Trek launch Silque endurance road bike

“Ride smoother, longer and faster,” is the opening pitch from Trek for their brand new Silque women’s endurance road bike. It’s a complete redesign of the previous Domane WSD, with completely revised geometry providing increased standover height, and the carbon frame uses the unqiue Isospeed decoupler to smooth the road. Prices start from £1,500 with four models available including a Project One option.

The Silque uses the same Isospeed decoupler as the Domane, which has been raced successfully by the Trek Factory Racing team for the past couple of seasons. The unqiue thing about Isospeed is that the seat tube is only attached to the bottom bracket and isn’t fixed at the top tube, instead there is a bearing that allows the seat tube to move back and forth. The aim is to provide more comfort and a smoother ride when tackling rougher roads and cobbles.

Fit and geometry have been the main focus of the new Silque, as Trek Women’s Product Manager Amanda Shulze explains: “Research from professional training data shows that men and women have very different power and weight requirements when comparing riders who ride the same frame size.

“With that ride comparison data, we were able to design and dial in size specific women's ride-tuned frames to deliver the perfect balance of smoothness and power."

So the geometry sees the biggest changes. Compared to Trek's previous WSD geometry, the Silque has a shorter seat tube (which increases the standover height), the stack has been increased and the wheelbase and chainstays are shorter than the Domane, but longer than the Madone, to give a stable ride. The bottom bracket is higher than the Domane, the same height off the road as the Madone, which together with the other changes should produce a livelier ride character than the Domane.

Trek are offering four models; Silque (£1,500), Silque SL (£2,250), Silque SLX (£3,000) and Silque SSL (Project One) (£4,700+). Each are made from OCLV carbon fibre with size-specific carbon fibre layups. They’re offering size sizes from 44 to 56cm.

Each model shares familiar Trek features such as the E2 tapered head tube, BB90 pressfit bottom bracket, internal cable routing compatible with electronic groupsets, DuoTap compatibility and on the two cheaper models hidden mudguard mounts. All have the 3S integrated chain guard mounted just above the bottom bracket to prevent dropped chains.

The £1,500 Silque offers a Shimano Tiagra 10-speed built bike with Bontrager tubeless-ready wheels and 25mm tyres and Bontrager Race bars and stem and Affinity 1 WSD saddle.

The £3,000 Silque SLX features an Ultegra 11-speed groupset with Bontrager Race wheels, 23mm tyres and Bontrager Race X Lite finishing kit. And you can customise your own bike through Trek’s Project One bike builder.

All bikes are available now at http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/road/endurance_race/silque_womens/