2012 Trek Madone 4.5 Road Bike
The 4 series Madone frame has gone through some major refinements for 2012 giving it a lot of the features you would normally associate with 5 and 6 series bikes. The similarities go deeper than just the tube shaping and offer up real world performance and function. Constructed from 400 series OCLV carbon the 2012 Madone 4.5 has a BB90 bottom bracket that provides a stiffer, more responsive ride while at the same time being lighter than a standard external cup style. In addition to this weight saving technology the 4.5 comes with a braze on front derailleur instead of the traditional clamp-style, reducing the need for a traditional round seat tube. Trek’s carbon engineers were able to use less material in this area while shaping the seat tube to flare out at the bottom bracket junction, helping to create a lighter and more responsive 4 series Madone.
But it doesn’t stop there. The 4 series bikes have an E2 steerer that gives the bike good front end lateral stiffness.  Lateral stiffness is a term thrown around a lot, but what it means essentially is that the bike will track well into corners. It will turn in with confidence and turn out with ease; that’s what lateral stiffness does for you and when done right, feels great.
 
Adding nothing but very slick function and aesthetics, the 4 series frame is now Duo-Trap compatible which is a very neat feature that hides your computer sensors into the frame keeping everything looking clean and professional. To match the responsive frame, Trek have employed a high quality set of Bontrager road wheels that have a significant durability and stiffness advantage over comparably priced wheelsets. Impressively fast R1 tyres balance grip and puncture protection, and a Shimano 105 groupset takes care of shifting duties with a reputation for solid reliability. Combined with the redesigned frame that packs in 6-Series carbon technology, the 2012 Madone 4.5 is going to be a hard bike to beat this season.
 

Our favourite features of the Madone 4.5

	400 Series OCLV Ultra high performance, within reach. The areal weight range and modulus mix of 400 Series OCLV provides an exhilarating sense of acceleration and confident handling.
	Wider is better, Lighter is better too BB90 is the widest bottom bracket available on a road bike. This Trek-exclusive carbon BB makes the frame lighter, stiffer, and quicker to accelerate. BB90 eliminates the need for extra inserts and parts in the bottom bracket/frame junction. Fewer parts mean a lighter frame
	DuoTrap DuoTrap seamlessly integrates the computer sensor into the frame to measure speed, distance, and cadence with no added aerodynamic drag and no ugly cable ties or tape. It also works with all the major ANT+ wireless technology players, including Bontrager, Garmin, Powertap, and SRM.