Nat Bromhead
Two have become one, as Trek merge the Madone and Emonda. So how does the ‘one bike solution’ ride?
Is it a Madone or a Emonda?” That was the question on just about everyone’s lips as the familiar outline of a road bike sat on the stand at glorious Akuna Bay near Sydney. Between the bike and assembled media was a shiny red veil. In reality, what was underneath wasn’t any great mystery, the ‘spy shots’ having been widely circulated around social media in recent months. Oh, and the bike having been raced – and winning a stage – at a WorldTour outing by none other than Mads Pedersen a few weeks earlier.
The only real mystery would in fact be the model name, would the six letter word start with an E or an M?
The veil was ceremonially lifted, the nerdy bike press swooned in, and the cheeky holographic decal read Emonda. Well at least from one angle, and Madone from the other.
But the sticker, we were quickly told, was more a quip than anything. The bike was the new Madone – Trek’s familiarly shaped performance aero bike with that eye-catching cut out frame design. But it was also the company’s new climbing bike. Yes, two became one, Trek rationalising their premium road line up to morph the Emonda into the Madone.
Combining two top-tier bikes may sound odd, but it makes sense when you dig a little deeper. The previous Madone and Emonda looked quite different but shared the same geometry. This was in response to feedback from pro riders who wanted a seamless transition between their climbing and aero bikes without significant changes in feel.
Side on, the Gen 8 Madone resembles its aero predecessor. However, when viewed from behind, you can see how elements of the Emonda, like the narrower rear stays, downtube, headtube, and fork profiles, have been integrated. Despite being lighter and more streamlined, the bike maintains its 125kg weight limit.
The new Madone’s aerodynamics are boosted by a redesigned handlebar. Although slower on its own, it enhances overall performance with a rider by smoothing airflow over the legs. The cockpit feels slick and professional, with a minor complaint being the fixed angle of the integrated GPS mount. The minimalist bar tape and exposed bar tops add to its streamlined look.
Trek has also rationalised frame sizes, reducing the previous eight options to six by merging sizes. The 52cm and 54cm have become a Medium, and the 60cm and 62cm are now Extra Large, making the sizing system more logical without sacrificing fit for most riders.
Standard inclusion of 28mm tyres is a smart update. The new Madone can accommodate up to 33mm, offering versatility for rougher roads, while 28mm feels optimal for performance.
Back to that Akuna Bay launch day, and a badly bruised and finely fractured foot prevented me from joining the assembled throng in that debut test ride. The foot, and possibly the fact that former Trek team rider Richie Porte was kitted up and ready to go. Still looking race fit, and absolutely itching to ride West Head – and pick off some local Strava segments – Richie raved about the new Madone. Upon return he was genuinely excited about his experience on the new model. And yes, several of the segments now bear his name.
After a whirlwind trip to Europe for another bike launch, the first week of the Tour and a week off, I was back on those same roads on a surprisingly warm winter’s day. It felt quite incredible to be riding an identical setup to Lidl-Trek’s team bikes at the Tour de France that was still underway.
Rolling down the familiar Akuna West descent the bike railed the corners. It was fitted with Pirelli’s P Zero 28mm tyres set up tubeless, and absolutely hung on around the bends. Quick off the mark, fast out of the corners, and light and responsive on the climbs, it felt like the two wheeled equivalent of a Ferrari or McLaren.
Frame wise, the race bike features Trek’s top-level 900 Series OCLV carbon that made for an incredibly light but surprisingly comfortable ride.
The OCLV 900 carbon, which is 20 per cent stronger than the previous OCLV 800, allows for less material and therefore weight reduction.
Fully equipped with (empty) bottles, computer mount and Speedplays, the test bike weighed just under 7.5kg. If the price is hard to justify, and you’re happy to up that figure to around 8kg, the SLR 7, equipped with Ultegra or Force instead of Dura-Ace or RED, offers a more affordable option at nearly $5,000 less.
The finish was the Project One Blue / Yellow / Red / Purple / White harlequin-like paint job … and it looked sensational.
A top-level bike needs to be adorned with appropriately awesome gearing and wheels, and it was. The drivetrain was SRAM RED AXS with a power meter, plus Trek’s RSL (Race Shop Light) 47mm carbon wheels.
Other factory features included Trek’s new RSL bottle cages – a slick aero cage / bidon setup that sits within the width of the downtube but still hold 595ml of fluid each. Up front was the one piece RSL carbon bar/stem for a fully integrated and ridiculously racy finish.
Listed at just under $20,000 (in Project One / team livery) this is a serious bike with a significant price tag. So it it worth it? In a word, yes. The Madone is an incredibly refined, surprisingly comfortable and extremely capable bike to ride. You’d think a race-level bike may in some way be intimidating to an everyday rider, in a similar way to say stepping out of a Mazda and into a McLaren might be. But the Madone feels as much a bike for the bunch as it is for riders like Richie or Mads. It’s a beautiful, very special, and incredibly memorable bike to ride.
Honed, refined and constantly being tweaked and tuned for perfection, the roots of this 8th generation incarnation of the Madone now trace back 21 years. The new model could be seen as a coming of age, and in Project One team livery it looks as good as it goes.
Make no mistake, this bike needs no invitation to party. What this means is that the new Madone, the team issue bike we are riding here, is as light as the previous model Emonda, a specialist climbing bike.
Begrudgingly returning the bike to Trek’s Clarence St store, the Tour de France still underway and the bike’s recognisable harlequin colours an instant worldwide hit, I wheeled the bike to an empty stand. Leaving, I turned for one last look, and, like bees to a honeypot, it was surrounded as if it was the only bike in the store.
