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Trek Emonda 2021 - ALR or SL

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Hi There From Switzerland and looking to change my 5 years old Canyon Endurace AL 6.0, the Trek Emonda seems to me to hit the right spot. The budget is what it is and the max I could afford is the SL 5. Maybe the SL 6 but the I don’t really see the benefit of the Ultegra groupset over 105. Another solution is to buy the ALR 5 or 6 and add a good set of wheels, like the Zipp 303s or DT Swiss ARC 1100. The open point for me is to understand if the carbon frame is really better than the aluminium one? And if yes, how and why? Cheers folks Sam  

jetdog9

For road/gravel, I ride 3 main bikes. 2 are aluminum and 1 is carbon. I think they are all great bikes, personally don't feel much ride difference between them if at all. On a good day I can set a PR on my aluminum road bike even though it's alloy and 8 years older than my carbon bike. But in your case... I believe the Emonda is supposed to be a first-rate climbing bike which should be light... so almost certainly the carbon one fits that bill better. Yeah, the components and wheels offset that... but your next upgrade down the line could be wheels. There are always good deals to be found.  

Thanks for your answer [emoji120] As you, i dont care about the frame material. The ride characteristics, the ride feeling I should say as the weight, is more important to me. The aluminium frame is lighter than the carbon OCLV 500 one ... if it’s more aerodynamic (but at my speed and I’m not riding at 40 km/h) or more comfortable, then I’ll take it. I’m riding mostly on ondulated, wavy roads and sometimes goes for a big alpine ride. And I want just a bike to ride everywhere, anytime.  

It will be an Emonda SL 5. Wheel upgrade in a few months, when the temperature will rise a bit. Should be here for the week-end.  

Interesting choice. I’d be interested to know the weight out of the box - you know, before pedals and accessories, but including saddle and bars.  

Good choice. Most of the pro riders on the Trek teams (men and women) use the Emonda, which is Trek’s lightest bike. Those riders have a choice of the Madone (go fast aero), Domane (all-rounder, Spring classics) and Emonda (tour, climber). Enjoy! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk  

It’s a size 54 and it weights 8.7 kg. I will change the tires for tubeless ready and mount it without tubes for sure in the next weeks. As it is now, and due to a miserable weather here in Switzerland (I rode 30 km yesterday with a medium temperature of zero celsius), it has only seen 130 km in total.  

SamCH said: It’s a size 54 and it weights 8.7 kg. Click to expand...

Great choice. I guess... as I had been looking at Emonda Al as a winter / travel bike too. I decided to dedicate my BMC Road Machine Two for the winter. It’s carbon and I mounted mud ( crud ) guards. I look at it like this. .. if i’m going to have the discipline to consistently ride the road in cold of winter; I want the best ride I can get . A harsh aluminum road frame does not meet that criteria. I also want a decent group, 105 and a comfortable carbon frame. Let’s see your new bike 🚲 if you get the right pic . What Winter Road shoes are you wearing? Hint: Tubeless flats in the winter are a no fix on the road side. Better think tube.  

rudge66 said: I look at it like this. .. if i’m going to have the discipline to consistently ride the road in cold of winter; I want the best ride I can get . A harsh aluminum road frame does not meet that criteria. I also want a decent group, 105 and a comfortable carbon frame. Click to expand...

hunstamash

You should really be happy with your SL5. I got the blue version back in June with the intent of upgrading wheels, handlebar and components as they become available. So far I've only been able to upgrade the wheels to full carbon and the seatpost to carbon. The aluminum wheels that come stock are fine, but on the heavy side. The 105 groupset works just fine, but is not as refined as Ultegra, mind you I was coming from an older Dura Ace 9000 groupset on an aluminum framed bike. I think it is definitely a bike you can grow with (as in upgrading as your budget allows). I wanted a bike with disc brakes and I'm not disappointed. Hope you don't have to wait long for it, if you haven't already gotten the bike.  

hunstamash said: You should really be happy with your SL5. I got the blue version back in June with the intent of upgrading wheels, handlebar and components as they become available. So far I've only been able to upgrade the wheels to full carbon and the seatpost to carbon. The aluminum wheels that come stock are fine, but on the heavy side. The 105 groupset works just fine, but is not as refined as Ultegra, mind you I was coming from an older Dura Ace 9000 groupset on an aluminum framed bike. I think it is definitely a bike you can grow with (as in upgrading as your budget allows). I wanted a bike with disc brakes and I'm not disappointed. Hope you don't have to wait long for it, if you haven't already gotten the bike. Click to expand...

Back after almost 300km ridden. And I will buy new wheels ASAP. I’m not convinced yet I need mid-height aero wheels such as Zipp 303 S. I will maybe go for a nice light pair of aluminium wheels (yes it’s also a matter of budget). For example DT Swiss PR 1400 db. I asked a few people if mid-height aero wheels are worth the price and the weight penalty if I’m not riding faster than a 30 km/h average. Until now, no definitive answer to this question.  

Lookin at gettin a Sl-5 or 6, any updates on weight(wheels) & any other things about the bike, all the dealers here are tellin me to pay in full & wait till poss. november - december for delivery which is crazy to tie up that much & possibly run into problem gettin a refund for whatever reason,thanx  

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Emonda ALR 5 vs Emonda SL5

  • Thread starter tdcadillac
  • Start date 9 Jul 2020

Active Member

Hello all If you are using the bike for training (one leisure race a year mainly a sprint triathlon) which bike do you prefer and why? https://www.cyclesmith.ca/product/trek-emonda-sl-5-305220-1.htm https://www.sweetpetes.com/product/trek-emonda-alr-5-345300-1.htm  

Sharky

Legendary Member

Chances of anyone having owned and ridden both are pretty slim. There's usually plenty reviews online of various bikes. Doesn't really matter which of them we prefer as only you know what your abilities and type of riding are. Maybe if you give a bit more information you might get some answers.  

vickster

BigMeatball

Senior member.

Neither. Both crap  

BigMeatball said: Neither. Both crap Click to expand...

Grant Fondo

Grant Fondo

tdcadillac said: Hello all which bike do you prefer and why? Click to expand...
Sharky said: If you included a couple of links to these bikes, it would save us all time searching for them. Also a little about yourself and what sort of cycling you are planning. I'm not sure that my preferences, a 70yr old, would be of any help. Click to expand...
Mo1959 said: Chances of anyone having owned and ridden both are pretty slim. There's usually plenty reviews online of various bikes. Doesn't really matter which of them we prefer as only you know what your abilities and type of riding are. Maybe if you give a bit more information you might get some answers. Click to expand...

older model SL5 then, non disc but decent 105 brakes so would still go with this.  

tdcadillac said: Thanks Sharky I updated the thread Click to expand...
Sharky said: Both showing not available on the links. To me, both are pretty similar. Both rim brakes (which would be my preference), but trend is now for disc brakes. Will be difficult, but you just need to go and try one. Getting the right size is key. No matter how long you spend looking at geometry charts, you just need to sit on one. Best of luck and report back on your sprint triathlon. Click to expand...

CanucksTraveller

CanucksTraveller

Macho business donkey wrestler.

It's always best to try out such a big investment although of course looking at your circumstances I appreciate it's not as easy for everyone. I'd go the 100km to sit on one I think, ride it if you can, then you know where you stand with Trek's sizing. I think if you can't try one, then the best you can hope for is to talk to other Trek owners who are your size. That, coupled with the Trek size chart will give you a feel for what size will be right. If I'm honest I've bought my last two bikes without ever getting on one, but I canvassed other riders my size and I knew to err smaller when in doubt as I don't like to feel too stretched out.  

CanucksTraveller said: It's always best to try out such a big investment although of course looking at your circumstances I appreciate it's not as easy for everyone. I'd go the 100km to sit on one I think, ride it if you can, then you know where you stand with Trek's sizing. I think if you can't try one, then the best you can hope for is to talk to other Trek owners who are your size. That, coupled with the Trek size chart will give you a feel for what size will be right. If I'm honest I've bought my last two bikes without ever getting on one, but I canvassed other riders my size and I knew to err smaller when in doubt as I don't like to feel too stretched out. Click to expand...
tdcadillac said: Thanks Sharky, the ALR5 has disc. I have 2 dealers that stated they have them in stock. however one is only 100km away and they other is 400km. If bought the SL5 I will not be able to try it however the ALR5 is close buy and can try it before buying it. Trek mentioned in their website that 56 is for 6 feet tall not sure if it is enough to rely on the chart and buy online or it is a big investment and I need to try it? Click to expand...

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trek emonda slr 9 etap

The New Trek Émonda Is Faster Than Ever

Already one of the fiercest climbing bikes available, the new Émonda is even faster thanks to a dose of aero.

The Takeaway: The Émonda SLR is a benchmark pro race bike—and it’s surprisingly rider friendly.

  • It has 183 grams less drag than the previous generation, but the frame is only 33 grams heavier
  • There are 10 models starting at $2,699
  • SL models ($2,699 to $5,999) have the aerodynamic shaping and features but in a frame that’s about 400 grams heavier than the SLR
  • SLR models ($6,699 and up) use a new carbon fiber composite that’s 30 percent stronger than Trek’s previous top-of-the-line carbon.

For Émonda SLR bicycles, Trek will provide an individual handlebar and stem until an updated handlebar/stem combo is available.

Additionally, all customers who bring in their handlebars for replacement will also receive a $100 in-store credit that can be used toward any Trek or Bontrager merchandise through December 31, 2022.

Remember professional road racing ? It’s that thing where super skinny people go unbelievably fast up and down hills and fly over flat roads for hours at a time. It’s been a while since the pros have beat up on each other for our entertainment, but there might, hopefully, be some races on the horizon. When the races do resume, Trek’s pro riders will be aboard its new third-generation Émonda climbing bike. The new Émonda isn’t lighter, but it is faster thanks to a dose of aerodynamic tuning.

.css-1hhr1pq{text-align:center;font-size:1.1875rem;line-height:1.6;font-family:Charter,Charter-roboto,Charter-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;}.css-1hhr1pq em{font-style:italic;font-family:Charter,Charter-styleitalic-roboto,Charter-styleitalic-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;}.css-1hhr1pq strong{font-family:Charter,Charter-weightbold-roboto,Charter-weightbold-local,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:bold;} —Five Cool Details—

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Now With Aero

The new Émonda gets a major drag reduction with a tiny weight gain.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Simple Seat Mast

The seat mast has lots of adjustment range, and an easy-to-use saddle clamp.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Light and Slippery

The new Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 wheels are light, sleek, and stable.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Wide and Threaded

The T47 bottom bracket has a wide stance, and user-friendly threads.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

A built-in chain watcher prevents unwanted derailments.

Making the new Émonda frame more aerodynamic wasn’t exactly a tough hurdle as the previous Émonda had virtually zero aerodynamic optimization. But adding meaningful aerodynamic benefit while achieving the frame stiffness expected of a pro-caliber race bike, maintaining the well-regarded handling properties of the previous Émonda, and adding rider-friendly features like a threaded bottom bracket—all with adding only 33 grams (SLR frame, claimed)—is quite a feat.

Below you’ll find my review of the Émonda SLR—I’ve been on it since early March—followed by a dive into the technology and features of the new bike, and a brief model breakdown.

Ride Impressions: Émonda SLR 9 eTap

trek emonda slr 9 etap

The Émonda SLR is a tool made to fulfill the needs of some of the world’s best road racers. This bike will never be as comfortable or versatile as a gravel bike. Going fast on pavement and climbing performance are its only goals. These are obvious facts, but that’s the lens through which it must be viewed. And through this lens, it is one of the very best.

The new Émonda was born out of a request from Trek’s pro racers and pitched as the company’s “fastest climbing bike ever.” So little surprise they set me up with the lightest model (the SLR 9 with SRAM Red eTap ), which also has a build kit almost identical to the team’s bikes. It’s also, excepting customized Project One builds, the most expensive model at a buck under 12 grand.

