mellowdave

yes, a Madone. I figure if I ride it, I'll hate it, then I can put it out of my mind.

trayer350

Madone is a great all-around-bike for the money. But I found the new Pinarello F13 a probable trend-setter for style. Yet, there is something good about owning a great all-around-bike so you don't have to keep searching for the perfect frame.

my58vw

Its a trek... enough said...

trayer350

Lance did okay with Trek. I don't own one, but up close, they look great.

goldfish

well, 58vw has a trek, so i think his comment was supposed to be a positive one.

treks seem to be great bikes to ride and whatnot, i wouldn't judge a bike based on its name...except for the damned GMC bikes and **** like that.

timwat

Here's an odd thought I just had:

What if we had a sympathetic friend blindfold us, take us to different LBS and test ride different bikes with all the decals covered up.

My point is simply, if we didn't have our presuppositions to rely on, what we really end up riding? What would we end up fitting best, preferring to purchase and all that?

Maybe I'll have a bud work this with me, if I can just figure out the invisible brand decal thing.

chroot

I went into my most recent bike purchase with a horrible impression of Trek. I thought of them as the most boring, Honda-esque, clueless-newbie brand on the market. I tried hard to avoid even looking at them, to be honest. I wanted something flashy, like Orbea or Litespeed.

Then I rode comparably priced Felts, Giants, and Scotts, and realized the Trek was actually my favorite. I found a phenomenal deal on a 2300, and haven't regretted it in the slightest. Much to my surprise, several cyclists have even complimented me on how good the bike looks! I have a newfound respect for Trek, love my bike, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I haven't ridden a Madone, but I'm sure if Trek does this well on a $1500 mid-range bike, the Trek name is nothing to be ashamed of.

- Warren

pigmode

Its a bike; it works. Ride it, get it out of your sysyem, then get a Dogma.

mellowdave

I think BeeTL is very correct. I got into a friends Acura the other day and I was reminded of how good those cars are. I had an Integra that went 250,000 miles with no problems other than brakes and clutch. Lacked alot of personality that my Volkswagen has, but my VW has seen a ton of service work.

I'll ride it this afternoon, I'll post as subjective an opinion as possible. The biggest hangup I have is that the showroom bikes have Shimano, and I cant stand that. (I'm not bashing Shimano, I just dont like it personally). So I have to find my happy place mentally and put that part of the ride out of my head, and focus on the frame alone.

I'll tell ya what i think.

Waxbytes

High end bicycles are more alike than they are different, so factors like reputation, appearance, and status become deciding factors. Salvodeli won the Giro this year on a USA made Trek, is that enough ?

Corsaire

The high end carbon Treks, like the Madone, look good, but hate the "wooden" response feeling you get from the road, very dead. I need some feedback from the road, something I get from the Orbea orca for example, in spite of its supple, plush ride.

Corsaire

hi565

and then give it to me

sirshane13

Haha, that's funny to me because I know a guy who has owned a few ferraris in the past but is now driving an NSX. He has a couple of Litespeeds, but he doesn't have a Madone yet. only a matter of time, i guess.