# 2008 Madone impressions, comparison with Roubaix



## laika521 (May 16, 2007)

Yesterday I did a 30 minute test ride on a 2008 Madone 5.2 performance fit. This bike is generating a lot of interest, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents on it.

But first a little about where I'm coming from: I'm a recreational rider who can hang with local San Francisco bay area cat 4 racers on training rides. 6'2" and 190 lbs. I currently ride a 2005 Specialized Roubaix Pro.

Plusses:

- The Madone is very stiff laterally and through the bottom bracket. On my Roubaix I can get the chainrings to rub the front derailleur in a sprint -- not so on the Madone. I couldn't detect any flex on sprints or 7% hills.

- The handling feels pretty stable, maybe even more stable than my Roubaix. That's surprising because the Roubaix has such a long wheel base and the Madone is more traditional geometry.

- The new Bontrager Race Lite wheels seem pretty nice, acceleration was quick and I didn't detect any flex from the rear when mashing the pedals.

- The Madone's bump compliance was better than my Roubaix. The ride is pretty plush. I can't speak to vibration damping, though, because that doesn't become a factor for me until after an hour or more on the bike.

- The Madone felt pretty light, my Roubaix is about 19 lbs and the Madone is more like 17 (frame size 58 cm).

Minuses:

- I had a lot of toe-overlap so my toes would hit the front wheel in slow tight turns. People with smaller feet (I'm 45 Euro, 11.5 US) and different cleat position may be fine.

- I was quoted $2500 for the Madone 5.2 frame / fork / seatpost. Frames won't be available until August or so. Has anyone else heard different? That's a high frame price considering I could get a complete 5.2 with Ultegra SL for $3200. Instead of buying a frame I would just get the 5.2 complete and sell the Shimano bits on ebay then move my campy stuff to the Madone.

- Everyone will have one of these soon -- the local shops are selling them pretty quickly.

Nice bike overall, I'm tempted to get one...

J


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## z ken (Dec 30, 2006)

it sure sound like you really enjoy your 30 minutes on the new Madone. i think you should make a swift. sell you Specialized and join the Lance's Boyz. with that said i personally don't like the new Madone b/c the way it look. sorry but for me look is MORE IMPORTANT than performance or comfort ( well, it's not like my " old " Madone isn't fast/comfy ) i do support team disco/trek so as long people ride Trek, two big thumbs for me.


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## footballcat (Jul 8, 2004)

i think its a good idea, at least you can ride one, 62cm are hard to find


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## mtbdcd (Jul 7, 2002)

Did you weigh the Madone. I have heard the 5.2 weighs close to 16lbs?
And Trek typically does this on the frame pricing, i.e. makes it more pratical to just buy the complete bike, sell the parts you do not want. That is what i did with my 5.2sl.


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## laika521 (May 16, 2007)

mtbdcd said:


> Did you weigh the Madone. I have heard the 5.2 weighs close to 16lbs?
> And Trek typically does this on the frame pricing, i.e. makes it more pratical to just buy the complete bike, sell the parts you do not want. That is what i did with my 5.2sl.


Nope, I didn't weigh it. I also heard 16-something pounds as the weight for the 5.2. Since I was on a 58 I guessed that the actual weight was slightly higher. Manufacturers usually quote the weight of their smaller sized bikes like 54.

It's interesting that Trek discourages you from getting just a frame. I'm guessing the ultegra shifters / brakes / cassette / chain / derailleurs would get around $550 on Ebay, maybe another $150 for the bars, stem, and seat. I don't know what the Bontrager wheels are worth -- $200? 

The net cost of the frame is the bike cost ($3200) minus the components ($900). So if my estimates are right then I would really be spending around $2300 for the frame. 

For comparisons sake I think Cervelo R3 frames are around $3000. Both frames are designed to be laterally stiff and vertically compliant, but I think the Cervelo has the cachet.

J


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## mtbdcd (Jul 7, 2002)

Also, i believe the profit margin for the dealer is much larger(percent) on the complete bike vs. the frame. Dealers make very little on a frame.
Never used to be that way. When i first started buying OCLV frames/bikes in the 90's, you could buy the frame very reasonable and actually build up a bike much cheaper than buying the complete bike. My first 5500 frame costs $900 in 1998. 
I believe the regular Cervelo R3 now retails for 2500-2600. Seems like Cervelo stole the cachet from the Trek Madone. I guess Lance not racing caused this. I have never ridden the R3, but have to believe the new Madone's are every bit as stiff and probably give a better ride. At this level, the bike frame is certainly not a limiting factor. Carbon has certainly changed the road bike world.


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## unagidon (Jun 16, 2007)

Laika521 - so can I conclude that you liked the Madone 5.2 more than your own Specialized? Any comments about the "comfort" level of the two bikes, especially regarding the geometry differences? THANKS.


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## laika521 (May 16, 2007)

Do I like the Madone more than my Specialized Roubaix? Yeah, so far I do. The toe overlap issue was about the only problem I had with the Madone, and that's a minor problem. The stiffness, weight, and bump compliance were better on the Madone.

Differences in comfort are more difficult to compare because I think comfort is driven by two factors: 1) how well does the bike fit you, and 2) how well does the bike absorb bumps and high frequency vibration? I think the Madone was slightly ahead of the Roubaix in terms of bump compliance. Vibration damping is hard for me to judge without going on a long ride. Specialized likes to point out that their zertz dampers kill vibrations, and I tend to believe them after doing some long rides on a steel bike and feeling numbness in my hands and arms. Fit is a totally personal issue, of course. For example, I have long arms and legs so I favor bikes with a longer top tube, which the Roubaix has. With a longer top tube I don't have to have a super-long stem that effects handling (above 120mm or so).

Before getting my Roubaix I used an online fit calculator (see http://www.competitivecyclist.com) that tells you what length stem you need, among other things. I think the fitting worked, I've handled 80 mile rides without too much discomfort. One thing I haven't done yet is repeat the fit process with the Madone. If the result is that I need a 140mm stem on the Madone then I might look elsewhere...

J


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## woogie11 (Jul 16, 2006)

The new madone is not as compliant as the newer style Roubaix frame (expert and above). The 5.2 WITH test pedals and a triple ring weighs just under 17lbs, which is pretty reasonable for that price range. They will be available in 63CM but not for another few months, same with the higher end models.


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