2013 Trek Madone 7 Series

Greg Kopecky Sat Mar 02 2013

This is a closer look at the 2013 Trek Madone 7 Series. We already reviewed the proprietary aero brake system HERE.

The 2013 Madone is one sleek ride – this is a 50cm size:

The Madone takes care of aero duties in the Trek road line; the Domane is marketed as its more comfortable Roubaix-ready cousin. The fork and main tubes on the Madone feature a Kamm tail profile. Just how aero is it?

Here’s the word, straight from Trek:

“We based the all-new Madone frame on our groundbreaking KVF (Kammtail Virtual Foil) tube shape. KVF minimizes drag using a truncated airfoil shape. The virtual tail of the airfoil bends to respond to the angle of the most common crosswinds, significantly reducing drag in the real world, where it really matters. It's like getting 25 free watts.”

This 7 Series model features Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting.

Mechanic’s tip for the day: Want to keep your Di2 routing minimal and clean? Mini zip ties are your friend:

The Di2 junction box and routing are quite clean on the Madone. Also note the tapered head tube – it uses a 1.5” lower bearing, and 1.125” upper.

Where did the rear brake go?

Both front and rear calipers are a proprietary direct-mount design from Trek. Also note the Di2 battery mount:

The front brake lines up nicely with the proprietary fork:

Stock wheels on this bike are the Bontrager Race X Lite. They feature 23mm wide rims and an optional tubeless conversion kit. The stock bikes come with inner tubes and standard (non-tubeless) Bontrager R3 tires:

The left chainstay is compatible with Trek’s DuoTrap computer.

The Madone has a “No Cut Seatmast”; each bike has a range of compatible saddle heights. This will likely work for the majority of riders – but perhaps not those on the ends of the bell curve (i.e. a long-legged rider who uses shorter-than-average cranks).