Madone 5.2 2008 Vs Spesh Tarmac Pro

ginger J

Hi All.
Am currently deciding between the Trek 5.2 Madone 2008 and the Specialized Tarmac Pro. Would really appreciate any input, experience and advice anyone can offer on the Pro's and Cons of each.......

Thanks

J

richa

J,

You might be interested in reading the review in this months Cycling Plus (Nov07) reviewing Trek Madone 5.2 versus Specialized Roubaix Expert.

ginger J

Cheers RichA. just legged it to the shop to get magazine. Look forward to reading
J

dcj

you seem likely set on one of these, fair play, they both seem good bikes.
I clocked the trek at the london bike show and it looked hard to resist.

I would recommend to compare the geometry - if one is a better fit, that might provide your answer.

they seem close on spec except the extra cost of the specialized is reflected by carbon bars and dura-ace rear mech.
not too keen on the specialized roval wheels but then again the trek wheels seem quite heavy.

In 2007, to find wheels weighing 2.5kg on a bike costing £2,300 makes me wonder if you could do better by buying the frame and adding your own spec and wheels.

of the two brands, i would go for the trek only because I have one already, but it would be nice to get a discount price down to £2k for the new one. Its certainly not a bargain.

However, not the answer you asked for so maybe stop reading here if not really up for alternatives......
in absolute performance terms you could easily bring £1000 wheels into your budget.

A superlite and stiff wheelset upgrade really makes an immediate and shocking difference to the feel of any half decent bike.

For example: you could buy -say - a 2008 Focus Cayo for £999 which is similar standard to my 2001 trek 5200 - keep the wheels as winter wheels and have enough cash left over for some really super dooper aero wheels like zipp 404 or whatever.

On a long sportive or TT, or indeed a spin round the block, those wheels would give back far more so than having a super frame or carbon bars combined with an average wheelset.

John.T

dcj. The Bontrager Racelite wheels on the Trek are rated as 1660gm, not 2500gm. They may not be the lightest wheels out there but they ride well.
I have test riden the Trek 5.2 Performance and was very impressed. Compared with my much upgraded 2000 5200 ( now 10sp Ultegra with Rival compact and Shimano 105 wheels) it was stiffer under acceleration and climbing but more comfortable on poor roads. My 5200 weighs 19.3lbs and the 5.2 weighs 16.5lbs. Both are 56cm and were weighed at the shop on a digital balance.
I can not comment on the Specialized as I have not tried it but I have ordered the Trek..

dcj

hi john

fair enough if you say the wheels on the 5.2 are around 1.6kg.
I was going by the weight quoted in the review on this website :roll:

In that case its better value than I thought. In anycase, I am sure the trek will be very popular.

maddog 2

wheel weights sometimes include tubes, tyres and skewers, as I suspect is the case here.

Trek looks a good package, but at that price point there are some seriously tasty bikes

John.T

The specs on this site are a bit 'iffy' when compared with the Trek and Bonty sites. I think you are right about the wheel weights including tyres. The angles quoted are wrong as is the fork offset. The groupset is Ultegra SL which is a bit tastier than standard Ultegra.
Quite agree about there being some tasty bikes at that price which is why you need to try as many as you can unless you know what you like. I already had a Trek and liked the handling so looked there first. After a 65 mile test ride I did not need to look further. It improved on what I already liked.

il_principe

Just out of interest - why the fixation with Trek and Spesh? There are some fantastic bikes availalbe at that pricepoint... I'd suggest test riding both and going for the one that feels/fits better, after all that's got to be the most important thing.

giant_man

yes i do agree with jashburnham, if it were my money i wouldn't bother with either Trek or Spesh. There is a heck of a choice at this price level and it might pay you to have a good look around.

If it came down to it i guess i would plump for the Specialized, after riding both of course, helped by the fact of not being a Trek fan, but you really should go for a test ride on both, which i am sure would be possible, then decide for yourself after taking note of build quality, finish and of course price. Good luck with your decision.

ginger J

Hi guys. I'm getting my bike through the ride to work scheme. My company has it with Evans so am limited to the bikes they stock. I'm replacing my Trek 5000 2005 (wrecked in an "incident" with a car a few weeks ago. I'm gonna test ride both of these back to back tomorrow. Kinda heading towards the Tarmac just from reviews etc but will obviously depend upon tomorrows experience.

J

il_principe

Don't forget Evans also stock De Rosa and Bianchi. I'd have a look at the De Rosa Avant if I were you, you can get the 08 model with Chorus for £2600.

I was in Sigma Sport on sat getting sized for a Pinarello, had a look at the Madone and the Tarmac, personally I much prefer the look of the Tarmac but no idea how they compare to ride.

When you collect the bike from Evans, take a multitool with you and check everything is poroperly tightened before you ride off, they're notorious for not putting bikes together properly...

ginger J

thanks jashburnham for the advice - will do