2013 Trek Madone

Ok bike lovers.

The new 2013--Trek Madone has found its way into my shop and it is an outstanding little piece ofmaterial that I need to talk about for five minutes…. maybe ten.

I have not been able to break downa product in quite some time so this will be fun.  I must have looked ooberly silly to mycoworkers as I studied this new bike, turning it side to side, upside down andall around, but this little machine is just too beautiful not to be admired.

Lets start from the top, the H1 firwas developed for the athletes with an immaculate collection of rotation in thepelvic region, outstanding core stability and a need for speed.  This hand position is the lowest optionavailable for the Madone series. Which is why many Pro Team riders prefer thisangle for it will be the most aero position for a race. Followed by the H2 fitproviding a slightly higher head tube to put less strain on the riders back andneck. This feature eliminates the need for high-rise stems and or spacer stacksgiving the rider a sleek pro appearance.

As the material continues down wewill bump into a feature called the E2 asymmetric Steerer. This feature willprovide better comfort and better handling. The top end of this fork designprovides lateral rigidity for precision cornering while also offering verticalcompliance to absorb road imperfections. Trek’s E2 was the first fork to manageboth features at once. Can you say outstanding? Ok continuing with E2 headtube, it tapers from a 1.5” lower bearing to a 1- 1/8” upper bearing, also itis wider side to side than front to back minimizing weight while maximizingpower transfer also keeping the fork stiffer under cornering loads.  The super-aero KVF head tube houses the brakecables eliminating drag and maximizing speed.

OK here is a kicker! The newIntegrated Brakes! Trek’s new slogan is, “Brakes should slow you down, but onlywhen you apply them.” 2013 Madone’s breaks have been built directly into theframes to keep them hidden from the wind, reducing the drag. This also cutsdown the weight by eliminating the need to mount plates and bolts to keep thebrakes in their rightful place. These integrated brakes are nestled into Treksall new KVF fork. The fork features KVF aero legs to minimize drag. Increasescompliance for greater comfort and unique molded carbon dropouts reducingweight while optimizing the wheelbase. This new fork design increases lateralinflexibility.

Alrighty, the front end complete let’smove down shall we; Optimum Compaction Low Void carbon, providing consistencyand a quality ride, pretty snazzy feature. Then the BB90 is the widest bottombracket available on a road bike making it easier to quickly accelerate withadded stability. Ok lets see, oh the 3S integrated chain keeper is another coolfeature on this model. The chain keeper is integrated directly into the bikeframe providing flawless shifting. This sophisticated solution provides therider with easy transitions from gear to gear even on the roughest of roads.

All you fancy riders will love the integratedcomputer sensor, even I think this is super snazzy and I am not a competitiverider. The DuoTrap seamlessly integrates the computer sensor into the frame tomeasure speed, distance and cadence with…. wait for it…. No Added Aerodynamicdrag annnd it works with all the major ANT+ wireless technology players!! Sooooall you iphoners out there I’d suggest you look into the Digifit app may blowyour mind, but that will be on pause till a later blog. Ok we have a snazzy 11speed set up on this Madone, Speedy Gonzalez coming down the road! Moving backup the frame now, since the rear brakes are now found attached to the bottombracket Trek Madone now features a Brakeless Seatstay. The integratedbreaks allowed the company to redesign the seatstay eliminating the brakebridge and removing the redundant layers of carbon essentially shedding weightwithout even compromising the performance of the bike. The KVF shape is nowfull blown onto this frame providing the maximum aero advantage. While I haveyour attention with these silly abbreviations lets talk about this carbon.Ultra-advanced HexSL carbon fiber is stiffer and stronger than most carbonsproviding the optimal ride. Step Joint Technology seals the deal. Thistechnology is an OCLV Carbon exclusive. After molding each specific piece for aframe it is joined by the lugs into a complete frame using this process. Thissystem bonds the carbons together with no overlap, no excess carbon, and keepsa consistent tube thickness.

Backing up a hair, I want to goover the KVF tube Shape. Not only is this design beautiful it is also verysmart. KVF stands for Kammtail Virtual Foil. In recent years many time trialbikes have sprouted nose cones and fairings to improve aerodynamics but whenthe UCI began to crack down on the designs limiting the 3:1 rule which saysframes and components cant be more than 3x’s wider than they are tall…limitinginnovation for some brands, however Tyler Pilger a car buff also a Trekemployee was familiar with the aerodynamic feature named after the Germanengineer who envisioned a spectacular system, his name was Wunibad Kamm. Thisman is responsible for Kamm Tail. This concept took the 8:1 aerodynamic foilshape—best ratio for head wind—essentially tricking air to act as if the tailhad not been cut off just past the widest point giving you the 8:1 aerodynamicefficiency within the 3:1 Ruling—GENIUS!

If this is all gibber jabberenvision the Ford’s GT40, this short and light bodied car is constructed withthe Kamm design. It preserves aerodynamics providing a faster and smootherride.

Back to the bikes the Kamm taildesign is patent to Trek. This design is found on the fork legs, downtube, seattube, and seatstays. No official stats have been published but the drag anddegree of yaw on this bike is extremely outstanding. You really just have tohope on it yourself to understand it or even just take a gander at it like Idid.

Withall these new features, if you Fire up your muscles the Madone responds in ananosecond. I talk a lot and I hope I did not ruin any surprise for some ofyou. But this is a beautiful little machine that needs the recognition. Findthis bike and ride it. I know it is limited in the US at the moment but theywill be trickling out shortly.

Hop on the bike that is being ridden through the streets of Europe. You will not be sorry. 

Cycling is not just a sport.

It is a Life Style.