2014 trek madone 4.5

2013 Trek Madone 4.5 Road Bike Review

The Madone 4.5  Series pairs race-level performance and technology with all-day comfort and amazing spec value. No wonder it’s our best selling OCLV Carbon road bike. The Trek Madone 4.5 is a road bike built around a light carbon frame but at a price point that makes it far more appealing to the average rider. You still get top notch materials and well chosen components, but everything is aimed at appealing to people who want both performance and value from their next road bike.

The Trek Madone 4.5 features a 400 Series OCLV carbon frame with a super wide BB90 bottom bracket. This means that the bike is not only light and compliant for long distance speed and comfort, but it also has integral stiffness which allows you to accelerate quickly and pull ahead of your mates with less effort.

Frame and Equipment:

The 4.5 uses a considerably higher grade of carbon than that of the already spectacular three.5, creating it notably light-weight at a claimed one,100g for the frameset. The frame itself incorporates Trek’s combat the press-fit bottom bracket BB90, for improved stiffness and fewer weight.

As with the previous top-of-the-range 6-Series, the seat tube is uneven, with identical going for the rear chainstay mount for the ANT+ DuoTrap sensing element (available one by one for £39.99).

The E2 tapered head tube and extremely carven shaping is taken from that US-built superbike, that is actually what you’re obtaining with the four.5; in terms of specification it’s a stripped version of their previous tour winning machine. The 5-, 6- and 7-Series bikes currently have aero-optimised KVF styles, however we’re glad Trek have unbroken the terrific professional level chassis alive.

A frame with style credentials this smart and on a sub-£2,000 complete bike would recommend some downgrades and compromises elsewhere, however Trek are clever with the budget. For a begin, they’ve used Shimano’s Ultegra system for the mechs and shifters, solely downgrading the brakes and container to the still-impressive one zero five vary, whereas the chainset is Shimano’s non-series R565.

The wheel package hasn’t been compromised, though, as Trek’s element whole Bontrager have provided the new-for-2013 Race R1s, that includes elegant, minimal hubs with quality bearings, nice seals and butted spokes. The all-new rims are compatible with tubeless tyres.

The Race R1s square measure shod with Bontrager’s R2 tyres – with a nominal size of ordinary twenty three, they’re if truth be told slightly broader than that, and in our opinion all the higher for it. The distinction in size permits them to be run at the lower pressures necessary for winter grip, while not increasing the possibilities of you puncturing. As you’d imagine, Bontrager conjointly offer the remainder of the Madone’s finishing kit.

The slender, compact reach Associate in Nursingd drop VR-C bar is an adequate entertainer – nicely formed with nice dimensions however very little to form it stand out on the far side that. The Race fatless stem could be a bit classier, and nicely finished with quality hardware.

At the rear it’s a way a lot of spectacular affair, with the Affinity a pair of saddle (fast changing into one in every of our favourites) sitting atop a sublime carbon seatpost (though we have a tendency to did want a liberal coating of carbon preparation to forestall it slipping).

Ride and Handling:

Out on the road, the category of the four.5 is totally evident. we have a tendency to precious the three.5 last year however the four.5 takes everything that created it exceptional and turns it up to eleven. the general feel is totally sleek, and a coffee overall weight and broad 50/34, 11-28 geartrain create the bike a whole breeze on climbs. nonetheless the stiffness Associate in Nursingd oh-so-sorted position create it an absolute blast down hills.

Smashing the four.5 through a succession of bends ne’er caused it to urge rattled or dope off line. Some bikes will have snappier initial turn-in, but the 4.5 doesn’t got to be as rapid; with a motorcycle that provides this abundant communication through its feel, we have a tendency to ne’er found the necessity for unpunctual direction changes mid-corner.

