Happy New Year. I am a new member and looking for my first "road bike"

Currently on a very high end all mountain bike but would like to do some road as well.

Due to monies spent on my mountain bike funds are limited to say $1,500 dollars.

i know there are great deals on line but I'd like to support my LBS

They have 2 Treks. A 2012 closeout 2.1 C. and a 2013 Madone 2.1 C for $100 more.

Looking at them side by side i see little difference. The Madone is Shimano 105 and the non Madone is Sram Apex.

Similar level of components, I believe after research.

Trek on line does not tell me difference and does not even list a 2.1 non Madone model.

Anybody able to help me in this regard. Yes I will ask my LBS but they are closed today. I'm just trying to research it before going in to speak with them.

Yes I know for about the same money I can get Sram Rival group in a Kestral via BD but I'm thinking of the LBS route. Beside will I really see or feel a difference between Rival and Apex group as my road work will be limited?

I do lean toward Sram as i am very pleased with Sram on my mountain bike

Thanks for the help.

Thanks.

I don't see a 2.1 Madone listed,you may be talking about 3.1? Anyway, take both for a spin to see how you like them , check out the fit . (As you probably know, the Trek 2.1 is aluminum and the Madone is carbon fiber ). Never owned a CF bike, but know someone who had a 3 level Madone and said it was very flexy , which he didn't like.

In 2013 trek introduced the mad one in a aluminum model and discontinued the 2.1 of previous years.

If you want info on the 2012 2.1 hit up the trek bikes.com website and at the bottom left check out the bike archives to get info on that model.

The 2013 madone 2.1 is a nice hydroformed aluminum frame, that is stiff and will accelerate well. It is a pretty nice ride. I for what its worth would go for a 105 equipped bike (I.e. 2013 mad one 2.1) than a sram apex groupo. The bike gets the mad one name since a lot of what makes the carbon madone great (geometry,tube shape, etc...) is included in the new madone 2.1.

Hope that helps

Big help. Thanks for the info. You prefer 105 to Apex, why? Just curious. Like I mentioned I have been happy with Sram but not to the point of refusing Shimano. I will check the Trek archive.

Thanks again.

The 2013 Madone 2.1 features a significantly upgraded frame from the older 2012 2.1. For the $100 difference I'd get the new one.

Trek's SRAM-equipped road bikes weren't big sellers in 2012 so they've been phasing it out. Having ridden and worked on both, I believe Shimano is easier to set up and is less fussy about small misalignments. This has obvious advantages for a lot of riders.

I love my Force-equipped Madone 5, though.

The 2.1 is a Madone. they just call it a Madone for 2013. The Geometry is the same other than aluminum being build material. Trek always marketed it as a Madone in aluminum anyway so why not call it that. I would go for the 2.1. Can not comment on better frame as and I am just guessing here it is the same material as before just a marketing spin. Black over white aluminum or whatever they had going on. Boils down to what you want. bottom end carbon or their top of the line aluminum.

Ride both and - assuming everything else* is approximately equivalent - get the one whose shifters and shifting you like better.

*everything else you should check to see if it's rougly equivalent: quality of handlebars, stem, seat post, saddle and most importantly wheels.

I happen to like the Sram shifting and feel better than Shimano, but they're both excellent and it's just a matter of personal preference. Having installed and adjusted both, there's really not a difference in that aspect, it's just a matter of which system you like better. I prefer Sram, but have no significant problem with Shimano, fwiw.

But if there's a major difference in the other stuff, especially the wheels, get the higher quality bike unless you just hate the shifters.