I've had to get used to this issue with the wheel/toe overlap on my old Giant TCR Advanced. The problem will be exacerbated the further back your cleat is because that places your foot further forward on the pedal. But with aggressive race bikes with short wheelbases a little bit of wheel/toe overlap is fairly common I thought? It's only a problem when going at slow speeds when you have to turn the wheel more to turn the bike, but still agree it's a pain to ride with.
In Europe, most bike fitters and bike shops use the term toe overlap for a bike's short Front Centre. This is due to having a steeper/more aggressive handling geometry which is most-if not all road race bikes. Speaking purely from my own experience, I've never tried/owned/tested a pure road race bike without at least a bit of toe-overlap as you have shown.
Thank you for your honesty. I had rest rode a 54 Madore a few years ago and was smitten. Couldn’t afford the near $10,000 price tag. So, I had convinced myself I was getting the gen 8 sl7 this year…until I test drove one. Ugh. I’m 5’9’ almost and looked like a clear Medium, having all my bikes being size 54. The 1 1/2 hr test ride was awkward and disappointing. Speedy and maintains that well but the sizing was cramped and almost painful. Not a fun ride which the Madone was previously. Back to shop, fitted for the Med Large, which eyeball wise looked like my size, however the seat post wouldn’t allow for my needed shorter length. Would have to order in a shorter size. Rode a bit on the high seat. Fit was definitely better and had that fun feel. Seat a problem. Lost a sale because of size uncertainty. Bring back the 54!
Thanks for your coverage of this bike. I was looking at buying one of these to have alongside my checkpoint ALR5 (size 52) as a faster road riding option and (probably) my last bike purchase for a long time, end game so to speak. I really liked the looks and am loyal to Trek for their great customer service over the years. Based on your advice in the original video I took due diligence with sizing - I am 165 cm and was between the S and M (either S with 110 mm stem and longer seat post or M with mostly defaults). Did a two hour test and bike fit with the local trek store and was split between the two - S felt more agile in handling but the trek rep said the M looked more proportionally correct on me, so I went with his appraisal in the end. After dialling in the stem height it feels pretty damn great sizing wise. I think I'm already used to longer reach from riding the Checkpoint for around 8000 km. I don't race but I do ride a yearly average of 30 km a day, with a considerable amount of hill climbing. With a 165 mm crank I do get occasional toe strike on the front wheel and even mentioned this to the trek store, but it hasn't been a show-stopper for me. Maybe three or four times over 500 km of riding (mostly at the start when getting used to the bike), so it seems avoidable at least with my shoe setup. The bike is silly fast and even with the default tyres rides super smooth even on rough surfaces. The water bottles / holders rattle a bit as you mentioned, but the rest of the bike holds together amazingly. I'd even go as far as saying the ride comfort difference compared to the Checkpoint with 40 mm is imperceivable. Personally I have no regrets with the purchase and it's been an absolutely enjoyable experience so far. Keep up the objective reviews. I came for the madone info but am a channel fan for your personalities and quality content!
Thanks for posting this and your honest review. I pulled the trigger and ordered one after watching - I fit exactly the person you described. Not going to race anymore, or maybe only every once in a while. Long legs, shorter torso, don't care about toe overlap (all bikes I have had that). I'm 5'10" and I test rode the M/L and loved it.
Im glad I build a gen 7 that I found in a affordable price. I put the aero bottle cages on it, but I have to admit that they don’t fit as well on the gen 7.
Massive kudos for the honest review. Head angle is obviously causing the toe overlap. It is steep. I'm normally a 56 which is another flag issue for this bike as you guys mentioned. I got curious and went and tested on my 2021 Scott Foil. In this case it's a 54. Still no overlap. I'm 178cm, shoe size 46.5, crank length 172.5 with 28 mm contis
Just wanted to post that I have the same bike in a size medium and do not have the fit issues Trey is discussing. I also got a ‘try before you buy’ bike fit before purchasing to make sure I like the fit. I would suggest that if you are thinking about buying the bike, you should get a fit just to confirm the geometry works for you.
I swapped from a 58cm gen 7 to a M/L (56) gen 8 - the toe overlap is new, but has never been an issue with racing crits/climbing with corners. The sizing is even wierder as i go a 54 (M) checkmate to get as close a fit to my madones, while being recommended a large. Doesnt make sense (3 sizes at once), but still is amazingly more comfy, fits well and races nimbly and fast.
Great review! I was considering the new Madonda as my first "expensive" bike. Now I'm even more sure that I want to search for a Gen 7 Madone used if necessary.
Excellent and unbiased presentation guys. Loved it. I am 5-8 with a 31 inch inseam. I was going to get a Medium. Now I am thinking I should get a size small. Thoughts?
Hello.... congratulations on the RUclips channel. I would like your opinion I have a Trek Madone Gen 7 slr 9 dura ace in smoke color... it's my all-purpose bike (for flat roads and climbs) and I love it... very fast... the best bike I've ever had. I was thinking about updating: option 1 Trek Madone Gen 8 slr 9 team edition dura Ace option 2 Specialized Tarmac sl8 s-works 2025 new Sram Red option 3 I keep mine Madone Gen 7 thanks
Nice review. I have a question regarding the seatpost and the fixation wedge. Because there seems to be a space between the seatpost and the frame. Do you experience water leakage into the frame when riding in the rain/wet surface? Would you advice some kind of seal?
Gen 8 fit me perfectly and got me into the sport. Never noticed feet hitting front wheel other than low speed u-turns. Bike is fast and compliant. Very comfortable. I upgraded wheels and soon the saddle.
