trek isospeed madone

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Trek revamps Madone with discs, top-tube IsoSpeed

New adjustable-IsoSpeed aero bikes with wild paint options

Trek Bicycles

Ben Delaney

Trek's latest aero bike, the Madone SLR, has disc brakes for the first time, but the bigger stories might be the revamp of an adjustable IsoSpeed in the top tube, an adjustable but still integrated bar/stem and a Goldilocks geometry that Trek calls H1.5. The Madone SLR comes in men's and women's models from an SLR 6 model at £5,499 / $5,999 to a £10,000 / $11,999 superbike with premium paint.

• Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc first ride review
• Glitter, gold and 'refliptive': Madone ICON

To create this machine, Trek deployed a motley assortment of methodologies, from the high-zoot but expected CFD and modeling work to the creation of an enormous bumpy treadmill that can replicate all manner of road surfaces. Throw in some outrageous paint options and the new Trek Madone looks to be in a class of its own.

Adjustable IsoSpeed — now under the top tube

Trek's IsoSpeed system adds significant comfort to road bikes by allowing flex in the frame around a pivot point inside the seat-tube cluster. First introduced with the Domane endurance bike and then brought to the Madone aero bike in 2015, the system has always allows for flex in both the seatmast and the seat tube.

With 'aero' and 'comfortable' having been in contradiction for so long, the 2015 Madone with IsoSpeed was a game changer.

With the new Madone, the IsoSpeed pivot remains in the same spot, but now the flex happens under the top tube, as the hockey-stick-shaped IsoSpeed member goes from the seat mast to the underside of the top tube. Further, as with the top-end Domane, the flex is adjustable, which takes the ride from 17% more compliant to 21% stiffer than the previous Madone, Trek says.

One reason to move the flex to the top tube was to damp the rebound of the flex (by 13%, Trek says) thanks to a little elastomer in the seat tube. Another reason was to get similar vertical compliance numbers on all the frame sizes. (On the last Madone, smaller frames' shorter seat tubes effectively reduced the length of the spring; with top tubes there is plenty of length, even on small frames.)

To adjust the flex, you loosen a 2.5mm Allen behind the seat tube (where the elastomer sits), then loosen a 4mm bolt at the end of the IsoSpeed beam under the top tube. Then, you move a slider forward to get more flex or back to effectively shorten the flexing leaf and thus make it stiffer.

Treadmill testing

For Trek or any brand that works with pro riders, part of the challenge of designing a race bike is translating rider feedback into quantifiable and thus actionable information. To put some numbers on what 'bumpy' means, Trek built an enormous treadmill with bolt-on bumps. It even went so far as to take a silicone mold of a section of the Arenberg Forest from Paris-Roubaix, scan it, and recreate the surface on its treadmill.

Then, by riding the treadmill on an instrumented bike, Trek engineers could measure exactly how a machine responds to a variety of surfaces, and track changes as they iterated frame designs (and tire widths and pressure and anything else they wanted to play with).

Ultimately, as the adjustable IsoSpeed shows, Trek concluded that it doesn't know exactly how you like your bike to feel, or exactly where you like to ride. But the option to have a more comfortable ride is there, right under the top tube.

Rim vs disc: lighter vs faster?

Unlike the new Specialized Venge aero bike that only comes as a disc bike, the new Madone 6 comes in rim- and disc-brake options. The rim bike is lighter, as you'd expect, but the disc bike is more aero, which is unexpected.

The Madone 6 SLR Disc with Bontrager Aeolus 6 wheels and a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9170 group weighs a claimed 7.4kg with an unpainted frame. The comparable rim bike weighs a claimed 7.1kg.

In terms of aero performance, Trek measured the disc bike as having 3,216g of drag to the rim bike's 3,221g, when testing from -12.5 to 12.5 degrees. The new rim-brake Madone, curiously, is slightly higher at 3,221g.

The increase in drag is primarily due to UCI regulations, said Trek's Tony Lemke. " We lose head tube and down tube airfoil depth," on the rim bike compared to the disc bike, Lemke said. "When we lose airfoil depth, wind separation occurs sooner since we are still at a similar section lateral width vs the disc bike. It's truncated sooner. These slight differences in depth create more drag on the tail end of the section where air separation begins to occur, especially at yaw, not so much at zero. Deeper and properly shaped sections at yaw perform better because the air has greater tendency to create laminar flow when apparent wind is from the side. The delta is little to none, but this is the theoretical answer."

The biggest change to the rim bike — aside from the IsoSpeed change — is the placement of the front brake behind the fork.

New two-piece aero bar stem

Another big change with the Madone 6 is the adoption of a reshaped aero handlebar that has more wrist clearance when in the drops and also +/- 5 degrees of bar rotation. The previous model was a fixed one-piece bar and stem.

The new cockpit remains highly aero in its shaping and internal routing; now riders can just adjust the bar angle.

There are four stem lengths (90-130mm) and four bar widths (38-44mm). The 38mm width is new. Trek makes longer stems for its pro riders, as well.

H1 is pro geometry. H2 is more upright. The Madone 6 is H1.5

In the past, Trek offered many of its high-end bikes in two fit options — the low-head-tube H1 and the more upright H2. With the Madone 6, Trek split the difference and will only have one middleground H1.5 geometry.

Men’s and women’s models

Trek's framesets are all unisex, but the Wisconsin company does have women-specific contact points such as saddles and handlebars. So the WSD bike, besides different paint, are built to fit more women better than the stock models.

The Madone bikes can be customized through Project One with parts and the new Madone-exclusive paint schemes called ICON.

The Madone disc bikes officially fit tires up to 28mm, but you can squeeze in 32mm slicks. The rim bike is designed for 25mm tires.

All the SLR bikes share the same frameset and cockpit, and vary by parts build. The only SRAM option is eTap; otherwise the bikes are various Shimano builds. Trek's house-brand Bontrager provides the everything else, from wheels and tires to saddles and handlebar tape.

Click or swipe through the gallery above for a closer look at the full Madone line.

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Trek Madone SLR 7 Gen 7 review - very fast and very expensive

The latest Madone may have a hole through the seat tube but we couldn't find any in its performance

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The Trek Madone is an absolute speed weapon. The deep-section tubes with the radical-looking cutout help, as does the newly designed handlebar, which is narrow and provides good wrist support for the ‘aero-hoods’ position. And then there are the 51mm deep Bontrager Aeolus Pro wheels. The handling is incredibly fast, responding to the smallest shift in weight and the tiniest tweaks of the bars, and ride quality is so impressive that it’s almost possible to overlook things like the narrow tires and ungenerous clearance - but you can’t ignore the price. If you have the budget and want a WorldTour-level race machine with exceptional handling and ride feel, this is the bike.

Super smooth ride

Light for an aero bike

Striking aesthetics

Limited adjustability

No power meter

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

• Construction

Value and conclusion

For this latest Gen 7 version of the Madone, Trek’s aero bike, the US brand removed the IsoSpeed Decoupler of the previous Gen 6 model and left, in its place, a big hole.

OK, it’s not the crude, reductionist approach it sounds like.

The old bike’s micro-adjustable suspension system at the top tube/seat tube juncture added weight and was mostly redundant since Trek discovered most riders would ‘set and forget’.

And by radically reengineering the frame Trek claims to have saved 300g, and says the new bike is almost 20 watts faster than its predecessor, which equates to 60 seconds per hour when ridden at 45kph. It looks radical, too - always a good thing for a new bike.

In our 2023 Race Bike of the Year grouptest we awarded the Madone 'best aero bike' against competition that included the Cervélo S5, the Canyon Aeroad and the Giant Propel.

However, over $9K / £10K for an Ultegra bike has to be unchartered territory - so how does it compare overall to the best road bikes ?

Trek Madone 7 Gen 7: construction

Let’s peer a bit more closely into that hole or, to give it its real name, IsoFlow. The aerodynamic explanation for it is: “It’s a way to direct some high energy flow into a low energy region of the bike.” What that means is that the seat tube area creates a disproportionate amount of drag and the hole helps to dissipate this by adding what Trek calls a “jet of fast moving air.”

It turns out that only half of the claimed watt saving comes from the IsoFlow hole. Trek has entered the integrated cockpit wars (along with Colnago, Canyon, Cervélo et al) with a completely new and very slick-looking design but it’s neither adjustable nor V-shaped: according to Trek it saves watts by changing rider position rather than via the aerodynamic properties of the cockpit itself.

A standard 42cm bar becomes 39cm at the hoods and 42cm at the drops and there’s a backsweep so that a flat-forearms aero position on the hoods becomes very aero indeed.

There are 14 different combinations available and, since the backsweep gives the bar a shorter reach, it’s important to get the right one - if you’re like those of us who rode this bike, you’ll need a longer stem. You can change this at point of purchase at no extra cost, Trek told us, or the 1 1/8in steerer is compatible with a non-integrated stem and bar (though the frame is electronic groupset only).

The same goes for the seatmast. The cutout in the seat tube leaves less room for a long seatpost and less adjustability (around 6cm minimum to maximum) so if you are long-legged but prefer a smaller frame you may need the tall version that comes with the size 56 upwards (as I ideally would have done). There are also two offsets available.

Our size 54 with a standard short mast could only manage a maximum saddle height of 74cm and the reach felt very short with the 90mm stem cockpit it comes with.

The latest geometry is called H1.5 (halfway between the old H1 race and H2 endurance). The reduced reach combined with the shorter reach of the swept-back bar works very well for that super aero hoods position, but it does feel surprisingly short. The kamm-tailed rear of the stem is much closer to your knees than you’d expect.

The new SLR bikes are all made from Trek’s 800 OCLV carbon - from the 105-equipped SLR 6 up to the flagship SLR 9 - and are impressively light, especially compared with other aero bikes such as the Cervelo S5. Trek says this is its lightest ever disc Madone.

There’s clearance for 28mm tires max, which is tight by modern standards. This model comes with Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 tubeless-ready wheels, set up with Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite 25mm tires and inner tubes - again, surprisingly narrow.

Despite the fact that the fit wasn’t optimal - I could have done with the size up - the ride quality of the Madone is absolutely incredible. That’s the first thing that strikes you, or rather doesn’t strike you.

Aero bikes used to supply a harsher ride simply because deep, bladed tubing doesn’t flex like round tubing. This was undoubtedly the reason why Trek bolted the IsoSpeed decoupler onto the Madone two iterations ago. So you might expect that with its suspension system gone, the latest bike might have gone backwards in comfort. Not a bit of it.

It feels like a coiled carbon spring - full of potential energy and floating over bad road surfaces seemingly without any effect on its speed. And this is on 25mm tires that aren’t even the best (at this price they really ought to be).

The handling is also exactly right. The shortish 90mm stem section of the cockpit could have made it a little twitchy, but thanks to the sweeping shape I found my weight sufficiently over the front wheel in the hoods position, and steering was fast but balanced on descents and tight corners.

So it passes ‘comfortable’ and ‘fast’ with flying colors (actually Deep Smoke for this one).

At 7.5kg it’s light for an aero bike - or any disc brake bike - and it leaps up hills as if it weighs even less. I was so impressed with its performance that I kept forgetting Trek also has the Emonda climbing bike. The next Emonda has its work cut out (pun intended).

Finally, stability in crosswinds. There’s one particular gateway on my test loop where any bike not designed for big yaw angles will be gusted and the Trek was indeed blown sideways slightly - but not alarmingly considering the deep wheels and frame tubes.

This bike is incredibly good but it’s also incredibly expensive. It’s a full $1,000 / £1,000 more than the equivalent outgoing Gen 6 Madone SLR 7, and you’d have to look hard to find a more expensive Ultegra Di2-equipped bike from the other mainstream brands. 

The Canyon Aeroad CFR with Dura-Ace costs $8,999 / £8,799, while the Cervelo S5 with SRAM Force AXS costs $9,000 / £9,200. The Giant Propel Advanced SL1 also with SRAM Force costs $8,000 / £8,999.

You might also reasonably expect a power meter at this price - those three bikes all come with them - but it’s just the regular Ultegra crankset here.

So the price is stratospheric but compared with the current aero bikes I’ve ridden so far including the Colnago V4RS , Canyon Aeroad SLX , Cervelo S5, Tarmac SL7 and Pinarello Dogma F, the ride quality is superior.

• Frame: 800 Series OCLV carbon
• Fork: KVF carbon, tapered steerer
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2
• Wheels : Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51
• Tires : Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite 25mm
• Cockpit: Madone integrated
• Seatpost : Madone aero internal
• Saddle: Bontrager Aeolus Elite
• Weight: 7.5kg
• Contact: www.trekbikes.com

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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.

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TriTech for the Masses

Trek Madone Speed – First Look

From the moment we saw our first aero road bike we knew we were in love. A bike that was almost as fast as a true time trial bike, but able to be used for group rides spoke to our pragmatic side. Buy one bike – but essentially get two was music to our ears. But the first generation of bikes was more compromise than utopia. Not nearly as fast as a TT bike and not stiff enough to be a serious road bike. But with advances in aerodynamics and carbon construction the generations that followed continued to get closer and closer to that promise. And the latest bikes have become the true best of both world bikes we have hoped for… except for one item. As aero road bikes have moved to aero drop bars – clip on aerobars have become a challenge. And also, some place innovation has been waiting for. Meet the Trek Madone Speed – a best of both worlds aero road bike that features the aerobars straight off of the Trek Speed Concept .

