Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?
Trek has simply joined the rising variety of manufacturers that now solely provide a single race-focussed mannequin. With the Emonda disappearing from the vary, it’s a full-circle second for the American bike firm.
Trek launched the Madone in 2003, and for a time, it was a largely round-tubed race bike centered on weight. Through the years, we noticed the Madone take a path of aerodynamics, and by the mid-2010s, it had gained sufficient weight for Trek to introduce a brand new weight-focused mannequin – the Emonda.
The selection between the aero Madone and light-weight Emonda has remained till right now. Need each aero and light-weight? Properly, Trek didn’t actually have a great reply for that. And that leads us to the brand new Trek Madone Gen 8, a motorbike that goals to match the Emonda in weight and the Madone in aero.
On this article, I’ll cowl what’s new, the place the claimed positive aspects are, what has seemingly been misplaced within the mannequin consolidation, and a few preliminary hands-on impressions. Contemplate this an in depth first look reasonably than a full assessment. Ronan Mc Laughlin will hopefully fill within the gaps at a later date.
The in need of it: Trek’s newest technology Madone and now all-rounder highway race bike. It replaces the pre-existing Madone SL and SLR, together with the Emonda carbon vary.
Great things: Improved journey high quality, unapologetically a race bike, distinctive seems to be, simply adjustable stem top with efforts taken to simplify headset compatibility, Madone SL now lighter than earlier SLR, and now outfitted with acceptable tyre widths.
Unhealthy stuff: Nonetheless not the lightest choice nor essentially the most aero bike Trek might make, Trek’s personal aero bottles are an integral a part of the bike’s aero efficiency, headset nonetheless lacks sealing.
Lighter. Smoother. Much less aero?
In keeping with Trek, the brand new Madone is simply as gentle because the earlier Emonda, simply as aero because the out-going Madone Gen 7, and extra comfy than each. There are truths to such claims, however as I’ll get to, they’re additionally not telling of the total image.
Whereas the brand new Madone Gen 8 seems to be just like the Madone earlier than it, the corporate claims to have began from a clean web page together with contemplating conventional and non-traditional designs, dropped seatstays, conventional seatstays, and a few pre-existing Trek ideas. In the long run, the Madone’s acquainted kind issue and unmistakable IsoFlow seat tube received over in efforts to enhance seated consolation whereas conserving a verify on weight and aerodynamics.
From afar it might look a complete lot just like the Madone Gen 7, however a detailed look reveals a lot of key tubes which have now been optimised for weight discount over absolute aerodynamics. For instance, the down tube is extra rounded than earlier than, whereas the seat tube doesn’t observe the contour of the rear wheel in the identical manner or have almost as a lot depth to it. It’s an identical story up entrance with the now-shallower fork blades. That particular IsoFlow seat tube gap is refined in form, now smaller, and stated to be lighter, extra aero, and extra versatile.
After all, Trek claims that its new Madone SLR Gen 8 is simply as quick as its predecessor and runs rings across the Emonda (which was not recognized to be a slippery bike). Gone is Trek’s earlier dedication to the Kammtail Digital Foil (aka, truncated airfoil shapes) which largely existed for the UCI’s now-discontinued 3:1 size/extensive tube cross-section rule. Now, the corporate is coining the phrase “Full System Foil,” the place a cross-section taken of the entire bike reveals a deep airfoil form that features the brand new aerodynamic bottles.
To be frank, Trek’s declare that the brand new Madone is quicker is just not an apples-to-apples comparability. The figures used embrace the brand new aero bottles within the measurement of the brand new bike, however spherical bottles are used within the figures for the older model. At straighter yaw angles and as a whole bike bundle (together with these bottles) the brand new Madone Gen 8 is alleged to be sooner by a small margin. Even nonetheless, the earlier Madone stays the sooner choose at excessive yaw angles past 10º, and it’s possible the distinction would lengthen additional if these speedy bottles had been fitted to the older mannequin.
When you evaluate an apple to an apple, you’ll see the outcomes flip in favour of the Gen 7 model, with Trek claiming a 1.6 W delta (at 35 km/h) in a straight line when evaluating each generations of Madone arrange with spherical bottles.