I have the same problem on my gravel bike (being size S) with the shoe hitting the wheel. But your brain will adapted and i change witch foot stays in the back. Also coming from mountain biking, you kind get used to it. On the mtb cornering is mandatory witch foot should be in the back. It takes time to get used to it, but then you develop muscle memory and it just works.
Toe overlap occurs in lots of bikes. Had the same on both my Madone Gen 6 and 7. Just need to get used to it and learn how to pedal for that one stroke when turning very acutely.
Toe overlap is a common issue with a lot of bikes. This is why I always say that some people are not supposed to ride a particular brand of bike because of their height, inseam. etc.
For me the M/L size is perfect. Anny special adjustment. Geometry is identical to my previous bike. Issue with the toe i have in every bike i ride, so it's nothing new for me. The problem is not so big that I can't turn it, like you 😅
Guys thank you very much for this review, I was looking for one but didn't found any so far. Very objective and non biased, which is a rare thing. I am currently considering updating my Emonda Gen 3 in size 58 to Gen 8 M/L, I'm 186cm tall with 89cm inseam, Trek geo fits me since I have long legs and shorter torso. Anyway I will do some bikegeocalc to make sure to get my stem right. Also the toe overlap is present in my case too on the Emonda, I rarely have to steer this much, only in crits with tight corners probably and sometimes just in normal use, isn't this a normal thing for road bikes? Can you share what road bikes don't have toe overlap? Maybe I will be able to use white shoes that I wanted to use long ago :)
Your sizing math sounds solid to me. I’ve never heard Trey complain about toe over lap on any bike before this one. He’s ridden the Tarmac SL8, enve Meele, S5, Madone Gen 7, and this new Madone Gen 8.
Sounds like the exact same two problems I had with my Trek Emonda. I'm 5'9" with about 33" inseam, and have a size 54, shoe size 10.5. I have a cm of toe overlap in the worst case that I had to learn to avoid. When I bought it I tried a size 56 thinking that may not have the top overlap but it also did, and it had a longer seat post that would not go down enough for my fit so I settled with 54. Looks like these 2 characteristic went into the Madone Gen 8 straight from the Emonda.
I just got rid of my gen7 madone SLR..i had the same problem with the front wheel hitting my shoe when i made a slight turn. I had to make sure I wasn't pedaling on a turn..😅😂
What’s your saddle to rail measurement? You can email me the bike you ride and the length of your stem and amount of spacers you have and I can figure out what size would work for you
What he talks of is the fork offset/ rake. It's 40 from M/L and upwards. That's short. It's to make the bike more stable. They could have used a larger rake, but then the bike would become more twitchy. If you'd like a long front center, use a frame with a less steep headtube angle (73 degree or lower) and a larger offset/ rake fork. Like a 72.5 HT angle and a fork with 50mm rake would increase front center and you wouldn't end up hitting your toes in the front wheel. Only thing you actually can do is ask Trek if you can swap to a fork with 45mm rake or even 50mm rake, but that would make steering very fast (twitchy)....
Perhaps a silly question, but couldn't in your case just cut the seat post shorter? It seems to have a decent amount of room to go down still if that's possible
With how the seatmast is designed, it unfortunately can't be cut shorter. There's bolt holes cut into the back side of the seatmast with a metal piece that keeps it all together
5:55 For the sl8 mount angle, I had the same problem. Managed to 3d print a piece that sits behind the stem and levels it off. Happy to send you the file if need be?
Great review, I'm a huge fan of The Bicycle Station! Sorry for the redundancy, but I also sent you guys a long message on your IG. But I'm in a bit of a dilemma and would love your feedback. Bought a Domane SLR 6 Gen 4 but had to warranty the frame because the seat post/Isospeed was faulty. So when Trek did that, I stumbled upon the new Gen 8 Madone. Test rode the SL version, instantly fell in love with it. So I ordered a Madone SLR 7 Gen 8 (the one you reviewed on this video). It's supposed to be delivered next weekend. I'm anxiously waiting. But I also noticed my LBS had a Gen 7 Madone available. So I test rode it. And wow, it was also amazing. Looked better, felt faster than the Gen 8, and it seemed more nimble. And again, to me it looks better. I'm a Size 54 (5'9", 30.5" inseam) but the Gen 7 Madone I tried was a size 52. But it still felt perfect. I was in total command and control. But my dilemma....based on your review, the Gen 8 Madone sucks. Lol. And you mentioned that your favorite bike ever was the Gen 7 Madone. So I'm kind of stuck on what I want to do. Wait for the Gen 8? Or buy a sized down Gen 7. There are no more Size 54 Gen 7s in my area. I would have wanted to try a Gen 7 Madone in 54 to rule it out. But honestly, the 52 felt perfect as well. I'm not a racer or any kind of professional. I ride for fitness and fun. There are a lot of hills where I live so I need a decent climbing bike also. You mentioned that the Gen 8 and Gen 7 Madone were good climbers, but you also mentioned that Gen 7 was uber comfortable. For either the Gen 8 or Gen 7, I would be switching to 32mm tires. Anyway, I apologize for the long comment. Would love to hear back. Thank you! Oh, P.S....the replacement Domane SLR 7 Gen 4 just arrived at my LBS and that's also still an option. Lol.