That massive pile of clams gets you an aerodynamic frame with disc brakes, power meter, and wireless electronic shifting that weighs less than 15 pounds (54cm). And that’s with a hefty T47 threaded bottom bracket unit, lustrous paint , clincher wheelset, a chain-watcher, standard butyl tubes, 37mm deep rims, 160mm disc rotors front and rear, and SRAM’s largest Red cassette (10-33). That’s “Holy shit!” impressive.

By cutting drag a ton without adding much weight, it’s hard to argue with Trek’s claim that the new Émonda is faster than the outgoing generation. But if you have any doubts, they’ll be erased when you ride it. This is an explosive bike: it feels as light as a feather and as solid as a steel girder at the same time.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Trek’s Émonda has always been a raw and rowdy bike that feels a little wild and a bit dangerous in precisely the ways you want a race bike to feel: That’s not lost with the added aerodynamics. If anything, the new Émonda is even crisper and punchier than before, which is saying something.

preview for Tested

A small downside to all this fury is the Émonda’s smoothness. Light and stiff race bikes aren’t a smooth-riding lot to begin with, but even measured against a stiffer riding genre, the new Émonda is on the firmer end of the scale. Still, it escapes harsh or punishing labels—I did a six-hour ride on the Émonda on the stock 25 tires and didn’t feel worn down by its ride. Swapping to 28s helped a lot (no surprise) and were on the Émonda for the bulk of my testing. I’d suggest reserving the lighter and more aerodynamic stock 25s for racing or PR attempts—assuming good roads—and use 28s as daily drivers.

The Émonda’s handling is excellent. Well, let me caveat that: Road racing geometry is pretty uniform, so whether I’m on a current race bike from Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Cervélo, Canyon, Colnago, Wilier, Pinarello, BMC, Giant (etc., etc.), I find the broad strokes of their handling feel and performance quite similar. There wasn’t anything about the Émonda’s handling or cornering performance that set any new benchmarks for me, but there wasn’t anything to dislike either.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

It was quick and accurate, diving into corners with a light touch. It offered great feedback, so I always knew where I was relative to its and my limits, and I could count on it to be consistent and predictable. It was maybe a touch less settled in bumpy corners than the Specialized Tarmac, but the Émonda never broke traction or skipped. Overall, for such a light bike, the Émonda is remarkably solid and drama free. I’d have no qualms barreling down a technical alpine descent on the Émonda.

I received this test bike in early March, giving me plenty of time to ride it back to back with its primary competition—a Specialized S-Works Tarmac , what I consider the benchmark for aero-ized lightweight bikes. The Tarmac is smoother over the bumps and has a silkier feel overall, but the new Émonda feels more efficient, like it can go faster more easily.

I’ve also ridden a good slice of the Émonda’s competition, including the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX , Colnago V3Rs, Cannondale SuperSix Evo , Cervélo R5, Wilier Zero SLR , Pinarello Dogma F12 . These are all superb bikes, but I feel the Émonda is the class leader. It feels sharper and more explosive than all of them. It feels faster, and that’s what matters most in a race bike. But I also like that the Émonda is pretty straightforward and rider-friendly.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

For example, I swapped the stock one-piece bar/stem for a standard stem and round bar. One, I could run a standard bar and stem on this bike, which you can’t say about every modern race bike. And two, I didn’t have to pull any cables, wires, or hoses to make the swap: Again, something you can’t say about all race bikes. For the record, the shape of the one-piece Aeolus bar/stem is great, and the tops are the most comfortable to grab of all the aero-topped bars I've used. The only reason I swapped is my preferred length and width combination (110x40) wasn't available yet.

The BB is threaded, which makes it easier to service and replace than a press-fit (however, I was getting some noise out of the BB area, which I never resolved). The wheels employ standard offset, and it uses regular thru-axles. It’s compatible with pod-style power meters and mechanical shifting. Its signature seat mast is pretty much the only non-standard thing about this frame, and even then, it’s pretty user-friendly. There’s no cutting necessary, height adjustment is ample, the saddle clamp is easy to use, and it’s travel-case friendly.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

I expect so much from a modern high-end pro-level road racing bike that it’s hard to exceed those expectations. It’s rare when a bike does: The Émonda SLR is one of those rare bikes.

Team Request

The new Émonda is partially a result of a request from the Trek-Segafredo race team. “They are one of our primary customers,” said Jordan Roessingh, Trek’s director of road product. “And they started to realize that it’s not just weight, it’s not just stiffness and responsiveness, there’s this other thing—aerodynamics and speed—that’s also really important to be competitive and be faster on the bike. They had been one of the loudest voices saying, ‘We need the lightest-weight, stiffest bike possible.’ And now they started coming back saying ‘We need those things, but we also need the bike to be faster in order for us to be really competitive.’ ”

It is (comparatively) easy to make a light frame, it is easy to make a stiff frame, it is easy to make an aerodynamic frame. Making a frame that’s two of those three things is more challenging: Making a bike more aerodynamic usually makes it heavier, making a bike lighter typically makes it less stiff, etc. Making a frame that is light AND stiff AND aerodynamic enough to satisfy the demands of a top-level professional race team is extremely difficult.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

But not impossible. Many brands already make a light, stiff, and aero bike. The Specialized Tarmac is one, as are the Canyon Ultimate, the Cannondale SuperSix Evo, the Cervélo R5, the Wilier Zero SLR, the Pinarello F12, the Scott Addict, and the new Giant TCR . All of them seek to balance the three qualities—light, stiff, and aero—in the pursuit of the ideal race bike, and they all manage the balance differently. The common thread between these bikes: They’re all used by teams that compete against Trek-Segafredo.

Still Light, Now With Aero

The previous generation Émonda SLR Disc , launched in 2017, was an extremely light frame at 665 grams (claimed). But when a frame is already that light, it is much harder to make it even lighter. At least lighter enough to make a meaningful difference.

emonda drag chart

So, Trek took a different approach to making its climbing bike faster—instead of lighter, it made it more aerodynamic. The new Émonda frame is a touch heavier—yet still extremely light at 698 grams—but the bike has 183 grams less drag than the previous generation.

The important thing to note here is that, though the frame is more aerodynamic, the 183 gram drag reduction is not from the frame only. New wheels and a new aero bar (more info on both below) play a role. The specific setups Trek used to get that 183 gram number are: 2018 Émonda with 28mm-deep Bontrager XXX 2 wheels, and Bontrager XXX Bar/Stem Combo compared to the 2021 Émonda with 37mm deep Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 Wheels and Bontrager Aeolus RSL Bar/Stem Combo.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Another drag saving upgrade: the housing, hoses and wires for the controls are almost fully inside the frame. They dive into the frame at the head tube passing through the upper headset bearing. The front brake hose runs into the fork steerer and down the left leg before popping out just above the brake caliper. The fork steerer’s flattened sides provide room for the rear brake hose and derailleur control lines to travel down and into the frame. Though it has flattened sides, the fork steerer is still compatible with standard 1 1/8” stems.

The overall drag reduction results in a bike that is 18 seconds per hour faster when climbing an 8.1 percent grade (the average grade of Alpe d’Huez ), and 60 seconds per hour faster on flat roads than the previous Émonda. Trek also claims the new Émonda is 13 seconds per hour faster than a Specialized Tarmac when climbing an 8.1 percent grade (all assuming the rider maintains a constant 350 watts).

Eight Point One Percent

With three qualities—aero, stiffness, weight—that work in opposition to each other, how do you decide how much to optimize one quality when you know it will negatively affect the other two? How aero is aero enough? At what point is improved aerodynamics offset by the weight added to get there?

The team behind the Émonda used a legendary climb to help them decide: Alpe d’Huez. “It represents an extreme example of what most people see on a regular basis when they’re doing a big climbing ride,” said Roessingh, “It’s around an 8 percent grade, and it’s about an hour-long climb for the pros—amateurs might go a little slower. It gives us a good understanding of what the benefit of a drag savings is relative to a weight savings.”

trek emonda slr 9 etap

By optimizing the weight and aerodynamic balance around this climb, Roessingh claims the Émonda is faster on Alpe d’Huez and also faster on everything shallower than the famous climb, “which is the vast majority of the environments that most riders are going to ride in, including the team,” said Roessingh. “So if we can say it’s faster up Alpe d’Huez, it’s going to be significantly faster everywhere because the flatter it is, the more aerodynamics benefit you.”

Computer-Aided Optimization

Achieving the weight to the aerodynamic balance of the new Émonda required careful design of each tube shape. Aiding the Émonda’s team was supercomputing horsepower. The abridged and simplified version of the process goes like this: into the computer was fed a rough draft of the shape based on Trek’s aerodynamic experience and other information like UCI regulations. The program then varies the tube’s parameters within a predefined range and spit back several iterations of the shape, each with a different weight to aerodynamic balance. The Émonda’s team evaluated the alternatives and picked the one most suited to its location in the frame and best able to help the frame achieve its overarching goal.

Roessingh says that Trek cannot afford to buy the computing hardware necessary to run the CFD and FEA optimizations (in a timely manner) that helped shape the new Émonda’s tubes. The processing happens in the cloud where Trek rents time on Google, Microsoft, or Amazon’s supercomputers. It’s more affordable than buying a supercomputer. Even so, it is not cheap, “Cloud computing is becoming a relatively significant budget line item for us because we’re doing so many of these optimizations in CFD and FEA and all that processing happens in the cloud.”

tube shape comparison of the generation two and three emonda

The new Émonda’s fork legs, head tube, down tube, seat tube, and seat stays all use a variation of a truncated airfoil. The top tube and chainstays, which have virtually no effect on drag, are optimized almost entirely for stiffness to weight.

In Trek’s line, the new Émonda’s aerodynamic performance is equal to the third generation Domane ; the Madone is still significantly more aero. But while the more aerodynamic Madone is faster in flatter terrain, once the climb hits about 5.5 percent, the lighter Émonda becomes the faster bike. And for many of the Trek-Segafredo team riders—and many amateurs—that means the Émonda is fastest when it matters most: the hardest part of a race or ride, which is almost always on a steep climb.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

OCLV 800 Carbon

Getting the new Émonda SLR to be as light as it is while adding aerodynamic shaping would not be possible without employing a new carbon-fiber composite, said Roessingh. The new OCLV 800 composite is 30 percent stronger than Trek’s previous top-of-the-line composite (OCLV 700). Because it is stronger, they can use less: By using OCLV 800, Trek’s team was able to make the Émonda SLR frame 60 grams lighter than if they used OCLV 700.

trek emonda sl 5

The Émonda SLR is very cool, but it’s also very expensive (bike prices start at $6,699). For the 99 percenters, there’s the Émonda SL (models start at $2,699).

The SL uses OCLV 500 composite, and the frame is quite a bit heavier than the SLR’s. The SL’s frame comes in at 1,142 grams, with a 380-gram fork (SLR fork weight: 365 grams).

But material (and weight) are the only difference between the SL and SLR.

Aeolus Bar Stem

While a ton of work made the Émonda’s frame tubes faster, a big chunk of the new bike’s drag savings comes from the one-piece Aeolus bar stem. It alone is responsible for 70 grams of the Émonda’s 183-gram drag reduction. This means that if a traditional stem and round bar are installed on the new Émonda, its drag advantage over the previous-generation bike drops to 113 grams. And it means that you can make any bike with a round bar and traditional stem significantly more aerodynamic by merely installing the Aeolus. Retail price is $650.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

The integrated Aeolus is made of carbon-fiber composite, of course, with a claimed weight of 297 grams (42x120). It’s offered in 14 length and width combinations, from 44x120 to 38x80. Hoses, housing, and wires run externally for easier service and repairs, but in a groove that keeps them out of the wind. A bolt-on plate keeps the control lines tucked and organized where they turn off the bar tops to run in line with the stem.

The Aeolus employs a mount that works with Bontrager’s line of Blendr accessories for mounting computers and lights.

Aeolus 37 Wheels

Another new Bontrager product rolling out with the Émonda is the Aeolus 37 wheelset. It comes in two models: the Aeolus RSL 37 (1,325 grams/pair, $2,400) and the Aeolus Pro 37 (1,505 grams/pair, $1,300).

trek emonda slr 9 etap

The RSL 37 is claimed to be lighter than Zipp’s 32mm-deep 202, yet more aerodynamic and more stable than Zipp’s 45mm-deep 303. Both wheels are disc brake only (only Center Lock interface), tubeless compatible, use DT-Swiss internals, have no rider weight limit, and come with a lifetime warranty.

