a really nice road/racing bike.” And as another said, “It’s just an easy bike to like.”

The Ultimate? Is the 2016 Madone “the ultimate race bike”? Time may tell, but frankly, statements like these are usually unverifiable. Here’s what I know so far: It’s awesome to see Trek finding a bit of swagger and flexing its muscles. I can’t imagine the Trek of just a few years ago going for it they way the company did with the new Madone. This is an impressive bike. And, based on testers’ feedback, it is a great-riding bike. The Bicycling staff races, and loves racing, but we all ride more than we race. And when we ride, we love to go fast on great equipment. The 2016 Madone lets us do both. And it didn’t come cheap or easy—it took a lot of engineering manpower.

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.

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First Look: Trek Madone Gen 8

Trek’s Madone Gen 8 has slimmed down its aero tubing and reduced hundreds of grams from the frameset, claiming it…

Trek’s Madone Gen 8 has slimmed down its aero tubing and reduced hundreds of grams from the frameset, claiming it has done so without compromising ride quality or aero properties – and has killed off the Émonda in the process

Words Jack Lynch

Trek has unveiled its newest road racing machine, an eighth-generation Madone that is lighter and more aero than any previous version across the iconic model’s 20-plus-year history.

Unsurprisingly, Trek says it’s the best road bike the US company has ever made: lighter than the Émonda and as aero as the previous Madone.

It’s lusted over by the pros, Trek continues, and in its first race – almost a month out from the official release – Mads Pedersen won a sprint stage on it at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The new Madone has all but killed the comparatively young Émonda, first released in 2014.

It wasn’t Trek’s intention, though, as this new bike started as an Émonda update.

Somewhere along the line, the engineering and marketing boffins at Trek realised they had the tech (and the lingo) capable enough to render it surplus to requirement.

Riders want it all and bike companies are looking to reduce consumer confusion, so a bike that has one purpose (in the Émonda’s case, it was going uphill) is not something Trek could justify keeping.

Now the Trek retailer can say if you want a race bike that is light and aero, buy a Madone, or if you want a more comfortable road bike, the Domane is for you.

This also helps Trek’s bottom line. Fewer models means reduced production, handling, shipping and stock cost across the board, and it’s smart business to promise one bike that does aero better than the previous aero bike, and light better than the previous climbing bike.

But is it really possible to have one bike that is light and aero? Trek’s biggest competitor, Specialized, thinks so, but other global powerhouses such as Giant, Canyon and Cannondale all take a horses-for-courses approach.

Cyclist will review the Madone in-depth in our next issue, but for now, let’s look at what Trek has done to its new Madone and how it has improved the previous edition.

Achieving weightlessness

Generation eight of the Madone comes with an incredible 320g weight reduction on the previous edition.

Trek quotes an M/L size Madone SLR as a 796g frame, 350g fork.

Trek has achieved its weight loss by developing a new OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void) carbon, the 900 series.

It allows a more efficient moulding process, and is 20% stronger than the previous 800 OCLV flagship.

This means it requires less material to make a frame, and therefore less weight.

The fork is now moulded as a single piece, rather than bonding the carbon steerer onto the legs to reduce weight and improve stiffness and longevity.

Getting aero

Most new race bikes are defined by how aero they are and how many seconds they saved on the previous model.

What makes this bike interesting is how Trek is celebrating parity.

The noticeably slimmer frame shapes are much more elegant than previous and are just as fast in the wind tunnel.

These Full System Foil shapes are 77 seconds per hour faster than the Émonda at 200 watts and break even with the significantly heavier Madone Gen 7.

The aero claims are made incorporating Trek’s new bottles and cages, which were specifically designed for this Madone.

This means if you want the bike to be as aero as possible, you need to use these bottles.

The good news is the RSL Aero Water Bottles and Cages come with all SLR models, but the rider will need to buy two to maximise aero gains if they buy a Madone SL.

Going with the flow

Keen eyes will notice that the famous IsoFlow cutout under the seatpost has returned to the Madone but is smaller than what we’ve seen previously.

IsoFlow is said to improve aerodynamics and comfort – a rare feat in bikes – and in a world of homogenous road machines, it brings an aesthetic point of difference to Trek’s race bike.

The IsoFlow’s slimmer profile, coupled with OCLV 900 carbon has given it 80% more vertical compliance than Madone Gen 7 and 24% more than the Émonda.

Everyone can appreciate more compliance, particularly those spending long hours on the bike.

A big change to the Madone that you won’t see on any posters is a revamped sizing system.

Gone are the 50, 52, 54, 56cm (and so on) options, and in come T-shirt sizings of XS to XL (with an M/L thrown in).

rek has changed the Madone’s fi t from eight sizes to six, but guarantees the same range for all riders – the XS is smaller than the previous smallest 47cm frame, and the XL is just a shade smaller than the old 62cm.

We suspect this means Trek dealers will be supplied with a raft of different handlebars and stems to ensure buyers get their perfect fit – or at least the one they’re comfortable with.

Another change is a blessing for smaller riders.

Trek has slightly altered the tube shapes of the S and XS models to ensure these frames ride the same as the larger ones.

By narrowing the tubes, smaller riders will feel the same compliance as those on bigger bikes and shave a few grams off the overall package.

It’s a neat addition to the bike, which has considered people riding smaller frames.

Trek’s naming convention for the Madone Gen 8 follows a familiar pattern: the flagship model, called the SLR, uses the premium 900 series OCLV carbon.

Meanwhile, the more affordable SL version employs the less expensive 500 series OCLV carbon.

Practically, it means a 250g bump on the SL frame, weighing in at 1,054g.

Everything else about the frame is identical.

As for cost, in Australia, the cheapest Madone SLR – the SLR 7 with Ultegra – is $12,999.

The most expensive Madone SL, the SL 7, is $8,499 with Ultegra.

It’s a bit of a game of spot the difference between these two models with groupset and wheels the same.

The main thing is that the SL models do not come with the integrated bar/stem handlebars of the SLR model.

Keep an eye out for a full review of the Trek Madone Gen 8 in issue 71 of Cyclist.