Mind blowing that trek leaves it’s consumers in such a limbo. It’s legitimately concerning that at that price point they don’t consider what is required to operate the stock build without needing to acknowledge that I need to to use the chase bike
I am 5’ 8” with a 33” inseam. I’ve always ridden a 54/M. When I went to order my gen 8, trek recommended a ML which is a 56. I ordered the M despite the recommendation. Still waiting to pick it up. I hope the size doesn’t throw me off 🤦🏾♂️
the Trek generic guideline (which is terrible and mostly wrong) recommended a M for me (Im 5’ 7” with long torso and shorter legs). I got fitted and ordered the small project one frame. Bike just arrived yesterday and I have none of the issues Trey raised (toe overlap, center of balance forward, etc). I have a couple of fully custom built bikes and the fit on the Madone is pretty damn close. Trey is right about the Trek guidelines being wrong, but I question the evaluation of any high end bike that’s not properly fitted…of course it won’t be comfortable- no bike incorrectly fitted would be. It’s early, but the bike has lived up to my expectations. I have friends (very serious competing riders) that have had their madones for several months now and they also have had no issues like the one Trey described. They’ve found the bike to be extremely comfortable and a rocket ship on flats, descents, and ascents.
I have the same overlap on my sl8. And before that on the dogma. And before that on the willier. Toe overlap is normal on roadbikes, i have never had a roadbike without it. And i just compared it and as a 177cm tall rider i would go for the M which is is normal 54 frame, while the m/l is a 56 there is nothing remotely wrong with their geometry. I srsly have no idea what kind of bike fit nerds you guys are but what you say here is completely wrong in so many ways.
That’s a bummer about the new sizing. I love my previous gen Emonda because the 60 was a perfect fit for me. Tough to find many bike brands that offer something reasonable between 58 and 61. Regarding the toe overlap issue, I’ve had the same issue with my Emonda. I kept getting surprised by it when I first got it which was surprising considering it’s a size 60.
I have the gen 8 sl7, and I have the problem with foot hitting the tyre/wheels only is a real problem when trying to turn around slowly while pedalling, I told the shop I bought it from and they said the exact same thing you were saying 😅, "just don't pedal through corners" you literally cannot ride the bike how it is supposed to be used! Oh yeah according to the size chart ik a large on the higher end, should've just gotten a xl.
I dont have a choice regarding the size, Im forced onto the XL, its the only size that suits my 85cm saddle height. I am currently riding a 60cm, which is 2 sizes of the largest..
I initially didn't get the geometry issue but when comparing Madone Gen8 with Melee, Madone clearly has funny geometry. To me it seems to be designed to have better wind tunnel data without consideration of other stuff such as stability, cornering and fit. Was it what Trek had to do to show Gen8 is faster than Gen7 in wind tunnel perhaps?
Iam 5.9" and have ridden ML which is recommended by Trek. I could ride Gen 7 in M with the longer seat post but not with Gen 8. ML feels really to big for me.
I'm looking at buying a Madone Gen 8. I currently have the newest Domane in size 56. I wan't a race bike, but i have long legs and short upper body. I want i bit more aggressive sitting position, but not a lot. I'm wondering if i should buy a L with a 90-100mm stem, then it will only be 10mm lower and 10-20mm longer than my Domane. Any thoughts ?
i went to a Trek dealer last week and he could not properly explain to me what size I would need. According to Trek id be a medium but it wa too big. I tried thr amall and it kinda worked but he was hesitant to agree, he was THAT confused by the new sizing. I had to walk away and tell him ill come back in 2025 (I won't).
Yes. But it’s not that simple. You’d be on the hook for an extra 300$. And the sizing is limited. The small post bottoms out at a saddle rail height of 69.3. For me to ride the size large the size chart recommends it would be impossible for me to put my saddle at the correct 68.5 height.
The geometry of the large gen 8 is almost identical to a 58 gen 7, within 2mm The geometry of the m/l gen 8 is almost identical to the 56 gen 7, within 2mm Not sure why you’ve found it so confusing Treks do seem to have fairly short wheelbases so I can see how you might have toe overlap, but it’s only 2mm shorter than previous gen
Medium = 54 Small = 52 XS is a bit smaller than a 50, 14mm less stack and 8mm less reach, so might need a spacer and one size larger stem XL fits inbetween 60 and 62, 10mm longer than 60, 10mm shorter than 62 Hope this helps if anyone else is confused
you know you can rotate the seatpost clamp and get several more cm of adjustment, right? It's clearly written in the user manual and it looks like you're doing it wrong, If by chance it falls further into the frame, it will be a pain to remove later. Obviously you can't adjust it correctly by doing this. On my Gen 8 I can fit the seatpost almost entirely inside the frame by adjusting the clamp first.
I appreciate the comment. We have a few other videos where we’ve highlighted how the seatpost on the Madone works. What we’re really talking about here is that trek has recommend i ride a size large based on my height. The minimum short mast insertion on the size large is 69.3. My saddle height is 68.5. It’s a limiting factor on the bike and causes confusion for an average customer. We’re trying to help people by pointing this out so that someone doesn’t make an expensive mistake. Buying an off the shelf build in size large from trek will come with a large mast by default. In treys case the large mast was almost bottomed out in the frame. It’s very easy for us as a shop to buy him a new one. For a customer this is another 300$ they have to spend on top of their over 10k bike purchase. Over 50% of Madone customers we’ve had we’re going to blindly just order the stock bike based off the size chart. We helped them navigate this. That doesn’t excuse the criticism that it’s a confusing bike to figure out what the right size is.
Exactly. But trek is selling it stock with the long. Chases small with the small post was to short. We’re just trying to get peoples attention to help save them money upfront and not have to replace it.
Don't reward companies that make bike that don't allow for proper sizing or those full of proprietary designs that don't allow you a wide selection of parts.
