Your guide to Trek's 2017 road bike range

Trek has a huge range that covers virtually all areas of cycling, the US brand dividing its performance road bikes into three families: Madone, Emonda and the Domane.

The Madone has an emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency, the Emonda is all about light weight, and the Domane has a focus on comfort and ride quality. There are many models at different price points within each of those categories.

Trek also offers its cheaper 1 Series of aluminium road bikes, its female-specific Lexa and Silque bikes, and many cyclocross models.

Here are the highlights…

Madone

The Madone is a long-standing model in the Trek range, although it has changed massively over the years. These days all of the Madones are high-end. You can’t get a complete bike for less than £4,800, so they're out of reach of most of us.

The Madone had a major redesign for 2016 that saw the inclusion of an IsoSpeed decoupler – technology borrowed from the Domane (see below) – for the first time.

What’s that?

“Trek engineers designed a decoupler that allows the seat tube to rotate independently from the top-tube-to-seatstay junction, increasing vertical compliance to twice that or our nearest competitor, without compromising pedalling efficiency,” says Trek.

The Madone is designed to be aerodynamically efficient with tubes shaped to minimise drag and many integrated features such as dedicated direct-mount brakes, the front one melding almost seamlessly into the fork legs and crown.

The Madone is available in two different grades of carbon – 700 OCLV being lighter and stronger than 600 OCLV – and in two different fits. The H1 fit is low and aggressive while the H2 fit is slightly more relaxed but still performance orientated.

The most affordable (it’s all relative!) model is the £4,800 H2 Madone 9.2 (above). This one is built up with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Bontrager Aura tubeless ready wheels.

Check out or complete guide to Shimano road bike groupsets here.

Bontrager is Trek’s in-house brand but don’t make the mistake of thinking that’s simply a way to cut overheads. Bontrager is a legitimate brand in its own right and develops some excellent products, including the aerodynamically profiled integrated handlebar/stem that features here.

Read our review of the Trek Madone 9 Series here.

Like many of the higher end bikes in the range, you can use Trek’s Project One programme to create a custom version of the 9.2. You can choose the grade of carbon-fibre, the colour, the groupset, the components and the accessories you like.

With the £6,500 Madone 9.5 (above) you can choose between a Shimano Dura-Ace mechanical groupset and the Di2 (electronic) version of Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Trek Madone 9.5 Womens 2017 - 1.jpg

It’s available in a women’s version (above) too, with the same geometry as the standard version but with a slightly tweaked spec.

The £9,000 Madone 9.9 is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components and Bontrager’s excellent Aeolus 5 D3 TLR wheels.

When we reviewed the Trek Madone 9 Series we concluded: “Stunningly good bike that offers a fabulous mix of speed and comfort, although, as usual, the top-end tech comes at a price”.

Buy if: You want a top-level race bike and you have a lot of money to spend.

Emonda

Trek boasts that the Emonda has been “the lightest production road line ever” since its introduction in mid-2014.

The Emonda range covers three different carbon-fibre frames – the S, the SL and the SLR, in descending order of weight and ascending order of price – and an aluminium model (see below). Each of those frames comes in various different builds.

Trek hasn’t changed any of the Emonda frames for 2017, although there are some changes to the specs, especially as far as wheels are concerned.

The Emonda S 5 (above), made from Trek’s 300 Series OCLV carbon, has a head tube that’s tapered for front end stiffness and an oversized bottom bracket that’s designed to add efficiency through the centre of the bike. It’s built up with Shimano’s super-reliable mid-level 105 groupset and looks like excellent value at £1,400.

The Emonda SL bikes are built around a frame made from 500 Series OCLV carbon which has a higher stiffness to weight ratio than 300 Series. Other differences are that the SL gets internal cable routing and a seatmast that fits to the outside of an extended seat tube, instead of a standard seatpost. The H2 geometry – performance orientated but not extreme – is the same as that of the Emonda S.

The £2,100 SL6, built up with a Shimano Ultegra (mechanical) groupset and Bontrager Race tubeless ready wheels, is an eyecatcher in terms of value, and it’s available in both standard and women’s (above) versions.

The Emonda SLRs are built with 700 Series OCLV carbon with a stiffness/weight ratio that’s a little higher again.