Plenty of the four.5’s ultra-confident ride comes all the way down to the H2 pure mathematics (the prime tube is shorter than the professional H1 by a couple of millimetres, and slightly taller at the front, once more by simply a couple of units). Dimensions that embrace a 190mm head tube and 992mm distance square measure obscurity close to to a fault relaxed, particularly after you think about a regular seventy three-degree seat angle and steeper-than-average 73.8-degree head angle.

The 4.5 scores plenty of its points from the frame being stiff wherever it’s needed (the head and down tube, BB shot and chainstays) and cozy elsewhere. We’d eventually upgrade the typical bar and chainset however would be over happy to pay the value to possess this elegant chassis in our lives.

Image Credit © Trek

For More Information:  Trek

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Trek Madone 4.5 review

• by Cyclesgo

The Trek Madone 4.5 delivers taut, responsive handling that excels on smooth Continental road surfaces. But its light frame and fork combination falls short of setting any new benchmarks in tackling the sort of broken surfaces you tend to encounter on UK roads. That said, we noticed a marked improvement in comfort by swapping out to wider 25mm tyres. Trek claims its pricer OCLV frames have stiffer bottom brackets than the Madone 4.5 but we didn’t notice any chain rubbing problems with the standard Shimano two-piece cranks on this baseline Madone. Most of our test riders felt that the Madone’s handling made it a good choice for group rides. With its comfort/stiffness sportive balance definitely leaning towards the stiff end of the scale, the Trek is especially recommended for medium to heavy riders. It would be well suited to those who like to mix sportives with the odd road race.

Frame: entry level Trek carbon

The Madone 4.5gets the name from seven times Tour de France winner, and Trek rider, Lance Armstrong’s favourite training run, and the 4.5 is the entry level model. It Trek Domane+ SLR uses an unspecified grade of TCT carbon manufactured in Asia and is distinct from the rest of the Madone range that use OCLV frames built in its Wisconsin plant in the States. Though most of the Madone range is available in both racer-oriented Pro fit or Performance fit geometry for sportives, the 4.5 is available only in the latter version. Trek’s trademark ControlCore construction is, in essence, size-specific tube wall thicknesses so that all frame sizes have the same level of shock absorbency and handling characteristics. It may lack its more expensive brethren’s 90mm bottom bracket axle but only the heaviest riders will notice the difference.

Equipment: light parts keep overall weight down

The Madone is well specified for the money with Bontrager and Shimano 105 components. There’s an optional triple chainset for those who aren’t sure that they would have enough gears with a compact chainset. From every angle the Trek’s radically shaped tubing looks impressively fast. Closer inspection reveals the absence of the dedicated, press-fitted, stiffer bottom bracket axle bearings that mark out the more expensive bikes in the Madone range but we don’t feel this is detrimental to the bike.

The Select VR 44cm bars have a relatively shallow bend that encourages the use of the drops, while the Bontrager Race saddle has padding in all the right places. The combined weight of the Madone’s drivetrain and finishing kit is lighter than you’ll find on some more expensive bikes. This Orbea GAIN D40 all adds up to a great level of kit for the money and there’s the benefit of the triple chainset option.

Wheels: light but strong

The Trek Domane+ SLR Bontrager Race wheels, tyres and cassette are impressively light for a bike of this price, and lighter than you’ll find on substantially more expensive bikes. Nevertheless, they are still strong enough for even the heaviest of riders.

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Review: Trek Domane 4.5

Vital stats

• Price: $2,730
• Sizes Available: 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 (tested), 62cm
• Weight: 18.12lbs

Posted in Best Of Bicycle Times Bikes Gear Trek

• Rider Notes

2014 Trek Domane 4.5 Compact

A carbon frame endurance bike with high-end components and rim brakes.

For This Bike

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Domane 4.5 Compact

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Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes. Report your fit

Nov 2015 · Stu Bowers

The Trek Domane 6.9 is one of the most versatile bikes on the planet, but is it improved by fitting discs?

Read Review

Nov 2014 · R BA

Joining the disc crowd, Trek forges their own path.

