Jan Wünsch

Choosing a new road bike 1: Trek Madone SL 6 AXS Gen 8

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I’m choosing a new road bike and documenting the whole process here. In this instalment, I describe my experiences with the bike I’ve been riding so far and provide a structured review of the first contender for my new road bike – the Trek Madone SL 6 AXS Gen 8.

Author Aura XR 5 (2023)

As I wrote in the prologue, I’ve been riding an Author Aura XR5 since 2023. At the time, it was on sale at a retail price of 39,990 Kč; I managed to negotiate a price of around 29,990 Kč.

It has an aluminium frame with a carbon fork, fitted with a Shimano GRX400 2x10 groupset (46-30, 11-34 cassette), and hydraulic brakes from the same series. Total weight approx. 10.5 kg.

I haven’t had the chance to compare it with any other bike with drop handlebars since then, so my view is rather one-sided. I didn’t really get to ride the bike properly until 2024. I soon realised that I particularly enjoy riding on the road, where it’s smooth, where you can really fly along, and where I can find a steady pace and just pedal. I came to this definitive conclusion in September 2024, when I took part in the Gravel Blinduro gravel race – I want to ride on the road, and since then, with a few exceptions, that’s all I’ve done.

The Aura XR5’s geometry is closer to a sportier riding style – which is why I bought it in the first place – so it’s probably closer to a road bike than one designed for off-road riding.

My experience with the new bike took an unpleasant turn shortly after I bought it. The bottom bracket started to develop play and the right-hand crank wasn’t working as it should. It soon became clear that Author had a manufacturing fault or a faulty part and was issuing a blanket recall of all bikes in the series for a warranty claim (replacement of the cranks and bottom bracket). So I received new cranks and a new bottom bracket, but the warranty process took about 30–40 days. I didn’t mind, as I’d just had shoulder surgery anyway, but it certainly put a damper on my first impression.

Over time, I encountered several issues with the bike:

Loose and stripped bolts on the large chainring, which caused it to bend. The service centre managed to straighten it out more or less, but it was never quite straight again until I replaced the chainring with a new one.
The bottom bracket still creaks and squeaks to this day; the last mechanic said the bike was ‘rubbish’ and that the parts were of poor quality. According to him, after three years’ use, the bottom bracket has already used up more than half its lifespan – and judging by the noises it makes, perhaps even more.
A snapped gear cable. Replacing it was, according to the mechanic, “a nightmare”, because everything is routed internally. I’ve no experience with that and don’t want any either.
The brake pads on the rear brake came loose and popped out whilst I was riding. I didn’t really understand how that was even possible, and neither did the mechanic who subsequently fixed it, but it happened. Fortunately, it happened literally right outside my house after I’d finished riding on a very hilly route.
Replacement of the brake disc

Over time, I turned this gravel bike into a sort-of road bike with a few minor tweaks. I bought road tyres – the narrowest the original rims would allow (32 mm) – and lowered the handlebars as much as possible. What had bothered me from the very first year was the relatively wide handlebars (46 cm on my size 58 frame).

The bike rode ‘well’ for me, simply because I didn’t know any different and had nothing to compare it with. At times, my hips would ache on the left or right side (I suffered from this chronically, though I’ve only managed to eliminate it in recent years through appropriate exercise), and my hands would go numb in places, but apart from fiddling about with the riding position a bit, I didn’t do much about it; I took it as the price to pay for a sportier bike. After all, the more I rode, the less these issues bothered me. Perhaps there’s something to it; it isn’t, by design, the most comfortable bike.

Trek Madone SL 6 AXS Gen 8

A few weeks ago, I borrowed this road bike for the weekend. Electronic gear changes, carbon frame, SRAM Rival AXS 2x12 electronic groupset, weight approx. 8.5 kg. The weight was the first thing that really surprised me compared to my gravel bike. You’d think it’s ‘only’ a 3 kg difference, but as soon as I picked the bike up, I could really feel the difference. If you forget about the kilos, in absolute terms that’s almost 25 % of the weight. And that’s simply no small thing.

