Just the narrow cobbled course, the bike… and 16,000 of your friendsBen Delaney / Immediate Media
The Trek Madone with new Bontrager Aeolus XXX wheels placed second in the 2018 Ronde van Vlaanderen… under Mads Petersen. Under me, it placed, uh, 5,425th or so in the Ronde sportiveBen Delaney / Immediate Media
Bontrager claims its new aero hoops are best in class in terms of low drag and crosswind stabilityBen Delaney / Immediate Media
Can you tell the difference in performance between a Dura-Ace Di2 and Ultegra Di2 derailleur? I can’tBen Delaney / Immediate Media
A compact crank on 20% cobbled hills in congested rider traffic? Yes, pleaseBen Delaney / Immediate Media
Garmin Vector 3 pedals are a great power meter, especially for travelingBen Delaney / Immediate Media
As far as aero calipers go, the Madone brakes are good. But you won’t mistake them for Dura-Ace 9100Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
There are 16,000 slots sold for the sportive, over various distances. I try to get one every year that I canBen Delaney / Immediate Media
As with the derailleurs, the Ultegra Di2 shifters are darn near indistinguishable from Dura-AceBen Delaney / Immediate Media
An integrated aero bar/stem wouldn’t be my first choice for cobbles, but the Madone set up really isn’t badBen Delaney / Immediate Media
IsoSpeed is a game changer, especially for aero bikesBen Delaney / Immediate Media
What’s even bigger than Madone aero bars? A Garmin Edge 1030, of course. I’ve grown accustomed to the size, and appreciate the clear navigation and battery life, among other thingsBen Delaney / Immediate Media
Unlike the Edge 1030 screen, I absolutely cannot read the small print on the the list of hellingen on the sportive sticker. But putting it on seems like the thing to doBen Delaney / Immediate Media
I had never used a Garmin leash until a few days ago when tailing Trek-Segafredo in their recon and using the little rubber-band Garmin mount. When that snapped after a few cobbles sectors, I was happy to have used it!Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The Madone’s tube sections are enormous, but the bike doesn’t feel like a jackhammer on the cobblesBen Delaney / Immediate Media
The integration is cleanBen Delaney / Immediate Media