Comfortable and entertaining entry-to-mid-level bike, with excellent scope to upgrade in the future; change the tyres though

Jun 2014 · James Huang

Better than the standard Domane in every way

The standard Domane with its quick-release dropouts is no slouch in terms of frame stiffness – and in fact, Trek confirmed that it’s nearly on par with the edgier Madone for drivetrain efficiency and actually even better in terms of front-end stiffness.

May 2014 · Canadian Cycling Magazine

Trek has announced that it will offer the Domane 6.9 and 4.0 in a disc-brake version. Domane, the Waterloo, Wis.-based company's road endurance line, debuted in 2012 and has featured in cobbled Spring Classics.

May 2014 · VeloNews.com

Thru-axles, hydraulic disc brakes, and tons of tire clearance highlight Trek's new endurance frame

May 2014 · William Tracy

Trek goes disc brakes with the two new Domane models. How do they stack up?

Last updated June 29 Not listed for 2,501 days

Posted 2024-05-01 23:39

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Trek Madone 4.5 Carbon Fiber Road size 52cm Bike - $650 (Mountain View)

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Trek Madone 4.5 Carbon Fiber Road size 52cm Bike - bicycles - by...

This bike has been fully tuned up so it is ready to ride. Size 52cm

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Trek Madone 5.2 Road Bike

• OCLV 120 Carbon Frame
• Bontrager Race X Lite
• OCLV 120 Carbon Fork
• Bontrager Race Lite Wheels
• Shimano Ultegra Rear Derailleur
• USER REVIEWS

Light, stiff, gives back the power you put in. Low. Long-lasting. I am writing about the Madone from about 2007 which has a horizontal top bar. I bought it from the Japanese equivalent of ebay because I wanted a bike with a short head tube. Rider body drag is the biggest component of drag apparently at about 60% of total drag, so rather than an aero frame with can shave a percent or two off the 9% of frame drag with a modern aero frame, I would rather get down a degree or two or ten lower, especially now that I have worked out how cyclists used to pedal: forwards and backwards, rather than the current stomp stomp, which makes it much easier to get down low. The other advantage of a low "non-compact" frame is that it forces me to cognise my belly fat. It is like wearing tight jeans. You know when you have eaten too much the day before. This is my second low "aggressive" frame. My other is a Look KG 386 with a similar sized (less than 14cm in the medium 54cm size) head tube. The French Look has a perfectly damped feel. When I go over a bump in the road the vertical movement disappears in a swiftly diminishing suave sinusoid. This Trek however has more bounce. I go over a bump in the road and it almost feels like I am going to take off. The difference in springiness is an advantage however when it comes to pedalling. The Look feels like it is absorbing some of the power I put into the cranks whereas the Trek makes me feel like all power in bounces back. It has more mechanical machismo making the Look feel like a sophisticated stale baguette.

A little bit bouncy. If you don't use the shifters the grease inside may get sticky preventing you from changing down the cassette to the highest gear. Rinsing with lots of brake cleaner and relubricating with a PTF containing lubricant should get the shifters clicking again.

Very smooth and overall sturdy bike for mountain riding and even just casual riding throughout the day. Definitely recommend to anything with an interest or hobby in bike riding. It withstood the test of wear and tear when I used to ride to project sites for my Brick Pavers business.

None that I can think of.

ood smooth shifters. Big wheels, ideal for cruising at high speed. Shocks eat up bumps. Well built. Repositionable handlebars. Good on flat roads, has decent off-road capabilities too. Bakersfield Pro Concrete Pumping

None so far.

Great choice of bike. Light weight, very stiff and good handling. Never encountered trouble for almost a year upon purchasing. Highly recommended from Bathroom Tile Company.

Price? Not really. Let’s be honest, I didn’t have to get a Madone, I chose to get a Madone and isometimes you have to pay to play. Bike is actually a 2006.

custom stickers | print stickers | business printing | printing company

Excellent handling bike that rolls with very little road buzz.

