{"id":64924,"date":"2024-06-02T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/f25c9424-a8a3-4bfb-92d6-26214d5f5465"},"modified":"2024-06-02T15:25:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T13:25:26","slug":"brand-new-lightweight-trek-madone-spotted-has-trek-killed-the-emonda","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/brand-new-lightweight-trek-madone-spotted-has-trek-killed-the-emonda\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand new lightweight Trek Madone spotted: Has Trek killed the Emonda?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We get a close look at the bike that may become Trek\u2019s one-and-only road race option <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 02 June 2024 at 13:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

A new, slimmed-down Trek Madone RSL has been spotted at the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9, raising questions about the future of Trek\u2019s road racing lineup.<\/p>

The unreleased bike has been on a diet, compared to the current aero-focussed Madone \u2013 but retains the Madone name on the top tube. A new iteration of Trek IsoFlow design \u2013 the hole in the seat tube \u2013 is present, too.<\/p>

There are no official details on the new bike yet but, with Lidl-Trek riders using Trek’s latest machine at the Dauphin\u00e9 \u2013 a key Tour de France shakedown race \u2013 a release is likely to be around the corner.<\/p>

One bike to rule them all?<\/h2>
Trek looks set to launch a new Madone. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The first notable aspect of the new bike is the slimmed-down silhouette.\u00a0<\/p>
Trek seems to have reduced the depth of tube shapes across the frame, suggesting the Madone has been on a diet to make it lighter. <\/p>
$\"2025$
The Madone appears to have been on a diet… but the IsoFlow seat tube hole is still present. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This may mean that Trek claims the Madone can be used on all stages of a road race, be that the high mountains or flat sprint stages.<\/p>
$\"2025$
Lidl-Trek are using the new bike at the bike at the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
To do so, Trek will have had to take steps to retain the Madone\u2019s aerodynamic credentials \u2013 though without wind tunnel and real-world testing data, it is impossible to decipher whether this is the case at this point in time.<\/p>
$\"2025$
Yep, it’s definitely a Madone. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What about the Emonda?<\/h2>
$\"2025$
Where does this leave the Emonda? – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The key consideration is whether Trek has left space in its racing line-up for its current climbing bike, the Emonda<\/a>.<\/p>
Trek\u2019s Emonda is currently the only bike the Lidl-Trek team has in use that can be built down to the UCI\u2019s 6.8kg minimum weight limit. A 56cm Madone, for example, tipped our scales at 7.29kg for the existing model.<\/p>
$\"2025$
Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The slimmed-down tubes suggest weight savings.<\/p>
Specialized killed off its Venge<\/a> aero race bike, replacing it with the Tarmac SL7 and later refining the design with the current Tarmac SL8<\/a>. Pinarello, meanwhile, is among the brands to also offer one race bike, sticking steadfast to the Dogma for Team Ineos-Grenadiers.<\/p>
If Trek has reduced the Madone\u2019s weight to get closer to the UCI’s minimum limit, it would be hard to see any racer opting for the less aero Emonda.<\/p>
IsoFlow…lite<\/h2>
$\"Mads$
This is the existing Trek Madone SLR, with its beefier aero tubes. – SRAM<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Trek sent the cycling world into a minor meltdown when it introduced the previous Madone in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>
The IsoFlow seat tube hole and cantilevered seat post divided opinion, to put it mildly, but the design is back on the latest Madone, which comes only two years after the original release.<\/p>
$\"Mads$
IsoFlow sent the cycling world into a minor meltdown in 2022. – James York \/ Matt Grayson \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Back in 2022, IsoFlow replaced the IsoSpeed \u2018decoupler\u2019 system, which had been a feature of the Madone since it went all-in on aero with the 9 Series in 2015<\/a>.<\/p>
Trek claimed IsoFlow allowed the Madone SLR to match the compliance of the previous IsoSpeed system on its stiffest setting. It was also said to improve the aerodynamic performance of the frame by \u201caround 3 watts\u201d, while saving weight.<\/p>
It is unclear whether Trek has refined the IsoFlow system in any way. As a result, we\u2019ll have to wait for word from the brand about drag reduction.<\/p>
$\"2025$
The Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 is a key warm-up race ahead of the Tour de France. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Aero water bottles<\/h2>
$\"2025$
The bottle cages have had the aero treatment. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
While the standard shape of a water bottle is ideal for fitting any bottle and cage to your bike, their tubular profile is not exactly aerodynamically optimised.<\/p>
Some brands, such as Pinarello, make an effort to smooth the airflow onto the down tube bottle by recessing the mounting points into the tube.<\/p>
Others, such as BMC, design proprietary bottle cages that sit flush with the down tube and seat tube.<\/p>
$\"2025$
The new bike has a custom paint job through Trek’s Project One scheme. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Trek appears to have taken a different approach, creating a bottle and cage system that, at first glance, is specifically designed for the Madone SLR.<\/p>
It\u2019s a measure that we often see on time trial bikes, but with racers requiring several bottle hand-ups throughout a stage, it hasn\u2019t yet been a common sight on\u00a0the road.<\/p>
$\"2025$
SRAM Red AXS for the Lidl-Trek team. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Given that the new Madone has been seen with specific aero bottles, we would expect Trek to admit this plays a key role in keeping the Madone SLR as fast as the outgoing bike, if not making it faster.<\/p>
When will we find out for sure? Well, there’s no official news yet, but we’ll bring it to you when Trek’s ready to announce this new Madone.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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