I’m not eager to republish the corporate’s white paper on the subject, however a lot of the claims encompass the thought of testing the entire bike as a system, not simply with the aero bottles, but in addition with a rider onboard, too. For example, the brand new handlebar contains a taller and blunter profile which, in keeping with Trek, would measure slower if examined in isolation. Nonetheless, with a rider in place, Trek claims the less-aero form helps to cut back the drag on a rider’s transferring legs, and due to this fact comes out as a web achieve.
There are numerous “it relies upon” moments when discussing aerodynamics in biking, and it’s trivial to argue over fractions of a watt if efficiencies are made elsewhere. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Trek has left some potential aerodynamic positive aspects on the desk in pursuit of lowering weight and bettering the journey high quality.
The brand new flagship Madone SLR Gen 8 body carries a claimed weight of 796 grams (M/L, lightest paint, no {hardware}), with the matching fork at 350 g. There’s additionally the more-affordable Madone SL, with a claimed body weight at 1,054 g, and a fork at 363 g. Evaluate these figures to the Madone SLR Gen 7 with a claimed body and fork weight of 1,050 g and 418 g respectively. Or the corporate’s Emonda SLR with a claimed body weight of 760 g and a fork at 381 g.
Add within the now 25-30 g lighter RSL Aero one-piece handlebar of the Madone SLR, and the corporate claims its full bikes are on par with the place the Emonda beforehand sat. That every one stated, the bikes nonetheless aren’t vulnerable to breaking the UCI’s 6.8 kg rule, with Trek’s lightest Madone SLR 9 construct sitting at 7 kg earlier than the addition of cages, laptop mount, or pedals. In the meantime, my Madone SLR 9 Undertaking One pattern in a medium dimension and with the Lidl-Trek paint scheme tipped the scales at 7.13 kg with tubeless tyre sealant, Trek’s new aero carbon cages, and laptop mount, however no pedals. Add pedals and also you’re roughly half a kilogram (a pound) away from breaking the UCI’s weight restrict.
Definitely, using a number of shallower and extra conventional tube shapes helps with among the weight discount achieved, however a lot of the financial savings are made in methods the eyes can’t see. With the brand new Madone Gen 8, Trek has launched a brand new flagship 900-Collection OCLV carbon lay-up for its SLR fashions, successfully a stiffer and stronger materials that permits for much less of it for use (therefore, weight saved).
On the identical time, Trek has made a number of adjustments to how its frames and forks are manufactured. The frames are actually constructed with 3D silicon moulds that precisely match the inner body shaping with the purpose of offering improved and better-controlled materials compaction. The forks are actually being moulded as a single piece as an alternative of the earlier strategy of bonding a number of items into one. The result’s much less pointless materials overlap, and a few important weight positive aspects simply within the fork alone.
Trek made additional enhancements by transferring to 2 distinct sizes of tube shapes, one for the three smaller body sizes and one other for the bigger three. Whereas not a brand new idea, such size-specific body design does imply the smaller sizes are higher optimised for smaller riders, and vice versa.
Lastly, we come to the improved vertical flex within the IsoFlow seat tube. Trek claims the brand new Gen-8 Madone is 80% extra compliant than its predecessor and 24% extra compliant than the Emonda. These numbers are massive, however needless to say neither the Gen 7 Madone nor the present Emonda had been recognized for his or her sofa-like journey qualities.
Additional aiding consolation is the actual fact Trek introduced the brand new Madone into the present age of tyre widths. Even in 2023, Trek was equipping its Gen 7 Madone with a dated 25 mm tyre width. Now the brand new Madone comes inventory with 28s (measuring an precise 29.5 mm at 68 psi), and there’s formally room to suit 32 mm tyres (based mostly on Trek’s beneficiant 6 mm of surrounding clearance allowance).
New sizing
It wasn’t so way back that Trek provided its race bikes in a alternative of two suits, with H1 (professional race) and H2 (shopper) offering a alternative in stack and attain figures. Finally, Trek consolidated these into H1.5, with match figures taking an approximate common of the 2 prior decisions. Now, Trek has rebranded H1.5 to “Street Race” geometry. Whereas the numbers are intently akin to the earlier H1.5, there are some important variations to notice.