We reviewed the Trek Emonda SLR 8 a couple of years ago and called it a “super light and lively road bike that flies up the climbs, with many other talents too”.

Check out our review to read about those.

The Emonda SLR 8 RSL (above), which comes in an aggressive H1 geometry, is priced £5,500 although you can get the Emonda SLR 6 with a Shimano Ultegra (mechanical) groupset for £4,000.

If you really do have loads to spend, the super high-end Emonda SLR 10 Race Shop Limited (above) is £9,700. The build includes a SRAM Red eTap wireless electronic groupset and Bontrager’s superlight Aeolus SL tubular wheels.

Buy if: You’re after a fast road bike with a focus on light weight.

Emonda ALR

The Emonda ALR frame remains unchanged for 2017, which is fine by us because we think it’s among the very best aluminium options out there at the moment.

There are three Emonda ALR bikes in the range, all based on the same 300 Series Alpha Aluminium frame with virtually invisible welds and a tapered head tube that helps to provide accurate steering. Trek Emonda ALR 4 2017 - 1.jpg

The Emonda ALR 4 (above) is the cheapest model at £1,000. This gets you a Shimano Tiagra groupset with virtually everything else coming from Bontrager.

If you can afford more, the £1,200 Emonda ALR 5 (above) is tempting with its full carbon fork and Shimano 105 groupset. That looks a great buy.

The £1,500 Emonda ALR 6 (above) steps up to a full Shimano Ultegra groupset and Bontrager Race tubeless ready wheels.

Check out our Trek Emonda ALR 6 review from last year here.

Buy if: You want one of the best lightweight aluminium road bikes out there.

Domane

Trek broke new ground when it introduced its IsoSpeed decoupler on the Domane back in 2012. Essentially, it’s a design that allows the seat tube to pivot relative to the top tube and seatstays,so the saddle can move downwards (and a little backwards), providing more give and adding comfort to the ride.

Trek Domane SLR 2016 - 34.jpg

Then Trek introduced a front IsoSpeed system (above) to some of its models in 2016 to increase comfort and control, and added adjustment to the rear IsoSpeed decoupler (below).

Check out our review of the Trek Domane SLR 6 for a full rundown of the IsoSpeed technology.

Trek Domane SLR 2016 - 29.jpg

The Domane range is divided up like this:

• Domane SLR: Front and adjustable rear IsoSpeed, 600 Series OCLV carbon.

• Domane SL: Front and non-adjustable rear IsoSpeed, 500 Series OCLV carbon.

• Domane S: Non-adjustable rear IsoSpeed, 400 Series OCVL carbon.

• Domane ALR: Non-adjustable rear IsoSpeed, 200 Series Alpha Aluminium.

Both rim brake and disc brake models are available at all of these levels.

The most affordable Domane is the £1,100 ALR 4 which features a Shimano Tiagra groupset and Tektro dual-pivot brakes, while £1,300 gets you the ALR 4 Disc (below) – essentially the same bike but with Shimano’s new Tiagra-level RS405 hydraulic disc brakes. Trek Domane ALR 4 Disc 2017 - 1.jpg

The Bontrager wheels come with 32mm-wide tyres but you can get 36mm on here even if you have mudguards fitted. That’s an easy way to add more comfort.

You get a carbon fibre frame with more compliance via the IsoSpeed decoupler if you make the step up to the £1,400 Domane S 4 (above), and we really like the look of the Domane S 5 Disc (below).

Your £2,000 gets you a Shimano 105 groupset and RS785 hydraulic disc brakes that offer a strong, reliable performance in all weathers.

The SL 6 (£2,500, above) is the most affordable Domane with front IsoSpeed. This model features a Shimano Ultegra groupset and a Bontrager IsoZone handlebar that incorporates replaceable EVA pads to reduce vibration.

The £3,500 Domane SL 6 Disc Carbon (above) is a similar bike but with Shimano RS685 hydraulic disc brakes and Vision Metron 40 Disc LTD wheels rather than ones from Bontrager.

The top-level Domanes– with front IsoSpeed and adjustable rear IsoSpeed – kick off with the £3,600 SLR 6 (below).

We reviewed this bike a few months ago and said, “The Domane just got even better. It's smoother and more comfortable than the original, and fast and fun as well.”

