trek emonda alr 4 avis

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

Trek’s Latest Émonda ALR Is as Good as Aluminum Road Bikes Get

Dialed geometry, smooth welds, and an excellent ride feel add up to make the latest aluminum Émonda ALR a great alternative to pricier carbon bikes.

The Takeaway: The updated Trek Émonda ALR is thoroughly modern, yet simple and fully upgradable. Just the way an aluminum road bike should be.

Trek Émonda ALR 5

The Émonda ALR borrows its geometry (down to the millimeter) from its much pricier (and lighter weight) carbon fiber version of the Émonda. This means riders get the same, proven, race-winning geometry of the much pricier carbon model for around one thousand dollars less.

While the cost savings might be the most enticing feature of the ALR for many riders, the updated aluminum frame is the showstopper here. Much like its carbon version, the Émonda ALR features a mix of aerofoil (Kammtail) shaped tubes along with more traditional round profiles. Trek uses its 300 Series Alpha aluminum for the frame, which weighs in at 1,257 grams (claimed), for a painted size 56cm. It’s combined with a full carbon fork that adds 406g to the total package. This is impressive—weighing a mere 34g more than Trek’s carbon Émonda SL variant of the frame (which sells for $1,000 more than the ALR).

The Émonda ALR frame is also refreshingly free from proprietary standards. The bike uses a T47 threaded bottom bracket, a round 27.2mm diameter seatpost, and a completely normal handlebar and stem combination using a 31.8 bar clamp and 1-⅛ steer tube. All of these things make the Émonda ALR an easy-to-live-with bike that can be upgraded and customized as riders see fit.

Alloy-frame aficionados have divided opinions about the appearance of welds. Some prefer to see the handy work of the welder and how tidy they can make the welds, while others prefer not to see the welds at all. Fans of chunky welds will be disappointed as Trek employed its Invisible Weld Technology on the Émonda ALR. This technique creates an incredibly seamless look to the frame. At arm's length (and particularly with the black frame), riders can easily mistake the Émonda ALR for a pricier carbon bike.

Another big change is at the Émonda’s front end. Trek implemented an integrated cable routing setup that’s very similar to the style used on the Allez Sprint. This setup sees the cable housing and brake hoses run externally along the bar and stem and then enter the frame through the top headset bearing. This kind of integration has the advantage of allowing riders to easily swap stem lengths or handlebars while still achieving a rather clean-looking cockpit. While Trek avoids the major headaches of cockpit customization with this cable routing solution, like many other recent road and gravel bikes, it suffers the added complexity and expense of routine service (such as replacing cables and housing or servicing headset bearings).

Unlike high-end bikes with electronic shifting—since the Émonda ALR is only sold with mechanical shifting—there are double the cables routing through the headset. Bikes with similar routing often face more rapid deterioration in shift performance (compared to bikes where things are routed externally) due to the tight bends the derailleur housing must make to fit into the space. It makes replacing cables and housing a major headache and costly if you’re not doing it yourself.

According to Cadence Cycling Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, replacing a single-shift cable on a bike with through the headset routing can cost as much as $200 in labor. This is because shops tend to charge for this work by the hour and the time it takes to complete this service varies based on how complicated fishing the housing and cable is through the frame. To perform the same repair on a bike with externally routed cables, I was quoted a flat $25 labor charge.

Fit and Geometry

The Émonda ALR features the same H1.5 geometry that Trek uses on its Émonda and Madone carbon models. This geometry splits the difference between the aggressive H1 fit and the more relaxed H2 version. Meaning that a majority of riders should be able to find a good riding position regardless of whether they want to be long and low or more upright.

Additionally, Trek offers the Émonda ALR in a whopping eight sizes. The smallest size 47cm frame should be good for riders as short as 5’0”, and the largest size 62cm fits riders up to 6’5”, according to Trek.

The ALR Build

Trek currently offers only one complete bike Émonda ALR build. It features Shimano’s excellent 105 11-speed mechanical groupset, along with a Bontrager alloy bar, stem, and seatpost. Rounding things out is a pair of Bontrager alloy Paradigm SL wheels, which are very traditional with round J-bend spokes laced 2x but feature a 21mm internal width and are tubeless-ready. However, riders need to purchase the necessary items to turn them into tubeless wheels (including tubeless-specific tires, valves, and sealant).

Trek prices the Émonda ALR at $2,300 for the complete bike and $1,200 for the frameset.

Trek confirmed that the Émonda ALR will receive an update to 12-speed 105 in the near future. Unfortunately, Trek representatives have not told us how much it will cost or the complete specification list. (But for reference, a 12-speed 105-equipped Domane AL 5 sells for $2,000)

Ride Impressions

Aluminum road bikes often have a reputation for being overly stiff, harsh, and cheap (in a bad way). However, these traits are generally not found on modern and well-engineered aluminum frames. (And it’s such a pervasive stereotype that my colleague Matt Phillips wrote a whole column about it .)

While some bikes lean into aspects of that reputation (the Allez Sprint is an unapologetically stiff-as-hell criterium racing machine), the Émonda ALR takes a slightly different approach. Since it’s modeled after the carbon Émonda (a bike largely intended to win mountain stages in Grand Tour races), the ALR is designed with all-day comfort in mind. This makes the overall ride more relaxed and comfortable compared to the Allez Sprint and should be a plus for many riders.