The Trek Madone Speed

The Trek Madone Speed starts with the new 2019 Trek Madone Disc .  The 2019 Madone featured a new albeit more traditional, yet still proprietary bar and stem system. This new set up offers 40 possible configurations versus the 26 possible configurations when considering the H1/H2 frames. Riders also get the added benefit of +/-5 degrees of bar roll to allow deeper fit refinement. The -7deg stems offer the industry standard set up and the -14deg stems are intended to allow current Madone H1 riders to match their same fit as well as offer more flexibility to new consumers. Stems are offered in 90mm to 130mm lengths in both -7° and -14° angles. The bar receives one additional width size and is offered in Variable Radius Compact Flare (VRCF) fit in widths from 38cm to 44cm. With these expanded options, changing fit is now easier and more affordable.

To that system, the Speed adds a new stem faceplate that simplifies the process of adding and removing aero bars. The included Speed Concept Mono Bar Extension is held to the stem faceplate with a pair of bolts,and adding and removing the aero extensions takes as little as thirty seconds.

“Madone Speed has all the award-winning speed and handling ofMadone SLR—plus the added benefit of a lot more versatility,” said Trek’s Director of Road Product Jordan Roessingh. “You can train with a group without the bars, then throw them on for race day. It’s the smartest option for most people doing triathlon or time trials today.”

Being that it is based on the 2019 Madone you get the same frame as all Madone SLR models. It’s made with Trek’s lightest 700 Series OCLV Carbon and features Adjustable Top Tube IsoSpeed, which allows riders to tune the frame’s compliance to their preference. For those not familiar with how this is done – lets recap.

The Madone Adjustable Compliance technology is comprised of two frame elements integrated into each other just like the Domane SLR but has been rotated into the top tube for aerodynamic advantage. This method also aids in more uniform compliance for all frame sizes. Lastly, Trek has implemented hardware on the back of the seat tube that offers rebound damping characteristics to the bike. The two frame elements are connected by the IsoSpeed Decoupler and the bolted joint at the front. In between the two frame elements is a vacant space with an adjustment slider that can move along the entire path. The seatmast element utilizes the IsoSpeed Decoupler to transfer the aft deflection of the upper aero section of the seatmast to an upward deflection of the lower seatmast element. The vacant space allows the lower seatmast to deflect in the upward direction while the main frame top tube element remains independent from the lower seatmast. The slider contacts both the lower seatmast element and main frame top tube element to limit the upward deflection of the lower seatmast per the rider’s preference. If the slider is towards the front of the frame, a rider will experience more compliance because of the greater vacant space that allows the lower seatmast to deflect more. If the slider is near the back of the frame towards the IsoSpeed Decoupler, a rider will experience less compliance because the slider is inhibiting deflection in the vacant space in front of it.

The Madone SLR 6 Disc Speed ($6499.99 MSRP) is spec’d with a 2×11 Shimano Ultegra drivetrain, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 carbon wheels, and flat-mount disc brakes.

Our Thoughts

Let’s start with the good – we really love where Trek went with this. The monoriser aerobar from the Speed Concept is a tried and true system. While it is proprietary to Trek, because of the amount of time it has been available on the market there are all sorts of spare parts already available on the second hand market for those looking to switch from s-bends to straight bars to ski tips. After four years of riding our Trek Speed Concept test bike, we are fans of these bars and love riding with them.

The Madone SLR 6 Disc Speed at $6,499 is just $200 more than the standard Madone SLR 6 disc, and for that $200 you get carbon fiber aerobars and the mount which we think is a fair add on price.

But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the one item that bothers us about the Madone Disc Speed – this should have been introduced with an electronic group set. Aero road bikes with clip on aerobars are begging for electronic shifting so that you can shift while in the aero bars. With electronic shifting it is truly as simple as plugging and unplugging from the junction boxes. We would have much preferred to see this released on their SL 7 build which features Di2 and a slightly lesser grade of carbon. An argument can be made that those looking for a best of both worlds bike are looking for something more affordable. And in that case stepping down to the lower grade carbon but up to electronic at essentially the same price of the SLR 6 would have been a winning combination.

Wrapping Up

While we may not agree with the build this was first released on – we absolutely think that Trek has a great idea on their hands with this bike. Clip on aerobars have become incredibly common now a days, and having a bike built with them in mind is a great move for consumers. And while there is not yet a more affordable version featuring electronic shifting, we have little doubt that Trek will find a way to make one available in the future. For those interested in a SLR 6 Disc Speed you can head over to www.trek.com or to your local Trek retailer. As always thanks for reading AeroGeeks.com and stay tuned as we have a number of new bike reviews in the pipeline that we cannot wait to share with you!

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3 responses to “ Trek Madone Speed – First Look ”

Hi team, any change to review the aeria ultimate hydration system?

Unfortunately not yet. We will share as soon as we get a chance to check it out!

Can the front of the aero bar extension be tilted up like the Speed Concept extension bar, with a simple adjustment screw? Or is it just bolted flat? Thank you

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New Trek Madone: adjustable IsoSpeed plus disc brake options

Trek has announced a hugely updated Madone road bike with adjustable IsoSpeed, a new geometry and disc brake models. The rim brake version is lighter while the disc brake version has no aerodynamic penalty, according to Trek.

Trek has been busy with this one! What it certainly hasn’t done is just slap some disc brakes onto the existing Madone. Trek says, “What really sets the Madone apart is how it combines advanced aerodynamics, superior ride quality and ultra-light weight into the best race bike available today.”

It would say that, of course.

The new Madone will be available in top-end SLR models and in a slightly more accessible SL version.

Let’s go through the design features in turn.

Adjustable top tube Isospeed

Trek first brought in IsoSpeed on the Domane a few years ago and added it to the last incarnation of the Madone. 

In short, IsoSpeed is a design that “maintains the diamond-shaped frameset geometry but ‘decouples’ the seat tube from the top tube, allowing the seat tube to flex with the forces of the road” (Trek’s words). The idea is that it smooths the ride, adding comfort and reducing fatigue.

This time around Trek has brought in a what it calls Adjustable Compliance Technology. Adjustable IsoSpeed was first released on the seat tube of Trek’s Domane. The drawing  below is from Trek's white paper on the new Madone.

“The Madone Adjustable Compliance Technology [comprises] two frame elements integrated into each other just like the Domane SLR, but has been rotated into the top tube for aerodynamic advantage,” says Trek.

How does it work?

“The two frame elements are connected by the IsoSpeed decoupler and the bolted joint at the front,” says Trek. “In between the two frame elements is a vacant space with an adjustment slider that can move along the entire path. The seatmast element utilises the IsoSpeed decoupler to transfer the aft deflection of the upper aero section of the seatmast to an upward deflection of the lower seatmast element. 

“The vacant space allows the lower seatmast to deflect in the upward direction while the main frame top tube element remains independent from the lower seatmast. The slider contacts both the lower seatmast element and main frame top tube element to limit the upward deflection of the lower seatmast per the rider’s preference. 

“If the slider is towards the front of the frame, a rider will experience more compliance because of the greater vacant space that allows the lower seatmast to deflect more. If the slider is near the back of the frame towards the IsoSpeed Decoupler, a rider will experience less compliance because the slider is inhibiting deflection in the vacant space in front of it.”

Trek reports that the compliance (the amount of force required to induce movement) at the saddle of a 56cm frame ranges from approximately 119N/mm to 175N/mm depending on the slider’s position. The 9 Series Madone had a stiffness of approximately 144N/mm. According to these figures, the new Madone is capable of both more compliance (+17%) and less compliance (-22%) than its predecessor. You have to have some good statistics to support any bike launch these days!

Trek says that a further benefit of this new design is the ability to match the vertical compliance closely across all frame sizes because the removable seat-mast element is nearly the same length across the board. Usually, a larger frame will have more compliance. 

The new SLR version of the Madone features a damper to help control rebound of the seatmast. In other words, the speed at which the seat tube returns to its usual position after flexing is now regulated, the idea being to keep the ride feeling smoother and more stable. 

The damper is made up of three parts: an elastomer damper, a housing for that damper, and the frame carriage. The damper is pre-loaded in compression by a set screw against the seatmast.

“When the seatmast element is loaded during an impact event at the saddle, it creates counter clockwise rotation when viewed from the perspective of the driveside of the bike,” says Trek. “This motion unloads the damper slightly and prepares it for the rebound event. As the seatmast begins to rotate back, the damper is re-loaded, thus slowing the motion and absorbing the rebound energy.”

Trek says that these changes “add up to a significant reduction in the vibration of the cyclist’s body: the end goal of any suspension technology” and that the new Madone offers anywhere from a 44-61% increase in the damping ratio (how rapidly the motion of the saddle and rider reduce back to normal following a large bump).

If you want more details on the effects of the Madone’s Adjustable Compliance Technology, check out Trek’s new Madone SLR white paper. There’s a lot of tech in there. I don’t have a link at the time of writing but I imagine it’s just a Google search away by the time you get to read it.

Aerodynamics

Trek says that it has focused massively on aerodynamic performance in the development of the new Madone, using both CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software and wind tunnel analysis to arrive at the final design, although that has had to be balanced against the addition of adjustable top tube IsoSpeed, a new geometry, updated components, the addition of disc brakes and the desire to keep the weight low. In other words, Trek hasn’t gone after aerodynamics at all costs.

“[Our] goal for the new Madone was to maintain aerodynamic drag performance of the current Madone (within 30g) across an averaged -12.5° to 12.5° yaw sweep. [We consider] this range to be the most common yaw a rider experiences based on real world data collection studies,” says Trek.

“Experimental results collected at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel… show an average of 3,216g [of drag] across a -12.5° to 12.5° yaw sweep vs the current [9 Series] Madone at 3,202g, a 14g difference that is within Trek’s project goal and within a wind tunnel’s experimental error band.”

Trek reports that the bikes were tested with two water bottles added and a pedalling mannequin. It says that the new Madone has a lower average drag (across yaw angles from 12.5° to -12.5°) than the Specialized Venge Vias. 

Trek didn’t have access to the new Cannondale SystemSix that we showed you earlier in the week. Cannondale claims that the SystemSix is more aerodynamically efficient than the 9 Series Madone.

Light weight

Whereas aerodynamics pulls a frame design towards narrow tubes, the need for stiffness and light weight pushes it in the opposite direction so there’s always going to be something of a balancing act there. 

“[Our] goals for the new Madone were to maintain aerodynamic performance of the current Madone and reduce or maintain bike weight of the rim brake version, all while adding several new features: adjustable compliance technology, a rebound damper, split bar and stem, and a redesigned aesthetic,” says Trek. “The disc brake bike was assigned a target of 7.5kg with the same features.”

Trek says that it analysed many finite element models in order to shave off weight while maintaining aerodynamic performance. 

“The rim brake bike matches the current Madone (7.1kg/15.7lb), and the all-new disc brake bike weighs in at 7.5kg (16.6lb) depending on paint scheme,” says Trek.

The SLR frames are made from Trek’s OCLV 700 carbon while the SLs are OCLV 500 which, according to Trek, isn’t quite as light or as strong.

New geometry

The 9-Series Madone was available in two different geometries: low and stretched H1 and slightly more upright H2. The new Madone SLR comes in a single geometry called H1.5 which, as you might have guessed, sits between the two.

Frame stack (vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube), reach (horizontal distance between those two points) and head tube length have all been changed.

The 56cm model, for example, has an effective top tube length of 559.9mm – we might as well call that 560mm – a head tube of 151mm, a stack of 563mm and a reach of 391mm.

“H1.5 hits the sweet spot for a wide range of racers as it balances a traditional aggressive race geometry with a position that more athletes can hold longer with more comfort,” says Trek.

The Madone SL is built to Trek’s H2 geometry.

Most 9 Series Madone models came with a combined aero handlebar and stem but the Madone SLR features a two-piece system – still proprietary – with more stem options (90mm to 130mm lengths, and -7° and -14° angles), additional bar sizes (38cm to 44cm) and +/-5° of bar rotation. 

The Madone SL doesn’t feature this integrated handlebar and stem but instead has a Bontrager Pro stem and Elite Aero handlebar. 

Integration

The position of the centre-pull front brake on the rim brake version of the new Madone has been moved. It now sits at the back of the fork rather than at the front, the idea being to improve the bike’s aerodynamic performance. 

“The all new rim brakes have been redesigned with improved functionality and ease of set up in mind,” says Trek. “The brake arms use independent spring tension adjustment screws to centre the brake pads, allow for precise pad adjustments as brake pads wear, and adjust lever pull force to the desired feel. The spacing screws range allows swapping between rim widths ranging from 23-28.5mm without adjusting the centre wedge.”