In this configuration, it retails for around 125,000 Kč. Even as I was walking the bike from the hire shop to my car – a distance of about 300 metres – I had a feeling this was going to be something special.

The next day, I took it out on a 112 km ride. And what an experience it was for me! As I’ve said, I’d never ridden any bike with drop handlebars other than a cheap Author, so I had nothing to compare it with. I suspected there’d be a marked difference, but this exceeded my expectations.

It’s simply a sharp road bike, and so everything associated with it was new to me: the stiffness of the frame, every pedal stroke immediately translating into the bike’s eagerness to surge forward. This also comes with a certain degree of discomfort (due to the narrower 28 mm tyres and the bike’s overall stiffness) and an aerodynamic riding position enhanced by the narrower handlebars – by default, you sit on it in a slightly more hunched, crouched position. The electronic gear-shifting is absolutely brilliant; I’m sure I’ll definitely want it on my next bike. The bike’s gearing is, logically, better suited to speed and road conditions, and when riding downhill, you no longer find yourself running out of gears at around 55 km/h with nothing left to push with. Accelerating from 30 km/h to 40 km/h feels much easier and more direct than on a gravel bike.

That aerobic feel and the lack of comfort didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, this riding style suited me perfectly and it simply felt brilliant; I got exactly what I imagine a road bike’s sportier ride to be like from this bike. Even after more than 4 hours of riding, I wasn’t suffering in any way, although my right elbow did bother me slightly in places – which I put down more to the bike’s stiffness (a couple of sections were on cobbles and it was noticeably more jarring than on a gravel bike). On the contrary, I felt like carrying on, and if it hadn’t been almost dark, I probably would have.

The bike exuded premium quality from every part, at least compared to my gravel bike. Nothing creaked or squeaked; there was no play, twisting, or lag – nothing out of place.

In short, it was a truly exclusive experience, a bit like when someone who drives an old Škoda suddenly gets into a new Mercedes. I realised straight away that the desire to buy a new bike is, admittedly, a bit of a whim in the sense that it won’t replace your legs, but the feeling and joy of riding that I got from it are absolutely sufficient reason to want a similarly expensive bike.

I subsequently completed a second, roughly 76 km-long ride to Prague on the bike, but this time with a load. I was carrying a rucksack with my laptop and a frame bag with a change of clothes (see the last photo). It didn’t make much difference to how the bike felt, but logically it was more of a transport ride than a proper test.

Scorecard

With some help from AI I put together a scoring framework. Every bike I get to test goes through it. It has three parts: hard facts, the gate, and the scores. A verdict closes it. No weighted total, no single magic number. You can add it up yourself. I will decide with my head and my heart, and show why.

Facts

	Author Aura XR 5 (2023)	Trek Madone SL 6 AXS Gen 8
Price	CZK 29,990 (list CZK 39,990)	approx. CZK 125,000
Frame / fork	triple butted 6061 alloy / carbon	500 Series OCLV carbon / carbon
Size, stack / reach	580 mm, 627 / 397 mm	XL, 610 / 402 mm
Wheelbase	1,046 mm	1,007 mm
Weight (with pedals)	approx. 10.5 kg	approx. 8.5 kg
Groupset	Shimano GRX 400, 2x10, mechanical shifting, hydraulic brakes	SRAM Rival AXS, 2x12, electronic shifting, hydraulic brakes
Crankset, bottom bracket	FSA Gossamer Pro 46/30, FSA BB-6000	SRAM Rival AXS 48/35, DUB T47
Cassette	Shimano HG500 11-34	SRAM XG-1250 10-36
Hardest / easiest gear ratio	4.18 / 0.88	4.80 / 0.97
Power meter	no	yes, SRAM Rival AXS in the crank
Wheels	JALCO SRD 21 alloy, QUANDO hubs, 32 spokes	Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 carbon
Tyres	road 32 mm (stock Panaracer Gravel King 38 mm)	Bontrager R3 28 mm (max 32 mm)
Bars, stem	PROMAX alloy 46 cm, slammed as low as it goes	Bontrager Comp alloy, 42 cm at the hoods / 46 cm in the drops, 110 mm stem
Test rides	3 seasons, approx. 9,000 km	112 km proper test + 77 km to Prague with a backpack and a frame bag

Gate

Three yes/no questions. If a bike fails one, there is no point scoring it.

