trek road bikes 2023

The ultimate race bike Our fastest road race bike ever From a legacy of greatness comes a new standard of speed. Seven generations in the making, Madone SLR is our fastest and lightest Madone disc ever, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with a triple threat of unprecedented aerodynamics, exceptional ride quality, and lightweight design. This race-ready bike is complete with never-before-seen IsoFlow technology that gives you every advantage in speed and handling.

“Trek’s seventh generation Madone blends radical design and performance” What the world is saying about the all-new Madone

“A pure-bred race bike"

“Does an exceptional job of balancing all-day comfort with the agility and aggression needed to be a top-tier race bike.”

“Every inch an aero race bike”

"One of the most visually striking and competent aero bikes available today [...] more aero, less weight, less complication."

“It doesn’t just look damn fast; it is damn fast”

“Seems to crave speed […] and the handling remains responsive at high speeds without lacking in stability.”

“Phenomenally fast and provides one heck of a thrilling ride”

“Offers all the aero tweaks and outright performance without compromising on day-to-day ridability.”

A new standard of speed Now 60 seconds/hour faster* We set out to make Madone the fastest road bike in the world. Years of research and development informed every aerodynamic inch of the seventh generation Madone SLR to create a frame, cockpit, and rider position that’s a whopping 19 watts faster than ever before.* *Compared to previous generation at 45km/h

Read the white paper
see the bike

Nearly 300 grams lighter*

60 seconds/hour faster* .

Never-before-seen IsoFlow technology Brutal performance. Total comfort. All-new IsoFlow technology soaks up fatiguing bumps in the road so you can ride stronger longer. A race-focused evolution of IsoSpeed comfort, IsoFlow flexes over bumps for a smoother ride, improves aerodynamics, and shaves weight to save precious seconds in the saddle.

Unprecedented road bike aerodynamics The devil is in the details when it comes to heart-pounding, race-winning speed. Every element of the new Madone Gen 7 was expertly sculpted to create our most aerodynamic road race bike ever, including a new generation of Kammtail tube shapes, an aero-optimized cockpit, and all-new IsoFlow technology that smooths air as it moves over the bike and accelerates it through the frame for even more free speed.

Positioned for power Ergonomic and aerodynamic riding position An overhauled bar/stem with a shorter reach and hoods that are 3cm narrower than the drops move you into a more comfortable ergonomic riding position. This narrower hood position also greatly reduces rider drag for extra aerodynamic speed while maintaining control in the drops so you don’t lose power in explosive moments.

Lighter than ever New gram-shaving design A new lightweight design and our best and lightest OCLV Carbon make the seventh generation Madone our lightest Madone disc ever, shaving around 300 grams off the previous ultra-lightweight version.

Behind the bike Hear from Senior Design Engineer, Alex Bedinghaus, on the new Madone SLR.

Pure race pedigree Informed by the world’s best cyclists Madone SLR was rigorously tested with the men’s and women’s Trek-Segafredo race teams to create a completely redesigned bike that’s faster, lighter, and fit for the biggest events on the cycling calendar, including the Tour de France and the first-ever Tour de France Femmes.

The new Madone SL Gen 7 offers the same revolutionary road race technology as the the seventh generation Madone SLR at a more accessible price point, thanks to a 500 Series OCLV Carbon frame and a two-piece flared RSL handlebar and stem. It’s the ultimate race bike, now available to more riders than ever. Our fastest and lightest Madone SL ever

Nearly 300 grams lighter*

54 seconds/hour faster* .

