trek madone isospeed decoupler maintenance

What is Trek IsoSpeed Technology?

Part comfort, part suspension, Crank Boutique explains one of Trek’s key pieces of proprietary bicycle technology.

Technology in Short

While compliance and “suspension” systems are now not uncommon for road bikes (see Specialized’s Roubaix and Diverge), arguably Trek were the first mainstream brand to integrate these systems into some of their key models.

• Manufacturer: Trek
• Technology Type: Suspension, Compliance
• Availability: Proprietary – Trek bikes only
• Cost: N/A. Isospeed tends to come only on higher end models
• Current Road/Gravel Models:   Boone ,  Checkpoint ,  Domane ,  Madone

What is Trek IsoSpeed?​

To the casual observer the biggest difference between road and mountain bikes has been the size of the tyre and attached suspension. Over the last few years however, these strict definitions have started to erode in the pursuit of adventure and comfort. With the former 700c tyres get wider every year and the gravel/adventure category mean bigger tyres for everyone. With the latter a number of manufacturers have introduced “suspension” platforms in their road bikes, including BMC, Wilier, Specialized and Trek’s IsoSpeed. 

While the term “suspension” may be mis-leading, the IsoSpeed system is designed to provide riders with more comfort and control over rougher surfaces and was originally designed by Trek to give their bikes and riders an edge in the Classics – e.g. the Paris-Roubaix. The system works by “decoupling” key parts of the bike to provide more compliance and less rigidity – resulting in a more comfortable ride. IsoSpeed is one of the most mature road “suspension” systems out there, debuting in 2012. The Trek IsoSpeed system has two components:

The IsoSpeed Read Decoupler is a essentially a “hinge” that sits between the seat tube and top tube of the bike. On IsoSpeed equipped bikes the seat tube and top tube are not physically attached but are mechanically joined by the rear decoupler. This means that the seat tube has a range of rearward moving helping to absorb the shocks of riding on things like cobbles, rough roads or gravel. There are a couple of implementations of the platform depending on the bike model – the Emonda uses a slightly different implementation with more adjustment along the top tube owing to its unique frame shape and rarefied price point…

The Front Decoupler is slightly more complicated. The Front IsoSpeed is a proprietary headset collar with a rocker that sits in the top of the head tube and bolts into the steerer tube via an assembly that includes a couple of bolts and a preloaded spring. Obviously you won’t be railing berms or going down a double black on it, but this setup allows for a degree of back and forth movement in the steering tube and help to deflect some of the chatter out of the handlebars.

Note that some bikes may have the rear decoupler without the front headset decoupler. IsoSpeed is available across Carbon and Aluminium models in the Domane and Madone ranges. It is also available on a number of Trek CX and gravel models (including Boone and Checkpoint) and some of their XC MTB range. Watch some videos of the system in action below.

This video from Peloton TV is on an older model – check out the classic Dura Ace – but it’s a perfect introduction to how the Isospeed de-decoupler works in practice.

Does Trek Isospeed Work & How Has It Reviewed?

The CrankBoutique team have only had occasion to ride one IsoSpeed equipped bike – a Domane on some very smooth roads south of Sydney. Lovely bike as it was we can’t really comment on its comfort chops on rough roads although we certainly didn’t get any loss of power.

We haven’t found any reviews of the system in isolation, but there are a few comparative reviews of IsoSpeed equipped bikes vs competitors, including Specialized’s Future Shock:

2018 Trek Domane SL 5 Review

“The first time you hit a patch of corrugated or fractured tarmac you understand what IsoSpeed does. Rather than undulations deflecting the front wheel, it absorbs and nullifies the effect of quite big hits, keeping the wheel straight and giving a smoother ride. The rear end removes jarring vibrations that can fatigue muscles faster, helping you ride for longer…IsoSpeed’s bump absorption irons out small undulations to allow the 25mm tyres to grip more consistently, and even though the Bontrager rubber measures 26mm on the 28mm wide rims, if unaware, you’d think you were riding on 28mm tyres.”

2018 Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc Review

I’ve ridden the Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc in various IsoSpeed modes to discover what difference to the rear it would make. I learnt that I probably wouldn’t ride in the stiffest setting as it was a little too harsh at the rear for me.

Towards the middle and softest setting was my preferred mode and I could altogether forget I was riding such a racing machine, let alone an aero road bike that more often than not is too hard to ever be called comfortable. To be frank about the bike’s stiffness, I couldn’t really tell that I was getting anything less from the bike in the softest setting, it still whipped up a storm no problem.

Cycling Weekly

2018 Trek Boone RSL Review

I quickly noticed the compliance provided by the front IsoSpeed decoupler. The front end of the Boone softened the park bumps and helped absorb some of my less-than-stellar moves on singletrack. Especially given my bad back, having some shock absorption on the front improved the ride quality….Smoothing out a ride is one thing, but does the front IsoSpeed handicap actual racing by hindering accelerations out of corners or finishing sprints? I pushed the Boone RSL frame through several practice sprints and found the only limiter to be my lack of sprinting pop.

CX Magazine

2020 Trek Domane SLR First Ride Review

No doubt about it – the IsoSpeed system is impressive. That said, we question whether so much technology (and compromises in terms of cable routing) are needed to improve comfort. On balance and purely in comfort terms, the answer is probably no. After all, there are other bikes that offer the same or even better comfort levels. However, in terms of individualisation and tuning it to the rider’s weight, the IsoSpeed system offers an effective solution and will wow tech enthusiasts who appreciate the packaging of complex technology into a classic and inconspicuous design. Set up correctly, it results in well-balanced comfort between the front and rear and convincing vibration damping!

Are There any Known issues with Trek IsoSpeed?

Headset Creaking

Some users report that IsopSpeed equipped headsets have excessive creaking – see link above.

Cable Rattle

Some users report that IsopSpeed equipped bikes have excessive cable rattle – see link above.

Bearing Maintenance

Some users report that IsopSpeed equipped bikes required additional bearing maintenance – see link above.

One reply on “ What is Trek IsoSpeed Technology? “

Charles Cox

I bought the 2021 Trek Domane SL5 and have creaking issues in the front end bringing it back to the dealer 2 times already currently in the dealer right now for the third time come on Trek get it right.

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Madone SLR seatpost / ISOspeed HELP

Hey TR community,

I put my Madone on the the trainer for the first time yesterday and I noticed it has quite a bit of sway side to side In the seatpost (not vertically like the isospeed is supposed to move). There is also a clicking. I can replicate this movement with my hands with the bike off the trainer.

I’m wondering if anyone had experience with this?? Is this normal?

Clicking is not normal. There may be a small amount of movement sideways, but it should not be very noticeable.

I’d suggest taking it in to your Trek dealer to be reviewed by a tech.

My mate had the exact same issue had two replacement frames from Trek (LBS) before it was solved.

Damn, really? I’ve ridden mine around 6000km so far. Did it take a bit to develop? They replaced it no problem? @robcumine

The first bike, the LBS tried shims which didn’t work, replacing the frame, exact same problem, not even into 1 ride, next frame had zero issues. Go back to your LBS Trek Dealer, and present the problem. Based on Scotts issue and the help he received I hope your local Trek dealer has the same confidence.

Did you check your seat post torques?

Just recently experienced the same thing and it could just be a loose bolt at the bottom of the seat mast. My LBS slipped off the cap that covers the top tube/seat mast junction, revealing the bolt (large Allen size) and tightened. Problem solved.

Just came across this forum I am on my second frame set from trek due to this problem and now it’s happening again. Every couple of ride we got to keep retightening to get rid of the excess side movement from the seat post. Still waiting to hear back from trek on this issue!!

Have you put loctite on the bolt when you retightend it?

No I didn’t, because I remember on the first frame we put blue locking compound on the bolt and it didn’t help but I may give a go again.

Hey all, i know this is late, but removing the cap and tightening the bolt where the top tube and the seat tube converge completely fixed this. You can see the bolt in this video (6/8mm keys) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS0npyIRCEk

Hi all, I just ran into this thread. I have a 2020 Madone SLR that has been having the same problems. I was out on a ride one day the Iso-speed bolt worked loose and my seat mast was swaying side to side really badly. I stopped and thought I had a flat tire but soon realized it was the seat mast. I’ve taken it back to the shop twice now and the problem keeps coming back. This is extremely frustrating as it is now in my head, and racing season is about to begin for me.

I’m curious what will trigger my shop to contact Trek and possibly replace my frame. I can tighten the bolt at home but it should not be that way for such an expensive bike. I feel like the bolt is just ratcheting loose inside with every micro bump on the road.

Hi, I also bought a 2019 Madone slr6, i have had the problem of the slider moving back towards the seatpost after about 30km. I have had it at the bike shop, they tightened the seat post bolt but it still doing it. Firmed up the bolt and now that has put a pimple in the frame and i did not even cranked on it. It would be interesting to here from Trek on their so called team riders bikes if they have any problems

I have had the same issue. What began as movement in the ISOspeed seatpost eventually became a frame crack on 2 different SLRs. I am on my 3rd replacement frame in as many years.

