Dear Trek bicycles,
I am not in love with my new 2016 Project One Madone 9. I wanted to be in love with it, as I have been in love with all other Trek bicycles I've purchased. I hope this serves as information to help you better understand one of your demographic groups.
I am a mid 40s male with the financial stability to afford nice toys and the competitive spark to train and race basically as a second job. I'm a Cat 3 road racer and a Cat 1 mountain bike racer. I spend about a dozen hours on a bike weekly. I fell in love with Trek bikes with my 1998 Y22 because it fit like a glove, handled spectacularly, took an amazing beating, and pushed the technological boundaries of what I thought a bicycle was. I owned that bike for nearly a dozen years before it was replaced by a 2009 Fuel Ex 9.8 due to the Y22 being stolen. I now race the best mountain bike on the planet known as the 2014 Superfly 9.9 SL XX1, another Project One purchase for me.
I started my Madone path with the 2006 Madone 5.2. We were on a ski vacation in Steamboat Springs, walked by a bike shop, saw that beauty in the window, and the next day I owned it (thanks to my amazing wife gifting it to me). I moved on to a 2009 Madone 5.5 and a 2011 Madone 5.9.
Of course I needed a Speed Concept 9.5 to compete in stage races, upgrades happen, and my wife needs bikes too, so, our current garage looks like this. By my calculations I've owned over $55,000 of Trek bikes so far, where my newest Project One Madone 9 seen in white is worth $11,900.
Now that you understand the extent of my insanity, and hopefully the extent of my brand loyalty, let me get to the 2016 Madone.
I waited for this bike. I truly wore out my 2011 Madone. I ordered it the first week (maybe the first day) it was available. All my other Madones have been incredible and have been the best bikes I've ever owned, one after the other.
The 2016 is a Madone for sure. My second ride was a 100 miles, I've probably put 300 miles on it by now, and the Madone performs well; it is stiff under acceleration and it is comfortable. It is a stable descender and solid under my small-framed body. As promised the aerodynamics are superior to any other Madone I've owned, which is excellent, and kudos on the great work for making that happen.
What I can't wrap my head around is this: How can the top of the line $12,000 Madone 9 series possibly be 3/4 lbs heavier than my 5 year old Madone 5 series? The Madone is touted as the ultimate race bike. I chose against an Emonda because I wanted more than a pure climber; I wanted the whole package; you know, the ultimate. Did I end up with a sprinter-specialist bike? That is NOT my idea of an ultimate race bike. I suffer through flats and sprints to make some damage on climbs. I am now competing with people with 14 lbs bikes, how can my brand new, top of the line bike be 16.4 lbs?
The 2016 Madone 9 is a super sexy machine that climbs well. It feels good under acceleration. It descends amazingly. It is a Madone. I am disappointed that its climbing prowess doesn't surpass my older Madones. I've spent 3 times the amount of money I've ever spent on any Madone. I should be elated.
I hope this gives you insight and helps you produce superior bicycles.
Eric.
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