Check out our Domane SLR 6 review here.

We went on to say, “There are few endurance bikes as comfortable as the new Trek Domane SLR. A host of changes ensures the new bike is incredibly smooth, filtering out the most severe vibrations on all sorts of rough roads, gravel tracks and cobblestones.”

Trek Domane SLR 9 ETAP 2017 - 1.jpg

If you want SRAM’s wireless shifting you need the Domane SLR 9 eTap (above), but it’ll cost you £7,600. Ouch! That does include Bontrager’s Aeolus 3 TLR D3 wheels and a Bontrager XXX OCLV carbon-fibre stem.

Buy if: You’re after an endurance road bike with plenty of comfort and control.

1 Series

The 1 Series is Trek’s entry level road lineup. Each of the two models has a frame made from Trek’s 100 Series Alpha Aluminium complete with mudguard and rack eyelets so it’s easy to add those accessories if you want to commute by bike, for example.

The 1 Series bikes are built to Trek’s H2 geometry, meaning that your riding position won’t be as low or as stretched out as on one of the brand’s H1 bikes. You might well find an H2 geometry more comfortable for your back and neck.

The £625 1.1 (above) is fitted with a Shimano Claris 8-speed transmission and Bontrager wheels while the £750 1.2 has next-level-up Shimano Sora 9-speed transmission. The wheels on this model are tubeless ready, meaning that you can ditch inner tubes if you later decide to fit the necessary tyres.

When we reviewed the 2015 version of the Trek 1.2 (2017 version above) we said, “Very good value, ideal for anyone looking for a first road bike, with just the brakes as a low point.”

Read our review of the Trek 1.2.

The brakes in question were no-name alloy dual pivot callipers, as they are on the 2017 model.

Buy if: You want an entry-level aluminium road bike that offers high value for money

Lexa

Like those from the 1 Series, the women’s Lexa bikes are made from Trek’s 100 Series Alpha Aluminium, and they’re mudguard and rack compatible.

The Lexas are built to women’s specific geometries. In other words, the frame tube lengths have been chosen with female riders in mind. Components like the saddles have also been selected especially for women.

The entry-level option is the £625 Lexa 2 (above) which is fitted with Shimano’s 8-speed Claris transmission.

Pay £750 for the Lexa 3 (above) and you get 9-speed Shimano Lexa while the £850 Lexa 4 has 10-speed Tiagra.

Check out our review of the Shimano Tiagra groupset here.

Buy if: You’re looking for an affordable aluminium road bike in a women’s specific design.

Silque

The Silques aren’t simply women’s versions of the Domanes. For a start, the geometry is more aggressive.

The new Silque SLR does, though, borrow IsoSpeed technology from the Domane at both the seat tube and the head tube, and it uses Trek’s new IsoCore handlebar which features a layer of rubber within the carbon-fibre layup to dissipate some of the high-frequency vibrations. Trek Silque SLR 7 2017 - 1.jpg

The top level £4,400 Silque SLR 7 (above) is built up with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic groupset.

If you don’t want to spend that much, the Silque S is made from 400 Series OCLV carbon-fibre and comes with just rear IsoSpeed. The £1,600 Silque S 5 (above) is built up with Shimano’s mid-level 105 groupset which offers outstanding value for money.

Read our Shimano 105 groupset review here.

Buy if: You want a women’s specific road bike with the added comfort and control of Trek’s IsoSpeed.

Crossrip

The Crossrip is a disc-brake equipped range that’s designed to handle everything from commuting to gravel riding. The 200 Series Alpha Aluminium frame is rack and mudguard compatible for added versatility.

The cheapest model is the £900 Crossrip 1 (above) that’s fitted with 9-speed Shimano Sora shifters and derailleurs and TRP’s Spyre C 2.0 mechanical (cable operated) disc brakes.

The top-level Crossrip 3 (£1,650) gets Shimano’s well-respected 10-speed 105 groupset and hydraulic rim brakes for superb control.

Buy if: You’re after a durable urban bike with all-weather stopping power.

Cyclocross

Trek offers two cyclocross platforms: Crockett and Boone.

The Crockett frame is disc-specific and it’s made from 200 Series Alpha Aluminium. The more affordable of the two models is the Crockett 5 Disc (£1,400, above) with a largely Shimano 105 groupset and Hayes CX 5 mechanical disc brakes.