Firstly, Trek is altering from its long-standing numerical sizing to alpha-type sizing (assume T-shirt sizing). The dimensions chart is now a detailed match to that of Large Bicycles, with a 54 cm equating to a medium, a 56 cm being a Medium-Massive, and a 58 cm being a Massive.
If consolidating two race fashions into one wasn’t sufficient, Trek has additionally decreased its dimension vary from eight choices to 6. One discount comes by merging the earlier 52 and 54 cm sizes right into a single Medium alternative. This will sound problematic, however these two earlier sizes sat surprisingly shut to one another with only a 3 mm distinction in body attain and eight mm in stack. I personally had lengthy thought I used to be between the 52 and 54 cm sizing, wishing for the attain of the 52 cm and the stack of the 54 cm, and seemingly, my want has now come true.
The second discount comes from Trek ditching its greatest 62 cm body dimension choice and merging it with the 60 cm to create the brand new Further Massive dimension. In keeping with the corporate, this new greatest choice has a fair increased most saddle top than the discontinued 62 cm choice whereas giving up simply 10 mm in stack top (in comparison with the 62 cm dimension). I’ll by no means be tall sufficient to be upset by this, but it surely does really feel like manufacturers are more and more ignoring the giants of this world.
Past these adjustments the match numbers are near the place they beforehand sat. That stated, the revised one-piece RSL Aero handlebar outfitted on the SLR fashions provides an efficient 4 mm to the stack because of its thicker shaping. Don’t need that additional top? Trek will provide a particular “wow, you should be professional” (not its precise identify) low-bearing prime cowl as an aftermarket choice.
Whereas lighter and simpler to know with a thicker profile, that new one-piece RSL Aero handlebar in any other case options the identical flared drops and dimensions because the model earlier than it. Meaning these bikes are coming inventory with an appropriately narrow-width handlebar on the controls, with choices measuring as slim as 35 cm on the hoods. Even the widest 44 cm handlebar (measured on the drops) measures a decent 41 cm on the hoods. Trek will produce its RSL Aero handlebar/stem in a formidable 21 completely different size and width configurations, together with stem lengths starting from 70 to 130 mm.
Tech notes
Traditionally Trek has not achieved a stellar job of conserving constant elements throughout generations of bikes. I can consider one Madone technology that used a novel headset bearing that has by no means been used since, whereas many different fashions have launched proprietary headset prime caps and seatpost-related issues, to the chagrin of mechanics. Now Trek is making up for it with some massive guarantees round ushering in a brand new technology of elements standardisation and interchangeability.
Maybe on the forefront of that’s the introduction of the Common Derailleur Hanger (UDH) to its highway race bike – possibly a primary for the WorldTour. Trek had already launched the UDH to its entry-level Domane AL highway bike, and it’s now clear this would be the derailleur hanger of alternative transferring ahead for its complete highway, gravel, and mountain bike ranges.
Holding with the drivetrain, Trek is sticking with its 85.5 mm-width T47 Inner threaded backside bracket, and there’s no scarcity of choices to suit that right now. The Madone SLR is suitable with digital gearing solely, whereas the lower-cost Madone SL might be fitted with mechanical shifting. Each variations characteristic a detachable entrance derailleur tab must you want for a clear 1x gearing setup. Assuming a 43.5 mm-chainline crank is fitted, the brand new Madone can deal with as much as 43/56T gearing in a 2x gearing configuration, or a 54T chaining in a 1x.
In a slight departure from the norm, the brand new Madone is designed to take both a 180 or 160 mm entrance disc rotor (not 140 mm!), whereas the rear can deal with a 140 or 160 mm disc. There are new thru-axles, too. The Madone SLR will get some fancy chamfered variations that sit inward of the body dropout, whereas the Madone SL could have extra typical bolt-up axles. Each variations come inventory with a detachable deal with that additionally supplies a number of helpful hex-key sizes.
