trek emonda alr rim brake review

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Trek Emonda ALR long-term review

Matthew’s dream alloy eTap build

Matthew Allen / Immediate Media

Matthew Loveridge

Stunning finish, light and lively feel, low weight, intuitive eTap shifting

Disappointing SRAM brakes (later upgraded to Shimano Dura-Ace), firmer than expected front end

Trek’s Emonda ALR is the affordable aluminium version of its lightweight climber’s bike, a dainty alternative to the aero dreadnought that is the Madone .

Trek kindly lent me a frameset and I built it up with SRAM RED eTap and some choice finishing kit from Ritchey. Read on for full details of the build, my thoughts on how it turned out, and video of the bike in action.

• I want to build the world’s nicest Trek Emonda ALR
• Trek’s new Emonda ALR Disc is lighter than its SL carbon counterpart

Trek Emonda ALR long-term review update #2 — final conclusions

I chose the Emonda because I wanted to prove that alloy bikes can be beautiful, desirable things . I think I’ve succeeded.

The ALR passes the look-back test: when I’m walking away from it, I glance back over my shoulder, because it’s downright handsome and its svelte lines give me that fizzy feeling I look for in a bike.

It’s a bike that turns heads and one that people seem to assume is carbon thanks to its luxurious finish.

I’ve enjoyed using SRAM eTap too. While it’s now the ‘old’ version, it remains a very elegant design. I love the minimalism of a bike without gear cables and I really like the simplicity of the shifting arrangement — SRAM deserves kudos for taking a clean-sheet approach to the design rather than simply grafting electronic switches onto DoubleTap shifters.

I appreciate how easy it is to change gear from different hand positions too. In the drops, it’s possible to shift using your knuckles, which is handy on fast descents when you want to maintain a safe grip.

From the hoods, I sometimes click the shifters using my ring or little fingers when I’m climbing out of the saddle.

Incidentally, I’ve now had the opportunity to ride the latest RED eTap AXS groupset too (on a 1×-equipped bike, so I could only assess rear shifting) and, while there is a noticeable improvement to the overall smoothness of the shifting, it’s not night and day. The original eTap remains a bloody good groupset, one I’d happily have on my own bike.

Overall I’ve been very happy with my final build, but I’ve been mulling what I could have done differently.

I think if I were starting from scratch I’d choose a skinny round bar for a bit more front-end flex, and also because that way I could have fitted SRAM’s Blip remote switches, giving me an extra set of shift buttons on the tops.

Inertia meant I didn’t end up switching wheels, but a wider set of rims for more tyre volume would have made sense, and might have been a better match for the 28mm Veloflex rubber.

I didn’t have any particular issue with these tyres — and they look lovely — but I prefer lower pressures (60 to 70psi) and the supple ‘open tubular’ construction seems to favour old-school, tub-like high pressures.

At lower pressures the Veloflexes' soft sidewalls were a bit floppier than I’d like, something that’s noticeable with quick changes of direction.

I can’t really fault the Emonda for the money. It isn’t as good as a £3,000 superbike frameset but it punches way above its weight, and looks stunning to boot.

If I were changing one thing about it, I’d prefer a threaded bottom bracket for long-term ease of maintenance, but I didn’t have any problems with the BB86 press-fit. (As it happens, Trek has been making moves back towards threaded bottom brackets , although it remains to be seen if bikes such as the ALR will make the switch.)

I’m going to miss the Emonda ALR — it’s been an absolute pleasure riding a bike that so perfectly embodies the best qualities of aluminium as a frame material.

Trek Emonda ALR — the highs

The Emonda is born for climbing and that’s really where it shines. Heading uphill there’s little to distinguish it from a much more expensive (or carbon) bike. It’s lovely and stiff and, in this build, super light too.

I know I keep banging on about the looks, but that really is a major selling point for the ALR as far as I’m concerned.

The purple-flip frame is gorgeous and a sympathetic build lets it shine. I love the aesthetics of minimalist climbers’ bikes so that’s what I was aiming for when I chose a wireless groupset and low-profile wheels.

How your bike makes you feel is hugely important, and the Emonda feels special to me because I chose everything on it and built it exactly how I wanted.