	Aura XR 5	Madone SL 6
Fits me in a racing position	not really (46 cm bars, taller stack, no room to go lower)	yes, 4 h+ without suffering
Within budget	yes	yes, but right at the limit
Available in my size for the season	yes	?

Scores

Six criteria, 1 to 10, no weights. 1 to 3 is bad and I would not buy the bike because of it. 4 to 5 is acceptable, nothing more. 6 to 7 is good, no complaints. 8 to 9 is clearly better than the rest. 10 means I cannot imagine better.

Criterion	Aura XR 5	Madone SL 6	Why
Speed on the flat	4	8	Going from 30 to 40 km/h is more direct on the Madone. Aero position, narrower hoods, stack 17 mm lower. On the gravel bike I run out of gears at 55 km/h downhill. The Madone’s top gear is 15 per cent taller.
Climbing and acceleration	4	8	Stiff frame, 2 kg lighter. Every pedal stroke goes forward. The easiest gear is slightly harder than on the Aura. It did not matter on the test.
Handling and descending	5	7	Two rides on the Madone, nothing surprised me. Same behaviour with a backpack and a frame bag. The Aura has a longer wheelbase and wide bars. Stable, but lazy.
Comfort after 2 h	5	6	Aura: lower back, numb hands, but 32 mm tyres. Madone: harsher, cobbles come through, right elbow. After 4 h I still wanted to keep riding. 77 km with luggage, no problem.
Groupset, wheels, build quality	3	8	Aura: recall on the FSA cranks and bottom bracket, bent chainring, bottom bracket still creaks, brake pads fell out, shift cable snapped in internal routing. Madone: no creaks, no play, electronic shifting, carbon wheels. Rival is entry-level AXS and the cockpit is alloy, so not a 9.
Value for money	5	6	The Aura was cheap, but servicing made it expensive. The Madone costs 4x more and sits right at the top of my budget. Power meter, carbon wheels and electronic shifting are included. Whether the price is fair will show once I compare it with the others.

Verdict

	Aura XR 5	Madone SL 6
Best thing about it	It got me onto the road and in three years showed me what I want.	The ride. Stiffness, shifting, and the urge to keep going after 4 hours.
Deal breaker	Component quality and servicing.	Price. CZK 125,000 is my ceiling, and for that you get entry-level Rival and an alloy cockpit.
Would I buy it	no	maybe (yes, if the other candidates do not bring more for the same or less money)

I am an AI assistant. Fuck off!

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I’m on the train to work in a compartment with a bloke – a classic working-class hero – who’s battling sleepiness the whole way. With his elbow propped on the table, he’s trying to doze off, but the bright sunlight wakes him up. Every now and then he mutters a swear word at whoever or whatever happens to be on his mind at that moment.

“They’re a bunch of idiots.”

After about an hour, his phone rings. Annoyed, he pulls it out of his pocket: “Hello?” “I’m an AI assistant…” “Fuck off!”

He hung up and carried on dozing.

P.S. With My Receptionist, this wouldn’t happen to you. She just answers the calls.

Hello, can I sit here?

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

“Hello, is there a seat here?” That’s a pretty daft question when you walk into a train compartment where there are six seats and four are free.

That’s exactly what happened to me today, and it’s no exception. A bloke came in, opened the door, asked, stood in the doorway and stared at us like an idiot. He probably wouldn’t have sat down until he’d been given permission.

So many times I feel like saying: “No, we don’t, it’s fully occupied here, get lost!”

Not so much because I mind people, but simply because I’d be curious to see the reaction of people who need permission to sit in a free seat on a public train.

Choosing a new road bike: prologue

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I’m choosing a new road bike, and I’m documenting the whole process here. This text is a prologue to the entire series. I describe my cycling background, my cycling goals, what I’ve been riding so far, and my plans for the coming season.

