Madone SLR or Venge Pro

Triathlon Forum
1

Am trying to decide between these 2 bikes.

Pros and cons of the Madone:

  • Red (which is obviously faster)
  • Force eTap, which is the groupset i want
  • Potential BB90 issue - if it happens, i will have to ship the bike internationally for service
  • Comes with lower trim wheels

Pros and cons of the Venge:

  • Light
  • Service issues will be a lot easier to handle
  • Comes with wheels that have the same aero profile as their top end ones
  • Comes with Ultegra Di2 - so i will likely switch to eTap at some point

Honestly, were it not for the BB90 issue, I’d get the Trek. It looks bad-ass and is specced exactly as I want.

Anyone ridden both bikes and have any comments on how they feel? Which one feels more nimble and quick to accelerate? Or have any insights on the BB90 issue? Heck, any ownership experiences that i should know of, before i pull the trigger?

TIA.

2

I don’t have either bike personally, but one of my friends just got a new Venge pro with Force eTap (he had an s-works Tarmac with rim brakes previously). I think you can get the venge spec-ed with Force since he’s riding the bike pretty much stock right now.

He really loves the bike and has been absolutely CRUSHING rides in the couple weeks he’s had it- top 6 at Hincapie Gran Fondo last week, top 3 all-time on a super technical descent during the Fondo (coming down White Oak, if you’re familiar with the route of the Fondo), KOMs on local strava segments. The Madone probably has the edge on comfort wiht the decoupler, but he’s very happy with the Venge’s compliance when set up with 28mm GP5000s tubeless at low pressure (you could probably fit all the way up to 32s on the Venge if you wanted). The Madone is a great bike and several folks I know are very happy with it, but I think the Venge has the better overall package.

3

I have about 10,000 outdoor miles on my SLR so far this year (19,500+ including Zwift miles).

What I’ll say about the SLR.

Zero issues with BB90, but I have pulled the (Hawk) bearings a time or 2 to clean. This is my 3rd BB 90 bike. Only my 2014 Madone had issues and that bike had over 30K miles and the original BB shell was still ok, but just getting a bit loose with OE sized bearings.

Adjustable Isospeed. Wow. You want to ride an all out aero bike that rides like a couch? This is it.
Tire clearance. My teammate has ridden a 245 mile gravel race and a 150 mile race with 35mm Gravel Kings. I wouldn’t recommend that, but the bike clears legit 32mm on any rim all day long. I run GP5000 in 32 for my training tires on a 21mm internal rim. Clearance for days.

Wheels spec? The Pro wheels are fantastic if you aren’t looking for a top spec XXX build. The Pro fairing is the same as the old D3 Aeolus which is still pretty “state of the art.” It just doesn’t have super high spec hubs. I have pro 30’s for my every day training wheel. Again…10,000 + out door miles. Bombproof.

I have not ridden a Venge, but my entire team is on SLR’s and we can’t say enough about them. Except…they aren’t cheap. But neither is a Venge!

4

Force ETAP
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/venge-pro---sram-force-etap-axs/p/171340?color=271646-171340
.

5

Thanks, guys.

I should have mentioned - reason i am looking at the Venge Pro Ultegra Di2 is because it is a black frame - the Force eTap is teal and I refuse to buy a teal bike. Bikes should only be some combination of red, black and white :slight_smile:

In the end, i am leaning towards the Venge for a couple of reasons:

  • lively feel (I have a nice Ti bike and a custom steel bike i can pull out on days i need a more relaxed, comfortable ride)
  • ease of service, if need be (Spesh dealer is a lot more convenient)

The Trek looks fantastic, though, and it’s been a very hard decision. Gonna place my order tomorrow.

6

I cannot speak to the Madonne. I just switched from Emonda to a Venge. It is significantly faster and equally comfortable. You don’t know you’re on an aero bike except for the speed is +2mph. Great freaking bike.
The venge pro as you probably know is the exact same frame as the S works. Fact 11 carbon

7

I don’t own the new Venge but, have ridden one. It is surprising comfortable, agile and seems to cut through the wind with ease. It’s the bike I would get, although the Madone looks very nice and seems to be very well liked by everyone riding them. Both are good bikes, but having service local to me would tip the scales towards the Venge.