I agree that Trek sizing is a little off. I went from a 54 Gen 6 to a Medium Gen 8 as a frame warranty. I was lucky that I could specify seatpost length and stem length as part of the process as I needed to go up a stem length size to compensate for the shorter reach on the bars and I needed the longer seatpost to get my ideal saddle height (even though at 5’8 with a 31 inseam Trek said I should be good with the stock numbers). If I had gone stock I would have been out $400 for the seatpost and $200 for the stem. I will say I have my fit dialed and the bike is a blast to ride. Definitely softer than my Gen 6 (in all fairness the isospeed failed in the frame so perhaps it was not as complaint as it should have been). I think knowing your measurements and going with a bike from there is good advice for anyone.
IMHO you get way too hung up about the sizing. In fact, in the size categories mentioned, nothing has changed apart from the naming scheme. Every manufacturer does the geometry part differently, and you should test ride ANY expensive bike prior to buying it. That is literally always good advice, because people are built differently. Just as the new geo doesn't seem to fit the both of you as well as others, there will be people who literally have waited for a bike like this. Pointing it out and advise the people to test ride before buying really would have been enough ;)
If that’s all I did then it wouldn’t be a good video. We are trying to talk about stuff for a wide audience. Were hung up on sizing because that’s a major factor in this bikes launch. Dropping two sizes is a huge deal.
the toe overlap is ridiculous, i have it on my emonda as well, 73.3 head angle, and I run a 170 with 9.5 size shoe on a 56 size. trek never made a good bike after the original madone.....
I love the honesty in the review but - I am not sure I fully agree with the criticism about fit. As far as I know, you can get either a short mast or a long mast (min/max saddle clamp height can be seen in Trek's geo charts), and this drastically improves fit options. Say, an L with a short mast has a minimum saddle rail height of 69.3cm (adding 4cm for rail height that's about 73cm saddle height, which is VERY low), and with a long mast the maximum saddle rail height is 79.8cm (adding 4cm that's 85cm (I don't know if I've ever seen anybody with a saddle that high). So all in all, it would seem to me that there is plenty of room for adjustment.
My saddle rail height is 68.5. I have a 31 inseam and am 5 11. This makes the large impossible for me to put the seat low enough. Trek recommends I buy a size large based on height. This is the situation we’re trying to help people avoid. Most customers for these bikes aren’t digging into the numbers as deeply. Trek is simultaneously recommending I ride a large based one height and a medium based on inseam. I know I can make a M/L work with a 120 stem and a low post. But my critique is about how complicated this all is. I’m personally being recommended a size range of 3 different options from Trek. I feel like it’s fair to criticize that. Trek ships large and m/l bikes with long posts from the factory. I think a lot of people are gonna have to shell out another couple hundred dollars to correct the bike once it’s purchased.
I love the honest review. So much more useful for people than saying "it's stiffer, it feels lively, without being harsh!" like every other review.
Nice to hear an honest, genuine review. You earned my trust. Thank you.
A marter
nice to watch an honest review, will be keeping my gen 7 for the longest time i think!
I've had to get used to this issue with the wheel/toe overlap on my old Giant TCR Advanced. The problem will be exacerbated the further back your cleat is because that places your foot further forward on the pedal. But with aggressive race bikes with short wheelbases a little bit of wheel/toe overlap is fairly common I thought? It's only a problem when going at slow speeds when you have to turn the wheel more to turn the bike, but still agree it's a pain to ride with.
So glad I got a Gen 7 while I could (and put Gen 8 bottles on)
Rocketship on the flats
@@RylHangoeven the 6% rolling hills here it just plows through it all
In Europe, most bike fitters and bike shops use the term toe overlap for a bike's short Front Centre. This is due to having a steeper/more aggressive handling geometry which is most-if not all road race bikes. Speaking purely from my own experience, I've never tried/owned/tested a pure road race bike without at least a bit of toe-overlap as you have shown.
Excellent reviews. I wish your shop much success.
Thank you for your honesty. I had rest rode a 54 Madore a few years ago and was smitten. Couldn’t afford the near $10,000 price tag. So, I had convinced myself I was getting the gen 8 sl7 this year…until I test drove one. Ugh. I’m 5’9’ almost and looked like a clear Medium, having all my bikes being size 54. The 1 1/2 hr test ride was awkward and disappointing. Speedy and maintains that well but the sizing was cramped and almost painful. Not a fun ride which the Madone was previously. Back to shop, fitted for the Med Large, which eyeball wise looked like my size, however the seat post wouldn’t allow for my needed shorter length. Would have to order in a shorter size. Rode a bit on the high seat. Fit was definitely better and had that fun feel. Seat a problem. Lost a sale because of size uncertainty. Bring back the 54!
Love my gen 8. It is comfortable, performs very well and the fit is perfect
This is the most informative and helpful bike review I have watched in a while. Great job!
Thanks for your coverage of this bike. I was looking at buying one of these to have alongside my checkpoint ALR5 (size 52) as a faster road riding option and (probably) my last bike purchase for a long time, end game so to speak. I really liked the looks and am loyal to Trek for their great customer service over the years.
Based on your advice in the original video I took due diligence with sizing - I am 165 cm and was between the S and M (either S with 110 mm stem and longer seat post or M with mostly defaults). Did a two hour test and bike fit with the local trek store and was split between the two - S felt more agile in handling but the trek rep said the M looked more proportionally correct on me, so I went with his appraisal in the end.
After dialling in the stem height it feels pretty damn great sizing wise. I think I'm already used to longer reach from riding the Checkpoint for around 8000 km.
I don't race but I do ride a yearly average of 30 km a day, with a considerable amount of hill climbing. With a 165 mm crank I do get occasional toe strike on the front wheel and even mentioned this to the trek store, but it hasn't been a show-stopper for me. Maybe three or four times over 500 km of riding (mostly at the start when getting used to the bike), so it seems avoidable at least with my shoe setup.
