# Madone 5.9 SL Andromeda pics



## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

Frame:	Madone 5.9 SL Andromeda 58cm
Fork: Bontrager Race XXX Lite, OCLV 110 Carbon
Wheels: Bontrager Race X Lite
Gruppo: Dura-Ace 10 speed
Saddle: Bontager Race X Lite Pro
Seatpost: Bontrager Race XXX Lite carbon
Handlebar: Bontrager Race X Lite carbon
Headset: Chris King
Computer: Cat Eye Dual Wireless
Cages: Bontrager Race XXX Lite carbon
Pedals: SpeedPlay
Tires: Bontrager Race X Lite, 700x23c


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## mwinoski (Aug 19, 2004)

Drifter said:


> Frame:	Madone 5.9 SL Andromeda 58cm
> Fork: Bontrager Race XXX Lite, OCLV 110 Carbon
> Wheels: Bontrager Race X Lite
> Gruppo: Dura-Ace 10 speed
> ...



VERY NICE!!....

I got to see one of the SL's in andromeda at the TDG Brasstown vendor area and the color is awesome. something that cant be captured by pictures thats for sure.

I have the 2005 madone 5.9 in red/white/nude carbon. Hope you have better luck with that carbon stem than I did, swapped mine out for a xxx lite aluminum.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I have been enjoying mine!


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

mwinoski said:


> VERY NICE!!....
> 
> I got to see one of the SL's in andromeda at the TDG Brasstown vendor area and the color is awesome. something that cant be captured by pictures thats for sure.
> 
> ...


What problem did you have with the carbon stem?


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## mwinoski (Aug 19, 2004)

Drifter said:


> What problem did you have with the carbon stem?


The original one was unparallel so it left a unlevel gap on the king bearing cap. being carbon it could not be faced to correct the problem so shop tried another wich solved that problem but after a couple rides it became loose and creaked. come to find out the top bolt was stripped. I replaced it with a xxx lite aluminum stem and the bontrager carbon spacer kit that comes with it problem solved. looks great too!


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

http://www.zipp.com/products/stems/31.8.shtml
Too bad you had that problem. The retail on the carbon stem is about $250. Hopefully they made you satisfied. Your solution does look good though. Ever notice the similarity with the Zipp stem.


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## mwinoski (Aug 19, 2004)

Drifter said:


> http://www.zipp.com/products/stems/31.8.shtml
> Too bad you had that problem. The retail on the carbon stem is about $250. Hopefully they made you satisfied. Your solution does look good though. Ever notice the similarity with the Zipp stem.


Yes they are very similar. here is a great review I found at Pez's website about the Zipp stem and bars. The titanium bolts are a nice touch.

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3177

Also in bicycling magazine's buyer guide there was a small product review that said it was strong enough for mountain bikes (which Trek does do) but also mentioned that you risk stripping the bolts if you use anything other than a torque wrench to tighten them.

All that aside it is a great looking stem. Maybe I just had bad luck with it.

Another interesting observation is that Discovery team bikes were speced with the carbon stem but they are using the aluminum race x lite and race lite stems (I did see Paolo's bike with the carbon one in the Giro).

Oh, Dont you just love those carbon cages?. They are so feathery light and keep the bottles very secure (even over rough railroad crossings) yet alow smooth easy retrieval.


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

The cages are pretty light, but most importantly, still secure. I thought about the Record cage, but where does the madness stop? As for the carbon stem, I had better get a torque wrench!


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## rule (Dec 2, 2004)

Very tasty!

Now go to bikenames.com, and order in the planet regular font and you can personalize your SL.


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

Good idea. How durable are these stickers/decals?


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## rule (Dec 2, 2004)

Hmmm...well I have had mine on for about a couple of months, so I can't say for sure in terms of longevity. As far as durability though, the decals are definitely made of a high quality vinyl and come with good adhesion. Mine have gone through rain, bike washes and such and look just like they did when I installed them. They really give the appearance of being hand painted on. 

I bought a white version and a silver version, since I have a few bikes that I wanted to do. Each order ends up getting you a set of two decals, and I ended up with one white decal left over. I applied it on my Andromeda SL and it looked too bright for my taste. So, I got the opportunity to peel it off. Let me tell you, I could do it; but I really had to work my finger nail under each single piece of vinyl to get it to lift up, and even then it took some definite pull to get it off. I think that in order to really nick them up, you would have to border on abuse, like dropping a wrench on to one of something. Even then you would probably nick your paint before you would nick one of these decals. They aren't stupid thick or anything that will make them get in the way, but they are really tough. 

By the way, the Metallic Silver in that Planet Regular font ended up being just right if you are asking me. And I've got almost 2,500 miles on my SL on all types of road conditions and it is clearly ending up being the best bike that I have ever owned. Enjoy your new baby!


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

Upon which tube did you put the decal?


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## rule (Dec 2, 2004)

I put mine on the top tube, just below the forward half of the saddle on the right hand side. (On the left hand side there is a cable and fitting.) I was basically using the same placement as Project One bikes.


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## sgt_hedgehog (Jun 28, 2004)

that's quite gorgeous. I agree on the custom font decals, those whould be pimpin'


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## cmatcan (Oct 6, 2005)

that andromeda scheme is HOT! i'm gettin a sl 5.2 which has a nice scheme in its own right, but i am so truckin' jealous of the andromeda look, no doubt about it.


