trek emonda sl6 frame price

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First up, the comfort.

I picked up on the fact that the SL6 Pro has quite a firm ride – a little bit old school, dare I say. By that I mean that a lot of carbon fibre frames have become much more comfortable over the years as designers and manufacturers have learnt about carbon fibre grades, tube profiles and, more importantly, the layup of the composite material.

The Cube Attain GTC SL I tested recently highlighted this in the way that it really managed to reduce road buzz while retaining plenty of feedback through the frame and fork.

This isn't a criticism of the Trek at all, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. I like it; I'm a big believer in ultimate performance over comfort when it comes to race bikes, and that is exactly what the Émonda delivers.

Stiffness throughout the fork and the lower half of the frame is very impressive, and means the Trek is responsive to your inputs. The wide bottom bracket shell allows for a large down tube and chunky chainstays to reduce flex when you are really nailing it, while the front end backs this up via the tapered head tube and firm fork legs. Sprinting and climbing are all taken in the Émonda's stride.

As you'd expect from a race bike, the riding position can be set up to be pretty aggressive – with a relatively short 151mm head tube length on this 56cm model I could achieve a low handlebar-to-saddle drop to aid the aerodynamics, especially when in the drops.

The rest of the geometry follows the same theme with a 73.5-degree head angle and a relatively short wheelbase for a disc-equipped frame (the chainstays are often a fair bit longer than those on rim-braked frames because of the extra axle width at the rear dropouts) at just 983mm.

Trek has achieved a good balance here with the Émonda I reckon.

The shorter wheelbase makes it nippy, which allows for snappy direction changes at high speed, yet it's managed to tame the handling just enough that the Émonda never becomes a handful unless you do something really stupid.

In my First Ride piece I mentioned that I hadn't managed to point the Trek at my favourite test hill, one that is fast and twisty with off-camber bends and chicanes. It really tests every part of a bike's handling in a blur.

Well, I have now, about five or six times, and the Émonda really impressed. It has the quickness in the steering and the overall agility to be pushed very hard into the corners.

After a night of heavy rain, gravel had been washed out into the lane slightly out of sight as I went into a fast left-hander at about 45mph; I dabbed the brakes a little, but seeing the grit and stones spanning the entire road there was no real way out of it. Letting the bike hit the gravel and predicting where the slide was probably going to end was the only option, and it was a sketchy couple of seconds.

As the front tyre regained grip on the asphalt there was a second where the still-sliding rear wanted to get in front, but the Trek's well-balanced handling allowed me to quickly regain control and blast to the bottom of the hill.

In less extreme circumstances the Émonda is an absolute hoot to ride downhill, with just slight adjustments to body position and the handlebar allowing you to flow from corner to corner.

On longer rides the Trek is just as well mannered; it is a very easy bike to ride quickly even when fatigue can kick in or when you are on unfamiliar roads.

The stiffness I mentioned earlier doesn't come through as a negative on higher mileage jaunts, especially if you get on with the saddle and have a decent pair of shorts on. The three- to four-hour rides I used the Trek on were a lot of fun. Unleash the power for the fun bits and then when you are on the flat, straight slogs you can just hunker down and keep the pedals turning over.

The only thing I needed to do was to shift the saddle 5mm closer to the bar than I would normally have it, because of the width of the top tube as it flows into the seatstays either side of the seat tube. I have quite large thighs and I could feel them rubbing on the frame every pedal revolution when I first started riding the Trek.

Frame and fork

The Émonda has always been the lightweight bike of Trek's road range, leaving outright speed to the Madone, but for this latest model Trek has incorporated more aerodynamic profiles in the Émonda's design.

Unlike most aero bikes, though, the Émonda's frame doesn't focus on being fast in a straight line or at high speed, it is a climbing bike after all. Instead the engineers have focused on 'unsteady aerodynamics', which fit in with the much lower speeds found when ascending.

Most of the attention has been placed on the front end, including the head tube and down tube. The top-end SLR models use the Bontrager XXX aero handlebar/stem combo which further increases the benefits, but that isn't available on the SL options.

The SLR models also use a new OCLV 800 grade carbon fibre while the SLs use the 500 series, which increases the weight a bit, although a claimed frame weight of 1,142g and 380g for the fork is far from shabby.

If wind cheating is your main goal then it's worth noting that the Émonda is optimised for 25mm tyres, as that is the most common size used for racing, but if you want something a bit wider 28mm will fit while still allowing 6mm of space around the tyre.

As you'd expect on an aero-based bike, the Émonda has full internal cable routing but this is taken to an extra level compared with most frames, with the cables and hoses leaving the handlebar and entering the frame through the spacers rather than the head tube or down tube. This gives much cleaner lines at the front.

You won't find a standard seatpost either. The Émonda's seat tube continues up past the top tube by a fair old way and then an external seat mast is placed over the top; you tighten the hex bolt to clamp it into place at the right saddle height.

The Émonda range is now completely disc brake-equipped which to my mind is a bit of a shame as I am a big fan of rim brakes, and it would certainly bring the weight down for a bike aimed at climbing.

Many manufacturers are seeing sales of disc models outstripping rim options by a large margin, though, so it is kind of inevitable. There is also the cost – the Émonda is available in seven sizes so that'd be 14 different moulds required if Trek offered both brake options.

The Émonda comes with flat mounts, as you'd expect, and 12mm thru-axles front and rear.

I mentioned the wide bottom bracket shell earlier and this is normally only achievable by using a press-fit BB, where the bearing cups are pressed into the frame. If tolerances aren't adhered to, creaking can occur, especially after water or grit gets between the mating faces, which is why we've seen many brands return to external threaded options.

Trek has gone for what is possibly the best of both worlds with the T47 system. First introduced by Chris King and Oregon's Argonaut Cycles , they thread into the bottom bracket shell which allows it to be wider, increasing stiffness without affecting the width between the pedals (Q-factor).

If you want a more in-depth look at what changes and design tweaks were made to achieve this new Émonda frameset then it'd be worth checking out Mat's full breakdown here .

Wheels and tyres

Trek says that the SL 6 Pro comes with all the lightweight components you need as standard, so there is no need to upgrade. You could save a few grams here and there, but overall it is a pretty complete package.

This model is the first carbon bike in the line-up that comes with a set of carbon fibre wheels. The 35mm Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35s are 35mm deep and are tubeless ready.

It's a good set of wheels for a whole range of riding styles: shallow enough to work on the climbs and just about deep enough to give you a small aerodynamic gain without being affected by crosswinds. Comparing the price of the near-identical SL 6 suggests you are getting them for just £450 too.

Reliability isn't an issue as they took on everything that was put in their way over the test period, and should anything happen and they get damaged Trek will replace or repair them for free in the first two years of ownership.

Wrapped around the wheels are a pair of Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite tyres. They are all right in terms of rolling resistance, grip and durability, but their 60tpi casing does give them a bit of a 'wooden' feel. You aren't getting a whole lot of suppleness which would really benefit the frameset, so I'd definitely upgrade when they wear out.

I've been using the R3 Hard Case Lites recently and they are a much better tyre, so something like that would be a good upgrade if you want to keep the Bonty/Trek theme going.

Drivetrain and brakes

On the SL 6 Pro, Trek is giving you a full Shimano Ultegra hydraulic/mechanical groupset and it suits the bike very well. You are getting near-Dura-Ace performance but at a much reduced price.

Trek has specced a 52/36-tooth semi-compact chainset and an 11-30 cassette, which is a great choice of gear ratios for a bike of this style. There are plenty of top end gears for speed work while the 30-tooth sprocket will give you an extra bailout gear over the more usual 28T found on the majority of race bikes.

The gear shifts from Ultegra are top notch. You get quite a light feel at the levers, but one that also gives a very nicely defined click so you can be sure that the shift has taken place.

When it comes to the braking, Trek has chosen to fit 160mm rotors front and back, which give more than enough power for a bike of this type.

