Trek Madone - CAmpagnolo Super record EPS

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bruno2000
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by bruno2000

I'm buying a Trek Madone H2 frame with normal stem and handlebar.
My idea is to put my Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset.
Do any of you guys have experience with this combo?
Can I place the Campagnolo battery in the downtube like the DI2 battery or should go in the seatpost or is that not possible with the Iso Speed?

sub7kg
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by sub7kg

I used to have a Madone with Campy EPS - it was the Madone with the BB brake - I had endless issues with compatibility. I came to the conclusion the Trek and Campag aren't a match made in heaven. The new frame might work better?

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Calnago
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by Calnago

The OP is talking about the new Madone (reference to isospeed). And it's a good question. I'm trying to visualize how I would install an EPS V3 battery in a Madone with the isospeed, and I think you would have to figure out your own custom mounting solution. Even then, I'm not sure it could even be done. You can't use the water bottle bosses in the seat tube as those are taken up by the isospeed technology and even if they weren't I don't think there's any way the whole isospeed thing wouldn't make anywhere along the seat tube an impossible mounting option. So, that leaves the downtube as you clearly already have figured out, and I'm thinking that would even be quite problematic for the Campy battery as it's significantly longer than the di2 battery and I'm not sure you could get it in the downtube... although... maybe through those trap doors for the brakes? I don't know... I don't even know how they put the Di2 batteries in there, but it would likely have to be the same process. The difference being whether you had enough access and clearance to slide the longer EPS V3 battery in there somehow. Anyone?... how does the Di2 battery get installed in the new Madone? I'm curious now, having never done one. The EPS V3 battery would have to go in the same way. I have a couple of Treks with Campy mechanical and love it, as the cable routing for mechanical is really nice, clean and easy to service. But the longish Campy battery might make this a "problem install" for EPS.

I just had a look at the Madone on Trek's website and given the shape of everything it looks like the best way to get the battery in the downtube would be through the top of the headtube as the shape of things look like it could easily accommodate the Di2 battery, but I'm not sure about the EPS battery. Almost looks like you might have more luck with a smaller size Madone than a larger one, since the top of the headtube would be closer to the internal opening in the downtube, making the angle of entry possible a little easier. Maybe give Trek a call, or online chat... they're pretty good about answering things, although given that they've pretty much dropped Campagnolo from a group option on their bikes they may not be inclined to know, care, or otherwise be much assistance.
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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

The access panel on the down tube is going to be the only place that it will fit. On the mechanical Madone the cosmetic access door removes to reveal another bolted in panel that serves as a brace/compartment of sorts. For the mechanical bike this compartment houses two cable stops and housing guides with a giant barrel adjuster spring for the front derailleur cable. On the Di2 bike, the compartment houses a removal bracket that holds the battery on one side and the A-junction on the other side. Once installed and the cosmetic access door is replaced, the function button of the A-junction is protruding through a small cutout. There is ample room in the downtube for a small duffel bag of stuff I imagine, with plenty of access if you remove the cosmetic access door and then unbolt the brace/compartment plate. This will leave a pretty big hole in the downtube. I don't know if Trek manufactures a Campy specific brace/compartment piece. If they do, that is what you need. If they don't, you will have to rig something to hold the battery. Should be easy cause there is tons of room. If they don't make a campy specific cosmetic access door, I imagine you can use the Di2 one as the external open areas are pretty small. There is no access or room at all in the headtube, behind the vector wings, or in the seat tube. The seat tube is a round tube within the cosmetic kamtail tube that you see on the bike. It's just a shroud for the actual round seattube inside. Access is limited.
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AndreLM
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by AndreLM

Apart from battery placement,
Also consider that on a Madone 9.9 the integrated bars do not have exist holes to connect the cables coming from the shifters. The only solution would probably be drilling the bars near the stem. The Madone 9.0 can use a standard stem and bar setup.

I am almost sure I saw something in Trek website or in the Madone manual stating that Campy EPS is not compatible.

bruno2000
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by bruno2000

Thank you guys.
If I read the Madone manual, I think it should be possible to use Campagnolo EPS V3 battery.
Am I correct the DI2 battery if fixed by 2 t-wraps on the holder?
If this is the case, it should be possible to fix the Campagnolo battery in the sam eplace the same way?
Maybe I did not mention it, but I'm using a normal handlebar stem combination.
So the Campagnolo V3 interface will be at it's normal place below the stem.
From the interface there are 2 cables going to each shifter/brake and there is 1 cable going to the battery (or powerunit as Campagnolo calls it in the downtube.
From this powerunit there are 2 cables leaving to each derailleur which should be no problem neither as this is the same as with DI2.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Wiring would not be a problem. I think if you can physically get the battery into the downtube then you’d be good. I don’t know what the trap door in the downtube is like but I’m thinking the battery would have to be inserted via the headtube and angled into the downtube. From there you could use Campy’s method of securing it to the waterbottle bosses I would think. The headtube and shape of the downtube might just allow enough “maneuvering space” to get the EPS battery past the headtube and into the downtube. A larger frame, due to its longer headtube might make this maneuvering more difficult. The biggest difference between the EPS battery and the Di2 battery is that the EPS battery is much longer, which may make that initial maneuvering of sticking it down the headtube and into the downtube all the way impossible due to the corner you have to clear into the downtube. Sort of like moving a long couch around the corner in a narrow hallway without being able to put it on end if that makes sense. Good luck.
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kwakekeham
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by kwakekeham

