Weight Weenies

I know people are pretty hit and miss about how these things - Treks ride in general but has anyone ridden the fancy pants top end Madone 7 series? Pretty much the same build the Trek boys are on ... it looks like the bike has gotten pretty dialed but I have yet to see one pop up on the forums.

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We (Ride Mag) reviewed one in issue 61. I had a chance to take it for a spin.

Genuinely a very impressive bike. Much more than I was expecting from a Trek.

Thanks - I was kind of curious. I have dropped the name a few times to in conversation with friends at other bike companies and been scoffed at a fair bit. Partially joking, partially honest. Two references to: rides like wood ... for some previous generation madones. But with a long list of cool custom bikes out there that I adore I have to admit - I got a little wide eyed over a project 1 7 series madone. Looking to justify those thoughts maybe haha.

Just seems to come together very nicely I suppose.

New generation of Madone is pretty popular around where I ride. It's apparently night and day compared to the previous gen.

Is the 'wood' comparison for the 2014 7 Series?

As honestly, it was the furtherest thing from a 'wooden' and lifeless type ride. The tubeless Bontrager tyres would have played a role, but I was honestly taken back by how smooth it was.

I have a TT bike (Ridley) with the rear brake under the BB and have promised myself to never ever
go down that road again.

How do you Madone7 owners feel about the rear brake placement?

I have had two 7 Series and absolutely love this bike. I did go through the P1 with the Lime Green and Trek Black, Dura Ace and Enve's 6.7 w/PT. I have owned several bikes over the years... usually 2 a year. I am not the best writer, but this bike does everything quite well. The best example of this bike is one of my clients. He is a sponsored masters 55+ and very intuned to his bikes as he has had several. Last season he purchased and 7 Series and intended to use that bike for his road races. He also had a Cervelo S3 and used that bike for crits as he liked the way the Cervelo felt.
So after some time on his 7 Series he fell in love with the bike. He bought another 7 Series, sold the S3 and has never looked back. I will try to post a pic of my bike, but I always have problems with WW site.
No issues what so ever with the brakes being located on the BB. My first 7 Series had the Bontrager brakes and they were OK. I have the Dura Ace 9010 on this build and feel very nice. The front brake just doesn't fit inside the front fork as nice.

Max Gravity wrote:How do you Madone7 owners feel about the rear brake placement?

Don't have a 7 series nor 2014 (2013 Madone 6.5) but I'm a fan of the rear brake placement. I was very sceptical as well at first and didn't really want to go down that path but could't say no to a frame deal when it came up. I'm using Ultegra 6810 Aero brakes and really happy with them and the performance of the rear brake. My previous ride was a 2010 Giant TCR advanced with standard Ultegra 6700 brakes (& placement).

The only time they have been a PITA is when setting up the bike and servicing it as my work stand supports the bike around the BB area so the brake cable running through there causes it to not sit flush.

It is a great bike - My friends one is set up with D3 carbon tubs and if I had the coin for an extra steed I'd buy it no problem. I really couldn't think of a flaw except that the rear brake is a little soft...
It even has a nice short headtube that was pretty stout when I sprinted on it...and I couldn't feel much movement in the BB. I am 6 foot, 180 lbs.
The Bontrager D3 tubulars are great wheels as well btw.

I have a 7 series 2013. Size 63cm. I really like the bike.

me: 193cm 90kg. TT sort of guy who descends pretty well and is a confident bike handler. Not winning any sprints or hill climbs any time soon.

To address a couple of the above comments:

Brakes - Front brake: The Bontrager brakes are not good. Very soft alloy bolts and the just feel "soft". I replaced them with Dura-ace. Much better. The rear bontrager are fine, and the dura-ace are no stiffer. The shimano bolts do not appear to be made of cheese like the bontrager ones.

Ride - smooth and comfortable. Good power transfer but does not feel as "stiff" or harsh as some other bikes I have owned (list below)

Handling - fine and good. Again, not as direct as some, but much more comfortable.

How would I rate it: Excellent bike for me. I race, but like comfort and would give up a little of that direct "stiff" feeling for miles and miles of comfort both during long and short training rides. I bought it after a 100km ride on my Scott Foil. I rode by a test day that Trek was running, hopped on the Trek and had my credit card out within 3kms. "Magic carpet ride" I remember thinking to myself.

To note: this is a big frame. I have heard others say that the Madone gives up more stiffness relative to other bikes as the size of the frame increases.

Other Bikes:

Cannondale SuperSix 2008
Cervelo R3SL
Kuota Kredo
Scott Foil Premium

Coming off a '09 Madone 5.2SL with OCLV 110, I test rode a '13 Madone 7 and felt it was stiffer and faster on straights, but uphill prefer the 5.2SL. Not sure if the weight on the 110 is lighter though.

I took delivery of my 2014 Madone 7 Project 1 bike 3 weeks ago. 60cm, 11 Speed Ultegra 6770 Di2, switched out to Shimmano RS80 wheels.

I couldn't be happier with my first Trek. I spent most of the summer demoing lots of bikes. I kept coming back to the Madone's just right stiffness in a very fast, yet comfortable bike. The 2014 frame has a few minor tweaks that makes it ride subtly smoother and livelier than the 2013 Madones I fell in love with during my demo rides. And it feels good that it's hand built in the USA.

drewb wrote:I have a 7 series 2013. Size 63cm. I really like the bike.

me: 193cm 90kg. TT sort of guy who descends pretty well and is a confident bike handler. Not winning any sprints or hill climbs any time soon.

Did you go with the H1 or H2 geometry? Could you please post a few photos of your Madone 7?

Remember that mine is a 2013 model, but that the geometry is the same. I went with the H2 geometry. I will try to put some photos in a bit.....she is not so pretty, but very effective. (head tube looks massive in this size and colour.)

and as a bit of a downer, after some 10,000 km I found some cracks in the clearcoat between the headtube and downtube - on both sides of the bike (indicating flex at best and a crack in the carbon at worst.) I will follow up with some results when I have them from the LBS.

My very amateur engineering thought is that with such a long headtube the "triangle" of the frame begins to look a bit more square - thereby losing the inherent strength that a triangle brings and putting more stresses on the corners of the square (headtube junctions).

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That looks purely cosmetic.