The non-traditional seatpost design in fact means a number of proprietary options. XS-Medium sizes include a short-length seatpost (150 mm) in a zero setback configuration, whereas the larger sizes include a longer-length seatpost (190 mm) in a zero setback. After all aftermarket choices for swapping lengths or going to a 20 mm setback choice can be made accessible (in black).
All posts are held in place with a novel wedge system that securely locks the publish through a single 4 mm hex bolt (tightened to five.2 Nm). The securing hex bolt is accessible by way of the rear slot within the body, and the wedge might be flipped relying in your required saddle top. That stated, I did expertise an uncommon rattle in my check bike that I traced right down to this wedge. Some grease hushed it, however I used to be considerably stunned that such a multi-part chunk of aluminium would characteristic in such a weight-focussed machine.
That seatpost design additionally means customers of Shimano Di2 want a special location for the battery. Right here, the Madone gives a proprietary battery holder that bolts into the bottom of the down tube. It’s solely accessible with the underside bracket eliminated.
Extra objectives of standardisation inside Trek’s vary include the brand new RCS Headset system. There are three prime cap and matched spacer variants relevant to the brand new Madone, all sharing the identical 1.5″ bearing and composite cable-guiding cut up ring beneath:
- RCS Race: Matches the brand new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8)
- RCS Professional: Matches the present RCS Professional Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
- RCS Common: To be used with conventional spherical stems (common 1 1/8-in. steerer clamp)
Full bikes will ship with a beneficiant stack of spacers beneath the stem; 40 mm to be precise. That is the utmost allowed by Trek, and I’d argue that those that want the total top ought to already be contemplating a mannequin of motorcycle with a extra acceptable body stack determine (resembling Trek’s Domane).
One other element many will recognize is that Trek provides an alternate prime cap for the stem which permits using common spherical headset spacers to be positioned on prime. Consequently, you possibly can freely modify the peak of the stem with out having to undo brake hoses or reduce the steerer (at the very least till you’re able to). This looks like a easy characteristic, but it surely’s worrying what number of built-in stem designs fail to supply such comfort.
There’s additionally a brand new laptop mount to match the brand new RSL Aero handlebar on the SLR bikes. Supplied with the Madone SLR, the brand new lightened however non-adjustable mount consists of pucks for Garmin and Wahoo computer systems. It additionally combines with a supplied common mount for lights, which is well eliminated through a single hex bolt.
Aero you possibly can squeeze
Trek’s new RSL Aero bottles and corresponding cages kind a key a part of Trek’s declare that the brand new bike is simply as speedy because the previous. Trek states these new bottles assist easy the airflow between the down tube and seat tube. A pair of them saves a claimed 3.7 W at 45 km/h (or 1.8W at 35km/h) in comparison with a pair of 600 ml spherical bottles in Trek Bat cages, they usually’re claimed to be sooner than utilizing no bottles in any respect.
The brand new bottles are UCI-legal and the aero positive aspects are sufficient that Trek states its males’s and ladies’s groups can be racing with them. Clearly, the cages and bottles had been designed with the brand new Madone in thoughts, however the Wisconsin firm states in addition they improved the aerodynamics of each different bike they tried them on, too.
Given the bottle’s significance to the bike’s efficiency, the bottle’s efficiency issues enormously. The bottles are provided in a single 595 ml (20 oz) capability, are BPA-free, and are dishwasher-safe. The pull-top chunk valve is just not detachable or replaceable. I discovered the chunk valve slightly robust to open, and the water stream to be acceptable however not fast. An empty Aero bottle weighs a not-so-light 97 g. Fortunately, the matching carbon cages are a decent 39 g every.
Taking a web page from Cannondale’s e book, the brand new aero cages may maintain any common spherical bottle from the gathering that at the moment occupies its personal kitchen cabinet in your home. Carrying an everyday bottle seems to be slightly funky, but it surely at the very least holds it over a bumpy highway. The match with the Aero bottle is safe with out being a ache to seize the bottle from, however there may be actually a studying curve in returning a non-round bottle to its holster.