*When compared to Madone SL Gen 6 at 45km/h

Choose your Madone

Madone Gen 6

The original industry-disrupting superbike. -Adjustable top tube IsoSpeed for a smoother ride -Traditional non-flared two-piece bar + stem -Grand Tour-winning aero tube shaping -Madone performance at a better value

Madone Gen 7

Built on a legacy of superbikes, Madone Gen 7 is our fastest and lightest Madone disc ever. -Lightweight, never-before-seen IsoFlow compliance tech -Flared aero-optimized bar (one-piece bar/stem on SLR, two-piece bar + stem on SL) -All-new ultra-fast aero tube shaping -Faster and lighter

CURRENT PRICES END MAY 12

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2023 Trek Domane SLR review: A tauter ride, but some curious loose threads

Trek’s latest iteration of its domane all-roader packs more performance than ever, but there are also some big missteps that give me pause..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Story Highlights

What it is: The fourth generation of Trek’s groundbreaking endurance road bike.|| Frame features: 800-series OCLV carbon fiber construction, IsoSpeed rear pseudo-suspension, down tube storage compartment, built-in chain watcher, T47 threaded bottom bracket, front and rear fender mounts, three bottle mounts, top tube feed bag mount, fully concealed cable routing.|| Weight: 1,193 g (claimed, 56 cm frame only); 427 g (claimed, fork only); 7.54 kg (16.62 lb) as tested, 52 cm size, without pedals.|| Price: US$13,200 / AU$18,500 / £13,400 / €14,500.|| Highs: Superb rear-end ride quality, stiff and efficient-feeling under power, excellent handling, sleek aesthetics, competitively weight.|| Lows: Ride quality still a little imbalanced, creaky IsoSpeed/seatpost area, exposed headset bearing, internal housing rub, disappointing tires.

The Trek Domane has been one of the best-selling endurance road bikes since it first arrived on the scene way back in 2012, largely owing to its innovative IsoSpeed rear pseudo-suspension system. IsoSpeed lives on in the bike’s fourth generation, and it’s not only more cleverly package than ever, but it’s housed in what is clearly the most performance-packed iteration to date.

The last few months have proven the latest Domane SLR to be a formidable competitor in the hotly contested all-road market. But part of me wonders if some of the earlier versions’ approachability has been lost in the never-ending quest for more speed, and there are a couple of disconcerting missteps that proved annoying during testing, and somewhat concerning for the long haul, too.

A primer on the latest Domane

IsoSpeed has defined the Domane since its inception, and the brilliance and elegance of its design still has no equal in the industry.

Most bikes offer rear-end comfort with a combination of seatpost and seat tube flex; that phenomenon has been well understood for quite some time. But by adding a physical pivot at the seat cluster, IsoSpeed allows the seatpost and seat tube to bend far more under bump loads than with a more typically rigid connection. Later iterations of IsoSpeed would introduce a level of adjustability to the system so that riders could more carefully fine-tune the ride quality to their preferences (and weight), and Trek would eventually introduce a front-end analog to help balance out the comfort level between the two ends.

Whereas the previous Domane’s rear IsoSpeed system had an adjustable spring rate that allowed riders to tweak the flex characteristics to their liking, this latest version has a fixed tune that Trek says is roughly the same as the old version’s softest setting (since that’s apparently where most people ran it, anyway). The change yields a more neatly visually integrated and appealing arrangement since all of the flexy bits are now entirely tucked away inside the top tube.

In addition, there are big changes with the seatpost – or rather that it has one at all. Up until now, all higher-end Domanes used Trek’s so-called no-cut seatmast design, with a carbon fiber cap or seatpost stub that clamped to an extended seat tube stub. According to Trek, that was only way to get as much flex from the system as its designers wanted. However, this latest L-shaped IsoSpeed architecture allows for all of the desired flex while using a more conventional (and far more convenient) telescoping seatpost.

But what happened to Front IsoSpeed, you’re wondering? Based on steerer tube flex, that system was never as effective as the corresponding rear design, and with the move from standard 28 mm-wide tires to 32 mm-wide ones, the added air volume supposedly cancels out Front IsoSpeed’s nominal comfort gains so Trek says there wasn’t any point in using it anymore.

As you might expect, those structural simplifications result in some healthy weight savings, which is more than welcome since the third-gen Domane wasn’t exactly light. According to Trek, the fourth-generation Domane frameset sheds about 300 g (0.66 lb). Claimed weight for a painted 56 cm frame is 1,193 g, and the matching fork adds another 427 g – still not exactly feathery, but not bad at all, particularly when you consider all of that IsoSpeed hardware hidden inside.

Nevertheless, that figure becomes a little more palatable when you consider everything else that comes along with it.