Surprisingly Rider Friendly

Though the new Émonda is clean and integrated looking and uses high-performance standards, it is also remarkably rider-friendly. Cables, hoses, and housing run externally on the one-piece Aeolus bar/stem for easier repair and service (with one exception: wiring for a Shimano Di2 or Campagnolo EPS bar-end junction box runs partially inside the bar). If you prefer a more traditional cockpit, it can be run with a standard bar and stem with 1⅛-inch steerer clamp.

The bottom bracket uses the threaded T47 standard , which is compatible with almost all common crank-axle standards.

trek emonda slr 9 etap

Front and rear thru-axles are standard 12x100 and 12x142mm, and the wheels employ a standard dish. The standard flat mounts for the brake calipers are compatible with 140, 160, or 180mm rotors.

Tire clearance is officially 28mm, but that’s with a ton of extra space. I fit 32mm tires in the Émonda with ease.

And though all models do use a seat mast, it’s a no-cut variety with lots of adjustment range.

H1.5 Geometry

Trek did offer its top-of-the-line race bikes in the aggressive H1 geometry for riders seeking an ultra-long and low geometry, or H2 which was an endurance fit. The new Émonda is offered only in H1.5, which splits the difference between H1 and H2. The result is pretty typical dimensions for a modern race bike—a 54cm Émonda H1’s geometry is remarkably similar to a 54cm Specialized Tarmac.

There are eight sizes starting at 47cm and topping out at 62cm.

emonda sl 7 etap

There are 10 models of the new Émonda. SL models start at $2,699 and are priced up to $5,999. SLR models start at $6,699 and go up to $11,999.

Only SLR models come with the Aeolus integrated bar/stem stock; and only the Émonda SL 7 ($5,499) and up come with the Aeolus 37 wheelset.

The new Émonda is a disc brake-only platform.

Project One

The new Émonda is in Trek’s Project One paint and parts personalization program. If that’s not luxe enough for you, Trek’s Project One Ultimate program allows you to work with a designer to come up with a one-of-a-kind finish, and Trek will source any parts you want for your new bike.

emonda project one gold flake

Trek Émonda SLR 9 eTap

Émonda SLR 9 eTap

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race. 

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Trek Emonda ALR first-ride review: Light and fast, but best on smooth roads

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It wasn’t all that long ago that aluminum was considered largely obsolete as a frame material: too soft and heavy relative to carbon fiber, not as much zing or “life” as steel or titanium. But the material is nevertheless enjoying a strong resurgence, and Trek is the latest major brand to add fuel to that fire. The new Emonda ALR aluminum road family is reasonably competitive with carbon fiber in terms of weight and stiffness, and new manufacturing methods make it drop-dead gorgeous, too. It’s also comparatively cheap. But alas, there’s still a price to be paid.

The Emonda ALR by the numbers

On paper, it’s hard to argue with Trek’s new Emonda ALR.

At least as far as the scale is concerned, the Emonda ALR is nearly on-par with the carbon fiber Emonda SL. Claimed frame weight for the disc-brake is 1,131g, and 1,112g for the rim-brake edition — just 40g heavier than its fancier (and more expensive) cousin. And according to Trek, the Emonda ALR’s chassis stiffness figures aren’t far behind, either, thanks in no small part to the fact that its 300-Series Alpha Aluminum hydroformed tubes use nearly the same shapes as the upper-end Emondas.

trek emonda sl vs alr

Both rim-brake and disc-brake versions are on tap — naturally — and tire clearances are in-keeping with trends in the road space. Maximum official tire size on the rim-brake version is 25mm; 28mm for the disc-brake models. That sounds decidedly behind the times at first, yes, but keep in mind that Trek’s internal rating for maximum tire size is unusually conservative. Whereas most companies abide by international standards for clearance (at least 4mm of space on all sides of the tire at the closest point), Trek adds another 2mm on top of that, so comparing apples to apples, the rim-brake Emonda ALR will comfortably handle 29mm-wide tires, and the disc-brake bikes will fit 32mm-wide ones. Much better.

Handling-wise, Trek has carried over the same frame geometry as on the carbon Emonda models, which, in turn, were derived from the highly evolved figures of the long-standing Madone range. In other words, it promises truly neutral characteristics, with stable manners at high speeds, a seemingly contradictory willingness to carve through sinuous descents, and reasonable agility at low speeds without having the front end feel too floppy. Trek hasn’t changed its bread-and-butter road geometry much in ages, and that’s a good thing.

In terms of rider positioning, though, Trek will only offer the Emonda ALR in the tamer H2 fit with its slightly taller head tube. Riders who are specifically after a more aggressive posture will still need to look at the top-end Emonda SLR range.

trek emonda sl vs alr

Other features include partially internal cable routing (just through the down tube), 12mm front and rear thru-axles and flat-mount caliper interfaces on disc-brake models, quick-release dropouts and direct-mount caliper mounts on rim-brake models, PF86 press-fit bottom bracket shells across the board, tapered steerer tubes on the full-carbon forks, standard 27.2mm-diameter round seatposts with conventional external seatpost clamps, and a small pocket built into the non-driveside chainstay for Bontrager’s DuoTrap wireless speed and cadence sensor.

None of this sounds remotely groundbreaking. And the focus on stiffness-to-weight means there isn’t a smidgeon of aerodynamic shaping to be found here. There’s not a single mention of wind tunnels or grams of drag or yaw angles in any of Trek’s marketing collateral. In an ever-expanding world of sleek two-wheeled machines that are starting to look more like airplanes than bicycles, the Emonda ALR might seem like a throwback.

But oh, man, you just have to see the thing.

Invisible Weld Technology

The way aluminum bicycle frames are welded hasn’t changed much in decades. With few exceptions, tubes are mitered at the joints and held together in a jig for a close fit, and then the intersections are basically just melted together at high heat, with an additional bead of similar material — the weld bead — added on top for additional structural reinforcement. Sometimes welders take two passes over the joint, and sometimes it’s just one, and sometimes the bead is filed down for a smoother look. But by and large, the process is the same today as it was when people thought Jeff Bezos was nuts for thinking he could sell books over the internet.

Specialized legitimately moved things forward a few years ago with the introduction of Smartweld . Normally, those mitered aluminum tubes fit together kind of like how you would join empty rolls of paper towels together in a grade school art project, with the end of one tube carved out to fit tightly against the unaltered wall of the other tube.

trek emonda sl vs alr

But Smartweld is more like holding the bottom of two soda cans against each other. There’s a natural trough that the welding rod can fill, there’s more surface area to join together for better structural integrity, the weld itself is moved away from the areas of highest stress, the adjoining tube walls can be made thinner and lighter, and the resulting joint ends up more flush with the surrounding tube wall for a smoother finish. There’s more hydroforming work required to initially create that sort of interface geometry on the individual parts, but it’s a brilliant idea that Specialized has used to great effect.

Trek is now doing something similar, calling it “Invisible Weld Technology.” The concept is much the same, at least in terms of the weld joint geometry itself, but whereas Specialized moves the weld further up on the tubes, IWT uses the same weld location as a standard mitered joint.

Details aside, the result is visually stunning. For example, Trek has formed the head tube and top tube of the new Emonda ALR with the same shapes as the carbon fiber Emonda SL and SLR, and unless you look very closely, you can’t even tell where one part ends and the other begins; it’s truly seamless as far as your eyes are concerned.

trek emonda sl vs alr

Other areas of the frame are joined using more conventional welding techniques, and the Emonda’s press-fit bottom bracket shell is a far cry from the bulbous and hollow two-piece clamshell that Specialized uses on the Allez Sprint . But it’s important to note that Trek is just getting started with the IWT concept, and it’ll be very interesting to see where it goes from here.

Off-the-shelf, or build to suit

As good as the Emonda ALR platform sounds, Trek clearly isn’t interested in having it cannibalize sales from the carbon fiber Emonda families based on the build kits on tap. Just five complete models are available, all of which focus more on value than outright performance. Complete Shimano groupsets are featured throughout, along with hydraulic brakes for all disc-equipped models. The one exception are the Tektro brake calipers on lower-end rim-brake models, since Shimano doesn’t make a direct-mount caliper at that price point.

At the lower end are the Emonda ALR 4 and ALR 4 Disc, built with Shimano Tiagra and Bontrager Affinity TLR tubeless-ready aluminum clinchers. The rim-brake version costs US$1,360 / AU$1,500, and the disc-brake version (which won’t be brought into Australia) costs US$1,680.

At the upper end are the Emonda ALR 5 and ALR 5 Disc, built with the same Bontrager Affinity TLR tubeless-ready aluminum wheels, but with Shimano’s 105 groupset. Retail price for the rim-brake version is US$1,580 / AU$2,000, or US$1,890 / AU$2,400 for the disc-brake version.

There will also be a sole women-specific model, the Emonda ALR 5 Disc Women’s. Basic spec is unchanged, and it’s built with the same frameset, but touch points are altered to promote a better fit and feel. Pricing is the same as the standard Emonda ALR 5 Disc, but like the Emonda ALR 4 Disc, Trek doesn’t plan to sell it in Australia.

Trek still isn’t ignoring the performance potential of the Emonda ALR, either; there’s also a bare frameset available for riders that might want to do a higher-end build. Retail price is US$960 for either the rim-brake or disc-brake version, but neither will be imported into Australia.

Pricing and availability for other regions is still to be confirmed.

trek emonda sl vs alr

Bones, shaken

I rode a custom-built Emonda ALR for several hours on the roads surrounding Trek’s global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, where the rolling hills and seemingly endless expanse of sparsely populated roads provide plenty of opportunity to test a bike’s mettle. Rather than set us up on stock models, Trek went the DIY route, outfitting the frames with Shimano’s latest Ultegra mechanical groupset, low-profile Bontrager Aeolus XXX 2 carbon clinchers, 25mm-wide Bontrager R3 tubeless tires, and an assortment of Bontrager carbon fiber finishing kit. Total weight for my 52cm sample was just 7.4kg (16.31lb), without pedals, but with bottle cages and Blendr accessory mounts.

True to claims, the Emonda ALR felt satisfyingly stout under power, and plenty eager to squirt up short and punchy climbs. Front-end torsional rigidity is good, too, although not quite on-par with top-end carbon models, with some flex detected when you’re really wrenching on the bars.

trek emonda sl vs alr

As expected, handling is picture-perfect, like a well-trained horse that almost doesn’t require any physical input from its rider before doing exactly what you want it to. Set those numbers in stone, Trek.

But as pleasant as Trek’s home roads are, the asphalt is distinctly coarse and lumpy, and the pavement seams impossible to ignore. Trek has successfully showcased other bikes on this stage before, but for the Emonda ALR, it might have been better to choose somewhere with better-quality roads.

The Emonda ALR seems to put up a good fight against more expensive carbon bikes in terms of weight and stiffness, however it’s simply no match in terms of ride comfort. Even with the tires inflated to a modest 70psi or so under my 70kg body, the Emonda ALR offers a rough ride, with little vibration damping to speak of and plenty of impact harshness traveling up through the handlebar and saddle. If anything, it only highlights further the uncanny comfort of the new Madone .

trek emonda sl vs alr

That firm ride will certainly be viewed differently by different riders, and it’s important to note that frame compliance varies proportionally with frame size (and remember that I’m 1.73m tall, weigh 70kg, and ride a relatively small 52cm). Would a heavier and/or taller rider have a different experience? Maybe. But again, stiffness and weight still seem to me to have been the primary design objectives here, and frame compliance strikes me as falling further down on the list. Granted, switching to a more flexible seatpost and tires with more suppleness than the rather stiff-bodied Bontrager R3s of my test bike help, but there are limits to how much you can mask the inherent characteristics of a frameset. As is, the Emonda ALR wouldn’t be my first choice for a long day in the saddle on less-than-ideal road surfaces.

