Carbon aero road bike Trek Madone SL 5 Pro cobalt blue for sportives: 48 mm wheels, IsoFlow, 8.44 kg

Trek Madone SL 5 Pro cobalt blue: built for sportives

Aeolus Elite 48 carbon wheels, an OCLV Series 500 frame with IsoFlow and mechanical Shimano 105 2x12: the Trek Madone SL 5 Pro Gen 8 claims 8.44 kg in size ML. It has everything it takes for long timed events, where average speed and comfort matter equally. Its Matte Cobalt Blue/Trek Black/Living Coral colourway combines a matte cobalt blue, black and bright coral pinstripes.

Technical specifications

Who is it for?

For the sportive rider preparing two or three big events a year, on the flat as well as in the mountains, who wants a fast bike without sacrificing their back after five hours. It also suits the club cyclist who rides in a group on Sundays and wants to do their turns on the front.

The LVR workshop view

OCLV carbon, Trek's signature. OCLV has been Trek's in-house process since 1992: heat and pressure compact the carbon layers so that almost no voids remain between them, the usual weak point of a composite frame. On Trek's scale, the 500 of the SL 5 Pro marks the first road tier and the 900 of the SLR models the top; as you move up, the amount of material needed for a given stiffness decreases. Trek lifetime warranty on the frame, as on all OCLV models.

Put simply: the SL 5 Pro keeps the OCLV 500 frame of the SL 5 and invests where the gain is felt most, in the wheels. A 48 mm carbon rim reduces rotating mass and improves the way it cuts through the air; the SLR frameset would only save about 270 g more.

In a 150 km event, rear-end compliance makes the difference in the last hour: Trek claims up to 80 % more vertical compliance than the previous Madone thanks to IsoFlow, with no moving parts to maintain. The 28 mm tyres, wider than the 25 mm of the past, add to the comfort.

The 48 mm wheels hold their speed on long rolling sections and in groups, while remaining reasonable on the cols. At feed stations, you will appreciate the compatibility with classic round bottles; the 595 ml RSL Aero bottles are an option if you are looking for a few more watts.

Which Madone should you choose?

Our take: the 200 g saved over the SL 5 come from the carbon wheels, the most cost-effective upgrade for a sportive. The SL 6 AXS, at 8.11 kg, moves to wireless SRAM Rival if you want electronic shifting.

Your questions

Why buy from LVR Cycles? In Béziers, we build and adjust your bike, then service it before your big events so that you can start with peace of mind.

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