Each rim brake has a claimed weight of 152g (in the case of the front brake, that’s with an unpainted cover). They’ll take tyres up to 25mm wide, whereas most road brakes these days have enough clearance for 28s. The disc brake version of the Madone will take 28mm tyres.

A Bontrager Flare RT tail light attaches to the seat mast head. Trek is big on encouraging people to use a tail light even during the day.

The Madone SLR comes in men’s and one women’s specific models. They use the same frame but the women’s version features a different saddle, handlebar width and stem length. All models have a lifetime warranty.

All of the Madone SLRs feature an OCLV 700 frame and an integrated two-piece carbon bar and stem. Here are the models and prices:

• Madone SLR 9 Disc, £10,000, Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 TLR wheels, Shimano Dura-Ace 9170 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes

• Madone SLR 8, £6,750, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR wheels, Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 drivetrain, Bontrager integrated rim brakes

• Madone SLR 6 Disc, £5,400, Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 Disc TLR wheels, Shimano Ultegra 8020 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes 

• Madone SLR 6 Disc Women's, £5,400, Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 Disc TLR wheels, Shimano Ultegra 8020 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes 

The SLR models are available in 'premium paint' options for an extra £550.

There’s also a Madone SL 6 in the range that uses Trek’s OCLV 500 carbon fibre which is said to be a little heavier and less stiff then OCLV 700. The Madone SL 6 doesn’t feature Bontrager’s integrated handlebar and stem but instead has a Bontrager Pro stem and Elite Aero handlebar. It comes with Bontrager Aeolus Comp 5 TLR wheels, a Shimano Ultegra 8000 drivetrain and Bontrager integrated brakes and is priced £3,600.

For more info go to  www.trekbikes.com

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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Mmmm, that's a big sail of a thing in a side wind.

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One must give TREK credit for producing the best looking and working rim-brake bike on the planet. I was a Spezialized guy till now, but that's history now.

White Paper link... 

http://trek.scene7.com/is/content/TrekBicycleProducts/TK18_Madone_Whitep...

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Trek Madone Bikes Compared: Which One to Choose?

CyclistsHub is supported by its readers. We may receive a commission if you buy products using our links.

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.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Trek Madone bikes are ideal for flats and rolling terrains. They are the most aero bike family of all Trek road bikes . The models differ in components (e.g., electronic shifting or wheels) and frames. The more expensive ones are usually lighter and have a higher-grade carbon frame, but usually diminishing returns.

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 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.

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.

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.

Trek Madone FAQ

Trek Madone bikes are for pro cyclists, competitive roadies, and enthusiast cyclists who want a unique-looking but fast road bike. They are ideal for flats, rolling terrain, and fast-paced rides (races, criteriums, etc.).

The main differences between Madone Gen 6 and Gen 7 are that Gen 6 has IsoSpeed decoupler, while Gen 7 has IsoFlow. Gen 7 frames are lighter and 19W faster at 45km/h ( source ). They also look different due to the significant design change. Trek introduced SL 6 and SL 7 Gen 7 with an adjustable cockpit in August 2023. These bikes are more affordable than the SLX versions.

The main difference between Madone and Émonda is that Madone is a pure aero road bike, while Émonda is a lightweight road bike for climbing. For more detailed info, please check out my comparison of Madone vs. Émonda .

The main difference between Madone and Domane is that Madone is a pure aero road bike, while Domane is an endurance road bike with wider tire clearance, also suitable for off-road adventures. Learn more in my Madone vs. Domane comparison.

About The Author

Petr Minarik

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Trek’s All New Madone: IsoSpeed Comfort + Aerodynamics + Integration = Ultimate Race Bike?

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Right off the bat, Trek is calling their new Madone the “ultimate race bike.” That’s a big claim for sure, but one that Trek doesn’t take lightly. We’ve seen a number of new aero bikes flood the market recently, but for the Madone Aero is only part of the story. In order to be the Ultimate race bike, it needs to be comfortable for the long haul. It also needs to work with all of the latest component systems in a way that is both user friendly and aerodynamically efficient. There is a lot of hype surrounding the new Madone, but does it live up to it’s billing as the Ultimate Race Bike? You be the judge after the break…

Starting with their signature OCLV carbon fiber, the Madone frame makes use of the latest Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shapes to make it the most aerodynamic Madone yet. Essentially tricking the wind into thinking it’s a full aerodynamic profile, KVF tube shapes are becoming fairly common in bicycle design as they allow for a very stiff, yet aerodynamic frame. According to the Madone White paper (which you can read below) the new Madone is among the fastest of the aero bikes tested, especially at high yaw angles. To make the bike as fast as possible aero touches extend down to the dropouts with molded carbon hoods over the quick releases.

Even though the Madone isn’t quite as slippery as the Cervelo S5 at 0 degree yaw, the relatively low drag numbers at the front of the bike can be attributed to the KVF fork as well as the new aero cockpit and integrated front brake. Using a one piece bar/stem combo which seems to be par for the course with aero bikes lately, the Madone is able to hide all of the cabling, electronics, etc in an aerodynamic package that integrates with the frame. The completely invisible cable routing continues down to the direct mount brakes which hide the cable assembly with articulating Vector Wings. We can’t speak for how easy it is to service, but it certainly looks  clean . Continuing with the integration theme, the bar/stem is Blendr compatible for clean mounting of computer head units.

The cable system continues with the Control Center located at the front end of the down tube. When running mechanical drivetrains the Control Center houses barrel adjusters, but when running electronic drivetrains this is where the battery will be stashed into the down tube.

While we expected the new Madone to include an impressive aero package, the inclusion of an IsoSpeed Decoupler is a bit of a surprise. Called Madone IsoSpeed, the system differs from previous iterations of the design using a tube-in-tube construction. The ideas is that this allows the inner tube to flex independently of the outer aero shell so as not to upset the aerodynamics. Going by the numbers provided by trek, the result is a frame that is 57.5% more compliant than its (unnamed) nearest competitor. Having ridden Trek’s IsoSpeed design on other bikes, this isn’t that hard to believe.

The back of the seat tube also houses two new addition to the frame – the Micro Adjust seat mast, and centerpull rear brake. Now with a male seat mast cap that slides into the female seat tube, the seat post height is adjusted with a two bolt slider mounted on the outside of the seat tube. while the seat mast retains the single bolt from the side to clamp to the saddle rails, the pitch of the saddle is now adjusted with a secondary clamping bolt located at the back of the post head. The separate fore/aft and tilt adjustments should still be easy to use but won’t allow the saddle to slip under big hits.

Keeping with the invisible cable system, the rear brake uses a centerpull design with the brake cable popping out of back of the seat tube. Again, no word on how user friendly the cabling system will be, but if aero is your goal the Madone seems to deliver.

To be sold in Trek’s most aggressive H1 fit as well as H2 which will better fit most of the average Joes, Trek is also offering a WSD Madone from the top level 9.9. There will also be a Race Shop limited build in a frameset, and H1 and H2 fit if a bright red pro level build is right up your alley. Of course the Madone will be available through Project One as well so you can tune your bike to your liking before it ever ships. All of the new technology will be available on the Madone 9 series frames and 9.2 and up complete builds, while the Madone 2 through 7 series will continue with the previous designs . Pricing starts at $4,729.99 for the 9 series H2 frameset, and $6,299.99 for the complete Madone 9.2 up to the top shelf Race Shop limited build at $13,649.99.

Madone Whitepaper

trekbikes.com

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor . He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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I like this one a million times better over the funkily designed Venge 2016..

I can’t comprehend how the fairing on that front brake works.

Those are clearly air brakes. Trek realized when making the bike aero, they could also make the bike unaero, reducing wear on carbon rims.

I still can’t comprehend H2 geometry on all but the “race team” bike for this style of bike.

How much slower does 30mm less drop make you. I want to know seriously, I bet it’s a lot. When comparing grams of drag. We all know body position make more of a difference than the bike does.

This new Madone falls somewhere between a feat of engineering and work of art, but the more I look at it, the more it seems like I’d need to keep a mechanic on retainer. LOL

Disclosure: I love my Domane.

I’m ignorant of IsoSpeed, but that removes *all* triangulation from the frame. Of COURSE it increases ‘compliance’!

This would be really hard to look at if I were a Specialized fan-boy….

Oh trust me…..it is haha!

Eric, the frame is still fully triangulated, the inner seatpost is no longer bound by that triangulation and its resultant stiffness. It’s neat, especially considering the relatively low weight. The weight alone was difficult to come by just a few years ago, now it can be achieved with a fully integrated aero bike that has a double seatpost.

Take that specialized. This thing is beautiful! Good job Trek!

I don’t get it: Do you roadies really care about performance data or simply which bike looks cooler? Judging by the comments, a bike that performs better would be trumped simply by one that looks better.

Which reminds me of why people get those Jones Bicycles…all form and no function, save for striking up conversations at the trailhead while drinking bitter beers.

Except Jones bikes have been praised for its handling and comfort by pretty much everyone who has had a chance to ride one.

Did Scott copy Trek or visa versa. The Foil and Madone have pretty much same tube shape on frame and handlebar

Seriously, if you buy one of these bikes, consider making a sincere gesture of thanks to the mechanic who spent his or her entire day putting it together. A six pack isn’t going to cut it anymore, unless perhaps it’s a six pack of Macallan single malt.

So I heard you liked seat tubes…

So I put a seat tube in your seat tube.

’nuff said.

@bikeduder. seriously a little professionalism

Amen @bikeduder! Bike mechanics have been getting paid far too much for far too long! Those fat cats have been just skating through life on free chain lube and a hefty salary while all of us hard working Cat 3’s have to pay like $20 just to avoid getting our fingers dirty fixing our own flats! Not any more. It’s time to rise up against the high prices and tyranny of the local bike shop. It’s time to start fixing our own flats, replacing our own cables, and (gasp!) taping our own bars! It couldn’t be that hard, right? I mean, they’re just bikes…

Pretty nice looking ride overall but the rear brake area is anything but aerodynamic. I guess they’ll fix this in the next design iteration.

I’m not a trek fanboy, but this bike has a lot going on and much better execution than the venge. I really like the looks of this new ride. I’ll make sure to comment to those racers who think this is going to make them better/ faster, esp when I’m passing them.

Stampers- if this is anything like previous internally routed Treks, a kick in the nuts isn’t enough to make up for all the evil involved. That old TTX you had to basically strip to frame to change cables and housing? Yeah, f@*% that. Second, if you’re sort of short or really short, IsoSpeed is next to useless. I’m 5’8″, and I couldn’t really feal the decoupling, even seated, feet off the pedals, on the roughest pavement I could find. That said, this is the first vaguely interesting road bike from JB and company in a long time.

‘Merika What did this “jones” character ever do to you? He sounds very easy going up for almost every kind of riding, fun to ride with and someone you can truss. Third post down https://bikerumor.com/2015/06/29/lauf-redesigns-uppers-for-new-trail-racer-boost-leaf-spring-suspension-fork/#more-104367

um, we just built one of the 9.2 ( mechanical Ultegra) bikes up from scratch. It wasn’t bad at all. Routing the handlebar took some time, but seriously the rest of the bike was arguably easier than most other internally-routed road bikes. So…trolls can shutup now haha

This bike is SO to close to the new Specialized Venge….the detail changes to make it more aero are too similar when you look at old Madone to new vs. old Venge to new. Someone let the cat out of the bag too early and one of these companies copied the other!!!!

I was curious why in the wind tunnel test why Trek did not test the Venge!!! But I found my answer in Trek’s attached white paper. “we did not test the Specialized Venge during this trip based on data collected from previous test that showed it was not a leader in aerodynamics.”

I’d have to say Trek did an excellent job documenting their process. I searched Specialized for their documentation “white paper” of their process and could find none. Plus I do have to agree that the new Venge appears more “clunky” and appears to have had less time/thought put into it compared to the new Madone. I can only hope that Karma will help the true innovators win in the Tour.

H1 geometry !!! Very very good. !!! The First good Bike with 2 geometry – Fantastic Trek

Now still with Disk Brake and this Bike would my Bike

The bike sounds great but… No H1 geomtry except in the most expensive solutions ? That’s dumb. It’s a race bike or it’s not ? Racers are the wealthiest people ? Nonsense. Second i like the “bright red race” paint job but full bike offering are so sad in look. All this black 🙁 Looks like i will have no choice but to find a bright red frame on ebay in 2 years.

That is the nicest looking road bike I have ever seen. Trek is just killing it across all their lines this year.

Haromania ti do perfettamente ragione una bici unica nel suo genere

Really like it, but the flappy thing on the head tube bothers me a lot.

Plenty of room to hide the motor and battery.

So… some of you folks think that your local bike guy makes a bundle of bucks to work on your bike. After I retired from my real job in 1999, I started working at my local bike shop building new bikes just for fun. I started at $8 bucks an hour four years later I topped out at $8.50 an hour at that first shop. When it became a Performance store nothing changed. Then I worked at another LOB and got paid by the bike. $10.00 each plus $5.00 per derailleur. So I could make $20.00 a bike.

