Trek Madone 6.9 SSL arrived!
This bike turns heads, even jaded cyclists in the bike shop.
Even at Palo Alto Bicycles, it’s not every day that a bike like this gets built, and never before have I been so thrilled with the elegance of a bicycle in both appearance and functionality. It’s gorgeous, and supremely light, strong and functional.
See my Feb 9 notes on what the setup is.
I head out for my first ride tomorrow morning— got home at 5pm today, and parental duties kept me off it.
I’ll be posting pictures of the actual bike as built with the SRM power meter and SRM Power Control 7 head unit, the Lightweight Ventoux 240 wheelset, and of course the Shimano DI2 electronic shifters.
Total weight including pedals, wheels & tires, SRM cranks and head unit, speed sensor, and two bottle cages — ready to ride — 14.6 pounds, see bike details. It would likely be under 14 pounds as bike weights are normally quoted.
Wheels
The Lightweight (brand) rear wheel with with cassette and mounted tire is much lighter than most wheels without a cassette. I’ve never felt such a light rear wheel before, and yet the wheels are impressively sturdy. The entire wheel, including spokes, hub and rim, is one single piece of carbon. Amazing.
For 10% more, Lightweight offers a 3 year replacement guarantee on the wheelset against just about anything, including running over them with your car by accident. So I think Lightweight believes their wheels will last.