This bike is extremely maintenance intensive due to design flaws in the bottom bracket and headset. It is worse than owning a Porsche or a British sports car and I've owned both and worked on both. You're looking at overhauling the BB at 500-750 mile intervals and replacing the non-drive side bearing at the least. This bike had so many overhauls over 13K miles that even the oversize bearings were too loose a fit. You're looking at 1500-1800 mile interval for the headset and replacing the upper bearing if not both. You definitely better learn how to work on your bike or you're going to be spending $$$'s at the bike shops. The wheels are a low quality wheelset and I ended up having to replace the wheelset after less than 3K miles. After finding numerous flaws with the bike Trek FINALLY replaced it with another model.

great bike second bike i have got first worth 200£ it reacts to everything in ease and speed.

Has a noise to it don't no where its coming from sounds like the seat thats it

just bought this bike it was on sale in intersport 50% off 3450€ to 1700€ it had ben sat there for two years. great find oct 2016 Very Light Reactive for speed sprint I've been riding now 4 months and have my avenge to 35ks an hour live in france lots of hills Limoges started off average 22ks got to 28ks but flying now. recommend to anyone

Strong, solid, well-built and designed machine

As everyone else has mentioned, the saddle stinks. In fact, I can't imagine a normal human being being comfortable on the thing. That being said, think of a saddle as a pair of shoes. You'll want to find something more specific to YOU! As far as the bike itself, it's wonderful! TREK consistently designes equipment that's superior to most. They also stand behind what they make in ways that many don't. I have a little over 10,000 miles on my Madone, and have replaced only tires and the bottom bracket (-bottom bracket at 8500 miles). Both of these components are "expendables". There are "heavy-duty" brackets that you can use, but then the emphasis is on heavy. Be content with the standard set. This is not my first Trek. They've never disappointed, and this Madone is no exception. It's stable and dependable, with no kinky surprises that you discover on some fast downhill (-had this happen once on another brand). You won't be disappointed. -Oh, and I'm a 69 year old veteran rider with a lifetime of riding experience (-still have yet to find that hidden motor that so many talk about).

Similar Products Used:

Giant, Fuji, and many others

The performance is great on this bike. Light, stiff and very responsive. A great bike to ride.

I replace the Bontrager wheelset after about 10K miles with a Flo 30 wheelset. Seat mast kept slipping till the shop finally used a special grease and discovered that the seat mast bolt should be torqued to 7 N instead of 5 N. The bottom bracket is the biggest weakness of the bike. My bearings lasted about 500-600 miles and you have to overhaul the BB about every one to two months or after riding in the rain. In fact, I won't even ride it when the roads are wet due to having to O/H the BB. A new Trek bearing set with a dust seal got about 800+ miles if overhauled at about 400 miles. Now the frame cups have worn to the point where I now need special Trek oversized brackets.

Performance is outstanding, but I can't give it a high score because of the serious design flaw of the bottom bracket and the poor wheelset. The BB makes for a much more maintenance intensive bike.

Light Weight, very stiff and an all round option

Wheelset, bontrager stock saddle and little bit of shifting issues

My first bike and am overall very happy since I have switched to carbon wheels, it is a good all round bike fast on the flats and climbs well as well. Trek should have given saddle options as the stock bontrager is a waste. Changing it with Selle SMP. Shifting needs minor adjustments many a times on the fly

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Results have arrived, trek domane bikes & framesets for sale.

Shop new & used Trek Domane bikes and framesets at TPC - The Pro's Closet. Find reviews, specs, weight info, prices and size charts on various models (SL 7, SLR) and popular model years. Read our Trek Domane Quick-Take Review below.

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Trek Domane - Weight, Specs, Price

Trek domane 3rd party reviews, 2022 trek domane review - a tpc quick-take.