8

You are right, the Venge Pro will be a faster feeling bike. I’ve ridden both and have the Venge Pro. The Trek Madone is unnecessarily heavy for that frame, and I just felt I can’t get it started as fast the the Venge. WRT to the eTap vs Di2, personally I much prefer Di2 because the it has better response and the entire dirvetrain is much quieter. Also if you are looking at eTap for aero reasons because of the wires, on the Vengo Pro with the Aerofly II bars and the Venge aero stem, no cables are exposed at all, everything is hidden and super clean.

9

I cannot speak to the Madonne. I just switched from Emonda to a Venge. It is significantly faster and equally comfortable. You don’t know you’re on an aero like except for the speed is +2mph. Great freaking bike.
The pro as you probably know is the exact same frame as the S works. Fact 11 carbon

This exactly. Just got my Venge Pro last month. Udi2 and added Vector 3 pedals. It is super comfy and rides like a tarmac+2mph. Not rigid like many aero bikes.

10

I would wait a bit and look on upcoming 2020 Canyon aeroad. It might be cheaper than venge with same/better performance.

11

The Trek Madone is unnecessarily heavy for that frame,
Madone SLR disc - 7.5kg, Venge pro - 7.45kg, you are right…

12

Boo hiss to canyon. Little cheaper yes, better performance no way. Specialized parts/equipment is really excellent.
If the Specialized dealer in your town stinks, then look at canyon, if not, then don’t. Those bikes need service.

13

2 weeks to delivery… woop woop.

i can finally retire/sell off my old race bike, a 2009 Ridley Damocles… gonna miss it, though. Have had some good rides on it!

14

2 weeks to delivery… woop woop.

i can finally retire/sell off my old race bike, a 2009 Ridley Damocles… gonna miss it, though. Have had some good rides on it!

So, has this been hanging over your head for a while?

Sorry, couldn’t resist

15

So, has this been hanging over your head for a while?

You are risking your neck here… :slight_smile:

16

What did you end up getting?! I have a awesome deal on 2019 Madone SLR, mech but I can upgrade to Ul Di2 easily.

BUT…

Venge Pro is taunting me. LOVE the look of it, wouldn’t need to add anything but Quarq and there may be a sale upcoming.

Any insight on your choice you’d like to share?

17

Which one looks better on your trainer because that’s where it’s going to be for a long time
.

18

What did you end up getting?! I have a awesome deal on 2019 Madone SLR, mech but I can upgrade to Ul Di2 easily.

BUT…

Venge Pro is taunting me. LOVE the look of it, wouldn’t need to add anything but Quarq and there may be a sale upcoming.

Any insight on your choice you’d like to share?

I ended up with a Venge Pro - I got it with the CLX64s and have since then upgraded it to Dura Ace and an S-Works saddle for a S-Works build (same frameset anyway). Why didnt i get the S-Works to begin with? They didnt have my color :slight_smile:

From what i could see on the aero reviews, there wasnt much separating the Madone vs the Venge. I did like the Viper Red of the Madone - that is, IMO, the hottest bike out there. But in the end, there were 2 deciding factors:

The first (and admittedly minor) differentiator was weight - it doesnt matter so much on a steady state climb, but when dealing with surges, etc it helps. On long climbs, my fat ass gets socially distanced off the back, but for surges and short climbs, i want the most efficient bike i can get.

More importantly, after reading the reviews, the sense i got was that the Madone was a smooth, comfy ride whereas the Venge was a snappier, livelier and more responsive ride. I have a very strong preference for bikes that are snappy: that rocket when you stomp on the pedals, which are agile and where you can feel the bike responding to your input and to the road. Does this make a huge difference in actual speed? Nope. But it does affect my enjoyment of the ride.