As before, the Domane sports nominally aero tube shaping, although it’s more pronounced now with more aggressively flat-backed profiles that presumably cut through the air with greater efficiency. Trek has also retained the convenient storage hatch in the down tube located under the bottle cage mount, with plenty of room for snacks and repair essentials, and even perhaps a layer or two depending on how carefully you pack.

The previous generation’s semi-concealed cable routing has been more refined this time around with a fully hidden setup that enters the frame through the upper headset bearing and tucks in against the steerer tube, instead of the separate port behind the stem and more exposed cabling used on the old Domane. Headset bearing replacements will still be a pain (more on this in a bit), but thankfully, those control lines are at least run along the underside of the bar and stem – not through them – so swapping either of those components will be a mostly trivial process measured in minutes instead of hours.

Tire clearance is officially unchanged, although that’s not a big deal considering it was already very good. Trek says just about any 700c tire with a 38 mm hot stamp on it will fit, and prior experience has not only demonstrated those claims to hold true, but that they’re often pretty conservative. Thoroughly hidden front and rear fender mounts are integrated into the frame and fork, and even with those installed, you can supposedly still fit 700×35 mm tires underneath without any trouble.

Geometry-wise, it’s an interesting mix of road racer agility and endurance bike stability.

Up front, the steering is almost as quick as the Madone – quicker in some sizes, in fact – although that’s tempered somewhat by the more stretched-out rear end and longer wheelbase. And in a clear nod to stability, the bottom bracket drop is a ground-scraping 75-80 mm as compared to the Madone’s 68-72 mm figure. As expected, the rider position is more relaxed than what Trek uses on its road racing bikes, with more upright stack and shorter reach dimensions across the board. Neither is remotely extreme, though, so most riders shouldn’t have much issue achieving a reasonably aggressive position should they want one.

Trek sent to me a flagship Domane SLR 9 eTap model to test, built with the company’s fanciest 800-series OCLV carbon fiber blend, a SRAM Red eTap AXS wireless electronic groupset, and speedy Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 aero carbon clinchers wrapped with 32 mm-wide Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite tires. Completing the spec sheet are a carbon-railed Bontrager Verse Short Pro saddle and a Bontrager Pro IsoCore carbon fiber handlebar.

Actual weight for my 52 cm sample is 7.54 kg (16.62 lb) without pedals or accessories, and retail price is a heady US$13,200 / AU$18,500 / £13,400 / €14,500.

Still dominant?

I think I’ve ridden every generation of Domane at this point, and have always been struck by its unusually smooth ride quality (at least out back). Simply put, IsoSpeed works just as it’s claimed to, and the extent of its effectiveness is something that can only be fully appreciated in person.

That still carries through to this fourth-generation model, although the overall feel isn’t the same as in years past.

The rear end is still astonishingly comfortable, and far more so than you’d expect given the chunky-looking chain- and seatstays. Smaller-amplitude stuff is wiped out almost completely, and even nastier square-edged impacts are impressively neutralized. Basically, the way you ride IsoSpeed is to stay seated on just about everything and let the bike do the work for you. There’s also an admirable lack of bounciness while pedaling, and yet despite the obvious flex in the system, I was surprised by the amount of (good) textural feedback coming up through the rear end. Mind you, it’s nowhere near as as talkative as many other bikes out there, but it’s an acceptable tradeoff for the cushiness.

Despite losing the Front IsoSpeed system, this new Domane also strikes me as more balanced than before. The rear end is still more comfortable than the front – as has been the case with every Domane since its inception – but it’s not as stark a contrast as it used to be most of the time. I can’t say if this is due to the larger stock tires (which I ran at just 52/54 psi front/rear for my 73 kg build) or the semi-flexy Bontrager IsoCore carbon handlebar, but either way, ditching the weight and complication of the Front IsoSpeed system is a welcome update.

I say “most of the time”, though, because while the Domane does feel more balanced to me on tarmac, the huge down tube, top tube, and head tube proportions make for an absolutely punishing experience if you hit anything remotely substantial. Whereas that rear IsoSpeed setup can just flex more when needed, there’s no such relief up front, and huge jolts come up through your hands if you’re not paying attention and slam into something at speed.

