trek madone 5.9 2009

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Trek Madone 5.9 – First ride review

Revamped for 2011

Paul Smith - www.smithpic.co.uk

Warren Rossiter

We loved last year’s top-flight 6 series Trek Madone, describing the Project One as ‘highly technical, super-light, super-stiff but above all incredibly comfortable’, and awarding the 6.9 Radioshack 10 out of 10.

So we were pleased to hear that the 2011 second-tier 5 series is based on the flagship frame. Compared to last year’s beefy, oversized tubeset, the new 5 series Madone has a classy, minimalist look, and Trek claim this diet has reduced frame weight by more than 150g.

While the top-of-the-range Madone is still built in the USA with Trek’s OCLV technology, production of the 5 series has moved to Asia and uses TCT – Trek Carbon Technology – a process that, according to Trek, has made the Madone 5.9 15 percent stiffer than 2010 frames.

Unfortunately, that extra stiffness has turned what was a sublimely cushioned ride into something more neutral. It feels much more of a racer’s tool – it’s great whipping it up to a sprint, but when climbing or riding along on the flat the overriding feeling is of rigidity.

Our demo model came with a mixture of Shimano Dura-Ace and Ultegra – a Dura-Ace chainset and rear mech combined with Ultegra front mech, brakes and levers. The remainder of the bike is finished with in-house Bontrager kit, including Race Lite RX wheels, a carbon seatpost, and aluminium bar and stem.

The wheels are simple, solid and not too weighty, while the bar and stem combo keeps the front end sharp with no real flex to be felt except on the roughest surfaces. The new frame has fully internal routed cabling which gives the bike a much neater look, but will make maintenance something best left to your local bike shop.

Overall, the Trek 5.9 seems less of a sportive machine and more an out-and-out race weapon, more about efficiency and less about being a nice place to be. Ultimately, we’re a little disappointed by that.

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2009 Madone 5.9 vs. 2010 Madone 5.9

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I'm narrowing down my search for a new ride and have a question for the experts. Is there a difference in the frame between the 2009 and 2010 Madones? I ask because I'd love to buy a 5.9 to save some money but rode a 2008 or 2009 model for an extended ride once and felt like it wasn't as stiff as I'm looking for it to be. I took a 2010 6.5 out for a long ride last week and couldn't believe how perfect it felt. That being said, if there were changes to the frame between '08/'09 and 2010 I should give the new 5.9 a chance as well. Also, does anyone know of a great place to see large images of the custom paint offered through Project 1? I'm interested in the Pearl Carbon, Starry Night Black and Candy Red. Thanks for any help.  

Your Trek dealer should actually have paint samples of all of the different colors--I would definitely check them out before you order. The 5-series isn't any stiffer in 2010, so I'd recommend the 6-series if you're concerned about stiffness. The 6-series is a stiff race bike, while the 5-series is more comfort-oriented and heavier.  

Only the 6 series received an frame redesign for 2010. The 2009 and 2010 5 series frames are the exact same. HTH zac  

For Project One options just go directly to the Trek website and choose a 5 series, then customize it. It's a lot of fun, if only the 5 and 6 series colors were inter changeable. I ended up with a great 6 series. Mikey  

I love the Team Issue design... my 6-series Team colors with Pearl White & Candy Red looks fantastic with SRAM Red parts and the very cool RXL wheels.  

is it possable to buy a 6 series frame/fork only ?  

joker said: is it possable to buy a 6 series frame/fork only ? Click to expand...