In every case where the frame cracked, it was an audible, very loud crack while I was riding. The most recent crack is on the underside of the top tube in a spot that is not visible without removing the ISOspeed entirely.

The previous crack was in the ISOspeed bolt hole. The bolt had backed out and caused a big piece of carbon to “chip” off. Prior to the first crack, I was plagued with creaking and the bolt would not stay tight under any circumstances.

I will add that Trek has been very responsive to every warranty claim. Everytime Trek replaces the frame, I request compensation in product.

I have a 2019 Trek Madone SLR and having the same problem. The seatmast moves side to side. I’ve tightened the isospeed bolt which only temporarily solved the problem. It got to the point where I was pulling to the side of the road every 10 miles to retighten. I’ve used loctite and it helps a lot but still need to retighten about every 150 miles. You’d think a $7K bike wouldn’t have problems like this.

Also with the same problem. The seatpost started to move sideways. Have taken the bike to the LBS, but afterwards with riding the seatpost makes a lot of noise. After a ride I found out that there was something was loose rolling in my frame. The repair shop probably didn’t see the above movie, because he drop the rubber damper in to my frame (very sloppy). Now I repair it myself, by replacing bolt and nut in the iso-system by a new one and sealt it with a little bit of Loctite 243. I could not find how tight the bolt must be, so I tightened it with 10NM Now after a 2K Kilometer’s the seatpost starts to wiggle again! After inspection found a crack in my frame. Tomorrow to the LBS

Guess i’m in the same boat, is yours making this noise aswell?

That might be the problem then, i’m about the same size. guess we are too heavy for this isospeed toy

Same boat as those above. I have a 9 month-old 2019 Trek Madone SLR6. I ride only on tarmac 100-150 miles a week (but took a few months off during the lockdown) and twice in the past few weeks I’ve noticed that the seatmast is moving side to side. I stop on the side of the road and tighten the isospeed bolt which seems to solve the problem. Then I take it to the LBS for an inspection, just to be safe, ASAP. It’s frustrating, but so far nothing serious. Like some of the posters above I’m on the big end, 212 LBS, but well within Trek’s stated weight limits. Like them I’m wondering if the Madone isospeed isn’t clydesdale-friendly. My wife wants me under 200 LBS; now that the bike agrees with her it might be time for a diet. Anyway advice and info on how Trek responds to the issue welcome!

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Domane Isospeed Decoupler Fail

sasquatch16 said: Is there a consensus as to how often and how much maintenance you should do for teh Isospeed decoupler. Will taking it completely apart and relubing wear out the bearing bores? Click to expand...

upstateSC-rider

GDTRFB said: AFAIK there isn't a maintenance schedule for the Isospeed decoupler. My 2014 P1 Domane has ~35,000 miles on it, and the bearing looks clean. The seat tube still flexes as it should. Click to expand...

upstateSC-rider said: I've been on group rides and races watching how the seat tube flexes whilst in a paceline...Pretty amazing, would love to test ride one some day. Click to expand...

Devastazione

ogre said: Bontrager products are now being sold at REI. Click to expand...

FWIW, the bearing size in the Domane rear isospeed decoupler was 6800 for several years. I found the size in a 2017 service manual and it fits my 2013. Dunno whether it changed after that.  

Devastazione said: Are you serious ? Askig for real,I haven't stepped into REI in 6 years now. Click to expand...

I used to wrench at shops years ago and am a keen rider doing 12-15,000 km a year in the mountains of Switzerland. I've owned a Domane SL7 2017, a Spec Roubaix, a Felt VR2, and various other steel and Ti bikes. I have had serious back pain issues for many years and have tried various 'ride-calming' devices in attempts to improve that. Here's my take: all these proprietary devices are troublesome, create reliability issues, and add unnecessary complexity. I believe the main factor driving manufacturers to develop such systems is product differentiation / marketing. My Domane currently has seized rear isospeed bearings and they won't come out. I will have to use a Dremel, as the force required would otherwise risk damaging the frame. The rear Isospeed system works really well, when it works. But other more straightforward solutions exist. On one bike I have used an Ergon CF3 seatpost - a simple elegant solution that works at least as well as Isospeed, and can easily be serviced or replaced. On another bike I have a Syntace P6 CARBON HIFLEX post. This post has zero moving parts - it just flexes a lot. Works brilliantly. Nothing to go wrong. A Vybe suspension post wasn't as good. Beyond this, there are the options of wider tyres / tubeless / lower pressures / latex tubes / tyres with more 'souplesse' (the latest Schwalbe Pro One is a revelation). Front Isospeed: the difference is barely perceptible, if at all. Just more stuff to go wrong. Spec Future Shock: already had a recall for very dangerous fault. I haven't yet used it but I think the Redshift ShockStop stem is likely to do the same job, again with less complexity, more reliability etc.  

PoorInRichfield

pduncanj said: Front Isospeed: the difference is barely perceptible, if at all. Just more stuff to go wrong. Click to expand...

pduncanj said: I used to wrench at shops years ago and am a keen rider doing 12-15,000 km a year in the mountains of Switzerland. My Domane currently has seized rear isospeed bearings and they won't come out. I will have to use a Dremel, as the force required would otherwise risk damaging the frame. Click to expand...

Things often ignored become future problems. - Cycling Solutions

tlg said: Have you ever performed maintenance on it? It's just a set of sealed cartridge bearings. No different than a standard pivot on a full suspension mountain bike. Or a BB. Things often ignored become future problems. - Cycling Solutions There are many things to pay attention to when maintaining a bicycle. Most people in my experience do not pay close enough attention to some of the little things that can make a big difference. Most “tune ups” (I hate that term) cover the main parts of the bicycle. Things like wheel bearings and... cyclingsolutions.net My “rule of thumb” is if the rotary dremel tool needs to be used on your bike for any reason, you have ignored that part for too long. Take for instance the Trek Domane frames and the IsoSpeed feature. These are a suspension bearing built into the frame of a road bike. Neglecting this for just a couple of seasons can cause damage to bearings and pivot bolt like seen here. If let go long enough it can do irreversible damage to the frame and be the premature end to an otherwise beautiful riding bicycle. More moving parts requires more frequent maintenance. If you are a “prodigious sweater” or ride in inclimate weather more often, then your service intervals need to be adjusted to keep you equipment in working order. Perhaps more importantly be sure to get your rigs into the hands of a professional mechanic that know not only what they are looking at but how to do the service required. This will lengthen the life span of the bike and heighten your enjoyment while you are riding it. Click to expand...

PoorInRichfield said: I liken ISO Speed decouplers as the difference between being hit with a metal hammer vs a rubber mallet. Neither is comfortable, but I'll take the latter. Where I live in the Midwest, roads are subject to freeze-thaw cycles and are often in horrible condition. I've spent a lifetime riding rigid race bikes on these roads and my body took the toll from absorbing the road shock almost directly, short of the rock hard tires taking some of the hit. After switching to a Domane in 2015, I'm a believer (and bought another one last year). The ISO Speed decoupler doesn't make the road into a fluffy marshmallow, but as the marketing hype suggests, I typically finish my rides feeling considerably less "beat up". It is hard to notice the ISO Speed decoupler and that's the point... if it was super flexy and squishy, everyone would hate it. It does it's job in a nearly undetectable fashion... taking the edge off of all the small vibrations over one's ride. I'm not sure why or how the mechanism would seize-up unless one constantly rides in harsh conditions (rain/snow) and washes the bike a lot which will force dirt into the ISO Decoupler. I've had no such seizing issues. Click to expand...

pduncanj said: I refer you to the earlier posts in this string, quoting Trek's own advice that the bearings should never need service or replacement. I worked as a professional mechanic for several years. I know a dremel will be needed, or I will risk damaging the frame. Click to expand...

IsoSpeed road smoothing tech

I bought the bike used ... Trek only cover the first owner. Interesting how bike manufacturers can get away with this - unlike cars  

Isospeed looks like a maintenance headache with marginal gains in comfort. What's wrong with a wider tire and less pressure if you want more comfort? I have several Treks, but this Isospeed stuff would make me consider another brand of bike if I were in the market for one. Specialized Future Shock is probably a worse maintenance headache.  

MDM said: Isospeed looks like a maintenance headache with marginal gains in comfort. What's wrong with a wider tire and less pressure if you want more comfort? I have several Treks, but this Isospeed stuff would make me consider another brand of bike if I were in the market for one. Specialized Future Shock is probably a worse maintenance headache. Click to expand...

202cycle said: It's actually quite simple. Basic care (disassembly, cleaning and lube) can be done in a matter of minutes. Click to expand...

