If you wait another few months, you, too, can Be Like Lance.
The Madone SL, which cycling superstar Lance Armstrong used to win his record-setting sixth Tour de France last week, is manufactured by Trek of Waterloo, Wis., and will be available to customers in the fall.
And cyclists won’t have to buy any extras to trick up the bike in an effort to mimic the winning ways of Armstrong, according to Zapata Espinoza, Trek’s brand manager.
“The same bikes that he races are the same bikes that you can buy,” said Espinoza, who added that dealers have swamped Trek with requests for Armstrong’s bike.
Trek’s frames are made with Optimum Compaction Low Void (OCLV) carbon fiber, a Trek-branded process that results in an extremely light-weight frame. Armstrong’s Madone SL, for instance, weighs a total of 14.8 pounds.
But this isn’t a “Lance Arm-strong Special,” because Trek doesn’t make custom frames, Espinoza said.
“Most guys do get custom frames with custom geometry. That definitely is the Tour de France,” he explained. “Most [manufacturers are] using aluminum frames where they would just cut the frame shorter or longer depending on what the rider needed.” However, the Trek frame molds are too expensive for that process.
Espinoza said Armstrong, who is actively involved in Trek’s research and development, does “little custom quirk stuff” like using the same pedals for years or adding special carbon fiber wheels.
So you can Be Like Lance, but it’s going to cost you. Espinoza said the Madone SL will run about $4,500. Another prototype Armstrong tested, the lighter Madone SSL, will cost $7,500. Two other Trek models used by Armstrong’s team are already for sale: the team’s time trial bike ($5,000) and the standard Madone, the official team bike that Armstrong rode in last year’s Tour ($4,500).
The prices may shock those of us who just want to cruise around the forest preserve. But Jeff Hansen of Prairie Path Cycles in Winfield expects the Madone to sell well.
“It’s a bike that’s not only great for aerodynamics on flat land but also for uphill climbing because it is so lightweight,” Hansen said.
Yet, the Armstrong connection isn’t lost on those seeking to maximize their own cycling performance.
“Just the fact that Lance Armstrong does ride a stock bike and not something that’s specifically custom made for him,” Hansen said, “is something that’s very cool.”
