Here's a letter we received from a 2008 Madone owner:

Hey Trek,

If I had to use one word to describe the ride, it would have to be "smooth".
simply crazy at how comfortable and road absorbing it is.

the "performance fit" setup with the taller headtube is absolutely perfect for me!
I just set it up with same dimensions as my old bikes, and everything feels perfect.
have not made a single adjustment since day one.

the comfort level of this bike is amazing. you never even notice the seat mast
flexing, but it must be doing a whole lot. super comfortable and smooth.
almost like you have a flat tire all the time.
rear brake cable, did not use the "noodle" and with just cable housing, it is
just fine, never even hit my leg.

Rear end stiffness when out of the saddle is crazy stiff. actually takes some getting
used to, as there is no flex for me. no front chain ring rub.
I'm a guy who's knees really go in when I pedal. some frames in the past I hit me knees
on the top tube and it's annoying. no problem with this frame. I thought the width of the toptube
might be a problem, but it's great. the slope must be perfect.

the bike corners and descends like crazy. I am a total pansy going downhill, and this bike
gives me tons of confidence. seat mast/cap is great. has not slipped, easy to adjust, and have had no issues with legsrubbing on the cap collar. headset has had no issues, easy to adjust, and the stiffness and steering precision is incredible. total bike weight with Sram, carbon bar, and Race-X-Lites is 16 lb 3 oz.

I know you might still think I'm crazy, but it really does feel more aero to me. maybe it's a complete allusion,but every time I go downhill it just feels like it slices through the air easier.  maybe some day you can get it in the tunnel and see if I'm nuts or not.

hands down the best bike I have ever ridden. love it. I'm all about looks and this bike looks awesome. love the graphics. love the frame styling. love that I can run a flat looking stem with no spacers. love the seat mast look. never thought I would say this, but I love the sloping top tube.

I was going up Lookout Mtn (in golden, co) a couple weeks ago, and ran across a mature lady riding up on a new 5.2 madone.  I said, cool bike, how do you like it. she was coming from a Trek 2300, that she said was beating here up. she had just bought the New Madone the night before, and absolutely loved it. fit looked really good for her. it's funny, takes most people a bit before they even recognize that it's a new bike. maybe it you should have made it more flashy. :)

You guys should be totally proud of what you accomplished. in my opinion you hit a home run with this bike. and I'm not just saying that, I really mean it.

AJ

Trek has spent some time on Lookout Mountain near Denver.  It's a good place to test bikes.