Szlmdm said: I have a question about the Isospeed decoupler on my 2015 Trek Domane 5.2. Recently I noticed that the decoupler was not dampening the ride like it used to. When I took it into the LBS for service they said they could just replace it and it would be fine. Once they got it apart they said that it had corroded most likely from sweat and had seized internally. When they tried to replace it they said that the outer race had "fused" to the frame and in order to get it out it will like break the frame and render it unusable. They submitted a warranty claim to Trek but it was denied as a lack of maintenance issue as opposed to a manufacturing defect. LBS says the options are order new frame (which will entail replacing the brakes as the design has changed and cost $1500) or buy a new bike. Now I will admit that I did nothing in terms of maintenance for the decoupler beyond washing regularly. So I took in a bike that at least I could ride to the LBS and now it is totally unrideable, useful only to harvest the components. Questions: Has anyone else had any issues with the Isospeed seizing and fusing to the frame? Should I pick up the bike and take it to another LBS for second opinion? Thanks Click to expand...

pduncanj said: My Domane currently has seized rear isospeed bearings and they won't come out. I will have to use a Dremel, as the force required would otherwise risk damaging the frame. Click to expand...

calum.h said: I had this problem as well. I think its mainly because of galvanic corrosion. Aluminium and Carbon Fibre are two materials that really should not be in contact with each other. In my case, I used a bit of science. Aluminium shrinks when cold a significant amount more than carbon fibre does. I was able to spray an air duster upside down to spray the liquid into the bearing and pivot tube - the liquid out of the compressed air duster is extremely cold - not quite liquid nitrogen cold but cold none the less! After hitting the bearings and pivot tube with the cold liquid a couple taps with a hammer and punch and i was able to knock the bearings out with no problems and replace the bearings, pivot tube and bolts with a new kit from Trek. View attachment 482451 View attachment 482450 View attachment 482449 View attachment 482448 Click to expand...

calum.h said: I think its mainly because of galvanic corrosion. Aluminium and Carbon Fibre are two materials that really should not be in contact with each other. Click to expand...

In my case, I used a bit of science. Aluminium shrinks when cold a significant amount more than carbon fibre does. Click to expand...

I was able to spray an air duster upside down to spray the liquid into the bearing and pivot tube - the liquid out of the compressed air duster is extremely cold - not quite liquid nitrogen cold but cold none the less! Click to expand...

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Trek Madone 9 Series first ride review

Aero speed without the usual compromises.

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

This article originally appeared on BikeRadar 

2016 Trek Madone - What we know, what we expect

Gallery: Bauke Mollema's Critérium du Dauphiné Trek - a closer look

New Trek Madone 9 Series gets radically aero for 2016

Video: New Trek Madone 9 Series

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.

Click here for further detail on the Trek Madone 9 series

• 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

Fast and smooth

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 tire – not exactly an ideal proving ground for a bike that's anything less than smooth.

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.

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.

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.

The dedicated centerpull brakes work well with generous power and control, plus fantastic lever feel

Caliper flex is practically nonexistent thanks to short and compact aluminum arms and a fully boxed-in layout that bridges the ends of the direct-mount pivots. Meanwhile, the cable wedge moves on rollers while both pivots are fitted with cartridge bearings to return a silky smooth and light lever feel that's noticeably devoid of excess friction.

Total braking power leaves a little to be desired with the Bontrager carbon-specific cork pads included here and they're also prone to squealing but modulation is very good. We'll likely switch to a set of SwissStops as the long-term testing progresses.

A look at the inner workings

Clearance is great, too. Trek officially says the new Madone will swallow tires up to 28mm wide and rims up to 30mm wide (external measurement), depending on the exact combination.

Sweating the details

Another usual pitfall of proprietary componentry is lack of compatibility. In that sense, there's no grand departure here as the Madone's dedicated aero-profile one-piece carbon fiber bar and stem won't work with aftermarket computer or camera mounts, and the similarly aero-profile no-cut extended seatmast won't take anything other than the dedicated Bontrager head.

The aero cockpit is actually quite comfy to hold

But on the upside, Bontrager has at least given the cockpit an agreeable shape with versatile semi-anatomic drops and flattened tops that you can still comfortably wrap your hands around. And while Trek says it's faster to leave the tops untaped, the subtle 'Madone' graphics are sized such that you can still wrap them up as usual without looking funny.

Likewise, there may not be much in the way of seatpost options but at least the one included is easy to live with. Bontrager's updated head design now features truly independent tilt and fore-aft adjustments, and so far, it's held rock solid.

Custom mounts are included for lights, computers, and cameras

And as for accessories, Trek even includes custom mounts for computers, cameras, and lights for the cockpit and seatmast – meaning you can still attach your favorite gadgets but won't have to look at any unsightly clamps or rubber straps.

Such an obsessively hidden internal cable routing setup – it's all fully concealed save for a short section of wire for the rear derailleur – is certainly going to be more challenging to service when the time comes but Trek has at least made bar height adjustments less easy. As compared to other similar setups that require a full recabling, Trek has cleverly fitted the new Madone with custom split headset spacers.

Split headset spacers should make for relatively painful height adjustments

Unflappable build kit

Trek will initially offer the Madone 9 Series in several standard builds but BikeRadar got an early sneak preview at the upcoming Project One custom version – which, in this case, doesn't stray far off the beaten path in terms of components or wheels but definitely goes off-center visually with a very non-standard green-on-green paint scheme.

There's not much that needs to be repeated on the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 group: it's functionally without fault with perfect shifts each and every time. It'd still be nice to have some more tactile feedback from the shift buttons but that's still a matter of personal preference.

As usual, the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 transmission is superb

Bontrager's latest Aeolus 5 D3 TLR tubeless-compatible carbon clinchers are proving to be great all-rounders, too, with a newly widened tire bed that mates well with the 25mm-wide Bontrager R4 tires used here. As we've noted before, the blunt, 50mm-deep rim shape is fast yet manageable in strong crosswinds. Their weight is also quite good although as with all tubeless-compatible Bontrager hoops, the chunky molded plastic rim strips add nearly 100g per set.

All told, this 52cm H1 test sample came in at just 6.79kg (14.97lb) without pedals or bottle cages.

Raising the bar

Overall, Trek's new Madone 9 Series is off to a fantastic start to its long-term test: it's fast, remarkably comfortable, and easy to live with. Unfortunately, the prices have climbed in lockstep with the technology but at least Trek will offer several somewhat more reasonable options with identical shaping but lesser build kits.

Not all riders will feel any burning need to go aero but when that extra speed comes with so few compromises, the arguments against it certainly become less compelling. Ever-increasing retail costs? That gets a big 'boo' from this end but the idea that aero road bikes can also just be really good road bikes in general is a trend I can get behind.

Faster, comfier, easier to live with.

Complete bike specifications

Frame: 2016 Trek Madone 9 Series, H1 geometry, 700-Series OCLV carbon fiber Fork: 2016 Trek Madone KVF Headset: Integrated Cockpit: Trek Madone integrated Bar tape: Bontrager gel cork Front brake: Trek Madone integrated w/ Bontrager carbon-specific pads Rear brake: Trek Madone integrated w/ Bontrager carbon-specific pads Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-9070 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070 Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000, 11-28T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-9000, 50/34T Bottom bracket: Enduro Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 TLR clincher Front tire: Bontrager R4 clincher, 700x25c Rear tire: Bontrager R4 clincher, 700x25c Saddle: Bontrager Montrose Pro Seatpost: Trek Madone 9 Series Weight: 6.79kg (14.97lb, without pedals or accessories)

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• Trek Manuals
• MADONE SL 2022
• Service manual supplement

Trek MADONE SL 2022 Service Manual Supplement

• page of 9 Go / 9
• Contents Table of Contents

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• 1 T47 Bottom Bracket (Bb)
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Summary of Contents for Trek MADONE SL 2022

• Page 1 2022 MADONE SL SERVICE MANUAL SUPPLEMENT...

Page 2: Table Of Contents

Page 3: brake lines, page 4: shift cables - mechanical, page 5: t47 bottom bracket (bb), page 6: fork and headset.

• Page 7 2022 Madone SL Service Manual Fork and headset Install the headset Clean the steerer tube using isopropyl alcohol. Assemble the headset to the stem as shown on page 5. Make sure the stem is in its final position Grease both bearings, the crown race and the inside with the required spacers underneath.

Page 8: Isospeed

Page 9: seatpost, rename the bookmark, delete bookmark, delete from my manuals, upload manual.

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Speeding on the Madone SLR really is very addictive. It's impossible to go out for a gentle jaunt. It wants hammer-time all the time. How it stacks up against other aero bikes needs some proper independent wind tunnel testing, but my seat-of-the-chamois impression, along with speed and power data from regular testing loops, confirms that it's easily comparable to the key rival aero bikes in this sector.

Some bikes just look fast, the Madone actually is fast. A regular proving ground for testing bikes is my local chain gang. Where better than a power hour to put a race bike through its paces, with rolling terrain, some punchy climbs and some fast drags, and people a lot fitter and faster than I am to keep up with? The Madone has given me the best advantage yet, not only allowing me to keep up but also slice a massive two minutes off my PB for the 40km route.

It's clearly insanely fast at high speeds. Get it up to 30kph and the speed really ramps up as you pile on the watts. But it doesn't feel quite as snappy at lower speeds, out of tight corners, and the weight holds it back on steeper gradients.