Trek Emonda ALR — the lows

SRAM releasing a brand new version of my groupset in the spring cut me deep but, once I’d pulled myself together, I remembered that first-gen eTap is still great.

From a riding perspective, my lowest point was likely the 100km ride I did in March. It came after I’d been off the bike for months for family reasons and, as a result, I was woefully unprepared for the 1,700m of climbing.

Not even the Emonda’s ultra-low gearing could save me, and I fell apart like cardboard in the rain.

The bike itself hasn’t suffered any real problems. A minor shifting issue was easily resolved, while a spot of creaking under load was cured by a judicious application of grease at the rear dropouts.

Previous updates continue below.

Trek Emonda ALR long-term review update #1

It’s been a quiet month for the Emonda between time away and unpleasantly damp weather, but I’ve taken steps to address my one real concern with the bike: the brakes.

The rather generic looking S-900s, SRAM’s sole direct-mount offering, have proved to be a disappointment. That they’re a non-series option perhaps reflects the fact that even SRAM doesn’t consider them groupset-worthy — I certainly don’t think they’re RED-equivalent and I’ve been wanting to replace them since my first ride on the ALR.

My disregard for brand purism should be pretty clear by this point, so I’ve doubled down with it and fitted a set of Dura-Ace R9100 brakes in place of the S-900s. Yes, I’m trolling you. Shall I get some Campagnolo wheels to complete the effect?

The Dura-Ace brakes (product codes BR-R9110-RS and BR-R9110-F if you’re geeky about that sort of thing) are near enough exactly the same weight as the S-900s at 300g, but it’s not mass I care about here.

I haven’t had the chance to test them out properly on the road yet, but even on the workstand it’s obvious that they’re much stiffer, with a more defined bite when you pull the levers gently and less visible flex when you squeeze them hard.

From a pure vanity standpoint, they’re also much nicer looking than the SRAMs, even if they do clash horribly from a brand perspective.

Brakes aside, I’ve not changed much on the Emonda, and while I’m still vaguely mulling wheel options, I don’t feel compelled to make any more big upgrades for the time being.

My most memorable ride on the bike so far was a hilly 56km in the wonderful and aptly-named Peak District. Not far, I hear you cry! But somehow that distance took in almost 1,100m of climbing, vindicating my decision to choose very low gearing.

I’m looking forward to putting more miles on the lovely purple ALR, watch this space.

Trek Emonda ALR build and spec — original post

I’ve already taken a detailed first look at the Emonda ALR’s frameset which you can read here . Suffice to say, it’s made of metal and it’s a very lovely looking thing. At 1,203g including its hanger, cable guides, bottle-cage bolts and seat collar, it’s also reasonably light.

I chose to build the ALR with SRAM RED eTap because I’ve long wanted to get to know the groupset properly. I love the clean-sheet approach SRAM took when it went wireless and I was hugely impressed when I first tried eTap, but I wanted to spend more time actually using it day-to-day.

I opted for super-low gearing by road standards because experience tells me that I wouldn’t regret it — I’m no gear masher.

Of course, since building this bike, SRAM has launched its updated RED and Force eTap AXS 12-speed groupsets. When the news broke I immediately started feeding the Trek into the nearest woodchipper but then I remembered that the bike industry launching new products doesn’t actually render my current kit unrideable .

Incidentally, SRAM doesn’t make a RED direct-mount rim brake, instead it offers the non-series S-900, so that’s what I went with. More on those later…

Finishing kit: Ritchey riches and a hot mess of other things

I chose Ritchey finishing kit because it’s consistently impressed me with its feel and finish.

The WCS Carbon Streem bar is particularly nice (and expensive), with slightly swept wing-profile tops that are very comfortable.

The one issue it presented is that I couldn’t figure out a neat way to mount eTap Blip shifters on the tops as I’d originally intended, so I ended up not using them.

The FlexLogic seatpost is similarly attractive and has a flippable head which gives you a wider-than-normal range of setback adjustment.

The rest of the build is a bit of a parts bin special, using components I had lying around.