Overall, the impression I get is this latest-generation Domane has a sportier personality to it and it no longer seems content to just be a comfy endurance road bike. Instead, it’s looking to provide a lot of comfort to riders who want to be out all day, but who also aren’t willing to completely give up a more performance-minded feel.

Whether that’s a good thing will depend on your perspective, but it’s something to keep in mind regardless.

Sticking to that whole performance front, the new Domane is indeed very eager under power. As you’d expect given the proportions of the thing, it’s very stiff and efficient-feeling when you step on the gas, with nary a hint of flex down below. It’s a similar story up front with that huge head tube area confidently resisting any undue twisting when you rise out of the saddle for a sprint or steep uphill pitch.

The Domane’s diet plan has paid dividends, too. Granted, 7.54 kg is still a touch on the heavy side for a top-tier carbon fiber road bike with a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset and shallow carbon fiber clinchers, but it’s a sizable improvement nonetheless and more than fair given everything Trek has packed in here. That rear end genuinely does ride better than just about anything else out there, and while the down tube storage hatch undoubtedly adds a few grams, I’d argue it’s more than offset by the convenience factor.

Put another way, I never finished a test ride complaining about the bike’s weight.

Nor did I have any complaints whatsoever about the Domane’s handling. The quick steering geometry may seem odd for a bike in this category, but it does work. The Domane feels agile and nimble, and eagerly turns into corner when asked. After that initial response, though, that more stretched-out rear end and the longer wheelbase work together to slow things down so you never feel like you’re diving too hard toward the apex; just initiate the turn and let the tires take a set, then carve your way through. It’s wonderfully intuitive.

A bike and a half

The official tire clearance figures naturally raise the question of if the Domane can also serve as a light-duty gravel bike. In short: absolutely. In fact, that’s how I ended up spending much of my time on this thing.

As is typical for Trek, those clearance figures are rather conservative, and a set of 40 mm-wide Schwalbe G-One Allrounds (39 mm actual width on these Bontrager rims) went on with no issues whatsoever. Although some people might not be fully comfortable with how close things start to get to the SRAM front derailleur battery, there’s room to spare everywhere else. Assuming conditions aren’t too muddy, I suspect most people wouldn’t have any problems.

Either way, the Domane proved to be right at home on dirt roads and smoother gravel stretches. That somewhat firm ride on the road tires smoothes out with the increased air volume of the gravel ones, and the longer wheelbase lends an air of confidence when you start sliding around a bit. The more road-like frame geometry also makes for a bit of a rally car feel in terms of handling on loose surfaces, and while some might interpret that as scary, more skilled riders will likely just find it to be a lot of fun.

A Domane wouldn’t be my first choice if you’re primarily looking for a gravel bike, but if you’re after more of a mixed-terrain rig or your “gravel” is more like a network of decently maintained dirt roads, I’d certainly consider it.

As much as Trek nailed a lot of the fundamentals here, I was surprised by how many issues I encountered with my test sample.

For one, that IsoSpeed system may be super cushy, but mine also creaked incessantly. In fact, it was so loud on bigger bumps that it almost seemed like the frame was coming apart. Going along with that was persistent seatpost slipping, which I was only able to (mostly) remedy with a generous helping of friction paste and by slightly over-torquing the binder wedge. Trek says this is a known issue with bikes from early production runs and simple to fix.

“This is a known issue as we discovered supply wasn’t making it to spec. We have since made changes to compensate for the manufacturing variations. If this happens to a customer, we direct them to a local Trek dealer who can easily/quickly swap out the new, correct part for free and get them back riding on the road without the issue.”

Regular CyclingTips readers will already know I’m no fan of fully internal cable routing, although the setup Trek uses here is worthy of some light praise. The lines don’t actually go through the bar or stem, so both are blissfully easy to swap if necessary. And as compared to the layout of the previous-generation Domane, this one looks way cleaner.

