No Bike Of The Year test would be complete without an offering from giant US company Trek. After all, a Trek Madone has been Lance Armstrong’s weapon of choice through most of his Tour de France career.
The 4.7 sits towards the lower end of the range. As with all Treks, it comes adorned with in-house Bontrager kit, including wheels and tyres. Shimano’s Ultegra groupset takes care of everything else.
The Trek sometimes feels like two different bikes in one. The rear end is stiff and responsive under drive, the wheels accelerating nicely even from slow speed. Most of the testers found the ride damped and comfortable.
But the front end is quite high – and higher than the 6 series Madones – and some found it more flexible than they would have liked when it came to really hard, aggressive riding. That makes it a little less suitable for hardcore competitive cycling, and gives it a more comfortable sportive-orientated position.
It was described by one tester as “positively lazy and laconic”, making for a bike ideally suited to long days out. Some thought that the design generally suits taller, heavier riders, who’ll appreciate the stability and sturdiness, and everyone found it comfortable, if not super-responsive.
The frame itself looks first-rate, and the finish quality is equal to that of the more expensive Treks, albeit carrying a little extra weight thanks to an aluminium steerer tube. The Bontrager wheels are budget items, roll smoothly and accelerate well, but aren’t the stiffest hoops on the market.
It’s good to see one of the major players taking the women’s road bike market seriously, with Trek making no fewer than five WSD – women-specific design – Madones: the 4.7 (£1,900 with SRAM Rival), 5.2. 5.5, 6.5 and 6.9.