Even if some might consider 11-speed 105 outdated (due to the recent launch of the 12-speed 105 R7100 components ), Shimano’s 105 R7000-series drivetrain is an excellent and well-proven groupset. The 11-speed group has precise and crisp shifting front and rear and also impresses with powerful braking at the wheels and excellent control of the levers.

In contrast, the most disappointing part of the Émonda ALR’s build kit is its tires. Which would be the absolute first thing I upgrade. The Bontrager R1 wire-bead road tires weigh 360g per tire and are very much included to help meet the Émonda’s price point. They make the bike feel sluggish in a straight line while also not helping to foster any cornering confidence. A swap to even a mid-range tire from any of the major tire brands will probably drop around 30-40g of rotating weight per wheel and dramatically improve the ride quality of the bike.

I found the rest of the ALR’s Bontrager finishing kit perfectly serviceable. The seatpost, stem, and saddle were nothing flashy but did the job. The handlebar has a rather classic feeling bend, drop, and reach. Best of all, if any of these stock items don’t work for you, it’s simple to swap any of them out for a preferred version.

Out of the box, I found the Émonda’s ride quality quite good but perhaps a bit on the firm side. Lowering the tire pressure to around 68-72 psi range greatly improved the comfort. And once I swapped to a set of Continental GP5000 tires, the Émonda ALR really began to shine on the road.

There’s nothing gimmicky about the Émonda ALR. It’s a classic road bike in the simplest sense of the term. Riding it for the first time felt familiar and reassuring. The geometry didn’t require me to adjust to the bike—I could just get on and go. Even on that first ride, I felt like I could dive into corners with the assurance of knowing what the Émonda ALR would do when I leaned in. The geometry was a perfect mix of stability and responsiveness with a dash of that springiness that good metal bikes have.

On flat and rolling terrain, the Émonda ALR is right up there with almost any non-aero road bike of the last few years. Its dialed geometry makes it a pleasure to descend on, and the frame has the right snap to be a truly wonderful climber.

What holds the ALR back on the uphills, though, are the stock wheels. At 1,800 grams, they’re not as heavy as some wheels on bikes in this price range, but they just feel soft and unresponsive. After upgrading the tires, a new set of wheels would be my next purchase for the Émonda ALR.

One aspect of the Émonda ALR that feels a bit dated for a road bike made in 2023: Trek caps the bike’s maximum tire clearance at 28mm. In practice, there is enough room to comfortably run 30 or even 32mm tires (depending on the tire and rim combination). Still, I would feel better with a bit more official wiggle room, especially as it’s gotten harder to predict the measured width of various tire and rim combinations.

Overall, the Émonda ALR gets way more things right than it does wrong. While it's easy to nitpick things like its tires and wheels, Trek uses these parts to get the Émonda ALR to its modest price. And the ALR is up there with some of the best aluminum race bikes. It’s an impeccably finished and thoroughly well-designed aluminum bike that’s only a few grams heavier than its mid-tier carbon version. Plus, the Émonda ALR shares geometry with its pricier siblings and uses no proprietary standards or parts. With the ALR, Trek made a bike that nails all the things that have always made me love aluminum race bikes.

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. 

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Member Exclusive

Fresh New Mountain Bikes and Gear for Spring

Build a Strong Core With V-Ups

7 Expert Tips for Lowering Your Cholesterol

How to Improve Your Ankle Mobility

She’s Been Bike Touring Most of Her Life

The Hottest Road and Gravel Bikes for Spring

How Pros Tackle Recovery During Tour de France

Allergies Ruining Your Ride? Here’s What to Do.

20-Minute Exercise Ball Workout

How to Calculate Your Power-To-Weight Ratio

The Best Exercises to Increase Mitochondria

Trek Emonda ALR Disc 5 review

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

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

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

Quality feel

Handling not as sharp as rivals

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

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

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

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

>>> Aluminium road bikes: five of the best

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trek Emonda ALR: the ride

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

I think so!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

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

Visma-Lease a Bike rider broke his collarbone, sternum and several ribs in a high speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen

By Tom Thewlis Published 24 April 24

Bäckstedt recently landed sponsorship from the energy drink giants and joined the likes of Tom Pidcock, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Evie Richards as a Red Bull athlete

Find a scheme with lower commission, and lobby your employer to use it

By Adam Becket Published 24 April 24

Useful links

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• Vuelta a España

Buyer's Guides

• Best road bikes
• Best gravel bikes
• Best smart turbo trainers
• Best cycling computers
• Editor's Choice
• Bike Reviews
• Component Reviews
• Clothing Reviews
• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

• MAGAZINE OFFERS
• BIKE INSURANCE
• Best Products
• Maintenance
• Accessories
• Long-Term Reviews
• BikeRadar Podcast
• First Look Friday
• Bike of the Week
• Tech Features
• Routes and Rides
• Bike Galleries
• BikeRadar Bargains
• Buyer's Guides
• Fitness & Training
• Sizing & Fit
• Mountain Biking UK
• Cycling Plus

Trek Émonda ALR 5 review

The new alloy Émonda remains a great alternative to carbon

Simon von Bromley / Our Media

Simon von Bromley

Smooth ride quality; confident handling; easily customisable; Shimano 105 groupset continues to impress; wide range of sizes

Low-end tyres slow the bike down; uninspiring wheels

The Trek Émonda ALR is the American brand’s take on the premium aluminium race bike.

