Reaper0Bot0

Hey gang!

I can get a Madone 4.5 for $1585 or a Madone 5.1 for $2250. Both options are new on the shelf 2008's. I have test ridden a 5.1 and a 5.2. I have yet to test-ride a TCT Madone as my LBS does not have a 4.5 or a 4.7 in my size. I've been out on a lot of bikes and I'm strongly leaning towards a Madone. The 5.1 and 5.2 were fantastic rides, but the shops in my town want too much for them ($2550 for the 5.1 and $3000 for the 5.2). I've got some business out of town and have been chatting with a shop in that other city. I feel like a bit of a dick test-riding at my local shop and potentially buying at another one, but price matters a lot. I'm a man of somewhat limited finances. I do intend to move to the other city in the next year or two, so I won't mind beginning a relationship with this other shop.

I am aware of the differences in components (105/Ultegra vs Ultegra). I am aware of the difference in frames (TCT vs. White Carbon OCLV). What I want to know from you guys is this:

Are these good prices for these bikes? I'm pretty sure they are, based on my research, but I still wanna ask. Second, is the 5.1 worth the extra $665? If you've read my prior threads you'd know that I don't race (though I'm considering it, if I can HTFU sufficiently), but I do a lot of long-distance solo stuff. I want something significantly more comfortable than my Specialized Allez (triple), yet still race-able. My test-rides on the 5.1 and 5.2 Madones impressed the hell out of me. I did rather enjoy the Pilot 5.0 I also tried (I described it as "pure sex" you may recall), but the Madones were still more than enough of an improvement in comfort for my purposes.

So, is the 5.1 sufficiently better to justify the cost? I'm not overly worried about 105 vs. Ultegra (I prefer better parts, but 105 seemed fine to me), but I get the feeling that the better frame is going to matter over time. I want this to be a bike I ride for better than a decade (barring some major accident) and I want quality.

Who's been on both of these? What do you guys think? And yes, I really have tried a bunch of other bikes. I'm not looking at Madones because they're trendy or because Lance told me to. I just liked the way they ride. I'll know a bit more once I get out on a 4.5/4.7 for comparison, but I wanted some feedback first.

Oh, and between the 5.1 and 5.2 I really couldn't tell that much of a difference. I cannot find a 5.2 anywhere near my price range either. $2250 is absolutely as much as I'm willing to spend, and it's a bit of a stretch (doable, but absolutely no higher). I have most of the accessories I am going to need already.

entukay

get the 5.1... i have a 4.5 and wish i got the other frame model, mostly because i feel like i have a "baby" madone, i mean it rides great still. also the 5.1 will have better resale value.

mista_chewey

5.1

fosmith

yeah...i'd say the 5.1 too. there's a little more technology in that bike. U.S. made too.

Reaper0Bot0

Thank you guys for your responses. I was hoping for more of them, though, and in somewhat more depth. Can anyone else weigh in?

TWD

its alot more fun after you buy one of them and we can chime in to your buyers remorse

Neither bike will make you faster, if you don't notice a difference from a fit perspective you might just want to decide on frame colors

jgt_madone_newb

I rode a bunch of other, mostly somewhat less expensive bikes before I bought my 5.1. I thought the Ultegra components provided noticeably better performance than the 105 groups on the other bikes. Crisper shifting, better braking, etc.

Especially at a good sale price, and IMO $2,250 is a pretty good sale price, the 5.1 gives you a tremendous bang for the buck in terms of technology. OCLV carbon, integrated seatpost, "Made in USA", full Ultegra. You give up some weight to the higher level OCLV frames, but at the price point, looking at at what you gain over similar or slightly lower priced bikes, its a pretty great package.

Since they stopped making the "white" level OCLV frame, Trek is now showing a 2009 model 5.1 on their website, with the "Black" level frame, and Ultegra SL group, but list price on it is about $3,600.

If you WERE a huge Lance fanboy, for better or worse, the onyx and yellow color scheme tends to make some people assume its some sort of Livestrong special edition.

carlfreddy

Yes.

For $665 you're getting a lighter, better riding bike that is made in the USA (hey, that matters to some), and has significantly more technological innovations than the 4.5.

Reaper0Bot0

I want this bike......but I need to test-ride the 4.5. If I can avoid spending the extra money that's never a bad thing. I just need to know how much of a difference it'll make to me. That, sadly, I won't know for another ten days or so.

Bontrager

Look - you will never be happy with the 4.5 even if you think it rides better. You know you want the 5.1. Get the 5.1. It's a better bike and it's worth the extra you pay for it. Plus the Made in USA should make you feel warm and fuzzy right about now because you put food on an American's table buying that bike.

dmb2786

I recommend the 5.1, when i bought my 07 trek 1500, I was torn between that bike for $800, or a caad9 for around $1200 (I really wanted the caad 9) I went the cheap route, and guess what happened? I regretted it and I just put in an order for a caad 9 frame.

on the other hand, I test rode a 56cm systemsix to make sure my caad 9 team frame (BB30! shhh.) would fit (no 56 caad9's in stock). guess what... the half-carbon bike with ultegra and carbon Si cranks didn't do anything magical. the road vibrations were softer, it handled better, and it was way stiffer, the ultegra was slightly faster and smoother than my 9spd 105, and i thought it was the coolest thing in the world. however, when i hopped back on the $800 trek, i realized that a bike is a bike and going with the 5.1 wont make you any faster.

so there are two sides of the story. I think the 5.1 is worth it because you will probably appreciate the extra stiffness and you wont have the "what if" factor in mind. If i were you, I would get the 5.1, no regrets!