The bike is silly fast and even with the default tyres rides super smooth even on rough surfaces. The water bottles / holders rattle a bit as you mentioned, but the rest of the bike holds together amazingly. I'd even go as far as saying the ride comfort difference compared to the Checkpoint with 40 mm is imperceivable.
Personally I have no regrets with the purchase and it's been an absolutely enjoyable experience so far.
Keep up the objective reviews. I came for the madone info but am a channel fan for your personalities and quality content!
Great fedback. Glad you did your due dilligance with the sizing and are really enjoying your gen8!
You guys should do a supercaliber flight attendant build.
Love the videos by the way, one of the best channels for builds/reviews.
Thanks for posting this and your honest review. I pulled the trigger and ordered one after watching - I fit exactly the person you described. Not going to race anymore, or maybe only every once in a while. Long legs, shorter torso, don't care about toe overlap (all bikes I have had that). I'm 5'10" and I test rode the M/L and loved it.
Im glad I build a gen 7 that I found in a affordable price. I put the aero bottle cages on it, but I have to admit that they don’t fit as well on the gen 7.
Props to you guys for being honest. Most bike shop/youtubers only say good things about bikes, especially ones they sell
Massive kudos for the honest review.
Head angle is obviously causing the toe overlap. It is steep.
I'm normally a 56 which is another flag issue for this bike as you guys mentioned.
I got curious and went and tested on my 2021 Scott Foil. In this case it's a 54. Still no overlap.
I'm 178cm, shoe size 46.5, crank length 172.5 with 28 mm contis
Just wanted to post that I have the same bike in a size medium and do not have the fit issues Trey is discussing. I also got a ‘try before you buy’ bike fit before purchasing to make sure I like the fit. I would suggest that if you are thinking about buying the bike, you should get a fit just to confirm the geometry works for you.
Exactly what we are trying to get across. So many customers just blindly buy a bike based off the size they have always ridden.
I swapped from a 58cm gen 7 to a M/L (56) gen 8 - the toe overlap is new, but has never been an issue with racing crits/climbing with corners.
The sizing is even wierder as i go a 54 (M) checkmate to get as close a fit to my madones, while being recommended a large.
Doesnt make sense (3 sizes at once), but still is amazingly more comfy, fits well and races nimbly and fast.
Thanks 🙏 for your Rider input. It is on my list again.
Been waiting for this review
Great review! I was considering the new Madonda as my first "expensive" bike. Now I'm even more sure that I want to search for a Gen 7 Madone used if necessary.
This helps a ton - I also can’t get a fit w/o compromises on this bike.
Excellent and unbiased presentation guys. Loved it. I am 5-8 with a 31 inch inseam. I was going to get a Medium. Now I am thinking I should get a size small. Thoughts?
The shoe hitting the tire has always been a issue with trek bikes. I have the same issues in my gen 6 and also now my gen 8.
Yep. Same on my gen 6 and gen 7
Hello.... congratulations on the RUclips channel. I would like your opinion I have a Trek Madone Gen 7 slr 9 dura ace in smoke color... it's my all-purpose bike (for flat roads and climbs) and I love it... very fast... the best bike I've ever had. I was thinking about updating: option 1 Trek Madone Gen 8 slr 9 team edition dura Ace option 2 Specialized Tarmac sl8 s-works 2025 new Sram Red option 3 I keep mine Madone Gen 7 thanks
This may come off as obvious but is important information. How far back are the cleats mounted on the shoe?
Nice review.
I have a question regarding the seatpost and the fixation wedge. Because there seems to be a space between the seatpost and the frame. Do you experience water leakage into the frame when riding in the rain/wet surface? Would you advice some kind of seal?
I'm going in to do a full 1-.5 to 2 hr bike fit with the trek shop near me tomorrow. Looking at the checkmate slr 8
Thank you for this honest review. I m an owner of the Madone Gen 7 and love. Will keep it and not change after watching this review.
Would love to see a test of the aero bottles. Currently own the Emonda and will probably just buy the bottles instead of the whole new frame
Very honest video 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿I'll make sure I got into a store
Mine arrives today. Hopefully will be ok. Had a frame fit so with my long legs and short torso I shouldn't have any problems. M/L here
great honest review, many thanks. does the predecessor Gen7 Madone have same toe-overlap issue (shoe in front wheel) ? cheers
Gen 8 fit me perfectly and got me into the sport. Never noticed feet hitting front wheel other than low speed u-turns. Bike is fast and compliant. Very comfortable. I upgraded wheels and soon the saddle.
I have the same problem on my gravel bike (being size S) with the shoe hitting the wheel. But your brain will adapted and i change witch foot stays in the back. Also coming from mountain biking, you kind get used to it. On the mtb cornering is mandatory witch foot should be in the back. It takes time to get used to it, but then you develop muscle memory and it just works.
Toe overlap occurs in lots of bikes. Had the same on both my Madone Gen 6 and 7. Just need to get used to it and learn how to pedal for that one stroke when turning very acutely.
Yes. But we felt like this bike had significantly more toe overlap than others. That’s why we did the demonstration with the shoes.
@@bicyclestation gotcha.
Toe overlap is a common issue with a lot of bikes. This is why I always say that some people are not supposed to ride a particular brand of bike because of their height, inseam. etc.
For me the M/L size is perfect. Anny special adjustment. Geometry is identical to my previous bike. Issue with the toe i have in every bike i ride, so it's nothing new for me. The problem is not so big that I can't turn it, like you 😅
The shoe hitting the tire happens with my emonda as well and my RSL road shoes have the same marks 😂, definitely going up a size next time
Guys thank you very much for this review, I was looking for one but didn't found any so far.
Very objective and non biased, which is a rare thing.
