Trek Road Bike Models Explained
Trek offers a wide range of road bikes to suit all price points and riding ambitions. Below is a helpful guide on the various types of models, something our Blog team offers in more detail with a complete guide on the differences between Aero, Lightweight and Endurance road bikes.
Showcasing one of the most aerodynamic and integrated road options on the market, the Madone offers a superior balance of speed, efficiency, ride quality and performance. Following a significant re-design after an extensive period of research and development using the wind tunnel, the release of the 2016 Madone set a new benchmark for integration, with ‘the ultimate race bike’ being introduced to the market.
An integrated handlebar setup with invisible cable routing, combined with integrated direct mount brakes and reasonably aggressive geometries make this bike an extremely fast and efficient option for high race performance. Additionally, the Madone features Trek’s IsoSpeed technology to enhance comfort, and OCLV technology to reduce weight and increase stiffness, making this a well balance race-orientated option. The Madone 9.9 is the premier offering in the range, while the Madone 9.5 is offered with lesser grade materials and components, down through to the most affordable model in the range, the Madone 9.2.
The Emonda is Trek’s exceptionally lightweight road offering, perfectly suited to the climbing specialist. At the time of its initial release in 2014, the Emonda was recognized as the lightest production road frame available on the market, and also ensured maximum stiffness and comfort for an ideally balanced ride.
Focusing on an efficient frame design to maximize the primary design considerations of weight and stiffness, the Emonda is not exceptionally aerodynamic in appearance. Instead, optimizing Trek’s innovative OCLV carbon technology for weight and stiffness means an extremely light and compliant ride, ensuring a high level of comfort and ride quality. The Emonda SLR tops Trek’s lightweight specific range, offered with only the best components suitable for the likes of Trek-Segafredo and the most serious of race cyclists. The Emonda SL line adopts a slightly lesser grade carbon and more readily available components, making a more affordable range, while the Emonda ALR completes the family with an exceptional aluminium lightweight option.
As Trek’s premium endurance focused road offering, the innovative Domane combines a number of unique features to create one of the most comfortable and stable rides available on the market. Optimizing Trek’s very own IsoSpeed decoupler, a uniquely efficient form of road suspension, the Domane is the ultimate in stability and compliance when it comes to the harshest of terrain – as proven by the likes of Fabian Cancellera in the Spring Classics!
The Domane features predominately endurance geometry, meaning a slightly taller head tube and a shorter reach, all to ensure the comfort of the rider. This frame suits those looking to spend long days in the saddle, ride long sportive style events or just want something comfortable to get them over the rougher road surfaces. The Domane SLR leads the range, showcasing a setup and specifications worthy of the WorldTour, while the Domane SL and Domane S offer consumers an endurance option with a slightly lesser grade carbon and more affordable groupset options. Completing the range is the Domane ALR, a popular aluminium endurance option, available in both rim and disc brake options.
The ‘1’ series is aimed at the entry-level and recreational cyclist looking for a high-value ride. These aluminum models carry many frame design features found in Trek’s more premium options.
As one of the pioneers of women’s specific design within the bicycle industry, Trek is the leading brand in terms of sales of women’s bikes with a commitment to optimizing better fitting and higher quality bikes specifically for women. Trek’s WSD refines frame geometry and components to effectively create a sizing option for other models like the Madone, Emonda and Domane – meaning the innovations of those specific models can be carried over in a more adaptable manner.
Additionally, Trek also offers two further frames unique to the road performance family. The Silque provides an extremely balanced endurance option, considered to combine the comfort and versatility of the Domane, with some of the race performance and aerodynamics of the Madone. Available in multiple builds, the Silque SLR is the premium edition, working down through the Silque SL to the Silque S. Finally, Trek’s Lexa line is a sleek range of aluminium road frames that are smooth, light and an extremely affordable performance road option.
Trek Road Bike Technology
Trek has engineered a number of frames that each successfully cater to a distinct set of design considerations. These frames each define a particular category, yet commonly feature a number of Trek’s own major innovations:
OCLV Carbon – as one of the first bicycle brands to branch out into the use of carbon fiber as a frame material some decades ago, Trek has developed and patented the use of their own carbon fiber process known as OCLV Carbon – ‘Optimum Compaction, Low Void’. By focusing on optimal construction of certain weights and types of carbon, this technology allows Trek to dramatically reduce weight while maintaining stiffness. Available in a range of different levels, this technology is a common feature of Trek’s performance bicycles.
IsoSpeed – Released in 2012 after extensive collobaration with the Trek-Segafredo Racing team, Trek’s IsoSpeed technology provides a unique solution to maximizing compliance and efficiency on the roughest of road surfaces. Featuring patented ‘decouplers’ positioned on specific tube junctions on the frame, the frame is able to flex and offer a type of suspension on the road bike, without compromising on the efficiency of the power transfer. Originally released with the Domane, the IsoSpeed is now featured on a select number of other models in the Trek range.
Frame Geometry – Many of Trek’s models are offered in different configurations of frame geometry. The ‘H1’ option is the most aggressive, race-orientated setup, while the ‘H2’ typically has a taller head tube to suit the more endurance-focused rider. ‘WSD’ is Trek’s womens specific design, whereby frames are further optimized to better suit female riders.
Trek Road Bikes for Sale
BikeExchange has a huge selection of models from Trek’s extensive range of performance road bikes, so make sure you check out our online marketplace for everything Trek to be best equipped to meet your riding preferences!