That said, headset bearing replacement is still a concern with any routing setup where the lines pass through the upper bearing. Of course, that’s only a problem when it comes time to replace the bearing. But unfortunately, that’ll likely be a more frequent job given that this upper bearing is almost completely exposed to the elements (and the lower one isn’t much better). As is the case with any bike that has a similar layout, replacing headset bearings often requires new brake hoses (or at least fittings), new bar tape, and a lot of labor, so if you regularly ride in the wet and are considering a Domane, I’d advise either setting aside a sizable chunk of money for regular bike shop visits or getting really good at doing the work yourself.

“The logic behind the design is that we’ve noticed we infrequently see our customers change their headsets,” a representative from Trek replied when I asked about this. “We’ve also seen very few related issues. For example, for all our road bikes dating back to 2013 with similar integration as Domane, we’ve received approximately ten warranty issues related to this.”

That may very well be, but just because customers don’t change their headset bearings doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be changed, and just because something isn’t submitted for a warranty claim doesn’t mean there isn’t a maintenance issue inherent to the design. Would it really be that hard to add a couple of lip seals here?

I may not win the war on hidden cable routing (sadly, that ship has sailed), but I’m still going to scream from the rooftops that brands should at least pair those rats’ nests with either more durable headset bearings or better seals. In this case, there’s neither.

Speaking of internal routing, I also noticed the rear brake hose rubbing inside the frame when turning the bars at not-overly-extreme angles. Will this be an issue over time? That’s hard to say, but most experienced shop mechanics will probably have tales to share of brake and derailleur lines slowly sawing through poorly protected areas of various mountain bike carbon fiber frames over the years. I can’t say for sure that this will happen here – and this certainly isn’t an issue limited to Trek – but it’s something I worry about regardless, particularly given it’s potentially inside the frame where no one will be regularly looking for it.

This particular test bike was also a convenient reminder that threaded bottom brackets can still creak, as mine occasionally did under particularly hard pedaling. That said, threaded systems are at least easy to fix (a layer of plumber’s tape and some grease does wonders) – and I would have, had one of the dozen cup tools in my tool cabinet actually fit.

For the most part, there aren’t too many surprises here.

The SRAM Red eTap AXS stuff is great, and Trek has wisely gone with the versatile 2x configuration with 46/33T chainrings and a 10-33T cassette that provides a mountain-taming 1:1 climbing ratio.

The Bontrager wheels are excellent: light and snappy, modestly aero, super stable in crosswinds, incredibly easy to set up tubeless, reliable DT Swiss hub internals. You get the point.

I can’t say I was a fan of the Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite tires wrapped around them, though. They’re decently grippy, and prior experience has demonstrated them to be impressively long-lasting. But they’re also tangibly slow (confirmed by our friends at Bicycle Rolling Resistance ) with a thick and stiff casing that makes for a less-than-inspiring ride quality. The bike deserves better.

It was a similarly mixed bag on the finishing kit.

That Bontrager Verse Short Pro saddle? Awesome. Tons of support for all-day riding and an excellent shape that minimized soft-tissue pressure and chafing. I’d almost put this head-to-head with a Specialized Power, in fact. It’s good stuff.

But that handlebar… pass (at least for me). I generally love traditional-bend bars, but this one just never felt right in my hands. The 75 mm reach dimension should be fine but it feels short in reality, and the drops feel oddly deep with a curvature that doesn’t mesh well with my large-sized palms. And the corresponding tape was pleasantly grippy, but almost too grippy if you don’t like to wear gloves, and could’ve used more padding.

Details matter

Overall, I think Trek did a great job on the core attributes of this fourth-generation Domane. It’s back to a more reasonable weight after a couple of generations of overindulgence, it’s very unusually comfortable, the handling is superb, and it’s no stranger to going fast. The convenience of those double fender mounts and the extra bottle and bag mounts – not to mention the down tube storage – are big plusses, too.

In short, it’s a lovely bike to ride all day, and on a wide range of road surfaces.

Bikes are more than just short-term thrills, though, and the creaking and slipping in the seatpost area, the exposed headset bearing, and that internal brake hose rub just make me wonder about what issues might persist long-term. I’ve heard from Trek dealers that a retrofittable part revision has since corrected the seatpost problem, but those other two concerns still give me pause. If Trek can address those as well, I’d happily declare this Domane a winner. But until then, I’d carefully wear the pros and cons before plunking down your wallet on this one.

