Carbon aero road bike Trek Madone SL 6 era white: Shimano 105 Di2, 50 mm carbon wheels, 8.16 kg in ML

Trek Madone SL 6 era white: making the move to electronic shifting

The Trek Madone SL 6 Gen 8 combines an aerodynamic OCLV Series 500 carbon frame, the electronic Shimano 105 Di2 2x12 groupset and Aeolus Elite 50 carbon wheels, for 8.16 kg in size ML. It is the first Madone in the range that shifts at the simple press of a button, with the precision of electronics. The Era White colourway dresses it in a clean, bright and elegant white.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the rider who covers a lot of miles and wants to enjoy the comfort of electronic shifting without going for top-end Ultegra. It suits anyone who wants a complete bike, carbon wheels included, that they will not need to upgrade.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. Trek has made its carbon frames using the OCLV process for more than thirty years: each fibre layer is consolidated in a heated mould under pressure so that no micro-bubbles remain. The higher the series, the more optimised the lay-up and the less carbon is needed to withstand the same loads. The Madone SL 6 stays with OCLV 500, with a painted frame of 1,054 g in ML, and benefits from the Trek lifetime warranty.

Put simply: with the SL 6, Trek prioritises electronics and carbon wheels over OCLV 900 carbon. For most riders, instant shifting and 50 mm rims pay off more day to day than 271 g saved on the frameset.

Di2 above all changes the way you ride: each press triggers a crisp shift, even under full load on a climb, and the derailleurs never need adjusting the way a stretching cable does. The BT-DN300 battery rarely needs charging; we update the firmware in the workshop during services.

The 50 mm carbon wheels are a real plus: they hold speed on the flat, and their profile matches the Full System Foil frame to make the most of the aerodynamics. On the other hand, they call for a little more care in strong crosswinds, which are common when the tramontane sweeps down towards the coast.

Which Madone should you choose?

Our take: the SL 6 saves 480 g over the SL 5 with Di2 and carbon wheels. To get under 8 kg, you need the SL 7 with its Ultegra Di2 at 7.87 kg, or the SLR 7 in OCLV 900 at 7.52 kg.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? Our Béziers workshop builds and sets up your Madone, configures the Di2, updates its firmware and explains charging and maintenance.

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