Shimano's hydraulic systems are very powerful but also easily modulated thanks to loads of feel through the levers, allowing you to stop quickly without the fear of locking up the front tyre, even in the wet.

Finishing kit

All of the finishing kit is supplied by Bontrager, Trek's in-house parts department, and it's all decent quality stuff.

The handlebar is the Bontrager Elite VR-C which is an aluminium alloy model with a short reach and a shallow drop, making it ideal for a whole host of different riders' proportions. Helping that is the fact that different size frames get a different width bar, ranging from 38cm up to 44cm.

It's the same for the Bontrager Pro stem: the smallest 47cm bike gets a 70mm unit, with the 62cm extending that out to 110mm. The stem on each frame size seems to come up a bit shorter than most bikes of this type, but it seems to work.

I got on fine with the Aeolus Comp saddle. Its shape is well suited to riding hard and fast, and I like the firm padding which gives you a good platform to push against when you are really hammering it. (There's a separate review of it here .) 

This SL 6 Pro model has an rrp of £3,350, which isn't a bad deal for what you are getting here with the aero carbon frame, fork and deep-section wheels.

> Buyer’s Guide: 21 of the best 2020 aero road bikes

The similarly themed Scott Addict RC 30 is £3,199 and also come comes with an Ultegra groupset, but it is begging for an upgrade to the wheelset. It is light, though, at just 7.88kg.

If it's aero that you want then there is the Orro Venturi . The closest model in price is £3,299.99; you only get alloy wheels, but you are getting Ultegra Di2 for the gear shifting.

Overall, the Émonda is a very good bike. The aero tweaks have turned it into a very fast and efficient bike that still manages to deliver on the weight front and this SL 6 Pro model is so well specced there's no need to update anything when it comes to the components, just the tyres when they wear out.

A quality frameset that works both on the flat and the climbs, and well specced for the money

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro 2021

Size tested: 56cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Trek lists:

Front wheel Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 35 mm rim depth, 100x12 mm thru axle

Rear wheel Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 35 mm rim depth, Shimano 11-speed freehub, 142x12 mm thru axle

Tyre Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 700x25 c

Max tyre size 28c

*Shifter Size: 47, 50, 52

Shimano Ultegra R8025, short-reach lever, 11-speed

Size: 54, 56, 58, 60, 62

Shimano Ultegra R8020, 11-speed

Front derailleur Shimano Ultegra R8000, braze-on

Rear derailleur Shimano Ultegra R8000, short cage, 30T max cog

*Crank Size: 47

Shimano Ultegra R8000, 52/36, 165 mm length

Size: 50, 52

Shimano Ultegra R8000, 52/36, 170 mm length

Size: 54, 56, 58

Shimano Ultegra R8000, 52/36, 172.5 mm length

Size: 60, 62

Shimano Ultegra R8000, 52/36, 175 mm length

Bottom bracket Praxis, T47 threaded, internal bearing

Cassette Shimano Ultegra R8000, 11-30, 11-speed

Chain Shimano Ultegra HG701, 11-speed

Max. chainring size 1x: 50T; 2x: 53/39T

Saddle Bontrager Aeolus Comp, steel rails, 145 mm width

*Seatpost Size: 47, 50, 52, 54

Bontrager carbon seat mast cap, 20 mm offset, short length

Size: 56, 58, 60, 62

Bontrager carbon seat mast cap, 20 mm offset, tall length

*Handlebar Size: 47, 50

Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8 mm, 100 mm reach, 124 mm drop, 38 cm width

Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8 mm, 100 mm reach, 124 mm drop, 40 cm width

Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8 mm, 100 mm reach, 124 mm drop, 42 cm width

Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8 mm, 100 mm reach, 124 mm drop, 44 cm width

Handlebar tape Bontrager Supertack Perf tape

*Stem Size: 47

Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 70 mm length

Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 80 mm length

Size: 52, 54

Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 90 mm length

Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 100 mm length

Size: 58, 60, 62

Bontrager Pro, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 110 mm length

Brake Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc

Brake rotor Shimano RT800, 160 mm, CenterLock

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Trek says, "Émonda SL 6 Disc Pro is the first carbon road bike in the line-up that gives you lightweight carbon wheels to match your lightweight frame. Aero tube shaping, disc brakes and a high-performance drive train make it a great option for roadies who value great handling and lots of speed."

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

There are five models in the range starting with the SL 5 which comes with a Shimano 105 groupset for £2,725, finishing off with the SL 7 with SRAM eTap at £5,250.

A frameset is also available for £2,200.

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

A well made and finished frame and fork.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Frame – Ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon, Ride Tuned performance tube optimisation, tapered head tube, internal routing, DuoTrap S-compatible, flat-mount disc, 142x12 mm thru axle

Fork – Emonda SL full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat-mount disc, 12x100 mm thru axle

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

The geometry is race orientated with a steepish head angle and a short head tube length.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The stack and reach figures are pretty typical for this size and kind of bike. This 56cm comes with a stack of 563mm and a reach of 391mm.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Overall it's fine, although it does have a firmer ride than a lot of new carbon fibre frames.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Stiffness is very impressive, especially around the bottom bracket area.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Efficiency is very impressive, it is a proper point and shoot bike.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? Responsive.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

The handling is very well balanced, making the Trek easy to ride whether you are just cruising along or pushing it hard through the bends.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

I liked the saddle, it was firm yet comfortable for all sorts of rides.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The Bontrager wheels offer loads of stiffness even when riding hard, out of the saddle.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

I'd change the tyres for something a little more supple which would help you achieve higher speeds in the bends.

The drivetrain

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

The Shimano Ultegra groupset can't really be faulted. Gears and brakes offer great performance and reliability.

Tell us some more about the wheels.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so what for?

It's good to see a quality set of carbon wheels on a bike as standard at this price. They performed well in all sorts of conditions and seem to be durable.

Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so what for?

The Bontrager R2s aren't bad, but the SL 6 Pro deserves something faster and grippier.

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

Decent quality in-house kit that suits the bike well.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For a semi-aero bike the Émonda is pretty well priced, like against the Scott and Orro mentioned in the review.

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Émonda's new aero frameset means that not only is it a good climber, it also works well on the flat sections too. The overall quality is very good and you are getting a well chosen spec. The firm ride might not be ideal for those who focus more on comfort, though.

Overall rating: 8 /10

About the tester

Age: 41   Height: 180cm   Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike   My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years   I ride: Every day   I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

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As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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Quote: The Émonda has always been the lightweight bike of Trek's road range

8.23kg isn't 'lightweight'... that's porky. 1.4kg over the UCI minimum!

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Not a big fan of the way the cables and hoses run at the front of the bar in order to fit under the stem like that, I'm surprised they haven't gone for a system where they run intrnally then under a stem cover etc

Quite a lot of money for an 8.2 kilo bike. 

"Comparing the price of the near-identical SL 6 suggests you are getting them for just £450 too."

The side by side comparison of the SL6 and the pro makes them identical bar the wheels. Which listed on the trek website retail at a price difference of £250, not £450. So either the stock wheels on the SL6 are over priced on their own (then maybe the bike is too) or the only reason to buy the pro is if the Aeolus are the wheel upgrade you want over everything else on the market.

I'm still more inclined to the RC30.

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Trek Émonda SLR 6 - Weight, Price, Specs

2023 trek émonda slr review - a tpc quick-take.

• Aerodynamics: Enhanced by truncated airfoil profiles, integrated bar, and stem to minimize drag.
• Lightweight: The complete bicycle in a size 56cm weighs just 14.9 lbs.
• Ride experience: Exceptionally light and agile, ideal for climbing and acceleration.
• Advanced geometry: The H1.5 geometry offers aggressive, upright positions.
• High-quality materials: Uses 800 Series OCLV Carbon for aero profiles without added weight.
• T47 bottom bracket: Offers ease of maintenance and compatibility with oversized crank spindles.
• Price: With a high price tag, it's a significant investment.
• Limited comfort on rough surfaces: More efficient than comfortable, though this can be mitigated with wider tires.
• Complex front cockpit: Adjustments in the front cockpit area can be challenging due to the brake hose setup and integrated stem/bar combo.
• Handling: Requires attention on descents and may not feel as relaxed as more casual bikes.

