Foldable Bikes Party: Trek Madone Project One Race Shop Limited review

Sunday, 8 May 2016

Trek Madone Project One Race Shop Limited review

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The all-new and very radical Trek Madone launched last summer and saw race action in the major tours. It and the new Scott Foil and Specialized Venge Vias show the pinnacle of the latest trends in aero road bike design – which led it into the 'superbikes' category in our stablemate Cycling Plus magazine's recent 2016 Bike of the Year roadie mega-shootout.

Added IsoSpeed ingredient

This bike has a significant trick in its back pocket – an IsoSpeed decoupler (just like the one found on the Domane). This mechanical ’pivot’ at the intersection between top tube, seat tube and stays is combined here with a 'seat tube within a seat tube' (meaning the outer aero section stays independent of the moving parts).

The decoupled IsoSpeed seatpost is concealed within an outer aero housing

That makes the back end of the Madone simply the most comfortable aero machine we’ve tried. In fact, it's not just the most comfortable aero bike, but also up there with the most comfortable race machines around.

How the Trek Domane SLR just revolutionized road bike design

Now you might think that the added complexity of the IsoSpeed, the direct-mount centre-pull front brake (with its ‘Vector wing’ covers that pivot outwards when turning on sprung hinges yet stay slippery and aero in a straight line), and the Di2 control centre encased in the down tube, are all going to add significant weight. But as our 58cm test machine tipped the scales at just 6.8kg, it's really not an issue. Yes, it’s heavier than its brethren, but it’s not exactly what you’d call a porker. Trek claims an H1 (the lowest, raciest fit) 56cm frame weighs in at 950g, and that’s seriously impressive for such a complex design.