With today’s launch of the all-new Trek Madone Gen 8, I was able to sit down with the Trek design and engineering teams to discuss the new bike. I had a few questions for them and enjoyed talking about their new one-bike-solution race platform.
A “one bike solution” isn’t necessarily a new thing, but it certainly flies in the face of the latest trends of aero gains and a race to the lightest/stiffest climbing bike. In fact, most of the new bike releases in recent memory have been either aero or lightweight. The concept of a single race bike isn’t new, in fact, Team Ineos has been doing it for years with Pinarello and renowned marginal gains coach, Sir David Brailsford.
With the Pinarello Dogma, team Ineos eliminates the need for riders to choose between two bikes — even for the spring cobbled classics. It also greatly simplifies bike logistics as mechanics and team cars need to only worry about a single platform. Prior to the release, I had an opportunity to chat with Trek’s R&D team about some of the notable achievements of the new Madone Gen 8 — the first one being that elusive single race bike to rule them all.
On-hand for the exclusive call were Whitney Beadle (Road Bike Marketing), Jordan Roessingh (Director of Road Bikes), John Davis (Senior Aerodynamicist) and Alex Loy (Senior Mechanical Engineer, Road). Here are the questions I asked to learn more about the new bike.
Who or what drove the effort for a “one race bike” solution?
The answer was it came from a lot of things, but was heavily influenced by Trek’s World Tour teams. As it turns out, even the best riders in the world get anxious about which bike to ride for a Monument or Grand Tour stage — knowing that the terrain won’t always be uphill, flat or downhill. Trying to eke out the most out of two separate platforms caused unnecessary mental math and second-guessing for riders and mechanics before each race.
And for everyday riders or competitive racers, we do think about bike choice. I am lucky enough to have both an aero road and climbing bike, but I do think about what I might be giving up by going with one or the other on any given ride.
Technologically, some of the advances in tube shapes and aerodynamics opened the door to actually make the Madone Gen 8 possible. Changing from truncated airfoil designs to Full System Foil aero shapes, the new Madone Gen 8 is faster in real-world conditions where wind speeds and directions vary every second. And, with the size ML frameset coming in at 796 grams, the new Gen 8 is aero and lightweight! And, it accommodates up to 32mm width tires.
What one part of the Gen 8 Madone are you most proud of?
In a surprise twist, John was most proud of the development of the RSL Aero Bottles and Cages, which make a HUGE difference in overall aerodynamics. Making a usable bottle solution that creates a large aero shape is a game-changer. It turns out that round bottles are very draggy and he’s been wanting to eliminate that from the equation for some time.
Alex is proud of the simplification provided by the RCS Headset System, which allows for a single bearing top/bottom and sets the stage for further standardization across the Trek lineup.
Another notable thing was mentioned by Jordan with the new Madone Gen 8 being the first known road race bike using UDH to simplify hanger replacement and allow for any electronic drivetrain of choice.
Why don’t we see direct 160mm brake mounts on the new Madone?
The new Madone standardizes on 160/180mm rotors up front and 160/140mm in the rear. Both still depend on the adapter to make that work. You can’t use a 140mm rotor up front (which hasn’t been recommended for years) and only pro’s will likely be seen using a 140mm rear.
Will there be any cost savings now or long-term with the new Madone Gen 8?
The short answer was not really, but it will allow Trek’s R&D teams to really focus and dive deep into optimization and improvements on a single platform. Ideally, this will translate into lower prices for consumers and give us all the most advanced race bikes available.
Do you see IsoFlow being adopted on other models?
The answer was that it depends on the application and goals. Nothing was eluded to at this time, but it would depend on what the R&D teams decide. So, it certainly could be seen on future models.
Along those lines, it was awesome to hear how confident the team was with the forces placed on the “diving board” seat mast. When questioned, Alex didn’t even bat an eye at the structural integrity to the point that I almost felt ashamed for asking about it. In short… all of us desk jockeys need to stop worrying about it because it’s simply not an issue.
The geometry is still fairly aggressive… any concerns about that?
The team reiterated that it’s pretty much the same as the H1.5 geometry, which has served both racers and high-level cyclists alike. If a more relaxed fit is desired, the Domane is a better choice. But, the new Madone Gen 8 can still reasonably accommodate a wide variety of riders and fit needs. When a test bike arrives later this summer, I’ll likely need about 25mm spacers under the stem and that’s just fine by me.