Now in its third generation, the Émonda ALR takes the recipe of the 2021 Trek Émonda but substitutes carbon fibre for aluminium.

This helps cut cost significantly, but (as we’ll come to later) doesn’t noticeably impact performance much.

The Trek Émonda ALR 5 (£2,325/$2,300) is the base model in the 2023 Trek Émonda ALR range, offering a suite of relatively affordable components alongside a frameset and groupset worthy of future upgrades.

As with most bikes at this price point, not every stock part sparkles, but the Émonda ALR 5 nevertheless impresses as an alternative to identikit carbon race bikes .

Trek Émonda ALR 5 frameset

As with the latest Specialized Allez Sprint , the updated aluminium frameset is the headline act on the Émonda ALR.

Like its carbon sibling, it features a mix of round tubing and truncated aerofoil – or ' Kammtail' – shapes.

The frame is constructed from Trek’s 'ultra-light' 300 Series Alpha aluminium, while the fork is made from carbon fibre.

Trek says a painted, size-56cm Émonda ALR frame weighs 1,257g, while the fork is said to weigh 406g.

That’s just 34g heavier than Trek’s Émonda SL carbon frameset (£2,950), which uses Trek’s second-tier carbon layup (Ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon) and has a claimed weight of 1,245g and 384g for the fork.

If you wanted to drop any serious weight from the frame, you’d need to step up to the Émonda SLR frameset (£4,900), which features a 760g frame and 381g fork.

The Émonda ALR frame is built using Trek’s ‘Invisible Weld Technology’, which (as the name suggests) helps hide the tube joints for a more seamless look.

Those at the rear dropouts aside, the resulting welds are certainly less prominent than those on the Allez Sprint or Cannondale CAAD13 .

The new Émonda ALR frameset also uses a T47 threaded bottom bracket .

Improved aerodynamics

At the front end of the frameset, Trek has adopted an integrated cable-routing solution similar to that on the Allez Sprint and Cervélo Soloist .

This sees the gear cables and brake hoses route externally of the handlebar and stem, and enter the frame through a slotted headset top cap.

This and the aero tubing are claimed to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the Émonda ALR compared to its predecessor, although Trek doesn’t offer any specific figures to quantify this.

Though I’d prefer Trek to be up-front about the magnitude (or otherwise) of any potential performance boost, I suspect most prospective buyers won’t be overly fussed.

The Émonda ALR isn’t attempting to compete with the best aero road bikes , and the cables and hoses have likely been hidden for aesthetic reasons as much as performance ones.

As I’ve explored before, the performance gains from fully internal cable routing are fairly small and the downsides (such as more complex headset servicing ) can be irritating.

This style of solution does at least allow for a wide range of easy adjustments for bike fit purposes, though, and there’s no denying it lends the bike a premium, modern look.

In fact, it was notable how many admiring comments the Émonda ALR 5 attracted during testing, from cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

While the ‘Azure to Living Coral Fade’ paintjob wouldn’t be my first choice, if you like getting attention for having a 'cool bike', it would seem this is a solid option.

What about mudguards?

One notable omission from the Émonda ALR is mounting points for mudguards or fenders .

While dry-bottom obsessed riders, such as my friend and colleague Jack Luke , have cried foul and made their misgivings on this subject clear, I’m not sure it’s a huge loss.

It’s true that tastefully hidden mounts, such as those on the Trek Domane SLR , don’t add much weight or detract from a bike’s looks when not in use.

However, it’s also fair to say the Émonda ALR (like the Allez Sprint) is intended to be a race bike and – for better or worse – most road racing bikes don’t have mudguard mounts these days.

In any case, if you want an aluminium road bike for year-round riding, Trek also offers the Domane AL , which has a plethora of mounts available for mudguards, extra bottles and more.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 geometry and handling

The Trek Émonda ALR 5 adopts the same H1.5 geometry featured on the latest carbon Émonda and Trek Madone SLR .

This sits in the middle of Trek’s previous pro-style H1 and more relaxed H2 fit geometries. It means most riders should be able to customise the front end to get their preferred fit – whether that’s long and slammed or shorter and more upright.

In terms of its overall aggressiveness, the Émonda ALR sits between the Allez Sprint and CAAD13.

With 391mm of reach and 563mm of stack on my size-56cm test bike, it’s a little higher and shorter than an equivalently sized Allez Sprint.

While the head tube angle is shared with the Allez Sprint at 73.5 degrees, the Émonda ALR has 3mm more fork trail, which slows down the handling slightly.

Overall, the Émonda ALR’s handling still feels light and nimble, though just a touch more mellow than the Allez Sprint’s.

It’s also notable that the Émonda ALR frameset is available in eight sizes, from 47 to 62cm, compared to six sizes (from 49 to 61cm) for the Allez Sprint.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 build

As with most bikes at this price, the Émonda ALR 5’s build is somewhat of a mixed bag.