• IsoSpeed Technology: A standout feature, the rear IsoSpeed decouplers absorb fatiguing road chatter. They make the ride unmistakably smooth, like riding on a cushion of air.
• Storage integration: The built-in storage compartment on the down tube is genuinely useful. It beats having to strap a saddlebag to the frame and clutter the bike.
• Versatility: Generous tire clearance (up to 38mm without fenders) and the overall design mean the Domane is adept at handling both tarmac and light gravel. It opens up avenues for exploration beyond the usual road routes.
• Endurance geometry: Maintaining the spirit of the Domane lineage, the 2023 version offers a comfortable, upright riding position suited for long rides.
• Weight: (18.5 lbs size 56cm) The Domane, with all its tech and features, is on the heavier side, especially in its base models. This might not be a concern for the casual rider, but weight weenies might raise an eyebrow.
• Cost: The technology packed into the Domane makes it a bit pricey. While you get a lot for your money, it might be overkill for those not intending to utilize all its features.
• Aero compromises: Compared to race or aero road bikes, the Domane doesn't cut through the wind as efficiently. It's built for comfort over speed, and it shows.
• Over-engineering for some: While tech enthusiasts might rejoice, the myriad of features could be overwhelming for someone looking for a simple endurance experience.

Bottom Line:

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Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc review

Winner of best superbike in our annual Bike of the Year awards is the latest evolution of Trek’s flagship aero bike

David Caudery / Immediate Media

Warren Rossiter

Groundbreaking comfort, stunning handling and seriously rapid

Five-figure price tag

Before I get into the nitty gritty of the Trek Madone SLR 9’s phenomenal quality, let’s just look at that price tag.

Yes, that’s right, it's five figures. For the same (or less) you could buy a new Ducati Scrambler , Kawasaki Z900RS , or a car like the Smart ForTwo in the UK. If you opt for used, how about a 2005 Maserati Quattroporte or 2007 Porsche Boxster ? Yes, the Madone SLR 9 is a serious amount of money, but it’s a serious amount of bike.

• Best road bikes 2019: how to choose the right one for you
• Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc first ride review (2018)
• The Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc is one of our Bike of the Year bikes for 2019 and has been crowned best superbike . To read reviews of the other contenders and the categories tested across road, mountain and women's bikes, visit our Bike of the Year hub page .

I adored the previous generation Madone. It combined astounding speed, wonderful road manners and comfort, making it one of the best aero bikes to date.

It wasn’t without issues. The rim brakes were difficult to set up and adjust, and I got the chills when it came to maintenance and repairs due to the complexity of integration.

The new Madone SLR 9 looks similar to its forerunner , with the same gentle arch of the top tube, deep aero sections and aggressive stance. It’s one of the best looking of the current crop of aero bikes, shunning dropped stays and cutouts on the seat tube and down tube in favour of a more traditional appearance.

As soon as you start pedalling the SLR it becomes apparent that this is something special, the pick-up is instantaneous and the acceleration is everything you’d expect from a superbike.

Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc wheel choice

The equipment it's packing is superb with the Aeolus XXX 6 wheels a star of the show. At 60mm deep and 28mm wide, they're not the sort of wheel I’d expect to use day in day out, but they're light for their depth and the slick DT Swiss internals mean they run smooth.

When you get wheels as good as these it's apparent that own-brand (or owned brand) components, are every bit the equal of their aftermarket rivals

It’s how well they handle in adverse conditions that really impresses. A 60mm rim is outstandingly fast in optimum conditions, but as soon as crosswinds pick up they can become a handful to control.

That’s not so with the XXXs. In some fairly stiff crosswinds, I could feel a little pressure on the front wheel, but nothing I couldn’t easily counter with a small weight shift or a little more grip on the bars.

Get the XXXs spinning and their tenacity to hold speed puts them among the very best we’ve tested.

