Trek Madone Gets More Affordable with All-New SL Gen 7 and RSL Aero Bar
Want to go fast for less? Trek’s new Madone SL Gen 7 looks to deliver SLR performance at a (much) lower price point. The new Madone SL Gen 7 frame looks nearly identical to the SLR, with only a few tweaks and a brand new RSL Aero Bar.
The question is: Do you want a Trek Madone SL Gen 7 for $2550 less than the SLR Gen 7, or do you really need to save 300g?
Trek Madone SL Gen 7 — Frame details:
The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 has (almost) all the bells and whistles of the Madone SLR and is available at nearly half the price.
What are the bells and whistles? The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 frame takes cues from the Madone SLR, including the new IsoFlow design. This unique hole in the frame’s seat tube replaced the IsoSpeed damping system on the previous Gen 6 version.
The new IsoFlow system still provides some vertical compliance, but more impressively, it eliminates excess weight and is a claimed 60 secs faster per hour over the Gen 6 model.
The slippery frame combines a refined Kammtail (Kammtail Virtual Foil) shaping for the tubes and a new narrower handlebar. Trek claims the new narrower bar/stem saves 9.7w alone, not including the frame aerodynamics.
The Madone SLR arrives with the RSL bar stem combo, and the Trek Madone SL Gen 7 mimics that with an all-new RSL Aero bar.
All-New Bontrager RSL Aero Bar
The new Trek RSL Aero bar is a narrow road bar aimed at creating a slippery front end without the fixed limitation positioning of a bar/stem combo.
It’s shallow (124mm drop) with an 80mm reach and a slight flare in the drops. The top of the RSL Aero bar is narrow, 3cm narrower at the tops vs. the drops.
Trek measures the RSL Aero bar from the tops, so finding your size can be tricky if looking aftermarket. For example, a 42cm wide bar is 42cm wide at the drops, which means the tops where the shifter mount are 39cm.
Q: So What’s Different? A: Carbon
The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 uses 500 Series OCLV carbon fiber, Trek’s middle-tier carbon. The SLR uses 800 series OCLV carbon for maximum weight reduction. You can also find the more robust 500 series on the Trek CheckPoint SL and Domane SL.
The frame bits remain the same (excluding the carbon) and they include a T47 threaded bottom bracket and proprietary seatpost. The seatpost wedge assembly is reversible to allow for a larger range of saddle height adjustment on a single seatpost. The stock seatpost is a 0° offset, but aftermarket 20mm offset versions are available from Trek.
Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Geometry
The Trek Madone SL Gen 7 uses the same race-oriented H1.5 geometry as the SLR. H1.5 is Treks Pro-Tour level race geometry, but it’s not point-and-shoot. Most roadies should find the steering and corning precise but manageable.
The sizing covers an extensive range, starting with 47cm and growing to 60cm. The seat tube shaping can make for some challenges, so there are two different seat masts, one with a length of 150mm (short) and 200mm (Tall). The geometry chart above shows the minimum and maximum saddle rail height with both options for every size. Bike sizes 47-54 will ship with the short post installed, and bikes 56-60cm will get the tall.
Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Specs:
The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 comes in two 12-speed Shimano builds: SL7 with Ultegra and SL 6 with 105. Though the groups and price structure change accordingly, a few specs remain the same throughout. SL 7 and 6 come with the cockpit, the new Bontrager RSL Aero-OCLV Carbon bar, and the RCS Pro – 7° stem.
For tires, both roll on Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite 120 tpi, 700x25c treads. The 25c tires are narrow compared to most modern road specs but ride well after setting up tubeless. The R3 Hardcase tires are a great mix of high performance with real-world puncture protection, though we prefer the 28c version.
For saddles, the Madone SL Gen 7 comes with the Bontrager Aeolus Comp. We reviewed the Aeolus a while back, and it remains one of our favorites for road riding.
The Aeolus Comp uses steel rails, making it more cost-effective in the spec but keeping the same shape as the Aeolus Pro and Elite — Plus you can use all your Bontrager BlendR compatible accessories.
Trek Madone SL 6 Gen 7
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 12-speed, 105 50/34 chainset and Shimano 11-30, 12-speed cassette
- Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready
- Weight: 8.40 kg / 18.52 lbs* Size 56
- Paint: Deep carbon smoke + Crimson
Trek Madone SL 7 Gen 7
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 12-speed, Ultegra 52/36 chainset and Ultrgra 11-30, 12-speed cassette
- Weight: 8.00 kg / 17.80 lbs Size 54 (tested, real weight out of the box)
- Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready
- Paint: Dark carmine red + Plasma
Trek Frameset SL7
- Frame, fork, and seat post only
- Color: Dark carmine red
Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Pricing:
- Trek Madone SL 6 Gen 7: $5,499.99
- Trek Madone SL 7 Gen 7: $6,499.99
- Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Frameset: $3,799.99
Trek Madone SL Gen 7 Availability:
The new Trek Madone SL Gen 7 is available online and from your local Trek Dealer. The Madone SL Gen 7 is not yet available for Trek Project One paint, but stay tuned…
Look back for a full review as we take the Trek Madone SL7 Gen 7 through the paces this fall.
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