Trek’s Madone Gen 8 combines the lightweight properties of the Émonda with the aerodynamics of its predecessor, aiming to offer a versatile high performance race bike

Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8, $19,999, trekbikes.com/au

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The design story behind the 2019 Trek Madone SLR

When Trek released the 2016 Madone they dubbed it "the ultimate race bike". Yet as soon as that bike hit the streets, the design and engineering teams got to work on topping their efforts in the development of its successor. The 2019 Madone is available in both disc-brake and rim-brake variants, is more aerodynamic and includes a number of updated and refined design features.

At the start of the 2019 Trek Madone SLR development journey, the Trek R&D team collectively agreed that the key goal for their next generation road was to offer a more refined experience for the rider. One of the first meetings involved placing sticky notes on all the areas of the 2016 bike that could be improved and refined.

"Whether that's a more refined function, ride quality, or aesthetic, we knew that we should build on the already successful 2016 Madone by improving the details. I believe we've set the benchmark for high-end road bike integration and design." says Jon Russell , Trek's industrial designer.

From that initial design meeting, the team then spent almost a year in the theoretical world; researching, brainstorming, conceptualizing, prototyping, modeling, analyzing…

"We had hundreds of individual ideas which were each explored conceptually, then ranked on a variety of metrics. Coming up with an interesting idea is the easy part. Exploring it further, massaging out the kinks, selling it to management, and ultimately testing the ideas, was the hard part," says Russell.

As the Madone represents the cutting edge in performance, technology and design, inspiration was drawn from other industries like automotive, aerospace, furniture and architecture. Following research and brainstorming, Russell started to sketch ideas. "Ideas like utilizing part-lines as graphic breakups, letting wind drive the form, expressing gesture through proportion, and pushing our brand language to the next level while still maintaining familiarity.

"I also sketched hundreds of different ideas for features like integrated electronics, adjustable bar widths, or top tube IsoSpeed, to name a few. Although most of these ideas didn't make it to production, they are still potential opportunities for Trek in the future." adds Russell.

Polygonal modeling was used for fast iteration as engineering and design changes can be made almost immediately. "The fluidity of modeling gives me the flexibility to make 100+ small tweaks a day, refining the design until I'm happy with the shape. It's very similar to the benefits of clay modeling, just digital." says Russell.

As a race bike, aerodynamics are paramount and presented a sculptural challenge for the team. The highlight lines in the above images show what Trek refer to as ' kammtail virtual foil ' (KVF), which is a unique truncated aerodynamic profile. This provides most of the benefits of a full airfoil but in a more structurally efficient shape.

"One of the key attributes of this KVF shape are the two corners on the trailing edge. I took advantage of these corners to move the eye through the form and to aerodynamically improve certain tube intersections. Bringing the outside corner of the fork leg into the down-tube not only improves the airflow as it transitions off the fork into the frame, but it offers a nice parallel to our brand's signature 'brow' feature, which carries the eye from the head-tube all the way back to the dropout," explains Russell.

As Russell explains, because aerodynamic bikes have broader surfaces, controlling how light and reflections behave on a surface is extremely important especially in how it relates to color and finish. "Matte paint shows how sculptural the form is whereas, due to the broader surfaces, gloss strongly reflects the environment. I worked closely with the graphic designer on the project, Micah Moran , to ensure that regardless which color or finish a customer was chosen, the paint and graphics remain flawless."

To finish the R&D process, Trek's engineers made full carbon fiber prototypes for analysis and testing. "These prototypes are a testament to our dedication to R&D - we took the time and effort to make custom tooling for all the components, even before we settled onto a final design," admits Russell.

The final design features several small improvements from the 2016 model, which culminate in a significant overall improvement.

The first is the integrated cockpit, which Russell describes as a completely different animal from the 2016 bike. "Ergonomically improved in both the flats and accessing the drops. The back-sweep on the flats puts your hands at a more natural and comfortable position, simultaneously pulling your elbows inward for a more aerodynamic stance. The transition from the flat to the hoods has also been reshaped to increase wrist clearance in the drops."

The adjustable top tube IsoSpeed allows riders to adjust compliance, and it's damped with an elastomer so even when it's in the most compliant setting, it won't bounce on the road.

"The all new damper technology uses an elastomer to control the flexing tube's rebound. If you imagine a pogo stick, when the spring is compressed, it releases that energy back, shooting you up. The elastomer slows the rebound energy in a controlled motion, making for a really smooth ride," describes Russell.

"The new Madone seat post design integrates the clamp inside the frame. This helps streamline the design and also allows us to paint match the seat post to the frame, giving it a modern, custom look most bikes don't have.

"The new Bontrager Flare R has a dedicated mount for the new Madone. It attaches in seconds via a tool-free clip onto the seat-post hardware for an integrated look. Riding with a taillight is probably the best preventative safety measure and it shouldn't detract from the bike's sleek aesthetic," explains Russell.

Although Trek admits to preferring disc brakes there are riders who still prefer rim brakes, so it decided to offer both choices in the design. "It was very challenging to design such an integrated, highly optimized bike around two completely different braking systems. The result in either case is what we call the ultimate race bike," says Russell.

The 2019 Madone SLR 9 is ready for purchase and customers can choose from a variety of paint options as part of the new Trek Project One Icon .

Meanwhile the R&D team are hard at work on future bicycle designs. That's the funny thing about designing in this field, you live and breathe a design for several years, but then before it even launches you're already working on future models. It will be interesting to see where Trek goes next!

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Really like how they have evolved the IsoSpeed tech appearance, its really clean and the new seatpost is integrated very well. The handlebars seem like a no-brainer retreat from something that looked clean and functional but was probably awful to use.

There is some really nice form work going on here!

After giving 99% of the bike so much design attention the generic looking handlebars really fall short. I think it's time to re-think the skinny-tubed drop bar for some more aero and ergo.

I think you missed a bit.

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Review: The New Trek Madone Is Extra Smooth and Still Very Fast

The emonda dies and the trek madone is once again the all-around race bike, but all i can ask is how can a bike this fast be this comfortable.

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Incredibly comfortable.
Project One build customization.
Clever aero cage system with real benefit.
Size specific ride tuning.
Weighs within 40 grams of previous Emonda.
Faster than previous Madone.
High quality outfront mount.
Power meter included with SRAM builds.
Stiff when standing.
Universal derailleur hanger.
Narrow handlebar diameter as it exists the controls.
Smooth ride lacks engagement.