I've got Record Eps on my older 2012 Madone. It took some effort but I was successful. However, I haven't made the leap to install the Campagnolo crankset because the adapter kit requires epoxy-ing in two metal rings and it seems fairly irreversible without a lot of effort, impact, and potentially mechanical clean up. I've had this frame over a couple of groupsets but it feels like the crank is a one way street with this.

So I'm curious how are you dealing with the BB90 bottom bracket or are you not using a Campagnolo crankset? Is there a new solution for the newer Madone? BB90 isn't my forte and it prevents me from considering another Trek sadly. PN 407383 I believe for the kit incase you need it.

The hardest thing to do with dealing with the battery in the downtube (assuming as mentioned you get it in via a port or something) is to actually line it up to mount. The Solution 1 mounting "requires" a threaded rod that holds the power unit in place while you put the double sided screw through the bottle cage holes.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Campy’s “Solution 1” with the threaded rod only works for the seattube which is impossible with the Madone due to the isospeed. And it’s impossible for the downtube because there’s no straight access to it. So I believe it’s called “Solution 2” which takes some threading of things to line up with the bottlecage bosses and pull everything in line. It’s described in their tech docs somewhere.
As for the BB I have two Treks now both with Campy cranks and they’ve been trouble free. I did wonder about removing the outer “sealseats” that were installed with retaining compound in the event you wanted to revert back to Shimano and yes, I could see how that might be difficult but I did it anyway thinking “revert back?... never”. Ha. But so far no problems and I love having Campy on the Trek.
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Fisherfreerider
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by Fisherfreerider

The biggest issue is going to be that the shifter wires are not long enough to go from the shifters all the way down into the downtube unless you are on a small size frame with the stem slammed.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

? The shifter wires don’t have to reach the battery, they just go to the V3 interface unit (and are part of it), which presumably will be mounted under the stem somewhere. The wire from the battery comes up the downtube and will feed into the interface unit. Don’t see any problem in that regard at all.
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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

bruno2000 wrote:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:49 pm
Thank you guys.
If I read the Madone manual, I think it should be possible to use Campagnolo EPS V3 battery.
Am I correct the DI2 battery if fixed by 2 t-wraps on the holder?
If this is the case, it should be possible to fix the Campagnolo battery in the sam eplace the same way?
Maybe I did not mention it, but I'm using a normal handlebar stem combination.
So the Campagnolo V3 interface will be at it's normal place below the stem.
From the interface there are 2 cables going to each shifter/brake and there is 1 cable going to the battery (or powerunit as Campagnolo calls it in the downtube.
From this powerunit there are 2 cables leaving to each derailleur which should be no problem neither as this is the same as with DI2.
Yes. The secondary access plate has cradle type mounts for Di2 on one side, junction A on the other. The junction A snaps into place, (top side ) and the battery is secured in cradle by two zip-ties. As I stated in my previous post, once the cosmetic panel is removed, then remove the access plate/cradle with 2 small hex bolts. This will leave a fairly large rectangular opening in the down tube. Pretty sure you can fit a campy battery in there. Don't think you need to go through the head tube as Calnago is suggesting? There is not clear access between headtube and downtube anyway. How you secure the battery without the Di2 specific cradle will be for you to figure out, but there is ample room.
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Calnago
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by Calnago

@Wheelbuilder... for sure, yes, if the EPS battery can fit through the access panel on the downtube then for sure that is the way to go. But in bikes without the access panel, through the headtbue and into the downtube is the way it goes, if possible and not all are. But if it fits in the downtube (anyway you can get it there), then Campy's tech docs describe the method to attach it to the bottle bosses. Interested to see if it can be fit.
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Fisherfreerider
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by Fisherfreerider

Calnago wrote:
Tue Feb 06, 2018 4:08 pm
? The shifter wires don’t have to reach the battery, they just go to the V3 interface unit (and are part of it), which presumably will be mounted under the stem somewhere. The wire from the battery comes up the downtube and will feed into the interface unit. Don’t see any problem in that regard at all.
I guess I was referring to if you were to use the bar/stem for the Madone 9. There is no way to mount anything externally on the stem.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Yes, I get that... but first line in the OP's first post was "...normal stem and handlebar"
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