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In this article, I’ll help you navigate the Trek Madone aero road bikes by comparing the Madone SL 6 to SLR 9.
You will also learn:
- Who are they best suited for?
- About the differences between each model and Gen 6 vs. Gen 7.
- Why I think you shouldn’t buy Trek Madone with SRAM groupset.
Plus, I’ll tell you which model gives you the best value for your money to help make your decision easier.
This article compares Trek Madone Gen 6 and 7. The main difference between Madone Gen 6 and Gen 7 is that Gen 6 has IsoSpeed decoupler, while Gen 7 has IsoFlow.
Trek Madone SL 6 vs. SL 7 vs. SLR 6 vs. SLR 7 vs. SLR 9
The following table summarizes the main differences between all Madone bikes.
| Madone SL 6 Madone SL 6 Di2 | Madone SL 6 (Gen 7) | Madone SL 7 Madone SL 7 AXS | Madone SL 7 (Gen 7) | Madone SLR 6 (Gen 7) Madone SLR 6 AXS (Gen 7) | Madone SLR 7 (Gen 7) Madone SLR 7 AXS (Gen 7) | Madone SLR 9 (Gen 7) Madone SLR 9 AXS (Gen 7) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $4,729.99 $5,199.99 (Di2) | $5,499.99 | $6,999.99 $7,499.99 (AXS) | $6,499.99 | $7,999.99 $8,399.99 (AXS) | $9,049.99 $9,699.99 (AXS) | $12,749.99 $13,199.99 (AXS) |
| Frame | Carbon (500-series OCLV) | Carbon (500-series OCLV) | Carbon (500-series OCLV) | Carbon (500-series OCLV) | Carbon (800-series OCLV) | Carbon (800-series OCLV) | Carbon (800-series OCLV) |
| Fork | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon |
| Available sizes | 47-62 | 47-62 | 50-62 | 47-62 | 47-62 | 47-62 | 47-62 |
| Wheels | Bontrager Aeolus Comp Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 tubeless-ready | Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 tubeless-ready |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c |
| Tires | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) | Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite (25mm) |
| Max tire size | 28mm | 32mm | 28mm | 32mm | 32mm | 32mm | 32mm |
| Drivetrain | Shimano Ultegra or Shimano 105 Di2 2×11spd or 2×12spd | Shimano 105 Di2 2×12spd | Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Force eTap AXS 2×12spd | Shimano Ultegra Di2 2×12spd | Shimano 105 Di2 or SRAM Rival eTap AXS 2×12spd | Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Force eTap AXS 2×12spd | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or SRAM RED eTap AXS 2×12spd |
| Pedals | not included | not included | not included | not included | not included | not included | not included |
| Saddle | Bontrager Aeolus Comp | Bontrager Aeolus Comp | Bontrager Aeolus Comp | Bontrager Aeolus Comp | Bontrager Aeolus P2 Elite | Bontrager Aeolus P2 Elite | Bontrager Aeolus P2 RSL |
| Brakes | Shimano Ultegra or 105 hydraulic disc | Shimano 105 hydraulic disc | Shimano Ultegra SRAM Force (AXS) hydraulic disc | Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc | Shimano 105 SRAM Rival (AXS) hydraulic disc | Shimano Ultegra SRAM Force (AXS) hydraulic disc | Shimano Dura-Ace SRAM RED (AXS) hydraulic disc |
| Weight | 8.74 kg / 19.27 lbs 8.70 kg / 19.19 lbs | 8.40 kg / 18.52 lbs | 8.26 kg / 18.22 lbs 8.48 kg / 18.71 lbs | 8.00 kg / 17.64 lbs | 7.75 kg / 17.09 lbs 8.03 kg / 17.71 lbs | 7.48 kg / 16.51 lbs 7.76 kg / 17.11 lbs | 7.10 kg / 15.66 lbs 7.36 kg / 16.23 lbs |
| Buy | Buy Madone SL 6 Buy Madone SL 6 (Di2) | Buy Madone SL 6 (Gen 7) | Buy Madone SL 7 Buy Madone SL 7 AXS | Buy Madone SL 7 (Gen 7) | Buy Madone SLR 6 Buy Madone SLR 6 (AXS) | Buy Madone SLR 7 Buy Madone SLR 7 (AXS) | Buy Madone SLR 9 Buy Madone SLR 9 (AXS) |
Specifications source: trekbikes.com, updated 26/04/2023
Madone Pros & Cons Summary
I summarized the pros & cons of the Madone series below.