I wound up at one of the 5 Trek stores in my area and spent 4 years working for $10.00 an hour, when ever I would ask for a 50 cent raise, I would get the old speech about how hard it was to just make a profit on each bike from the manager. I left that shop after four years, I decided that I would not work after I turned 72. I do know that some of the guys made $20.00 or so an hour, but no one ever really talked about how much they made. Also every one of them worked hard and did their best to put out a good repair or build. I always built the bike I was working on as if I were going to ride or buy it my self. The price you pay for service is just the cost of the guy who worked on your bike, but some of the cost goes toward just keeping the shop up and running. IE: rent, healthcare, store repairs and other employees, etc.

I enjoyed every person that I worked with over those years, and I continue to look some of them up and catch up on how their lives are going. None of those guys are ever going to be able to buy a house or a new car or even afford the very bikes they work on. And yes it can take an entire day to build up some of those fancier bikes. Aero and TT bikes are the worst. So if you think that you are paying to much for the service you get, learn how to do your own work on your bike.

For all the H1 whiners, P1 will be coming out (August? when these will probably be available anyway) since you hate the paint job so bad, you get to pick your own.

As for working on it, just the font end seems complicated. The rear brake runs straight through the top tube nice and easy unlike the Venge. That control box seems relatively simple to work with and functional.

Front brake ‘fairing’ just helps for the steer tube to turn when at low speeds. If you’re using the ‘fairing’ (vector wings) it means you’re not going fast enough.

LBS do not make much money and you don’t make much money working at them. I am the store manager at one and trust me I could make a lot more somewhere else in a different industry. I would nearly be in poverty. So unless your LBS has multiple locations, the mechanics aren’t making much. Support your LBS.

Typically the more locations a shop has, the less they get paid. BikeVillage/Performances of the world top out at 10-12 dollars an hour. That’s not even a living wage. Typically you still qualify for food stamps.

After 7 years, I’m making enough to not qualify for food stamps.

I would like to hear how this process of copying of other companies is supposed to happen from the people claiming it. Considering a very large testing process is done before, and then design, and then making molded, testing, revisions, final product and marketing prep- bike production takes months or years, not weeks.

It’s much more likely that Trek and Specialized arrived at similar designs because that design is a better one! Its the same reason cars are all shaped like jelly beans now. That shape is the most aerodynamic. Car companies aren’t copying each other. I can imagine them after the testing and design process saying “Shit, this looks like the Venge. How can we make it different so it doesn’t look like we’re copying them?”

I don’t think Trek / Spesh / Scott / Giant actively copy each other – of course they keep an eye on what each other are doing but the big companies have as many lawyers as designers and any outright copying would draw a quick lawsuit. Remember when Mike Sinyard sued a coffee shop because it had ‘Roubaix’ in the name??

What they do have is a lot of the same CAD tools ( I think SolidWorks is the lead package, also BikeCAD). That will lead to similar designs based on similar inputs.

Per Cervelo and and Specialized, 20 percent of a bikes drag is secondary to the handlebar. Given there is a radical handlebar design here, I wonder how much better alone the frame is compared to the S5 or the Venge. Also which Cervelo S5 did they compare this frame to, the old or he new S5? Interestingly, the Cervelo given the traditional brakes has better aerodynamics at 0 degree. Given the frontal profile of the new Venge Vais I would be interested in seeing wind tunnel comparisons head to head. The Vais comes out to be a better deal given the power meter included with the bike.

A point for those comparing the Venge and Madone – The Bike Radar reviews of the Madone and Venge show that the Madone is fully 2lbs lighter than the new Venge. Given that they are both built with nearly the best of everything (and are so proprietary), the only meaningful weight loss available to them is going to tubular wheels/tires so regardless of what else you change, that difference stays.

While the Madone is costly in it’s highest trim, there are less expensive versions, as well as the option to order via P1 and get it built the way you want it.

As for H1 vs. H2, have a look at the H2 geometry compared to other brand’s racing bikes. You’ll find it head tube and stack measurements rcloser to bikes like the Tarmac and C’dale Evo, not endurance bikes.

Bike radar article weighs a 52 without pedals and cages vs the Vais article which is for a compete bike in 56. Weight is probably not 2 pound difference as the Vais also has a power meter. Won’t know unless you compare similar sizes and maintain consistency with pedals and cages.

New venge vias seems like way better design..

Interesting “women’s” version of this bike. They didn’t even bother shrinking it…they just took the smaller men’s sizes and pinked it…slap a women’s saddle on it and VOILA…

#getinthedrops

I rode it and suggest you do too. It rides great, with none of the rear end mushiness of the Domane in the corners (sorry Fabian). Light and quick and stable. Rides even a little better than my Emonda SLR! Good in the hills. Very stiff. I will use a different wheel though. Bontrager wheels suck for heavy riders. I think this is the best aero all around bike, not an aero bike only for crits.

Gran pregio di questa bici la garanzia a vita oltre che essere bella

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Exclusive first ride review of the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 Gen 7 – Trek’s aero comfort revolution?

After introducing the 2023 Trek Madone SLR with its unique look and promising updates, we couldn’t wait to put it to the test. We’ve now had the exclusive chance to swing our legs over the € 15,699 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7. Read on to find out how the new aero bike fares with the reduced weight and complexity of the IsoFlow system.

Trek claim to have developed their fastest bike yet with the all-new 2023 Madone SLR, and caused an uproar in the community while they were at it. When the first photos of the 2023 Trek Madone SLR at the Critérium du Dauphiné went live, the online community went nuts. The reactions ran the gamut from “that’s definitely a mad one” all the way to “at first I thought it was a joke, sadly it wasn’t.” There was a lot of speculation, but now we’ve finally got the first in-depth test results.

The 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc is more than just a looker with its radical design and all-new IsoFlow system. The American brand promise a wide range of advantages and claim to have solved some of the issues of its predecessor. Trek have completely overhauled the existing IsoSpeed damping system, implemented several aero optimisations such as bigger aerodynamic compensation surfaces, according to the latest UCI regulations, and reduced the weight significantly. Besides the striking IsoFlow design, Trek obviously spec the bike with high-end components, including some from their in-house brand Bontrager, and offer deep customisation via the Project One configurator.

Trek IsoSpeed vs IsoFlow – An overview of the differences

Improved aerodynamics of the 2023 trek madone slr 9 etap gen 7.

It’s not just thanks to the new IsoFlow system that the aerodynamics of the 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc have been improved, but also via the cockpit and therefore the position of the rider. After all, the rider produces the most wind resistance by far: riding on flat terrain, as much as 75% of the total drag is caused by the wind resistance of the rider, from speeds of just 15 km/h. So, there are a lot of gains to be made by optimising the position of the rider. As such, the handlebar of the Madone has been designed specifically for this bike, bringing the rider into an aerodynamically optimised position.

The slightly flared drops should offer improved control over the bike while also optimising the airflow over the rider’s thighs in order to reduce drag. Even the water bottles and the front mech have been integrated into the frame design, and the enlarged bottom bracket area takes advantage of the latest UCI regulations to further improve aerodynamics, like on the new Cérvelo S5 or SCOTT Foil RC .

Trek have attempted to quantify the promised gains. Accordingly, the American brand claim to save 9.3 Watts with the bike’s improved aerodynamics, i.e. the new IsoFlow system, improved tube shapes and cockpit design (without the rider). The optimised rider position alone should save around 10 W, giving you total saving of 19 Watts at 45 km/h in the drops. All these figures are relative to the 6th generation Trek Madone.

Weight optimization – How much lighter is the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7?

As the predecessor, the 2023 Trek Madone SLR is made of OCLV 800, which is the highest grade carbon that Trek offer. The SLR 9 with the eTap groupset weighs in at just 7.36 kg in size 56, making the 2023 Madone SLR Disc the lightest Madone Disc on the market. In total, Trek say they’ve shaved off 300 g compared to the predecessor, which would be a significant weight reduction. However, the previous Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc Gen 6 we had on test tipped the scales at 7.63 kg in size 56, so the actual weight saving is quite a bit less at 230 g, and that’s compared to a bigger frame size.

Of course, a large part of the weight reduction is down to the new IsoFlow system. Despite all their efforts, however, the Trek Émonda SLR 9 (review here) remains the lightest bike in Trek’s portfolio, weighing in at just 6.86 kg, though the latest generation of the Madone is steadily closing the gap. Whether you stand to gain more from aero or weight optimisation is heavily dependent on the elevation profile of the route, of course. On the climbs, you’ll benefit the most from the lower weight of the Émonda – especially the rotating mass of its wheels. The Madone, on the other hand, can play to its strengths on flat stages and descents.

300 g lighter than its predecessor – the lightest Madone yet.

The 2023 Trek Madone SLR in detail and models variants

The 2023 Madone SLR Disc is available in 6 different models with prices ranging from € 8,199 to € 15,699. If none of the standard models meet your demands, you can let your creativity run wild and even adorn your bike with gold leaf in Trek’s Project One configurator. The new, 7th generation Trek Madone SLR is exclusively available with electronic groupsets. You can choose pretty much freely between SRAM and Shimano, though. From SRAM, Trek offer the Rival eTap AXS, Force eTap AXS and RED eTap AXS groupsets, or the corresponding 105 R7170, ULTEGRA R8170 Di2, or DURA-ACE R9270 Di2 options from Shimano. All the SRAM equipped models also come with an integrated power metre in the cranks. Only the SL models will be available with mechanical groupsets. The SL models will also continue to rely on the old, 6th generation Madone frame featuring the IsoSpeed system, and a different carbon layup. As such, the new IsoFlow technology is reserved for the SLR range for the time being.

Supplied in-house, the 25 mm Bontrager R4 tires keep the bike grounded. These are fitted to Bontrager Aeolus RSL wheels with a rim depth of 51 mm, which, unlike the R4 tires, are tubeless-ready. Before converting to a tubeless setup, therefore, you won’t just need tubeless valves and sealant, but also new tires. Trek recommend a maximum tire width of 28 mm, which they say should give you 6 mm clearance around the tires. If you want to make the most of this clearance and fit wider tires, it’s up to you to decide how far you want to risk pushing this limit. However, doing so isn’t officially Trek approved.

Trek Madone SLR 9 2023

Specifications.

Seatpost Madone 0 mm Brakes SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD 160/160 mm Drivetrain SRAM RED eTap AXS 2x12 Chainring 48/35 Stem Madone 90 mm Handlebar Madone 420 mm Wheelset Bontrager Aeolus RSL 51 12 x 100/12 x 142 mm Through Axle Tires Bontrager R4 700 x 25C 28 Cranks SRAM RED AXS Power Meter 172.5 mm Cassette SRAM XG-1290 10–33T

Technical Data

Size 47 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 Weight 7.4 kg

The seat post and handlebar are made especially for the 2023 Madone Disc. The seat posts are available in 4 different variants. Frame sizes 47 to 54 come with a short seat post whereas sizes 56 to 62 come with a long version. Adapting the seat post length according to the frame size is necessary since the seat mast is too short to offer a wide range of adjustability. By making the seat post clamp reversible, Trek were able to maximise the adjustment range, allowing you to adjust the saddle height by 70 mm with both the long and short seat post. Unlike our test bike, the seat post is colour matched, and it comes with 0 mm offset as standard, though there’s a 20 mm offset version available.

The cockpit of the 2023 Madone SLR Disc is made of one piece. Allowing you to dial in the fit, Trek offer 14 different sizes of the one-piece cockpit, which get specced according to the frame size or the customer’s request. If that still doesn’t let you get comfortable, you can fit any stem and handlebar combination you want, as long as it relies on a 31.8 mm clamp. All you need is a special headset cover. The stock bike features a big 160 mm rotor up front and rear, making sure there’s enough braking power. Nothing has changed with regards to the cable routing, remaining almost completely hidden – you can only see a short section of the brake lines peeping out just before they reach the callipers.

As before, the 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc is compatible with Trek’s Blendr range of lights. There’s a front Blendr mount included with the bike. Unfortunately, you’ll have to buy the mount for the Madone SLR seat post separately – we would have preferred if it was the other way around. After all, you want to be seen by other road users first and foremost. Of course, if you’re going to be training or riding day and night and in all conditions, it’s best to have both. Since it’s reliable and easy to maintain, Trek remain true to the T47 bottom bracket standard. That said, the 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc is also compatible with 30 mm crank axles – you must just make sure that you’re using the correct bearings.

The geometry of the 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc

As before, Trek have gone with their “moderate” H1.5 geometry for the 2023 Trek Madone SLR Disc, which sits between the more aggressive H1.0 geometry and the H2.0 variant that they use for their endurance road models. The rider gets put into an aerodynamic position predominantly via the handlebar. The bike will be available in Trek’s usual 7 sizes, ranging from 47 to 62 cm.

