2013 Trek Madone 5.2 Review

Trek have made some major changes to their 2013 road racing range, along with the introduction of a completely new range of road bikes with the new Domane they have also done a major revamp of their Madone range. 

First seen early this year at the Tour of California, the new Madone is a radical departure from the previous year’s model. The most noticeable feature is the brake placement and design. The brakes have been integrated into the frame design which means that they are both placed nicely out of the wind. The rear being tucked down under the chain stay and the front nestled in under a specially designed head tube. 

Trek have included a design feature usually seen on heavy duty brakes for BMX and Mountain Bikes and scaled it down for road use. The new brake is a twin post mount design as opposed to the single post that the majority of road bikes come with.

The second post helps to distribute the braking load over two mounts rather than only one which translates to increased braking power and better feel at the lever.  Because the rear brake mount has been taken away from the seat stays, Trek have been able to tune the ride to flex where needed. Also, because the brakes are placed neatly out of the wind the bike ends up being more aerodynamic.

The other major change is the shape of the frame tubes. Over the past few years Trek designers have been developing their "Virtual Kammtail" design on their time trial bikes. This design effectively takes all of the advantages of an air foil design and does away with its disadvantages. The design creates a shape that mimics the airflow characteristics of an air foil  with  less material, which means lower weight. It also means that the air foil will maintain its relationship to the wind. In other words, the "tail" of the air foil will always be parallel to the wind the tube is slicing through.

Out in the real world where wind is rarely, if ever, a straight on headwind, the aerodynamic traits are always consistent. This technology has been incorporated into almost every tube on the frame, from the head tube right back to the seat stays. Along with the internal cable routing this makes for a very fast, low drag bike. The best features of last years Madone have carried over as well, such as; E2, Duotrap, ride tuned seat cap and the long renowned Madone handling.

I have ridden a long series of different road bikes through the years from steel to aluminium to carbon fibre to a combination of materials. Last year when I had the opportunity to ride the 2012 Madone, I could not believe how stiff yet comfortable it actually was. I have been on stiff frames that seem to accelerate with every pedal stroke but they also transfer EVERY shock from the road right through to the rider. With the Madone though, I found it was almost as stiff when it came to sprinting yet when I hit an unexpected bump in the road the shock transferred through to me was negligible. After a long ride this was a welcome design feature, leaving me feeling fresher for longer.

So, when the Trek representative told me the new Madone was even better again I struggled to believe him; more aerodynamic, stiffer, lighter and more comfortable.

So it was with great excitement that I received the new 2013 Madone 5.2. I couldn't wait to get out on the roads with it and see how far off the representative really was.

My first ride was the weekly Gran Prix Bicycles group ride, a great chance to show off my new toy. This is obviously a very well known ride for me so it was a great test to see how the new bike would stand up against last year’s model. The first thing I noticed was the incredible advancement in the braking; a few times I almost got myself into trouble when I grabbed a bit too much brake. I needed to "re-calibrate" my fingers with these new brakes, easy one finger braking is all that is needed. The next thing I noticed was the bikes ability to hold its speed. Once up to full speed, I felt like I was able to hold it there for much longer without going into the red zone. Great in the final sprint (it felt like I was cheating a bit). 

The new Madone's first big ride, Mount Donna Buang.

My first big ride on the new Madone was up Mt.Donna Buang, riding from The Basin up the 1 in 20 to Monbulk then over to Warburton and on to the summit of Mt.Donna Buang. It was on the first climb that I noticed the other great new feature for this year, less weight! I was able to spin quite well all the way to the top, admittedly at a very low speed, but much easier than my last trip up there. 

She is very pretty.

I rode up the West side of Mount Donna Buang, which meant that the road was mostly gravel, albeit smooth gravel. The Madone ate it up, even when I accidentally hit braking bumps and pot holes, the new more forgiving ride allowed me to keep the power on and concentrate on keeping my speed rather than keeping the bike upright.

Mostly gravel on "La Strada Don Fangoso" 

(a.k.a. Mt. Donna Buang's west side)

La Strada Don Fangoso

Then, on the descent, I noticed the new aerodynamic frame coming into play. I was able to hold a higher speed while coasting than I could previously. Then I was introduced once more to the new brakes and how much more powerful they really are. Flying into corners and braking at the last possible second, braking so hard that I could hear the tyres starting to let go, the whole time using only minimal finger force on each brake lever. These brakes remind me of when I upgraded from cantilever brakes to V-brakes on my mountain bikes, a whole new world of performance.

Overall, the first decent ride on the new Madone had proven to be a revelation. Lighter than last years model, more aerodynamic, better braking and more comfortable, by the end of this first ride I had been in the saddle for about six and a half hours and if it weren't for the fading light I could have kept going.

The comfortable ride is fantastic, encouraging you to ride for longer, which is always a good thing. The stiffness when out of the saddle is awesome, it really feels like none of your energy is being wasted by flexing the frame; all of your effort is being transferred to the rear tyre. When I wind the bike up to speed I feel that I am able to hold my top speed for longer before I hit my red zone, which I would attribute to the improved aerodynamics. The brakes are confidence inspiring, all that power allows you brake later into corners and stop faster in case of an incident. This bike really is as good as the Trek representative said.

After two months of riding on the new Madone, I can safely say that I am in love. Each time I take the bike out I struggle not to add that one extra loop or those few extra kilometers to the end of my ride. Since I started riding the new Madone, I have broken almost all of my previous personal records from when I was riding last years model and I am feeling fresher at the end of every ride, both good things.

Well done Trek,  thank you for such a well designed and produced bike.

- Brad.