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2021 Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro review

Trek's climbing specialist has been re-imagined as a do-it-all race bike.

Felix Smith / Immediate Media

Amazingly stiff ride; race-ready long and low fit; exceptionally fun to ride.

25mm tyres exaggerate harsh ride and harm performance on imperfect road surfaces; weight isn't competitive for price.

The new 2021 Trek Emonda sees a shift away from a purely climber-focussed bike to a more all-round package with the de-rigueur aero shaping to match.

We have two bikes in for review. My colleague, Warren, has the top-end 6.9kg Emonda SLR 9 model with all of the bells and whistles, and an outrageous £9,700 price tag .

I have been testing the Ultegra R8000-equipped 2021 Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro.

The SL-level Emonda is based on Trek’s OCLV 500 carbon layup, which adds roughly 445g to an unpainted frameset in an unspecified size compared to the top-end model.

You do, however, get the exact same geometry and frame shape as the SLR-level Emonda, so the differences should largely boil down to weight alone.

More on the new Trek Emonda

• New 2021 Trek Emonda | An uncompromising disc-only race bike
• Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap first ride review

At £3,350 ($3,799 / €3,799 / AU$5,499), the SL6 Pro is by no means cheap, but represents fairly good value for money in the context of the wider market

For that cash, you get a full Ultegra R8020 groupset , a Bontrager Aelous Elite 35 carbon wheelset, a perfectly inoffensive alloy cockpit and a very plush Bontrager saddle. The bike weighs 8.13kg on the nose with no pedals.

Picking two comparable bikes, the Giant TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc costs roughly the same (£3,499) for a broadly similar build, as does the Rose X-Lite 6 (~£3,450).

Trek has significantly altered the geometry of the Emonda for 2021, and it is now only available in the brand’s middle-of-the-road H1.5 fit.

H1.5 sits pretty much in the middle of Trek’s super aggressive H1 geometry and its endurance-focussed H2 fit.

The resulting shape strikes a nice balance between real-world usability while allowing the sportier riders among us to get a low and fast setup should they so wish.

The stack for the new Emonda is on the lower end of the spectrum for a 56cm bike at 563mm. The reach is fairly average, at 391mm for a 56cm bike. The 56cm bike ships with a 100mm stem.

While the reach of the frameset is fairly average, when matched with the 42cm-wide Bontrager Elite VR-C bars, which have a hefty 100mm reach, the fit of the bike feels suitably long and low.

I really like the overall profile of these bars – there’s loads of room in the drops so you can actually spend some time down there comfortably without your hands getting smooshed up, and the extra reach offers additional useful hand positions.

Adding reach to the bars (rather than increasing the length of the stem) also means the tops stay a touch closer to you, giving a really comfortable position for seated climbing.

The ride of the bike is exceptionally stiff and incredibly fun in the way that a proper race bike can be.

It’s got that addictive ultra-efficient feel with a totally unyielding pedal response that is amazing on the climbs – you are giving up nothing to the frame when mashing yourself into a lactic oblivion.

I dare say the overall feel is almost a little old school, with a super stiff ride that’s reminiscent of early carbon bikes.

This will be polarising for some riders, but I personally really like it. It feels properly rapid and responsive, and going fast is never not fun.

Related reading

• Trek Domane SL7 review
• Trek Madone SL6 Disc review
• Best road bikes: how to choose the right one for you

While perhaps divisive, this super stiff ride also goes some way to differentiate the bike from the others in Trek’s lineup.

The line between the Emonda and Madone – and to a certain degree, the Domane – is now fairly blurred with this new bike.

But by keeping it simple, with no ISOSpeed squashiness, a racy ride and a lighter overall package, the Emonda stands out in the range.

That stiffness also translates into a really engaging and fun ride on the descents. The bike shrugs at irresponsibly heavy braking into corners, remaining accurate and giving – yes, I really am going to say it – a really feedback-rich ride. It’s a total hoot.

It’s no surprise that this stiffness results in a firm ride.

It’s not a rough ride, per se – the bike still provides that pleasingly damped feel that any quality carbon bike gives on imperfect surfaces, and the integrated seat mast brings a degree of rear end comfort.

However, on larger bumps, the front end can feel quite jarring. The alloy bars will contribute to this, but the stock 25mm tyres are the main culprit.

25mm wide tyres were considered progressive a few short years ago, but the majority of new road bikes these days ship with 28mm tyres (or even larger) and not without good reason.

Wider tyres have consistently been shown in testing to have lower rolling resistance than narrower tyres and, as they can be run at lower pressures, they also improve comfort. Being more comfortable means less fatigue, which means increased speed.

This is well-trodden ground, so to see 25mm tyres here is a little bit disappointing – other bikes in the Emonda range feature 28s, and I’ve always admired Trek for boldly speccing 32mm tyres on the Domane, so to see narrower rubber here feel like a bit of a cop-out.

Trek is clearly trying to pander to the hill climb kids with the tiny reduction in weight 25s will offer, but 28s would be better for the majority of riders in nearly all situations.

Keen to see how much of a difference wider tyres would actually make, I swapped the stock Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite tyres in favour of a pair of Panaracer Race D Evo tyres. These measure bang on 28mm when inflated to 70psi on the Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 wheels.

Unsurprisingly, the wider tyres smoothed out the ride of the bike significantly without making the ride feel mushy – you can focus on getting the most out of the bike’s stiff frameset without having to worry so much about potholes or broken road surfaces. The larger tyres also improve grip on descents.

They also make very light gravel detours a more appealing possibility.

Gravel riding is absolutely one bazillion per cent not within the intended remit of this bike, but the larger volume tyres make short stretches along smooth unsealed rail trails or rough access roads a much less hateful experience.

On a similar theme, I was also a little disappointed to see the bike come set up with tubes.

The likes of Giant are now shipping complete bikes tubeless out of the box and, regardless of which side of the tubeless vs. tubed debate you sit on, including tubeless tech as stock adds value to a bike.

Given the new Aeolus 35 Elite wheels are tubeless-compatible, it’s disappointing that the included tyres aren’t at least tubeless-ready.

As mentioned, the bike has been doused in a liberal helping of aero sauce, and the new bike is claimed to sit between the outgoing Emonda and the Madone in terms of aero performance.

There’s no way I can quantify these claims, but the bike does feel fast on the flats. I suspect that has more to do with the fact the bike’s geometry means it’s possible to get into a properly long and low position, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you believe Trek’s claims – or whether you care.

Not that it has any bearing on performance, but the aero shaping has resulted in a bike that looks fast. I’m fond of the overall shape of the bike and I’m glad to not see dropped seat stays here. The lines are classic and the traditional cockpit doesn’t look out of place either.

Trek clearly doesn’t want you to forget you’re riding one of its bikes judging by the sheer size of the logo on the down tube. It is so over the top and a bit daft, but I kind of dig it – it’s like a postmodern statement, the David Byrne big suit of bicycle logos .

I also think the paint job looks really nice for what is, in the context of this model range, a ‘budget’ bike.

A surprising standout from the bike is the Bontrager Aeolus Comp saddle.

Every man and his dog has thrown his hat into the short nose and stubby saddle game, and I’ve tried a fair few now, but I think it’s a toss-up between this and the Pro Stealth Superlight for my all-time favourite .

Trust me when I say this is very high praise because I love the Pro Stealth. The Aeolus is squashy, comfortable and perfect for my peach. I can’t believe it has taken this long for saddles to get this good.

The bike is built around a full Shimano Ultegra R8020 groupset . It’s nigh-on impossible to level criticism at R8000, offering nearly all of the performance of Dura-Ace at a considerably lower price point.

The 52/36 crankset is paired with an 11-30 cassette. For a go-fast all-round climb-friendly bike, this is perfect.