Trek has wisely specced Shimano 105 R7000 , the Japanese brand’s highly rated 11-speed workhorse groupset.

You get climbing-friendly 50/34-tooth chainrings up front, paired with a short-cage rear derailleur and an 11-30 tooth cassette.

Finishing kit is by Bontrager (Trek’s in-house wheel and component brand), in the form of a basic aluminium seatpost, stem and set of round handlebars.

While it lacks a posh carbon seatpost, the use of a round, 27.2mm post means aftermarket upgrade options are plentiful.

It’s the same story up front – no surprises or odd standards, just a 1-1/8in steerer and a 31.8mm handlebar clamp.

In an era when the use of proprietary parts on road bikes seems to be ever increasing, such simplicity and wide-ranging compatibility feels like a breath of fresh air.

In terms of wheels and tyres, Trek has specced a set of basic Bontrager alloy wheels paired with 700x25c Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite clincher tyres.

While the alloy Bontrager hubs and round spokes are fairly run of the mill, the Bontrager Paradigm SL rims are at least tubeless-ready and have a healthily wide, 21mm internal rim width . This helps plump the tyres up to around 28.5mm at 70psi/4.8 bar.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 ride impressions

Out on the road, the Émonda ALR 5 is an easy bike to get along with.

It has a marginally more relaxed personality than the Allez Sprint, but for many this will be a plus (the Allez Sprint is very racy).

Like that bike, though, the Émonda ALR belies its 9.04kg weight, feeling quick to respond to inputs and generally easy to manoeuvre.

Shimano’s 105 R7000 groupset remains as impressive as ever. Shifts are slick and fast at both ends, with excellent braking.

Unsurprisingly, the low-end Bontrager tyres disappoint compared to the best road bike tyres currently available, and make the bike feel sluggish when trying to ride fast. Upgrading these alone would likely do wonders for the whole package.

The Bontrager finishing kit is nothing flashy, but it all does the job and can be replaced easily if you have particular tastes or bike fit requirements.

The only part I didn’t get on with was the Bontrager Verse Comp saddle. It has a lot more padding than I’m used to and I quickly swapped it out for something firmer and shorter (a Giant Fleet SL).

It’s a shame Trek didn’t spec the excellent Bontrager Aeolus saddle, versions of which come with higher-end Émonda and Madone builds, but that’s a minor gripe.

The ride quality is also impressive, especially at the rear end.

While dropped seatstays and carbon seatposts are often lauded for their comfort-enhancing properties, the Émonda ALR manages to achieve a smooth ride without either.

The front end, with its stiff carbon fork and basic alloy bars, is firmer. Careful adjustment of the tyre pressures went a long way to mitigating this, though.

The Émonda ALRs tyre clearance is officially capped at 28mm, as on the previous version , but in practice there’s ample room for more.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 bottom line

The Trek Émonda ALR 5 joins an increasing number of high-quality aluminium road bikes.

Despite its alloy construction, it’s only marginally heavier than the mid-tier carbon Émonda and offers an appealing mix of classic looks and modern tech.

Likewise, if you want a road racing bike with Trek on the down tube, then the Émonda ALR is one of the cheapest entry points and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of performance.

Hitting this price inevitably means compromises in the build, but (tyres aside) everything does a respectable job, and – best of all – can be easily customised to suit your personal tastes.

Share this article

Senior technical writer

• Terms & Conditions
• Subscribe to our magazines
• Manage preferences

Matos vélo, actualités vélo de route et tests de matériel cyclisme

Aller au contenu | Aller au menu | Aller à la recherche

Test du Trek Emonda AL 2023, abordable mais exigeant

Par Guillaume ROBERT le mardi 23 mai 2023 06:11 - Test matériel Lien permanent --> - Commentaires : 24 .

J'ai opté pour le modèle ALR 5, le plus "bas de gamme" équipé en Shimano 105 mécanique et proposé à 2499 € .

Un vélo abordable, mais dont la conception est vraiment orientée course, autant au niveau de sa géométrie que de sa rigidité, qui demandera de la puissance voire de la brutalité si l'on veut en sortir quelque-chose. A ne pas mettre entre toutes les jambes, au risque de le trouver trop exigeant. Si vous cherchez un vélo confortable et pour une pratique loisirs, il faudra lorgner sur d'autres modèles.

Présentation

Cet Emonda ALR est disponible en 2 coloris totalement opposés. Noir... ou ce dégradé bleu ciel / corail. Discrétion totale ou look total flashy.

L’Émonda ALR est doté d’un cadre en aluminium Alpha Série 300 ultra-léger et solide et assemblé selon la technologie de soudures invisibles. Mission réussie de ce côté là, puisque seules les soudures au niveau de la jonction entre les bases et haubans ainsi que celles au niveau de la boîte de pédalier sont visibles avec une très légère boursouflure.

Toutes les autres soudures sont très discrètes, notamment au niveau de la douille de direction où on ne les devine même pas, on s'approche de la finition d'un cadre carbone.

La troisième génération de l’Émonda ALR marque une évolution qui intègre bon nombre des caractéristiques de la version en carbone, dont la forme de tube aérodynamique Kammtail.

