The new Trek Madone 9-Series may be super quick in terms of aerodynamics but it doesn’t ride like most other aero bikesJamie Forrest
Trek has radically redesigned the 2016 Madone, turning it into a full-blown aero road racing machine but yet still compromising little to do soJames Huang / Immediate Media
As compared to the outgoing Madone’s modestly aero shapes, the new version has much deeper profilesJames Huang / Immediate Media
As expected, Trek continues to refine its Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shapes, which feature flat trailing edges that supposedly maintain the aerodynamic benefits of traditional airfoils but with increased stiffnessJames Huang / Immediate Media
The seat cluster is unquestionably complicated in its design, with cutouts around the seatstays for air to pass through and Trek’s brilliant IsoSpeed ‘decoupler’ pivot mechanism hidden beneath cosmetic coversJames Huang / Immediate Media
The seat tube features a deep profile throughout its length, but it’s actually concealing a secondary seat tube insideJames Huang / Immediate Media
Trek says the new Madone’s aero shape can save its rider 19 watts of effort over a non-aero bike at 40km/hJames Huang / Immediate Media
A closer look at the dramatic down tube profile on the new Trek MadoneJames Huang / Immediate Media
Integrated brakes use a center pull design that allows for a slimmer and trimmer profile. Note the fully concealed cabling, tooJames Huang / Immediate Media
Going along with the new frame is a dedicated aero carbon cockpit. Cables and wires are routed through the bar and stem, and then travel straight into the frame for a sleek outward appearanceJames Huang / Immediate Media
The integrated seatmast design allows the centerpull rear brake’s cable to travel straight through the top tubeJames Huang / Immediate Media
Whereas the current Madone uses a round no-cut seatmast design, the new Madone uses a much more aerodynamic shape, plus an all-new clamping mechanismJames Huang / Immediate Media
Madones with the aggressive H1-type frame geometry will be built at Trek’s headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin. H2 and WSD frames will be made overseas from 600-series OCLV carbon fibre composite blendsJames Huang / Immediate Media
The steerer tube uses a squared-off shape to accommodate the internally routed cables, which are tucked up tight against the steerer and run down through the upper headset bearing. The unique steerer tube still uses a conventional 1 1/8in stem clamp but requires a dedicated compression plugJames Huang / Immediate Media
This gives you a good idea of how much is going on ahead of the steerer tube on the new Trek MadoneJames Huang / Immediate Media
The IsoSpeed ‘decoupler’ is neatly hidden beneath painted-to-match covers. It might seem gimmicky but it works really, really wellJames Huang / Immediate Media
IsoSpeed is only one half of the Madone 9 Series’ unusually comfortable ride; the other is the unique dual nested seat tube configuration, which allows for much more flex than an aero tube would normally allowJames Huang / Immediate Media
The asymmetrical chainstays only look relatively small because the main tubes are so bigJames Huang / Immediate Media
Trek says the new Madone’s aero shape was designed with water bottles in mindJames Huang / Immediate Media
Since the cables run down alongside the steerer tube and through the upper headset bearing, it’d be a nightmare to raise or lower the stem with conventional spacers. Instead, Trek cleverly uses split spacers that can be inserted or removed without having to undo everythingJames Huang / Immediate Media
A close-up look at how the rear brake cable passes into the top tube without being seenJames Huang / Immediate Media
Trek says the new Madone’s dedicated carbon cockpit by itself saves 37g of drag over a Bontrager XXX Aero bar and standard stemJames Huang / Immediate Media
While many aero road bars practically insist that the tops remain untaped, the Madone setup at least gives you the option without messing up the aestheticsJames Huang / Immediate Media
Cables, wires, and housing are only barely visible in a handful of locations on the new MadoneJames Huang / Immediate Media
As usual, Trek fits the new Madone with its long-standing BB90 bottom bracket design, which features an ultra-wide 90mm width and bearings that press directly into the carbon structureJames Huang / Immediate Media
Underneath the outer aluminium cover (which also helps reinforce the mechanism), you can see the brake’s inner guts at workJames Huang / Immediate Media
There are separate, independent adjustments for both arm position and spring tension on each side. They’re clearly marked, too, to help with setup and maintenance. A tidy quick-release lever is built into the caliper, tooJames Huang / Immediate Media
The narrow frontal profile required Trek to develop these nifty, spring-loaded ‘vector wings’ that pop open when the bars are turnedJames Huang / Immediate Media
The ‘Madone Control Center’ incorporates both the junction box and battery into an easily accessible hatch in the down tube – or for mechanical systems, a large barrel adjuster and a pair of hidden housing stopsJames Huang / Immediate Media
A look inside the ‘Madone Control Center’ in both electronic and mechanical versionsJames Huang / Immediate Media
The new seatmast head features separate adjustments for fore-aft and tiltJames Huang / Immediate Media
Instead of a conventional clamp, Trek has fitted the new Madone with a tidier two-bolt setupJames Huang / Immediate Media
With such proprietary shapes front and rear, standard accessory mounts just won’t work well. Trek has thankfully incorporated dedicated light, computer, and camera mountsJames Huang / Immediate Media
The non-driveside chainstay has a pocket for Bontrager’s DuoTrap S wireless speed and cadence sensorJames Huang / Immediate Media
A built-in chain keeper mounts to the base of the seat tubeJames Huang / Immediate Media
Aero road bikes might slice through the air with relative ease but as a category, they’re not exactly known to be comfortable or light. The new Trek Madone 9 Series should go a long way toward dispelling that reputation with a super sleek and comparatively feathery chassis that’s not only fast but freakishly cushy on rough roads, too. We’ve only logged a few hundred miles on our long-termer so far but initial impressions are extremely favorable.