However, it’s worth noting that the bike is equipped with a short cage mech, which officially limits the drivetrain to a 30t cassette. This means you would have to go for a smaller set of chainrings if you require lighter gearing.

Even so, the gearing has more than enough range to climb comfortably in the saddle on most climbs.

The SL6 Pro is the ‘cheapest’ bike in the new Emonda range to feature carbon wheels.

At 35mm deep, the Aeolus Elite 35 should, in theory, give a bit of aero advantage without sacrificing too much on the climbs in terms of weight.

A 35mm wheel is unlikely to present serious problems in crosswinds, and they feel perfectly well-mannered and stiff. The wheels are based on DT Swiss’ Ratchet EXP freehub, which are easy-enough to service with widely-available spares.

Again, I’m a bit miffed these aren’t set up tubeless out of the box. It would allow you to run lower pressures, improving comfort and grip, which is never a bad thing.

2021 Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro conclusion

Make no mistake – the Emonda is an uncompromising race bike, and it’s all the better for it.

In a world of squashy do-it-all bikes, the Emonda’s wonderfully moreish super stiff ride stands out and I’ve really enjoyed my time testing it.

Speccing standard 25mm clincher tyres in 2020 is an odd move, and the weight for this particular build isn’t that competitive.

You also lose out on some (claimed) aero benefit with the standard cockpit versus the fancy new integrated Bontrager Aeolus RSL VR-C bar-stem combo. But, if you’re anything like me and enjoy endlessly tweaking your position and cockpit setup, this might not be such a bad thing.

Jumping up to the Emonda SL 7 (£4,850) would get you an Ultegra Di2 groupset, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 wheels and the integrated cockpit, but I’m not convinced the extra expense would be worth it.

A few small spec niggles aside, if you’re after a delightfully fun go-fast race bike, the 2021 Trek Emonda SL 6 Pro is very unlikely to leave you wanting.

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Trek Émonda SL 6 road bike review

Giving the ride feel of a thoroughbred GC frame, Trek manages to deliver the perfect balance of stiffness and comfort in the elegant looking and reasonably priced Trek Émonda SL6.

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The Trek Émonda SL 6 exists a few places below Trek's signature SLR model but that doesn't stop it embodying the GC spirit and as a frame it certainly feels worthy of Alberto Contador.

It's made the coveted  Cycling Weekly's Editor's Choice list for its lightweight, fast and comfortable ride quality that'll have dancing up climbs like Contador himself. 

Think of top Tour de France bikes, and there are only a handful of names that pop into your head faster than the Trek Émonda.

While its old sibling, the Émonda SLR occupies the top echelons of WorldTour racing, we've got our hands on the more reasonably priced Trek Émonda Sl 6, coming in at £2,250.

Made famous in recent years beneath the likes of Alberto Contador and his Trek-Segafredo team mates, the Trek Émonda SL 6 feels like a thoroughbred GC frame regardless of its lower price point, and it's a frame that looks built to race yet still manages to maintain an air of elegance.

Trek Émonda SL 6 : c lassy looks

Sweeping lines blur one area of the frame into the other, and the slender seat stays make the bike look responsive and nimble. Pair the sweeping design with the matte silver paint job, and the bike has a seriously classy look.

But it isn't just surface, and the 500 series OCLV carbon makes the frame a skimpy 1091g. On our scales, the whole bike weighed in at 7.66kg, with any additional weight no doubt coming down to the components rather than the frame.

Down below, an overbuilt, beefy bottom bracket makes sure that every pedal stroke powers the bike forward – which is especially helpful when things start heading uphill.

Without a doubt, the most exciting equipment on the bike is the Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset. Newly updated, it marks an enormous overhaul of Shimano's everyman groupset.

In terms of shifting feel and action, it's every bit as good as it's older, more expensive Dura-Ace sibling. The re-designed front mech and more ergonomic levers offer a light action to front shifts, and rear shifts are crisp, accurate and powerful.

Of the new Ultegra groupset itself, the most exciting feature are the excellent rim brakes – again, they're every bit the match to the Dura-Ace models.

With them being so good, it was a bit of a disappointment to find them missing on the Émonda. Instead, Trek has specced its Bontrager Speed Stop Pro brakes rather than Shimano's far superior rim brakes.

Bontrager's in house stoppers can't match Shimano's for neither feel nor power but it's an oversight we can forgive considering the Émonda's excellent frame and ride qualities. Besides, the Ultegra brakes are always going to be there for that next upgrade.

Again, the Bontrager Paradigm aluminium wheelset could be lighter to match the svelte carbon frame but at this price point they're par for the course and they didn't feel like lead weights when heading uphill.

GC quality frameset

Out on the open road, the ride quality of the GC frame really shines through, and there's a sense of urgency laid up in the carbon that wants to let rip.

But there's a gentler side to it, too, and the high modulus frame gives comfort to the ride. Unlike so many stiff carbon frames, the Trek Émonda Sl 6 feels dampened and absorbent without that dreaded sluggishness that heavier bikes suffer from.

The skip in its step no doubt comes from its lack of weight, and even with the aluminium wheels and overbuilt brakes, the Émonda SL 6 weighs a tiny 7.66kg. Spoil yourself to some killer wheels and you'll bring that down even further.

Dancing out the saddle on the Émonda SL 6

On the hills it climbs like you'd expect from a frame built for Alberto Contador, encouraging you to imitate his signature out the saddle dance on the steepest inclines. But its a frame that really shines on the downs, too. The 992mm wheelbase is manoeuvrable but well balanced and the handling was sharp in the corners, everything you'd expect from a GC super bike.

The Émonda Sl 6's frame is faultless – lightweight, comfort and stiffness all in perfect equilibrium. Its more than a match for the aluminium wheels it comes with, but it has to meet a price point after all.

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Trek Émonda SL 6

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 47cm, 50cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm, 62cm

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon, Ride Tuned performance tube optimization, tapered head tube, internal routing, DuoTrap S compatible, flat mount disc, 142x12mm thru axle
• Fork Émonda SL full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru axle
• Battery Shimano BT-DN300
• Wheels Front: Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 35mm rim depth, 100x12mm thru axle Rear: Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35, OCLV Carbon, Tubeless Ready, 35mm rim depth, Shimano 11/12-speed freehub, 142x12mm thru axle
• Tires Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 700x28mm
• Chain Shimano SLX M7100, 12 speed
• Crank Size: 47, Shimano 105 R7100, 50/34, 165mm length; Size: 50, 52, Shimano 105 R7100, 50/34, 170mm length; Size: 54, 56, 58, Shimano 105 R7100, 50/34, 172.5mm length; Size: 60, 62, Shimano 105 R7100, 50/34, 175mm length
• Bottom Bracket Praxis, T47 threaded, internal bearing
• Front Derailleur Shimano 105 R7150 Di2, braze-on, down swing
• Rear Derailleur Shimano R7150 Di2, 36T max cog
• Shifters Shimano 105 R7170 Di2, 12 speed
• Brakeset Shimano 105 hydraulic disc, flat mount
• Handlebar Size: 47, 50, Bontrager Elite Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 38cm width; Size: 52, Bontrager Elite Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 40cm width; Size: 54, 56, 58, Bontrager Elite Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 42cm width; Size: 60, 62, Bontrager Elite Bontrager Elite VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 44cm width
• Saddle Size: 47, 50, 52, Bontrager Aeolus Comp, steel rails, 155mm width; Size: 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, Bontrager Aeolus Comp, steel rails, 145mm width
• Seatpost Size: 47, 50, 52, 54, Bontrager carbon seatmast cap, 20mm offset, short length; Size: 56, 58, 60, 62, Bontrager carbon seatmast cap, 20mm offset, tall length
• Stem Size: 47, Trek RCS Pro, -7 degree, 70mm length; Size: 50, Trek RCS Pro, -7 degree, 80mm length; Size: 52, 54, Trek RCS Pro, -7 degree, 90mm length; Size: 56, Trek RCS Pro, -7 degree, 100mm length; Size: 58, 60, 62, Trek RCS Pro, -7 degree, 110mm length

Q: How much is a 2024 Trek Émonda SL 6?