More information can be found at www.trekbikes.com .

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\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/5-ways-to-go-faster-without-increasing-your-power\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)\"}}\u0027>\n 5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\"}}\u0027>\n fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\"}}\u0027>\n review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"gallery: the bwr california winning bikes of matt beers and sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gallery-bwr-california-winning-bikes-matt-beers-sofia-gomez-villafane\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gallery-bwr-california-winning-bikes-matt-beers-sofia-gomez-villafane\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"gallery: the bwr california winning bikes of matt beers and sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gallery-bwr-california-winning-bikes-matt-beers-sofia-gomez-villafane\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"gallery: the bwr california winning bikes of matt beers and sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e\"}}\u0027>\n gallery: the bwr california winning bikes of matt beers and sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\"}}\u0027>\n zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"amer sports sells enve composites to utah investment firm","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amer-sports-sells-enve-composites-to-utah-investment-firm\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amer-sports-sells-enve-composites-to-utah-investment-firm\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amer sports sells enve composites to utah investment firm\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amer-sports-sells-enve-composites-to-utah-investment-firm\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amer sports sells enve composites to utah investment firm\"}}\u0027>\n amer sports sells enve composites to utah investment firm\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"over 114,000 acres of maine wilderness are now open to gravel biking","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/maine-promotes-gravel-cycling\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/maine-promotes-gravel-cycling\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"over 114,000 acres of maine wilderness are now open to gravel biking\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/maine-promotes-gravel-cycling\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"over 114,000 acres of maine wilderness are now open to gravel biking\"}}\u0027>\n over 114,000 acres of maine wilderness are now open to gravel biking\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"demi vollering becomes a nike athlete, reflecting her growing prestige","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/demi-vollering-becomes-a-nike-athlete-reflecting-her-growing-prestige\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/demi-vollering-becomes-a-nike-athlete-reflecting-her-growing-prestige\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"demi vollering becomes a nike athlete, reflecting her growing prestige\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/demi-vollering-becomes-a-nike-athlete-reflecting-her-growing-prestige\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"demi vollering becomes a nike athlete, reflecting her growing prestige\"}}\u0027>\n demi vollering becomes a nike athlete, reflecting her growing prestige\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\"}}\u0027>\n are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cracking the giro d\u2019italia code: lessons from the training diary of a recent podium finisher","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/lessons-from-the-training-diary-of-a-giro-ditalia-podium-finisher\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/lessons-from-the-training-diary-of-a-giro-ditalia-podium-finisher\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cracking the giro d\u2019italia code: lessons from the training diary of a recent podium finisher\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/lessons-from-the-training-diary-of-a-giro-ditalia-podium-finisher\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cracking the giro d\u2019italia code: lessons from the training diary of a recent podium finisher\"}}\u0027>\n cracking the giro d\u2019italia code: lessons from the training diary of a recent podium finisher\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\"}}\u0027>\n f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"mauro gianetti: tadej poga\u010dar embraces the giro-tour challenge precisely because it is very complicated","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/mauro-gianetti-tadej-pogacar-embraces-the-giro-tour-challenge-precisely-because-it-is-very-complicated\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/mauro-gianetti-tadej-pogacar-embraces-the-giro-tour-challenge-precisely-because-it-is-very-complicated\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"mauro gianetti: tadej poga\u010dar embraces the giro-tour challenge precisely because it is very complicated\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/mauro-gianetti-tadej-pogacar-embraces-the-giro-tour-challenge-precisely-because-it-is-very-complicated\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"mauro gianetti: tadej poga\u010dar embraces the giro-tour challenge precisely because it is very complicated\"}}\u0027>\n mauro gianetti: tadej poga\u010dar embraces the giro-tour challenge precisely because it is very complicated\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": 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Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

Trek’s Seventh Generation Madone Blends Radical Design and Performance

Trek's new Madone is made to go fast and win races.

