Of course, the Madone SLR is galaxies away from the speed of a spaceship. Nevertheless, top sprinter Mads Pedersen from the World Tour team Lidl Trek (previously Trek-Segafredo) his work equipment as such. This is not entirely absurd. At the very least, the bike with the futuristic-looking frame is an eye-catcher on the market; the characteristic seat knot makes the US bike stand out from the crowd of aero bikes, which are not exactly restrained in their design. Whatever you like is allowed. A spectacular design is one thing. At least as important is the question of whether the extravagant design of the new flagship from Waterloo also brings advantages, because it is no secret that the cycling professionals had wishes in this regard. "We drove Trek to make it lighter," says Pedersen with a smile. Now the seventh generation of the race classic is set to be the lightest and fastest Madone in the company's almost 50-year history and a suitable base for both flat stages and hilly terrain.
Lighter than its predecessor
The Danish former world champion's criticism relates to the total weight of the predecessor of 7.7 kilos, which made it a rather heavy bike among the World Tour racers. Of course, it is also true that the bike had integrated Isospeed suspension, which made it a comfort miracle among competition racers. The new SLR is now said to be 300 grams lighter, which would be a quantum leap for a mature high-end racer like the Madone. The subjunctive mood already gives it away: our measurements don't quite bear this out. The SLR9 AXS is almost 200 grams lighter than its comparable predecessor (see TOUR 1/2019). However, the Americans have achieved this not through a lighter chassis, but through lighter add-on parts such as a new handlebar/stem combination. The baby blue painted frame even weighs around 130 grams more. This means that the Madone is still one of the heavier candidates among the latest aero racers. Comparable specialists such as the Canyon Aeroad CFR or Scott Foil RC Ultimate undercut the one-kilo mark for frame weight. All-rounders like the Giant Propel Advanced SL or Specialised S-Works Tarmac SL 7 are less than 900 grams.
Sailing with a water bottle
The result is also surprising because Trek has bid farewell to the comparatively heavy Isospeed suspension and has placed the provision of suspension comfort on the saddle primarily on the design of the seat tube, now called "Isoflow", which is primarily intended to improve the aerodynamics of the frame: The airflow is channelled through the carbon sculpture on the rear triangle, which should result in less turbulence. Improved Kammtail profiles and a voluminous bottom bracket shell, which together with the water bottles creates a kind of sail, also make the Madone faster. Trek claims up to 19 watts for the overall system of rider and bike at a speed of 45 km/h compared to the old model. With the TOUR dummy, the Madone improves by 5 watts to 207 watts in the GST wind tunnel, making it one of the fastest production bikes in the world. To the top of the World Tour peloton, the Canyons Aeroad CFR and the Cervélo S5 (202 watts each), but the Trek is still a few watts short.
Trek Madone irons out bumps
By abandoning the rear suspension, the SLR loses some of its impressive ride comfort. For a thoroughbred racer, the Madone irons out bumps in the road surface well, but it no longer comes close to the suspension comfort of its predecessor. Since Trek limits the tyre width to 28 millimetres and the mounted tyres cannot be ridden tubeless, the suspension comfort can hardly be improved. Nevertheless, we believe that 30-millimetre tyres will also fit through the frame and fork.
In terms of frame geometry, the US brand continues to rely on the H1.5 version, which gives you a race-orientated position in the saddle. At high speeds, the Madone whizzes over the tarmac almost playfully and steers precisely around bends. However, the weaknesses in the stiffness values, especially the relatively soft fork, could take away some of the riding fun for heavier riders.
If you can afford the flagship at all. With prices ranging from €8,199 to €15,699, the Madone SLR, which is available in eight sizes, is not only the fastest, but also the most expensive platform from the Americans. Unlike the previous model, a version with rim brakes is no longer available. Using the Project One configurator, the price for a customised model finally skyrockets to astronomical heights: Up to 17,584 euros are due for an SLR9 AXS with special paintwork and ceramic bearings. It doesn't get much more exclusive than that. However, this means that the "spaceship" - outside of the professional peloton - will probably be travelling in lonely circles and rarely seen on the roads of this world.
Trek Madone SLR9 AXS in detail
- Price: 15,699 Euro
- Info: www.trekbikes.com
- Weight frame/fork/steering bearing*: 1,158/493/78 grammes
- Frame sizes**: 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62
- Seat/top/head tube: 620/565/135 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR***: 565/390 millimetres/1.45
- Wheelbase/caster: 985/56 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Red eTap AXS (2x12; 48/35, 10-33 t.)
- Brakes: SRAM Red (160/160 mm)
- Wheels/tyres (weights)****: Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51/Bontrager R4 320 25 mm (front/rear: 1,213/1,563 g)
Measured values and individual scores *****
- Weight of complete wheel 7.5 kilos2,7
- Steering head stiffness 88 Nm/°2,0
- Lateral stiffness fork 35 N/mm4,0
- Bottom bracket stiffness 52 N/mm2,3
- Seatpost spring stiffness 177 N/mm 2,0
- Aerodynamics****** 207 watts1,3
*Weighed weights
**Manufacturer information Test size bold.
***Stack/Reach Projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (Stack to Reach) 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.
****Impeller weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/threaded axles and brake discs if necessary.
*****Single noteswhich are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.
******Aerodynamics Theoretical pedalling power required to overcome air resistance at 45 km/h, measured in a wind tunnel with one leg pedalling.
Julian Schultz
Editor