Les câbles et gaines sont intégrés et passent sous la potence pour rentrer dans le capot de direction et ensuite router à l'intérieur du cadre. On les voit uniquement ressortir sous la boîte de pédalier. Trek avance bien évidemment que cela améliore l'aérodynamisme du vélo.

La tige de selle est ronde (27.2 mm) et pourra donc facilement être remplacée au besoin. Le serrage se fait via un collier de selle, solution simple, mais qui a fait ses preuves depuis des décennies et qui est très légère.

D'ailleurs, c'est un vélo en 54 qui m'a été envoyé, mais un 56 aurait sans doute été plus approprié, notamment en raison d'une potence de seulement 90 mm sur cette taille, contre 100 sur le 56.

L'Emonda ALR inaugure aussi un nouveau boîtier de pédalier, celui-ci est désormais du T47 fileté. Côté dégagement des pneus, Trek n'est pas allé chercher la compatibilité avec de grosses sections, puisque cet Emonda ALR est "limité" à 28 mm. Ce sera amplement suffisant pour la majorité des coursiers.

Trek annonce un poids de 1257 grammes pour son cadre et 406 grammes pour la fourche. On est forcément loin des standards carbone. Et pourtant, j'ai été plutôt agréablement surpris, puisque ce modèle équipé en Shimano 105 mécanique pèse seulement 8.85 kg en taille 54 . L'Emonda SL (carbone) équipé du même groupe et des mêmes roues est quasi au même poids !

Sur cette version, on a droit à une transmission mécanique Shimano 105 11 vitesses. Un groupe "ancien", mais qui a fait ses preuves depuis plusieurs années par sa fiabilité et sa durabilité.

Les plateaux 50/34 détonnent un peu sur un modèle destiné aux coursiers, un 52/36 aurait sans doute été plus logique. La cassette 11-30 en revanche permettra de s'affranchir de toutes les bosses.

Cintre, potence et tige de selle sont tous des modèles Bontrager en aluminium. Du basique, mais avec des formes et tailles "standards", entendez par là que si vous souhaitez alléger et faire évoluer ce vélo, cela sera très simple. La tige de selle est équipée d'une selle Bontrager Verse Comp.

Du côté des roues, des Bontrager Paradigm SL. A 1750 grammes, ce n'est certes pas léger, mais n'oublions pas que le vélo a vocation à rester accessible et pour débuter, cela sera amplement suffisant. Des roues de 25 mm de haut, 26 mm de largeur externe pour 19.5 mm en interne, qui sont ici équipées des pneus maison Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite en 25 mm de section. De l'entrée de gamme en 60 TPI et 341 grammes par pneu auxquels il faut rajouter le poids de la chambre.

Pour arrêter le tout, deux disques de 160 mm sont présents.

Sur la route

"Vélo de course", "positionné pour la victoire", finalement, Trek n'avait pas menti dans son communiqué de presse pour décrire ce vélo et à vrai dire, je ne m'attendais pas du tout à cela.

Sur mes premières sorties, j'ai eu ce sentiment de vélo très rigide et collé dès que la route s'élève. J'ai mis ça sur le compte d'une méforme passagère, mais non, le passage à un autre vélo me permet de voir que tout va bien. Retour sur l'Emonda ALR... à nouveau dans le dur dès que la route s'élève, avec le sentiment de ne pas avoir assez avec le 34x30 dans les forts pourcentages.

En réalité, cet Emonda ALR demande à être brusqué. Il faut monter dans les tours pour en tirer pleinement parti.

L'Emonda ALR semble en effet taillé pour la course et ne fait pas dans le compromis. Le cadre est rigide et malgré des roues d'entrée de gamme dont la rigidité n'est pas extrême, difficile d'en venir à bout. C'est cette rigidité qui m'a, sur les premières sorties, planté dans les bosses montées au train. Il faut en fait le brusquer et il se savoure mieux en montant en explosivité.... si les moyens physiques le permettent.

Le confort est assez sommaire, mais si l'aluminium filtre bien sûr moins que le carbone, il faut ici aussi mettre cela sur le compte de la monte pneumatique basique et en 25 mm de section. Le vélo gagne à être chaussé avec des tubeless moyen voire haut de gamme de 28 mm où la filtration permet de mieux apprécier le vélo sur chaussées dégradées. D'ailleurs, l'ALR 6 (Shimano 105 Di2) est de son côté fourni avec des pneus en 28 mm.

En bosses, il faudra donc le cravacher pour ne pas se sentir bridé par le vélo. Il se montre plus à son aise en passant en force qu'au train.... mais bien sûr, cela ne dure qu'un temps, cet Emonda ne sera donc pas à son avantage dans un col.

En descente, on retrouve le côté précis et joueur d'un vrai vélo de course.... tout au moins sur le sec. Sous la pluie, les pneus Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite en 25 mm montrent leurs limites sur les prises d'angles, mais aussi en danseuse quand on grimpe sur du 10% et plus.

Mais tant que vous êtes sur le sec, le vélo est un plaisir à placer dans les courbes pour qui veut et sait descendre vite. Les freins se montrent largement à la hauteur pour arrêter rapidement le vélo.