The 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 on the road – Our first ride review of the new IsoFlow aero machine

The 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 looks like it’s raring to go just standing there, looking like it’s in a continuous state of tension and striking a good balance between clean, simple lines and high-quality details – our high expectations of the bike were high. Once aboard the bike, you can feel the flex and pleasant level of compliance offered by the IsoFlow system. While it isn’t adjustable, the amount of flex changes depending on how far you’ve got the seat post sticking out – 77.5 cm in our case. It does a good job of filtering out small bumps, and even bigger impacts get mitigated by the bike before being passed on to the rider. There’s nothing to stop you from taking on longer tours on rough asphalt and poorly maintained roads. The comfort offered by the rear end stands somewhat in contrast to the stiff front end, only providing a bit of compliance when you’re in the drops – if you hit corrugations with your hands on the hoods, you’ll feel your teeth rattle.

Cruising leisurely aboard the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7, you’ll quickly realise that that isn’t the bike’s forte. At slower speeds, the handling feels slightly nervous, and the front wheel tends to tip from side to side. This wasn’t an issue when winching our way up steep climbs, but it doesn’t instil you with confidence when rolling slowly up to a red traffic light as you wait for it to turn green. When get up out of the saddle and put the hammer down, however, the bike surges forward and begs for more. The stiff bottom bracket transfers your pedalling input with minimal losses, quickly propelling the bike up to cruising speed despite the deep and therefore relatively heavy 51 mm rims. Once you’re at your desired speed, the bike will hold that pace with ease, not least thanks to the ergonomically and aerodynamically shaped cockpit: the gentle back-sweep puts you in an aero position with your elbows tucked in while the flared drops offer plenty of control and a higher level of compliance. The rounded edges of the tops are pleasant to hold on to in case you feel like assuming a more upright position. Assume the aero position, though, and the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 seems to crave speed, so much so that we feared running out of gears on flat terrain.

Once you’ve summited the peak and start heading downhill, the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 really comes into its own. The handling feels planted and composed at high speeds, yet it remains responsive and precise enough for spontaneous corrections in the peloton or to swerve around a pothole that you didn’t see coming. Trek have struck an excellent balance with the bike’s handling at speed. The bike does get pushed sideways by crosswinds, but it does so evenly and remains easy to control. It doesn’t get jerked around and feel nervous at all! Only the tires tend to lose traction and slide out during hard braking manoeuvres on wet asphalt – we would have preferred a set of tubeless-ready 28 mm tires instead.

You can make the bike significantly more comfortable by fitting a pair of wider tires, though it’s an excellent all-rounder in the stock configuration, nonetheless. All in all, the 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 has become significantly more versatile: it’s become lighter and more aerodynamic, it’s a better climber and it’s less complex thanks to the new IsoFlow system, which is a boon for both home and pro mechanics. An (almost) complete all-rounder.

Who is the new 2023 Madone for?

Whether pro athlete or ambitious privateer, criterium or steep Alpine passes, the 2023 Madone Disc is aimed at those who have need for speed. If you know Trek, you will know that the SLR range isn’t aimed at the masses, but rather at pros and all those who dream of being one – assuming you’ve got the money. Still, the components make this aero bike a superb all-rounder for all those looking to save some Watts. If you prefer flying under the radar as you enjoy your training rides, the polarising design of the Madone clearly isn’t the right choice as other riders will try to quiz you about it wherever you go. That’s exactly what some riders want, so it all depends on the type of rider that you are. Want that race feeling, but far away from traffic and asphalt? Then check out our review of the 2023 Checkpoint SLR 7 with its integrated storage compartment (find the review here).

Tuning-Tipp: downsize for more comfort, due to the longer seat post extension | 28 mm tubeless tires

Our conclusion on the new 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7

The updates made to the new 2023 Trek Madone SLR 9 eTap Gen 7 have made it significantly more versatile. It doesn’t just look damn fast; it is damn fast, too. And the handling remains responsive at high speeds without lacking in stability. The clever new IsoFlow system reduces the bike’s complexity while offering a similar level of compliance. As such, the new Trek Madone serves ambitious (hobby) racers well and has what it takes to get you on the podium.

• very balanced handling at high speeds
• reduced complexity and improved aerodynamics of the IsoFlow system
• customisation options thanks to the Project One configurator
• high-quality workmanship

• the damping of the IsoFlow system isn’t adjustable
• the Bontrager R4 tires lack grip

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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Mike Hunger

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Madone SLR seatpost / ISOspeed HELP

Hey TR community,

I put my Madone on the the trainer for the first time yesterday and I noticed it has quite a bit of sway side to side In the seatpost (not vertically like the isospeed is supposed to move). There is also a clicking. I can replicate this movement with my hands with the bike off the trainer.

I’m wondering if anyone had experience with this?? Is this normal?

Clicking is not normal. There may be a small amount of movement sideways, but it should not be very noticeable.

I’d suggest taking it in to your Trek dealer to be reviewed by a tech.

My mate had the exact same issue had two replacement frames from Trek (LBS) before it was solved.

Damn, really? I’ve ridden mine around 6000km so far. Did it take a bit to develop? They replaced it no problem? @robcumine

The first bike, the LBS tried shims which didn’t work, replacing the frame, exact same problem, not even into 1 ride, next frame had zero issues. Go back to your LBS Trek Dealer, and present the problem. Based on Scotts issue and the help he received I hope your local Trek dealer has the same confidence.

Did you check your seat post torques?

Just recently experienced the same thing and it could just be a loose bolt at the bottom of the seat mast. My LBS slipped off the cap that covers the top tube/seat mast junction, revealing the bolt (large Allen size) and tightened. Problem solved.

Just came across this forum I am on my second frame set from trek due to this problem and now it’s happening again. Every couple of ride we got to keep retightening to get rid of the excess side movement from the seat post. Still waiting to hear back from trek on this issue!!

Have you put loctite on the bolt when you retightend it?

No I didn’t, because I remember on the first frame we put blue locking compound on the bolt and it didn’t help but I may give a go again.

Hey all, i know this is late, but removing the cap and tightening the bolt where the top tube and the seat tube converge completely fixed this. You can see the bolt in this video (6/8mm keys) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS0npyIRCEk

Hi all, I just ran into this thread. I have a 2020 Madone SLR that has been having the same problems. I was out on a ride one day the Iso-speed bolt worked loose and my seat mast was swaying side to side really badly. I stopped and thought I had a flat tire but soon realized it was the seat mast. I’ve taken it back to the shop twice now and the problem keeps coming back. This is extremely frustrating as it is now in my head, and racing season is about to begin for me.

I’m curious what will trigger my shop to contact Trek and possibly replace my frame. I can tighten the bolt at home but it should not be that way for such an expensive bike. I feel like the bolt is just ratcheting loose inside with every micro bump on the road.

Hi, I also bought a 2019 Madone slr6, i have had the problem of the slider moving back towards the seatpost after about 30km. I have had it at the bike shop, they tightened the seat post bolt but it still doing it. Firmed up the bolt and now that has put a pimple in the frame and i did not even cranked on it. It would be interesting to here from Trek on their so called team riders bikes if they have any problems

I have had the same issue. What began as movement in the ISOspeed seatpost eventually became a frame crack on 2 different SLRs. I am on my 3rd replacement frame in as many years.

In every case where the frame cracked, it was an audible, very loud crack while I was riding. The most recent crack is on the underside of the top tube in a spot that is not visible without removing the ISOspeed entirely.

The previous crack was in the ISOspeed bolt hole. The bolt had backed out and caused a big piece of carbon to “chip” off. Prior to the first crack, I was plagued with creaking and the bolt would not stay tight under any circumstances.

I will add that Trek has been very responsive to every warranty claim. Everytime Trek replaces the frame, I request compensation in product.

I have a 2019 Trek Madone SLR and having the same problem. The seatmast moves side to side. I’ve tightened the isospeed bolt which only temporarily solved the problem. It got to the point where I was pulling to the side of the road every 10 miles to retighten. I’ve used loctite and it helps a lot but still need to retighten about every 150 miles. You’d think a $7K bike wouldn’t have problems like this.

Also with the same problem. The seatpost started to move sideways. Have taken the bike to the LBS, but afterwards with riding the seatpost makes a lot of noise. After a ride I found out that there was something was loose rolling in my frame. The repair shop probably didn’t see the above movie, because he drop the rubber damper in to my frame (very sloppy). Now I repair it myself, by replacing bolt and nut in the iso-system by a new one and sealt it with a little bit of Loctite 243. I could not find how tight the bolt must be, so I tightened it with 10NM Now after a 2K Kilometer’s the seatpost starts to wiggle again! After inspection found a crack in my frame. Tomorrow to the LBS

Guess i’m in the same boat, is yours making this noise aswell?

That might be the problem then, i’m about the same size. guess we are too heavy for this isospeed toy

Same boat as those above. I have a 9 month-old 2019 Trek Madone SLR6. I ride only on tarmac 100-150 miles a week (but took a few months off during the lockdown) and twice in the past few weeks I’ve noticed that the seatmast is moving side to side. I stop on the side of the road and tighten the isospeed bolt which seems to solve the problem. Then I take it to the LBS for an inspection, just to be safe, ASAP. It’s frustrating, but so far nothing serious. Like some of the posters above I’m on the big end, 212 LBS, but well within Trek’s stated weight limits. Like them I’m wondering if the Madone isospeed isn’t clydesdale-friendly. My wife wants me under 200 LBS; now that the bike agrees with her it might be time for a diet. Anyway advice and info on how Trek responds to the issue welcome!

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Trek’s New Checkpoint and Checkmate Illustrate the Evolution of Gravel Bikes

One gravel bike for all gravel riders will no longer do, so Trek now makes two. Plus a review of the new Checkmate race bike.

The Takeaway: Trek’s new Checkmate is a gravel race bike through and through. It’s fast, smooth, and perfectly tuned for its intended purpose. The Checkmate is, very intentionally, not everyone’s gravel bike. However, if you want to go as fast on the dirt as you do on the pavement, the Checkmate offers class-leading race-oriented performance.

The Third Generation Checkpoint—Drop Bar Versatility

The all new checkmate—made to race, geometry—pulling back, models, prices, and claimed weights, ride impressions, notes from the field.

As gravel riding continues evolving, Trek’s Checkpoint could no longer serve every gravel rider’s demands. Trek needed to grow its product line from a single all-around gravel bike to one all-arounder—Checkpoint—and one racer—Checkmate.

Both models offer features and refinements that better suit their intended audiences than the previous generation Checkpoint. Details about both bikes are below, as well as a review of Checkmate (Checkpoint review coming soon).

One Family Becomes Two

The SLR was the raciest (owing to higher-grade carbon and parts differences), the SL was an all-arounder, and the ALR was essentially the aluminum version of the SL. But Trek further tweaked the ALR to make it even more versatile and serve as an all-purpose commuting/touring/utility drop-bar bike.

But while the SLR was a somewhat racier Checkpoint, it wasn’t racy enough for today’s gravel racing . So, the Checkpoint SLR is gone. Trek replaced it with an all-new model designed from the tires up for modern gravel racing named Checkmate.

The Checkpoint, meanwhile, received several updates that make it more utilitarian and more suitable for long-distance gravel and adventure riding.

One family becomes two: The Checkmate is built specifically for race; the Checkpoint is made for anything.

Starting with price, the Checkmate is more expensive because it’s built with higher-grade carbon and higher-end (lighter) parts. At launch, there are two Checkmate models priced $8,300 and $12,000. The Checkmate is also one of Trek’s Project One models, which means buyers can customize paint, components, and component dimensions.

Other ways the Checkmate differs from the Checkpoint are a more aggressive fit (lower stack), aerodynamic tube shapes, quicker handling geometry, less tire clearance (max 45mm), and a D-shaped seatpost. Plus, it only fits electronic shifting drivetrains.

The Checkpoint is more affordably priced. Trek is debuting three models priced from $3,200 to $5,700. These are not included in Project One, so the builds are locked, and buyers need to negotiate any changes with the dealer.

Checkpoint’s frame is built with lower grade carbon, has 50mm tire clearance, a more upright fit, longer wheelbase (more stable), more cargo mounts (front and rear racks, manything mounts on the fork), internal frame storage, a round seatpost (dropper compatible), and is geometry corrected and approved for use with a suspension fork.

And what of an updated aluminum Checkpoint? Time will tell. When asked if an aluminum version of the new Checkpoint was on the horizon, Trek would only say, “With the launch [today] we are only launching the two new carbon gravel bikes.”

With the Checkmate going all in on racing, the Checkpoint is now free to become a gravel bike built for adventure. And multiple updates throughout the bike express that.

Comfort is a big theme. A great deal of that comfort is due to the revised geometry that Trek says “puts you in a more relaxed upright riding position” and allows more riders to get a good fit on the bike (more below in the geometry section).

Also, on the comfort front, Trek wisely carries forward with the IsoSpeed decoupler in the seat tube. This system allows the seat tube to flex further and more easily in response to bumps. Based on my experience riding Treks with IsoSpeed for a decade or more, it works.

The IsoSpeed hardware was more prominent on this bike and the Checkmate. Using my powers of marketing speak translation; I believe this change was primarily made to call attention to the feature and help the bikes stand out on the sales floor.

