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Tour Tech 2013: Updated Trek Madone frame weighs 725g

A year after its release, the Trek Madone 6 and 7 Series has been put on a diet

Trek launched the radically redesigned Madone 6 and 7 Series only a year ago, with aero profiled tubes and a new brake design, but they’ve now made both lighter. An improved carbon fibre layup has dropped the weight down to 725g.

Visually, the frame appears identical. There’s the same Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shaping on the frame, a truncated airfoil profile first seen on their Speed Concept time trial bike. The changes have happened under the surface though, as Trek have refined the carbon fibre layup schedule, managing to reduce the weight by 25g compared to the outgoing model. It’s a very small weight drop but a weight drop nonetheless.

A significant change is seen in the chainstays. Before they were slender, tapered tubes. The new frame has much enlarged profile chainstays, with a noticeable bulge along their length. This will be to increase the stiffness in the frame and increase power transfer efficiency.

Trek brought in a completely new brake design on the Madone last year, and it remains on this updated model. Most obvious is the location of the rear brake on the underside of the chainstays, just behind the bottom bracket shell. This leaves the seat stays free of a brake bridge, so less material is needed.

Leopard Blue bikes for team Radioshack

Radioshack-Leopard will ride the 7 Series in the Tour de France dressed up in a very bold ‘Leopard Blue’ paint scheme. Interestingly, this colour scheme is already available to buy through their Project One custom paint shop, so you could get your hands on one already if you wanted.

You’d think team leader Andy Schleck would be on the Madone, but it in fact appears he might actually be riding the Domane, as we saw his bike being prepared ahead of the first stage in Corsica. It could be he has both bikes his disposal, and will use either depending on the stages.

As usual, the team are running Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11-speed groupsets. They roll on Bontrager carbon tubular deep-section wheels with Bonty tyres. Finishing kit - that's stem, bars, and saddle - are all from the Bontrager stable too.

You can read our review of the previous Madone 6 Series here.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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7 comments

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mjl | 10 years ago
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I have a 5 series model, no problems with position of the rear brake or performance. have had a touch of squealing under heavy braking but my local dealer said it could be the angle the blocks touch the rim. ( front & rear after putting on my kyrsium's )
Yet even if you do think there 's a grit etc stuck between the brake block & rim it's quite easy to release the rear brake on the fly as the adjustment is on the head tube.

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jonathing | 10 years ago
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Why are they painted as Bianchis?

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TrekBikesUK replied to jonathing | 10 years ago
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Jonathing wrote:

Why are they painted as Bianchis?

They aren't. Celeste #227 is an iconic colour that no one should ever try and replicate. The blue of the RSLT Madones is a duck egg blue, and is the same colour that the team has used since it was originally launched as Leopard Trek back in 2010.

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Metjas | 10 years ago
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Does anyone have experience with the undermount brake on UK roads? Does it not pick up endless amounts of muck and also grit in the brake blocks that would affect your rims?

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TrekBikesUK replied to Metjas | 10 years ago
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Metjas wrote:

Does anyone have experience with the undermount brake on UK roads? Does it not pick up endless amounts of muck and also grit in the brake blocks that would affect your rims?

Why yes, we happen to have extensive experience with the brakes on UK roads.  1

The brake is actually shielded by things coming off the front wheel by the bottom bracket. And the rotational direction of the back wheel means that grime from it doesn't go anywhere near the brake. Sure, it's still going to get wet if you are riding in the rain, but the braking performance isn't going to be worse that a seatstay mounted brake. It's probably better.

This very site has done a review of the Madone, as well.

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therealsmallboy | 10 years ago
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Probably Jan Bakelants bike, he's quite short. Rest of the team are pretty tall.

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ashfanman | 10 years ago
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Might just be the photo, but that looks an unusually short stem for a pro bike?

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