[cweight]

Okay, so the new 2011 Trek Madone 5 series frames are TCT, not OCLV. But it sounds like they are also making major changes to the TCT builds.

Trek says "Trek’s Madone 5 Series boasts a 15% increase in front end stiffness and a 43% increase in vertical compliance for the 2011" (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/trek...oducing_the_2011_madone_family_of_road_bikes/)

So a 2011 TCT frame has 43% more vertical compliance than a 2010 OCLV frame!? That is rather hard to believe - if true, it seems signify a significant change in TCT build, and perhaps quality.

Can anyone add anything to this picture? Heard the official Trek rap on this? Better yet, ridden one of the new TCT bikes?

(I am asking because I am trying to decide whether to try to locate a 2010 Madone 5.2 or just wait for the 2011s. Kinda tough when the '10s are disappearing and the '11s aren't generally available yet.)

Thanks much,
Chris.

 

[Dereck]

I could be described as biased, after my bad experiences with an '09 Madone 6.9, but your link looks to me like Trek's marketing dept has been furiously thinking up new acronyms and TLAs (Three Letter Abbreviations), backed up with that move of desperation, the FLA (Four letter Abbreviation)

They missed writing 'Trek' down the sides of the head tube too.

D

 

[backinthesaddle]

Buy something else. There are better frames out there for less money. 75% of 5 and 6 series Madone frames in my town have been replaced at least once for failures of one sort or another.

 

[Trek2.3]

So a 2011 TCT frame has 43% more vertical compliance than a 2010 OCLV frame!? That is rather hard to believe - if true, it seems signify a significant change in TCT build, and perhaps quality.

Trek is now calling it "5 Series TCT Carbon" to distinquish it from the "4 Series TCT Carbon." I'll bet $10 that the "4 Series TCT Carbon" is the same old TCT carbon that Trek has been using in Tiawan for years. And the % increases are from that base and NOT from the "OCLV Black Carbon" used in the US made 5 series bikes thru 2010.

Literally true but misleading. Ah, the essence of advertising!

 

[cweight]

I agree that it is much more likely that the 43% is based of the 2010 4 series TCT not the 2010 5 series OCLV. But I still think that Trek's marketing statement is quite clear:

"Trek’s Madone 5 Series boasts a 15% increase in front end stiffness and a 43% increase in vertical compliance for the 2011"

The "5 series... boasts a 43% increase". If they are basing that number off of TCT, then it is not literally true, not misleading, it is flat-out wrong. Most likely, the techies gave the marketing side the correct numbers and whoever wrote that blurb blew it.

I may just contact Trek on this one. Anyone have contact info? (I looked online and like most big companies, they seem to hide it.)

 

[cweight]

backinthesaddle: What other frames stand out? I was super-impressed by the Madone 5.2 that I test-rode. I liked it quite a bit more than the Tarmac - the power drive felt similar but the Tarmac was a notable harsher ride (coming from a stiff old Al frame, trying to get away from the harsh).

Thx.

 

[Dereck]

I agree that it is much more likely that the 43% is based of the 2010 4 series TCT not the 2010 5 series OCLV. But I still think that Trek's marketing statement is quite clear:

"Trek’s Madone 5 Series boasts a 15% increase in front end stiffness and a 43% increase in vertical compliance for the 2011"

The "5 series... boasts a 43% increase". If they are basing that number off of TCT, then it is not literally true, not misleading, it is flat-out wrong. Most likely, the techies gave the marketing side the correct numbers and whoever wrote that blurb blew it.

I may just contact Trek on this one. Anyone have contact info? (I looked online and like most big companies, they seem to hide it.)

Of course they hide it. You're a consumer - go to the bike shop and buy a product. Don't bother head office, they're thinking up next year's marketing phrases and buzzwords.

My most desperate Trek moment, after mine being delivered correctly equipped on the third try (Revolution Cycles Trek Boutique, in DC), the first one cracking and the second one tending to develop this nasty oscillation at speed, was my first time out on my second frame. I was just going to noodle around some and shake it down. Caught up with this guy who pulls up to me, asks if it's a 2009. I said yes, he goes on to describe how he was waiting for his third. His 08 had cracked, followed later by the 09 that had replaced it, and he was waited for its '10 replacement.

I was really sickened - when I took my 09 in, the 10s were out but, surprise, they had a bunch of unpainted 09s still in stock. That PO'd me - if I'd gotten a 2010 replacement, I could have really scored on EBay with it.

There's a Guru dealership nearby. If I am ever driven to another plastic frame, I'll get one built to my geometry by a company that builds frames, not markets products.

D

 

[backinthesaddle]

Swing a dead cat...
Fuji makes really nice framesets.
Ridley can be found for a deal without looking to hard.
Scotts are nice and can be found for low $.
Hell, a CAAD9 Alu Cannondale rides better than a Trek...

 

[jimmythekidd]

There are a lot of nice framesets out there and to be honest you do see a lot of Treks in for warranty. Besides what has already been mentioned check out Cervelo, Giant, or a Time or Look. Besides great ride quality all those bikes will also be less common than a Trek, which is a plus!

 

[jsedlak]

I rarely see Treks around here. In fact I am the only usual suspect riding one.

I suggest you don't look at the fluff. Ride the bikes. Research your top 3 for problems. Ride them again and choose.

I went with my 08 Madone 5.2 because it simply felt perfect and haven't regretted that choice since.

I also wouldn't be concerned so much about the exporting of the 5 series manufacturing. Many manufacturers do this and Trek has had to do it to keep up with demand.