A 2024 Trek Émonda SL 6 is typically priced around $4,999 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2024 Trek Émonda SL 6?

The 2024 Trek Émonda SL 6 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: What size 2024 Trek Émonda SL 6 should I get?

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Trek Émonda comparison review: SL6 versus SLR6

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In developing the Émonda, Trek devoted considerable resources to designing a lightweight race bike and trumped the industry with a 690g frame. CTech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a close look at the new bike and assesses the influence of different grades of carbon fibre by comparing the mid-level Émonda SL6 with the upper-level SLR6.

Trek is well known for its Madone and Domane road bikes but neither was ever designed as a lightweight race bike. So in 2012, the company set out to see what it could achieve and came up with the Émonda. The development process required over 30 months but the result is currently the world’s lightest production road bike. At 4.65kg for a size 56cm bike, the Émonda SLR10 trumps the previous title-holder by almost 1kg, but at a significant cost: $17,999.

There are, of course, more affordable versions of the bike yet Trek believes that the Émonda range is the world’s lightest production road line . There are over a dozen models in the Émonda range including women’s-specific versions and custom builds via Trek’s Project One portal . Variations in parts specifications account for some of the differences between each model, but there are also three different versions of the frameset (designated S, SL, and SLR) that differ in carbon fibre grade, country of manufacture, and ultimately, final weight.

| Related : How Trek is adapting to the challenges of online retail

Trek uses five different grades of carbon fibre for frame construction that vary in weight, strength, stiffness and cost. At one end of the spectrum there is 300 series carbon, a cost-effective blend, and at the other there is 700 series carbon, a high-cost, low-weight, military-grade blend.

As the base model in the range, the Émonda S is made in Taiwan from 300 series carbon with a simplified design (e.g. a standard seatpost is used rather than semi-integrated design) to reduce production costs.

In contrast, the Émonda SL and SLR share many of the same design features (such as a semi-integrated seatpost) however the SL is manufactured in Taiwan from 500 series carbon while the SLR is manufactured from 700 series carbon in the U.S.A. The use of the highest-grade carbon affords the SLR a weight saving of over 300g when compared to the SL but almost triples the price of the frameset.

While weight was an important design imperative for the Émonda, Trek spent a considerable period road testing the new bike to refine its handling characteristics while paying attention to its stiffness. Riders from Trek’s professional team were instrumental in determining the value of each refinement but engineers were also guided by data collected from strain gauges and accelerometers fitted to prototypes.

CT’s roving reporter Dave Everett attended the launch of the Émonda last year and was able to take one ride on the SLR8 . While his report served as a good introduction to the Émonda, the new bike deserved a longer look. In this review, I spend a lot more time on the Émonda, and thanks to Trek Australia , compare two models — SL6 and SLR6 — to learn more about how different grades of carbon fibre affect the performance of the bike.

Before the ride

In developing the Émonda, Trek’s engineers pared away at the frame and forks until they arrived at the minimum structure that satisfied all of their performance and safety criteria. The result is a frameset that is noticeably skinnier than the Madone and Domane .

| Related : Trek 5 Series Madone and Domane comparison review

Like the Madone and Domane, the Émonda SL and SLR framesets utilise a BB90 bottom bracket and E2 headtube. At 90mm wide, the BB90 bottom bracket provides a broad footing for the downtube and chainstays to help the stiffness of the frame. The E2 headtube also helps the stiffness of the frame with an oversized lower headset bearing and tapered fork steerer.

Trek further refines the design of the SLR with an asymmetric steerer that is wider from side-to-side and skinnier from front-to-back. The difference provides extra stiffness for cornering while affording some compliance to soak up road shock.

The Émonda SL and SLR also inherit the semi-integrated seatpost design that was introduced with the Madone. A seatpost cap fits over an extended seat tube and offers a range of 10cm for saddle height adjustment. Trek offers a choice of two lengths for the seatpost cap (135mm and 175mm) along with two offsets (5mm and 20mm) to help with refining the fit of the bike.

| Related : First-look review: 2016 Trek Madone

Both framesets provide internal routing for the gear and rear brake cables, with interchangeable cable stops and ports to suit mechanical and electronic transmissions. There is also an adjustable chain keeper that is integrated into the seat tube while the left chainstay is ready to accept Trek’s DuoTrap S speed/cadence sensor .

Aside from the difference in carbon fibre blend and country of origin, the SLR frameset is further distinguished from the SL in a number of small ways. I’ve already mentioned the asymmetrical fork steerer above. Another difference lies with the brake caliper mounts: the SLR frameset uses direct mount calipers front and rear, while the SL uses conventional calipers.

The front derailleur mount also differs: the SL frameset has an alloy fitting that is riveted to the seat tube while the SLR has a carbon mount that is molded into the frame. Finally, the SLR frameset is offered with a choice of Trek’s H1 or F2 fit, while the SL is only available with a H2 fit. The difference between the two is in the length of the head tube, which is 30-35mm taller for the H2 fit at every frame size (see chart below).

There is a choice of up to nine frame sizes for the Émonda, as shown in the table below:

The range of frame sizes varies, depending on the model and fit of the frame. The SL6 is offered in sizes 47-62cm with a H2 fit only while the SLR6 is available in sizes 50-62cm with a H1 fit and 47-64cm with a H2 fit. Trek’s H1 fit can be considered very aggressive and race-oriented, affording plenty of handlebar drop. In contrast, the H2 fit is more moderate but riders looking for a more upright position will be better served by the geometry of Trek’s Domane. Visit Trek for detailed geometry charts for the SL6 and SLR6 .

The styling of the Émonda is very clean and simple with inviting lines that flow from one point to the next. The seat tube junction in particular is elegant and I like the way the seat stays seem to sprout with energy for the dropouts.

Trek keeps the paintwork simple with a minimum of decoration though the gloss paint adds some luxury to the final result. The Émonda SL6 is currently available in a choice of two colours (Matte Trek Black with Gloss Trek Black logos, or, Viper Red with Trek Black logos) compared to one for the SLR6 (Crystal White with Argent Silver logos and Trek Cyan details). However, there are many more paint finishes available for the SLR via Project One .

The SL6 and SLR6 are both dressed with Shimano’s mechanical 11-speed Ultegra groupset and a suite of Bontrager components but there are some distinct differences between the two bikes. For example, the SL6 uses Bontrager’s entry-level Race wheelset while the SLR6 gets an upgrade with a Race Lite wheelset that is lighter.

Similarly, the SL6 is supplied with a Bontrager Paradigm Race saddle with chromoly rails while the SLR6 gets a Paradigm RL saddle that has hollow titanium rails. There is also a difference in brake calipers, where the SL6 has standard Ultegra calipers while the SLR6 uses Bontrager Speed Stop calipers.

All of these differences, from the grade of carbon fibre to individual parts, provide significant weight savings for the SLR6 when compared to the SL6. The SL6 sent for review (size 54cm, H2 fit) weighed 7.42kg sans pedals and cages while the SLR6 (size 54cm, H1 fit) weighed 6.68kg. The savings (740g) can be attributed largely to the SLR frameset (~300g) and the Race Lite wheelset (300g), with smaller weight savings provided by the shorter head tube and a lighter saddle.

Unsurprisingly, the weight savings come at a significant cost: the Émonda SL6 has a recommended retail price of $3,699 while the SLR6 retails for $8,499. In both instances, the frames come with a lifetime warranty while the forks and all Bontrager parts are covered by a two-year warranty. For more information on the Émonda range, visit Trek .

After the ride

After spending the day riding an Émonda SLR8 last year , Dave Everett found that “the first noticeable thing for me was not so much the weight but how planted the bike felt on the road.” Later though, once he found himself in hillier terrain, Dave was “definitely using the big chainring a lot more” than he normally would thanks to the low weight (6.15kg) of the bike.