Handling and geometry

The Madone's handling is race-focused, as you'd expect. The new H1.5 geometry, which replaces the previous choices of slammed H1 and relaxed H2, is well judged. It provided a comfortable fit with a bit of stretch to the handlebar.

I shuffled a few spacers about – an easy task as the aero spacers are split – to get my desired position, a bit lower than standard. In the drops, it's an aggressive position but it's comfortable on longer rides too, but then I am used to race bike geometry which certainly helps.

The new two-piece bar and stem allow more fit adjustment than before, with the angle of the handlebar adjustable to suit your preference. The bar is a comfortable shape with the swept back design providing manageable reach to the hoods and drops.

It's a handlebar intended to be ridden in the drops or hoods the majority of the time – there's no tape on the tops. You can still cruise along gripping this section if you really want. The narrow 38cm width is good for reducing drag and keeping your arms tucked in, but might not be everyone's cup of tea. On a bike of this price, you can easily spec the bar width to suit your requirements.

Better brakes

The biggest improvement over the previous generation Madone, in my opinion, is the change from the custom designed integrated brakes with the head tube flaps (Vector Wings, in Trek speak) to disc brakes.

You'll have your own preference of braking system, and Trek is still offering the Madone SLR with rim brakes. In fact, it's one of the few brands still to offer rim brakes – many rival brands have fully embraced disc brakes with their latest aero bikes.

Compared to the slightly finicky integrated brakes of the previous Madone, the hydraulic disc brakes are easy to live with and required no maintenance during my time with the bike. Power is plentiful and lever feel is perfect for meting out the power smoothly in every situation. I experienced some occasional noise in damp weather but never for long.

Another benefit of disc brakes is increased tyre clearance, with 28mm tyres supported. That's a good option if you want to increase comfort. By contrast, the rim brake Madone only takes up to a 25mm tyre.

Fast and comfortable? Fast or comfortable?

I remember riding some of the first generation aero bikes and coming away impressed with the speed compared with regular road bikes, but less taken with the reduced ride comfort. Big aero tubes aren't good for building compliance and comfort into a bike.

Trek's solution, rolled out with the last Madone and upgraded with adjustability on this second generation bike, is the same IsoSpeed decoupler first developed for the Domane, an endurance bike designed to tame the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.

Trek has now integrated the IsoSpeed decoupler into the top tube, from its previous location in the seat tube, and made it adjustable, allowing you to choose how soft or firm it is.

The IsoSpeed decoupler basically allows the seat tube and seatpost to move independently of the frame in a controlled manner, with a new elastomer bumper to control the rebound. Undo a couple of bolts and you can move a small slider to choose the firm, soft or somewhere-in-between setting.

If you're going from smooth crit circuits to bumpy normal roads you might adjust it frequently. Or, as in my case, you might play around with it for a few rides then just leave it in the softest setting.

Does it work? Yes, it does. How much compliance does it actually provide? Trek says: 'Compliance at the saddle of a 56cm frame ranges from approximately 119N/mm to 175N/mm depending on the slider's position. According to these figures, the new Madone is capable of both more compliance (+17%) and less compliance (-22%) than its predecessor.'

What does that mean on the road? In my experience the IsoSpeed softens bigger impacts, say if you clip the edge of a sunken drain or pothole when you're in a peloton and can't read the road ahead of you.

But make no mistake, the Madone still provides a very firm and hard ride. It just doesn't seem to be sensitive enough to smooth out poorly surfaced roads, the type where the top layer of tarmac has eroded away, or worse still, surface dressed roads. It's easy to overlook when you're galloping along, but on casual rides I found it a bit tiring.

Frame design

If there's an award for the biggest aero down tube, the Madone wins hands down. No other aero bike goes to such extremes to reduce drag as the Madone with massive profiles at the fork, down tube, seat tube and stays, all intended to reduce drag as much as possible.

The two-tone paint job gives an air of quality, a sparkly gloss paint over matt black. It's one of a handful of stock colour options too, and there's also Trek's Project One where a world of custom paint schemes awaits.

Integration is a key buzzword in bike design these days, and with the Trek Madone it's the IsoSpeed decoupler hidden away underneath the top tube, and a new aero handlebar and stem with greater fit adjustment than the old one-piece aero handlebar.

All cables and hoses are routed inside the Madone, right from the front where they are hidden inside the handlebar and stem and into the frame. The only exposed cabling is just where they exit ahead of the derailleurs and callipers.

The Di2 junction box is hidden inside the handlebar for easy charging and gear tweaking.

Aero handlebars are a prime method for reducing frontal surface area, which is why nearly all aero bikes now feature them. The downside is the limited fit adjustment. Trek's new handlebar uses a design that splits the stem, allowing the angle of the handlebar to be adjusted with a range of +/-5 degrees. Under the stem are four bolts you can loosen to adjust the tilt of the handlebar. Computers and other accessories can be bolted to the front of the handlebar using a GoPro-style mount.

As I said earlier, the Madone uses Trek's new H1.5 geometry. This replaces the previous low and stretched H1 and slightly more upright H2 options. The 56cm model, for example, has an effective top tube length of 559.9mm – we might as well call that 560mm – a head tube of 151mm, a stack of 563mm and a reach of 391mm. Trek says it hits the sweet spot, and I would tend to agree.

The seatpost is an integrated design and is easy to adjust with bolts at the back, but you do want to pay close attention to the manual and the recommended torque settings. The saddle clamp is nice and easy to set up, with individual bolts for adjusting the fore-aft and tilt, and there's a choice of setback to tune your position.

For £10,000, this Trek Madone needs to be the ultimate bike, and it nearly is but for a couple of issues. It's specced with the sort of kit you'd expect on this level of bike, including the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, which is flawless.

However, I can't help but question the 50/34-tooth compact chainset on a race bike – surely a 52/36 would have been better, Trek?

The 11-28 cassette is largely standard even on race bikes these days, and I appreciated it on some hillier rides.

Bontrager's Aeolus XXX 6 wheels enhance the aerodynamic performance greatly. They look fantastic and they sound great when you sprint the Madone up to speed. The wide profile provides a good base for the 25mm Bontrager R4 320tpi tyres too, and the wheels are tubeless-ready should you want to ditch the inner tubes. I found the wheels a bit of a handful in strong crosswinds but they were never erratic, you just have to be prepared.

I had zero issues with the Bontrager Montrose saddle nor the two-bolt seat clamp, which as I said above provides easy angle and fore-aft adjustment.

All the parts build up to a 7.7kg weight for the size 56cm bike tested. For comparison, the Specialized S-Works Venge in the same size and with similar parts tickled the scales to 7.15kg, so the Madone is carrying a bit of timber.

The Venge is the main rival that springs to mind because it's the aero bike I tested most recently. The Venge is lighter, cheaper (not by much), includes a dual-sided power meter, has more easily adjustable handlebar and stem, and the ride quality is a notch above the Madone. If it was my money, that's where it would be heading.

Other aero bikes we could throw into the ring include the Cervelo S5 Disc and Cannondale SystemSix (we haven't reviewed these bikes yet), Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc (we tested the £3,000 Propel Advanced Disc last year) and Bianchi Oltre XR2 .

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best and fastest 2019 aero road bikes

The XR2 is a good comparison because it also attempts to provide extra compliance by infusing the carbon layup with a special vibration-damping material, and it does provide a pretty smooth ride. It's not in the same ballpark when it comes to aerodynamics and integration, though.

Another rival comes from Trek itself: the recently introduced Madone SL, which brings the price down by virtue of using cheaper carbon fibre, though it still comes out of the same mould so you're getting the same aero performance and IsoSpeed decoupler. That range starts off at £3,600 which, if you love the look of this Madone but want to save a bit of cash, could be the bike for you.

The Madone SLR 9 Disc is ferociously fast and will enable you to smash PRs and dominate road races, with striking looks, some clever integration and a faultless build, but the firm ride makes it a chore to ride on regular roads at less than race pace, and it's a bit portly too. Those gripes aside, it's a very impressive bike, but I'm left just wanting a bit more refinement and finesse.

Seriously fast aero race bike with great handling, but not the smoothest and not the ultimate spec it should be

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc

Size tested: 56cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

700 Series OCLV Carbon, KVF (Kammtail Virtual Foil) tube shape, Adjustable Top Tube IsoSpeed, Micro-adjust seatmast, tapered head tube, BB90, flat mount disc brakes, 12 mm thru-axle, invisible cable routing, control centre, precision water bottle placement, Aero 3S chain keeper, DuoTrap S-compatible

Madone KVF full carbon disc, carbon tapered steerer, carbon dropouts, hidden cable routing, flat-mount disc brake, 12 mm thru-axle

Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 Tubeless Ready Disc, 12 mm thru-Axle

Bontrager R4 320, 320 tpi, 700x25 c

Max tyre size

28 c Bontrager tyres (with at least 4 mm of clearance to frame)

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, 11-speed

Front derailleur

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, braze-on

Rear derailleur

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Shimano Dura-Ace, 50/34 (compact)

Bottom bracket

Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-28, 11-speed

Shimano Dura-Ace

Not included

Bontrager Montrose Pro, carbon rails

Madone carbon seatpost, 25 mm offset w/integrated light mount

Madone-specific adjustable aero VR-CF, internal cable routing

Bontrager tape

Madone-specific internal cable routing

Madone integrated, stainless cartridge bearings, sealed, 1-3/8in top, 1.5in bottom

Shimano Dura-Ace flat-mount hydraulic disc

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Trek says, "Madone SLR 9 Disc is the hero of the road disc revolution. Advanced road bike aerodynamics, our lightest OCLV Carbon layup, adjustable compliance and a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic drivetrain make it the final stop in your search for a top-of-the-line aero road bike.