This isn’t to say that I wasn’t impressed with the Emonda ALR overall. I’m a big fan of aluminum bikes in general, and I’m definitely excited to see Trek (and others) devoting more attention to the genre. The Emonda ALR is light and stiff, and an unquestionably good value from a mainstream brand. Privateer racers will unquestionably find much to like here, as will anyone prioritizing stiffness and low weight, and living in areas with good-quality roads.

But just as perpetual motion machines, fountains of youth, and fusion reactors are still the stuff of folklore, the Emonda ALR isn’t quite a tale of getting true carbon fiber performance at aluminum pricing. If you enter into the arrangement with realistic expectations of what you might be getting, you’ll probably be happy with it. And as always, a test ride is probably a good idea before signing on the dotted line.

As much as some of us might like to believe otherwise, material properties are what they are, and as good as the Emonda ALR is, you still don’t get something for nothing.

www.trekbikes.com Disclaimer: Trek provided flights, accommodations, and loaner equipment for this event, and has previously advertised on CyclingTips.

trek emonda sl vs alr

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pogacar\u2019s dominant victory\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/what-the-hell-just-happened-strade-bianche-peloton-shocked-by-tadej-pogacars-dominant-victory\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018what the hell just happened\u2019 strade bianche peloton shocked by tadej pogacar\u2019s dominant victory\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018what the hell just happened\u2019 strade bianche peloton shocked by tadej pogacar\u2019s dominant victory\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"the inside story behind the most insane bike change in pro cycling history\u00a0","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/the-inside-story-behind-the-most-insane-bike-change-in-pro-cycling-history\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/the-inside-story-behind-the-most-insane-bike-change-in-pro-cycling-history\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the inside story behind the most insane bike change in pro cycling history\u00a0\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/the-inside-story-behind-the-most-insane-bike-change-in-pro-cycling-history\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the inside story behind the most insane bike change in pro cycling history\u00a0\"}}\u0027>\n the inside story behind the most insane bike change in pro cycling history\u00a0\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"strade bianche essentials: top favorites, maps, profiles, start lists for the \u2018white roads\u2019 classic","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianche-go-to-guide-top-favorites-maps-profiles-start-lists\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianche-go-to-guide-top-favorites-maps-profiles-start-lists\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"strade bianche essentials: top favorites, maps, profiles, start lists for the \u2018white roads\u2019 classic\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianche-go-to-guide-top-favorites-maps-profiles-start-lists\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"strade bianche essentials: top favorites, maps, profiles, start lists for the \u2018white roads\u2019 classic\"}}\u0027>\n strade bianche essentials: top favorites, maps, profiles, start lists for the \u2018white roads\u2019 classic\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018racing for the win\u2019: tadej poga\u010dar braces to blow the doors off at strade bianche","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/racing-for-the-win-tadej-pogacar-braces-to-blow-the-doors-off-at-strade-bianche\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/racing-for-the-win-tadej-pogacar-braces-to-blow-the-doors-off-at-strade-bianche\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018racing for the win\u2019: tadej poga\u010dar braces to blow the doors off at strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/racing-for-the-win-tadej-pogacar-braces-to-blow-the-doors-off-at-strade-bianche\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018racing for the win\u2019: tadej poga\u010dar braces to blow the doors off at strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018racing for the win\u2019: tadej poga\u010dar braces to blow the doors off at strade bianche\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"uci drops hammer with strict participation rules for cyclocross world cup","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/uci-drops-hammer-on-cyclocross-world-cup-with-strict-participation-rules\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/uci-drops-hammer-on-cyclocross-world-cup-with-strict-participation-rules\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"uci drops hammer with strict participation rules for cyclocross world cup\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/uci-drops-hammer-on-cyclocross-world-cup-with-strict-participation-rules\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"uci drops hammer with strict participation rules for cyclocross world cup\"}}\u0027>\n uci drops hammer with strict participation rules for cyclocross world cup\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"manx on a mission: is mark cavendish on track for record tour de france success","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/manx-on-a-mission-is-mark-cavendish-on-track-for-record-tour-de-france-success\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/manx-on-a-mission-is-mark-cavendish-on-track-for-record-tour-de-france-success\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"manx on a mission: is mark cavendish on track for record tour de france success\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/manx-on-a-mission-is-mark-cavendish-on-track-for-record-tour-de-france-success\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"manx on a mission: is mark cavendish on track for record tour de france success\"}}\u0027>\n manx on a mission: is mark cavendish on track for record tour de france success\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cpa raises alarm bells over hookless tires, rims: \u2018one day there will be a mass crash\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/cpa-raises-alarm-bells-over-hookless-tires-rims-one-day-there-will-be-a-mass-crash\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/cpa-raises-alarm-bells-over-hookless-tires-rims-one-day-there-will-be-a-mass-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cpa raises alarm bells over hookless tires, rims: \u2018one day there will be a mass crash\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-gear\/cpa-raises-alarm-bells-over-hookless-tires-rims-one-day-there-will-be-a-mass-crash\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cpa raises alarm bells over hookless tires, rims: \u2018one day there will be a mass crash\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n cpa raises alarm bells over hookless tires, rims: \u2018one day there will be a mass crash\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"panaracer revamps their gravelking tire lineup, adds new x1 tread","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-panaracer-gravelking-tires\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-panaracer-gravelking-tires\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"panaracer revamps their gravelking tire lineup, adds new x1 tread\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/new-panaracer-gravelking-tires\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"panaracer revamps their gravelking tire lineup, adds new x1 tread\"}}\u0027>\n panaracer revamps their gravelking tire lineup, adds new x1 tread\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018the race is way harder now\u2019: strade bianche\u2019s longer, tougher route divides peloton","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianches-longer-tougher-route-sparks-debate-the-race-is-way-harder-now\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianches-longer-tougher-route-sparks-debate-the-race-is-way-harder-now\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018the race is way harder now\u2019: strade bianche\u2019s longer, tougher route divides peloton\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/strade-bianches-longer-tougher-route-sparks-debate-the-race-is-way-harder-now\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018the race is way harder now\u2019: strade bianche\u2019s longer, tougher route divides peloton\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018the race is way harder now\u2019: strade bianche\u2019s longer, tougher route divides peloton\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"the big watts of \u2018opening weekend\u2019: inside the power files of the fastest ever omloop and kuurne","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/the-big-watts-of-opening-weekend-inside-the-power-files-of-the-fastest-ever-omloop-and-kuurne\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/the-big-watts-of-opening-weekend-inside-the-power-files-of-the-fastest-ever-omloop-and-kuurne\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the big watts of \u2018opening weekend\u2019: inside the power files of the fastest ever omloop and kuurne\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/the-big-watts-of-opening-weekend-inside-the-power-files-of-the-fastest-ever-omloop-and-kuurne\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the big watts of \u2018opening weekend\u2019: inside the power files of the fastest ever omloop and kuurne\"}}\u0027>\n the big watts of \u2018opening weekend\u2019: inside the power files of the fastest ever omloop and kuurne\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"neilson powless, usa\u2019s next classics king \u2018i\u2019m closing the gap to van der poel, van aert\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/neilson-powless-usas-next-classics-king\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/neilson-powless-usas-next-classics-king\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"neilson powless, usa\u2019s next classics king \u2018i\u2019m closing the gap to van der poel, van aert\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/neilson-powless-usas-next-classics-king\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"neilson powless, usa\u2019s next classics king \u2018i\u2019m closing the gap to van der poel, van aert\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n neilson powless, usa\u2019s next classics king \u2018i\u2019m closing the gap to van der poel, van aert\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"more stones, more stoke will bigger be better for the \u2018xl\u2019 strade bianche","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/will-bigger-be-better-for-the-2024-strade-bianche-xl\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/will-bigger-be-better-for-the-2024-strade-bianche-xl\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"more stones, more stoke will bigger be better for the \u2018xl\u2019 strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/will-bigger-be-better-for-the-2024-strade-bianche-xl\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"more stones, more stoke will bigger be better for the \u2018xl\u2019 strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n more stones, more stoke will bigger be better for the \u2018xl\u2019 strade bianche\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"antagonist, antithesis: how tadej poga\u010dar will wreck a visma-lease a bike rout of 2024","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/how-tadej-pogacar-will-wreck-a-visma-lease-a-bike-rout-of-2024\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/how-tadej-pogacar-will-wreck-a-visma-lease-a-bike-rout-of-2024\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"antagonist, antithesis: how tadej poga\u010dar will wreck a visma-lease a bike rout of 2024\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/how-tadej-pogacar-will-wreck-a-visma-lease-a-bike-rout-of-2024\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"antagonist, antithesis: how tadej poga\u010dar will wreck a visma-lease a bike rout of 2024\"}}\u0027>\n antagonist, antithesis: how tadej poga\u010dar will wreck a visma-lease a bike rout of 2024\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"kopecky blitzes longo borghini on siena climb for her second strade bianche","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/kopecky-blitzes-longo-borghini-on-siena-climb-for-her-second-strade-bianche\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/kopecky-blitzes-longo-borghini-on-siena-climb-for-her-second-strade-bianche\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"kopecky blitzes longo borghini on siena climb for her second strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/kopecky-blitzes-longo-borghini-on-siena-climb-for-her-second-strade-bianche\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"kopecky blitzes longo borghini on siena climb for her second strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n kopecky blitzes longo borghini on siena climb for her second strade bianche\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"5 weekend takeaways: van der poel lurking, \u2018generation remco\u2019, alarm bells for cavendish","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/5-weekend-takeaways-van-der-poel-lurking-generation-remco-rising-and-alarm-bells-for-cavendish\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/5-weekend-takeaways-van-der-poel-lurking-generation-remco-rising-and-alarm-bells-for-cavendish\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 weekend takeaways: van der poel lurking, \u2018generation remco\u2019, alarm bells for cavendish\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/5-weekend-takeaways-van-der-poel-lurking-generation-remco-rising-and-alarm-bells-for-cavendish\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 weekend takeaways: van der poel lurking, \u2018generation remco\u2019, alarm bells for cavendish\"}}\u0027>\n 5 weekend takeaways: van der poel lurking, \u2018generation remco\u2019, alarm bells for cavendish\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"wout van aert sets classics tone with victory at kuurne-brussel-kuurne","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/wout-van-aert-sets-classics-tone-with-victory-at-kuurne-brussel-kuurne\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/wout-van-aert-sets-classics-tone-with-victory-at-kuurne-brussel-kuurne\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"wout van aert sets classics tone with victory at kuurne-brussel-kuurne\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/wout-van-aert-sets-classics-tone-with-victory-at-kuurne-brussel-kuurne\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"wout van aert sets classics tone with victory at kuurne-brussel-kuurne\"}}\u0027>\n wout van aert sets classics tone with victory at kuurne-brussel-kuurne\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018it\u2019s on\u2019: poga\u010dar and pidcock\u2019s tuscan tussle at strade bianche","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/its-on-pogacar-pidcock-gravel-tuscan-tussle\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/its-on-pogacar-pidcock-gravel-tuscan-tussle\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018it\u2019s on\u2019: poga\u010dar and pidcock\u2019s tuscan tussle at strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/its-on-pogacar-pidcock-gravel-tuscan-tussle\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018it\u2019s on\u2019: poga\u010dar and pidcock\u2019s tuscan tussle at strade bianche\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018it\u2019s on\u2019: poga\u010dar and pidcock\u2019s tuscan tussle at strade bianche\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"how visma eviscerated the opening classics","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-eviscerate-the-opening-classics-will-the-strategy-translate-at-flanders-and-roubaix\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-eviscerate-the-opening-classics-will-the-strategy-translate-at-flanders-and-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"how visma eviscerated the opening classics\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-eviscerate-the-opening-classics-will-the-strategy-translate-at-flanders-and-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"how visma eviscerated the opening classics\"}}\u0027>\n how visma eviscerated the opening classics\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

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The Trek Emonda ALR5 shown in profile, with all-black paint and parts.

Review: Trek Emonda ALR 5, the bike that disc brakes almost broke 

Are the days of the aluminum race bike over? Not quite yet.

Caley Fretz

I dream of aluminum race bikes. Sturdy, fast, cheap. They’re what most amateur bike racers should be on, if you ask me, but the options are vanishingly few. 

