Madone 5.2 SL

The Madone SL frameset is a great frameset and the 5.2 a nicely spec'ed
bike. You could also look at some of the Specialized bikes (Roubioux,
Tarmac), also Orbea Onix or Orca, or some of the European superbikes
like the Looks, Time, Merkx etc. I know there are also two version of
the Scott frames, the Team version which is super expensive and the a
"limited" version that is slightly heaver (going form 810 to 890 grams
I think, so still super lite) that is spec'ed with Ultegra and much
more reasonably priced.

Hans C. said:

I am considering the purchase of a stock Madone 5.2SL. The only other
carbon bike I've tested is a VERY expensive Scott. They rode very
differently and I prefer the Trek. Two questions. First, can any of you
folks recommend other carbon frames that I should consider? Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

I went through the same experience -- I had always ridden steel,
and decided to make the switch this time around. I'm glad I did--
the initial feeling you've already experienced was cemented after
I got used to the carbon bike and then went back to the steel
bike for a couple of rides.

Mine is the '04 version of the 5.2, the 5200. I think it's an
exceptional bike for the money if you're happy with Ultegra. I
wasn't, and I ended up swapping the group out for Dura-Ace. There
used to be a middle option called the 5500, which was the same OCLV
120 frame & same wheels, but with Dura-Ace components. Now it
looks like if you want Dura-Ace, the next step up is the 5.9, which
also has the OCLV 110 frame, X-Lite wheels, carbon bar & stem, etc.,
for which you pay an extra $2,100.

Larry Coon
University of California

The 5.2 SL is the way to go if you you are going with a Trek. It is
the 110 carbon with full ultegra which I've heard is more than does the
trick. The SL frame is $3k if you try to buy it on it's own making
the bike even more of a steal. The wheels it comes with aren't as
nice as the 5.9, but they work fine.

I also swapped out for DA kit (sold the Ultegra for $750, picked up DA
for $1050) since I'm an equipment snob. The B-trager trim parts are
fine as well. The saddle sucks, but chances are you already have one
you like there anyway.

I FAR prefer my 5.2SL frame to the 5500 or the 5900 I've had in past
seasons. The rear end is much stiffer and really carves out the turns.

Compared to the Scott, or Giant, or whatever - for the price you'll
have a hard time finding as good a bike, and I prefer the ride of the
more traditional geometry bikes (non-compact).

Thank you for your insight. The shop offered me any upgrades (of course).
What saddle did you use in lieu of the stock saddle?

The Madone seemed to track pretty well, especially compared to the Scott.
Again, thank you.

"Andrew F Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The 5.2 SL is the way to go if you you are going with a Trek. It is
the 110 carbon with full ultegra which I've heard is more than does the
trick. The SL frame is $3k if you try to buy it on it's own making
the bike even more of a steal. The wheels it comes with aren't as
nice as the 5.9, but they work fine.

I also swapped out for DA kit (sold the Ultegra for $750, picked up DA
for $1050) since I'm an equipment snob. The B-trager trim parts are
fine as well. The saddle sucks, but chances are you already have one
you like there anyway.

I FAR prefer my 5.2SL frame to the 5500 or the 5900 I've had in past
seasons. The rear end is much stiffer and really carves out the turns.

Compared to the Scott, or Giant, or whatever - for the price you'll
have a hard time finding as good a bike, and I prefer the ride of the
more traditional geometry bikes (non-compact).

If you are not one who does not care about the finish quality of the frame
then Trek is a good choice. Look at road bike reviews and just about all the
reviews complain about the poor finish on Trek carbon frames. The are light
but does a few ounces really matter. I found the ride of the Look and Orbea
frames to be slightly better then the Trek Madone but the finish is perfect.
I would ride one of those frames before I buy. Also you have some thing
different. Trek is like a Ford you see them every where. Why, I don't know.

Saddle is quite a personal choice, but I have been really happy with
the Madone. So much real-estate to work with, and it's comfortable for
the longer rides.

