February 28/05 7:45 am - The Trek Livestrong Madone now available

Posted by Editoress on 02/28/05
 

We don't NORMALLY publish company press releases about new bikes or other such products, BUT this is a rather special edition bike.

The Trek Livestrong Madone SL

Courtesy Trek

Of all the bikes in the 2005 Trek line, the limited edition Madone SL LiveStrong is undoubtedly the most talked about. After all, this is a replica of the "Gold Bike" that Lance Armstrong made history with as he rode into Paris to claim his sixth Tour de France victory.


Photos


Only 600 of these historical bikes are being made and they set themselves apart from every other production Trek road bike we make in a number of ways. Each LiveStrong bike starts life as a production Madone SL frame made from Trek's proprietary OCLV 110 Carbon. Once the frame leaves our OCLV facility, the transformation from being just a Tour de France winning bike to a bike with true historical significance begins. Without a doubt the most talked about feature of the frame are the handmade, 23 karat gold frame panels that are carefully applied along with a special sticker which designates the frame in its sequence of build. Topping off the masterpiece is the top tube panel which is autographed by The Man himself.

Besides the limited number made, each LiveStrong Madone is all the more unique thanks to a variety of one-off, yellow themed Bontrager parts made specifically for the "Gold Bike". The special edition Bontrager component and accessory list include; the carbon crank, stem, handlebar and seatpost, plus an all new wheelset that uses custom painted yellow spokes to tie a Bontrager Race Lite Aero rim with a carbon hub.

"We've been making special Paris bikes for Lance for the last three years, each year it's been a totally different look," says Trek designer Chad Bailey, the man responsible for creating the graphic package of each bike. "As Lance's popularity as grown, so too has the interest in these historical bikes continued to grow. Of the three Paris bikes we've created, the LiveStrong bike is not only the most unique, but also the most impressive!"

The final compliment to the LiveStrong bike is the ten speed Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain and brakeset.

What cost the price of history? Each LiveStrong bike will retail for $9,499.99 U.S. $ ($11,999 CDN ) and will include an autographed and numbered photo of Lance riding into Paris, plus a $500 donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. If you really want to set yourself apart from the pack - go gold!