Nick29

if I were in your position I'd go for the 5.1. I'd be more likely to wonder if I should have sprung for the nicer bike (if I bought the 4.5) than worry about whether I should have saved a few hundred bucks and got a cheaper bike (if I bought the 5.1).

I bought a 2.1 this summer and wish the 2.3 were available in my size (43cm). I've never wondered if I should have saved a few bucks and gone with a 1.5.

scr660

Hey, the 5.1 is back, but with white carbon!

LtSPD2000

I have to vote for the 5.1. I ride a 5.2 and am perfectly satisfied with its ride qualities. Made in the USA means something to some of us. That is rather unique in and of itself these days.

Reaper0Bot0

I guess the only thing I can say definitively is that I won't be left wondering why I didn't get the 5.2 if I get the 5.1.

I need some time on a 4.5. Only way I can resolve this one.

R900

Get the 5.1! Now a 5.2 list for over $4k.

mista_chewey

why settle for the 4.5 when you can get the 5.1?
you know you're settling for it if you have the means to get the 5.1, and you're trying to justify the 4.5 when you really want the 5.1. settling will make you regret it a few months down the road.
and what's the big deal if you bought more bike than you need right now you'll grow into it...rather than grow out of a cheaper one sooner.

i go by that train of though...if you're gonna do something get good equipment to do it with. why settle with crapshlt you're gonna hate later. (by crapshlt i mean stuff you don't really want)

wirelessness

I was in a similar boat and bought the 5.1 for $2499 earlier this year. There are such big differences between the 4's and 5's that it's pretty easy to justify the expense if you are serious about riding. The seat mast alone is worth the extra money imo. I didn't have any buyers remorse until I got an email from my local Trek store in San Diego saying the price of the 5.2's had dropped to $2999. It was less than 30 days and they gladly let me trade up and that is exactly what I did. There were several factors which I took into consideration; The 5.2 has a better wheelset w/ better tires. The Utlegra SL came in a compact double in this case which I ended up liking better than the 5.1's triple crank. That's really the only difference except for the whole White OCLV vs. Black OCLV which is impossible to quantify because the real difference in manufacturing is not fully disclosed. I'm sure that with a blindfold on I could not tell the difference between a 5.1 and 5.2 even though the 5.2 is definately lighter. Those are pretty good prices if I had that price on the 5.1 vs. $2999 5.2 I may not have upgraded though. You can't go wrong w/ the 5.1 at that price.

biker128pedal

That seem like a good price for the 5.1. My LBS is selling the 5.1 for $2,600 and out in CA I saw shop selling them for more.

wirelessness

I'm pretty sure we are talking about 2008 pricing here. The 2008 5.2 should list for $3629 if memory serves me and the 2009's are now $4069. A total no-brainer to buy any 2008's that are still around considering the components are exactly the same except you get a downgraded rear cog on the 2009's which use a 105 vs the Ultegra on the 2008's.

entukay

i know i said earlier to get the 5.1 but think of it this way.... if you could somehow do a blindfolded test between the two i guarantee you wont know the difference, even with it's fancy integrated seat mast, giant BB, and different fork.

pharding

5.1

Reaper0Bot0

Well, I test-road them both today. Both were very nice rides but I could certainly notice a few differences. First off, the brakes on the 4.5 were no-name stuff (Tektro maybe?) versus the Ultegra brakes on the 5.1. There was a difference in braking power and certainly in noise. The shifting on the 5.1 was smoother (no surprise there) but still more than acceptable on the 4.5.

I had a tad more power climbing hills on the 5.1. The 5.1 was a tad smoother ride, too. It felt more "right" and more natural than the 4.5. They rode similarly, but I swear the 5.1 was a bit easier ride for me. It's about two pounds lighter, and yes I could tell the difference when carrying them, but not really when riding them.

I'll call to put the 10% down for the deposit on Wednesday (and pay them off in a few weeks) to lock in the 15% off they're doing in December. After taxes it'll be just over $2400 for the 5.1 and I think I'll go with that. There were differences, and given the cost of upgrading the brakes on the 4.5 to Ultegra I just think it's worth the extra money for the 4.5. Still, I've got until Wednesday to make up my mind.

seb1041

4.7 comes with ultegra.

Reaper0Bot0

I can't get it for less than this 5.1 will cost me. Under $2300 pre-tax, dude. I can get a 4.7 for about the same exact price, but why the HELL would I do that?