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The Trek Madone is one of the most recognizable modern race bikes on the market today.

It came to market in 2003 with a name pulled from a French climb and was quickly synonymous with winning under Lance Armstrong. Those were the early days of carbon fiber and long before aero was everything.

Although the tubes used carbon, they were still mostly round and the Madone was Trek’s do-everything race bike. In 2016, everything changed.

Although the Madone had added aero details steadily since around 2012, weight had remained important. Then the Emonda came to market as a climber’s bike with weight as the ultimate goal. The new bike gave the Madone a new freedom. Aero was everything, weight didn’t matter, and the 2016 Trek Madone was completely different.

Today, eight years later, everything changes again. The Trek Madone is returning to its roots as an all-around race bike and the Emonda is disappearing.

Trek will tell you this is purely because of innovation but it’s largely a result of the UCI keeping the minimum bike weight (6.8kg/15 pounds) unchanged. More and more brands have managed to hit the minimum weight without sacrificing aero performance. The Emonda is no longer needed to offer what the Madone can’t — at least so long as the UCI minimum weight remains the same.

To understand what that means, my latest bike review is the updated Gen 8 Trek Madone I’ve been riding for close to a month now. I tested a top-spec Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS and what I found is that the Emonda disappearing is only a small footnote in the details of this bike. Nearly everything about the 2025 model year Trek Madone is new and the result is a bike unlike anything else.

As a final goodbye to the bike, I attempted to take it on a 230-mile trip to the beach and back. Things didn’t quite work out as planned, but my time with the Trek Madone was spent marveling at how smooth and comfortable it is. If you are looking for a new road bike this summer, keep reading to see what works and what doesn’t on the latest Madone.

Quick hits: standout details of the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS

More aero than a Gen 7 Madone and nearly as light as the Emonda.
For that reason the Emonda is leaving the Trek lineup.
Comfort is the most noticeable part of the ride experience.
There’s a high quality outfront mount.
Power meter is included with SRAM builds.
Aero cages will take standard bottles.
Trek Project One allows you to get the exact bike you want.
Sizing changes from numbers to T-shirt style of small, medium, etc.

Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS frame details

The Gen 8 Trek Madone, is an attempt by Trek to turn back the clock. The Emonda came to market as a solution for a problem. Now there’s a better solution and Trek is recombining the Madone and the Emonda. The question is, can you do that without losing anything?

To answer that, Trek started by looking to add aerodynamics to the Emonda. Pretty quickly it was clear that a weight first focus wouldn’t cut it. You can add aerodynamics to a lightweight frame but it’s not as difficult as it once was to match the UCI minimum weight. A brand either has to blow past the UCI weight limit, ala the Specialized Aethos , or make an aero bike just light enough.

Having once again proven that, Trek started expanding the possibilities. Instead of a new Emonda, the goal was now to create a bike that was faster than both the Emonda and the Madone on any gradient between zero and 12 percent.

To get there, Trek developed a pair of algorithms that would both develop cross section shapes and test them. You can think of it as a brute force attack on aerodynamics and it allowed a speed of testing that would otherwise be impossible. This process led to a new shape called “Pareto” that’s more square than previously thought efficient. It minimizes weight while maximizing aerodynamics and it provides a range of options.

With that in mind, the next stage of development was to use those new building blocks to create a bike. Some of the shapes identified were lighter, some more aero, and the team used a combination of CFD and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to find the best places for different shapes. Instead of simply trying to use the most aero option at every opportunity, Trek instead takes a system approach the brand is calling “Full System Foil.”

The idea here is that air flows at different speeds around different parts of the bike. Interactions at the front of the bike, or with the rider, sometimes slow it down and sometimes speed it up. Knowing this means different solutions are needed in different places. A chunky downtube that’s lighter and less aero makes sense because the front wheel slows the air. This slower air means low-drag shapes are less important for the downtube. At the same time, the legs of the rider actually speed up the airflow as it passes through. For that reason the area where you’d normally find a seat tube and post benefits from aero shapes and Trek uses the isoFlow design with aero shapes for the seat mast and post.

The last example Trek gives is the new Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem. This is another piece that’s actually slower if you look at it in isolation. That increased drag is intentional though. According to Trek, the “wake of the thicker handlebar slightly reduces drag on the pedaling legs by slowing down the air in front of them.” Given that a rider’s legs are a bigger drag contributor, the net effect is a gain.

Overall, those little details are the point. Each little aero detail adds up and Trek quotes a 0.1 watt saving at 22 mph for the Madone Gen 8 vs Gen 7. If that sounds small, it is — but a win is a win and the numbers compared to the old Madone aren’t that important anyway. The place where you see bigger numbers is when compared to the Emonda. That comparison shows an 11.3 watt advantage at 22 mph while also dropping the weight to a 36 gram penalty for the vastly more aero bike. If you are curious, there’s also a savings of 322 grams for the frame and fork when compared to the Gen 7 Madone.

Trek Madone SLR Geometry

Although the various geometry options disappeared before this generation, that continues. There’s no longer a reference to various names and it’s the same as the previous h1.5. There’s also less sizes covering more range with a move from eight options, labeled using the seat tube length, down to six options labeled XS-XL. As you move up and down those sizes, Trek is offering size-specific tube shapes to go with them. Smaller and larger bikes will now have better balanced stiffness, better aesthetics, and actual wind tunnel testing.

Builds and pricing

Frame: 900 Series OCLV Carbon, Full System Foil tube shaping, IsoFlow seat tube, RCS Headset System, electronic-only routing, removable aero chainkeeper, T47 BB, flat mount disc, UDH, 142x12mm thru axle

Fork: Madone Gen 8 full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat mount disc, 12x100mm chamfered thru axle

Shared with every build option: T47 bottom bracket standard, RSL Aero Bottle and Cage system, UDH (universal derailleur hanger), 32 mm max tyre clearance

Frame: 500 Series OCLV Carbon, Full System Foil tube shaping, IsoFlow seat tube, RCS Headset System, electronic or mechanical routing, removable aero chainkeeper, T47 BB, flat mount disc, UDH, 142x12mm thru axle

Shared with every build option: T47 bottom bracket standard, UDH (universal derailleur hanger), 32 mm max tyre clearance

Trek Madone build details

One of the innovations that comes to the Gen 8 Trek Madone is the new full carbon one-piece fork. The same fork comes on every model of the bike but there’s also an updated 900 series OCLV carbon only available for the SLR builds. Along with the new carbon, the SLR builds also bring the addition of the one-piece bar and stem, electronic only groupset compatibility, and the aero bottle system. If you do decide to start with an SL build, the bar/stem and the aero bottle system are available as aftermarket accessories.

