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Radon Vaillant vs Trek Madone SL Gen 8
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- The Trek Madone SL Gen 8 starts €400 cheaper (€2,799 vs €3,199 for the Radon Vaillant).
- Our verdict scores the Trek Madone SL Gen 8 higher overall: 78/100 vs 77/100.
- The Radon Vaillant's lightest build is 0.62 kg lighter (7.25 kg vs 7.87 kg).
- The Radon Vaillant comes in 5 sizes, the Trek Madone SL Gen 8 in 6.
Radon Vaillant
Trek Madone SL Gen 8
| RadonVaillant | TrekMadone SL Gen 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Radon | Trek |
| Build | Vaillant 10.0 | Madone SL 7 Gen 8 |
| Build notes | Liquid Red over UD carbon with deep black. Radon weighs the smallest size without pedals. On 6 Oct 2026 Radon listed it at €3,999 against the €4,499 UVP. | Claimed weight with TLR sealant, no tubes. Trek DE lists two run-out colours (Matte Lavender Haze/Deep Smoke, Gloss Crystal White/Matte Deep Smoke) at €5,999. Launch MSRP in June 2024 was US$6,500 / £6,000 / €6,500 (Escape Collective). Trek also sells this build as the 'Madone SL 7 Gen 8 - The First 50 Replica' paint edition (US$6,599.99, £5,000, €5,949). No pedals. |
| Price (MSRP) | €4,499€4,499€4,499 | €5,949$6,000£5,000 |
| Bike weight | 7.25 kg16 lb | 7.87 kg17.4 lb |
| Weight measured on size | XS | ML |
| Model year | 2026 | 2027 |
| Generation | 2024 version | Gen 8 |
| Launched | 2024-03 | 2024-06 |
| Discipline | Aero road | Aero road |
| UCI legal | Not stated | Not stated |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 77 | 78 |
| Aero | 72 | 76 |
| Frame | 70 | 72 |
| Components | 74 | 62 |
| Fit | 68 | 80 |
| Practicality | 66 | 76 |
| Price | 99 | 100 |
| Weight | 91 | 79 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon (UD carbon visible under the paint on the 9.0 and 10.0) | 500 Series OCLV Carbon |
| Fork material | Full carbon | Carbon (Madone Gen 8 full carbon fork, tapered carbon steerer) |
| Frame weight | — | 1,054 g2.32 lb |
| Fork weight | — | 363 g12.8 oz |
| Weight measured on | — | Size ML, painted (frame only and fork only), as stated by Trek |
| Max system weight | 115 kg253.5 lb | 125 kg275.6 lb |
| Frame sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | XS, S, M, ML, L, XL |
| Colours | Liquid Red / deep black (10.0), UD carbon / deep black (9.0), Quick / deep black (8.0) | US (2026-10): SL 7 in Gloss Fury Red/Matte Deep Smoke or Era White; SL 6 AXS in Gloss Dark Star/Matte Deep Smoke or Matte Cobalt Blue/Trek Black/Living Coral; SL 5 in Gloss Dark Star/Matte Deep Smoke or Era White; frameset in Gloss Dark Star/Matte Deep Smoke (earlier Dark Star and Crimson framesets on closeout). Trek GB and DE also list Matte Lavender Haze/Deep Smoke and Gloss Crystal White/Matte Deep Smoke in a few sizes. |
| Also available as | — | Madone SLR Gen 8 (900 Series OCLV carbon, one-piece Aero RSL cockpit, electronic only); 'The First 50 Replica' paint edition of the SL 7 |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Hydraulic disc, flat mount | Hydraulic disc, flat mount |
| Max rotor size | — | 180 mm |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | — | 32 mm |
| Bottom bracket standard | Press-fit (Shimano SM-BB71-41B or SRAM DUB Road Pressfit as fitted) | T47 threaded |
| Front axle | 100 mm hub spacing | 12x100 mm chamfered thru-axle (Bontrager Switch) |
| Rear axle | 142 mm hub spacing | 12x142 mm thru-axle (Bontrager Switch, removable lever) |
