Trek Madone 4.5 review

Comfortable carbon frame with neat touches and Tour winning DNA

Our rating

3.5

1850.00

Published: March 1, 2011 at 8:00 am

Our review
A good frame that needs some stronger kit to make the most of it

The DNA of Trek’s Tour de France-winning bikes is evident in the way this Madone rips up hills and stays composed over rough surfaces. The frame has some neat finishing touches like slotted cable routing, it absorbs vibration well and it’s comfortable too, helped by its 27.2mm carbon fibre seatpost.

But compared with some of the opposition at this price it’s a little underspecced, the R600 chainset being a notable downgrade to the Shimano 105 groupset. The capable frame is also slightly let down by the Bontrager wheels – these are fine for most situations, but lack rigidity during hard out-of-the-saddle sprints.

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