There’s the Specialized Allez Sprint, the current king of the castle, but it’s a $1,700 frameset and is often out of stock. The Cannondale CAAD13 is lovely too, but has been taken about two steps too far away from its racing roots for my liking. Now there’s a third big-brand aluminum option: the Trek Emonda ALR 5. 

I hoped for a bike I could feel confident in recommending to any young or aspiring racer. Something nimble and light, with the right gearing, a ride comparable to carbon, a few nods to modern-day aerodynamic understanding, and clever spec. Not a first road bike, perhaps, but something worth graduating to. Trek came so very close.

This is a bike that will roll off showroom floors for just over $2,000 and looks every bit like a bike three or five times that. The integrated front end, the shapely tubes – from across the street it looks like carbon. 

The Emonda ALR is a cool aluminum race bike. Looks good and rides well. It needs a few tweaks if you really want to get the most out of it, but it’s 90% of the way there straight out of the box. It only misses in a few spots, and that might not even be its own fault. 

The short of it: A good argument for not buying a cheap carbon road bike instead Good stuff: Superb ride quality, excellent handling, great looks Bad stuff: Weight  Total weight: 9.12 kg/20.1 lbs Price: USD $2,300 / AUD $3,000 / £2,150

As aluminum frames go, this one is both good-looking and well-thought-out. It uses Trek’s 300-series Alpha Aluminum and what Trek calls “Invisible Weld Technology,” which smooths out the welds themselves and provides a decidedly carbon-like look. More than one person thought I was on a carbon bike. 

The tubes are hydroformed, a technology that has now been in the bike industry for well over a decade but is crucial to creating the types of tube shapes Trek uses on the Emonda. There are nods to aerodynamics, including a truncated seat tube, big and shapely down tube, deeper head tube, and dropped seatstays. The intention isn’t to compete with the best aero bikes on the market, but a bit of aero efficiency never hurts. 

The downtube of the Emonda ALR, showing its glossy black paint and hydroformed shape, which can pass for carbon at a glance.

The frame is light, around 1,260 grams, plus a 400-gram carbon fork. That makes it roughly the same weight (within 50 grams) as the carbon fiber Emonda SL, which sits on the lower end of Trek’s carbon spectrum. And a complete Emonda ALR 5 bike costs as much as the Emonda SL frameset. Behold, the power of aluminum.

Down at the bottom bracket, Trek has gone with the threaded T47 standard, which we have no real problems with. James Huang is a big fan. Dave Rome is sort of ambivalent. I just know it didn’t creak over the last 6 months.

I wish the Emonda ALR had more official tire clearance. This may partly be a limitation of aluminum, but in the end, it’s a decision. The aluminum Domane fits a 40 mm tire. The Emonda ALR will officially only take a 28 mm tire. Now, if you know Trek, you know they have an exceptionally conservative legal department, and you can generally go 4+ mm wider than claimed. But the rear end, in particular, is tighter than I’d prefer on the Emonda ALR. I wouldn’t be comfortable with anything over a 30 (measured). The fork has plenty of room for a 30 or slightly larger. Just know that you’re running afoul of Trek’s official recommendation if you do this, potentially harming things like warranty, which is a shame.

A closeup of rear tire clearance at the chainstay, showing a roughly 4.5 mm gap between the tire and inside wall of the stay.

Any modern disc road bike should clear a 30 with no concerns whatsoever. Only 28 is just not enough. Not when pros are winning Milan-San Remo on tires that measure closer to 32. A race bike can and should have clearance for 32s these days. 

Aaargh, integration

I appreciate the thought and care Trek put into bar/stem/brake line integration on this bike. If integrated front ends are truly what consumers are looking for – and the fact that every single road brand is integrating more and more suggests that purchase data shows people want it – then why should we limit such things to the realm of the carbon fiber bourgeoise?

The plebs down here plowing fields in Aluminum Land deserve a clean cockpit too. The Emonda ALR looks great, it looks expensive, and part of that is the fact that Trek bothered to put the front end together with as much thought as they do for bikes five times the price. 

The Emonda ALR runs its brake and shift lines through an entryway at the front of the headset and then down through the frame. All the lines and housing exit right before the bottom bracket and then re-enter behind it. The headset routing is very similar in concept and execution to the design found on the Allez Sprint, though everything stays internal near the bottom bracket on the Specialized.

The integrated front end of the Emonda ALR, showing the brake and derailleur housings exit the bar tape and slide under the stem to enter the bike at the front of the headset.

There are six full pages in the manual dedicated to the headset, brake line routing, proprietary spacer stacking, and all the rest. The fact that James trusted me, the Hammer, to sort this out and put things together properly is a testament to both his trust and his foolishness. Or perhaps this was his plan all along, to put the design to the ultimate test. 

Mercifully the Emonda came mostly built. Unmercifully, it also came with a kinked brake hose right out of the box, which required replacing. And, of course, I would have to do some basic fit adjustments. The kinked line ended up being quite annoying but the fit changes were no big deal. 

A graphic from the Emonda ALR owners manual showing exploded diagrams for the headset cable routing and instructions for installing the stem.

The brake lines run down in front of the steerer tube, in between the slightly bulbous head tube and the steerer itself. There are proprietary split spacers to be used instead of round ones. Pulling it all apart and getting it back together is finicky but not impossible, and dropping the bars two cm took less than five minutes. The spacers are annoying relative to some good old-fashioned round ones, but they also allowed me to play with stack without having to run new brake lines.

As internal brake and shift lines go, this is about as good and easy as it gets.

In the end, I ditched all of the spacers and ran the stem “slammed” because the H1.5 geometry (more on this later), in addition to the height necessitated by the cable-entry cap, meant that slammed wasn’t actually that aggressive.

You can use standard round spacers above the stem as you move the stem clamp down the steerer, should you so choose. The sleeker look obviously requires cutting the steer at the new stem height, but for the purposes of setting fit – and because this isn’t my bike – it was nice to be able to throw the ol’ roundies I had floating around my toolbox on the section of steerer above the stem. 

Now, the kinked line. This isn’t really Trek’s fault, except that I’m pretty sure a line that had more than a few short centimeters exposed between the frame and stem probably wouldn’t have had this problem during shipping. Keep that in mind if you travel with this bike: anything with this level of integration needs added care in packing because with such short exposed sections of brake line, the margin for error is smaller. 

Replacing the line was quite straightforward. Lines run down the front of the head tube, inside the upper headset bearing, and then, in this case, down to the front brake via a port in the steerer itself. It all guided through pretty easily. Re-attach, bleed, and I was off to the races. The rear brake would take slightly more effort, as it needs to be fished through a hole near the bottom of the down tube and then on through another set of holes to the caliper, but it’s no worse than any other integrated bike out there right now.

The internal cable routing at the bottom bracket, which shows both derailleur cables and the rear brake housing exit at a port just above the bottom bracket shell, then closely follow the shell before re-entering the frame.

Geometry chart

The Emonda ALR uses the same H1.5 geometry as the latest Madone SLR and carbon Emonda options. It sits, as the name implies, about halfway in between the race-focused H1 geometry and endurance H2 geometry. 

It also sits right in between two of its competitors in this space, the Specialized Allez Sprint and the Cannondale CAAD13. The Allez is more aggressive, the CAAD a bit less so. 

Here’s the full chart: 

Emonda ALR geometry chart, showing sizes from 47-62 cm.

I’ll talk about the ride and handling in a moment, but a couple of things to note. The trail is a very standard 56-62 mm for most sizes. The smallest riders, as usual, get absolutely hammered with a 68 mm trail that I’m sure makes the bike feel absolutely nothing like the one I rode (a 56 cm). Sorry, anybody riding a 47 cm.

Wheelbase is about one cm longer than the Allez Sprint, trail is a bit higher, reach is shorter, stack is higher. All these things point to a less race-oriented machine. And that is the case, though not to the point that the Emonda isn’t totally race-worthy. It absolutely is.

Models and pricing

Normally, we drop all the other build options for a given frameset in this section, but because this is an aluminum bike and so few people apparently want aluminum bikes anymore, there are no other build options.

At least, that’s true in the US. The UK market has the ALR 6, which upgrades the 105 mechanical to 105 Di2 for a marginal increase in cost to £2,400. And in the US you can buy framesets on their own for USD $1,200. These have some great paint jobs and would be a fun project.

In fact, if you’re comfortable building bikes from scratch, that’s probably how I would do it. These are really cool frames, extremely well thought out, light, and quite beautiful. But the stock build kits are uninspiring, because Trek had to hit a price point. I would love to take one of these and slowly build it with higher-end second-hand parts over the course of a winter. Total cost would be similar, but you’d end up with a much cooler end product.

An example of the great paint jobs available on the Emonda ALR framesets. This one is white, with abstract geometric decals on the seat tube in green, pink, yellow and even a red-white check flag, a design that's repeated on the downtube logo.

As a brief experiment, I put myself into character. The character: me, 20 years old, racing crits every weekend, living on like $700 a month plus race winnings, with $3,000 left over from my student loans. Decison-making: Generally terrible. Acknowledgment that the future exists: Never. FTP: High as it’ll ever be. I popped around the usual buy/sell sites and checked out some deals on groups to see what I could build. This is what I came up with in less than 30 minutes (all prices USD):

Frame : Emonda ALR in one of the cool colors – $1,200 Drivetrain and brakes : Shimano 105 7000 – $700 Wheels : Something carbon that makes a good whoosh noise – $650 on eBay or similar if you’re willing to buy something that isn’t tubeless compatible (go latex tubes for racing instead) Handlebar : Ritchey WCS Neoclassic drop – $99 (eBay) Stem : Ritchey WCS 4-axis – $25 (eBay) Seatpost : Ritchey WCS – $74 (eBay) Saddle : Bontrager Aeolus Comp: $90 Tires : Vittoria Corsa Control 30mm – $35 (not the tubeless version)

Total: $2873 plus $100 or so for cables/housing/other odds and ends. This bike is easily 2.5 pounds lighter than the stock ALR5, makes a better noise, looks cooler, and leaves me about $100 of student loan funds to spend on a week’s worth of post-ride burritos.

Build kit breakdown

My collegiate-racer fever dreams aside, the ALR 5 has a solid, reliable build. It’s a good platform to upgrade off of, if that’s your jam, and it’s perfectly serviceable right out of the box.

I have zero complaints about the Shimano 105 7000 mechanical drivetrain. It shifts, it’s quiet, it’s relatively cheap. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. 

I do dislike the rotors, which are the RT70 from Shimano. They are ugly and look cheap. Give me some of that finned goodness. This is 90% aesthetic but aesthetics matter.

The stock RT70 brake rotor, which has a larger rotor and smaller carrier body, and lacks the cooling fins of pricier versions.

The stock gear ratios should be enough for most, but could perhaps go a bit lower if you live somewhere hilly. A 50/34 front chainring setup is matched with an 11-30 cassette. Ten years ago, that would have been ludicrously low, but the bike industry has since realized we’re not all riding around at pro watts all the time, and these days I’d prefer a 32 or even 34 low gear on the back unless I’m racing.

If I am racing, I probably want a 52/36 with that same 11-30 cassette. But that’s a low priority and can be upgraded later.

The rest of the build is uninspiring but adequate. Trek’s component brand Bontrager provides the seatpost, saddle, stem, and handlebars. All are alloy, all are a bit heavy. The Comp VR-C bars have quite a nice bend to them, on the shallow end of the spectrum but not silly-shallow. The transition from hoods to tops is nice and smooth and the drop curvature is superb. I found them very comfortable.

There are no surprises, integration headaches, or odd standards, just a 27.2 seatpost, 1 1/8″ steerer, and round bars. All of it can be easily upgraded or swapped out.

The Bontrager Verse Comp saddle is too heavily padded for my liking. I did a couple of rides on it and it wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t great. It’s also quite long, and I’m used to short saddles these days. Bontrager’s excellent Aeolus would have been a better match for the bike and its ambitions.

The Bontrager Verse Comp saddle, showing generous, La-Z-Boi like padding.