| Drivetrain compatibility | — | Electronic or mechanical routing (mechanical front derailleurs need a housing stop); 1x and 2x |
| Mechanical shifting possible | — | Yes |
| 1x compatible | — | Yes |
| Max chainring | — | 56T |
| Front derailleur mount | Braze-on | Braze-on; removable aero chainkeeper |
| Cable routing | Internal, through the one-piece cockpit | Fully internal through the RCS Headset System |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Cockpit | One-piece carbon bar and stem with internal cable routing (Radon 'Vaillant Aero Carbon') | Two-piece cockpit: Trek RCS Pro stem (-7°) with a 31.8 mm bar, Bontrager Aero Pro carbon on the SL 7 and Bontrager Comp alloy on the SL 6 AXS and SL 5; the one-piece Aero RSL bar/stem is available aftermarket |
| Standard stem and bar possible | — | Yes |
| Seatpost type | Radon Vaillant carbon seatpost shaped to the frame, 350 mm | Madone aero carbon seatpost, 0 mm offset, with IsoFlow seat tube; reversible wedge, short and tall seat masts |
| Fit notes | — | Trek's Road Race geometry, the same table as the SLR. Stock stem length changes with frame size (80 mm on XS, 90 mm on S-M, 100 mm on ML-L, 110 mm on XL); bars are 35/38 cm to 41/44 cm control/drop width on the SL 7 and 36/40 cm to 42/46 cm on the SL 6 AXS and SL 5, all with 80 mm reach. Trek lists saddle rail height ranges for the short and the tall seat mast. |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | — | Trek's Gen 8 tunnel figures (about level with the Madone Gen 7 and 11.3 W faster than the Émonda at 35 km/h) were run on the SLR with its RSL Aero bottles; the SL shares the tube shapes but ships with a two-piece cockpit and without the aero bottles, which Trek sells separately. |
| Testing method | — | Wind tunnel with a pedalling mannequin at 35 km/h plus CFD, in the SLR configuration (Trek's Madone aerodynamics page) |
| Tube profile | — | Full System Foil |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Headset bearings | IS52/IS52 | RCS Headset System (RCS Pro) |
| Derailleur hanger | — | UDH (SRAM Universal Derailleur Hanger) |
| Proprietary parts | — | RCS Pro stem and headset top cap, Madone aero seatpost and seat mast, aero chainkeeper |
| Frame warranty | 5-year crash replacement on carbon frames from the date of purchase (original owner, in addition to the statutory warranty) | — |
| Sold via | Direct online through Bike-Discount, delivered locally with Radon service partners | Trek retailers and trekbikes.com; not offered through Project One |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | SRAM Force AXS E1 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 |
| Launched | 2025 · current generation | 2021 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | Yes | — |
| Drivetrain | 2x | 2x |
| Battery | — | Central battery (Shimano BT-DN300) |
| Shifters | SRAM Force AXS E1 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 |
| Notes | Combined shift and hydraulic brake levers | Trek also lists R8171 |
| Crankset | SRAM Force AXS E1 Power Meter | Shimano Ultegra R8100 |
| Chainrings | 50/37 | 50/34 |
| Crank lengths available | — | 160 mm (XS-S), 165 mm (XS-ML), 170 mm (M-XL), 172.5 mm (L-XL), as listed by Trek |
| Spindle | DUB | — |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Power meter | SRAM Force AXS E1 Power Meter | — |
| Launched | 2025 · current generation | — |
| Type | Spider | — |
| Bottom bracket | SRAM DUB Pressfit | Praxis T47 |
| Standard | Press-fit road | T47 threaded, internal bearing |