The Crockett 7 Disc (above) has a SRAM Force 1 groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes, but it’s considerably more expensive at £2,200.

Check out our review of a past Trek Crockett disc bike here.

The Boone is made from 600 Series OCLV carbon fibre and it’s available in both disc and rim brake models.

The £2,600 Boone 5 Disc (above) comes with a Shimano 105 groupset and RS685 hydraulic disc brakes.

Buy if: You want a cyclocross race bike with cross-specific geometry and gearing.

www.trekbikes.com

The 2017 Trek range

	Style	Frame material	Groupset	Price
1.1 C H2	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Claris	£625
1.2 C H2	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Sora	£750
Domane ALR 4	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Tiagra	£1,100
Domane ALR 4 Disc	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Tiagra	£1,300
Domane ALR 5 Disc	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano 105	£1,500
Domane S 4 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Sora	£1,400
Domane S 4	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Tiagra	£1,400
Domane S 5	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£1,600
Domane S 5 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£2,000
Domane SL 5 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£3,100
Domane SL 6	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£2,500
Domane SL 6 Pro	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,100
Domane SL 6 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,500
Domane SL 7	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,300
Domane SL 8	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace	£3,500
Domane SLR 6	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,600
Domane SLR 6 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£4,000
Domane SLR 7	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£4,400
Domane SLR 7 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£4,800
Domane SLR 8	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace	£4,750
Domane SLR 9	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace Di2	£8,000
Domane SLR 9 Disc	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace Di2	£8,500
Domane SLR 9 E-Tap	Endurance	Carbon fibre	SRAM Red E-Tap	£7,600
Domane SLR 10 Race Shop Ltd	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace Di2	£10,500
Lexa 2	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Claris	£625
Lexa 3	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Sora	£750
Lexa 4	Endurance	Aluminium	Shimano Tiagra	£850
Silque S 4	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Tiagra	£1,400
Silque S 5	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£1,600
Silque S 6	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£2,000
Silque SLR 6	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,600
Silque SLR 7	Endurance	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£4,400
Emonda ALR 4	Race	Aluminium	Shimano Tiagra	£1,000
Emonda ALR 5	Race	Aluminium	Shimano 105	£1,200
Emonda ALR 6	Race	Aluminium	Shimano Ultegra	£1,500
Emonda S 5	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£1,400
Emonda SL 5	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£1,800
Emonda SL 6	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£2,100
Emonda SL 6 WSD	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£2,100
Emonda SL 6 Pro	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£2,700
Emonda SL 7	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£2,900
Emonda SLR 6 H2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£4,000
Emonda SLR 8 Race Shop Ltd H1	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace	£5,500
Emonda SLR 10 H1	Race	Carbon fibre	SRAM Red E-Tap	£9,700
Madone 9.2 C H2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£4,800
Madone 9.5 C H2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace	£6,500
Madone 9.5 C H2 Ultegra Di2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£6,500
Madone 9.9 C H2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace Di2	£9,000
Madone 9.5 C WSD Ultegra Di2	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra Di2	£6,500
Madone Race Shop Ltd H1	Race	Carbon fibre	Shimano Dura-Ace Di2	£11,500
Crockett 5 Disc	Cyclocross	Aluminium	Shimano 105	£1,400
Crockett 7 Disc	Cyclocross	Aluminium	SRAM Force CX 1	£2,200
Boone 5 Disc	Cyclocross	Carbon fibre	Shimano 105	£2,600
Boone 7 CF	Cyclocross	Carbon fibre	SRAM Force CX 1	£2,400
Boone 7 Disc	Cyclocross	Carbon fibre	SRAM Force CX 1	£3,200
Boone Race Shop Limited	Cyclocross	Carbon fibre	Shimano Ultegra	£3,200
Crossrip 1	Adventure	Aluminium	Shimano Sora	£900
Crossrip 2	Adventure	Aluminium	Shimano Tiagra	£1,250
Crossrip 3	Adventure	Aluminium	Shimano 105	£1,650
520 Disc	Adventure	Chromoly steel	Shimano Mix	£950
920 Disc	Adventure	Aluminium	SRAM Mix	£1,400