Carbon aero road bike Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS serpentine: OCLV 900 frame, RED AXS E1, 7.00 kg in ML

Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS serpentine: a climber that no longer holds you back on the flat

For anyone coming from the Émonda, the Trek Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8 is a pleasant surprise: at 7.00 kg in size ML, it climbs just as well while staying fast on the flat. Its 796 g OCLV Series 900 frame comes with SRAM RED AXS E1 2x12 and Aeolus RSL 51 wheels. The Serpentine paintwork pairs a dark red that is almost burgundy with a brighter, more luminous red.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the lightweight climber who used to choose a round-tubed bike for the mountains, the puncheur who loves short, steep climbs, or the rider who lives at the foot of the hills and alternates climbs and fast runs home through the valley every week.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. On this Madone SLR 9 AXS, Trek uses OCLV Series 900, the pinnacle of carbon expertise that began in 1992. The principle never changes: each stack of fibres goes into a heated press to eliminate the air bubbles that would weaken the structure. The 3D moulding specific to Series 900 limits the areas where plies overlap, resulting in a painted frame of 796 g in ML and a 350 g fork. Like every OCLV frame, it benefits from the Trek lifetime warranty.

Put simply: between a Madone SL and this SLR, the 271 g difference on the frame and fork is felt mainly on long climbs and when accelerating. The real leap of the SLR 9 AXS also lies in what it comes with: RED E1 groupset, power meter and one-piece bar/stem, three features you will not find together further down the range.

The SLR frame and fork weigh 320 g less than those of the Gen 7 Madone, with comparable aerodynamics. Out of the saddle on the steep gradients of the Caroux or towards the Col de la Croix de Mounis, that lightness shows when you accelerate, and the T47 threaded bottom bracket avoids the creaks that spoil your efforts.

On descents, the 160 mm hydraulic discs and thru axles give precise braking, while the 28 mm tyres provide reassuring grip in hairpins. We bleed the brakes and check pad wear at every service, a key point for anyone who often descends mountain passes.

Which Madone should you choose?

Our take: for the mountains, the 1x at 6.40 kg is tempting, but its 600 g saving costs you the 35 small chainring. The SLR 9 AXS keeps 48/35 and 10-33, which is more versatile; the SLR 7 AXS adds 220 g.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? Based in Béziers, at the foot of the hills of the hinterland, we prepare your Madone for the mountains: brake bleeding, drivetrain adjustment and bike fit.

Please note that the specifications may be changed without prior notice by the manufacturer, based on the availability of components and other factors.