| Front derailleur | SRAM Force AXS E1 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 |
| Notes | — | Braze-on, down swing |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Force AXS E1 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 |
| Max cog | — | 34T |
| Cassette | SRAM Force XG-1270 | Shimano Ultegra R8101 |
| Range | 10-36 | 11-34 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | SRAM Force E1 | Shimano CN-M8100 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake calipers | SRAM Force AXS E1 | — |
| Type | Hydraulic disc, flat mount | — |
| Rotors | SRAM Paceline | Shimano RT-CL800 |
| Front rotor | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Rear rotor | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Mount | Center Lock | Center Lock |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Newmen Streem A.49/A.54 | Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 |
| Internal rim width | 24 mm | — |
| Material | Carbon | OCLV Carbon |
| Tubeless ready | — | Yes |
| Freehub options | — | Shimano 11/12-speed |
| Notes | 1,440 g per set, as stated by Radon; 100/142 mm hubs | — |
| Tires | Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR | Bontrager Aeolus Pro |
| Tire width | 28 mm | 28 mm |
| Type | — | Tubeless Ready, with Bontrager TLR sealant |
| Casing | — | 120 tpi, aramid bead |
| Cockpit | ||
| Handlebar | Radon Vaillant Aero Carbon | Bontrager Aero Pro |
| Type | One-piece bar and stem | Drop bar, 31.8 mm clamp, Di2 routing |
| Integrated stem | Yes | — |
| Widths available | — | 35/38 cm (XS), 37/40 cm (S), 39/42 cm (M-L), 41/44 cm (XL), control/drop width |
| Bar reach | — | 80 mm |
| Bar drop | — | 124 mm |
| Cable routing | Internal | — |
| Material | Carbon | OCLV Carbon |
| Stem | — | Trek RCS Pro |
| Stem length | — | 80 mm (XS), 90 mm (S-M), 100 mm (ML-L), 110 mm (XL), -7° |
| Headset | IS52/IS52 | — |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | Selle Italia SLR Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow | Bontrager Aeolus Elite |
| Saddle width | — | 145 mm |
| Rails | Carbon | Austenite |
| Seatpost | Radon Vaillant Carbon Seatpost | Trek Madone aero carbon seatpost |
| Offset / setback | — | 0 mm |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Notes | 350 mm, shaped to the frame | Short length |
| Bar tape | ACID RC 2.5 CMPT | Trek EcoTack |
| Notes | — | Trek also lists gel cork tape |
| Included extras | ||
| Pedals | None included | — |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | XS, S, M, ML, L, XL |
| Rider height min | — | 143–188 cm4′8″–6′2″ |
| Rider height max | — | 158–199 cm5′2″–6′6″ |
| Stack | 517–599 mm20.4–23.6″ | 507–610 mm20–24″ |
| Reach | 374–404 mm14.7–15.9″ | 370–402 mm14.6–15.8″ |
| Seat tube angle | 72.8–74.8° | 73.4–73.8° |
| Head tube angle | 72–73.3° | 71.6–73.9° |
| Head tube length | 107–190 mm4.2–7.5″ | 100–201 mm3.9–7.9″ |
| Effective top tube | 515–590 mm20.3–23.2″ | 517–584 mm20.4–23″ |
| Seat tube length | 470–590 mm18.5–23.2″ | 404–609 mm15.9–24″ |
| Chainstay | 415 mm16.3″ | 410–412 mm16.1–16.2″ |
| Wheelbase | 976–1,020 mm38.4–40.2″ | 971–1,007 mm38.2–39.6″ |
| BB drop | 68–70 mm2.7–2.8″ | 68–72 mm2.7–2.8″ |
| Fork offset | — | 40–50 mm1.6–2″ |
| Trail | — | 57–62 mm2.2–2.4″ |
| Front centre | — | 572–604 mm22.5–23.8″ |
| Standover | — | 704–863 mm27.7–34″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Stem length | — | 80–110 mm3.1–4.3″ |
| Handlebar reach | — | 80 mm3.1″ |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).