Takeaway: A pure-bred road race bike designed to win at the WorldTour level. With its latest Madone, Trek ditches the IsoSpeed decoupler for the new lighter weight, more aerodynamic, and visually radical IsoFlow seatmast.

Drops weight and gains efficiency.
Proven geometry remains unchanged from the gen-6 model.
Flared bars for reduced drag.
Three SRAM and three Shimano build kit offerings.

Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7

Trek’s Madone is an iconic bike. First launched in 2003, the Madone has evolved massively over the past two decades. The platform’s most significant technological leap came about in 2014 when Trek debuted the Emonda, its dedicated lightweight bike. The Emonda freed the Madone from having to strictly be a light bike, allowing aerodynamics to become its primary focus.

To deal with the notoriously stiff and uncomfortable ride of early aero bikes, Trek’s engineers incorporated an IsoSpeed decoupler, similar to the one used on the brand’s Domane endurance bike. With IsoSpeed, the bike’s seat tube moved independently from the top tube and seat stays, allowing it to absorb road chatter and small bumps. The resulting sixth-generation Madone was incredibly fast against the wind while also receiving praise for its ride quality. But the downside was the added weight.

With the new seventh-generation Madone, Trek set an ambitious goal of reducing weight without sacrificing the comfort and aerodynamic properties of the old bike. The most obvious place to shed grams was the IsoSpeed system, now replaced by the visually striking IsoFlow.

According to Trek, function drove IsoFlow’s development. Aided by computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Trek sought to overhaul the entire aerodynamic package of the Madone. The result was a new generation of Trek’s Kammtail tube shapes, including a smoother head tube, a down tube better optimized for use with and without bottles, a taller bottom bracket area, and the radically designed seat tube.

The new Madone is bold and will not be mistaken for any other bike. But it definitely won’t please riders who prefer a more traditional aesthetic. Trek deserves props for pushing the design language of a bicycle forward. Though its looks won't please everyone, I’m happy to see something other than a cookie-cutter, dropped-stays, aero-ish, all-around-er that seems so popular amongst bike designers.

The new seat mast set-up is well-designed, offering easy and consistent height adjustment. But the best detail was in the seat clamp, which allowed for fore and aft adjustment independent of saddle tilt. It’s a small detail that makes setting up the bike much easier, as it allows for minor saddle angle tweaks while leaving it clamped in place.

These changes account for roughly half of the aerodynamic improvements of the new bike. Trek claims that the new Madone saves riders 19 watts of pedaling energy at 28 mph, but just half of that savings (9.3 watts) is from improvements to the frame. The remaining watt savings come from changes to the rider position due to the new flared handlebar design. The Madone SLR handlebar measures a traditional width in the drops, but the bar's flare positions the hoods inward by 30mm. This narrower hood location puts the rider in a more aerodynamic position when riding, thus saving watts.

Thankfully for riders that are particular about their contact points, Trek made the new bike compatible with standard 1-⅛” stems so riders can set up their cockpit however they like. However, changing to this would give up a large chunk of the Madone’s claimed aero benefits unless riders choose a narrower-than-normal bar width.

More importantly for pro riders and weight weenies alike, the new frameset is now two-thirds of a pound lighter than its predecessor. Our 56cm test bike came in at 16.2 pounds which is pretty svelt for an aero bike with 51cm deep clincher wheels and disc brakes. A big part of the weight saving comes from the new IsoFlow design. The cantilevered design of the seat tube and IsoFlow allows for engineered flex in the new Madone. This design is how Trek maintains the Madone’s celebrated ride quality.

Trek stuck to its H1.5 geometry as used on the previous generation Madone. It conceived this as a meeting point between Trek’s old racing-focused H1 geometry and its more relaxed H2 angles. The wheelbase on our 56cm bike was only 983mm, nearly a centimeter shorter than the Specialized Tarmac SL7 and Giant’s TCR, and 13 mm shorter than Canyons Ultimate. Combined with a relatively steep 73.5-degree head tube angle and a 58mm trail figure, you get a bike that will dive into corners as hard as you’re willing to push it.