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## jdbethge (Jul 1, 2003)

*Sweet. Computer Mount*

I must wipe the drool off my keyboard.

Where did you get that computer mount. I like.


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## Cyclenaut (Oct 23, 2005)

You should see the WSD Andromeda paint...it's even cooler! Maybe I'll take a picture of mine tomorrow.


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

Let's see it!


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*Upgrades!*

Gorgeous bike: 
Saw the andromeda paint; 
found out it was a madone 5.9sl; 
knew I had to upgrade!

Thankfully the 06 model basically has the same paint job but the x-lite wheels are no longer painted. Alloy finish on the rims, hubs and skewers. Here's a pic:


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## cmatcan (Oct 6, 2005)

the one that started the thread is also an 06. the plain silver wheels/hubs is just an option- you can get the wheels like that or colored. same bike, same year.


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*An 06 bike posted in Feb 05???? What the...*



cmatcan said:


> the one that started the thread is also an 06. the plain silver wheels/hubs is just an option- you can get the wheels like that or colored. same bike, same year.


Man, that must be some pre-release effort- looks like he posted that pic in February 05- and you're telling me it is an 06 bike? I thought the OCLV110 wording on the seat tube is part of the 05 paintwork. My 06 (like alot of the 06 trek models) have these funny stripes. Pic below.

Didn't know it was an option- mine just came to the bike store like that. If that's the case, I'm glad someone marked that box as mine!


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*oops- got my dates mixed up.*

Sorry guys, I see the original was posted in June- problem with differnet date systems around the world. 

But I still think it is an 05 bike. Hey Drifter, what year model is your machine?


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

My Madone 5.9SL is a 2005 model.


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## cmatcan (Oct 6, 2005)

you know what, you're right. i wasn't used to seeing the 05 model in andromeda. my bad, the 06 decals should have given it away. i do believe the wheels/hubs are an option, though. i work at a trek dealer but we are just getting rhe 06 stuff in and haven't had any orders yet so it'll be a while before I'm super familiar with the 5.9/sl and up.sweet bike at any rate!


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## Drifter (May 17, 2005)

My wheels and hubs are black. Option?


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## Kaino (Jan 15, 2006)

*Andromeda vs. SIlver Blue Team*

Hey Pedal Spinner,
I'm new to this web site.
I'm currently talking to a friends who owns a shop and thinks the Madone SL 5.9 looks better in the silver/blue team colors. I'm leaning toward the Andromeda color, but I haven't seen the bike in person. The bike is currently out of stock. I'm just curious on how you made your decision? I'm looking at a 2006.



PedalSpinner said:


> Gorgeous bike:
> Saw the andromeda paint;
> found out it was a madone 5.9sl;
> knew I had to upgrade!
> ...


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*Tough choice but here are my 2cents.*

Hey Kaino
The paintjob is a real personal thing- can go either way- I actually have both (Disco colours on my 1400 training rig) but I like the Andromeda better. Here are my 2 cents:

1. Metallic-like finish on the blue black paint is superb- a real leap forward in Trek's finishes- looks like a finish for a car rather than a bike. It is on alot of Trek's higher models and is a real eye catcher- stock photos don't give it justice so I've pasted another below.

2. Titanium finish wheels look cool and contrasts the Andromeda colour really well. It seems like you have to choose this as an option as you don't always get it automatically like I did.

3. Much more subtle Trek logo placement as opposed to the team bike where it is on the forks, steering tube, top tube, down tube and seat stays (I don't mind promoting the brand but that is a little over the top for me).

4. As team bike colours are so well known, they tend to date stamp your bike. If you see a USPS bike, EVERYONE knows it is an older model as opposed to the Andromeda colour which is harder to tell even for Trek fans (like in the previous sub-thread).

5. Project One colour scheme at no greater cost!

6. Can be annoying if people confuse your 5.9SL with a 1500 that basically looks the same.

Downside: dirt is really obvious on the metallic-like finish and titanium hubs- I seem to spend alot of time cleaning the bike- the lighter disco' colours hide road dirt alot better. Like on a car, scratches on dark metallic-like paint look twice as bad like (hint: put some clear tape on the area where the cables rub on the steering tube to stop them scratching the paint).

Let us know what you decide and post some pics!


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*Sounds like an option- need to ask!*



Drifter said:


> My wheels and hubs are black. Option?


As some people have the black and others have silver, I am guessing it must be an option although my dealer didn't mention it. Then again he knew I really liked the titanium finish so probably didn't bother wasting time by telling me about any option. I haven't noticed any '06's with black finish but then again I don't see many 5.9SLs- they're all going too fast!!!


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## Xyzzy (Mar 22, 2004)

I heard the Ti color wheels cost a little extra. They cost $100 more if you buy the wheelset alone.

http://www.bontrager.com/Road/Wheelworks/Wheels/5772.php


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## PedalSpinner (Aug 24, 2005)

*Separate more but with bike not sure.*

Yep, if you buy seperately they RRP for more, but for me it was included in the cost of my bike. My dealer did not distinguish the price for the team bike with black wheels and the andromeda colour with ti wheels. He also did not itemise an extra charge for the wheels eventhough he did so for other upgraded parts like my King h-set. 

One proviso though, I bought my 5.9SL in Australia and the spec might be different to other countries as I have only seen the ti wheels on the 06 model over here and black ones on the 05. It might be different in the States.

Does anyone know whether ti wheels are actually a cost option when you buy the 2006 5.9sl??


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