According to this article the 2009 6 Series Madone has become the 2010 5 Series Madone. Am I wrong, are there any Trek peeps to verify this? rek Madone 6 Series (Shimano Ultegra 6700) (10) | $4678.48 Change Currency What's this? Trek's latest Madone 6-Series flagship chassis is substantially stiffer in front triangle torsion than its predecessor for a snappier overall feel while thankfully retaining its outstanding handling characteristics BikeRadar verdict 45 out of 5 stars "The Madone 6 Series isn't necessarily 'better' than its predecessor – just different. We've come to love this new Madone about as much as the old one" * Bikeradar Review * Manufacturers description * User reviews 4 of 5 stars By James Huang, technical editor Trek's latest Madone addresses some of the criticisms hurled at the previous version – namely that while it was a superb handler, very comfortable and reasonably rigid, it wasn't quite stiff enough for hardcore racing duties, especially under bigger and stronger riders or in particularly violent events like criteriums. The 2010 bike is edgier, more eager in its motions and lighter, but loses out to its predecessor in terms of smoothness, liveliness and character. Left with the choice between old Madone and new, it's hard to decide. Conveniently, though, none of us actually has to make that decision. Trek are retaining the previous version as the 5 Series, so feel free to pick your poison – they're equally tasty but with different flavours to suit your palette. Unless you have to have more brand cachet or something more unique, it's hard to go wrong with either one. There's a reason why these things are so popular and it's not just because a certain Mr Armstrong rides one. Link to the full review: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/categ...madone-6-series-shimano-ultegra-6700-10-35762  

Don Duende said: According to this article the 2009 6 Series Madone has become the 2010 5 Series Madone. Am I wrong, are there any Trek peeps to verify this? rek Madone 6 Series (Shimano Ultegra 6700) (10) | $4678.48 Change Currency What's this? Trek's latest Madone 6-Series flagship chassis is substantially stiffer in front triangle torsion than its predecessor for a snappier overall feel while thankfully retaining its outstanding handling characteristics BikeRadar verdict 45 out of 5 stars "The Madone 6 Series isn't necessarily 'better' than its predecessor – just different. We've come to love this new Madone about as much as the old one" * Bikeradar Review * Manufacturers description * User reviews 4 of 5 stars By James Huang, technical editor Trek's latest Madone addresses some of the criticisms hurled at the previous version – namely that while it was a superb handler, very comfortable and reasonably rigid, it wasn't quite stiff enough for hardcore racing duties, especially under bigger and stronger riders or in particularly violent events like criteriums. The 2010 bike is edgier, more eager in its motions and lighter, but loses out to its predecessor in terms of smoothness, liveliness and character. Left with the choice between old Madone and new, it's hard to decide. Conveniently, though, none of us actually has to make that decision. Trek are retaining the previous version as the 5 Series, so feel free to pick your poison – they're equally tasty but with different flavours to suit your palette. Unless you have to have more brand cachet or something more unique, it's hard to go wrong with either one. There's a reason why these things are so popular and it's not just because a certain Mr Armstrong rides one. Link to the full review: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/categ...madone-6-series-shimano-ultegra-6700-10-35762 Click to expand...

zac said: ...There have been plenty of reviews and IMHO there was not much that distinguished the 2008/2009 5 Series from the 6 Series as far as ride feel, very subtle... zac Click to expand...

MarvinK said: Whether Trek renamed their carbon to OCLV2 instead of a color, the ride is going to be nearly identical for the 5-series models. For those who have actually ridden a 6-series and a 5-series, we can attest that there is a substantial difference in the ride of the two bikes (like the article also suggests). The 5-series is basically Trek's comfort carbon bike now, and the 6-series is more of the stiff race bike. Click to expand...

As was stated above, the 2010 5 series is a carryover from 2008/2009 (although the 2009 added a replaceable derailleur hanger.) Trek somewhat "prided" themselves that 5 and 6 series frames "rode the same." And that was the rag. So for 2010, the 6 was redesigned as more of a "race" bike. Noticeable stiffer, slightly lighter, different head tube configuration, all internal cable routing, and a more complex carbon layup. If you're a racer, go 6 series. If you're like most of us hanging around here, i.e., a club/century/recreational rider, go 5. You can easily build a 5 series well under the UCI weight limit. By the way, I work for a Trek dealer but do not own a Trek. I've gone back to classic steel.  