La transmission Shimano 105, bien que mécanique, relativement ancienne et à seulement 11 vitesses, fonctionne parfaitement. Le passage des vitesses se montre à la fois souple, rapide et demeure précis en toutes circonstances. Mais comme indiqué plus haut, le tempérament de ce vélo et le public visé mériterait des plateaux plus conséquents, type 52/36. Le freinage, bien qu'en retrait côté puissance par rapport aux dernières générations Ultegra et Dura Ace, se montre puissant.

Un vélo qui, malgré son prix attractif, sera à réserver aux cyclistes costauds et compétiteurs car son exigence ne convient pas aux débutants en raison de sa grande rigidité.

Idéal sans doute pour les compétiteurs cadets ou juniors qui partiront ainsi avec une excellente base et des composants aboutis et pas trop onéreux à remplacer en cas de chutes. Car Trek a réalisé là un véritable vélo de compétiteur qui recherche la performance avant tout.

Je le déconseille en revanche à un cyclosportif moyen ou cyclotouriste qui ne pourra pas prendre énormément de plaisir à son cintre.

Photos : Guillaume pour Matos Vélo - Sonam.cc

• Commentaires 24

JACK_81 mardi 23 mai 2023, 07:52 1

Trop cher pour de l'Alu.

Qui vivra vélo mardi 23 mai 2023, 08:47 2

Bon test mais j'aurai été Curieux de le voir en test avec une paire de roue en carbone.

pascalpi45 mardi 23 mai 2023, 09:22 3

Cela fait plaisir de voir un test avec un vélo abordable (même si exigeant).

Par contre des pneus de 340 gr en 25mm sur un vélo de course (je suppose des tringles rigides), alors que c'est l'élément qui influe le plus sur le comportement d'un vélo. Pas étonné que ce soit raide.

poupou81 mardi 23 mai 2023, 09:36 4

Van Rysel qui propose son EDR CF cadre carbone équipé de 105 à 2150€ et 8.2kg donc 350€ de moins que ce Trek et bien plus léger donc franchement, aucun intérêt....

Marcus mardi 23 mai 2023, 09:53 5

Du coup, un positionnement étonnant pour ce vélo : Destiné aux néo-compétiteurs, pas sûre que l'Alu fasse rêver un futur champion autant qu'une version en carbone. Sans parler du comportement.

Les conceptions en carbone d'aujourd'hui creusent un vrai fossé par rapport à l'alu. Logique.

alex mardi 23 mai 2023, 10:00 6

On pense souvent à opposer l'alu au carbone sur le critère poids,,, mais tu mets bien en avant que la principale différence est le dynamisme/nervosité du carbone sans parler de la durée de vie.

Les cadres alu on eu une carrière très courte entre l'acier jusqu'à la fin des années 90 et le carbone début 2000. Et après les premiers alu on a très rapidement eu des ensemble mixtes, triangle alu et AR + fourche carbone

L'alu c'est raide et ça tabasse. avec l'acier, le carbone ou le titane on peut plus jouer sur le comportement et les ensembles sont + polyvalents

Cubinou mardi 23 mai 2023, 10:10 7

Encore un vélo alu fait avec des tubes de chauffage.

mica mardi 23 mai 2023, 11:10 8

il faut arrêter de dire que c'est abordable, le vélo vaut 2500€ cadre alu, et groupe 105 mécanique anciens. Avec l'inflation et l'effort sur les cables semi-integres et un vélo typés course et non endurance qui est un +, c'est un vélo qui doit être proposés à 1950-2000€, avec une petite remise du bouclard ça fait une vélo à 1800€. Ce vélo est destiné Pour un jeune qui veut commencer à rouler sur un vélo de route ou une personne qui vient de la cap et veut faire des petits triathlons pour le plaisir cela aurait été sympa.

Thoms mardi 23 mai 2023, 12:13 9

Bon test. Merci. Je possède ce vélo depuis 2 ans. Acheté 1899€ !!! Très bon vélo qui laisse une marge de progression (je suis débutant). Il est en effet très à l'aise en course (cyclo pour moi) ! Je sens vraiment la différence quand on attaque et lâche les watts.

Bichebixhe mardi 23 mai 2023, 15:33 10

2500 balles un alu ? Qui achète ce truc ? Compétition ? C'est mou comme pas deux. Même en mettant des bases courtes je ne vois pas comment on peut parler d'exigence.. Quel néophyte a vélo veut mettre une telle somme dans un vélo. Quitte à mettre quelques euros en plus autant un titane que l'on garde a vie... Il y a 5 ans un Al de ce genre coûtait 800 euros. C'est de la folie la.

Guillaume [Matos Vélo] mardi 23 mai 2023, 15:49 11

Bichebixhe, un alu mou ?

JM mardi 23 mai 2023, 16:33 12

@Bichebixhe, qui achète ca? qqun qui s'y connait un peu, qui voit plus loin que le bout de son nez. Pour un coureur cadet/ junior qui envoie des watt à chaque sortie de virage, c'est un très bon choix. Je ne sais pas ou tu as vu un alu hydroformé à 800balles...