I have to say, I am very happy with the ride. It is pretty much exactly what i was looking for, for fast group rides. My first ride on it was the Laguna triathlon last year and i had no issues holding 35kph on the flats on it, despite riding with the flu.

As far as Shimano vs SRAM goes - all else being equal, i would have preferred SRAM. This is my first road bike on Shimano and it took me a while to get used to the shifters (i finally reached a happy state by switching the shift functions of the front shifter, so the smaller shift lever moved to bigger chainring). But the benefit is that i can rotate wheels between my other bikes and i can also keep using my old Quarq Riken powermeter.

Side note - i ended up buying an R5 frameset as well: i had an Ultegra groupset lying around and some Lizard Skin bar tape i won as a race prize… so getting a bike for it was a logical conclusion. I have to say, for overall riding, i actually prefer the R5 to the Venge. The Venge is stiff, responsive, etc. But the BB stiffness of the R5 is other-wordly. Stomp on the pedals and it is like pushing against a wall. There is absolutely no give whatsoever. And that bike is almost as smooth as my Lynskey without being dull.

20200312_163002.jpg

19

Btw, Quarq sale, you say? Any more info on that? I wouldnt mind switching my tri bike’s Quarq to a compact. This one is a 165mm crank length / 130 BCD one, so i cant just swap the chainrings.

20

What did you end up getting?! I have a awesome deal on 2019 Madone SLR, mech but I can upgrade to Ul Di2 easily.

BUT…

Venge Pro is taunting me. LOVE the look of it, wouldn’t need to add anything but Quarq and there may be a sale upcoming.

Any insight on your choice you’d like to share?

I ended up with a Venge Pro - I got it with the CLX64s and have since then upgraded it to Dura Ace and an S-Works saddle for a S-Works build (same frameset anyway). Why didnt i get the S-Works to begin with? They didnt have my color :slight_smile:

From what i could see on the aero reviews, there wasnt much separating the Madone vs the Venge. I did like the Viper Red of the Madone - that is, IMO, the hottest bike out there. But in the end, there were 2 deciding factors:

The first (and admittedly minor) differentiator was weight - it doesnt matter so much on a steady state climb, but when dealing with surges, etc it helps. On long climbs, my fat ass gets socially distanced off the back, but for surges and short climbs, i want the most efficient bike i can get.

More importantly, after reading the reviews, the sense i got was that the Madone was a smooth, comfy ride whereas the Venge was a snappier, livelier and more responsive ride. I have a very strong preference for bikes that are snappy: that rocket when you stomp on the pedals, which are agile and where you can feel the bike responding to your input and to the road. Does this make a huge difference in actual speed? Nope. But it does affect my enjoyment of the ride.

I have to say, I am very happy with the ride. It is pretty much exactly what i was looking for, for fast group rides. My first ride on it was the Laguna triathlon last year and i had no issues holding 35kph on the flats on it, despite riding with the flu.

Side note - i ended up buying an R5 frameset as well: i had an Ultegra groupset lying around and some Lizard Skin bar tape i won as a race prize… so getting a bike for it was a logical conclusion. I have to say, for overall riding, i actually prefer the R5 to the Venge. The Venge is stiff, responsive, etc. But the BB stiffness of the R5 is other-wordly. Stomp on the pedals and it is like pushing against a wall. There is absolutely no give whatsoever. And that bike is almost as smooth as my Lynskey without being dull.

Ha, funny…I’ve been on a Felt AR1 which is a nice bike, comfy for an aero bike, light (Di2, Zipp 303), good climber but feel the need for disc brakes and of course something new. BUT, the bike it replaced was a R5. GREAT climber and what a comfortable bike.

I’m in SoCal too, I was going to pick up the Madone in San Diego but the shelter in place has changed that. I still might grab a Venge Pro if I can find a 2019 w/ Di2. I like the Madone…might be a little too compliant but like you said, gorgeous bike.

Stay safe!