Trek will provide its RSL Aero bottles in a smoke (black) color or the pictured staff blue. Matching carbon cages can be found in black, white, and blue, with Undertaking One bikes (excluding ICON paint) getting painted-to-match cages. Bottles and cages can be accessible for particular person buy, however count on to pay US$100 for a bottle and cage set (one bottle, one cage).
Madone SL vs Madone SLR
The brand new Madone, together with the Emonda’s phaseout, represents a big discount in Trek’s stock-keeping models (SKUs), with two bike strains changing into one, two fewer sizes throughout all fashions, and a narrower vary of inventory color choices. There are actually 9 full bike choices and two frameset choices, cut up between the more-affordable Madone SL and the premium Madone SLR.
The Madone SL shares the identical aesthetic exterior because the SLR however contains a heavier 500-series OCLV carbon lay-up. All variations of the SL come outfitted with a two-piece handlebar and stem (RCS Professional). In the meantime, the flowery aero bottles and cages have to be bought individually.
Mannequin | USD | UK | AU | EU (Belgium) |
Madone SL 5 | $3,500 | £3,250 | AU$4,500 | €3,500 |
Madone SL 6 | $5,500 | £4,250 | AU$6,500 | €5,000 |
Madone SL 6 AXS | $6,000 | £4,750 | N/A | €5,500 |
Madone SL 7 | $6,500 | £6,000 | AU$8,500 | €6,500 |
Madone SLR 7 | $9,000 | £8,000 | AU$13,000 | €9,000 |
Madone SLR 7 AXS | $9,500 | £8,500 | AU$14,500 | €9,500 |
Madone SLR 9 | $13,000 | £12,000 | AU$19,000 | €13,500 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS | $13,500 | £12,500 | AU$20,000 | €14,000 |
Madone SLR 9 AXS P1 (Interstellar) | $17,000 | £14,700 | N/A | €16,400 |
Madone SL Disc Frameset | $3,800 | £2,750 | N/A | €3,000 |
Madone SLR Disc Frameset | $6,000 | £4,575 | AU$8,000 | €5,000 |
There are 4 full Madone SL bikes within the 2025 vary, beginning with the Madone SL 5, the one mannequin to characteristic mechanical shifting (Shimano 105 12-speed) and alloy rim wheels. The Madone SL 6 introduces 105 Di2 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels, whereas the Madone SL 6 AXS swaps to an SRAM Rival AXS groupset. On the prime of the Madone SL vary, the likely-to-be-popular SL 7 upgrades to Bontrager Aeolus Professional 51 carbon wheels, a carbon handlebar, and a Shimano Di2 12-speed groupset. This bike is claimed to weigh 7.88 kg with out pedals.
The Madone SLR vary kicks off with the SLR 7, working the identical stage of construct equipment because the beforehand talked about SL 7. Nonetheless, with a change in tyres and to the one-piece RSL handlebar/stem, this one carries a claimed weight of seven.31 kg. At an additional 100 g is the Madone SLR 7 AXS with a SRAM Pressure AXS groupset. After which we arrive on the flagship Madone SLR 9 and SLR 9 AXS choices, providing a alternative between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or new SRAM Purple AXS. And eventually, you get into the customisable world of Trek’s Undertaking One, an choice unique to the Madone SLR-level of motorcycle.
As famous, all bikes come inventory with 28 mm tyres – Pirelli P Zero Races for the Madone SLRs, and Bontrager R3 Onerous-Case Lites for the Madone SLs. All however the least expensive Madone SL 5 bikes include the tyres arrange tubeless-ready, together with the required tyre sealant.
Early ideas
Let me preface this by saying that whereas I appreciated that the earlier Madone existed, heavier aero bikes have by no means been to my liking or driving choice. And whereas I’d ridden many Madones through the years, I hadn’t but thrown a leg over the Gen 7.
I had, nonetheless, ridden the latest Emonda SLR. It was a nice bike, however just like the Emonda earlier than it, I nonetheless discovered the journey high quality to be unnecessarily brutish with none apparent achieve to efficiency. I perceive some professional riders request a motorbike to have a stiff really feel by way of the saddle, however I’m more and more of the opinion that that’s foolish, and I at the very least understand it’s not for me. Both manner, the Emonda SLR wasn’t on my advice checklist, both. It’s truthful to say that I got here into a quick interval of testing this bike with an honest stage of scepticism.
