Trek has launched its lightest Madone disc brake bike to date — the SLR 9 AXS 1x Gen 8, with a claimed weight of just 6.4kg. The new build is available with SRAM Red 1×12 as standard, and a 1×13 XPLR option is available through Trek’s Project One programme, both available to buy for the princely sum of £10,000.
Last year, Trek merged its two top-end road platforms with the release of its Madone Gen 8 road bike claiming to be as aerodynamically efficient as the previous Madone and as light as the existing Émonda SLR.
Trek’s latest Madone is “so light it’s illegal”, and the SLR 9 AXS 1x Gen 8 tips the scales at a claimed 6.4kg (size M/L), making it 400g lighter than the UCI’s minimum weight limit, even when fitted with pedals, bottle cages, and a computer mount, according to the US brand.
This is also 600g lighter than the top-tier Madone SLR 9 AXS with SRAM Red 2x AXS groupset and Bontrager Aeolous RSL 51 wheels.
Despite the drop in weight, the frame remains unchanged, retaining the 900 Series OCLV Carbon and aerodynamic tube shaping found on the top-tier SLR model.
The big update comes from the drivetrain. For the first time, the Madone is offered with a SRAM 1x setup, the same system used by Lidl-Trek riders in this year’s Spring Classics. The standard build features SRAM Red AXS 1×12, while a 1×13 XPLR configuration is available through Trek’s Project One custom programme.
Switching to a 1x drivetrain on your road bike brings several advantages, according to SRAM Product Manager JP McCarthy. These include lower weight by eliminating the front derailleur and small chainring, simplified and more efficient shifting, improved chain retention, and aerodynamic gains.
Trek has further trimmed grams by building the bike with Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 wheels and Pirelli P-Zero RS tyres, paired with Pirelli SmartTube TPU inner tubes. These thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) tubes are significantly lighter than traditional butyl tubes due to their thinner plastic construction, but sacrifice little puncture protection according to Pirelli and other manufacturers of TPU tubes.
If you’re chasing grams, TPU tubes can be lighter than tubeless setups if you factor in the combined weight of sealant, rim tape and tubeless valves.
As for the paint, the lightest option is the Matte Deep Smoke colourway.
The new Madone SLR 9 AXS 1x Gen 8 is available now, equipped as standard with a SRAM Red 1×12 drivetrain (inc power meter). It’s priced at £10,000, and can be purchased through select Trek retailers or at trekbikes.com.
It’s also available via Trek’s Project One custom programme, where you can choose your preferred finish and build, including the 1×13 SRAM Red XPLR option.
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