"A lightweight 700 Series OCLV Carbon frame with Kammtail Virtual Foil aerodynamic tube shaping and road-smoothing Adjustable Top Tube IsoSpeed, KVF full carbon disc fork, 12 mm thru axles, an adjustable aero bar and stem, a 2x11 Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic drivetrain, Tubeless Ready Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 wheels, a micro-adjust Madone seatmast and Dura-Ace flat-mount disc brakes."

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

Sits right at the top of Trek's aero bike category, it doesn't get better than this.

Frame and fork

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

Exceptional quality, as you'd expect and hope at this price.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Highest grade 700 OCLV is used to make the frame and fork.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Uses Trek's new H1.5 geometry which splits the difference between the slammed H1 and laid back H2.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The stack and reach are predictably aggressive given it's a race bike, with a long reach and low stack. The new H1.5 cuts a nice compromise between the previous very slammed H1 and upright H2 geometry. I found the fit very good, only moved some spacers to lower the handlebar.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Yes and no. It's not the smoothest ride on rough road surfaces, but the position makes it comfortable on longer rides.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

It sure doesn't lack the stiffness you want in a race bike.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Extremely well for sprinting out of corners and attacking mates.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? Quite laid back.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

Handling is a highlight, with good stability at high speeds, and it's pretty docile at lower speeds.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

You could go up to 28mm tyres, which might certainly impart a bit more comfort for dealing with crappy road surfaces.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

I'd like to see a 52/36t chainset and a power meter included at this price.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

No changes.

The drivetrain

Wheels and tyres

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? No

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Probably

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There are quite a few impressive rivals at this price and it compares well against those, but the lack of a power meter is a glaring omission.

Use this box to explain your overall score

I love the speed and handling and looks, but it's not the smoothest ride and the spec doesn't make it the ultimate bike it needs to be at this price.

Overall rating: 7 /10

About the tester

Age: 31   Height: 180cm   Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:    My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years   I ride: Every day   I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking

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David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes . 

Add new comment

12 comments.

Steve I really feel for you mate.  You'd hope for a few months of silence for that sort of cash and for Trek to maybe support you a little more.

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[quote=ktache]<p>Steve I really feel for you mate.&nbsp; You'd hope for a few months of silence for that sort of cash and for Trek to maybe support you a little more.</p>[/quote]

Thanks ktache

It's a shame because it is a really nice bike otherwise. But, all for naught with poorly made press fit BB.

I have a 2019 Madone SLR 9 eTap. From the first day, bottom bracket creak.

Movement of the bearing on the non drive side has destroyed the frame.

Trek has been quite reticent about taking care of this problem.

Utterly disappointing.

Why is the reviewer comparing it to the 2013 Oltre XR2? The Oltre XR4 is the current model and has been since 2016.

Is this another of these Road.cc recycled articles?

10,000 pound for a reinforced plastic bike!  I bet any money the people at Trek are laughing so much that there must be concerns for health and sanity within the company, not as concerning of course for the loonies that would actually buy something like this at this price.  This bike probably costs pennies to make and the profit margin must be astronomical, nice one Trek.

Trek are not alone of course while people are willing to purchase this 5 minute wonder craze madness at prices that are totally immoral.

The world has gone totally mad, I tell you, you will be telling me next that Boris Johnston will be the next leader of the country, Ha, Ha, Ha, it's so crazy it's not even funny.

Please will somebody wake me up as this dream has become seriously bad and not funny.

yupiteru wrote: 10,000 pound for a reinforced plastic bike!  I bet any money the people at Trek are laughing so much that there must be concerns for health and sanity within the company, not as concerning of course for the loonies that would actually buy something like this at this price.  This bike probably costs pennies to make and the profit margin must be astronomical, nice one Trek. Trek are not alone of course while people are willing to purchase this 5 minute wonder craze madness at prices that are totally immoral. The world has gone totally mad, I tell you, you will be telling me next that Boris Johnston will be the next leader of the country, Ha, Ha, Ha, it's so crazy it's not even funny. Please will somebody wake me up as this dream has become seriously bad and not funny.  

It isn't £10,000 for reinforced plastic.  The Trek frame probably costs less than half the total.

I've read that a lot of people spend £15,000+ on a wedding. Now that is barmy.

Q: Which component would you recommend changing to improve the product? A: None.  Wheels - 6/10....but then again better wheels would no doubt increase the price and lower the already paltry 5/10 value for money score. 

I don't drive.

I have never learned to drive.

I hate cars.

I think they're not only poluting the planet, but also making people selfish and entitled.

But if I were given ten grand to spend, Brewster's Millions style, on a one-off purchase of a form of private transportation, I'd buy something like a Volkswagen Up over this. Even just to park on my drive as an ornamental feature. Or to take apart and admire the engineering of thousands of parts.

£10,000 is simply a ludicrous amount of money for a bicycle. And this one is not even nice to look at.

Plus Trek screwed over Greg Lemond.

handlebarcam wrote: I don't drive. I have never learned to drive. I hate cars. I think they're not only poluting the planet, but also making people selfish and entitled. But if I were given ten grand to spend, Brewster's Millions style, on a one-off purchase of a form of private transportation, I'd buy something like a Volkswagen Up over this. Even just to park on my drive as an ornamental feature. Or to take apart and admire the engineering of thousands of parts. £10,000 is simply a ludicrous amount of money for a bicycle. And this one is not even nice to look at. Plus Trek screwed over Greg Lemond.

It’s only ludicrous if you can’t afford it.

Htc wrote: handlebarcam wrote: I hate cars. I think they're not only poluting the planet, but also making people selfish and entitled. £10,000 is simply a ludicrous amount of money for a bicycle. And this one is not even nice to look at.

True. Once you get above a subsistence level of income and start to be able to afford non-essential "luxuries", there are those who will question how you spend your money. I for example think it is ludicrous to spend £1,000 on a mobile phone, with a useful life of 2 years, after which it is extremely difficult to recycle, but plenty of i-phone users would disagree. There are those who who spend £10,000 on a cruise after which they have nothing to show but a few selfies, or spend £10,000 on a hifi component or camera, or £2k per year on golf club membership, and why not if they have the cash and that's their interest?  But in the context of any of these, a bike, which will probably still be giving somebody some use 15 years from now,  (hence, unlike your unused VW UP, mitigating  the pollution caused by its manufacture and eventual disposal) doesn't seem to be a bad choice.

You could argue that consumerism in general might be screwing the planet, but I'd put bikes a long way down the list of problem items!

Htc wrote: It’s only ludicrous if you can’t afford it.

If you want to try to redefine the word "ludicrous" out of existence, well... that's pretty ludicrous in itself.

It may be expensive, but, I mean this is not a bike you would buy if you're not into cyclism and if you don't have the money to afford it. Inform yourself about high-end bike prices, and you will see that they can price up 16k sometimes. Everything can be expensive when it is high-end. Wanna buy a high-end TV or a high-end gaming PC, 3K at least. Same thing goes about cars!

Imagine you drive in a Porsche and I tell you "woah men at this price I'm better off buying a house" it's the exact same thing. Of course a car is more useful then a bike, but this bike however isn't something you would buy  just to ride occasionnally in the week-end, it's totally for those who practices regularely, and whom are into competition.

