As a relative new comer to endurance cycling I had often viewed the technology that went into Racing bikes as an ‘anorak’ infused cacophony of needless tech chatter that confused rather than enlightened, and wouldn’t make one iota of difference to the performance of its rider. Who more often than not was more interested in looking cool rather than riding harder and becoming better.
How wrong could I have been? Now I am not going to rattle on about all of the techy stuff as for the majority of us it is rather meaningless what we want to know is how does the bike feel, move and handle.
Carbon is cool. No seriously, the term carbon fibre is thrown about all the times these days and is often used in motoring terms to improve the price tag and kerb appeal of sports cars. However, in this case the benefits of the OCLV Carbon Fibre frame are evident from the moment you pick up the bike in the showroom. It is so light you thinking that it might well be missing some of its vital organs!
The Shimano Ultegra drivetrain is super smooth and as a result any power that you generate gets transferred efficiently and smoothly. You really do feel connected to every element of this bike. The shifting for a layman such as me is effortless, intuitive and flows really nicely.
Super-aero brakes are integrated into the frame for minimum drag and maximum efficiency, eliminating the mounting plates and bolts and saving weight.
Madone’s integrated brakes allowed Trek to redesign the seatstay, eliminating the brake bridge and removing reinforcing layers to shed weight without compromising performance.
As for the handling of the bike then I feel really connected to the Madone 5.2, it provides the structure and stiffness when I need it, but it’s featherweight feel means you can throw it around confidently.
In September 2013 I will be cycling from London to Dubai covering 9000kms in 40 days (www.oneridetochangelives.com) to raise $1 Million to educate children in Africa and I know that this ‘ride’ is more than up to the task. Now I have to ensure I can match the quality of the Madone 5.2 with my performance on it.
You can follow Tom and the OneRide team via Social Media @TeamOneRide