I am currently considering updating my Emonda Gen 3 in size 58 to Gen 8 M/L, I'm 186cm tall with 89cm inseam, Trek geo fits me since I have long legs and shorter torso.
Anyway I will do some bikegeocalc to make sure to get my stem right.
Also the toe overlap is present in my case too on the Emonda, I rarely have to steer this much, only in crits with tight corners probably and sometimes just in normal use, isn't this a normal thing for road bikes?
Can you share what road bikes don't have toe overlap?
Maybe I will be able to use white shoes that I wanted to use long ago :)
Your sizing math sounds solid to me. I’ve never heard Trey complain about toe over lap on any bike before this one. He’s ridden the Tarmac SL8, enve Meele, S5, Madone Gen 7, and this new Madone Gen 8.
Sounds like the exact same two problems I had with my Trek Emonda. I'm 5'9" with about 33" inseam, and have a size 54, shoe size 10.5. I have a cm of toe overlap in the worst case that I had to learn to avoid. When I bought it I tried a size 56 thinking that may not have the top overlap but it also did, and it had a longer seat post that would not go down enough for my fit so I settled with 54. Looks like these 2 characteristic went into the Madone Gen 8 straight from the Emonda.
My shoes have that! But im running a 2013 TCR which is a 53.5 technically
Rekt
13spd XPLR has some specific requirements for chainstay length and chainline that a lot of road bikes aren't going to meet. Just a heads up.
It’s been working just fine on my road bikes lol
Love the review on the Emonda 😂
Great review, thanks
Lauf seigla has the same toe overlap problem, it's tough to climb tech with it.
What size are you having the issue with?
The small and medium Seigla has toe overlap with anything over 45mm tires. I heard the large is fine…
I just got rid of my gen7 madone SLR..i had the same problem with the front wheel hitting my shoe when i made a slight turn. I had to make sure I wasn't pedaling on a turn..😅😂
great review，I also got confused since trek recommended me on size ML for 5'9 height. I always ride 54-55
What’s your saddle to rail measurement? You can email me the bike you ride and the length of your stem and amount of spacers you have and I can figure out what size would work for you
my white sworks are destroyed from toe overlap on the last gen emonda. couldn't even imagine how bad this is to ride.
Same with my brand new white sphyres 😢
Do you try a Scott Foil pro for racing ? 😮
What he talks of is the fork offset/ rake. It's 40 from M/L and upwards. That's short. It's to make the bike more stable. They could have used a larger rake, but then the bike would become more twitchy. If you'd like a long front center, use a frame with a less steep headtube angle (73 degree or lower) and a larger offset/ rake fork.
Like a 72.5 HT angle and a fork with 50mm rake would increase front center and you wouldn't end up hitting your toes in the front wheel. Only thing you actually can do is ask Trek if you can swap to a fork with 45mm rake or even 50mm rake, but that would make steering very fast (twitchy)....
What crank lenght, shoe size you have, and how are your cleats positionned?
I got a Gen7 Madone and when I jump onto a Factor Ostro I was like ohh this makes life so much easier😂
Bingo with fewer SKUs comment. Trek is in more of a financial bind than most people know.
Ostro rides better?
Perhaps a silly question, but couldn't in your case just cut the seat post shorter? It seems to have a decent amount of room to go down still if that's possible
With how the seatmast is designed, it unfortunately can't be cut shorter. There's bolt holes cut into the back side of the seatmast with a metal piece that keeps it all together
5:55 For the sl8 mount angle, I had the same problem. Managed to 3d print a piece that sits behind the stem and levels it off. Happy to send you the file if need be?
for the toe overlap go smaller crankarms 165mm vs the stock 172.5
Did this help you? Or just an educated guess?
Great review, I'm a huge fan of The Bicycle Station! Sorry for the redundancy, but I also sent you guys a long message on your IG. But I'm in a bit of a dilemma and would love your feedback. Bought a Domane SLR 6 Gen 4 but had to warranty the frame because the seat post/Isospeed was faulty. So when Trek did that, I stumbled upon the new Gen 8 Madone. Test rode the SL version, instantly fell in love with it. So I ordered a Madone SLR 7 Gen 8 (the one you reviewed on this video). It's supposed to be delivered next weekend. I'm anxiously waiting. But I also noticed my LBS had a Gen 7 Madone available. So I test rode it. And wow, it was also amazing. Looked better, felt faster than the Gen 8, and it seemed more nimble. And again, to me it looks better. I'm a Size 54 (5'9", 30.5" inseam) but the Gen 7 Madone I tried was a size 52. But it still felt perfect. I was in total command and control. But my dilemma....based on your review, the Gen 8 Madone sucks. Lol. And you mentioned that your favorite bike ever was the Gen 7 Madone. So I'm kind of stuck on what I want to do. Wait for the Gen 8? Or buy a sized down Gen 7. There are no more Size 54 Gen 7s in my area. I would have wanted to try a Gen 7 Madone in 54 to rule it out. But honestly, the 52 felt perfect as well. I'm not a racer or any kind of professional. I ride for fitness and fun. There are a lot of hills where I live so I need a decent climbing bike also. You mentioned that the Gen 8 and Gen 7 Madone were good climbers, but you also mentioned that Gen 7 was uber comfortable. For either the Gen 8 or Gen 7, I would be switching to 32mm tires. Anyway, I apologize for the long comment. Would love to hear back. Thank you! Oh, P.S....the replacement Domane SLR 7 Gen 4 just arrived at my LBS and that's also still an option. Lol.
Mind blowing that trek leaves it’s consumers in such a limbo. It’s legitimately concerning that at that price point they don’t consider what is required to operate the stock build without needing to acknowledge that I need to to use the chase bike
I’m 180cm, my inseam is about 78cm
I was advised to have ML.
