With the Tour de France in full swing, major cycling brands are unveiling new super bikes as they continue to push the envelope in terms of weight and performance out on the road. Not to be outdone, Trek joined the fray by taking the wraps off of its new Madone SLR and SL models, which bring improved geometry, a smoother ride, and the option for either rim or disc brakes. But perhaps even more intriguing to cyclists is a new program that the company has launched that gives riders the option to customize every aspect of their bike, including selecting a completely unique paint job.
Custom-built bikes are not new to the cycling industry, but Trek is looking to take things to an entirely new level with Project One Icon. This system allows customers to select one of several different Trek road or mountain bikes, including the company’s popular Domane, Émonda, Top Fuel, Fuel EX, and the new Madone models. This allows cyclists to pick the bike that best fits their individual needs and riding styles.
After selecting their new bike, riders are given the option to customize its paint scheme, with dozens of different options to choose from. Some of those schemes are exclusive to the individual Trek models, mixing and matching their patterns and colors to help them stand out from the crowd. Others allow customers to dive deeper into the paint palate, giving them more than 40 different hues to add to the frame of their new bike. There is even an option to add their own decal text to the top tube, further personalizing the design.
With their custom paint scheme selected, the next phase of the Project One Icon process allows riders to choose the drivetrain and other components they want to outfit their bikes with. They will find several options to choose from in terms of wheelsets, tires, handlebars, stem, saddle, and seat posts. They can even select the type and color of the handlebar tape. Add-on accessories include bottle cages, pedals, and Bluetooth enabled sensors for tracking cadence, power, and so on.
In terms of giving customers the ability to customize both the look and ride of their bike, Trek’s Project One Icon looks to be a significant step up over anything that the competition is doing at the moment. Serious cyclists can spend hours in the configurator alone just playing with different color schemes and components. For instance, it is fun to see what a top-of-the-line model, specced out with all of the best components would cost. For reference sake, the custom top of the line Madone SLR that we built topped out at $14,700. There are, of course, more moderate prices available on other models and configurations.
Custom build your own Trek bike on the Project Once Icon website.