Among the build options you will also find customization options. If you prefer a frameset only, there’s one available in both carbon options. If you’d rather have a complete build but you want to customize the details, check out Project One. If you, like me, prefer better climbing gears and a 1:1 ratio, you could change the gearing that comes with your bike as well as any other sizing details. You can also adjust components up or down and there’s plenty of paint options. Depending on budget you can stick to picking a simple color scheme for no up-charge or take a look at the Project One ICON series premium paint schemes. Launching with the bike is a new option in that lineup called Chroma Interstellar.

Ride experience

Sometimes testing doesn’t go according to plan. My plan with this bike was to cap off more than a month of riding with it by doing a roughly 230-mile ride from my house to the coast and back. I’d written headlines talking about spending 15-hours (just a guess) on it and I’d prepared the bike. After 10 miles, my riding partner and I collided, the bike went down, and the UDH broke. The ride was over. I could hide that but I think there’s value in what it says about the Trek Madone Gen 8 even if it didn’t go off as planned.

The idea of the trip came to me because of how this bike felt. From the very first moment I swung my leg over it, I was immediately blown away by how smooth it is. The terrible pavement as I leave my neighborhood is nearly imperceptible on the Madone. As I went over a rough wooden bridge on a later ride I realized that it was actually a moment I could attack as my buddy slowed. At one point I even started to wonder how well it would do off-road on its max 32 mm tires.

I initially worried that it was smooth because it had a lot of flex but as soon as you stand, you know that’s not the case. My notes from those early rides are all questions trying to get to the bottom of when it feels stiff vs compliant. The more I tested, the more amazed I was with the dual nature of the latest Madone.

If you cruise with it, it’s smooth and comfortable. If you push it, the bike responds. Stand to sprint and it feels like a different bike. When it’s time to climb, the 6.9kg (as measured ready to ride minus pedals) and stiff frame are willing partners. This dual nature is backed up with a comfortable riding position as well.

Like with the Enve Melee , holding the tops puts you somewhat upright. Trek counters the upright position with the Trek Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem that uses a proven trick of simply being narrow. Size it like other bars on the market and you’ll notice narrower hoods that provide a big aero upgrade. I tend to find this unnoticeable and, given it’s faster, that’s a good thing. The only detail I would love to see addressed is the narrow, rounded, nature of the bar immediately behind the controls. If this was my bike, I’d want to add a bit more padding right there.

As far as the rest of the finishing kit goes, there’s not a single detail I can complain about. Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 TLR Disc Road Wheel shrugged off crosswinds and felt fast. The Aero bottles are very usable plus offer an easy 3ish watts savings depending on speed (3.7 watts at 45 km/h) and I love the outfront mount. That’s something I often complain about because it can be such an annoyance when it’s not right, but this time Trek nailed it. Even the included saddle is great and actually a piece I’ve used on other bikes a number of times over the years. If any of those details, including specifics like gearing, aren’t quite right for you, then Project One will fix it without issue.

Trek Madone Gen 8 ready for long distance

The Gen 8 Trek Madone is the kind of bike I want to share with you. When I packed it up to head to the beach, I swapped out the aero bottles for a set of HydraPak Breakaway+ 30oz bottles (with the filter swapped for standard tops) and it just worked without issue. Then I added the light mount and attached an Outbound Lighting Detour . Again, everything just worked.

That idea of things just working is what I look for in a bike. Trek wants to talk about smashing an aero bike and a climbing bike together but that’s only part of the story. The Madone is so comfortable, smooth, and usable that Trek is really offering one bike to cover all of your needs. If you want to do some kind of huge ride, that’s a five-minute swap from fast bike to long distance bike. If you want to take a bike out climbing grab this one. If you have a fast and flat day, the Madone works there too.

However you decide to use it, Trek thought through all the little details. Creating a good quality outfront mount is a small thing that has a big impact on your experience of riding a bike, Trek nailed that for you. There’s aero bottles but they are good for drinking water and you can also use standard bottles if you need to. You can go fast or slow over rough or smooth pavement and the Gen 8 Trek Madone is a capable partner. If there’s anything you want changed, Trek makes it easy to customize your build. Even the builds with included power meter are part of the picture. Nothing ever feels cheap and, sadly, that’s not always true even on a bike this expensive.

The only thing that kept sticking in my mind during this test was whether I wanted a bike this smooth all the time. The first time I took it out I’d just gotten off my Look 795 Blade RS while testing the Specialized Roval Rapide CLX II wheels. The Trek is just as fast, I actually matched my fastest time, but it doesn’t feel as fast. The Look is a visceral ride with controls that are two inches lower. It’s not smooth, it requires a good stretch before and after a ride, and the combination of those wheels and the Hope RX4+ brakes make for a lot of noises. When you ride that bike, you feel like you are pulling the performance out of it. The Trek Madone is just as fast but it lacks all the drama. Is that a good thing?

Would you prefer a bike that’s borderline uncomfortable but very engaging or a bike that’s precise and smooth but feels a little less heroic? If you want a go fast bike that can do anything you ask, no drama included, check out the latest Trek Madone.

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Trek bikes range: which model is right for you?

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...

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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.

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As it happened: Huge crash influences the GC and the stage as yellow jersey changes hands

Trek Madone 7-Series Project One - long-term review

Latest madone flagship walks a fine line between aerodynamics, stiffness and comfort.

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

This article originally published on BikeRadar

Gallery: Trek Factory Racing reveal new kit design

We shared our first impressions of Trek's revamped 2014 Madone 7-Series Project One road racing flagship back in July and were generally quite happy with the experience. As always, the handling manners were impeccable, it was fairly comfortable and suitably quick under power – all while supposedly offering greatly improved aerodynamic performance over a round-tubed bike.

