Carbon aero road bike Trek Madone SLR 7 serpentine red: racing and duathlon, Ultegra Di2, 7.52 kg in ML

Trek Madone SLR 7 Serpentine: a red made for racing

The Trek Madone SLR 7 Gen 8 combines an OCLV Series 900 carbon frame, Shimano Ultegra Di2 2x12 and Aeolus Pro 51 carbon wheels, for 7.52 kg in size ML. Its versatility makes it just as much at home in a road race as in a duathlon or a triathlon where drafting is allowed. The Serpentine colourway pairs a dark, almost burgundy red with a brighter red in an intense fade.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the all-round competitor who alternates road races, duathlons and draft-legal triathlons and wants a single bike that complies with the rules of these events. It also suits the triathlete looking for a road bike for group training, alongside a time trial bike.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. Since 1992, Trek has pressed its fibre sheets under heat and pressure to drive out micro-voids. Each step up the OCLV range reduces the amount of material needed for a given stiffness, and the Series 900 of the Madone SLR 7 is the pinnacle: 3D moulding, fewer sheet overlaps, and strength up to 20% greater than OCLV 800. The result: 796 g for the painted frame in ML and the Trek lifetime warranty.

Put simply: with the same groupset and wheels, the step from the Madone SL 7 to the SLR 7 comes down to the frame and cockpit. You save 350 g on the complete bike in size ML, and the one-piece Aero RSL bar/stem replaces the separate bar and stem, at the cost of less flexible position adjustment.

Draft-legal formats require a classic road bike that handles well in a tight group: a triathlon bike with extensions is banned or poorly suited there. The Madone keeps a race position that lets you hold your own in the bunch while offering a favourable aerodynamic profile in breakaways.

If you want to gain even more aerodynamically in a duathlon, clip-on extensions can be discussed, but the one-piece Aero RSL bar/stem limits the mounting options: we check compatibility in the workshop before any modification. The short-nosed Aeolus Pro saddle makes the forward position easier.

Which Madone should you choose?

Our take: for a triathlete, this SLR 7 complements a Speed Concept rather than replacing it: the former for riding in a bunch, the latter for time trials. The SLR 7 AXS adds a power meter that is useful for managing effort in these formats.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? As a Trek retailer in Béziers, we support triathletes and duathletes: bike fit, build in our workshop and advice on choosing between the Madone and the Speed Concept.

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