When you get wheels as good as these — or the Rovals on the Venge, or, at a lower price, the SLR 1s on Giant’s Defy — it's apparent, more than ever, that own-brand (or owned brand) components, are every bit the equal of their aftermarket rivals.

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The wheels are shod with Bontrager's equally impressive R4 tyres with their super-supple 320TPI casing.

These are some seriously impressive clinchers, and for all the positives of tubeless tyres (which the XXXs are compatible with) we’ve yet to find one that can match the supple ride of quality, cotton-cased clinchers.

Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc ride impressions

Trek has also managed to hit the high mark with the drivetrain. Shimano’s latest Dura-Ace Di2 is brilliant, the gear shifts slick and accurate, and the brake feel is exactly what you want from a disc system; powerful yet precise, allowing you to brake later and for less time on descents, so you can get back on the power sooner.

The net effect is you go faster on a bike that’s already proven to be seriously rapid.

The contact points impress. Trek has nailed integration with its new VR-CF bar/stem — adjustability is built-in so you can adapt it to your ride position. The slight back-sweep to the tops and angled transition towards the hoods means plenty of clearance when you're down in the drops, and the flat tops are comfortable to hold, or rest your forearms on for a proper aero tuck.

The Madone’s geometry is, as you’d expect, very much race bike stuff. This, combined with the adjustable IsoSpeed — which allows you to customise the compliance to suit the terrain — makes it a ridiculously smooth ride.

Adjustments are made via two-bolts, and it all takes about five minutes. Once you find your preferred setup we doubt you’ll ever change it, save for a trip to ride the Belgian cobbles .

Occasionally I did feel the back-end shift ever so slightly when pushing hard through a corner. It feels like a tyre squishing but, once I’d got used to it, it never became an issue — it's just one of the bike's idiosyncracies.

Forgetting the price tag for a moment, the SLR 9 is a monumentally capable machine. It has all the speed, sharpness and handling you could ever want from a pro-level bike but with endurance-bike levels of comfort, and for that it deserves five stars all day every day.

But for £10k I want absolute perfection.

The Montrose saddle is a quality item, and comfortable enough, but I couldn’t help thinking that the SLR 9 would benefit from a short saddle, such as those found on aero bikes from Cervélo, Cannondale and Specialized.

The extra nose on the Montrose can get in the way when you're hunkered down in an aggressive ride position.

I’d also like to see Shimano’s BW-WU111 wireless antenna in the Di2 setup, which allows the use of its E-tube project app so you can customise the Di2 operation to work with a Garmin and enable the hidden buttons in the top of the hoods — although the Trek dealer you’ve just given £10k to should be happy to make these changes for you.

Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc specifications

• Sizes (*tested): 50, 52, 54, 56, 58*, 60, 62cm
• Weight: 7.83kg
• Frame : 700 series OCLV Carbon
• Fork: 700 series OCLV carbon
• Chainset: Shimano Dura-Ace 50/34
• Bottom bracket: BB90
• Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-28
• Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Mech: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus XXX 6 tubeless ready
• Tyres: Bontrager R4 320TPI 25c
• Wheel weight: F 1.19kg R 1.5kg
• Stem: Madone integrated
• Bar: Madone specific Aero VR-CF
• Headset: Madone integrated
• Saddle: Bontrager Montrose Pro carbon
• Seatpost: Madone specific carbon
• Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace Disc

Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc geometry

• Seat angle: 73 degrees
• Head angle: 73.5 degrees
• Chainstay: 41cm
• Seat tube: 50cm
• Top tube: 57cm
• Head tube: 17.1cm
• Fork offset: 4cm
• Trail: 5.9cm
• Bottom bracket d rop: 6.8cm
• Bottom bracket height: 27cm
• Wheelbase: 1,000mm
• Stack: 58.1cm
• Reach: 39.6cm

BikeRadar would like to thank Stolen Goat , Lazer , Northwave and Effetto Mariposa for their help and support during our Bike of the Year test.

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