Several months later, our initial opinions haven't changed - if anything, they've only been reinforced. The latest Madone is Trek's best in many ways but the controversial rear brake placement hasn't won us over.

Ride and handling: telepathic handling, unflappably predictable

Our Madone reviews are starting to sound like broken records when it comes to describing the handling but given that it's so perennially exceptional, that's hardly a bad thing. When it comes to neutral handing, this really is the quintessential sweet spot between stability and agility. Calm high-speed manners inspire supreme confidence when bombing descents and yet the Madone is still amply quick to turn in when the corners start coming fast and furious. Simply lean it over, set an edge and rail through – often with no need to hit the brakes either.

Fit and rider positioning is still spot-on as well. We went with the more aggressive H1 geometry here with its lower front end and longer top tube, and found it just right when going hard. We've sampled the slightly more relaxed H2 version too, and found it provided a noticeably more upright ride but without compromising the superb handling.

As claimed, ride quality has improved over last year's version. It's a subtle change that many might not even notice, however, and we still wouldn't characterize the latest Madone's feel as pillowy smooth. It's exceptionally well damped and glides across good road surfaces without feeling overly isolating but neither end gives much on bumps of any size.

That being said, it rides quite well for a top-end machine whose primary intent is racing, particularly compared to other aero road machines that can sometimes be downright harsh. At least on the generally good roads we used during testing, the Madone is an easy machine to ride all day.

Overall stiffness is what we've come to expect from the Madone. Excellent front triangle rigidity lends extra precision and confidence to the handling traits, plus it makes for a solid feel when muscling the bars during out-of-the-saddle sprints and climbs. Rear end stiffness can't quite keep up with the front end but it's very good nonetheless and contributes to a generally sprightly and eager feel overall.

And have we mentioned yet that the new Madone is also light? Our complete test sample came with a custom Project One spec that includes a Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 mechanical group, Bontrager Aeolus 3 D3 carbon clinchers, and carbon fibre Bontrager finishing kit. The total weight for a 52cm size without pedals is a wispy 6.32kg (13.93lb). Actual weight of our 52cm frame is similarly svelte at 840g (with rear derailleur hanger and bolt-on housing stops) and the matching fork adds just 340g (195mm steerer, no plug).

Trek even claims some impressive aerodynamic savings over the previous round-tubed Madone: 25 watts at 40km/h, or about two minutes per hour.

So the latest Madone is stout under power, handles supremely well, reasonably comfortable, very light, more aerodynamic than before and puts its rider in a perfect position. What's not to like?

Unfortunately, it's that pesky rear brake.

Trek believes putting the rear brake calliper under the chainstays has multiple benefits. We're not convinced

Trek believes putting the rear brake caliper under the chainstays has multiple benefits. We're not convinced

Trek says the relocation of the rear caliper beneath the chainstays provides several benefits. For one, the chainstays are far bigger and stiffer than the seatstays so in theory, they should make for a more solid foundation and increased braking power. Moving the brake down below also frees up designers to slim down the seatstays for improved ride comfort, plus it cleans up the shape for supposedly reduced aerodynamic drag.

Despite the bridgeless seat stay design and their relatively slim profile, the Madone isn't appreciably more comfortable than other top competitors. The down-below location is also prone to road spray and debris kicked off of the front wheel, plus it's a very awkward location for maintenance. And while we didn't notice any unusual brake rub during our first few rides during the summer, we ultimately got several different wheelsets (including the stock Bontrager ones) to consistently contact the pads under hard efforts, even with relatively generous pad rim clearances.

The revamped brake location may very well over some measurable benefits but even so, we remain unconvinced that they outweigh the real-world drawbacks.

Frame: lightweight with proven OCLV construction

The Madone may not fit the mould of what many expect to see in a supposedly aerodynamic road bike but that's due to its Kamm tail design. Instead of complete airfoil sections, the Madone instead uses clipped profiles that are said to offer similar aerodynamic benefits while still maintaining more traditional aspect ratios for good stiffness and ride qualities – both of which the Madone has in good quantities.

As is the trend with most modern carbon road frames these days, there are no abrupt profile changes, overly sharp edges or wacky shapes built into the design. Instead, Trek has maintained a more engineering-centric philosophy with gentle transitions throughout. Also present are the company's long-standing Madone frame features, such as the extra-wide BB90 bottom bracket shell with drop-in bearings, correspondingly wide down tube and chain stay spacing, a tapered 1 1/8 to 1 1/2in head tube (again, with bearing seats moulded directly into the structure to save weight), and an integrated no-cut seatmast topped by a Bontrager moulded carbon fibre head.

Other niceties include a built-in chain catcher, the Duotrap integrated optional wireless speed and cadence sensor, carbon fork tips and rear dropouts, and internal cable routing that's convertible for mechanical or electronic drivetrains. None of the internal paths are fully guided but even so, we found servicing to be a pretty straightforward process as long as you're careful to first run a section of housing through before pulling out the old inner wires. More importantly, the paths are straight and direct so there's no penalty in friction as compared to an external setup.

The built-in chain catcher is a nice touch

We did encounter one unfortunate manufacturing related hiccup during our time with the Madone: a fork tip that was a touch too long, which kicked the front wheel off-axis if we pulled the axle completely in – not a lot, mind you, but enough that we noticed. We ended up having to ship our test bike back to Trek, where 0.5mm was ground off of one dropout to correct the misalignment. All was good afterward but this is not exactly what you want to see on a bike costing upward of US$10,000.

Equipment: flawless Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 group and fantastic Bontrager bits

Whatever gripes we can air on the rear brake position and fork tip alignment, we have nothing but positive things to say in regards to the new Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 group . It's utterly brilliant in every way that matters and corrects every mis-step of the previous 7900 package.

Shift quality is superb, with smooth and dependable changes under full power – especially up front, which is still best in class. Lever action is light, enviably precise, and silky smooth, plus Shimano has given back the ability to downshift three rear gears in a sweep. Lever ergonomics are also fantastic, with a smooth shape that falls naturally in your hands and a reach adjustment that's usable without detracting from the keen aesthetics.