I think the tracking your noticing is a behavior of the compact frame -
and potentially sizing. If they don't have the proper size for a
compact - and they try to make up for it with seatpost it can handle
pretty poorly.

Hans C. said:

I am considering the purchase of a stock Madone 5.2SL. The only other
carbon bike I've tested is a VERY expensive Scott. They rode very
differently and I prefer the Trek. Two questions. First, can any of you
folks recommend other carbon frames that I should consider? Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

TIA-Alan

You might try a Calfee if there is a local dealer whom you trust. Even
the "bottom of the line" (hey, everything's relative) Luna is a fabulous
ride.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am considering the purchase of a stock Madone 5.2SL. The only other
carbon bike I've tested is a VERY expensive Scott. They rode very
differently and I prefer the Trek. Two questions. First, can any of you
folks recommend other carbon frames that I should consider? Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

You may want to check out the Madone 5.5. It is in basically the same price
range as the 5.2SL and the Shimano components are mostly all
Dura-Ace. The 5.5 is not yet listed on Trek's web site but dealers have it
or can get it. The 5.2 may be the better bike for _you_ I am just
suggesting that you look at the 5.5 in the event that you did not know that
it existed.
Chuck

Larry Coon said:

I think it's an
exceptional bike for the money if you're happy with Ultegra. I
wasn't, and I ended up swapping the group out for Dura-Ace.

Why weren't you happy with Ultegra? Just curious...

I have bikes with both DA and Ultegra, never really noticed a
difference. I'm assuming this is all 10 speed you're talking about?

Hans C. said:

I am considering the purchase of a stock Madone 5.2SL. The only other
carbon bike I've tested is a VERY expensive Scott. They rode very
differently and I prefer the Trek. Two questions. First, can any of you
folks recommend other carbon frames that I should consider? Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

TIA-Alan

Hi,

I seriously looked at the Madone SL 5.2, a very nice bike but I ended
up getting a 2005 Giant TCR Composite 1 instead.

Both bikes have similar equipment (Ultegra...) and both weigh about the
same, 7.6kg or 16.7 lbs w/o pedals, but I could only score a great deal
on the Giant.

To start with its list price is better and with '06 models around the
corner good discounts could be had on the '05s. All up the Giant was
45% cheaper than the Trek!

As for performance the Giant also has the goods.

YMMV,
Cheers.

Hans C. wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

and yet, some will still not believe you...

Larry Coon said:

Hans C. said:

Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

I went through the same experience -- I had always ridden steel,
and decided to make the switch this time around. I'm glad I did--
the initial feeling you've already experienced was cemented after
I got used to the carbon bike and then went back to the steel
bike for a couple of rides.

Fascinating. Did the two of you make the comparisons with bicycles
having the same geometries, fit, saddles, bars and bar tape, gloves,
wheels, tires, tire pressures, shorts, and roads?

Quoted message said:

I am in very good shape and am looking to add bicycling to my repetoire
of running and weight training. I am also looking to join various
bicycling groups around Los Angeles. I don't have too much to spend
($500 or less), but I'd like a decent road bike not only for commuting
purposes, but also for distance bicycling.

I'm not sure if this is vital information, but I am female, 5'9" tall,
and around 135lbs. I visited a bike shop and the guy told me that I'm a
"medium" (whatever that may mean) and that I have a stand over height
ranging from 50-53. He didn't get into more specifics than that.

The 5.2SL is the killer bike in the line. As someone else pointed out, the
5.2SL *is* the 5.9SL frameset... the frameset that sells for $2999.99. The
completely '06 5.2SL sells for $3199.99. If you can find one of last year's
models, they're about $200 less. Either way it's a lot of bang for the buck,
as the Ultegra components work great (and definitely don't get the respect
they deserve), and the RaceLite wheels can be upgrades to the X-Lite as
found on the 5.9SL for less than $400 (a popular upgrade for many of our
customers, as it gives them the two things from the 5.9SL that determine
most of the ride quality of a bike- the frameset and wheels).