Nico mardi 23 mai 2023, 19:48 13

J'ai acheté le kitcadre (1300eu), je l'ai monté en Ultegra Di2. Je suis en dessous des 8kg. C'est une vrai bête de course! Ça vaut largement un Emonda SL. (J'ai également un Emonda Slr9...) C'est vrai que c'est un vélo pour compétiteur qui sait envoyer les watts, pas recommandé aux touristes.

Esteban mardi 23 mai 2023, 23:48 14

La peinture est jolie. Je suis d'accord avec les commentaires, autant acheter un vélo d'occasion carbone ou un Van Rysel premier prix. Mais avoir un Trek tout neuf peut attirer certains consommateurs... peu avertis.

Pokpok mercredi 24 mai 2023, 07:29 15

Van rysel a de beaux jours devant lui !

Dnlzrs mercredi 24 mai 2023, 12:26 16

Excellent commentaire, complet et objectif. Il m'a particulièrement intéressé car j'ai eu la même impression avec le dernier modèle carbone devenu beaucoup plus rigide et exigeant. J'ai amélioré le confort et la souplesse en changeant de roues mais là encore, le vélo me plante quand je manque de watts. En deuxième vélo, j'ai un spé alu qui est beaucoup plus conciliant et que je sors toujours avec autant de plaisir.

El Patron mercredi 24 mai 2023, 16:16 17

Haha il y a de sacrés bas du front dans les commentaires..., mou, trop cher, gnagna, jamais content!

Herve mercredi 24 mai 2023, 22:56 18

Existe t -il en version ultegra mecanique ou di2 et si oui aurais tu une idée du poids de ces modeles?

pedales jeudi 25 mai 2023, 12:28 19

Le carnet de commande est ouvert, on est pas près d'en tourner les pages chez trek !! vu la matériaux et le tarif et le reste, au bas mot 500 euros de trop.

Sinon merci pour la franchise de l'essai, ca change des tests ou tout est toujours super

chrrrriiiissss jeudi 25 mai 2023, 14:46 20

Il est carrément trop beau !!! Quelle finition, quelle peinture !!! Le comparer à un Van Rysel pourquoi pas mais quand tu achète un Trek, t'achètes une grande marque. Van rysel c'est surement très bien mais ça me fait pas trop rever. Après c'est vrai qu'à 2500€ c'est un peu excessif pour un alu, toutefois pas autant que le specialized équivalent qui est à plus de 3000.

Bichebixhe jeudi 25 mai 2023, 18:07 21

C'est une question de point de vue mais l'aluminium est loin d'être le matériau avec le plus de rigidité. Donc par extension mou. J'exagère un peu pour affirmer mon point. Peut être que celui ci et je vous fais confiance est, pour un Al, plus rigide qu'un autre mais reste un alu. Je trouve également et c'est mon avis que parler de bas de gamme et associer 2k5 est quand même surprenant. On peut se satisfaire de la qualité d'un vélo alu performant mais si je devais commencer le vélo aujourd'hui ce prix exorbitant serait un frein énorme. Même un cadet ou un cyclo qui recherche moins d'exigence. Mon premier vélo était était en effet un Lapierre en 105 Alu a moins de 1k, ne vous en déplaise. Il faut surement vivre avec son époque et son inflation mais banaliser des prix conséquents et parler de bas de gamme me.parait dangereux.

treque vendredi 26 mai 2023, 14:21 22

Le trek Domane sl 5 disque, en 2019 était à 100 euros près au même tarif avec un cadre en carbone et le même groupe

Aurélien vendredi 26 mai 2023, 23:41 23

Pierre samedi 7 octobre 2023, 17:36 24

Je pense que j'arrive après la guerre, mais que devient le rapport qualité prix de ce vélo depuis le repositionnement tarifaire (2000€). Mon magasin de vélo le propose d'ailleurs avec une autre réduction de 150€ soit 1850€. Un changement de roue est-il essentiel pour profiter pleinement du vélo ? J'hésite aussi à attendre le réassort sur ma taille pour un van rysel edr af ultegra (1400€) chez décathlon. Que me conseilleriez vous sachant que je suis jeune débutant mais très sportif donc je pense pouvoir répondre à l'exigence physique du Trek.

Fil des commentaires de ce billet

Nom ou pseudo :

Adresse email :

Site web (facultatif) :

Commentaire :

Les commentaires peuvent être formatés en utilisant une syntaxe wiki simplifiée.

Plan du site / table des matières

Goodies et t-shirt Matos Vélo

Réseaux sociaux

Newsletter matos vélo.