The low-profile Shimano Dura-Ace C24 clinchers are an old favourite, albeit ones that are looking a bit dated with a narrow rim profile. I’ve also mislaid the matching skewers, so the bike is currently wearing a set of FFWD QRs.

The saddle is a Specialized Power which, after many, many miles, I still can’t decide if I prefer over my old love, the Romin. Oh, and I had to have tan-wall tyres, because of course I did .

So yes, it’s a SRAM-equipped bike with Shimano wheels and mismatched accessories. Purists, avert your gaze.

Trek Emonda ALR full specification

• Sizes (*tested): 50, 52, 54*, 56, 58 60, 62, 64
• Weight: 7.0kg (including pedals, two bottle cages, Garmin out-front mount)
• Frame: Emonda ALR Ultralight 300 Series Alpha aluminium, Invisible Weld Technology
• Fork: Emonda full carbon
• Shifters: SRAM RED eTap
• Derailleurs: SRAM RED eTAP
• Cranks: SRAM RED 50/34t
• Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 C24 clincher
• Tyres: Veloflex Master 28mm
• Brakes: SRAM S-900 direct-mount
• Bar: Ritchey WCS Carbon Streem 40cm
• Bar tape: WCS Race
• Stem: Ritchey WCS C220 100mm (later changed for 120mm)
• Seatpost: WCS Link Carbon FlexLogic seatpost 27.2×350mm
• Saddle: Specialized Power
• Pedals: Speedplay Zero Stainless
• Accessories: Arundel Stainless bottle cages

Trek Emonda ALR geometry

• Head angle: 73.0 degrees
• Seat angle: 73.7 degrees
• Chainstay length: 410mm
• Seat tube: 540mm
• Top tube: 543mm
• Head tube: 155mm
• Bottom bracket drop: 70mm
• Wheelbase: 981mm
• Stack: 555mm
• Reach: 381mm

Why did I choose this bike?

I’ve been boring people about how good aluminium bikes are for a while now, so it felt like it was time to put my (hypothetical) money where my mouth is.

I really liked the Emonda ALR when I reviewed the first generation model a couple of years ago so the news that there was an updated model designed for my beloved direct-mount brakes got me all in a lather.

I cleave naturally to spindly climber’s bikes rather than rolling billboard aero machines. I’m not built for speed on the flat and my weight means I get blown around on deep section rims anyway.

The fact that the Emonda is sold as a frameset (as well as complete bikes) and comes in a gorgeous purple-flip paint option was very much the cherry on top.

Trek Emonda ALR initial setup

Building a bike with eTap was a welcome novelty. With the derailleurs and shifters bolted on, it’s a process that’s more akin to pairing a Bluetooth speaker with your phone than conventional cable routing. Only the rear brake cable needed to be fed through the frame.

I did manage to break the tiny support shim that sits behind the front derailleur with what I thought was minimal force, but otherwise it was largely trouble free.

I cut the fork to allow for 30mm of headset spacers and with 20mm under the stem, I haven’t seen fit to move it up or down so far.

My intention was always to take advantage of the clearance the Emonda’s direct-mount brakes offer to fit decent sized tyres, and I’ve been running those lovely 28mm Veloflex Masters at around 60psi front / 70psi rear.

I actually set the bike up with latex tubes initially, but immediately destroyed one through incompetence and latex’s preternatural ability to get trapped by a tyre bead. That leaves me with a butyl tube at the back and latex one up front, a sort of rubbery mullet setup that probably won’t ever catch on.

Emonda ALR ride impressions so far

The new ALR is the same taut, lightweight machine I remember and with this dream spec, it’s properly lively. Climbing on a bike as light and stiff as this is a delight and my choice of gearing means I can winch up the nastiest of inclines.

I don’t know if it’s my memory playing tricks or the fact that I now live somewhere with pretty awful roads, but the ride quality isn’t exactly what I was expecting.

The Emonda ALR’s back end is delightfully smooth but the front is firmer than I recall, enough so that on fast descents with a bit of broken tarmac I’ve found myself holding back ever so slightly to maintain composure.

I’m honestly not sure why this is. Was my choice of super-stiff aero bars a mistake? Am I going soft? I need more time to work this out.