Anyways I'm surprised this is only rated 3.5 haha

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Trek Domane SLR headset / front IsoSpeed decoupler creaking

Moderator: robbosmans

Post by sennder » Wed Jul 04, 2018 5:25 am --> by sennder on Wed Jul 04, 2018 5:25 am

• I've confirmed that it's not the cable (creaking was present when I removed the cables).
• I don't think it's the handlebar (the creak seems to be coming from the frame)
• It's not the saddle or the bottom bracket (the bike creaks when I'm not on it simply by putting weight on the hoods or by turning the bars sharply left or right)
• It's not the QR skewers either
• Loosening the top cap and the stem bolts stops the noise, but returns once retightened

by » Wed Jul 04, 2018 5:25 am --> by Weenie on Wed Jul 04, 2018 5:25 am

Post by monkeytusmc » Wed Jul 04, 2018 6:51 am --> by monkeytusmc on Wed Jul 04, 2018 6:51 am

Post by sennder » Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:19 am --> by sennder on Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:19 am

monkeytusmc wrote: ↑ Wed Jul 04, 2018 6:51 am Everything you describe would point me to the headset bearings, especially when you mentioned that it went away when you loosened it. I don’t know if you use any spacers upfront but once I had a Trek madone and I changed the spacer sand had some creaking following that. Might want to check there. Good luck man. It’s very difficult sometimes. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Post by jekyll man » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:19 am --> by jekyll man on Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:19 am

Post by sennder » Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:33 am --> by sennder on Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:33 am

jekyll man wrote: ↑ Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:19 am There was a post on here about a creaky domane front end a few weeks ago. might have been from richtheroadie? edit found it: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/foru ... 9#p1404029

Post by henryj30 » Fri Jul 06, 2018 2:43 am --> by henryj30 on Fri Jul 06, 2018 2:43 am

Post by sennder » Fri Jul 06, 2018 3:26 am --> by sennder on Fri Jul 06, 2018 3:26 am

henryj30 wrote: ↑ Fri Jul 06, 2018 2:43 am Is this creaking just annoying or can it lead to catastrophe? I am having the same noise on my new fuji sl Di2 but everything appears and feels rock solid. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Post by sennder » Fri Jul 06, 2018 8:32 pm --> by sennder on Fri Jul 06, 2018 8:32 pm

Post by sennder » Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:07 pm --> by sennder on Tue Jul 10, 2018 6:07 pm

Post by bullymad » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:49 pm --> by bullymad on Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:49 pm

Post by sennder » Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:22 pm --> by sennder on Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:22 pm

bullymad wrote: ↑ Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:49 pm Hi, I have a Domane Sl 2017 but whether I had mine as a comparison or not a gap anywhere from the bottom of the headtube to the top of the stem cap would be wrong. If it was mine I would be in contact with Treks tech dept to discuss what the shop has done. I do get the odd knock from the front end going over some rough ground but I guess that would be normal. Here's a bad quality, zoomed in off another pic of my bike to show you how it should be (hopefully). Look forward to your progress Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

Post by asiantrick » Tue Jul 10, 2018 10:38 pm --> by asiantrick on Tue Jul 10, 2018 10:38 pm

Post by sennder » Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:50 pm --> by sennder on Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:50 pm

asiantrick wrote: ↑ Tue Jul 10, 2018 10:38 pm Hope you get this issues resolved. It must be extremely frustrating. Time to find a new bike shop!!!

Post by bullymad » Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:32 am --> by bullymad on Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:32 am

by » Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:32 am --> by Weenie on Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:32 am

Post by sennder » Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:15 am --> by sennder on Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:15 am

bullymad wrote: ↑ Wed Jul 11, 2018 5:32 am Hi, unfortunately I couldn't say as I haven't needed to take the headset apart. I've had it for a year now and it's only been used in dry weather. The only problems I had were with the Vision wheels that came with the bike. Fingers crossed for the Warranty replacement as I think to fix this everything needs to be replaced. Is there a third Trek dealer near you to try out once you get a replacement frame? Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

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Trek’s All New Madone: IsoSpeed Comfort + Aerodynamics + Integration = Ultimate Race Bike?

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Right off the bat, Trek is calling their new Madone the “ultimate race bike.” That’s a big claim for sure, but one that Trek doesn’t take lightly. We’ve seen a number of new aero bikes flood the market recently, but for the Madone Aero is only part of the story. In order to be the Ultimate race bike, it needs to be comfortable for the long haul. It also needs to work with all of the latest component systems in a way that is both user friendly and aerodynamically efficient. There is a lot of hype surrounding the new Madone, but does it live up to it’s billing as the Ultimate Race Bike? You be the judge after the break…

Starting with their signature OCLV carbon fiber, the Madone frame makes use of the latest Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shapes to make it the most aerodynamic Madone yet. Essentially tricking the wind into thinking it’s a full aerodynamic profile, KVF tube shapes are becoming fairly common in bicycle design as they allow for a very stiff, yet aerodynamic frame. According to the Madone White paper (which you can read below) the new Madone is among the fastest of the aero bikes tested, especially at high yaw angles. To make the bike as fast as possible aero touches extend down to the dropouts with molded carbon hoods over the quick releases.

Even though the Madone isn’t quite as slippery as the Cervelo S5 at 0 degree yaw, the relatively low drag numbers at the front of the bike can be attributed to the KVF fork as well as the new aero cockpit and integrated front brake. Using a one piece bar/stem combo which seems to be par for the course with aero bikes lately, the Madone is able to hide all of the cabling, electronics, etc in an aerodynamic package that integrates with the frame. The completely invisible cable routing continues down to the direct mount brakes which hide the cable assembly with articulating Vector Wings. We can’t speak for how easy it is to service, but it certainly looks  clean . Continuing with the integration theme, the bar/stem is Blendr compatible for clean mounting of computer head units.

The cable system continues with the Control Center located at the front end of the down tube. When running mechanical drivetrains the Control Center houses barrel adjusters, but when running electronic drivetrains this is where the battery will be stashed into the down tube.

While we expected the new Madone to include an impressive aero package, the inclusion of an IsoSpeed Decoupler is a bit of a surprise. Called Madone IsoSpeed, the system differs from previous iterations of the design using a tube-in-tube construction. The ideas is that this allows the inner tube to flex independently of the outer aero shell so as not to upset the aerodynamics. Going by the numbers provided by trek, the result is a frame that is 57.5% more compliant than its (unnamed) nearest competitor. Having ridden Trek’s IsoSpeed design on other bikes, this isn’t that hard to believe.

The back of the seat tube also houses two new addition to the frame – the Micro Adjust seat mast, and centerpull rear brake. Now with a male seat mast cap that slides into the female seat tube, the seat post height is adjusted with a two bolt slider mounted on the outside of the seat tube. while the seat mast retains the single bolt from the side to clamp to the saddle rails, the pitch of the saddle is now adjusted with a secondary clamping bolt located at the back of the post head. The separate fore/aft and tilt adjustments should still be easy to use but won’t allow the saddle to slip under big hits.

Keeping with the invisible cable system, the rear brake uses a centerpull design with the brake cable popping out of back of the seat tube. Again, no word on how user friendly the cabling system will be, but if aero is your goal the Madone seems to deliver.

To be sold in Trek’s most aggressive H1 fit as well as H2 which will better fit most of the average Joes, Trek is also offering a WSD Madone from the top level 9.9. There will also be a Race Shop limited build in a frameset, and H1 and H2 fit if a bright red pro level build is right up your alley. Of course the Madone will be available through Project One as well so you can tune your bike to your liking before it ever ships. All of the new technology will be available on the Madone 9 series frames and 9.2 and up complete builds, while the Madone 2 through 7 series will continue with the previous designs . Pricing starts at $4,729.99 for the 9 series H2 frameset, and $6,299.99 for the complete Madone 9.2 up to the top shelf Race Shop limited build at $13,649.99.

Madone Whitepaper

trekbikes.com

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor . He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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I like this one a million times better over the funkily designed Venge 2016..

I can’t comprehend how the fairing on that front brake works.

Those are clearly air brakes. Trek realized when making the bike aero, they could also make the bike unaero, reducing wear on carbon rims.

I still can’t comprehend H2 geometry on all but the “race team” bike for this style of bike.

How much slower does 30mm less drop make you. I want to know seriously, I bet it’s a lot. When comparing grams of drag. We all know body position make more of a difference than the bike does.

This new Madone falls somewhere between a feat of engineering and work of art, but the more I look at it, the more it seems like I’d need to keep a mechanic on retainer. LOL

Disclosure: I love my Domane.

I’m ignorant of IsoSpeed, but that removes *all* triangulation from the frame. Of COURSE it increases ‘compliance’!

This would be really hard to look at if I were a Specialized fan-boy….

Oh trust me…..it is haha!

Eric, the frame is still fully triangulated, the inner seatpost is no longer bound by that triangulation and its resultant stiffness. It’s neat, especially considering the relatively low weight. The weight alone was difficult to come by just a few years ago, now it can be achieved with a fully integrated aero bike that has a double seatpost.

Take that specialized. This thing is beautiful! Good job Trek!

I don’t get it: Do you roadies really care about performance data or simply which bike looks cooler? Judging by the comments, a bike that performs better would be trumped simply by one that looks better.

Which reminds me of why people get those Jones Bicycles…all form and no function, save for striking up conversations at the trailhead while drinking bitter beers.

Except Jones bikes have been praised for its handling and comfort by pretty much everyone who has had a chance to ride one.

Did Scott copy Trek or visa versa. The Foil and Madone have pretty much same tube shape on frame and handlebar

Seriously, if you buy one of these bikes, consider making a sincere gesture of thanks to the mechanic who spent his or her entire day putting it together. A six pack isn’t going to cut it anymore, unless perhaps it’s a six pack of Macallan single malt.

So I heard you liked seat tubes…

So I put a seat tube in your seat tube.

’nuff said.