Like Dave, I wasn’t wowed by the weight of the SL6 or SLR6. Instead, the Émonda was surprisingly ordinary, even mundane, compared to its marketing hype. Of course, there was more to discover, but after my early rides on the SL6 and SLR6, all I could say was that both bikes offered a very smooth and refined kind of ride that I’ve long associated with Trek’s bikes.

A “refined kind of ride” is not necessarily a compliment though. For those riders that like the bike to disappear beneath them so that they remain unaffected by road feedback, the Émonda should have plenty of appeal, regardless of whether it is the SL or SLR. However, I found myself wanting more from the bike, and while I could criticise the Émonda as being “dead” or “unlively”, that wouldn’t be fair. Instead, I’ll say this: riding an Émonda is like visiting a library to enjoy the quiet.

The steering and handling of the Émonda was very stable and predictable. As such, the bike is incredibly easy to ride. The bike obeyed my every instruction and while the steering tended towards slow, I didn’t find it required any extra effort to hold a line through sharp corners. I wouldn’t recommend the bike for criterium racing but then there isn’t much about the Émonda’s styling or marketing that would likely attract a dedicated criterium racer.

Neither the SL6 nor SLR6 felt like a particularly light or responsive climbing rig. Capable, yes, but still some distance from ever being explosive. What seemed to be missing was any great sense of the bike’s stiffness. It’s not that the bike was too compliant, but rather, I wasn’t getting any feedback from the bike in order to judge its performance. Thus it seems the Émonda is defined more by the absence of any sensation rather than what can be felt by the rider.

The Émonda was well suited to long rides. The bike doesn’t rattle or chatter, even on rough roads, and I found the hours passed by with ease as the bike continued with steadfast assurance. I found myself re-evaluating the subdued ride quality as a comfort, like the support and encouragement from a devoted friend. After all, there’s no need for showmanship on a long ride, just steady commitment from the rider and the bike, and the Émonda was prepared to keep going for as long as I wanted.

By taking turns on the SL6 and SLR6, and then swapping the wheelsets between each bike, I found that the SLR6 was a stiffer bike. It was only a mild difference, but it could be felt when rising out of the saddle on a climb, traversing rough roads, and as a little feedback from the road. Overall, it provided the SLR6 with a racier feel than the SL6, but I must stress, it was very mild. Switching to stiffer mid-profile carbon wheels ( Curve 38mm clinchers ) enhanced this sense a little more but the wheels weren’t able to transform the Émonda into an aggressive race bike.

The Domane has a strong reputation for its comfort but the Émonda shouldn’t be overlooked, especially the SL series. I found myself marvelling at how well the SL6 was able to soak up every crack, bump and rut. Furthermore, there was a good balance of compliance between the front and rear of the bike. Adventurous riders that enjoy demanding terrain may find the Émonda lacking, otherwise the bike is well suited to a wide variety of terrain.

The SL6 had a lot in common with the SLR6. The overall ride quality was very similar while the steering and handling were identical. I’ve already mentioned that the SLR6 was marginally stiffer; it was also marginally more agile, but that was due largely to the lighter wheelset. Indeed, swapping wheelsets between the two bikes improved the SL6, however it made no difference to the stiffness of the bike.

Finally, I’m pleased to report that Bontrager’s new direct mount Speed Stop calipers are a significant improvement over the previous iteration supplied with the Madone . The calipers were smooth and effective with plenty of bite but they didn’t suffer any of the heavy effort that defined the last version. Indeed, I couldn’t find anything to separate the performance of Speed Stop calipers from the standard Ultegra brakes fitted to the SL6.

My only complaint is with the way the inner cable is routed: it ends up between the tyre and the brake arm to rest upon the brake pad. Cutting the cable short removes any risk of it getting caught against the rim but then is too fiddly to hold when re-adjusting the cable.

Summary and final thoughts

The Émonda has been positioned by Trek as an ultralight bike, purpose-built for climbing, with a strong emphasis on race performance. I don’t have a quarrel with their claims or strategy but the bike is much more versatile than a dedicated climbing rig. The ride quality is easy to like and the steering and handling ensure its reliability in essentially any situation, so while it won’t satisfy buyers looking for extremes in performance, it’s hard to see how it will disappoint anybody else.

The differences between the SL6 and SLR6 were modest at best. Some were a matter of the parts specified for each bike, but fundamentally, the SLR frameset is lighter, stiffer and more race-oriented that the SL.

It is interesting to note that most of the weight savings offered by the SLR6 can be obtained for an Émonda SL by upgrading from the SL6 to an SL8 (RRP $4,999) and substituting the stock Race wheelset for the Race Lite version without spending any more than $6,000. I’m not criticising the price of the SLR though, just highlighting what is perhaps the Émonda’s greatest strength, which is Trek’s range of models and options for the bike.

Trek Émonda SL6 Gallery

Trek Émonda SLR6 Gallery

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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—

Now With Aero

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

Simple Seat Mast

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

Light and Slippery

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

Wide and Threaded

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

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

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’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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Trek 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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2020 Trek Emonda Sl6 Disc Pro

Cool Features

All-new Trek Emonda ALR takes lightweight frame tech to alloy models

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When Trek announced their Emonda carbon road bike line , they backed up their “world’s lightest” claims with an impressive frame and fork and an even more impressive 10.25lb (4.6kg) complete bike. Now, they’re adding an alloy Emonda ALR option that’s also lightweight yet far more affordable.

To earn the Emonda badge, the frame uses their top-level 300-series Alpha Aluminum that’s been hydroformed into size specific tubes, then welded together using a no-see technique that produces smooth joints that use less material to save weight.

The process is called Invisible Weld Technology, which they say produces stronger, stiffer welds despite using less material. Video, pics and more details below…

Trek told us the unpainted frame is 1050g (56), and a painted fork is 358g w/240mm steerer.

Like the ultralight Emonda carbon models, the ALR uses their H2 race geometry, E2 tapered headtube (standard 1-1/8″ to 1-1/2″) and wide Pressfit BB 86.5, meaning this bike is made to go fast. Other frame details include a braze-on front derailleur mount (no need to add a clamp if you’re getting the frameset) and external cable routing.

We’ve requested a more technical description of the welding process (update as we get it), but the frame is only part of the story. The complete bikes come equipped with built-in extras like the a Blendr stem with integrated light/computer mount, and it has Duotrap S compatibility (their ANT+/Bluetooth 4.0 speed/cadence sensor, sold separately for about $60).

You also get a complete group, so the Emonda ALR 6 with Ultregra gets a full Ultegra group from chain to brakes to cassette and everything else. There are no mis-matched parts or down spec’d bits to cut costs. A full carbon fiber tapered fork completes the package.

The Emonda ALR will initially come in two builds, the “6” with full Ultegra, Bontrager Race tubeless ready wheels with R2 tires, and a Bontrager cockpit with alloy short reach/drop bar and carbon seatpost for $2,249.99. Our local Trek Bike Store says complete bike weight is claimed at 17.25lb (7.82kg).

The Emonda ALR 5 drops down to a full Shimano 105 group with non-series Bontrager tubeless ready alloy wheels, R1 tires and a full alloy Bontrager cockpit for $1,759.99. Claimed weight is 18.77lb (8.51kg), colors will be the gloss black/hi-viz yellow and blue shown here, plus a racing red coming soon.

The frameset shares the same paint scheme as the “6” and comes with an FSA sealed cartridge bearing headset for $989.99. The frames have a lifetime warranty carrying a 275lb rider weight limit.

Just for fun, here’s the companion lifestyle video.

All three models shown here are available now and should hit stores soon. Our sources tell us there’ll also be an Emonda ALR 5 with Tiagra, an ALR 8 with Dura-Ace mechanical and ALR 9 with Dura-Ace Di2 coming soon. That last model suggests they’ll have an electronic-only frame, too, since these first models only have external cable routing. At the very top, in terms of light weight anyway, will be the ALR 10 with a full SRAM Red group.