Further comfort may be gained by fitting bigger tires (tire clearance is up to 50mm from 45mm), a suspension fork (the geometry is suspension corrected), and the seat tube fits a standard 27.2mm post, making it dropper compatible.

Trek also added mounts to the Checkpoint to aid with utility. So the bike can be equipped in multiple ways. It has front and rear rack mounts, manything mounts on the fork legs, a top tube bag mount, front triangle bag mounts (Trek’s dropping a new top tube, frame, and triangle bag with the Checkpoint/Checkmate), a bottle/cargo mount under the downtube, and multiple bottle mounts inside the front triangle. Trek also touts an “optimized” front triangle that can fit the massive one liter/34 ounce Voda bottles inside the triangle with bags.

The Checkpoint’s internal frame storage gets a handful of updates as well. The opening is larger to make bag removal and installation easier, and there’s more storage space inside the downtube. The storage door is shared with Trek’s Slash and new Top Fuel mountain bike models, which makes sourcing a replacement easier.

On that topic: the Checkpoint gets the UDH. Additionally, the headset uses “common mountain bike bearing sizes” said to be easier to source.

The Checkpoint has internal routing like most mid to high-end drop bar bikes today, but Trek’s system is, I feel, one of the better ones. That’s because the RCS system—via different headset covers—allows riders an integrated one-piece cockpit , a semi-integrated two-piece system with Trek’s RCS Pro Blendr Stem, or a standard handlebar and stem. Options—They’re good.

I’m also happy Trek uses the same RCS parts and routing design for the Checkpoint, Checkmate, and Madone models. (Trek also hints that future drop bar bikes *cough-new Domane-cough* will share these parts and routing, too.)

Diving into the smaller details: The Checkpoint is compatible with 2x drivetrains (the front derailleur mount is removable), SRAM’s full mount derailleurs ( Red XPLR and Transmission ), mechanical shifting drivetrains, and runs the T47 threaded bottom bracket like Trek’s other drop bar bikes.

While the new Checkpoint is made for anything, the Checkmate is made for one thing: Racing.

Gravel racing is only getting faster. So, unsurprisingly, a big part of Checkmate’s story is aerodynamics.

Trek’s new Madone offered some inspiration, with the Checkmate borrowing from the Full System Foil tube shape library developed for its latest road racing bike. But there’s a significant difference between the Checkmate and Madone’s tube shapes due to…water bottles.

The new Madone’s tube shapes were optimized with Trek’s RSL Aero cage and the matching skinny 20-ounce bottle in mind. But gravel racers don’t have team cars filled with fresh bottles trailing them: They need to carry more and larger bottles. Trek’s gravel racers especially love the brand’s massive 34-ounce Voda bottle. So, Trek designed the Checkmate’s tubes to be as aero as possible with a standard 77-millimeter diameter round bottle.

The result of the Checkmate’s improved aerodynamics save riders 26.6 seconds per hour (at a steady 200 watts) compared to the second-generation Checkpoint SLR.

But we all know the rider is the most significant contributor to aerodynamic drag, so Trek has tuned the Checkmate’s geometry for a more efficient rider position. Like most race bikes, that means a low stack. In my frame size (medium), the Checkmate’s stack is two centimeters lower than a medium Gen 3 Checkpoint’s.

Weight is another unsurprising area of focus for a race bike, so yes, the Checkmate’s frameset is lighter than the Checkpoint’s. The Checkmate, Trek claims, is 360 grams lighter than the Gen 3 Checkpoint and 156 grams lighter than the Gen 2 Checkpoint SLR.

Trek pulled a few levers to decrease the weight. The Checkmate is made of higher-grade carbon than the Gen 2 and Gen 3 Checkpoint to shave grams, the Checkmate’s updated tube shapes trim mass, and it is stripped down, most notably forgoing in-frame storage that is a feature of the Gen 2 and Gen 3 Checkpoint.

An interesting aside about the in-frame storage: Trek’s road product manager, Matt Riley, stated they polled Trek’s gravel athletes about in-frame storage while developing the Checkmate. Almost universally, the racers said that anything that would fit into internal frame storage—tubeless plugs, Co2 cartridges, etc.— they’d instead have externally mounted (or in a bag’s side pocket) so it could be quickly accessed during a race. The racers claim that opening the storage hatch (which sometimes means pulling the bottle out of the cage first), pulling the storage bag out, and rifling through the bag to find the tool needed takes too much time.

Trek also saved weight on the Checkmate by running its 310-gram (or so) one-piece Aero RSL integrated cockpit—developed initially for the new Madone—and other build choices. Trek claims the complete Checkmate is “over one pound lighter” than the second-generation Checkpoint SLR.

Over the Unbound 200 course , and at an average power of 200 watts, Trek says that the Checkmate’s aero and weight advantage leads to a five-minute and 54-second time savings compared to riding the second-generation Checkpoint SLR on the same course at the same power. Which… wow, right?

Diving into the details beyond aero, weight, and geometry, you’ll find 45mm tire clearance, mounts for a top tube and frame bags (Trek’s marketing manager for road, Whitney Beadle, stated its racers like to use the top tube and triangle bag), a UDH, and threaded T47 bottom bracket. The Checkmate is compatible with 2x drivetrain but cannot be fitted with mechanical shifting. The Checkmate is also tuned for faster handling than the Checkpoint, thanks to the former’s shorter chainstays and wheelbase.

Like the Checkpoint, the Checkmate uses Trek’s compliance-enhancing IsoSpeed seat tube. However, in this case, it is designed around an aero-tuned D-shaped post (offered in 5mm and 20mm offsets). Thus, it is not possible to fit a dropper into the Checkmate.

One accommodation I am surprised to see on an otherwise stripped and purposeful race bike is mudguard compatibility. Doug Urbaniak, Trek’s senior mechanical engineer for road products, explained that the weight of adding fender accommodations is “insignificant” and adds versatility for riders who want to use the Checkmate as a training bike in the offseason. Other brand representatives also admitted the mounts were included to keep riders in certain markets like the UK from screaming bloody murder. The Brits love them mudguards.

There is one other thing I want to highlight—Thanks to Trek’s RCS internal routing system, it is possible to run a suspension stem on the Checkmate. That’s not an option with many internally routed gravel bikes. True, you will lose the weight, aero benefits, and clean look of the one-piece cockpit, but the option to add compliance to the front end is a huge benefit for some race courses.

Now that there is a Checkpoint and Checkmate, Trek has two gravel geometries: racing (Checkmate) and all-around (Checkpoint). I’ll start with changes to the latter.

Trek made a large geometry change from the Gen 1 to Gen 2 Checkpoint, adding about two centimeters of reach to the frames. A longer front center offered more stability and less toe overlap, offset by shorter stems to provide the benefits of the longer frame without affecting reach and rider position.

Or so the theory went. Once the bikes got out into the real world, Urbaniak stated that dealers encountered issues getting riders to fit onto them. In some cases, dealers had to resort to ultra-short (35 to 40mm) and high-rise (plus 17 degrees) stems to fit customers onto the second-generation Checkpoint.

For this third-generation Checkpoint, Trek is splitting the difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2. Compared to Gen 2, Gen 3’s reaches are about a centimeter shorter, and most sizes get a stack increase. This model also has suspension-corrected geometry (a fork with a longer axle to crown), so riders can swap in a RockShox Rudy or Fox 32TC without changing the bike’s fit or handling. The Checkpoint is also tested and approved for use with a suspension fork.

As you might expect, the race-oriented Checkmate has a different geometry from the Checkpoint. While reach lengths are similar between the bikes, Trek gave the Checkmate a lower stack to allow a rider to assume a more aerodynamic position, and it has more aggressive handling. In addition, the Checkmate is not suspension-corrected or approved for use with a suspension fork.

Bikes are now in shops and available to buy on Trek’s website.

As the Checkmate falls under Trek’s Project One program, it is sold in two ways.

One is the usual method: Trek ships complete bikes in a handful of stock finishes with all component and cockpit dimensions preselected. Trek now offers the option to have bikes shipped directly to your house, or you can pick one up at your local dealer.

But if you are willing to wait a bit (30 days or less in many cases, Trek claims), you can order the Checkmate through Trek’s Project One customization program . This allows you to customize the paint, component sizes, cockpit dimensions, and some part choices. However, buyers must work through a dealer for a P1 custom build.

Within Checkmate Project One, you can also opt for Trek’s premium Raw Lithos finish, which features pigments from EnvironOxide and Living Ink that utilize organic and reclaimed materials.

In “stock” form, the Checkmate is offered in two builds, each offered in your choice of four finishes.

Checkmate SLR 7 AXS - $8,300, 17.9 pounds

SRAM Force XPLR 1x12 with a power meter, Trek Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37V wheels, Bontrager Girona tires, Aeolus Pro saddle with carbon rails.

Checkmate SLR 9 AXS - $12,000, 16.6 pounds SRAM Red XPLR 1x13 with a power meter, Trek Aero RSL Road integrated bar/stem, Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37V wheels, Bontrager Girona RSL tires, Aeolus RSL saddle with carbon rails.

Checkmate SLR Frameset - $4,000, 1,146 grams (fork - 415 grams)

SL 5 AXS - $3,200, 21 pounds SRAM Apex AXS 1x12, Bontrager Elite Gravel bar, Bontrager Elite Stem, Bontrager Paradigm rims with sealed bearing hubs, Bontrager Girona tires, Trek Verse Short Comp saddle with steel rails.

SL 6 AXS - $4,000, 20.7 pounds SRAM Rival AXS 1x12, Bontrager Elite Gravel bar, Bontrager Pro Stem, Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels, Bontrager Girona tires, Trek Verse Short Comp saddle with steel rails.

SL 7 AXS - $5,700, 19.9 pounds SRAM Force AXS 1x12, Bontrager Pro Gravel bar, Bontrager Pro Stem, Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35V wheels with carbon rims, Bontrager Girona tires, Trek Verse Short Comp saddle with hollow magnesium rails.

Checkpoint SL frame - $2,400, 1,385 grams (fork - 536 grams)

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Price as tested:  $12,000 (SLR 9) Weight as tested: 16.9 lb. (size M) Sizes offered:  XS, S, M, ML, L, XL Weight limit: 275 lb. / 125 kg. Model price range:  $8,200 to $12,000 Frame only:  Yes; $4,000 Max tire clearance:  45mm Drivetrain:  1x or 2x, electronic only Routing:  Internal. Compatible with integrated cockpits and two-piece bar/stem with appropriate headset cover. Bottom Bracket:  T47  Seatpost:  Frame-specific D-shaped, 5mm, and 20 mm offsets offered Derailleur Hanger:  SRAM UDH Warranty:  The original purchaser receives a lifetime warranty on the frame, fork, and Bontrager carbon rims.  Paint and decals have a two-year warranty.

A few weeks ago, I arrived home to find a Checkmate SLR 9 and a Checkpoint SL 7 on my doorstep. There was not enough time to fully and properly test both bikes before the launch, so I focused my testing on the Checkmate. I will follow up with a separate review of the updated Checkpoint later.

After putting the Checkmate through its paces (no races yet, but I plan to ride The Rad on this Checkmate), I believe Trek made a superb gravel race bike.

The Checkmate is very fast. Even with the stock tires, it zips right along on the pavement. I used it to test out a flat, zone 2 road ride, and my average speed was not markedly slower than when I ride my road bike.

It’s fast and lively enough that if I wanted to simplify and pick only one bike for all my drop bar needs—gravel, road, ‘cross—the Checkmate would be top of the list. The Checkmate’s easy speed leads me to believe that the claimed aerodynamic benefits are real, and it is atop my (informal) rankings of the fastest gravel bike I’ve ridden.

Off the pavement, the Checkmate provides enough compliance—particularly from the rear—that I could stay seated and smoothly apply power on rougher dirt sections.

Without using a matching IsoSpeed system in the front, the Checkmate has (more than most gravel bikes) a notable imbalance in fore/aft compliance—when sitting in the saddle anyway. Even so, the Checkmate offers a relatively smooth ride for a lightweight and stiff gravel race bike. And that’s based on the stock 38mm tires: Bump up the tire size, and the Checkmate will get smoother. And highlighting this again, you can run a suspension stem on this bike if you want more compliance at the handlebars.

I have no complaints about the Checkmate’s handling. It is well-balanced: lively, sharp, and adequately (but not highly) stable. However, I don’t think it is as planted or capable as the old Checkpoint SLR when used for the more extreme gravel riding and singletrack. But then, the Checkmate is made purely for gravel racing, and the handling—which is somewhat road-like—reflects that purpose.

The Checkmate’s overall stiffness/compliance balance felt well-tuned. It’s snappy and efficient when the pedals are pressed, and its handling is quite reactive. However, it doesn’t feel jittery on rough surfaces or ping off larger bumps, and it corners smoothly even when the surface is bumpy or loose.