I also need to check my hanger alignment because my shifting seems to be very slightly out, but overall the eTap groupset has been a delight so far. The two-paddle shifting is very intuitive and I get on well with the shape of the hoods.

I’m genuinely disappointed with the brakes however. My experience with Shimano and Campagnolo direct-mount calipers has been nothing but positive, but the S-900s feel like a phoned-in afterthought.

Even leaving aside the generic looking finish, a squeeze of the lever produces visible caliper flex and they just don’t have the solidity and modulation of, say, Ultegra direct-mount brakes. I expected better, SRAM.

If it sounds like I'm feeling negative towards the Emonda, don't get me wrong. It's a delightful thing and I'm very much looking forward to putting more miles on it.

Trek Emonda ALR upgrades

While I’m very fond of the Dura-Ace clinchers, a wider, more modern set of wheels would be an obvious upgrade and could add a smidge more comfort. If I do upgrade, I’ll stick with something fairly low profile as I feel it suits the aesthetic of the bike.

The biggest surprise with my build has been those S-900 brakes. They’re remarkably bad and, in keeping with the parts bin theme, I’m very tempted to swap them for Shimanos, although I’m not certain if the lever pull would be optimal.

Should I mix groupsets? Should I seek out some ridiculous weight weenie specials instead? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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

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

The Emonda ALR by the numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Invisible Weld Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