Despite the unusual rear caliper placement and uncommon direct mount fitment, brake performance is excellent with ample power, a solid-feeling lever, and good control – provided you take the time to resurface the stock carbon-specific Bontrager cork pads. The rear quick-release that's built into the head tube stop is a little awkward to use during a wheel change but thankfully, we never really had to since the Bontrager Aeolus 3 D3 rims are roughly the same width as the 25mm tyres we used primarily during testing.

We had excellent luck overall with Bontrager's latest 35mm-deep carbon clinchers, which are admirably rigid, lightweight, reasonably stable in crosswinds, and seemingly durable thanks in part to well proven DT Swiss star ratchet rear hub internals. Tubeless compatibility would be the icing on the cake but in fairness, it's still a rarity in the road world.

We have plenty of praise for the rest of Bontrager finishing kit too. The Race X Lite IsoZone carbon handlebar does a fantastic job of sucking of road buzz and the matching carbon stem is impressively solid. Despite the minimal padding, the Paradigm XXX Carbon saddle is nevertheless comfortable and supportive for long days on the road too, thanks to its smart shape and generous central cutout.

Price: £10,311 BikeRadar says: "Overall, the latest Madone faithfully carries forward the range's hallmarks of brilliant handling, spot-on rider positioning, very good stiffness and good ride quality. Aero shaping and continuing weight losses only further improve the stock. However, the unusual rear brake position and the associated inconveniences mar what is otherwise a great bike." BikeRadar verdict: 3 1/2 stars More information: www.trekbikes.com

Complete bike specifications

Frame: Trek Madone 7-Series Project One (52cm tested) Fork: Trek Madone KVF full carbon Headset: Cane Creek IS8, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered Stem: Bontrager Race XXX Lite Handlebars: Bontrager Race X Lite IsoZone Tape/grips: Bontrager Gel Grip Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 w/ Bontrager carbon-specific cork pads Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 w/ Bontrager carbon-specific cork pads Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-9000 Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace FD-9000 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace RD-9000 Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-9000 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000 Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-9000 Bottom bracket: Trek BB90 integrated Pedals: n/a Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus 53 D3 clincher Front tyre: Bontrager R4, 700x25c Rear tyre: Bontrager R4, 700x25c Saddle: Bontrager Paradigm RXXXL Seatpost: Bontrager Ride Tuned Carbon seatmast Weight: 6.32kg (13.93 lbs) w/o pedals

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Trek reveals all-new Checkmate gravel race bike, updates the Checkpoint too

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2024 Trek Madone SLR 9 Gen 7

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

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4'11" – 5'3"

5'1" – 5'5"

5'3" – 5'7"

5'5" – 5'9"

5'8" – 6'0"

5'10" – 6'2"

6'0" – 6'4"

6'2" – 6'5"

5'11", size 56cm, Fits small
5'7", size 52cm, Just right

Trek’s new eighth-generation Madone is lightweight, aerodynamic, and fast—the road bike raced by Lidl-Trek in the 2024 Tour de France.

Sub 800g frame weight (Size M/L) is much lighter then before

Improved ride quality and comfort

Simplified headset compatibility

Aero bottles are an integral part of Trek's aerodynamic claims for the bike

Offered in only six frame sizes (down from eight)

Read Review

Jun 2024 · Peter Stuart

Trek's new Madone supersedes its aero champion and kills off the Emonda altogether - so is this one bike to rule them all?

Fantastic ride quality and comfort

Rigid in power transfer and handling

Stunningly light

A blisteringly fast bike

The accompanying water bottles may take some getting used to

Nov 2023 · Mat Brett

It had its idiosyncrasies – including flip-out 'Vector Wings’ in the head tube – but we wish every new bike offered as many interesting features as the Trek Madone 9 Series did back in 2015

Oct 2023 · James Huang

The same cutting-edge aerodynamic performance of Trek’s flagship Madone SLR, distilled into a much more affordable package.

Heaps lighter than before

Tangibly speedy

Surprisingly good ride quality

Superb handling

Lots of tire clearance

User-friendly two-piece cockpit

Sharp lines.

Polarizing IsoFlow aesthetics

Poor weathersealing

Narrow wheels and tires.

Trek's new Madone SL Gen 7 is set to deliver SLR performance at a (much) lower price point. So — is the Madone SLR worth the extra money?

Aug 2023 · Troy Templin

The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 now completes the line matching the more expensive SLR and offers almost the same ride quality.

May 2023 · Simon von Bromley

The seventh-generation Madone is an excellent all-round performer, but it comes with a big price tag

Composed yet fast

Innovative design

Front end can run both integrated and non-integrated handlebar setups

Wide range of frame sizes

No power meter

Mid-range tyres and cheap inner tubes don’t belong on this bike

Dec 2022 · Sam Challis

The new Madone is leaner, meaner and wickedly quick

Very fast ride feel

Smart componentry design

Light weight

Narrow bars take some getting used to

Vulnerable in gusty conditions

First added July 11

Last updated August 16

WORLDS COLLIDE Our fastest and lightest unite Take flight on the all-new Madone Gen 8, an earth-shattering fusion of our lightest and fastest superbikes. Whether you’re powering up climbs or sprinting across the finish line, Madone Gen 8 was designed with input from the world’s top racers to be the best wherever you ride it. Insanely aero. Impossibly light. Wildly thrilling. Other road race bikes claim to be the best in the world. We aim to prove them wrong.

Equal parts Madone. Equal parts Émonda. Madone Gen 8 is the best of both worlds.

Light as Émonda*

As fast as madone gen 7, seconds/hour faster than émonda, grams lighter than madone gen 7*.

Read the aero white paper
see the bikes

*When comparing framesets

Your dream bike. Exactly how you imagined it. Choose from a seemingly endless palette of colours, find your perfect fit and cherry-pick your components in Project One.

CUSTOMISE your Madone

The ultimate featherweight Entirely new carbon and revolutionary aero tube shapes We’ve created our highest-level carbon ever to help make Madone Gen 8 the best ultra-lightweight climbing superbike inside and out. All-new 900 Series OCLV Carbon is made with up to 20% stronger fibres and a more efficient moulding process, which lets us use less material to shave even more weight without sacrificing stiffness. Our best-ever carbon paired with revolutionary new aero shapes and a new one-piece carbon fork help make Madone Gen 8 aero where it matters most and crazy-light everywhere else.

