Price Paid:  $5800.00 at Pedal Power Bicycles

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Ten Tops and local Crits

Bike Setup:
Bike is stock - Full Dura-Ace, Race X lite wheels, Race XXX forks, stem, handlebars - there are no possible upgrades other than the wheels. I just threw on my Cat Eye, bottle cages and started riding.

Summary:
2008 Madone 6.5 - I LOVE this bike. Looks great, rides perfect, climbs and accelerates unbelievably well. The Race X lite wheels are so good I decided not to spend the money on the Aeolus carbon race wheels. The full Dura-Ace shifts quietly and effortlessly. The brakes are strong and calibrated well - you can touch them gently with great control without them catching all of a sudden, and they grab like crazy with a squeeze. The bladed carbon handlebar and XXX lite stem look AWESOME - it's weird how many compliments I've gotten just on those two pieces. I also love the way the white bladed spokes look. This bike is quiet, smooth, fast and responsive. My first ride, I tried to ride with just a normal, average, output and see how my speed was affected. I think the average speed with the same output is at least 4 mph faster. I felt guilty - you CAN buy speed. :-) I'm embarrased at how much I like this bike. FANTASTIC PRODUCT!!! Thanks Trek!!!

Strengths:
Weight, components, wheels, paintjob, customer service with the dealer. Steady downhill, spry uphill, quick off the line, firm in the sprint. And, it looks GREAT.

Weaknesses:
Price - even though I think it's justified, this is an expensive item.... but worth it if you can afford it.

Similar Products Used:
Trek 1500 (aluminum), Cervelo (carbon), Specialized (carbon)..... I liked the Specialized better than the Cervelo, but neither compares to the Madone

Price Paid:  $6000.00 at Bike Tech, Puyallup,

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
2008 Trek Madone 6.5

Bike Setup:
Original factory setup except for a Selle Italia SLC Gelflow saddle, and a Trek Incite ACH Wireless Digital computer (Altimeter, Cadence, Heartrate)

Summary:
In fact, my Trek Madone 6.5 is a 2008 model, and it is a fantastic bike. It was a gift from the members of the church I pastor, so I'm not sure of the exact price. The appearance of this bike is incredible with the shape and size of the tubes, the seat mast and cap, and the Bontrager Race Lite X Wheels. But it's beauty is a whole lot more than surface. I've ridden a Giant OCR1 aluminum frame bike for almost 4 years and loved it, but there is no comparison. This bike is incredibly light. I can pick it up and balance it on one finger! It is stiff and solid (I'm a big rider on a 62cm frame)! It is responsive, and jumps when you kick it! And it's smooth, like riding on new pavement even when you're on chip seal. Sometimes it's so light and quick that it almost feels like there's "no chain." I love the compact crank, and I ride a lot of hills. (I almost always have a 450 climb in order to get home.) And climbing with such a light bike is a dream, being a large rider (6'4" 220+ pounds). I would highly recommend this bike to anyone looking for a high end full carbon road bike. I've gotten a ton of compliments on it.

Strengths:
Full Dura Ace group
Compact crank
Brakes are very strong!

Weaknesses:
Sometimes it will feel just a little bit "loose" on a fast descent (40+ MPH) but I've never felt like I was going to lose it, just that I needed to pay attention.

Similar Products Used:
I haven't ridden any other full carbon road bikes.