The Madone SL 5 Gen 8 is a lightweight aero road bike that makes elite racing technology affordable. It offers similar aerodynamic benefits to the higher-priced Madone SLR Gen 8, but is based on a more affordable layup of 500 Series OCLV Carbon and a two-piece cockpit with internal cable routing. Its race geometry ensures high speeds in sprints and confident control on fast descents. A mechanical Shimano 105 groupset keeps the price reasonable, but impresses with clean, reliable shifting performance.