• Les échos du vélo (16)
• Emploi (25)
• Test matériel (768)
• Test équipement textile (176)
• Tests féminins (18)
• Tests urbains (1)
• Interviews (37)
• Le matos des pros (624)
• Technique (210)
• Vélobsession (42)
• Le vélo et votre enfant (28)
• Matos vélo vintage (4)
• Cyclosport (4)
• Reportage (28)

Club Strava Matos Vélo

• Les contributeurs Matos Vélo
• Politique de confidentialité - Données personnelles et cookies
• Devenez annonceurs
• Mentions légales & Copyright
• United Bicycles
• Alban Lorenzini

Derniers articles

• Nouveau Specialized Turbo Creo 2 Comp E5 alu
• Stages Cycling arrête son activité et aurait licencié tout son personnel
• Nouvelles chaussures Specialized Recon 1.0, 2.0 et 3.0
• Fizik Antares Adaptive : le confort imprimé en 3D pour la course
• Test des chaussures gravel Northwave Hammer Plus
• Nouvelles roues Vision SC45 et SC60
• Fil des billets
• Fil des commentaires

Propulsé par Dotclear Thème Matosvelo 2.5 sur base dcBootstrap par HTML Edition - Adapté pour Matosvelo par Com'3Elles - Mentions légales et Copyright©

Theater of Conquest: Moscow (Level 4 City Event)

The new Warpath game-mode Theater of Conquest: Moscow (Level 4 City Event) is coming soon with tons of new activities, maps, and rewards!

Theater of Conquest: Moscow

• New snowing city level 4 – Moscow
• Kremlin: This strategic place is the pinnacle of Glory in Moscow, and rests in the heartland of this territory.
• Forts: Forts enable either an attack DMG or DMG Resist Buff for Alliance Members. 4 Forts provide attack buffs and another 4 forts provide resist buffs.
• Settlements: Alliances can capture these to allow its members access to more exclusive Arms EXP and Ammo on the Black Market.
• Blockhouses: These defensive fortifications activate troop durability or troop firepower buffs (Four Blockhouses for each buff).
• Arms Factories: These Factories provide Alliance Members with a 5-star unit every 2 days after 12AM UTC.
• Gold Deposits: Collection sites where commanders can mine Gold.
• New achievement demonstration – seasonal medals, and so many more!

Theater of Conquest: Moscow Participation Processes:

The event takes place in 5 stages: Preselection, Matching, Warm-up, Conquest, and Reward!

Preselection Phase

Alliances in the same server undergo an intense contest for 8 days to decide who will qualify for the Conquest: Moscow.

The top 32 Alliances will be qualified for Conquest: Moscow. The number will vary due to different active player numbers in different servers.

The qualified Alliances will be locked that player cannot join or leave the Alliance, and the Alliance cannot disband. The locking state continues until the end of Conquest: Moscow.

Matching Phase

Your Adversaries will be selected from the qualified Alliances. Groups will be formed with 8 Alliances in each to enter the Conquest.

The matching will only take place within the same server for now.

Warm-up Phase

A Warm-Up Round is held before entering the Battle of Moscow, where alliances contend for alluring buffs.

Conquest Phase

The Warm-Up Round then closes as the War in Moscow kicks off. Alliance Members representing their League in the War can then enter Moscow to fight in the War.

Every 8 Alliances will be assigned into one match for the fights, but only one will win.

While the Conquest: Moscow is in progress, participating Commanders can move into Moscow from cities around the world for free, and can spend 1 Entry Permit to move back to the original city during this phase.

Reward Phase

After the Conquest Phase ends, all Commanders who participated will earn the new officer: Ivan Andreyevich Volkov (Winter Huntsman) , and his beloved dog Shemyaka.

The higher rank you and your Alliance have, the more rewards you will get.

Alliance leaders will be able to assign extra rewards to those who perform the best during Conquest: Moscow.

Download & Play Warpath PC

Avoid lags and battery-draining when doing prolonged combats. Bonus: Play multiple accounts easily !

Download & Play Warpath on PC

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

Click Here For More City Street Guides!

(A New Guide Posted Every Other Wednesday)

Comment Here! Cancel reply

For patreon exclusive educational content:.

Limited Edition Postcard Prints!

Street Photography Workshops

Donations Always Appreciated

I'll always keep Shooter Files free for everyone, but any donations would be greatly appreciated and help me keep it going. Many thanks to everyone following along!

Cheers! -f.d. walker

Search the Files

For Exclusive Patron Content:

• Vue d'ensemble
• Dimensionnement
• Commentaires
• Spécifications
• Remarques du cavalier

2020 Trek Émonda ALR 4 Disc

Manufacturer Price

Pour ce vélo

Voir plus de vélos similaires →

Based on frame geometry and build specs.

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

Émonda ALR 4 Disc

Similar Bikes

(descending)

Add custom gearing

152cm – 159cm

157cm – 164cm

162cm – 169cm

167cm – 175cm

173cm – 181cm

179cm – 186cm

184cm – 191cm

189cm – 196cm

194cm – 200cm

Avez-vous ce vélo? Aidez les autres cyclistes à choisir la taille qui leur convient en partageant vos propres notes de taille et d'ajustement. Signalez votre forme

août 2020 · James Bracey

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

Efficient power transfer

Excellent handling prowess

Compliant ride

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

Heavy for a 'climbing' bike

Lire la critique

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 […]

mars 2019 · Philippe Tremblay

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

A smooth and stylee aluminum road bike that hauls ass at a great price

août 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?

mai 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 […]

févr. 2018 · Mat Brett

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

Trek pares down its Émonda SLR race bike, resulting in a super-light frame that still handles wonderfully. Plus, it now is available with disc brakes.

Last updated 21 août Not listed for 1,338 days

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

R&K Insider

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up.

21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

Featured city guides.