The Bontrager Paradigm wheels are heavy (roughly 1,750 g claimed) but do feature a nicely modern 21 mm internal rim width, which spreads the 700×25 hotpatched tire out to just under 28mm. The tires are Bontrager R1 Hardcase-Lite with a wire bead. They are hot garbage that should be removed immediately.  Wire bead ? Are you kidding me? Bontrager makes some nice tires these days; the R1 Hardcase is decidedly not one of them.

I took them off, riding only once on those turds of tires before swapping them out to a set of Vittoria Corsa Controls. I went from disliking the bike to liking it with that one switch. Tires are important. Granted, Corsa Controls aren’t cheap.

Bontrager's hot-mess R1 Hardcase wire bead tires, which should be immediately up-cycled into a chairback.

Ride report

That brings us to the ride. All of the figures and facts above combine in sometimes unexpected ways, mixing and melding into a ride quality that is genuinely quite impressive (once you take the terrible tires off).

I tested this bike with three sets of tires/wheels. First, the stock Bontragers. Awful. Second, the Corsa Controls and butyl tubes on the stock Paradigm wheelset. Great! A better bet would have been a good tubeless tire, since the Paradigm rims are tubeless-ready, but I didn’t have any handy that were narrow enough.

Finally, I put on a set of Continental GP5000s with latex tubes in on a set of Roval Alpinist carbon wheels. The Corsas alone dropped over 200 grams off the stock tire weight, and the Roval setup dropped more than a pound (626 grams, to be precise) off the stock setup. The overall change in ride quality from both changes was dramatic.

As a result, I’m going to ignore the stock tires for this ride quality analysis. The R1s are so bad, and tires are so important, that it feels unfair to besmirch an otherwise-good bike with their wire bead stink. If you’re reading this review, you care enough to swap them out. My opinions here are based on the stock wheelset + Vittoria Corsa Control + butyl tube setup. 

This is a comfortable aluminum bike. Trek has lots of marketing copy on its website about how its hydroforming processes and the Invisible Weld Technology combine to allow its engineers to create a frame with significantly more compliance than the aluminum of old. I would say they aren’t lying. 

The hydroformed top tube of the Emonda ALR, showing a flattening taper as it reaches the seat cluster.

The rear end, in particular, cuts road buzz nicely. The 27.2 seatpost helps, and if you upgraded to a carbon post it would further improve flex and thus comfort. The big aluminum handlebars are stiff and the front end feels harsher than the rear. I’m sort of OK with this; a stiff front end feels like it wants to race, to me, and I like that.

The size 56 I tested has a 73.5º head angle and 58 mm of trail. Both figures are about spot on for a bike that wants to be race-worthy but not race-only. The handling is therefore as I expected: predictable, on the twitchy end of the spectrum these days but nothing extreme. Ten years ago, this would have been called endurance bike geometry. But now we know better. 

This is supposed to be a race bike, and nothing in the handling would prevent it from finding success there. It is not a pure crit machine in the way that the Allez Sprint is (that bike has a more aggressive trail figure of 55 mm, plus a lower BB and longer reach). The Emonda ALR is a road racer. It’s well-balanced and goes where you point it. 

The rich get richer, the poor get heavier

Behind this generally positive review is an unshakeable feeling that something is missing. I’m not sure the bike I dream of, and that I was hoping the Emonda ALR would be, really exists anymore. In riding the Emonda ALR and perusing the other options currently available in the same price range, the only conclusion I can draw is that it’s very, very difficult for a big bike brand to build a cheap race bike these days. 

The bike I want is a Cannondale CAAD10 from around 2015. The model with Shimano 105 went for about US$1,700 – roughly US$2,200 in today’s inflated money. In other words, nearly identical to the Emonda ALR 5. That bike weighed in the low-17 pound (7.7 kg) range. It had decent wheels and snappy handling and pretty much everybody who reviewed one or raced one called it some version of a superbike killer. It was so good. 

The Emonda ALR is better in some ways. It’s more comfortable, for one. It’s probably more aerodynamic, simply because of the integrated front end, though we don’t have any figures to prove this. It fits a much bigger tire (albeit not big enough). But it also weighs closer to 20 pounds, has pigs for wheels, and comes stock with the worst road tires I’ve ridden in years. The geometry is a bit softer, a bit more forgiving; the handling is good but I would personally prefer it to be snappier for racing. 

There is one obvious culprit for many (though not all) of these ills, of course. Disc brakes.

I’m about as far from a disc hater as you can find, and would prefer them on almost any bike I build and ride. But there is a reality to them: to build a light, nimble-feeling road race bike with disc brakes costs a lot of money. You can get to 6.8 kg, or well under, but it will cost significantly more than it did back when a rim-brake CAAD10 could get there for $1,700 plus a few smart upgrades. 

Again, the Allez Sprint – the spiritual heir to the old CAADs – is $1,700 for the frameset alone. 

Trek’s little tagline for this bike is “Never heavy. Always metal.” Which is true – if you look at the frameset. Sub-1,300 grams is superb. But the various parts needed to build a bike at this price point, with discs and thru axles and all the other complications of the modern road bike, mean that heavy is exactly what the stock version of the ALR 5 is.

None of this is directly Trek’s fault, unless you prescribe to the Big Disc conspiracy that holds that all big bike brands hoisted discs on us only to sell more bikes (which I do not). But there is no question that discs have made it harder to build a bike I would want to race for a price I could have afforded when I was racing. We have $8,000 bikes with 105 now; where does one turn if you’re racing collegiate crits, living on microwave pizzas, and want to go fast as hell? The Emonda ALR may be among the best of a dwindling bunch, but even it doesn’t quite get there. 

The Trek Emonda ALR5 in profile, with sleek black paint and blackout logos, all-grey Shimano 105 parts, and black Bontrager wheels and tires. In other words: black.

What did you think of this story?

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Specialized Allez Sprint vs Trek Emonda ALR — which aluminium race bike will win this epic showdown?

First Published Apr 22, 2023

A few years ago, it looked like alloy bikes were all but dead; however, in 2023 they still represent a very real and very competitive alternative to carbon.

With Trek’s latest aluminium road bike  release a few weeks ago, the third generation Emonda ALR, two of the biggest brands in cycling, Trek and Specialized, now have bang-up-to-date performance aluminium bikes . But which is best? Here's a closer look at the weights, specs and geometry to help you decide which is best for you... 

Alloy bikes are back!

2023 trek Emonda ALR vs Specialized allez sprint alloy bikes

There was a point in time, roughly five years ago, when carbon performance machines were getting cheaper and cheaper. Having an aluminium bike often meant sacrificing either aerodynamics, weight, comfort, tyre clearance or in some cases a combination of all of the above!

> Opinion: "Aluminium frames are the work of the devil"

However, in the last few years, we’ve since seen a resurgence of bikes made of metal and not just at the lower end of brand's ranges. I was so impressed with the recent development in alloy tech that when purchasing a bike for racing, training and filming on, I opted for this Specialized Allez Sprint.

2022 Jamie's Specialized allez sprint build

> Staff Bikes: Jamie's custom Specialized Allez Sprint Disc

Trek, eager to not be left behind, has brought its Emonda ALR bang up to date with this third generation featuring Kammtail aero tubing and fully integrated cables.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 full bike

Trek claims that it’s “affordable, ultra-lightweight and faster than ever”, but is it good enough to beat the Allez Sprint? Let’s find out if I should have waited before spending my hard-earned cash on an alloy superbike...

A closer look at the frames

2023 trek Emonda ALR vs Specialized allez sprint alloy bike frames

> Best road bikes 2023 — find your perfect drop bar bike whatever your budget

Call me vain, but a big part of any of my bike purchasing decisions comes down to looks. I personally think it’s important to like what you’re riding. After all, morale will make a far bigger difference to your riding ability than most other marginal gains!

The Allez’ looks are perhaps not its strong point... just look at these welds! Specialized claims that “smartwelding” its hydroformed tubes together is both stronger and results in a lighter bike (more on that further down the page). 

2022 Specialized Allez Sprint Comp - head tube.jpg

> Your complete guide to bike frame materials — Should you choose carbon, steel, aluminium, titanium?

Trek, meanwhile, uses its “invisible” weld technology, Okay, ‘invisible’ might be pushing it, but the welds are certainly inconspicuous at first glance.

The welds at the bottom of the seat stays are noticeable if you go looking, but the head tube and seat tube junctions do look almost like carbon, which I guess is the impression that Trek is shooting for.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 integrated cables headset

Integrated cables

Like them or loath them, both of the bikes now fully integrate their cables; however, from the factory both use very similar designs where the brake hoses and gear cables (if required) run under the stem, and then into the frame via holes in the headset bearing cover at the top of the head tube (as shown on the Emonda above).

They then pass through the upper headset bearing and then down the downtube to the mechs and rear brake.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 riding shot 2 Jamie road.cc kit

This has both pros and cons. Both manufacturers claim an aero advantage, although neither specifies how much. We’d suggest in the region of 2-3 watts at 40kph, i.e. negligible for most riders. It does arguably look neater though…

Obviously, the negatives of such a design are going to be set up and serviceability. If your headset bearings need replacing, then that’s a few hours of yours or your mechanic's life that can't be got back! And the trickier routing will drive many riders to a bike shop.

If you’re looking for a bike that forgoes the additional hassle of integrated lines, then neither of these bikes is for you. I’d suggest keeping your eye out for a previous generation of either.

Tube shapes

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 kammtail tubing

As previously mentioned, Trek has moved away from its more traditional tube shapes and gone for Kammtail tubing, where the trailing edge of the tube is squared off. This should be more aerodynamic than the previous generation Emonda, but without a wind tunnel, we're unable to validate this claim. Which do you think is the prettier bike though? Let us know in the comments section below as always. 

The Allez also utilizes Kammtail tube profiles, perhaps to an even greater degree as the seat tube and seatpost are not round either. This means that on the Allez, you do have to use the proprietary seatpost which happens to be the same as on the Tarmac SL7.

Colour options

2023 Specialized Allez sprint colour options paint

When talking about colour schemes, it’s the Allez that rules the roost. In the UK the Allez is available in four new colours for the frameset in 2023 (shown above) and a further two colours for the full bike. Add on the eight from last year that you can, at the time of writing, still find in shops, and you have a huge variety from subtle to proper garish. 

2023 Trek emonda Alr 6 frameset colour options

Trek, meanwhile, offers the latest Emonda ALR in four colour schemes two for the ALR 6 (shown above), and a further two for the ALR 5 including the blue and orange that we have. Even I can do the maths on that one, it's just four colour schemes for now. It has to be said that the two black ones are pretty similar.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 riding shot pedal Jamie road.cc kit

Trek has moved the ALR bikes from their H2 fit to H1.5. Back in the olden days, Trek gave you the option of an aggressive H1 fit or a more relaxed H2 fit on its performance-focused road bikes. This new H1.5 splits the difference really, and is what you’ll find on both Madones and carbon Émondas too.

Trek calls this “an optimised race-specific geometry [that] puts riders in the right position for power while minimising aero losses”.

It has to be said, the geometry of both bikes is very similar. Both are designed to be low-slung race bikes to help you cut through the wind and flick through turns in a criterium race.

> How to read a bike geometry table: the numbers made easy

2023 trek Emonda ALR vs Specialized allez sprint geometry

In a size 54cm, you’ll find that the Specialized has a 1mm longer reach, a 4mm lower stack height, and a 2mm shorter wheelbase. If anything then, the Allez is probably the slightly more aggressive bike; but it really is marginal and we’re splitting hairs.

Both bikes also handle very similarly. They have exactly the same headtube angle, which means the steering is all but identical, and just 0.3 degrees difference in seat tube angle means that you get the same level of twitchiness/high-speed stability out of both.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 riding shot Jamie road.cc kit

The bottom bracket drop is also very similar on both bikes (that’s the distance between the bottom bracket and an imaginary straight line between the wheel axles). This is often the difference between feeling that you’re sat on the bike or 'in' the bike. It’s 70mm on the Trek and 72mm on the Spesh, making you feel slightly more 'inside' the Allez, but again it's marginal.

