In this weekly series Wyatt and Jesse will give their opinion on various subjects. Please keep in mind that these opinions are solely theirs and do not represent the opinion of any of 613 Cycling sponsor or member. Let us begin:
Jesse’s opinion of the new Trek Madone 9
How do you explain the perfect bike in 150 words? Even worse how do you explain it without using the common over abused drivel such as laterally stiff yet vertically blah. You can’t explain it in 150 words, but you can in three. It. Is. Perfect.
I’ve got 100 more words so let me elaborate. This bike is perfect in every way. It’s as aero as any aero bike, probably more. It is light enough (light bikes are passé). It’s even comfortable. The “IsoSpeed Decoupler” (Google it) takes just enough sting out of potholes and rough roads without ruining the ride quality.
I have two gripes on this bike. Both relate to the handlebar. First, it limits the computer that one can use (however why would you run anything other than a Garmin 520?). Second the bar has a long reach and drop which can be a fit issue for some.
Wyatt’s opinion of the New Trek Madone 9
High up on my list of dream bikes and definitely a “want” for me, hopefully Jesse doesn’t read this though as he doesn’t need any more increase in his ego. It’s an awesome and fast looking machine built for all out speed. I would be curious to see how it climbs though as I have not had the pleasure to try one yet.
The 1 piece, fully integrated handlebar/stem is also an awesome touch on the bike. There are no cables visible on the entire bike except for the rear derailleur cable (or wire for di2) connecting to the RD out of the chain stay, which is very aesthetically pleasing (noticing a pattern here?). The inclusion of the “rear isospeed” to create a more comfortable ride is great step towards adding a form of comfort to notoriously harsh and aero race bikes. With all the good there is some “bad” that make me cautious about the bike. Full internal routing would definitely be a pain at some points of owning the bike when the bike requires work. The “vector” wings around the front brake look like a sketchy, proprietary part that is probably expensive and costly to replace. The proprietary bontrager brakes (noticing the next pattern?) are center pull and not going to brake as well as standard brakes.
To sum up, the Madone is an aesthetically beautiful bike designed for all out speed (and is probably very fast), but a lot of proprietariness (new word) would make me a touch hesitant on taking the plunge, oh and its extremely high price point… $7999 for ultegra mechanical… damn….
That’s our opinion, how about yours? Feel free to share your comments on our Facebook page.