TrekBikes.com

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com , where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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looks like a rebadged Allez

The invisible welding looks a lot like what pretty much every other company calls smooth welding. And has been using for years. You weld the tube normally then go back over it without filler material and “reweld” it. The process smooths out the weld and helps it wet out. REVOLUTIONARY TREK!!!

Interesting that they are using hydroformed tubes but didn’t choose the aero tube shapes of the Madone design.

@Robert W – my sources say the Madone is on the way out. & if the story is about weight vs. areo it would make sense to mimick the emonda shapes. Also, the 2 series aluminum frames are already Madone-esqe.

I always find it funny that companies state how they’ve extensively optimized tube shapes for their flagship carbon fiber bikes, but then seemingly can successfully apply those shapes to materials with very different properties. There is a little marketing lie in their somewhere.

Anyway. Glad to see these Al bikes. CF has been getting too pricey fort me.

I like how they quote an unpainted frame weight, then only offer it in a painted variety. But lets also make sure we pair that unpainted weight with a painted fork weight.

Looks legit. Seeing they are coming out of the Giant factory why not put on the overdrive 2 fork and stem and really take it next level?

Aluminum, how quaint.

Why not sell them unpainted if they weight them unpainted? JBikes if I read you right what your saying is the shapes have far mo9re to do with design than engineering.all thes tube shapes are probaly coming from kitchen appliance design firm and they bs riders who rarely go over 20mph that aero is worth buying a new bike for

That Bontrager cycling kit is pretty damn nice. “Understated” as the hipsters like to say.

How about US made aluminum, with giant tubes, some internal routing, and some really funky paint jobs. Oh wait…

Hasn”t specialized already been doing this for like 3 years now? And better welded joints? Revolutionary-nothing is more like it, just another slightly modified copy frame.

Roy – no I was just commenting on the fact it’s stated how non aero tube shapes are optimized for carbon fiber for whatever properties (stiffness, weight, ride) but then a vastly different material can achieve the same with the same tube shapes? I’m sure they vary material thickness and such, but given the vast difference in CF and Al, I’d think tube shapes would vary more between the two materials, unless the CF and Al frames ride completely different.

Jesus, tough crowd. Lightweight aluminum, full component groups and small price tags… Sounds good to me.

Full Ultegra! Well… except the wheels. Of which, the Bontrager Race spec is a few notches below Ultegra…

y’all are haters. you can pick on the marketing and on random bits and pieces but in the end this is the bike you’re going to start seeing at all the local crits and races. So they have weird marketing, worry about the bike and what it can do for you.

Aluminum is the new carbon.

Yeah a bunch of haters here, Go buy a Specialized because they are not owned by the big man, Oh wait, Specialized is own by a conglomerate, and Trek is family owned. Seems like most people don’t understand the definition of “the man” Don’t hate on them just because you don’t like it that more people ride Trek than any other brand in the US.

@Durianrider, you’re killing me! Lol

When you think about it, it’s a bike people actually look for: Workhorse, and the no-nonsense but clean aesthetic.

Considering the Propel SLR might not come stateside, as well as the update TCR SLR before it, it’s nice to have another potential alloy option on the market that isn’t an Allez or CAAD.

I really like where Trek is going with their new paint schemes. Very minimal branding and no stupid racing stripes and decals. Keep it premium!

Jbikes: I understand why you’re asking about why two frames with different materials have the same tube shapes, but in fact they probably should have the same shapes.

In the bike industry (and many others), it’s common practice to design using isotropic material properties (e.g., with aluminum) for a first pass. The resulting stiffness (quantified through FEA) ensures you’re getting the most sectional modulus you can out of a given tube shape. Only then do you go back and design a laminate schedule with anisotropic materials (e.g., carbon fiber).

This allows the designer to clearly separate the modulus (stiffness) due to tube shape and the modulus due to the laminate schedule. That way, each can be optimized as a discrete step.

Except for a few corner cases, optimal frame tube shape is material-independent. Surprising but true!

Looks like a great bike at a good price. I love nice aluminum race bikes. But why no H1 geometry option? It irks me that companies (not just Trek) spec the really race oriented stuff at the high-end of the price scale. I know a short head tube doesn’t work for everyone but why not give us the option? What does the size of your wallet have to do with your flexibility?

I’m wondering if some of the frames are anodized, so unpainted weight would be pretty relevant.

JasonK – thanks! Great info. Never really thought of it that way but it makes sense.

I like the emonda and the CrossRip frame for my commuter. I would seriously consider if I was in the market and carbon was not an option.

Man that’s a light frame. Nice to see they are using full groupset specs.

I wonder if the welding is a form of aluminium brazing using a lower melting temperature brazing rod. I think this is what Shimano do with the external reinforcing tabs on the aluminium rims. This is supposed to be lower strength than welding but coming up with some newer technology is not beyond Trek’s resources. Or maybe they have come up with a way to modify the pulse action of a TIG welder with a certain filler wire application. Either way, the old double pass method for aluminium is old hat now.

Most companies claim unpainted frame weights. Use this general guide: If a company says “…painted frame weight is…” then it’s including paint. If they don’t specifically say painted then you can guarantee it’s an unpainted frame weight.

The only reason I wouldn’t buy one of these is the head tube is too tall…

I applaud Trek for coming out with a ‘light’ and ‘inexpensive’ aluminum frameset but I’m still not sold on the H2 geometry.

Sincerely, Worlds longest head tube.

I like the option of a high end aluminum frame as well….but this one misses the mark for me because trek refuses to make any bike with its “racer” H1 geometry that doesn’t cost at least 4,500 for a frameset. If they only would make H1 options of their emonda sl frame or this new all I’d buy one in a second. Trek already makes a million bike models….why not better fit options? Ever since they did away with the 6 series madone the options for the budget conscious racer have gone to zero. Bleh. And more seatmast length options trek!

Nearly the same weight as a Cannondale frame that was first manufactured out of the same material about 6 years ago

I think this will make a GREAT race frame.

Certainly beats trying to replace a carbon frame someone broke for you in that ‘last corner of the criterium’ crash.

If I see one more I’m-so-flexible-I-can-stick-my-head-up-my-ass comment about the lack of H1 geometry, I might give up trolling comments on bike rumor all together. Seriously, 5 years at a Trek dealer and we sold maybe 3 H1 bikes (all as special order). We ordered dozens more project 1 bikes in the ‘normal’ H2. Working now at a Cervelo dealer I have very few people balk at the head tube height, and MOST are running a positive angle on the stem anyways. At 6’3″ I run 14cm of bar drop. I have had zero issue getting a proper fit on stock bikes, including Trek. Currently on the newly updated (i.e. market norm) stack of the 2015 Cervelo S5 I still have 15mm of spacers under my stem. If H2 geo just doesn’t do it for you, grab a Cannonade with a low profile headset cap and go ride. They are making a bike for the largest market, obviously the budget racers this bike is designed for are too busy riding their bikes to complain on Bike Rumor…..

Looks like a great bike for the money and your avg rider. Nothing wrong with that. Kudos too for specing a complete group build, awesome!

Waiting for my ALR 5 to arrive!! Last bike I bought was in 1986, a Myata One Ten. Hopefully this one will last another 29 years.

uhhh… the allez actually looks good

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/allez/allez-comp-race

the only thing actually missing from these frames are some colorway options like the tarmacs

i had a domane and the headtube was too tall.

i might get one of these. its pretty affordable all things considered.

There doesn’t seem too much, if anything at all, to complain about here. The Emonda ALR frame MSRP is right in line with a CAAD10 frame MSRP ($10 cheaper actually). It looks good, and it’s certainly not a heavyweight bike. If it rides as good as it looks, it will be a great deal.

@MikeC – Are you kidding? I haven’t seen anyone refer to a full groupset as including the wheel since like 1999. Some people are just desperate to find something to bitch about. The Bontrager Race wheels are great. They only weigh 200g more than the Ultegras, and unlike every Shimano wheel, they are specced completely with off-the-shelf parts that are easily purchasable in any bike shop.