If you haven’t gathered by now, the bikes are vastly similar in geometry, and the minor differences that there are can be easily counteracted with different bar, stem and saddle positions. Arguably the biggest difference that I’ve found is the standover height. It’s a whopping 21mm more on the Allez.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 seatpost and welds

This does mean that for the same saddle height, you’ll get more exposed seatpost on the Emonda, which means there’s more space for it to flex. That results in good rear-end comfort, especially with a carbon post. 

So, to summarise, you can’t make a decision about which one is best for you based on geometry; but you should be aware that both are pretty aggressive and have the fast handling characteristics nailed. If you’re looking for something more relaxed, cruisy and arguably more comfortable, then you should look at something like a sportive or endurance bike . 

2023 trek Emonda ALR vs Specialized allez sprint alloy bike frames studio

> 8 cheap ways to get a lighter bike — save a kilo or more

Let’s see if we can split the two bikes apart a bit more on the scales. Both claim to have a focus on weight, but this is still an area where you will get a performance advantage from carbon. That said, the bike industry is becoming more and more aware that weight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be unless you’re climbing mountains on the regular.

The framesets are easiest to compare. It's 1,257g for the Trek and then 406g for the fork. This is the painted weight. 

The Allez, meanwhile, has a slightly heavier 440g fork, but we weighed our 54cm frame at 1,198g (painted) so slightly lighter. That gives the Spesh a total weight of 1,638g and the Trek is 1,663g. It looks like we’re not splitting them here either. 

Tyre clearance and bottom brackets

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 bb

One area that you will find a difference is with tyre clearance. The new Emonda has a claimed maximum tyre size of 28c, which is actually quite small compared to many recent bikes. The Allez, meanwhile, has a claimed 32mm clearance, so if you’re looking to ride around on larger rubber then there’s a clear winner in this regard.

Does this make a world of difference? Well for many riders, it won’t make the slightest bit of difference. You can still use many of the latest super-wide wheelsets, and most racers I know won’t touch anything wider than a 28mm tyre.

2022 jamie allez front panaracer

> How to choose the best width road tyres for your riding

For me though, this is a contributing factor. I now race on 28mm tyres, but during the winter I’ve been training on a set of 30mm wide tyres. I do have a sneaky suspicion that they would fit in the Trek, but it’s clear that the Allez is the more spacious of the two bikes.

Moving towards the bottom bracket area, and things once again get quite similar. Like on many of the recent bike releases, you’ll find a threaded bottom bracket on both. This is sure to stir up a conversation, but as far as comparisons go they’re pretty similar.

2022 Specialized Allez Sprint bb

> Bottom brackets - get the insider info on your bike's beefiest bearing

Like all of the modern Trek bikes, the Emonda ALR gets a T47 threaded bottom bracket. Like many of the latest Specialized bikes, the Allez Sprint gets a threaded BSA. Is one better than the other> In my experience, no. They both do a very similar job: a bearing cup threads into each side of the frame, and each is compatible with just about every road crankset that you’d want to use, from Shimano Hollowtech to SRAM’s DUB spindles.

Oh and if you’re looking to purchase one of these as a winter race or training bike, then I’m afraid you might be disappointed. Neither has mudguard mounts. 

Prices and specifications

2022 Specialized Allez Sprint Comp.jpg

While all of the above features are very important, there’s obviously going to be one major factor determining most people's bike choice, and that is the price. 

So, framesets only first. The Allez comes in at £1,600 and that includes the seatpost, thru-axles and a few bits and bobs in the bag, but not as many as you might expect. You don't get grommets for fitting a Di2 electronic groupset, for example. 

The Trek, meanwhile, seriously undercuts that at £1,300; although you will need to factor in a seatpost, as unlike the Allez it doesn’t ship with one. Even so, a decent quality carbon seatpost to fit the standard 27.2mm frame will likely set you back in the region of £100, which still makes the Emonda £200 cheaper than the Allez. 

Trek says in its press release that "leaves riders with enough cash to spend on sweet new kits, race registrations and post-ride beers."

2023 Trek ALR 5 - 1 (2)

However, that’s not the end of the story. Most riders will of course want to purchase an entire bike rather than just a lump of metal. If that’s you, then you’ll be eager to hear that the new Emonda ALR comes in two build specs: the ALR 5 with a Shimano 105 R7000 11-speed mechanical groupset, Bontrager Paradigm SL wheels and a build weight of 8.8kg, and the ALR 6 that has Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels, a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and the same 8.8kg weight.

The ALR 5 build is now the lowest in the ALR range, because the ALR 4 has been ditched with this third generation. This means that complete bike builds start at £2,325 for the ALR 5, and the ALR 6 is £3,150. 

2023 Specialized Allez sprint full build

> Review: Specialized Allez Sprint 2022

Meanwhile, the one and only Allez complete build is very similar to the ALR 5. Once again, the 105 mechanical groupset makes an appearance, and we weighed our review bike at 8.74kg. It currently retails in the UK for £2,600 so once again a little more than the Trek.

Both of those builds are let down by the weighty wheels, and that’s why I’ve switched out the Allez wheels to the new Roval Alpinist SLX wheels. Look out for our alloy wheel super shootout including these very soon to find out the most cost-effective alloy wheel upgrades from the likes of Hunt, Scribe, Mavic and Fulcrum.

2023 alloy bike test - allez sprint vs emonda alr road.cc kit Jamie

> 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint vs Tarmac SL7: which is best?

So which one would I have? Well, I’ve already got the Allez, and to be honest the Trek is so similar that there’s not a chance I’m going through the hassle of switching the frame out.

The latest Emonda ALR is, however, the first aluminium performance bike that I’ve ridden that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Allez in terms of that get-up-and-go feeling.

2023 Trek Emonda ALR5 downtube paint fade Trek logo

Its geometry is excellent, as is the ride feel, so as long as you like one of the few colour schemes then the £300 lower price tag makes it a serious consideration. I do think that Trek has missed a trick with the tyre clearance only being 28mm but one thing's for sure... alloy is back!

Look out for our full review of the Trek Emonda ALR5, coming soon. Let us know which one is your favourite in the comments section below...

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trek emonda sl vs alr

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst  studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering  at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

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14 comments.

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Golly chucksneed got a hard time for having an opinion.

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People who post with the intent of being a WUM do. You don't actually think they believe anything they write?

Hirsute wrote: People who post with the intent of being a WUM do. You don't actually think they believe anything they write?

I don’t know what a WUM is. I also wouldn’t know I should believe anything anyone writes. The point I made was as I stated, rhetorical is what it is. 

Dhill wrote: I don’t know what a WUM is. 

WUM is internet shorthand for Wind Up Merchant.

The reaction to Chuck's EM needs to be seen in the context of the pattern of his comments, not just this one in isolation.

Generally I find his comments easy to ignore.

I'm all for aluminum and steel as it can be recycled whereas carbon will just end up as landfill.

themuffle wrote: I'm all for aluminum and steel as it can be recycled whereas carbon will just end up as landfill.

landfill? Most local authorities are incenerating waste now, and generating electricity in the process. 

Draw would work for me. Not fond of either brand. 

Avatar

Yet both will be outdone by a similarly priced, or even cheaper, carbon bike. 'Premium' aluminium bikes are a scam for people who want to tell everyone that they could have spent less and gotten a better and lighter bike, but chose not to

Avatar

Or...alternative view. It's offering more customer choice of high end frame materials because lightness isn't the be all and end all you seem to think it is.  By your silly trolling definition (see what I did there) Mason and Kenesis and others shouldn't exist. 

Avatar

As an owner of several carbon bikes including an SL7 I'm well aware of its properties but my winter hacks, both MTB and road, are metal. It's so much more resilient to abuse in the dark, wet, muddy months. I'm really happy that brands are providing us with well specced, preformance metal offerings even though they don't provide the value they once did. 

ChuckSneed wrote: Yet both will be outdone by a similarly priced, or even cheaper, carbon bike. 'Premium' aluminium bikes are a scam for people who want to tell everyone that they could have spent less and gotten a better and lighter bike, but chose not to

Well if you knew anything about bikes (which I think many of us here have established - YOU DON'T) The Trek Emonda SL5 which has an almost identical build from groupset to wheels is only marginally lighter than the Alu Emonda on test. It is also a grand more expensive. So the Alu Emonda is a very attractive proposition to anyone looking at the pricepoint it comes in at. 

You can also get some absoloutly terrible carbon bikes. Carbon Fibre isnt some wonderful magical material. It has its limitations and that is where the skill of the designers come in. That is why a cheap chinese open mold frameset can cost a few hundred and a top end Colnago/S-Works/Cervelo/Pinarello etc etc will cost you 10 times more. 

You also can get a brilliant Aluminium frame. This also can be said of steel and titanium. Its just a material and used right can make bike better than a carbon fibre one. 

What about the latest  CAAD?

This is a comparison of Specialized Allez Sprint vs Trek Emonda ALR, assisted by the fact that the reviewer owns the Allez Sprint. To find a review of the CAAD13, type "site:road.cc caad13" into an internet search engine such as Google. 

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Trek Emonda ALR Disc 5 review

Trek has launched an updated aluminium bike in 2018. The new Trek Emonda ALR is a super lightweight machine that rides really well

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Trek Emonda

Trek has raised the game in my eyes when it comes to aluminium and offers something truly amazing for £1,750. Aluminium has never looked so good and a disc-brake bike weighing in under 8kg is just what you need.

Quality feel

Handling not as sharp as rivals

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

An entrant for the second year in a row is the Trek Emonda ALR. It still performs incredibly well for the price and looks totally badass, especially for an aluminium bike. Trek has done an amazing job with its welds, the ride and the price and that is why it is in Editor’s Choice again.

Has Trek helped make aluminium sexy again? Well, I'm my eyes it has – just look at how good this bike looks! It has turned many heads, even in this black colour way. I'm just upset I didn't get the shiny purple colour in the Trek Emonda ALR range.

Trek call its new bike "lightweight aluminium perfection" and it is hard to disagree with that statement, especially as the disc brake-ready frameset weighs a claimed 1,131g for a 56cm, and the 52cm build you see here only weights 7.8kg – possibly even claiming the title for the lightest aluminium bike on the market currently.

>>> Aluminium road bikes: five of the best

This is very good for a sub £1,800 bike, great for an aluminium bikes, let alone one with disc brakes.

Part of this weight saving is down to what Trek claims is its most optimised structure ever which, via hydroforming, has allowed the  Trek  engineers to manipulate, stretch and design complex shapes from the 300 series Alpha aluminium.

This itself is said to offer great ride quality as well as a strong structure and a carbon-like aesthetic. It also means that each tube can fit to its neighbour perfectly, resulting in less material being required around the welds – thus saving weight without losing strength at the joins. This is where its slender 7.8kg comes in.

What makes the bikes look like carbon is what Trek call its “Invisible Weld Technology” and it ultimately increases the surface area of the frame which adds to strength and cuts down weight.

I rode the purple piece of perfection (called purple flip) in Waterloo, Trek's base at home. Get up close and you can really see that Trek has done a stellar job at making the Trek Emonda ALR as close as an aluminium can be to looking like carbon. It really does look that good.

I have the black version here, which comes in Trek's Emonda ALR 4 guise, but it's been built up with Shimano 105 hydraulic disc which means it is really the Emonda ALR 5 – the frameset stays the same. It still looks great though and on our industry ride from the Cycling Weekly office the other day, it turned a lot of riders' heads, followed by a "no way!" when I told them the price.

Trek Emonda ALR: the ride

My lasting memory of the Trek Emonda ALR was a good one. I got to ride the Emonda ALR 5 disc for 60 or so kilometres around Trek’s home in Waterloo, Wisconsin. On relatively well paved roads on a very warm summer’s evening the bike performed amazingly well and did one thing that I like for an aluminium bike: that is to not to ride like an aluminium bike. But did the Emonda ALR live up to it at home on UK roads?

I think so!

What I like the most here is that you are getting the best from the brakes and the best from the tyres thanks to the clearance, without the weight penalty that a sub-£1,800 bike would normally give.

Right now the lanes are in pretty poor condition and it was no issues on the ALR: those chunky 28c tyres cushioned the road well enough and the frame did a fantastic job at reducing the buzz. Look at those slender and long rear stays with no brake arch to help compliance!