Madone Pros
- Faster than standard road bikes thanks to the aero frame
- Madone Gen 7 stands out from the crowd thanks to the IsoFlow
- Racing geometry
- Availability in multiple sizes and colors
- Integrated cable routing
- Lifetime warranty
Madone Cons
- Heavier than Émonda road bikes
- More expensive than non-aero road bikes
- No aluminum models are available
- Narrow tire clearance (28mm)
Madone Main Features
Let me now explain the most important features of the Trek Madone aero bikes.
Frame and Geometry
The Madone bikes are part of Trek’s road bike lineup. They’re made of carbon. No aluminum version of the Madone is available.
The names of the bikes have abbreviations that refer to the type of carbon used for the frame:
- SL are bikes with 500 series OCLV* carbon (mid-range).
- SLR are bikes with 800 series OCLV carbon (high-end).
*OCLV carbon is Trek’s patented carbon fiber process (learn more).
SL (Gen 6) frames are heavier than SLR (Gen 7), mainly due to the IsoSpeed vs. IsoFlow (learn more).
The bikes are available in many sizes (47-62) and colors. They have a relatively relaxed geometry compared to the Cervelo S5 but are almost identical to the Cannondale SystemSix.
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics evaluation is a challenging discipline because it requires a lot of resources. No extensive independent database is available that compares the speed of different aero wheels.
In Trek’s whitepaper, I learned that the Madone Gen 7 is 19W faster than Gen 6 at 45 km/h.
However, it’s hard to compare it with other bikes. But it’s rumored that Madone is among the fastest aero bikes.
For instance, in Cannondale’s whitepaper, there’s a comparison of Cannondale SystemSix (one of the fastest aero bikes) with Madone 9.9. Madone was only slightly worse.
Wheels and Tires
On some Madone models, the wheels may be different, but typically, they come with Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 wheels.
Surprisingly, the front and rear wheels have the same rim depth. Other aero bike manufacturers often use deeper wheels in the rear and shallower ones in the front.
The same goes for tires. Madones come with 25mm tires in both the front and rear, but it’s common for competitors’ bikes to have 25mm tires in the front and 28mm tires in the rear.
Remember, the wheels are tubeless-ready, but the tires are clinchers.
Groupset
Unsurprisingly, the Madone bikes have a 2X drivetrain, as is customary for road bikes.
Trek fits them with Shimano and SRAM groupsets, and the number in the bike name indicates the groupset.
- Models ending with 6 use Shimano Ultegra, 105 Di2 (R7100) or SRAM Rival AXS groupsets.
- Models ending with 7 use Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) or SRAM Force AXS groupsets.
- Models ending with 9 use Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200) or SRAM Red AXS groupsets.
Interestingly, the Madones with SRAM are heavier than the Madones of the same series with the Shimano groupset. In addition, the Shimano bikes are also cheaper.
This is somewhat strange because Shimano retail prices are higher than SRAM. That’s why I recommend choosing Trek bikes with Shimano groupsets unless you prefer SRAM.
IsoSpeed vs. IsoFlow
Undoubtedly, IsoSpeed and IsoFlow have become unique features that make Madone stand out from the crowd.
The IsoSpeed decoupler aimed to improve riding comfort by absorbing road vibrations. Unfortunately, it added weight to the bike.
The 7th generation Madone took people’s breath away. IsoFlow is a significant design change from the traditional bike appearance, but it’s supposed to improve both riding comfort and aerodynamics.
On the other hand, some have expressed opinions that the change in shape from a classic triangle to a quadrilateral will inherently reduce the overall frame stiffness. Learn more in the following video.
Trek Madone FAQ
My Verdict
So, which Trek Madone bike is the best?
If you’re considering buying a Madone, I suggest going for a model with a Shimano groupset. They tend to be lighter and less expensive than the equivalent SRAM models.
Consider the Madone SL 6 or 7 (Gen 7) for the best value for money. You will get an adjustable cockpit (which you won’t get with SLR Gen 7), Gen 7 frame (IsoFlow), and Shimano 105 Di2 or Ultegra Di2.
The only sacrifices you make are the lower-grade carbon, higher weight, and slightly worse aerodynamics and aesthetics due to the semi-integrated cockpit.