How long I’ve been cycling and why

Why cycling, of all things? Sometime just after turning thirty, my life began to settle down. After years of travelling around the world, I found myself at home with a one-year-old child, a stable job, and – rather than parties – I was more interested in self-development and sporting activities. It was also around that time that I began to take a greater interest in the Tour de France and the then-rising stars Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard.

Leaving aside the period up to about the age of 17, when I used to cycle to school and around town, I bought my first road bike in the autumn of 2023; however, I had shoulder surgery in October of that year, so I’ve effectively been cycling since February/March 2024. For the first few years, I practically skipped the winter months, and it wasn’t until the turn of 2025/2026 that I started spending roughly 1.5–3 hours a week on an exercise bike at the gym.

Annual mileage

My total mileage isn’t anything to write home about (data from Strava):

2024: 3,345 km
2025: 2,582.2 km + an estimated 200 km on the exercise bike at the end of the year
2026: 3,173 km to date + an estimated 200 km on the exercise machine at the start of the year

Ideally, I’d like to cover somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 kilometres a year, or more, but I haven’t managed it. Life, family, work…

I’m getting a home trainer for this winter and I want to take my winter training more seriously; I believe this will bring me one step closer to that goal.

What are my goals?

The aim is to have fun, stay fit, stay healthy and, after all, I’m competitive by nature and enjoy testing my performance against others in various hobby and amateur races. I’ve only taken part in a very limited number of races:

Gravel Blinduro 2024
Road Classics Pálava 2026
a local hill climb race to Babiny (Litoměřice), organised by CK Slavoj Terezín in 2026

The latter race forms part of the Českolipský Road Cup, and after the hill climb, I decided that next season I’d try to take part in as many of its events as possible. There are around 15 of these races; they are smaller, local events in northern Bohemia, and their accessibility is key for me.

At the same time, I’ve already registered for L’Etape Czech Republic by Tour de France for 2027, the medium route (100 km), and I can well imagine taking part in Road Classics Pálava again or other races from the RC series.

How I ride

I prefer a more competitive style of riding; I enjoy speed, rhythm and flow. Of course, my performance depends primarily on my training load (see annual mileage), my sporting history (I’ve always been active, but for many years I also used to get high on that green herb and loved to party) and my age (almost 36), but I’d venture to say that, given the circumstances mentioned above, I’m in decent shape, at least when compared to those around me.

I have no weight issues, I’m healthy, and I think I have a good physique for cycling and endurance sports in general. Although I’m quite tall – 197 cm – with a weight of ~83 kg and decent strength endurance, I’m able to ‘keep going’. I’m certainly not a natural climber.

However, after three years, my enthusiasm for cycling hasn’t waned; on the contrary, I’m taking it more and more seriously.

What I’ve been riding so far

Sometime during the 2023 summer holidays, I came to the decision that I needed to ride a bike with drop handlebars. So, in September, I bought the latest Author Aura XR 5 model at a discount. It cost me around 29,000 (down from the original 40).

It’s a gravel bike with an aluminium frame and a carbon fork, fully fitted with Shimano GRX 400 components and a 2x10 gear system.

I didn’t really know much about gravel bikes back then, but from what my mates had told me and what I’d read online, I came to the conclusion that it would be just the thing for me. A bike you can ride competitively, but also on rough roads – it can even handle a bit of off-road terrain!

How I was wrong about gravel bikes

After three years of riding, I now know that I don’t enjoy off-road riding on a bike with drop handlebars, and the proverbial last straw was the Gravel Blinduro race. It was a great experience, mind you, but after this two-day race with timed sections on forest tracks and over tree roots, I simply knew that this wasn’t for me. A smooth gravel track might be okay – even so, I spend 95 per cent of my time on roads; it’s only occasionally that circumstances take me onto some gravel or cobbles – nothing that a road bike couldn’t handle from time to time.

As I mentioned at the start, I enjoy speed, rhythmic fluidity and performance. Off-road terrain is more technical, requires more skill, and for me it’s more of a struggle. If I could go back three years in time and knew what I know now, I’d buy a road bike straight away.

More about this bike, the modifications I’ve made to it, and a comparison with the first road bike I tested will follow in the next instalment.