Do keep in mind that I'm not just slightly biased on this one, but
completely so. We sold more 5.2SLs last year than any other dealer in the
country, and had such a huge backorder for them that we got the last of our
'05 models just a couple weeks ago... bikes that we'd ordered last October.

Someone else mentioned the 5.5. It's OK, but for my money, I prefer the
nicer, lighter frame of the 5.2SL over the DuraAce components found on the
5.5. But that's just me, others will have differing priorities, which is why
the different models exist.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:53:28 -0700, jim beam <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hans C. wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

and yet, some will still not believe you...

Yeah. I don't.

JT

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Remove "remove" to reply
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TIA-Alan,

I'm an 05' Trek Madone 5.2SL owner. Here's my story of woe...

To say Trek has an issue with frame finish quality is an
understatement. My frame looked like a 3rd grader finished it. I was
so excited to buy this bike, my first "high-end" road bike that I
didn't even bother to inspect the frame when I decided to buy it. I
did notice defects in the finish on the fork and let the store owner
know about it. He said he would talk to his Trek rep and see what the
deal is. As soon as I got the bike home I noticed about a dozen other
defects in the finish. Besides the fork, which looked like the paint
gun ran out of paint and just spattered its remnants, the frame itself
had about 8 to 10 air bubbles under the clear-coat. The decorative
striping was off center and wasn't parallel to the other striping.
There was an actual fingerprint in the clear-coat on the top tube.
Under the down-tube you could see where the painter overlapped the
striping and left the tape folded up. Basically the frame was [censored].

I expressed my issue with both Trek USA and my local bike shop. Both
told me that they would have to take my frame back and strip it and
repaint it. This process could take 1 to 2 months. I didn't exactly
like this idea and just wanted a new frame. Trek wouldn't do it, but
my LBS would. The local Trek store owner allowed me to trade my 05'
Madone 5.2SL in for a 05' Trek Project One SL, which is a custom
paintjob and is the 110 OCLV frame. This cost me an additional $500.

The story doesn't end there.

I had the Shimano FlightDeck installed. It didn't work. They replaced
the computer and harness, still didn't work. They had to order new
Ultergra shifters, still didn't. 30 days later, two sets of shifters
and 4 sets of computer/harness exchanges and I finally have a 100%
working bike. I did get an upgrade to Dura Ace shifters out of the
deal.

My point in this long post is this: Trek is so overwhelmed with orders
that they're churning out [censored] finished bikes. Nothing beats the 110
OCLV frame, but the rest of the bike has issues. If you buy a Trek,
take the time to inspect it head to toe and if you're putting the
flight deck on it make sure the shifter's computer chip is working.

Other bikes: The Specialized Roubioux is a comfort bike, more upright.
The Tarmac is more race inspired but more $$. For a little more money
Serrotta makes one hell of a custom built bike. Cervelo is also
turning out some nice bikes for the money.

Good luck and be carefull with Trek.
-Mike

C Wright said:

You may want to check out the Madone 5.5. It is in basically the same price
range as the 5.2SL and the Shimano components are mostly all
Dura-Ace. The 5.5 is not yet listed on Trek's web site but dealers have it
or can get it.

Ah, so they -do- still offer something along the lines of
the 5500.

Larry Coon
University of California

The NBA Salary Cap FAQ:
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm

I will inspect any frame I consider. Do you think you just got a lemon?
Most folks are pretty bullish on Ultegra and I have Ultergra 600 on my old
steel frame and it has worked very over the years.

Thanks again.

"tntcoach" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TIA-Alan,

I'm an 05' Trek Madone 5.2SL owner. Here's my story of woe...

