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Writer's pictureDannielle Watkinson

Aero Warriors and Weight Weenies

Updated: Jun 5, 2021

The beast herself, my carbon Trek Madone, disc brake, SLR 6, equipped with its Shimano Ultegra mechanical group-set and finished in amethyst, is my absolute pride and joy, and thou shall not question her glorious skill of slicing through the air like a cheetah in pursuit of Bambi. I am beyond lucky to be able to ride such a machine, and never thought I’d ever have such an opportunity - many beautiful thanks to the people at Muswell Hill Bikes, who made it happen.


I now understand the fear of potholes, scratches, stones, bad weather and choppers, but It’s worth the anguish for the ride of a lifetime.


I will do a video review eventually (terrible idea, as I’m the least mechanically minded muppet around here, but it will be a laugh!). So, for now, you’ll just have to take my word and blog as solid.


In all honesty, I didn’t think I’d notice a difference in handling, stiffness, aero gains and weight. I came off an aero Fuji, which I also love and keep because she was my first bike. As I can now confirm, the difference is so obvious it hit me like a custard pie in the face. I will not be looking back to anything other than upgrades.


Alright so, many climbing fanatics will say, ‘oh but it’s grossly overweight and will slow you down’ - but take it from someone who has a mental failure every time I see a hill, it is NOT slow up hills. I thought my Fuji was fast when ascending… how wrong I was. Yes, the Mad-one has disc brakes - a handful of peanuts heavier than rim brakes - but at least I can now control my speed on the way back down. Yes, she is probably 400g heavier than my Fuji, but no, it’s not noticeable.


People don’t weigh up the pros and cons very well. Unless you are buying the bike JUST to climb, as in you will only ever ride up hill, never on the flat and never do races that are primarily flat, then you do not need the lightest bike you can source. I planned to use my Fuji for hilly races because it’s a wee bit lighter, but my Mad-one actually climbs better than the Fuji, even though she’s heavier - sorry to blow your minds climbing freaks. And to be honest, if I was buying a bike and focusing on the national hill climb, I would be buying a specialist climbing bike JUST for that kind of competition.


For road races and crits in the UK, you’re probably better off getting an all-round bike, preferably a wonder bike like my Madone. Generally speaking, the climbs in UK races are generally not so steep that you are going so slowly that you won’t get any aero gains. So, my advice would be, buy a lightweight aero bike and reap the aero benefits going up-hill as well as on the flat. You can also make any lighter through equipment upgrades or choosing a lighter paint job – you’d be amazed how heavy paint is! In this day and age, aero gains are a goldmine.


The Madone is so responsive I have never experienced an out of the saddle encounter like it. When I sprint, I actually propel myself forward, because she darts through the air and she is so stiff I can swing the bike in harmony with my body - well, more harmoniously than my usual Bambi-running-from-a-cheetah on ice style. The cornering is smooth like a baby’s bum, and on the flat she just glides to wherever I put her with impeccable manners and astounding speed. I have deep section HED wheels, and they definitely help with the efficiency of cornering. They don’t catch the cross winds like my Easton’s and once spinning, they hold speed with great tenacity. The shifting is slick and accurate, mixed with powerfully precise brakes, allowing for less dragging and more confidence while descending. What more could a girl ask for?


Rides bikes, eat cake, be happy :)

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