@bikeduder. seriously a little professionalism

Amen @bikeduder! Bike mechanics have been getting paid far too much for far too long! Those fat cats have been just skating through life on free chain lube and a hefty salary while all of us hard working Cat 3’s have to pay like $20 just to avoid getting our fingers dirty fixing our own flats! Not any more. It’s time to rise up against the high prices and tyranny of the local bike shop. It’s time to start fixing our own flats, replacing our own cables, and (gasp!) taping our own bars! It couldn’t be that hard, right? I mean, they’re just bikes…

Pretty nice looking ride overall but the rear brake area is anything but aerodynamic. I guess they’ll fix this in the next design iteration.

I’m not a trek fanboy, but this bike has a lot going on and much better execution than the venge. I really like the looks of this new ride. I’ll make sure to comment to those racers who think this is going to make them better/ faster, esp when I’m passing them.

Stampers- if this is anything like previous internally routed Treks, a kick in the nuts isn’t enough to make up for all the evil involved. That old TTX you had to basically strip to frame to change cables and housing? Yeah, f@*% that. Second, if you’re sort of short or really short, IsoSpeed is next to useless. I’m 5’8″, and I couldn’t really feal the decoupling, even seated, feet off the pedals, on the roughest pavement I could find. That said, this is the first vaguely interesting road bike from JB and company in a long time.

‘Merika What did this “jones” character ever do to you? He sounds very easy going up for almost every kind of riding, fun to ride with and someone you can truss. Third post down https://bikerumor.com/2015/06/29/lauf-redesigns-uppers-for-new-trail-racer-boost-leaf-spring-suspension-fork/#more-104367

um, we just built one of the 9.2 ( mechanical Ultegra) bikes up from scratch. It wasn’t bad at all. Routing the handlebar took some time, but seriously the rest of the bike was arguably easier than most other internally-routed road bikes. So…trolls can shutup now haha

This bike is SO to close to the new Specialized Venge….the detail changes to make it more aero are too similar when you look at old Madone to new vs. old Venge to new. Someone let the cat out of the bag too early and one of these companies copied the other!!!!

I was curious why in the wind tunnel test why Trek did not test the Venge!!! But I found my answer in Trek’s attached white paper. “we did not test the Specialized Venge during this trip based on data collected from previous test that showed it was not a leader in aerodynamics.”

I’d have to say Trek did an excellent job documenting their process. I searched Specialized for their documentation “white paper” of their process and could find none. Plus I do have to agree that the new Venge appears more “clunky” and appears to have had less time/thought put into it compared to the new Madone. I can only hope that Karma will help the true innovators win in the Tour.

H1 geometry !!! Very very good. !!! The First good Bike with 2 geometry – Fantastic Trek

Now still with Disk Brake and this Bike would my Bike

The bike sounds great but… No H1 geomtry except in the most expensive solutions ? That’s dumb. It’s a race bike or it’s not ? Racers are the wealthiest people ? Nonsense. Second i like the “bright red race” paint job but full bike offering are so sad in look. All this black 🙁 Looks like i will have no choice but to find a bright red frame on ebay in 2 years.

That is the nicest looking road bike I have ever seen. Trek is just killing it across all their lines this year.

Haromania ti do perfettamente ragione una bici unica nel suo genere

Really like it, but the flappy thing on the head tube bothers me a lot.

Plenty of room to hide the motor and battery.

So… some of you folks think that your local bike guy makes a bundle of bucks to work on your bike. After I retired from my real job in 1999, I started working at my local bike shop building new bikes just for fun. I started at $8 bucks an hour four years later I topped out at $8.50 an hour at that first shop. When it became a Performance store nothing changed. Then I worked at another LOB and got paid by the bike. $10.00 each plus $5.00 per derailleur. So I could make $20.00 a bike.

I wound up at one of the 5 Trek stores in my area and spent 4 years working for $10.00 an hour, when ever I would ask for a 50 cent raise, I would get the old speech about how hard it was to just make a profit on each bike from the manager. I left that shop after four years, I decided that I would not work after I turned 72. I do know that some of the guys made $20.00 or so an hour, but no one ever really talked about how much they made. Also every one of them worked hard and did their best to put out a good repair or build. I always built the bike I was working on as if I were going to ride or buy it my self. The price you pay for service is just the cost of the guy who worked on your bike, but some of the cost goes toward just keeping the shop up and running. IE: rent, healthcare, store repairs and other employees, etc.

I enjoyed every person that I worked with over those years, and I continue to look some of them up and catch up on how their lives are going. None of those guys are ever going to be able to buy a house or a new car or even afford the very bikes they work on. And yes it can take an entire day to build up some of those fancier bikes. Aero and TT bikes are the worst. So if you think that you are paying to much for the service you get, learn how to do your own work on your bike.

For all the H1 whiners, P1 will be coming out (August? when these will probably be available anyway) since you hate the paint job so bad, you get to pick your own.

As for working on it, just the font end seems complicated. The rear brake runs straight through the top tube nice and easy unlike the Venge. That control box seems relatively simple to work with and functional.

Front brake ‘fairing’ just helps for the steer tube to turn when at low speeds. If you’re using the ‘fairing’ (vector wings) it means you’re not going fast enough.

LBS do not make much money and you don’t make much money working at them. I am the store manager at one and trust me I could make a lot more somewhere else in a different industry. I would nearly be in poverty. So unless your LBS has multiple locations, the mechanics aren’t making much. Support your LBS.

Typically the more locations a shop has, the less they get paid. BikeVillage/Performances of the world top out at 10-12 dollars an hour. That’s not even a living wage. Typically you still qualify for food stamps.

After 7 years, I’m making enough to not qualify for food stamps.

I would like to hear how this process of copying of other companies is supposed to happen from the people claiming it. Considering a very large testing process is done before, and then design, and then making molded, testing, revisions, final product and marketing prep- bike production takes months or years, not weeks.

It’s much more likely that Trek and Specialized arrived at similar designs because that design is a better one! Its the same reason cars are all shaped like jelly beans now. That shape is the most aerodynamic. Car companies aren’t copying each other. I can imagine them after the testing and design process saying “Shit, this looks like the Venge. How can we make it different so it doesn’t look like we’re copying them?”

I don’t think Trek / Spesh / Scott / Giant actively copy each other – of course they keep an eye on what each other are doing but the big companies have as many lawyers as designers and any outright copying would draw a quick lawsuit. Remember when Mike Sinyard sued a coffee shop because it had ‘Roubaix’ in the name??

What they do have is a lot of the same CAD tools ( I think SolidWorks is the lead package, also BikeCAD). That will lead to similar designs based on similar inputs.

Per Cervelo and and Specialized, 20 percent of a bikes drag is secondary to the handlebar. Given there is a radical handlebar design here, I wonder how much better alone the frame is compared to the S5 or the Venge. Also which Cervelo S5 did they compare this frame to, the old or he new S5? Interestingly, the Cervelo given the traditional brakes has better aerodynamics at 0 degree. Given the frontal profile of the new Venge Vais I would be interested in seeing wind tunnel comparisons head to head. The Vais comes out to be a better deal given the power meter included with the bike.

A point for those comparing the Venge and Madone – The Bike Radar reviews of the Madone and Venge show that the Madone is fully 2lbs lighter than the new Venge. Given that they are both built with nearly the best of everything (and are so proprietary), the only meaningful weight loss available to them is going to tubular wheels/tires so regardless of what else you change, that difference stays.

While the Madone is costly in it’s highest trim, there are less expensive versions, as well as the option to order via P1 and get it built the way you want it.

As for H1 vs. H2, have a look at the H2 geometry compared to other brand’s racing bikes. You’ll find it head tube and stack measurements rcloser to bikes like the Tarmac and C’dale Evo, not endurance bikes.

Bike radar article weighs a 52 without pedals and cages vs the Vais article which is for a compete bike in 56. Weight is probably not 2 pound difference as the Vais also has a power meter. Won’t know unless you compare similar sizes and maintain consistency with pedals and cages.

New venge vias seems like way better design..

Interesting “women’s” version of this bike. They didn’t even bother shrinking it…they just took the smaller men’s sizes and pinked it…slap a women’s saddle on it and VOILA…

#getinthedrops

I rode it and suggest you do too. It rides great, with none of the rear end mushiness of the Domane in the corners (sorry Fabian). Light and quick and stable. Rides even a little better than my Emonda SLR! Good in the hills. Very stiff. I will use a different wheel though. Bontrager wheels suck for heavy riders. I think this is the best aero all around bike, not an aero bike only for crits.

Gran pregio di questa bici la garanzia a vita oltre che essere bella

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Stary Oskol

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Rusmania • Deep into Russia

• Belgorod Region

Stary Oskol is the Belgorod Region’s second city by population and today consists of two main parts: the historical centre on the hill and the new centre made up of blocks of housing estates (mikroraiony). It is named after the river on which it stands on; the word stary (old) was added to distinguish it from the new settlement of Novy Oskol (New Oskol). Just outside the city is an impressive cave-monastery complex.