To say Trek has an issue with frame finish quality is an
understatement. My frame looked like a 3rd grader finished it. I was
so excited to buy this bike, my first "high-end" road bike that I
didn't even bother to inspect the frame when I decided to buy it. I
did notice defects in the finish on the fork and let the store owner
know about it. He said he would talk to his Trek rep and see what the
deal is. As soon as I got the bike home I noticed about a dozen other
defects in the finish. Besides the fork, which looked like the paint
gun ran out of paint and just spattered its remnants, the frame itself
had about 8 to 10 air bubbles under the clear-coat. The decorative
striping was off center and wasn't parallel to the other striping.
There was an actual fingerprint in the clear-coat on the top tube.
Under the down-tube you could see where the painter overlapped the
striping and left the tape folded up. Basically the frame was [censored].

I expressed my issue with both Trek USA and my local bike shop. Both
told me that they would have to take my frame back and strip it and
repaint it. This process could take 1 to 2 months. I didn't exactly
like this idea and just wanted a new frame. Trek wouldn't do it, but
my LBS would. The local Trek store owner allowed me to trade my 05'
Madone 5.2SL in for a 05' Trek Project One SL, which is a custom
paintjob and is the 110 OCLV frame. This cost me an additional $500.

The story doesn't end there.

I had the Shimano FlightDeck installed. It didn't work. They replaced
the computer and harness, still didn't work. They had to order new
Ultergra shifters, still didn't. 30 days later, two sets of shifters
and 4 sets of computer/harness exchanges and I finally have a 100%
working bike. I did get an upgrade to Dura Ace shifters out of the
deal.

My point in this long post is this: Trek is so overwhelmed with orders
that they're churning out [censored] finished bikes. Nothing beats the 110
OCLV frame, but the rest of the bike has issues. If you buy a Trek,
take the time to inspect it head to toe and if you're putting the
flight deck on it make sure the shifter's computer chip is working.

Other bikes: The Specialized Roubioux is a comfort bike, more upright.
The Tarmac is more race inspired but more $$. For a little more money
Serrotta makes one hell of a custom built bike. Cervelo is also
turning out some nice bikes for the money.

Good luck and be carefull with Trek.
-Mike

41 said:

Larry Coon said:

Hans C. said:

Secondly, any
thoughts good/ bad or personal experience with the Madone. I currrently
ride a custom steel frame. I was amazed at the comfort of the ride compared
to my old steel bike.

I went through the same experience -- I had always ridden steel,
and decided to make the switch this time around. I'm glad I did--
the initial feeling you've already experienced was cemented after
I got used to the carbon bike and then went back to the steel
bike for a couple of rides.

Fascinating. Did the two of you make the comparisons with bicycles
having the same geometries, fit, saddles, bars and bar tape, gloves,
wheels, tires, tire pressures, shorts, and roads?

And shoes and pedals and sunglasses and helmets! And tailwind/headwind
and temperature. The wind, temperature and what I am wearing while
riding affect my comfort more than the bike.

Dave said:

Why weren't you happy with Ultegra? Just curious...

The glib answer is because I had always used Campy Record
until then, and I was accustomed to a certain performance
level.

But really, I did give Ultegra a shot. I was getting chain
rub on the front changer when climbing, which neither I nor
anyone else could fix. The front changer, designed to work
with either double or triple, just didn't seem to trim to
the right spots. Plus, the shifter just didn't seem to
work right all the time. The rest is mainly just aesthetics,
but as I said, I was used to a certain level with Campy.

Quoted message said:

I have bikes with both DA and Ultegra, never really noticed a
difference. I'm assuming this is all 10 speed you're talking about?

The Ultegra was 9, but I switched to Dura-Ace 10. I started
out just replacing the crankset, but I still wasn't happy
with the shifters so I went ahead and did the full 10-speed
upgrade (fd, rd, cassette, chain). After I did that, I went
ahead and did the brakes, just to be complete.

I actually ended up parlaying the 5200 plus my old bike into
my current configuration. I parted out my old bike (a Somec)
and sold it on eBay, used the money to buy the DA-10 group,
sold off the Ultegra components, used that to upgrade the
wheels from Race-Lite to Race-X-Lite, sold the Race-Lites and
used that to buy a Ciclosport HAC-4.

Larry Coon
University of California