Madone SLR 9.. Rim/Disc experiences

[clipsed]

Hi All,

I have managed to be able to get a new Madone SLR 9 for a good price. DA Di2 with Quarq + the XXX 6 Bontrager wheels.

I realise there's plenty of topics on disc vs. rim, but if anyone has experiences with the SLR that would be great! I ride ~ 12-15 hours a week, mainly rolling hills with a few 9% climbs 2-3km long.

I live in Brisbane, Australia, so the weather is pretty damn good - in heavy downpours i don't bother riding, use my trainer, or go for a CX ride.

My experiences to date with discs are great on my MTB, but quite so so on my CX (i have 1x ultegra with R785 levers). The brake rub out of the saddle annoys me a lot, and i find the overall power actually worse than my ZIPP firstrike wheels and dura-ace direct mount brakes (28mm tyres on a trek emonda SLR).

I am leaning toward the rim brake, but i can't shake the feeling i might regret my choice.

[TobinHatesYou]

You have a CX bike. Wouldn’t you like the option of swapping wheelsets with it? Perhaps training wheels you can use on both in case you want to use your CX as a road rain bike.

[clipsed]

You have a CX bike. Wouldn’t you like the option of swapping wheelsets with it? Perhaps training wheels you can use on both in case you want to use your CX as a road rain bike.

My cx bike isn’t great, the wheels are only $300-$400

[aeroisnteverything]

My 2c is that if you don't ride in the rain, then I do not see why the weight penalty, greater complexity and higher cost of discs is worth it. Rim brakes in the dry work just fine - not sure if the XXX 6 braking surface is up to scrath, but that aside, there really seems very little upside in it.

[clipsed]

My 2c is that if you don't ride in the rain, then I do not see why the weight penalty, greater complexity and higher cost of discs is worth it. Rim brakes in the dry work just fine - not sure if the XXX 6 braking surface is up to scrath, but that aside, there really seems very little upside in it.

Thanks, those were my thoughts - I’m a bit weary of intergrated brakes!

[bruno2000]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is the Madone slr disc more aero than then the rim brake version.
And aero is what this fram eis all about?

[AndreLM]

Trek is not clear which one is faster in their white paper. But they made it clear that their goal was to maintain the aerodynamic performance of the previous generation, despite the addition of discs.

Tour did not test the new 2019 rim brake Madone, but the 2016-rim (not sure if H1 or H2) was faster than the 2019-disc (204W vs 212).

I would bet that the 2019-rim is actually faster than the 2019-disc, but I haven`t found any direct comparison.