Should I pick M or ML?
Thanks
I am 5’ 8” with a 33” inseam. I’ve always ridden a 54/M. When I went to order my gen 8, trek recommended a ML which is a 56. I ordered the M despite the recommendation. Still waiting to pick it up. I hope the size doesn’t throw me off 🤦🏾♂️
the Trek generic guideline (which is terrible and mostly wrong) recommended a M for me (Im 5’ 7” with long torso and shorter legs). I got fitted and ordered the small project one frame. Bike just arrived yesterday and I have none of the issues Trey raised (toe overlap, center of balance forward, etc). I have a couple of fully custom built bikes and the fit on the Madone is pretty damn close. Trey is right about the Trek guidelines being wrong, but I question the evaluation of any high end bike that’s not properly fitted…of course it won’t be comfortable- no bike incorrectly fitted would be. It’s early, but the bike has lived up to my expectations. I have friends (very serious competing riders) that have had their madones for several months now and they also have had no issues like the one Trey described. They’ve found the bike to be extremely comfortable and a rocket ship on flats, descents, and ascents.
I think the M is correct for you based on height and inseam.
I think you guys have the best reviews on RUclips. Do I plan to buy any of these bikes? No I can’t afford but I’m certainly interested.
I have the same overlap on my sl8. And before that on the dogma. And before that on the willier. Toe overlap is normal on roadbikes, i have never had a roadbike without it.
And i just compared it and as a 177cm tall rider i would go for the M which is is normal 54 frame, while the m/l is a 56 there is nothing remotely wrong with their geometry. I srsly have no idea what kind of bike fit nerds you guys are but what you say here is completely wrong in so many ways.
That’s a bummer about the new sizing. I love my previous gen Emonda because the 60 was a perfect fit for me. Tough to find many bike brands that offer something reasonable between 58 and 61. Regarding the toe overlap issue, I’ve had the same issue with my Emonda. I kept getting surprised by it when I first got it which was surprising considering it’s a size 60.
I have the gen 8 sl7, and I have the problem with foot hitting the tyre/wheels only is a real problem when trying to turn around slowly while pedalling, I told the shop I bought it from and they said the exact same thing you were saying 😅, "just don't pedal through corners" you literally cannot ride the bike how it is supposed to be used!
Oh yeah according to the size chart ik a large on the higher end, should've just gotten a xl.
And I race Alot.
good vid, keep it up !
I dont have a choice regarding the size, Im forced onto the XL, its the only size that suits my 85cm saddle height. I am currently riding a 60cm, which is 2 sizes of the largest..
Same foot tyre interaction problem with my Giant Propel
agreed-Trek's new road sizing is wack. (the result of cutting sizes to optimize profit). I can't believe that toe-overlap, crazy
dude thts normal on race bikes
@@DubElementMusic no its not unless you are on really small sizes
@@brianschaning1575 nope it is pretty common m8
I initially didn't get the geometry issue but when comparing Madone Gen8 with Melee, Madone clearly has funny geometry. To me it seems to be designed to have better wind tunnel data without consideration of other stuff such as stability, cornering and fit. Was it what Trek had to do to show Gen8 is faster than Gen7 in wind tunnel perhaps?
Trey …. Curious, what size was your Madone Gen 7, and your Gen 8?
Iam 5.9" and have ridden ML which is recommended by Trek. I could ride Gen 7 in M with the longer seat post but not with Gen 8. ML feels really to big for me.
What geo stat dictates toe overall lap? Wheelbase, HTA…fork offset?
Where do you get that lower topper and better cap? Will the cap fit the older bar?
Beautiful bike!
toe overlap is normal for race bikes, literally everyone has this, at least i never tested one without. i mean, you guys say, you are experts .....
The problem with the feeds is the same on canyon aeroad
I'm looking at buying a Madone Gen 8. I currently have the newest Domane in size 56. I wan't a race bike, but i have long legs and short upper body. I want i bit more aggressive sitting position, but not a lot.
I'm wondering if i should buy a L with a 90-100mm stem, then it will only be 10mm lower and 10-20mm longer than my Domane. Any thoughts ?
get a fitting for the bike so you can order the proper size
tire rub on the shoes was even an issue on my gen 6 madone. maybe not to the same extent as the gen 8 but an obvious white shoe problem none the less.
I am 189 cm tall which size would fit me ? I want to buy a Trek but don't know which size would fit me😢
I’m same height and have a L with 110 stem. Fits great.
Great review gents #nerfedit
i went to a Trek dealer last week and he could not properly explain to me what size I would need. According to Trek id be a medium but it wa too big. I tried thr amall and it kinda worked but he was hesitant to agree, he was THAT confused by the new sizing. I had to walk away and tell him ill come back in 2025 (I won't).
L or XL???
Toe overlap is pretty common in small size bikes. I don't mean I like gen 8 thought. Gen 7 looks way better.
Exactly, chase comments on it in her reviews of smaller bikes. But this is a size large. We wouldn’t call it out if it wasn’t an outlier
Trek offers two seat mast lengths, and you can choose the shorter one.
Yes. But it’s not that simple. You’d be on the hook for an extra 300$. And the sizing is limited. The small post bottoms out at a saddle rail height of 69.3. For me to ride the size large the size chart recommends it would be impossible for me to put my saddle at the correct 68.5 height.
