Trek Madone 6.9

I’ve ridden a 1000 miles on my Trek Madone 6.9, and am so far very happy.

In the tough 25% hills of Yorkshire, the bike performed well, it is light and rigid, which gives an extra power up the climbs. I have been doing some of the local hill climbs and timing myself. Overall, I seem to be going quicker which is good. There is still opportunity to lose weight on the bike because I did not choose the lightest wheels but got some Bontrager X Lite clinchers with Bontrager tyres. These wheels were not standard for a Trek Madone 6.9, but one good thing about the Trek Madone Project One is that you can choose combinations of components, by choosing cheaper wheels I was able to get the bike for less.

The ultra light weight carbon frame and fork are the heart of the bike. A great combination of low weight, rigidity and strength. It feels that all your power is effortlessly transferred to propelling the bike.

The 10 speed Dura Ace 2010 Groupset is very good. It feels a good improvement from my previous Dura Ace. The only disadvantage is that all my old bikes are Shimano nine speed. I really hope Shimano resist the temptation to move to 11 speed. Yes, it will be very, very, very marginally easier to ride ever so slightly up certain hills, but, I’d rather not have the huge cost.

From an aesthetic point of view, I’m still very happy with the Trek Madone 6.9. Again another real bonus of the Project One is that you can pay £300 to get your own colour scheme. For more money you can also get different options like your name engraved. This helps to personalise your bike and make it really feel like a dream bike. If your going to spend £5,000 on a bike, why not add a personal touch and get your favourite colour scheme?

There is also a certain smoothness about the whole product, the integrated cabling and smooth lines are a joy to watch. There’s a small irritation in that taking of those silly stickers about ‘don’t forget to wear a helmet when cycling’ leave a sticky residue which is hard to get off. Also with a white bike, there’s every incentive to clean it as soon as it gets dirty. But, you would want to do that anyway?

The thing I like least about the Trek Madone is the actual name of the bike. I mean Trek is American and it sponsors that cyclist, who I just find irritating. From one point of view, I would much prefer the chic of owning a real Italian brand like Bianchi. But, the thing is Trek do every thing right. It’s hard to find a better choice of bike with all the different combinations. Unless an off the peg bike suits you just fine, definitely look into the Project One, as you will enjoy being able to customise the bike a little.

Overall 10/10.

It’s hard to find any significant, worthwhile fault. It is just an excellent bike with excellent ride properties. Hopefully it will propel me to win quite a few hill climbs over the next few years.

Related

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• Trek Madone 5.5 – Same frame, so good choice, if you can’t quite justify spending Trek Madone 6.9 prices
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