Keep in mind that Contador won some race in France on what some now are calling Trek's "comfort" bike. I've ridden the 2010 5 and 6 series. I suppose the 6 is "stiffer," but the 5 is still an all out race bike. There's some marketing magic going on by labeling the 5 a "comfort" ride.  

ghost6 said: Keep in mind that Contador won some race in France on what some now are calling Trek's "comfort" bike. I've ridden the 2010 5 and 6 series. I suppose the 6 is "stiffer," but the 5 is still an all out race bike. There's some marketing magic going on by labeling the 5 a "comfort" ride. Click to expand...

oclvframe said: Being as how I currently own both a 2009 and a 2010 6 series madone, I can tell you that the 2009 6 series is substatially more "comfortable" than the 2010. The ride is substatially smoother whereas the 2010 is sharper and feels stiffer in all the key places (head-tube, fork, bottom bracket, etc). Click to expand...

MarvinK said: The 5 series is certainly race-worthy, but there were complaints by some of their pro riders that it wasn't stiff enough. That's not uncommon for other bike manufacturers either--several top riders get custom versions of Specialized, Scott and other brands race bikes. If you've ridden a 6, you feel like maybe you got the custom race bike... it's plenty stiff, compromising some comfort. If you've ridden both, you'd call the 5 their comfort version. Click to expand...

ghost6 said: I agree with you. I own a 2010 five series and I've ridden the six. The 5 is "more comfortable," but that doesn't make it a "comfort bike" imo, as others have called it. We're talking about the same frame ridden by Astana 2008/09. According to Trek, the 2010 six series is 150 grams lighter than the previous version. It's 10% stiffer at the bottom bracket and 17% more rigid in front triangle torsion. But Trek also claims that their new six series is "more comfortable" than the previous version. Click to expand...

I'd like to add to my review that I'm a 155 lb, non-racing 42 yr old. Also some of the difference in "road feel" is due to the 2010 having the stock saddle and RXL rims, while my 2008 had a RL-Lux (ie extra padding) saddle and DA/OP rims laced 32/3x F&R.  

I think almost anyone looking at either bikes of this caliber is going to notice the difference. It is significant. I love my 6-series, but it rides a lot more like a serious race bike than the 5 series. I think I'd pick the 6 series every day, but I might consider some less stiff wheels and 700x25 for those easy long rides.  

oclvframe said: Yeah, I have read about the '10% more compliant' seatmast area.....maybe so but since the rest of the frame is so much stiffer, it translates into a stiffer feel at the seatmast regardless of wheather or not it really is more compliant. The main point I was trying to make in my earlier post is that I own both OCLV red bikes (both 6 series) and between the two of them, there is a quantifiable difference in feel...my guess is that there isn't that big of a difference in feel between an 09 5 and and 09 6 series frame, but there sure is between the two 6 series just one year apart. All this being said, I love the way both bikes feel and at this point I will keep em both around. How I will decide which one of the two I will ride on any given day, that is going to be a true challenge! I loved the feel of the brand new cables on the 2010 so much that I spent a couple of hourse last night putting all new cables on the 09...it now feels like new, and so it now will be even harder to choose!?!? Then, to make it all worse, I also have an awesome steel Lemond....very nicely appointed...so its yet another option! ...ahhh...choices... Click to expand...

nor_cal_rider said: I'd like to add to my review that I'm a 155 lb, non-racing 42 yr old. Also some of the difference in "road feel" is due to the 2010 having the stock saddle and RXL rims, while my 2008 had a RL-Lux (ie extra padding) saddle and DA/OP rims laced 32/3x F&R. Click to expand...

MarvinK said: I think almost anyone looking at either bikes of this caliber is going to notice the difference. It is significant. I love my 6-series, but it rides a lot more like a serious race bike than the 5 series. I think I'd pick the 6 series every day, but I might consider some less stiff wheels and 700x25 for those easy long rides. Click to expand...

Thank you all very much for all your input and thoughts. I rode them both extensively and agree regarding ride quality on the 6. I prefer it to the 5 so I've dropped the hammer and ordered a 6.5 P1 frame with custom flames designed by the wife. Now begins a very long 3-5 month wait. I only wish there were a way to track the thing closely. That way I could obsess about it rather than working!  

ghost6 said: Great, ok, now I've got to get a six series. I was trying to convince myself that the 2010 five is a damn nice ride. I know it is, but you guys keep dangling the six series in front of me!! Click to expand...

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