The geometry of the large gen 8 is almost identical to a 58 gen 7, within 2mm
The geometry of the m/l gen 8 is almost identical to the 56 gen 7, within 2mm
Not sure why you’ve found it so confusing
Treks do seem to have fairly short wheelbases so I can see how you might have toe overlap, but it’s only 2mm shorter than previous gen
Medium = 54
Small = 52
XS is a bit smaller than a 50, 14mm less stack and 8mm less reach, so might need a spacer and one size larger stem
XL fits inbetween 60 and 62, 10mm longer than 60, 10mm shorter than 62
Hope this helps if anyone else is confused
Hitting wheel with foot is no go for me. Crazy design
you know you can rotate the seatpost clamp and get several more cm of adjustment, right?
It's clearly written in the user manual and it looks like you're doing it wrong, If by chance it falls further into the frame, it will be a pain to remove later.
Obviously you can't adjust it correctly by doing this.
On my Gen 8 I can fit the seatpost almost entirely inside the frame by adjusting the clamp first.
I appreciate the comment. We have a few other videos where we’ve highlighted how the seatpost on the Madone works. What we’re really talking about here is that trek has recommend i ride a size large based on my height. The minimum short mast insertion on the size large is 69.3. My saddle height is 68.5. It’s a limiting factor on the bike and causes confusion for an average customer. We’re trying to help people by pointing this out so that someone doesn’t make an expensive mistake. Buying an off the shelf build in size large from trek will come with a large mast by default. In treys case the large mast was almost bottomed out in the frame. It’s very easy for us as a shop to buy him a new one. For a customer this is another 300$ they have to spend on top of their over 10k bike purchase. Over 50% of Madone customers we’ve had we’re going to blindly just order the stock bike based off the size chart. We helped them navigate this. That doesn’t excuse the criticism that it’s a confusing bike to figure out what the right size is.
You can order (or project one) shorter seat-post that what come on the large. There is a long and short
Exactly. But trek is selling it stock with the long. Chases small with the small post was to short. We’re just trying to get peoples attention to help save them money upfront and not have to replace it.
@@bicyclestation Forsure, good man. Can you cut these down at all? I saw a teammate do that on the older gen seat masts/post, whatever they call them.
You cannot. There’s hard minimum and maximum insertion depth with the bike. It is called out on the size chart.
You don’t need longer stem get your saddle more to the back ur reach is to long that is why ur saddle is set like that
We didn’t say he needed a longer stem on this size
Don't reward companies that make bike that don't allow for proper sizing or those full of proprietary designs that don't allow you a wide selection of parts.
Buys bars with a longer stem then moves the seat as far forward as it goes on the rails 😂
There's toe overlap, and then there's foot overlap; don't think 165mm cranks would fix it.
I agree that Trek sizing is a little off. I went from a 54 Gen 6 to a Medium Gen 8 as a frame warranty. I was lucky that I could specify seatpost length and stem length as part of the process as I needed to go up a stem length size to compensate for the shorter reach on the bars and I needed the longer seatpost to get my ideal saddle height (even though at 5’8 with a 31 inseam Trek said I should be good with the stock numbers). If I had gone stock I would have been out $400 for the seatpost and $200 for the stem. I will say I have my fit dialed and the bike is a blast to ride. Definitely softer than my Gen 6 (in all fairness the isospeed failed in the frame so perhaps it was not as complaint as it should have been). I think knowing your measurements and going with a bike from there is good advice for anyone.
So Generation 7 was faster, more comfy, faster and way better looking?
Oh oh. Gen 8 fans already sharpening their pitchforks 😂
Treks sizing charts are one of the worst in the industry for years
mmm does not the PRO team Lidl/Trek ride these bikes. i here no complaints.
IMHO you get way too hung up about the sizing. In fact, in the size categories mentioned, nothing has changed apart from the naming scheme. Every manufacturer does the geometry part differently, and you should test ride ANY expensive bike prior to buying it. That is literally always good advice, because people are built differently. Just as the new geo doesn't seem to fit the both of you as well as others, there will be people who literally have waited for a bike like this. Pointing it out and advise the people to test ride before buying really would have been enough ;)
If that’s all I did then it wouldn’t be a good video. We are trying to talk about stuff for a wide audience. Were hung up on sizing because that’s a major factor in this bikes launch. Dropping two sizes is a huge deal.
the toe overlap is ridiculous, i have it on my emonda as well, 73.3 head angle, and I run a 170 with 9.5 size shoe on a 56 size.
trek never made a good bike after the original madone.....
I love the honesty in the review but - I am not sure I fully agree with the criticism about fit.
As far as I know, you can get either a short mast or a long mast (min/max saddle clamp height can be seen in Trek's geo charts), and this drastically improves fit options.
Say, an L with a short mast has a minimum saddle rail height of 69.3cm (adding 4cm for rail height that's about 73cm saddle height, which is VERY low), and with a long mast the maximum saddle rail height is 79.8cm (adding 4cm that's 85cm (I don't know if I've ever seen anybody with a saddle that high). So all in all, it would seem to me that there is plenty of room for adjustment.
My saddle rail height is 68.5. I have a 31 inseam and am 5 11. This makes the large impossible for me to put the seat low enough. Trek recommends I buy a size large based on height. This is the situation we’re trying to help people avoid. Most customers for these bikes aren’t digging into the numbers as deeply.
Trek is simultaneously recommending I ride a large based one height and a medium based on inseam. I know I can make a M/L work with a 120 stem and a low post. But my critique is about how complicated this all is. I’m personally being recommended a size range of 3 different options from Trek. I feel like it’s fair to criticize that.
Trek ships large and m/l bikes with long posts from the factory. I think a lot of people are gonna have to shell out another couple hundred dollars to correct the bike once it’s purchased.
My eon done sl6 sl6 2015 does the same thing foot and wheel touching
Toe hitting the tired WTFFFFF