Although Trek claimed that the complete Checkmate is “over one pound lighter” than the Checkpoint SLR it replaces, on my scale, the medium Checkmate weighed 16.9 pounds, a bit less than a pound lighter than the 17.8-pound medium Checkpoint SLR I tested in September 2021. However, the Checkpoint I tested did not have a power meter, and my Checkmate did.

For a gravel bike, 16.9 pounds is quite light, especially for one with aerodynamic benefits ( Specialized’s Crux is lighter but has no aero tuning). Paired with the efficient feel offered by the frame, the Checkmate whisks its way up hills and responds immediately to changes in pace.

The Checkmate is a race bike. It feels like one through and through. And that’s for better or for worse. In the early days of the category, gravel bikes were practical and comfortable: speed was not their purpose. That made them approachable and usable to a wide range of cyclists.

But as gravel racing has become more popular and much faster, the demand for quicker and more specialized gravel race bikes has squeezed the utility and approachability out of some gravel bikes. If you’re after a utilitarian gravel bike, that is not the Checkmate—the Checkpoint is your jam.

If you want a gravel race bike and are willing to accept all the compromises that come with it, Trek’s Checkmate is a shining example and a brilliant machine.

Random observations and reports from my time testing the bike.

• Although designed initially for the new Madone road race bike, Trek’s Aero RSL cockpit is also pretty sweet for gravel. Unlike many aero cockpits, the tops are smoothly rounded and not extraordinarily wide. This makes the tops usable but a comfortable place to rest for long distances. The tops also sweep rearward, towards the rider, which is far more comfortable than the wrist-torturing abominations that are forward sweeping bars (looking at you FSA/Vision). The bar also has a decent flare, so the drops offer a secure platform for more technical descents, and I found this cockpit offers good bump dissipation—that’s not something I can say about all one-piece systems.

• The Aeolus RSL short-nose saddle looks sleek, and I liked the support and padding. But the nose (45mm wide by my ruler) was too wide for my tastes. And, perhaps, the size of my thighs and preferred cleat position. I’m swapping it for Trek’s new RSL saddle .

• The Checkpoint offered my first opportunity to ride the brand’s revised gavel tires, and I was impressed. The Girona RSL (38mm) is smooth and quick on harder surfaces, with a predictable cornering grip on dirt. The casing seems good, too, with no flats so far *knocks wood*. Generally, I prefer a wider tire—they’re more comfortable and offer better traction and flat resistance in terrain—so I will change to the 42mm Girona shortly.

• Spending more time on the new SRAM Red XPLR group has reinforced the impressions I shared in my review. The comfort, braking performance, shifting performance, and durability (in theory) of the full-mount derailleur are all tops. There are no other parts I’d wish to have on my gravel bike.

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race. 

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Review: Trek’s New 2025 Checkmate Gravel Race Bike is Incredibly Fast

Trek modernizes its gravel lineup with a new model that prioritizes speed..

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• Trek’s lightest gravel bike ever.
• Incredibly fast.
• IsoSpeed decoupler built in for a smooth ride.
• Optimization for speed means it’s not the best tool for every ride.
• No lower-tier model options.

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Up until now Trek ’s gravel lineup has been, well, a little lonely, comprised of just the Checkpoint. That bike is a generalist, something that an experienced rider can put big miles on and that a novice can still find approachable and easy to ride. But a one-size-fits-all approach inevitably means some people get left out.

While gravel was once mainly an adventure minded pursuit, the discipline has matured rapidly, and speed is now atop the minds of many, especially as gravel continues to overtake road racing in availability and popularity. Gravel is now where the fast riders are getting their fix, and they want a bike to match. Trek has finally followed many other brands in releasing a second gravel model, one that is all about speed and racing. It’s called the Checkmate, and it lives up to the race-focused billing.

Quick hits: Seven things to know about the new Trek Checkmate

• The Checkmate is a new performance gravel bike optimized for racing.
• A Checkmate SLR 9 is Trek’s lightest gravel bike yet, a massive 1-pound lighter than an equivalent Checkpoint SLR 9.
• Includes mounts for bolt-on frame bags on the inside edge of the frame.
• Trek claims the Checkmate is 5 minutes and 54 seconds faster than the Checkpoint SLR at Unbound Gravel 200 at 200 watts, or 38 seconds per hour faster.
• Max tire clearance: 700c x 45 mm.
• Handling is optimized for the type of gravel racing found at Unbound Gravel, with straight lines and fast dirt.
• For more: trekbikes.com

Checkmate Details

It was only a matter of time before Trek released a new gravel bike, especially because it has a gravel team, Trek-Driftless, that needs to be able to compete in the increasingly competitive gravel circuit. Trek now falls in line with the numerous other brands pursuing the go-fast gravel crowd — BMC, Canyon, Cervelo, and 3T to name a few. As you’d expect, that means there’s a whole lot of optimization for speed in this new bike.

The major nod to speed comes from the tube shapes, which are adapted from the newest generation Trek Madone released earlier this summer . The thing that might throw you off, however, is that the tube shapes don’t at all look aero — not in the way we’ve been trained to expect at least. The head tube area is narrowed like other aero bikes, but the square downtube is decidedly not aero-looking. Luckily the wind doesn’t care what you or I think about aerodynamic shapes, and Trek’s testing shows faster times with these tube shapes. As we’ll get to later, Trek has definitely done something right here in the speed department.

Trek’s response to the fact that the Checkmate has less than standard looking aero tube shapes is that the frame is designed as part of a system alongside the Bontrager Aeolus 37V wheels and optimized around a 38 to 40 mm wide tire. The square downtube promotes the smooth transition of air from the front of the bike to the rear, channeling air around the entire bike in the most seamless way rather than considering each tube shape in isolation.

As those familiar with Trek might have been able to guess, the Checkmate gets an updated version of Trek’s IsoSpeed rear decoupler shock absorption system, which works to isolate the seatpost from the rest of the frame. The result is a bike that feels much smoother when riding seated than without it. It’s worked well on other Trek models for over a decade at this point, and it continues to work well for gravel in the Checkmate.

Also pulled over from the new 8th generation Trek Madone is the one-piece carbon handlebar-stem. Like that squared-off downtube, the handlebar has a blunt shape, and it has a 3 cm flare from the hoods to the drops. There’s also a very slight outsweep. All in, it’s a very aggressive bar for gravel, one that suits the go-fast sensibilities of the new bike.

As a package, Trek claims the new bike is 5 minutes and 54 seconds faster than the outgoing Checkpoint SLR when ridden at 200 watts over Unbound 200. That translates to about 38 seconds per hour faster if you’re not trying to mix it up with the pros.

But beyond aerodynamics, the other big story of this bike is weight, or lack thereof. Trek says the new Checkmate SLR 9 weighs 1 pound less than an equivalent Checkpoint SLR 9, thanks in part to the use of Trek’s top-level 800-Series OCLV Carbon. My size medium test bike weighed in at 7.53kg (16.60lbs) without pedals or bottle cages, making it easily one of the lightest gravel bikes I’ve ever tested.

Checkmate geometry

Trek offers the Checkmate in six sizes, XS to XL, a change from the purely numeric sizing of the previous Checkpoint.

Long and low might dominate the gravel space, but Trek is actually turning things back on the Checkpoint’s geometry. Compared to the previous Checkpoint SLR, the new Checkmate is slightly shorter in the reach department, but with similar stack heights size over size. In short, if you’re coming from the previous-generation Checkpoint, you’ll likely need to use a slightly longer stem than before to match your reach measurements.

Handling geometry has been optimized for straight-line speed as well. The big news here is that the bike is shorter front to back, all in the name of making it more nimble feeling. So how is it optimized for straight-line speed? Mostly with a low, low, low 80 mm bottom bracket drop across all sizes.

On that note, Trek has opted to use just one fork rake offset across all sizes. The result is trail figures that range from a slack-feeling 70 mm on small sizes and a relatively quick 62 mm on the largest sizes.

Checkmate builds, specs, and pricing

The Trek Checkmate isn’t designed to be a generalist gravel bike, and its build range reflects that. There’s just one top-end SLR-grade carbon frame and two builds in total, one with SRAM Force and the other with SRAM Red, all with Trek’s new carbon bar/stem cockpit. Trek also offers a frameset option.

The Checkmate SLR 7 AXS with Force costs $8,299.99 USD / £8,500.00 / €8,999.00 / $10,999.99 AUD, while the SLR 9 AXS with Red costs $11,999.99 USD / £10,000.00 / €10,999.00 / $17,999.99 AUD. The Frameset is $3,999.99 USD.

While there are just the two builds and four colorways, Trek also offers its ProjectOne customization program, allowing for component adjustments as well as custom paint. I was able to arrive at the exact fit I wanted by choosing 170mm crank arms as well as the cockpit option that worked for me, 39mm wide at the hoods, widening out to 42mm in the drops, with an 80mm stem. If you’re going to spend this much on a bike, you may as well have it built up with the exact spec you want rather than just taking whatever version happens to be in stock.

There are also custom paint options for the Checkmate including the new ICON Raw Lithos paint program available specifically on the Checkmate.

Specification as tested

Trek Checkmate SLR 9 AXS in size medium; SRAM RED eTap AXS 1x Groupset (42T chainring, 10-46T cassette); Bontrager Aeolus 37V wheels; Bontrager Girona RSL 38 mm tires; Bontrage Aeolus RSL saddle; Trek integrated cockpit.

Gravel bikes have come a long way in a short time, and the Checkmate may demonstrate that better than any bike. It’s ridiculously light and fast, and, honestly, I’m tempted to leave the review at that. But, there’s more to say.

I was able to recreate my road bike position on this bike, and when I got on, it just felt right to my roadie sensibilities. Pretty soon I was eating up miles at a fast clip. For fast, non-technical gravel routes, the Checkmate is the perfect tool.

As I hit the more technical gravel portions of my usual test route, the Checkmate’s optimization for fast, straight roads was most evident, resulting in some overrunning turns and fishtailing rather than smooth cornering. I was still having fun though, mind you. It feels wonderful on road descents, plus its aero prowess comes to the forefront on descents as it picks up speed rapidly.

Trek does a wonderful job with the small details on this bike, one of my favorite being the fastening system for the seatpost. While the bolt to tighten a seatpost can often be finicky, or made in a way that the bolt and clamp system can fall into the frame itself, this one stays securely in place, and is accessed through a little door held securely shut by a magnet. The seatpost also makes saddle adjustments quite easy, which is far from the norm with seatposts unfortunately.

One small gripe I found with this bike is similar to one I have with the Domane in that my thighs are prone to rubbing against the top tube because the top tube–seat tube junction where the IsoSpeed decoupler is located is a little chunky. That said, it’s not a huge annoyance, and I’m glad to have IsoSpeed on this bike.

I like the number of mounting positions for bottle cages and bags inside the main triangle. Some will lament the lack of internal downtube storage, a feature increasingly found on gravel bikes, but it’s really not something I’ve missed that much, and the omission of downtube storage makes sense because this bike’s mission is pretty squarely on going fast and trimming out any features that add unneeded weight and complexity. Trek has created an elegant frame bag option for the bike as well to access mid-ride necessities like food.

As I said before, it’s an incredibly light bike, helping it feel more like a performance road bike. The integrated aero cockpit borrowed from the Madone aero road bike adds to the performance road feel. I’m not completely sold on the super-narrow handlebar concept being pushed for fast gravel bikes nowadays, meant to put riders in the most aero position possible. However, through Trek’s ProjectOne bike customization program I was able to opt for the 39mm bar width rather than 37mm. I like the fit of these bars quite a bit. They’re comfortable enough in the tops, though I didn’t find myself spending much time there since I was so preoccupied with riding fast. And I love the shape of the drops with a slight flare, just enough for extra control on descents, but not more than you need for a bike that is meant for faster, less technical terrain.

I could easily see this bike being my one-bike option. If you’re not big on adventure riding and instead prioritize fast rides, this bike allows you to add more speed to the off-road portions of your rides, while still feeling plenty fast on-road. A second wheelset could easily transform it into a reasonably capable road bike.

Trek’s entry to the fast-gravel segment is a win in my book. It doesn’t quite put the aero gravel competition in checkmate, but they’ve definitely been put on notice.

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Trek reveals all-new Checkmate gravel race bike, updates the Checkpoint too

New bike sheds one pound in weight over the previous Checkpoint SLR

• Updated Checkpoint SL
• Models & pricing
• New Checkmate SLR

Trek has announced the arrival of an all-new gravel race bike called the Checkmate SLR alongside an update to the existing Checkpoint SL. 

The Checkmate SLR sports a lot of design cues from the brand's aero road bike the Madone with the same Full System Foil approach as well as borrowing the Madone’s aero cockpit . 

Meanwhile, its release as a gravel race bike has allowed the Checkpoint SL to head towards the more adventurous end of the gravel spectrum. It features a new more relaxed geometry along with a host of mounting points and room for 50mm tyres, all of which point to the gravel endurance intentions of the updated model. 