Explore OCLV Carbon

Redefining what fast looks like New aero tube shapes and aero-optimised rider system Madone Gen 8 features revolutionary new Full System Foil aero tube shapes that improve airflow over the whole bike while maintaining the lightness climbers crave. Plus, the bike’s entire rider system – rider position, cockpit, frame, components and all-new RSL Aero Bottles and Cages – was meticulously designed and rigorously tested to be faster everywhere.

Improved IsoFlow technology 80% more vertical compliance Trek-exclusive IsoFlow technology flexes over bumps in the road to provide a smoother ride, improves aerodynamics and shaves weight to save precious seconds in the saddle. We refined our race-focused comfort tech to be lighter and more comfortable with 80% more vertical compliance than the previous version.

Sized for speed

Fast Road Race geo and fit

We looked at millions of data points to perfect Madone’s Road Race geometry. This positioning helps you ride your fastest by keeping you tucked out of the wind while still being accessible enough for a range of rider fits.

New size-specific tubes

Find your perfect size without sacrificing fast. We’ve optimised Madone’s tube shapes for smaller and larger bikes, so riders of all sizes can enjoy the absolute best look, feel and lightweight aero design.

New Road sizing We updated our sizing system to fit an even wider range of riders while consolidating the number of sizes and reducing overlap to make it easier to find the right size for you.

FIND YOUR SIZE

20 years in the making Madone has been raced and refined for the past two decades to be the first up every climb, the fastest down every descent and the lead through every sprint.

See the evolution of Madone

Our lightest and fastest Madone SL ever The ultimate race bike for more riders The all-new Madone SL boasts the same podium-topping tech as Madone SLR Gen 8 with a few key differences that bring the price down but keep performance high.

Shop Madone SL

Same IsoFlow compliance tech as Madone SLR

Same Full System Foil aero tube shaping as Madone SLR

Fast and light 500 Series OCLV Carbon

Easily adjustable two-piece handlebar and stem

Want to make your Madone SL even faster?

Shop the same aero bottles featured on Madone SLR for an extra aero boost.

Which generation is right for you?

Madone Gen 8

The ultimate ultra-light, ultra-aero race bike • Our lightest and fastest road race tech • New lighter-weight, more compliant IsoFlow technology • Available in all-new 900 OCLV Carbon (SLR) or 500 OCLV Carbon (SL) • New light, fast and aero Full System Foil tube shapes

Madone Gen 7

The original superbike built for pure speed • IsoFlow compliance tech • Available in 800 or 500 OCLV Carbon • Fast Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shapes

Émonda Gen 3

The original ultra-lightweight race bike • No IsoFlow compliance tech • Available in 800 and 500 OCLV Carbon • Lightweight design optimised for climbing

Comfortably go the distance with the smooth, fast and fun Domane.

See the details
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Speed Concept

Get your fastest split with the ultra-aero triathlon and time trial bike.

Shop Speed Concept

Tesla Model 3

Electric Vehicles
Kelley Blue Book

In July, Tesla Model 3’s price was 30% higher than January (but EV prices are still dropping)

EV prices in July were higher month-over-month but lower year-over-year – and the Tesla Model 3 price was up an eyebrow-raising 30% from January, reports Kelley Blue Book .

The average transaction price (ATP) for an EV in July was $56,520 (and remember, folks – the $7,500 tax credit isn’t reflected in the ATPs). That’s higher than June but lower year-over-year by 1.5%.

The average incentive package offered with a new EV in July was over 12% of the transaction price, the highest level in more than three years. That’s also around twice the level seen in July 2023, when typical incentive packages were equal to 6.0% of the ATP.

EV incentives in July were 73% higher than the industry average, and there are also higher inventory levels, both of which tip the scales in favor of buyers. However, high loan rates and strict credit conditions are restraining potentially robust industry sales.

Average transaction prices at Tesla continue to rise after dropping to near the industry average in December 2023. In July, Tesla ATPs were $59,593, up 11% from a year ago and at the highest point since February 2023. The success of the Cybertruck is pulling Tesla prices higher, although Model 3 and Model Y prices have risen steadily through the year.

In July, the ATP for Model Y was $52,055, up 5% from January, while Model 3 was $53,878, up 30% from January, when Model 3 ATPs were $41,531. The Model Y and Model 3 are the top-selling EVs in the US market.

But keep in mind that there are plenty of great EV deals still to be had right now:

At $219/mo, the VW ID.4 is now one of the best electric SUV lease deals out there
Check out the electric vehicles you can lease for under $200 a month this August

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Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at [email protected]. Check out her personal blog.

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IMAGES

Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 6
Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc Road Bike 2020 White/Blue
The whole historical past of the Trek Madone
TREK MADONE 9.9 2018
Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7
2016 Trek Madone 9 Series Project One