@Adam – Yes, because Cannondale were the first company with an aluminum racing bike. You forget the Trek, via Klein, were making awesome lightweight aluminum race bikes when Cannondale was still welding together soda cans.

@H1 Lovers – You’re all on crack. A quarter of the Trek pros don’t even ride the H1, and I promise you that you are not that fast. I can also tick off a list of local heroes, Cat 1 and PRO dudes, who get by just fine on the H2, usually preferring it to the H1.

@Psi – And the Trek is clearly much better specced than the Cannondale, with an Ultegra crank and Bontrager Race wheels, not to mention a cockpit that won’t require immediate replacement.

Wait to you see the next gen cannondale frame before you jump on this..

I am happy this exists. Buyers beware if you crash this thing it’s probably going to dent up like tinfoil.

@badbikemechanic – What makes you say that? There is a generation of high end aluminum out there that holds up just fine to the rigors of daily life. I personally have an aluminum Allez that I regularly leave locked up outside of bars, the grocery store, as well as race, and it hasn’t even scratched the anodized finish yet.

As always, opinions abound….and everyone is “right.” The H1 vs. H2 debate is clearly a hotter topic than I thought. What it boils down to though is “choice.”

Trek offers the option, meaning there are people that prefer it. I rode a 60 cm H1 Madone 6 series last year, and absolutely loved it. Sadly it was a team bike and I had to give it back at the end of the year. In looking for a replacement I want a bike with similar geometry, but don’t want to spend 4,500 to have the OPTION to get the geometry I like. The head tube on the H1 is 18 cm…compared with 21 cm on the H2. That is a LARGE difference. I don’t think anyone is right or wrong to ride whatever geometry they like. All I’m saying is that for me…the H1 geometry is perfect, and I don’t need to run a -17 stem to get my preferred position of the bike. Being a pro, being fast or slow, is irrelevant. I would just like to see the option available at a reasonable price point.

These bikes are epic. And yes, they blow the competition out of the water.

About time Trek offers something for the Joe-Racers out there. Yes, carbon is super nice but you guess what: so is aluminum. I have a locally-made Aluminum bike and it rides *amazing*. So did my old Caad7 and I bet Specialized’s aluminum bike is also fantastic. We need more people in the sport, and to do that we need a much lower entry-level bar. if for $2,200 you get a nice Al Trek with good geometry, good wheels (i own the bontis tlr and they’re indestructible and readily serviceable), good parts and cockpit that are either race-ready or hammer-ready, then god bless Trek. For the record i own a cannondale six and it’s a phenomenal bike. but my aluminum rig is my favorite. way to go, Trek – kudos indeed.

Arguing that “some pros ride H2, therefore nobody needs H1” is well, just a poor excuse for an argument. An H1 aluminum Emonda would be a hit, and I would purchase one as soon as it were available. I’ve owned and ridden both H1/H2 models, and greatly prefer the H1. As an aside, direct mount breaks on this beast would be the icing on the cake. Think about it Trek.

This bike compared with the new caad 12 is nothing …

I’ve got a current model year Allez smartweld frame built up with full 105 and tubeless Shimano wheels. I certainly didn’t do it for $1760 retail, but then some parts on my bike (bars, saddle, tires) are from a very much higher trim level. I’ve also got all the accessories (cages, tools, &c) in my price, and I was unable to use the economy of scale a manufacturer can.

ANYWAY. The ride quality of my Allez is nothing short of amazing considering. It is *as smooth* as my steel 3-speed with 38mm tires over brick roads. I have no problems riding the Allez a hundred miles, though I run out of water. The Allez smartweld is making me completely re-think aluminum as a frame material, especially for amateur racer types.

These Treks seem to DIRECTLY compete with the Allez smartweld introduced last year, which is great, since it engenders competitive designs. When you get an Allez Comp (with 105), you pay less, but you miss out on the excellent 5800 brakes and crankset, and get bog standard training wheels. Moving up to an Allez Expert (with Ultegra), gets you a full groupset with carbon SL-K crank and ‘Fulcrum’ wheels at a competitive price.

I’d love to ride these Treks back to back with my Allez.

I am happy to see Trek jump into the “high end” aluminum market. I have owned & loved several iterations of CAAD’s. I have also read good things about Specialized redesigned Allez frames. I am now hearing of a redesigned CAAD12(?) to be released later this Summer…(anyone else hearing any details?) I would have liked to have seen a disc version from Trek… (Spec as well.) I believe that road disc offerings from every manufacturer will increase exponentially once the pro’s are riding them. I wanted my next road bike purchase to have discs so that I can look for second set of wheels that will be future proof…(thru-axles coming next?) I had my eye this year’s CAAD10 Rival disc, hoping the boys at Cannondale offer an Ultegra disc spec on the CAAD12 later this year. 🙂

Just ordered my alr 6 today! I work at a trek dealer, and I have to say H2 is usually great for 99% of our customers, and they usually have the stem flipped up. For the 1% of people that actually want that huge bar drop, you can always size down and make it look super pro with a longer stem! Nothing wrong with that!

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• Rider Notes

2019 Trek Émonda SL 6

A carbon frame race bike with high-end components and rim brakes.

Manufacturer Price

Cycle Limited

2019 Emonda SL - 64cm

In Stock: 64cm

For This Bike

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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 SL 6

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Aug 2020 · James Bracey

Trek's latest GC/climbing bike has undergone an aero transformation, but has it helped?

Efficient power transfer

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New SL frame has lost some of the excitement of the existing Émonda

Heavy for a 'climbing' bike

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Jul 2020 · Dan Cavallari

OCLV 800 launched with Trek's feathery Émonda, but now the brand's flagship aero bike gets this lighter, stiffer carbon — along with a T47 BB.

Have you seen Bontrager’s new Aeolus carbon wheel lineup? Spanning the gap between budget and race ready, the aerodynamic hoops are the perfect complement to another new Trek product launching today – the all new Émonda. Fans of super light, efficient climbing bikes needn’t worry. The Émonda is still as light as ever, but now […]

Mar 2019 · Philippe Tremblay

Sleek looking and smart riding sparkling purple frame makes a strong case to build a dream machine with an aluminium frameset

Oct 2018 · Warren Rossiter

Wonderful in every respect and the price ensures exclusivity. Buy if you want the lightest disc chassis around and you’ve got deep pockets or a lottery win

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Aug 2018 · Benjamin Topf

The Trek Émonda ALR 6 is the highest-quality aluminium racer in Trek’s portfolio, but can the performance keep up with the superb looks?

May 2018 · Matt Wikstrom

Trek recently updated its lightweight racing chassis, the Émonda, with a variety of refinements for 2018, including the addition of a disc-brake version. We had a look at the Émonda SLR Disc when it was launched last year, so for this review, we follow that up with a closer look at the more affordable mid-range […]

Feb 2018 · Mat Brett

Quick and lively aluminium road bike with a good ride quality and excellent Shimano Ultegra components

First added July 29

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Trek Emonda SL 7 Disc 2019 - $1,800 (Moscow)

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2 x 11 SRAM Force drivetrain Carbon frame Bontrager aeolus carbon wheels Tubeless tires Hydraulic disc brakes Excellent comdition Has never been in any major crashes (just a few very minor cosmetic...

• Émonda SL Disc Frameset

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"One of the fiercest climbing bikes available, the new Émonda is even faster thanks to a dose of aero"

"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."

"It's an incredible update from Trek"

"The updated Emonda packs one helluva punch, and Trek has a winner on its hands. The integrated cockpit is nice and all, but the real win is the H1.5 fit, which makes the Emonda feel more stable while maintaining the aggression and responsiveness of previous Emondas. That, coupled with a lightweight construction, comfortable ride, and aerodynamic shaping, brings Trek's top of the line climber from a very good bike to an excellent one."

"The Emonda is still light, and it’s still stiff, but now there’s an extra dose of free speed"

"Overall, Trek has done a solid job here of updating the Emonda, infusing meaningful improvements in several key areas, but without breaking the basic formula that has made the bike so popular."

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