It's been 6 months now since I got the 2011 Trek Madone 4.5 carbon road bike as a sponsorship bike from ThinkBike. I was able to use the bike for training and racing during the season and now it is time to give couple of thoughts and feedback on this excellent machine.
My first impression of the bike was very good: the lovely looking design and colour scheme is great. The visual look is the first thing on the bike that the rider gets ideas on and I have to say: it's a personal taste though but I think the bike looks cool! The black, white and blue combo on the matte finish is 100% hit.
Then I got even more impressed after the first test ride on the bike. I've had alloy & carbon road bikes in the past but the Madone 4.5 is highly the best road bike I ever used. The weight of the bike is ok in it's category and the parts are working the way they ment to be. The geometry and the riding position is comfortable but still "agressive" enough for racing and suits well for performance driven cyclists.
But let's have a closer look on the details. The first and perhaps the most important design feature of the frame is the head tube. The top bearings are 1 1/8" diameter (which is standard) but the bottom size is 1,5" (it is oversized diameter). This gives the bike very precise handling and extra stiffness on the front.
It was easy to spot the difference even in the first spin but the real difference pops out on some seriously fast descents in the Wickow mountains.
The other major feature of the frame is the oversized bottom bracket shell that makes the centre of the bike very stiff and rigid. Of course this feature is kind of standard on carbon frames but it is an important detail.
I am not a big rider indeed but even I could feel the difference, especially on some steep climbs and during sprinting.
The gear system is the super reliable 10 speed Shimano 105 that is always a good choice on any road bike on this price level. The carbon fibre STI levers with hidden cables are super comfy and the shifting performance is brilliant also.
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| Good choice: Shimano 105 carbon STI levers |
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| With the reliable Shimano 105 rear mech |
The bike comes with Bontrager wheels and finishing kit that gives a bike a nice and complete look. The wheels are strong and durable and the finishing kit really maching with the rest of the bike.
I have changed couple of parts on the bike 'cause they were my personal preferences. I use Fizik Arione saddle, BBB Wing alloy handlebar and SpeedPlay Zero pedals. Also took the Bontrager tyres off and got Continental ones fitted. But the rest of the bike is the same as it comes, I did use the stock item that the bike is being sold with.
The only little issue that I experienced is the next: the bottle cage fitting is a little bit too low on the seat tube and as a result of that the bottle rubs against the downtube. I always use one bottlecage but I got a second one for the Wicklow 200 , and after 8 hours of riding the bottom of the bottle scratched off the paint on the downtube and left an unpleasant looking mark on it...
Pros and cons on the Trek Madone 4.5 :
+ light and stiff frame with excellent geometry and great looking design
+ precise and reliable Shimano 105 components
+ durable Bontrager wheels and finishing kit
+ great value for the price
- issue with the bottle cage position on the seat tube (on the 52 cm size)
- very slippery Bontrager tyres
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| Custom setup for the National Hillclimb Champs |
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| Somewhere in the Wicklow |
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| Super cool looking setup with Bontrager Aeolus carbon wheels |
My overall feedback on this bike is very good. I did enjoy to use the Madone 4.5 in the last 6 months and I hope I will have the chance to use it for a little while before I have to give it back to ThinkBike. It is not my own bike but if I would like to purchase my own road racer any time soon this bike would be on the top of my list for sure. I would highly recommend this bike to anyone who would looking to get a lovely road bike on a good price. Go for it, you wont regret it! :)
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