Top recommendations in Stary Oskol

Kholkovsky Monastery

Travel outside the city to the nearby settlement of Kholki to visit the Kholkovsky Monastery - an impressive cave monastery.

Historical Centre

Walk around the historical part of the city, located where once a wooden fortress stood to protect Russia’s southern borders, and visit the museum here.

War Memorials

Have a look at all the war memorial in the city - in recognition of Stary Oskol’s status as a City of Military Glory.

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EAF expansion

As of May 2021, Metalloinvest has announced plans to build an additional EAF (EAF #5) and a new Ladle Furnace (LF #4) and selected Danieli as the supplier. The EAF #5 was scheduled to be commissioned in 2023 and would increase the plant's production capacity by an additional 1.2 MTPA. [2]

As of October 2023, there have not been any updates about the project.

Plant Details

Table 1: general plant details, table 2: ownership and parent company information, table 3: process and products, table 4: crude steel production capacities (thousand tonnes per annum), table 5: crude iron production capacities (thousand tonnes per annum), table 6: upstream products production capacities (thousand tonnes per annum), table 7: actual crude steel production by year (thousand tonnes per annum), table 8: actual crude iron production by year (thousand tonnes per annum), articles and resources, additional data.

To access additional data, including an interactive map of steel power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Steel Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.

• ↑ "METALLOINVEST SELECTS DANIELI TO BUILD NEW ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE AND LADLE FURNACE AT OEMK" . Danieli . May 5, 2021 . Retrieved Mar 22, 2022 .
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 https://web.archive.org/web/20220112164748/https://www.metalloinvest.com/en/business/steel/oemk/ . Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220120212348/https://oskol.city/news/society/73476/ . Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20221130215516/https://anoire.center/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/iron.pdf . Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 November 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 https://web.archive.org/web/20210624061453/https://www.danieli.com/en/news-media/news/metalloinvest-selects-danieli-build-new-electric-arc-furnace-and-ladle-furnace-oemk_37_637.htm . Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20220331214107/https://www.metalloinvest.com/partners/quality-system/certificates/ . Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20211025180601/https://www.vnedra.ru/glavnaya-tema/metalloinvest-strategiya-povysheniya-kachestva-produkczii-i-obespecheniya-ustojchivogo-sbyta-13583/ . Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220129010141/https://metallobazy.ru/factory/46 . Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 https://web.archive.org/web/20220126174142/https://www.metalloinvest.com/en/media/press-releases/196162/ . Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220127013232/https://www.metalloinvest.com/en/media/press-releases/10672/ . Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220320173526/https://www.midrex.com/about-midrex/midrex-plants/ . Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 https://bel.ru/news/2021-05-01/metalloinvest-postroit-novuyu-staleplavilnuyu-pech-na-kombinate-v-starom-oskole-321989 . {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20211008070717/https://www.metalloinvest.com/upload/iblock/9c1/metalloinvest_ar_2020.pdf . Archived from the original (PDF) on 08 October 2021. {{ cite web }} : Check date values in: |archive-date= ( help ) ; Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 https://www.midrex.com/company-news/midrex-plants-with-4th-quarter-anniversaries-2/ . {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 (PDF) https://www.midrex.com/wp-content/uploads/Midrex-2020-DFM2QTR-Final.pdf . {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240130192323/https://abireg.ru/newsitem/89221/ . Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220531023149/https://www.metalloinvest.com/investors/operating-results/ . Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 (PDF) https://www.metalloinvest.com/upload/iblock/919/metalloinvest_go-_-17.05-_1_.pdf . {{ cite web }} : Missing or empty |title= ( help )
• ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20220402100106/https://www.metalloinvest.com/investors/reports/ . Archived from the original on 02 April 2022. {{ cite web }} : Check date values in: |archive-date= ( help ) ; Missing or empty |title= ( help )
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Stary Oskol city, Russia

The city of Belgorod oblast .

Stary Oskol - Overview

Stary Oskol is a city in Russia located in the Belgorod region, standing on the banks of the Oskol River, about 142 km northeast of Belgorod, 632 km south of Moscow.

The population of Stary Oskol is about 222,600 (2022), the area - 134 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 4725, the postal codes - 309500-309518.

Stary Oskol city flag

Stary oskol city coat of arms.

Stary Oskol city map, Russia

History of stary oskol.

In 1300, there was a village called Ugly on the the territory of the present city. Today, it is one of the districts of Stary Oskol. At that time, the village was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and was a border crossing point on the border with the Golden Horde.

The settlement of Oskol was founded by Russian Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich’s order (Ivan’s the Terrible son) to protect the southern borders of the Russian kingdom in 1593. The bulk of the population were peasants and the military.

In 1617, the town was burned by the Poles. In 1625, 1642 and 1677, the Crimean Tatars approached Stary Oskol, but could not capture it. The town was renamed Stary Oskol (meaning Old Oskol) in 1655, when the town of Tsaryov-Alexeyev, located down the river, was renamed Novy Oskol (New Oskol). Fortifications of the town existed until the 18th century.

More Historical Facts…

Gradually, Stary Oskol turned into peaceful, commercial and merchant town - the center of an agricultural district. Industrial production was represented mainly by enterprises on processing agricultural products.

In 1780, the town got its coat of arms. In 1784, Stary Oskol like most Russian towns of that time was rebuilt according to a new plan signed by Empress Catherine II. A large number of brick houses were built, mostly two-story buildings. The historic center of Stary Oskol has been preserved to our time.

In the second half of the 19th century, the town had a wide network of schools, libraries, reading rooms, printing, secondary schools. In 1894, construction of the railway began, trade and industry began to develop rapidly.

Until the 1930s, there were eleven Orthodox churches in Stary Oskol. During the Second World War, Stary Oskol was occupied by the Germans from July 2, 1942 to February 5, 1943. In 1954, the city became part of the newly formed Belgorod region.

In the late 1960s - early 1970s, in connection with the active development of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (the most powerful iron ore basin in the world), Stary Oskol became a major center of iron and steel industry.

Stary Oskol was declared a city of three top-priority Komsomol construction projects. The largest enterprises: Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant, Stoilensky Mining and Processing Plant, Oskolsky Electrometallurgical Plant became not only the city-forming enterprises, but also the largest industrial enterprises of the country. Stary Oskol experienced a new birth.

Today, Stary Oskol is a rapidly developing city, one of the leading mining and metallurgical centers of Russia.

Stary Oskol views

Stary Oskol cityscape

Author: Nikolai Ivanov

The fountain on Friendship Boulevard in Stary Oskol

October movie theater in Stary Oskol

Author: Roman Riapolov

Stary Oskol - Features

The coat of arms of Stary Oskol is a shield divided in half diagonally, in the red field there is a rifle, in the green field - a golden plow. It reflects both military and agricultural importance of the town.

Stary Oskol is among Russian cities with the youngest population. The average age of its citizens is about 35 years. The main reason lies in the history of the city. In the second half of the 20th century, a large number of members of the Young Communist League came to Stary Oskol to participate in the construction of large industrial enterprises.

Unique reserves of iron ore, developed industry and infrastructure, high scientific, technical and industrial potential, fertile land form the basis of Stary Oskol economy.

The main branches of local industry are mining, ferrous metallurgy, machine building and metalworking, building materials, food industry. There are more than 140 large and medium industrial enterprises, which employ more than 80 thousand people.

Attractions of Stary Oskol

The city has more than a dozen Orthodox churches and chapels. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Tokareva Street, 4/1) is the main church of Stary Oskol. St. Trinity Church (Bolshevistskaya Street, 17/15), built in 1730, is the oldest church in the city.

The Zoo was opened in Stary Oskol in 2008. Bears, lions, tigers, monkeys, wolves, camels, ostriches, and other species of birds and animals live there.

Museum of Local Lore (Lenina Street, 50). The museums, founded in 1923, has exhibitions about the history of Stary Oskol. It is located in a building which is a monument of history and culture of the 19th century once owned by the merchants and brothers Likhutins.

The museum organizes tours of the city and the area including visits to an ancient Russian settlement of Kholki, an underground monastery in Melovy mountains, and a biosphere reserve “Yamskaya steppe”.

Art Museum (Lenina Street, 57). The collection of local masters of folk clay toys (O.M.Goncharova and N.M.Goncharova) is a real pearl of the museum. Stary Oskol folk clay toys production was known from the end of the 18th century.

House Museum of Vasily Yeroshenko (Yeroshenko Street, 15). Yeroshenko’s life is a living legend for blind people not only in Russia but also abroad. He encourages disabled people, supports them with his talent, helps them on their ways to improve techniques. Yeroshenko spoke 12 foreign languages and was the professor of universities in Tokyo and Beijing, he became a classic of Japan literature for children.

Stary Oskol city of Russia photos

Pictures of stary oskol.

Byl movie theater in Stary Oskol

Friendship Boulevard in Stary Oskol

The Monument to Soviet-Bulgarian friendship in Stary Oskol

Sights of Stary Oskol

The memorial complex Ataman Forest in Stary Oskol

Cannon monument in Stary Oskol

Church of the Nativity in Stary Oskol

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