Pricing and Build Options

There is no getting around the fact that as the top-of-the-line road racing bike from Trek, the Madone is not cheap. The move to electronic-only groups on all builds of the Madone does the price no favors as well. While equivalent new models of the Madone only get $200 more expensive for 2023. The entry-level build for the 2023 Madone SLR 6 (with Shimano 105 Di2) comes in at $8,000. That is a $1,100 increase over the 2021 Madone SLR 6 equipped with mechanical-shifting Shimano Ultegra. Top-of-the-range Dura-Ace and Red eTap builds retail for $12,750 and $13,200, respectively.

Trek offers the new Madone in six builds, three with SRAM (Red, Force, and Rival eTap) and three with Shimano (Dura-Ace, Ultegra, and 105 Di2). All of the Madone builds ship with the new integrated cockpit; Dura-Ace and Red-equipped Madones ship with Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 wheels, while all other builds get the slightly heavier Aeolus Pro 51.

Ride Impressions

The new Madone has an exceptionally smooth ride, lacking the characteristically dead and harsh feel of past aero bikes. But the mellow ride is not without an edge. The Madone does an exceptional job of balancing all-day comfort with the agility and aggression needed to be a top-tier race bike. Under sharp accelerations, especially at speeds under 25 mph, the Madone felt impressively stiff. But accelerations from the high 20s into 30+mph territory felt a bit more muted, which is not inherently a bad trait. A twitchy bike is not helpful when you’re going that fast.

Once the Madone is up to speed, it just wants to stay there. I was impressed with how quickly and easily the bike would get rolling up to 20-22 miles per hour. Combined with the gentle ride quality, it felt like the new Madone would constantly surprise me with how fast I was going. The sensation of speed on this bike is almost sneaky, you get used to what 25mph feels like on a road bike, but on the Madone, the same pace feels calmer and less frantic, at least in a straight line. Throw the Madone into a corner, and it instantly feels sharp and aggressive.

As a racer, I very much enjoyed the Madone’s willingness to corner aggressively, but it did expose one of the bike's faults. The 25mm tires shipped on our test biker are simply too narrow. Trek claims that the Madone can fit tires up to 28mm, but this feels short-sighted. Wheel brands such as Reserve, Enve, and Zipp now design around a 28mm tire as the default width. There is plenty of space in the frame for wider tires, so Trek is likely very conservative in its stock tire choice and maximum tire width recommendation.

Even riding the stock 25mm tires with pressures as low as 65 psi front and 75 psi rear, the narrow rubber still felt like it was missing grip, with the back end stepping out multiple times when exiting a corner. It was also discouraging that a road bike selling for over thirteen thousand dollars does not ship with tubeless compatible tires or the proper bits to easily set up the Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 wheels as tubeless.

Another thing missing from the bike was a computer mount. Usually, it is not something I would expect a brand to include, but the bars require a Trek-specific part. Given the complete bike’s price tag and Trek’s integrated cockpit, it should come with a computer mount. I sourced a Blendr mount from my local Trek store, but it was not without its issues (it rattled loose during a training crit and fell off). It is possible to entirely avoid this proprietary part by using a standard 1-⅛” stem and handlebar but making this swap would involve cutting hydraulic houses and would not be cheap.

I was also pleased to see Trek continue using the T47 bottom bracket standard on this bike. A threaded bottom bracket shell is a win for mechanics everywhere. However, the latest Madone is now only compatible with electronic shifting. We can argue whether it's bike brands like Trek (releasing electronic-only high-end bikes) or component brands like SRAM and Shimano (no longer developing high-performance mechanical road groupsets) or if consumers are just voting with their dollars. But the result is that we are witnessing the death of mechanical shifting from high-end racing bikes. And that's a little bit sad.

Ultimately this Madone, like the versions that have come before, was conceived and designed to meet the needs of World Tour professionals. Everything about the bike, from how it rides, to how much it costs, reflects that niche design requirement. Aside from a small pool of professional racers, very few people will likely make the most of this bike’s capabilities. It’s analogous to the way most drivers will not benefit from driving a Formula One car. It’s a pure-bred race bike designed to win at the highest level. If that’s what you’re looking to do—or you just want to own a bike with that ability—then the Madone should be on your shortlist.

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer.