First Look: 2016 Trek Madone Aero-Road Bike

Just ahead of the Tour de France, Trek has pulled back the curtain on a highly updated Madone aero-road bike. What used to be the do-it-all race bike in Trek’s line has now been sent down the path of maximizing aerodynamic efficiency after the super-light Emonda opened the door for the Madone to go in a highly specific direction.

There are a number of new features that allow the Madone to make some notable gains in aerodynamics according to Trek, things such as the Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) tubes that are far deeper than what was found on the previous Madone, a one-piece handlebar and stem, an aero seatmast, integrated brakes, and fully internal cable routing. But, Trek gave the Madone more than just aerodynamics, they tried to give it something to make it a more real-world performer, and that’s the IsoSpeed de-coupler compliance system that was first introduced on the Domane a couple of years back.

The Madone is available in H1, Trek’s lowest, most aggressive, and aerodynamic race fit; H2, which is the optimal fit for most riders as it’s more upright; as well as a Women’s Specific Design geometry. Available Madone models include 9.2 ($6,300), 9.5 ($8,400), the flagship 9.9 ($12,600), 9.9 WSD ($12,600), and Race Shop Limited ($13,650). Madone Race Shop Limited will be available as a frameset in both H1 and H2 fits, as well as a complete bike.

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Combining IsoSpeed with aggressive KVF tube profiles makes the Madone quite unique among the aero-road crowd.
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The brake arms use independent spring tension adjustment screws to center the brake pads and adjust lever pull force to the desired feel. Additionally, two spacing screws allow for precise pad adjustments as brake pads wear. The spacing screws’ range allows swapping between rims with up to 6mm difference in width without adjusting the center wedge.
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Aerodynamic tubes shapes typically have a depth two to three times greater than the width, providing a very aerodynamic profile, but an unforgiving ride. This is where the improved vertical compliance of the IsoSpeed design can help improve the ride quality considerably.
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Full internal cable routing is a feature of the new stem/ handlebar interface that uses KVF tube shaping to improve aerodynamics. Fully internal cables through the head tube required the design of an integrated top cap cover and spacers. The headset spacers use a two-piece clamshell design for adjustability, allowing addition or removal without rerouting any housing or cables.
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To maintain fully internal housing while preserving the ability for easy adjustments, Trek created the Madone Control Center, located on the down tube. On mechanical setups, the Control Center houses the front derailleur trim dial. For electronic setups, the Control Center locates the Di2 battery and junction box in one location, providing access to the trim button through the window in the top of the Control Center. Charging is made easy with a simple one-tab release to expose the charging port.
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Both brake and derailleur cables use an internal routing through the frame to minimize any impact on airflow.
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A Women’s Specific Design version of the Madone is available with Dura-Ace Di2 and Aeolus 5 TLR wheels for $12,600.
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Framesets are available in both H1 and H2 geometry

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