COMMENTS

Trek Madone generations
The history of Trek Madone runs deep, with decades of industry-disrupting road race technology and advancements. Explore the evolution of Madone now! ... It was also much lighter than the Gen 6 version, shaving nearly 300g from the previous model. 2 0 2 4 Madone Gen 8
Trek Bike Models by Year and Color
On this page is a listing of Trek model numbers or names. To the right of each model designation are the year(s) in which the model was sold by Trek. For most models and years, the colors of the bikes are shown in the list. ... Madone SSL: 05, gloss black/blue pearl carbon: Madone 5.2: 05, black pearl carbon, also blue blue (team) Madone SL 5.2:
Bespoke Cycling
Armstrong's first Tour victory came aboard Trek's 5000-series race bike, the Madone's predecessor and the first model to be given the carbon fibre treatment. The Madone name wasn't actually introduced until 2003 and has since gone on to evolve massively in the 14 years since it was first launched.
Trek Madone long-term review: Hyper-aero, surprisingly comfy
The Madone has served many roles over its long history in the Trek lineup, but it's with this latest iteration that aerodynamic efficiency has taken center stage. 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.
Four Years & Five Grand: Trek Madone Face-Off
2020 Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc vs. 2016 Trek Madone 9 Series ... This 2016 model happens to be missing the cover over the IsoSpeed bolt. It's mostly cosmetic, and these things can happen with a six year old bike. The 2020 model features an improved IsoSpeed design. An adjustable slider under the top tube allows riders to tune the IsoSpeed.
The whole historical past of the Trek Madone
Trek's IsoSpeed system has been deployed on the Domane endurance bike since 2012, and works by successfully decoupling the seat tube from the highest tube, permitting it to flex alongside its complete size. 'For the Madone, although, we made a tube-in-tube model,' says Roessingh.
How the Madone Gen 8 was designed, tested, and brought to life
Scott Daubert putting the Madone Gen 8 through the paces. "Trek wanted a lighter Madone. So then it kind of made sense to go, 'OK, let's really focus on making an aerodynamic bike lighter,'" Daubert says. "There were no holds barred.". That detectability group did their first ride test in November of 2022 in California.
Bespoke Cycling
The Trek Madone 7 marked a brand new top-level offering (previously the Madone only went to 6) and the big news was both a drop in frame weight, from 815g to 750g for a 56cm frame, and an aerodynamic design good for a 25 watt saving at 40kph compared to the previous Madone. That aero claim came courtesy of a frame designed with Kammtail Virtual ...
Trek Madone Gen 8 SL7: First ride review
Trek claims that the new Madone SLR hits a frame weight of 765g and a fork weight of 370g, making it the same weight as the outgoing Emonda. It also manages that while exceeding the aerodynamics ...
Madone race-ready aerodynamic road bikes
Madone Gen 8. The ultimate ultra-light, ultra-aero race bike. • Our lightest and fastest road race tech. • New lighter-weight, more compliant IsoFlow technology. • Available in all-new 900 OCLV Carbon (SLR) or 500 OCLV Carbon (SL) • New light, fast, and aero Full System Foil tube shapes.
Used Bike Buyers Guide: Trek Domane Model History
The Trek Domane 6 Series added IsoSpeed to the front end to match the rear. Trek Domane SLR 6 Disc Road Bike - 2017. To further improve vibration reduction, an IsoCore handlebar was added. It includes a layer of rubber inside the carbon fiber. Tire clearance gets bumped up from 25mm to 28mm on the rim brake version, and 32mm on the disc brake ...
Lance Armstrong's Trek Butterfly Madone: The Story of the Most
Lance Armstrong's Trek Butterfly Madone was astonishing, extravagant, and controversial in equal measure - not unlike the disgraced American's career.. The one-off creation - essentially an artwork on two wheels, created by the idiosyncratic British artist Damien Hirst - would go on to become the most expensive bike ever sold at auction, fetching a jaw-dropping $500,000 for charity.
Trek Madone range: Which model is right for you?
In the past, the Madone models were split into SLR (top end), SL (middle) and 9 Series (entry level) versions. For 2019, there is just one SL model, at £3600, and the rest are SLR - where a ...
First Look and Ride: 2016 Trek Madone 9-Series
All use the same brake calipers and integrated bar. Sizing now mirrors the Emonda. Seven sizes, 50-62cm, are offered in H1; and nine from 47 to 64cm in H2. - Madone 9.2, $6300, built with Shimano ...
First Look: Trek Madone Gen 8
Trek has unveiled its newest road racing machine, an eighth-generation Madone that is lighter and more aero than any previous version across the iconic model's 20-plus-year history. Unsurprisingly, Trek says it's the best road bike the US company has ever made: lighter than the Émonda and as aero as the previous Madone.
The design story behind the 2019 Trek Madone SLR
At the start of the 2019 Trek Madone SLR development journey, the Trek R&D team collectively agreed that the key goal for their next generation road was to offer a more refined experience for the rider. One of the first meetings involved placing sticky notes on all the areas of the 2016 bike that could be improved and refined.
Review: The New Trek Madone Is Extra Smooth and Still Very Fast
Nearly everything about the 2025 model year Trek Madone is new and the result is a bike unlike anything else. As a final goodbye to the bike, I attempted to take it on a 230-mile trip to the beach and back. Things didn't quite work out as planned, but my time with the Trek Madone was spent marveling at how smooth and comfortable it is.
Trek bikes range: which model is right for you?
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 ...
Trek Madone Bikes Compared: Which One to Choose?
The main differences between Madone Gen 6 and Gen 7 are that Gen 6 has IsoSpeed decoupler, while Gen 7 has IsoFlow. Gen 7 frames are lighter and 19W faster at 45km/h ( source ). They also look different due to the significant design change. Trek introduced SL 6 and SL 7 Gen 7 with an adjustable cockpit in August 2023.
Close up with the new Trek Madone: Mads Pedersen's Tour ...
The hoods on the handlebar are 3cm narrower than the drops which Trek says allows for an improved, more aero rider position. The new Madone will come with Bontrager's Aeolus RSL 51 carbon tubeless ...
Trek Madone 7-Series Project One
Trek even claims some impressive aerodynamic savings over the previous round-tubed Madone: 25 watts at 40km/h, or about two minutes per hour. So the latest Madone is stout under power, handles ...
2024 Trek Madone SLR 9 Gen 7
Jul 2024. Trek's new eighth-generation Madone is lightweight, aerodynamic, and fast—the road bike raced by Lidl-Trek in the 2024 Tour de France. Highs. Sub 800g frame weight (Size M/L) is much lighter then before. Improved ride quality and comfort.
Madone race-ready aerodynamic road bikes
Madone Gen 8. The ultimate ultra-light, ultra-aero race bike. • Our lightest and fastest road race tech. • New lighter-weight, more compliant IsoFlow technology. • Available in all-new 900 OCLV Carbon (SLR) or 500 OCLV Carbon (SL) • New light, fast and aero Full System Foil tube shapes.
In July, Tesla Model 3's price was 30% higher than January (but EV
In July, the ATP for Model Y was $52,055, up 5% from January, while Model 3 was $53,878, up 30% from January, when Model 3 ATPs were $41,531. The Model Y and Model 3 are the top-selling EVs in the ...

The whole historical past of the Trek Madone

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EF Schooling-EasyPost add one other neo-pro in 19-year-old Briton Lukas Nerurkar

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