Both the Checkmate SLR and Checkpoint SL enlist Trek’s IsoSpeed technology to help reduce the impact of high-frequency vibrations on a ride. Along with the new bikes, Trek has also released a collection of bikepacking bags that are compatible with both the Checkmate SLR and the Checkpoint SL. The range consists of a top tube bag, frame bag and an aero triangle bag that sits just behind the headtube. 

Updates to the Checkpoint SL

The Checkpoint, now in its third generation, has always been Trek’s do-it-all solution when it comes to gravel riding, but with the Checkmate taking up racing duties, the Checkpoint SL receives a new geometry that Trek says is, “more comfortable and capable for all-day gravel rides.” 

• Read our review of the outgoing Trek Checkpoint SL 6

This has been achieved by reducing the reach and increasing the stack of the front end, putting riders in a more upright position.

The Checkpoint SL series uses the brand's OCLV 500 series carbon fibre, the decision to stick with 500 series carbon rather than using the brand's more premium 600 or 800 series was made to reduce costs and keep the overall pricing of the bike competitive in the gravel market. 

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Trek has also given it new tube profiles to allow taller bottles to be housed inside the front triangle. This again shows the move to an endurance-focused mile-munching bike aimed at adventure rather than flat-out racing. 

It is not just the frameset that is new, Trek has also released a set of bikepacking bags designed specifically for the Checkpoint and Checkmate bikes. This paired with the Checkpoint’s new internal frame storage inside the downtube, similar to that found on the Domane SLR 9 we reviewed last year, allows you to move all of your spares, repairs and snacks onto the bike keeping you free and light to move around on the bike less restricted. 

The Checkpoint sees its maximum tyre width increase from 45mm on the 2nd gen model up to 50mm on this new 3rd generation. This opens up the almost entire spectrum of gravel tyres on the market, allowing riders to run lower pressure, higher volume tyres for rides where comfort is a priority of where the terrain is going to be on the more challenging side. 

In the hunt for increased comfort, Trek has created two new cockpits for the Checkpoint SL. The SL5 and SL6 come fitted with the GR Elite bar while the range-topping SL7 receives a carbon GR pro bar. Both the Elite and Pro bars feature the same profile that has a new shape with an increased flare between the hoods and drops, now sitting at 6cm. This aims to give the rider a more stable riding position when on the drops increasing control as well as comfort. For sizes small and upwards the new Checkpoint SL is compatible with both a dropper post and suspension forks with up to 40mm of travel. 

Checkpoint SL models and pricing

There are three models within the Checkpoint SL range, starting with the SL5 and topping out with the SL7. All the bikes feature the same 500 series OCLV carbon fibre frame with the SL5 and SL6 using an aluminium bar to reduce cost whilst the SL7 receives a carbon bar. 

Checkpoint SL5

• SRAM Apex1 XPLR AXS 1x12 groupset 
• Bontrager Girona RSL 42mm tyres
• Bontrager Elite Gravel bar 40cm width
• £3,700 / €4,059 / $3,199.99
• SRAM road and gravel groupsets explained

Checkpoint SL6

• SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 1x12 groupset
• £4,500 / €4,659 / $3,999.99

Checkpoint SL7

• SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1x12 
• Bontrager Pro Gravel carbon bar 46cm width
• £6,350 / €6,559 / $5,699

The all-new Checkmate SLR

Earning the brand’s accolade as its lightest gravel bike ever, the gravel race bike intentions of the Checkmate are clear from the off with the Checkmate SLR shedding one pound (445 grams) of weight from the outgoing Checkpoint SLR. This has been in part achieved through the use of the brand's premium OCLV 800 Series carbon fibre. 

It is not just weight that has been a focal point of the Checkmate. Aerodynamics have also been the centre of attention. Upon inspection, it becomes clear just how much the Checkmate has borrowed from its road-going cousin, the Madone SLR . The Checkmate uses Trek’s Full System Foil Technology which we first saw debuted on the Gen 8 Madone that came out ahead of this year's Tour de France . This concept looks at creating an aerodynamic package including the rider and equipment such as bottles rather than looking at the bike in isolation. 

When this new aero-optimised frameset is partnered with the bike's ‘Gravel Race’ geometry that puts the rider in a ‘more aggressive and efficient riding position’, the total system is significantly more aerodynamic than the Checkpoint SLR it replaces. 

Based on Trek’s testing, the Checkmate SLR ridden at 200 watts at Unbound 200 would complete the course five minutes and 54 seconds sooner. Of course, as speed or power increases above this test wattage, the benefit would grow. 

As part of improving the bike's aerodynamics Trek has enlisted the same aero cockpit that is found on the new Gen 8 Madone SLR. These feature a three-centimetre flare from the hoods to the drops to help with control and comfort, and are narrower than the bars found on the Checkpoint SL which targets comfort as its primary aim. 

The tyre clearance of the Checkmate SLR is a little more modest than found on the Checkpoint SL. Coming fitted with 38mm tyres as standard, it can accommodate up to a 45mm tyre.

The Checkmate SLR is also available through the brand's Project One service where the bike's spec and paint scheme can be customised to your exacting requirements.

Checkmate SLR models and pricing

The Checkpoint SLR is currently available in two builds the SLR 7 and SLR 9. As you might expect from an SLR-level bike, the Checkmate comes with a premium price tag starting at £8,500 / €8,990 / $8299.99.

Trek Checkmate SLR 7

• SRAM Force AXS 1x12 Groupset 
• Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V wheelset with 25mm internal rim width
• Bontrager GR1 Team Issue 40mm tyres 
• 8.10kg (Size: Medium) 
• £8,500 / €8,990 / $8299.99

Trek Checkmate SLR 9 

• SRAM Red XPLR AXS 13-speed groupset  
• Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37V with 37mm rim depth
• Bontrager Girona RSL GR 38mm tyres 
• 7.55kg (Size: Medium) 
• £10,000 / €10,999 / $11,999.99

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BIKE CHECK(MATE): Trek’s lightest and fastest gravel bike ever is here!

Meet the Trek Checkmate, our Unbound tested (and approved!) gravel race machine

The new Trek Checkmate was built for maximum speed on the meanest roads. Compared to the adventure-forward Checkpoint, the Checkmate is lighter, with a racier geometry, while maintaining the compliance necessary for extra-long days via IsoSpeed. It has everything you need — from mounts for bags and bottles, to new aero features — to light up any gravel course in the world.

Need evidence? Just check out how the bike handled 200 miles of racing in Emporia, Kans., for its not-so secret debut at Unbound Gravel . The Trek Driftless crew of Paige Onweller, Russell Finsterwald, Haley Hunter Smith, and Torbjorn “Toby” André Røed all raced the Checkmate at gravel’s premier event. They not only took home impressive finishes — Onweller and Smith both in the top five of the women’s race, and Røed and Finsterwald just outside the top 10 in the men’s race — but they suffered zero mechanicals.

Toby digs his ride!

“Equipment performed flawlessly and the staff was incredibly dialed,” Smith said. “It was a really good day for everyone on the team, which is very rare at Unbound.”

The Checkmate will be in action once again this weekend in Colorado for SBT GRVL, taking on 100 miles of glorious gravel roads around Steamboat Springs, Colo. Be sure to follow the riders and the Trek Race Shop to keep up with the action and see even more of the bike. In the meantime, you can enjoy the new bike in all its glory below, taking on the chunk and mud of Emporia.

SRAM RED XPLR AXS help make the new Checkmate lighter and more reliable than ever.

Still plenty of room for bags and bottles.

Capable of handling everything Unbound could throw at it.

Stylish, too.

All dressed up for a speedy adventure.

Lighter, faster, and even more fun

In this story.

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Melissa Stockwell is ready to light up her fourth Paralympic Games

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Melissa Stockwell is headed to Paris to participate in her fourth Paralympics since Beijing in 2008

Perm Krai, Russia Offline GPS

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User data privacy, technical details.

• Access coarse (e.g., Cell-ID, Wi-Fi) location
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• Allows sending in-app billing requests and managing in-app billing transactions

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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

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Project initators: 

“ Cultural Planning will help to ensure the Perm region will remain distinctive and unique” , Mr. Protasevich said. “It will mean planning ways to support and preserve our heritage, developing appealing opportunities for artists and musicians regardless of age, and generating education and employment. It will mean building a creative community with a buzz.”

“Some of the identified objectives of “Perm krai international:young journalists@school” project include facilitating greater communication and cooperation among young community and official organizations in Perm krai”, said the Vice-Minister of Perm krai.

“Perm Krai International: young journalistes@school”

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The international children festival of theatre arts “Long Break”

What is the international child festival of theatre arts “Long Break”? It is a real holiday for young spectators and their parents. The international child festival of theatre arts “Long Break” will be hold from the 30th of April to the 5th of May. It will be in Perm and Lysva. It will be hold under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Youth Politics and Mass Communications of Perm Krai. The program of the festival is prepared by Russian and foreign experts of child theatre. There are the most interesting for children events of the world arts. The “Long Break” familiarizes children with actual artists. It is the platform where people communicate with people using the language of modern arts which is understandable for a new generation.

The festival “The White Nights in Perm”

• The participants of the festival of land art “Ural Myths” will create art objects using natural materials. The objects will have the same mythological idea.
• During the festival of bears “MedveDay” the masters Teddy-makers will tell gripping stories about a symbol of the city. They will organize some exhibitions of teddy bears and they will give master classes.

• The exhibition “Mammoth’s track” will gather mammoths from different corners of Russia on Perm’s territory. There will be even a famous mammoth Dima.
• And at last the international festival of street arts «Open sky» will represent the various program: carnival processions, a 5-day master class «Mask Art», street shows and performances, performances of Russian and foreign street theatres.

The IX International festival “Heavenly Fair of Ural”

From the 26th to the 3rd of July the IX International festival “Heavenly Fair of Ural” takes place in Kungur. There will be a fight for the I Privolzhski Federal Disctrict Cup for aerostatics and the VII Perm Krai Open Cup for aerostatics.This year Kungur won’t hold rating competitions which results are taking into general account of the pilots. They counted on creating entertainment activities “Air battles over Kungur”. There will be the representatives of sub-units of ultralight aviation, detachment of parachute troops and water means. All the battles will take place straight over the city. And natives will take part in the festival too.According to initial data 15 aeronauts and about 50 ultralight aviation pilots expressed willingness to take part at the festival. And a dirigible pilot confirmed his participation.Ultralight aviation pilots will take part in the “Air games” within the festival. As last year a campsite of ultralight aviation will base in an area near a village Milniki.

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Where can I find information regarding hardware, cable routing, parts compatibility, min/max, and replacement service parts?

Please visit the Service Manual. This document covers frequently asked questions not already covered in the Service Manual or on bike product pages.

What is different about the frame compared to the previous generation Checkpoint SL?

• New Gravel Endurance geometry is revamped with shorter and higher reach for a more comfortable, accessible and capable all-day ride
• Improved internal downtube storage with more internal volume, a bigger door, and a new BITS bag
• Still maintains the same top tube, frame, downtube, fork, fender, and rear rack mounts of the previous Gen, but now also has mounts for a front rack
• Frame is now better optimized to store bigger volume bottles, even when the new Bontrager Adventure Half Framebag or Adventure Triangle Bag are mounted on the frame
• Bigger tire clearance can now fit up to 50mm gravel tires (as measured)
• Now compatible with 40mm travel suspension fork (all sizes except XS)
• Maintains the same IsoSpeed comfort tech as before, but the hardware is now visible
• UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger)
• RCS Headset System
• More robust chainstay guard

Is the IsoSpeed adjustable?

What’s new about the handlebar.

New Checkpoint SL 5 AXS and 6 AXS come with the new GR Elite Handlebar and Checkpoint SL 7 AXS comes with the new GR Pro Handlebar. Both new bars are updated with a more comfortable, ergonomic drop shape. Both bars are now also 6cm wider in the drops than the hoods, have 120mm of drop, and have 15 degrees of flare – all for better control on rough surfaces.

Does it have internal storage?

Yes! And the internal storage area has been improved with more room to store essentials, along with a bigger storage door to get essentials inside the frame.

Is it compatible with a dropper post?

Is it compatible with mechanical drivetrains, what’s the rcs headset system what stems are compatible with this bike.

• RCS Race: For use with the new RSL Aero bar/stem (included with Madone SLR Gen 8 and Checkmate SLR)
• RCS Pro: For use with the current RCS Pro Blendr stem (included with Madone SL Gen 8)
• RCS Universal: For use with traditional round stems

What is UDH (universal derailleur hanger)

The Universal Derailleur Hanger consolidates thousands of hanger options across the industry. It protects your derailleur against chain jams by pivoting back and out of the way and slips slightly when encountering impacts. It improves shifting performance, guarantees better alignment, and works with all drivetrains. Plus, if you ever need a replacement, it will be available everywhere.

Is Checkpoint SL available in Project One?

It is not. For road and gravel bikes, only SLR level bikes are available in Project One.

Have a question you don’t see the answer to?

Check the Checkpoint SL Service Manual. Still searching? Our Customer Care Team is always happy to talk through!

• See the Service Manual
• Contact Customer Care