Advertisement
Highs: Cuts faster through the wind but without beating you up along the way, fantastic handling, still impressively light
Lows: At least interest rates on second mortgages are still low
Buy if: You want to get there in less time but still want to be able to ride the next day, too
The first two rides on this bike were on the ‘dairy roads’ surrounding Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin. It’s a seemingly endless expanse of sinuous tarmac that’s gloriously free of traffic but also relatively coarsely paved with plenty of frost heave and other imperfections that often seemed perfectly sized to swallow a road tyre – not exactly an ideal proving ground for a bike that’s anything less than smooth.
Trek says the new madone’s aero shape can save its rider 19 watts of effort over a non-aero bike at 40km/h: trek says the new madone’s aero shape can save its rider 19 watts of effort over a non-aero bike at 40km/h
Such deep-profile tubes wouldn’t normally suggest a smooth ride but the new Madone is remarkably comfy
But alas, the new Madone isn’t just comfortable “for an aero road bike” but comfortable, period – no caveats required. Despite appearances to the contrary, the deep-section carbon frame ably damps road buzz but it also rounds off bigger and harsher bumps in a way usually only expected of more traditionally shaped bikes.
It doesn’t take long before you how you’re seeing all of those bumps but not really feeling them through the rear end – and in fact, I even found myself consciously aiming for stuff I would normally avoid if only just for the novelty. Credit goes entirely to Trek’s awesome IsoSpeed ‘decoupler’ – a mechanical pivot at the seat tube-top tube intersection – and the Madone’s clever dual, nested seat tube design that, in combination, allows for much more flex at the saddle than you’d otherwise get out of a more traditional frame.
The isospeed ‘decoupler’ is neatly hidden beneath painted-to-match covers. it might seem gimmicky but it works really, really well: the isospeed ‘decoupler’ is neatly hidden beneath painted-to-match covers. it might seem gimmicky but it works really, really well
Trek’s excellent IsoSpeed ‘decoupler’ strikes again, and to great effect
Unlike on Trek’s similarly IsoSpeed-equipped Domane endurance platform, which incorporates an even cushier rear end but can sometimes feel somewhat harsh up front, the new Madone delivers up a more balanced and cohesive feel front to rear. It might not be as comfortable out back as a Domane but then again, as a full-blown race bike, it should be firmer and more communicative.
That all said, riders interested in an aero road bike aren’t going to be considering ride quality as their primary metric – we’re talking about free speed, after all, and this new Madone seems to have that in spades, too. We haven’t had a chance to verify Trek’s drag claims – specifically ones comparing it to its major competition – but repeated runs on my regular fast-and-flat test loops surrounding BikeRadar’s US offices in Boulder, Colorado have certainly returned consistently lower times relative to non-aero machines. As expected for this segment, the chassis is plenty stiff, too.
As expected, trek continues to refine its kammtail virtual foil tube shapes, which feature flat trailing edges that supposedly maintain the aerodynamic benefits of traditional airfoils but with increased stiffness: as expected, trek continues to refine its kammtail virtual foil tube shapes, which feature flat trailing edges that supposedly maintain the aerodynamic benefits of traditional airfoils but with increased stiffness
The front end is fantastically sleek
Helping matters further is the Madone’s impeccable handling. A slight variation from Madones of yesteryear – and identical to the current Emonda – this new Madone 9 Series is nevertheless equally adept at carving up sinuous mountain descents or gobbling up long stretches of straight road, feeling utterly composed and competent throughout.
Reigning it in
Boulder isn’t exactly known for being flat, however, and the countless canyon roads to the west also demand plenty of braking. Thankfully, the new Madone’s proprietary center-pull rim brakes are not only cleanly integrated into the frame and fork for aero purposes but they also work well – a good thing since there are no other options.