The geometry is based on Trek’s H2 formula, which gives a more relaxed fit. It basically means the front of the bike is slightly higher in a more endurance style. H1 is more aggressive and racier and can be found on the Emonda SLR, the top-end carbon version of the bike raced by the pros.

This slowed the bikes handling down a little and is where I'd say the Cannondale  CAAD12 performs better. If the endurance market is where Trek wants the bike to be aimed, then it has got it right, but compared to the Cannondale it doesn't feel as fun.

It does, however, ride better than its rival and for the price, weight and spec (yes, you can get Shimano Ultegra mechanical around this price point) it's pretty unrivalled thanks to the performance of the new Shimano 105 disc brake groupset.

Braking is effortless, shifting is quick and precise, more so than the previous version of 105, and you don't get much of a weight penalty for it.

Ultimately the Trek Emonda ALR is a great bike for those looking to get a ride on the well equipped machine that rides more like carbon than aluminium. For an aluminium bike it feels assured and comfortable which is one thing that this material in particular can struggle with and it looks great!

Buy now: Trek Emonda ALR Disc 5 from Rutland Cycles for £1649.99

Trek seems to have got this right with the Emonda ALR: is this aluminium making a strong comeback once again? It seems so.

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Symon Lewis joined Cycling Weekly as an Editorial Assistant in 2010, he went on to become a Tech Writer in 2014 before being promoted to Tech Editor in 2015 before taking on a role managing Video and Tech in 2019. Lewis discovered cycling via Herne Hill Velodrome, where he was renowned for his prolific performances, and spent two years as a coach at the South London velodrome. 

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trek emonda sl vs alr

trek emonda sl vs alr

Based on frame geometry and build specs.

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Émonda ALR 5

Émonda SL 6 Disc Pro

(descending)

Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.

Forged for the top step Émonda ALR is a strikingly light, fast, and fun aluminum road bike that sprints and climbs like a true race bike. This affordable alloy speed machine boasts a race-specific geometry, aerodynamic tube shaping, and budget-friendly price tag that leaves you with enough cash to spend on sweet new kits, race registrations, and post-ride beers.

“Best aluminum road bike for weight weenies” What the world is saying about the all-new Émonda ALR

"As good as aluminum road bikes get."

"Premium performance at a great price […] an appealing mix of classic looks and modern tech."

“Its responsiveness when I’m out of the saddle, sprinting, or cornering, mirrors its carbon siblings."

“Émonda ALR is one of those bikes that show alloy bikes don't have to be uncomfortable, and for the price, the performance is hard to beat."

"Brings sleek, carbon-like looks and a very lightweight frame to crit racers looking for a top-level frame on (a bit of) a budget."

The ultimate featherweight Our lightest aluminum road bike, Émonda ALR climbs like a dream and is durable enough to take on even your roughest race days. The only thing you’ll have to worry about breaking is the speed limit.

No frills, just fast

Our fastest aluminum road bike leaves the bells and whistles behind and focuses on free speed with quick and clean Kammtail aeryodynamic tube shaping.

Ready to race

This alloy race bike boasts the same geometry our pros ride to cut through the wind and put you in the right position for power.

Quick and clean integration Newly integrated cables and housing offer a cleaner cockpit and aerodynamic boost that looks cool and rides fast as hell.

Explore the Émonda family

Our lightest and fastest aluminum road bike handles like its pricier carbon cousins, with a strikingly light and aerodynamic aluminum frame that’s fast, fun, and affordable.

Enjoy balanced ride quality, superior handling, and the added benefit of free speed thanks to aero tube shaping wrought from our ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon.

Our lightest road bike and fastest Émonda, this bike delivers incredible ride quality and aerodynamic advantage. Its frame is made of 800 Series OCLV Carbon and weighs less than 700 grams.

More performance road bikes

IMAGES

  1. Trek Emonda ALR 5 vs Domane SL 5 : r/TrekBikes

    trek emonda sl vs alr

  2. 2019 Trek Emonda ALR and ALR Disc first look

    trek emonda sl vs alr

  3. 2019 Trek Emonda ALR and ALR Disc first look

    trek emonda sl vs alr

  4. Compare: 2023 Giant Defy, Advanced 1 vs 2022 Trek Émonda ALR 4 vs 2023

    trek emonda sl vs alr

  5. Review: Trek Emonda ALR 5 Disc

    trek emonda sl vs alr

  6. Review: Trek Emonda ALR 5 Disc

    trek emonda sl vs alr

VIDEO

  1. NEW 2023 Trek Emonda ALR vs Specialized Allez Sprint

  2. Trek Emonda SLR/SL 2021 First Look

  3. New 2023 Trek Emonda ALR

  4. Brand New Trek Emonda Launched With An Aero Update

  5. High-end Aluminium, Is It Worth It? Trek Émonda ALR 5 Review

  6. 2022 Trek Emonda SLR7 Bike Review

COMMENTS

  1. Trek Émonda Bikes Compared: Which One to Choose?

    Trek Émonda ALR 5 to SLR 9. The following table summarizes the main differences between all Émonda road bikes. Émonda ALR 5 Émonda SL 5 ... The following picture shows the comparison with Specialized Tarmac SL 7. Trek Emonda vs. Specialized Tarmac SL7 geometry comparison using the bikeinsights.com tool Weight & Aerodynamics.

  2. Trek Emonda 2021

    Trek Emonda 2021 - ALR or SL. From Switzerland and looking to change my 5 years old Canyon Endurace AL 6.0, the Trek Emonda seems to me to hit the right spot. The budget is what it is and the max I could afford is the SL 5. Maybe the SL 6 but the I don't really see the benefit of the Ultegra groupset over 105.

  3. Trek Émonda ALR Review

    Much like its carbon version, the Émonda ALR features a mix of aerofoil (Kammtail) shaped tubes along with more traditional round profiles. Trek uses its 300 Series Alpha aluminum for the frame ...

  4. Emonda ALR 5 vs Emonda SL5

    Sharky said: Both showing not available on the links. To me, both are pretty similar. Both rim brakes (which would be my preference), but trend is now for disc brakes. Will be difficult, but you just need to go and try one. Getting the right size is key. No matter how long you spend looking at geometry charts, you just need to sit on one.

  5. Trek bikes range: which model is right for you?

    Trek continues to work on developing the Émonda, dropping the weight of the top end Trek Émonda SLR to 640g in a size 56cm (665g with discs) and 1091g for the Trek Émonda SL (1149g with discs ...

  6. Trek Emonda ALR Review

    Trek also sells the Emonda ALR frameset in both disc ($960) and rim ($960) versions. ... This appears to compare very well with the carbon Émonda SL frame (disc 1,149 grams, rim 1,091), however ...

  7. 2021 Trek road bikes

    The Emonda SL and SLR bikes have clearance for 700c x 28mm tyres. There are five Trek Emonda SLRs in the 2021 range, starting with the Shimano Ultegra-equipped Emonda SLR 6 (£6,000, above). The two top models in the Emonda SLR range, each at £10,700. The Emonda SLR 9 (above) is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace components while the Emonda SLR 9 ...

  8. Trek Émonda Review

    For the 99 percenters, there's the Émonda SL (models start at $2,699). The SL uses OCLV 500 composite, and the frame is quite a bit heavier than the SLR's. The SL's frame comes in at 1,142 ...

  9. Compare: 2021 Trek Émonda ALR 5 vs Émonda SL 5 Disc

    The Trek Émonda ALR 5 and Trek Émonda SL 5 Disc are both race bikes with upper mid-range components and hydraulic disc brakes. The Émonda ALR 5 has an aluminum frame, while the Émonda SL 5 Disc has a carbon frame. ... Emonda SL full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru axle. Bottom Bracket ...

  10. Trek Emonda ALR first-ride review: Light and fast, but best on smooth

    The Emonda ALR by the numbers. On paper, it's hard to argue with Trek's new Emonda ALR. At least as far as the scale is concerned, the Emonda ALR is nearly on-par with the carbon fiber Emonda SL. Claimed frame weight for the disc-brake is 1,131g, and 1,112g for the rim-brake edition — just 40g heavier than its fancier (and more expensive ...

  11. Review: Trek Emonda ALR 5, the bike that disc brakes almost broke

    The frame is light, around 1,260 grams, plus a 400-gram carbon fork. That makes it roughly the same weight (within 50 grams) as the carbon fiber Emonda SL, which sits on the lower end of Trek's carbon spectrum. And a complete Emonda ALR 5 bike costs as much as the Emonda SL frameset. Behold, the power of aluminum.

  12. Trek Emonda ALR long-term review

    The Emonda ALR is yet more proof, as if we need it, that there's room for materials other than carbon in the heart of a serious roadie.

  13. Trek Émonda ALR 5 review

    If you are looking for a lightweight and responsive road bike that can rival some carbon models, you might want to check out the Trek Émonda ALR 5. This aluminium bike features a sleek design, a ...

  14. Specialized Allez Sprint vs Trek Emonda ALR

    If that's you, then you'll be eager to hear that the new Emonda ALR comes in two build specs: the ALR 5 with a Shimano 105 R7000 11-speed mechanical groupset, Bontrager Paradigm SL wheels and a build weight of 8.8kg, and the ALR 6 that has Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels, a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and the same 8.8kg weight.

  15. Trek Emonda SLR and SL 2021: all you need to know

    The 2021 Trek Émonda has been launched in what should have been the final few ... Trek claims new Emonda SLR & SL models offer balance of low weight and aerodynamic performance to be faster on ...

  16. Trek Emonda ALR Disc 5 review

    The new Trek Emonda ALR is a super lightweight machine that rides really well. Trek has raised the game in my eyes when it comes to aluminium and offers something truly amazing for £1,750 ...

  17. Compare: 2022 Trek Émonda ALR 5 vs Émonda SL 6 Disc Pro

    Riders Also Compared. The Trek Émonda ALR 5 and Trek Émonda SL 6 Disc Pro are both race bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. The Émonda ALR 5 has an aluminum frame and aluminum 700c aluminum wheels, while the Émonda SL 6 Disc Pro has a carbon frame, carbon 700c carbon wheels, better components, and higher gearing.

  18. Trek Emonda ALR5 or SL5? : r/Velo

    The ALR 5 is a lighter bike than the SL5 as well. In my opinion there is no reason to go from an ALR to any of the SL Emonda models because the ALR frame is better. Unless you are jumping to the SLR, the ALR is a better frame. nzimpossible. • 2 yr. ago.

  19. High-end Aluminium, Is It Worth It? Trek Émonda ALR 5 Review

    We all know carbon bikes are lighter, stiffer, faster and a million times better than aluminium ones, right? But what if we told you that last point isn't al...

  20. Trek Emonda

    The other was the price. At the time, the ALR 5 was close to $1900+tx vs $2250+tx for the SL 5. But the main reason I chose the SL 5 was an illogical one, "carbon" lust. :/. FYI, the CAAD 12 (limited sizes) was on sale at Sporting Life for $1470+tx I got my friend one. In Ontario, the all in price was $1662.

  21. Émonda ALR 5

    Model 5269942. Retailer prices may vary. Émonda ALR 5 is a race-ready road bike with a top-tier alloy frame that's intensely light, fast, and far more pocket-friendly than carbon bikes of its caliber. Its lightweight frame is built with top-tier road racing H1.5 geometry, with an integrated cockpit and Kammtail tube shapes for aerodynamic ...

  22. Émonda ALR 5

    Model 570356. Retailer prices may vary. Émonda ALR 5 Disc is a light and responsive road bike with an advanced alloy frame that gives it the sleek looks and handling of a far more expensive carbon bike. Paired with big upgrades on parts, like a dependable Shimano 105 drivetrain and powerful hydraulic disc brakes that stop in any weather, this ...

  23. Émonda ALR race-ready aluminum road bikes

    Émonda ALR is a strikingly light, fast, and fun aluminum road bike that sprints and climbs like a true race bike. This affordable alloy speed machine boasts a race-specific geometry, aerodynamic tube shaping, and budget-friendly price tag that leaves you with enough cash to spend on sweet new kits, race registrations, and post-ride beers ...