Kudos to Trek – the brand new Madone has taken optimistic steps in making this platform extra satisfying to journey. The speedy sensation from the brand new Madone is that, whereas nonetheless stiff and positively not muted to the highway, it’s now far better-mannered by way of seated consolation. The rear feels effectively balanced to the entrance, too, with a minor quantity of flex within the RSL Aero handlebar doing the job there. And the broader tyre configuration (29.5 mm precise width) actually helps enormously with that improved journey really feel, too. There’s no denying the Madone continues to be a real race bike, however I at the very least discover it to be an satisfying one to be on.
There are additionally many different positives to the brand new Madone by way of what hasn’t modified. The dealing with continues to be fast however under no circumstances a handful – it’s a steady journey at velocity. Trek’s attain figures run marginally on the lengthy facet, however the firm balances that with marginally shorter stem lengths for a given dimension, together with the narrowed bar widths, and now a zero-setback publish as inventory. And whereas I feel the 40 mm stack of spacers given beneath the stem is extreme for such a race-focussed machine, it’s at the very least slightly extra welcoming for many who strongly need to be on a race bike reasonably than an endurance-styled highway bike. Including to this, the contact factors stay comfy, and the unchanged Bontrager wheels stay a stable choice, with a top quality hooked rim that retains tyre decisions extensive open.
Early indicators do level to the brand new Madone considerably defying its ultra-modern seems to be by being a comparatively easy bike to personal. That seatpost design locks securely, and the impartial saddle angle and fore-after changes are a pleasant change from Trek’s single-bolt techniques of previous. The power to regulate stem top, or simply entry the headset bearings for greasing is sweet. And it’s comforting realizing the UDH hanger means the body is future-proofed for no matter SRAM is more likely to prepare dinner up subsequent.
Nonetheless, it’s not fairly excellent. There isn’t any extra sealing for both the highest or backside headset bearings. I’d like to regulate the (mounted) angle on the supplied laptop mount. And people aero bottles aren’t fairly as easy-squeezy as one of the best spherical bottles.
Clearly, there’s much more to say about this bike, however a current harm has left me ready the place I’d reasonably go away such additional feedback to my colleague Ronan Mc Laughlin. And whereas it’s a tricky one to reply, hopefully, he’ll have the ability to present additional perception into whether or not the brand new Madone meets the corporate’s velocity claims.
Questions stay
Merging two race bikes into one is at all times going to be polarising choice and a threat for the corporate. I’d argue the brand new Madone isn’t as aero it may very well be, and equally, it’s actually not the lightest bike Trek might make. Nonetheless, most athletes now demand a light-weight aero bike, or an aero light-weight bike, and there may be an rising quantity of nuance in the way you separate these calls for. As somebody who has by no means cherished heavy aero bikes, or rattle-can light-weight rides, I can perceive Trek’s choice to hunt a cheerful medium.
After all, the pessimistic view is that Trek’s bike line was extremely bloated given present market demand, and Trek had beforehand stated it might reduce spending by 10% together with by way of lowering its lineup. Trek hasn’t simply halved the variety of race bikes it ships all over the world; it’s additionally discovered additional efficiencies in fewer sizes and color choices. It’s all upside for Trek bike retailers, however I can’t assist however really feel Trek has achieved it by making trade-offs that may matter to some.
Early impressions recommend the brand new Madone Gen 8 is a good bike that’s effectively worthy of competitors on the prime stage. In an identical vein to bikes just like the Issue Ostro or Pinarello Dogma, it speaks to riders searching for a well-rounded race bike, and bonus factors for doing it in a bundle that may’t be accused of being boring to take a look at. Nonetheless, I think riders who firmly sit in both the camp of wanting a motorbike on the UCI weight restrict, or one that’s aero-optimised to the restrict, can be left wanting one thing completely different to what Trek now has to supply.
What did you consider this story?