Off-the-shelf, or build to suit

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bones, shaken

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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\"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"results: pete stetina and karolina migo\u0144 win the 2024 traka 360 gravel race","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-pete-stetina-and-karolina-migon-win-the-2024-traka-360-gravel-race\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-pete-stetina-and-karolina-migon-win-the-2024-traka-360-gravel-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: pete stetina and karolina migo\u0144 win the 2024 traka 360 gravel race\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-pete-stetina-and-karolina-migon-win-the-2024-traka-360-gravel-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: pete stetina and karolina migo\u0144 win the 2024 traka 360 gravel race\"}}\u0027>\n results: pete stetina and karolina migo\u0144 win the 2024 traka 360 gravel race\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia results: jhonatan narv\u00e1ez foils poga\u010dar to win stage 1","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/jhonatan-narvaez-foils-pogacar-to-win-stage-one-of-the-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/jhonatan-narvaez-foils-pogacar-to-win-stage-one-of-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia results: jhonatan narv\u00e1ez foils poga\u010dar to win stage 1\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/jhonatan-narvaez-foils-pogacar-to-win-stage-one-of-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia results: jhonatan narv\u00e1ez foils poga\u010dar to win stage 1\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia results: jhonatan narv\u00e1ez foils poga\u010dar to win stage 1\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"man arrested for firing shotgun at cyclists on a charity ride","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/man-arrested-for-firing-shotgun-at-cyclists-on-a-charity-ride\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/man-arrested-for-firing-shotgun-at-cyclists-on-a-charity-ride\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"man arrested for firing shotgun at cyclists on a charity ride\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/man-arrested-for-firing-shotgun-at-cyclists-on-a-charity-ride\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"man arrested for firing shotgun at cyclists on a charity ride\"}}\u0027>\n man arrested for firing shotgun at cyclists on a charity ride\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/are-bicarbonate-systems-all-hype-or-here-to-stay-evidence-points-to-big-progress-for-baking-soda-supplementation\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\"}}\u0027>\n are \u2018bicarb systems\u2019 all hype or here to stay study points to big progress for baking soda performance-boosters\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/red-bull-to-debut-at-tour-de-france-but-dont-expect-spending-spree-our-goal-is-not-to-sign-riders-whove-already-won-the-tour\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n red bull to debut at tour de france but don\u0027t expect spending spree: \u0027our goal is not to sign riders who\u0027ve already won the tour\u0027\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/valtteri-bottas-uci-gravel-world-championships\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\"}}\u0027>\n f1\u2019s valtteri bottas is going to the uci gravel world championships\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/5-ways-to-go-faster-without-increasing-your-power\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/5-ways-to-go-faster-without-increasing-your-power\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/5-ways-to-go-faster-without-increasing-your-power\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)\"}}\u0027>\n 5 ways to go faster (without increasing your power)\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"must watch: a diabolical day of racing at belgian waffle ride california","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/belgian-waffle-ride-california-race-recap\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/belgian-waffle-ride-california-race-recap\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"must watch: a diabolical day of racing at belgian waffle ride california\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/belgian-waffle-ride-california-race-recap\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"must watch: a diabolical day of racing at belgian waffle ride california\"}}\u0027>\n must watch: a diabolical day of racing at belgian waffle ride california\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"visma-lease a bike keeps faith in jonas vingegaard: \u0027winning the tour will be difficult, but not impossible\u0027","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-lease-a-bike-keeps-faith-in-jonas-vingegaard-winning-the-tour-will-be-difficult-but-not-impossible\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-lease-a-bike-keeps-faith-in-jonas-vingegaard-winning-the-tour-will-be-difficult-but-not-impossible\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"visma-lease a bike keeps faith in jonas vingegaard: \u0027winning the tour will be difficult, but not impossible\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/visma-lease-a-bike-keeps-faith-in-jonas-vingegaard-winning-the-tour-will-be-difficult-but-not-impossible\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"visma-lease a bike keeps faith in jonas vingegaard: \u0027winning the tour will be difficult, but not impossible\u0027\"}}\u0027>\n visma-lease a bike keeps faith in jonas vingegaard: \u0027winning the tour will be difficult, but not impossible\u0027\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"fsa\u0027s new gravel handlebars add an integrated aero extension","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/fsa-adds-a-duo-of-gravel-handlebars-focused-on-distance\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/fsa-adds-a-duo-of-gravel-handlebars-focused-on-distance\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fsa\u0027s new gravel handlebars add an integrated aero extension\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/fsa-adds-a-duo-of-gravel-handlebars-focused-on-distance\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fsa\u0027s new gravel handlebars add an integrated aero extension\"}}\u0027>\n fsa\u0027s new gravel handlebars add an integrated aero extension\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-cervelo-aspero-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\"}}\u0027>\n review: the cervelo aspero smooths its rough edges\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"results: sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e and matt beers win 2024 belgian waffle ride california","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-sofia-gomez-villafane-and-matt-beers-win-2024-belgian-waffle-ride-california\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-sofia-gomez-villafane-and-matt-beers-win-2024-belgian-waffle-ride-california\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e and matt beers win 2024 belgian waffle ride california\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/results-sofia-gomez-villafane-and-matt-beers-win-2024-belgian-waffle-ride-california\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e and matt beers win 2024 belgian waffle ride california\"}}\u0027>\n results: sofia gomez villafa\u00f1e and matt beers win 2024 belgian waffle ride california\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/zwift-unveils-new-training-climb-pre-loaded-workouts-heads-up-display-refresh\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\"}}\u0027>\n zwift unveils new training climb, pre-loaded workouts, heads up display refresh\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"rapha north america abruptly closes bentonville office, lays off staff","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/rapha-north-america-abruptly-closes-bentonville-office-lays-off-staff\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/rapha-north-america-abruptly-closes-bentonville-office-lays-off-staff\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"rapha north america abruptly closes bentonville office, lays off staff\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/rapha-north-america-abruptly-closes-bentonville-office-lays-off-staff\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"rapha north america abruptly closes bentonville office, lays off staff\"}}\u0027>\n rapha north america abruptly closes bentonville office, lays off staff\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"review: the merlin sandstone 40 is forward looking with timeless style","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-merlin-sandstone-40-xlg-titanium-all-road-bike\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-merlin-sandstone-40-xlg-titanium-all-road-bike\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the merlin sandstone 40 is forward looking with timeless style\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-gear\/review-merlin-sandstone-40-xlg-titanium-all-road-bike\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"review: the merlin sandstone 40 is forward looking with timeless style\"}}\u0027>\n review: the merlin sandstone 40 is forward looking with timeless style\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"que mala for el bala: alejandro valverde\u2019s first us gravel race is foiled by a flat","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/alejandro-valverde-flat-tire-bwr\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/alejandro-valverde-flat-tire-bwr\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"que mala for el bala: alejandro valverde\u2019s first us gravel race is foiled by a flat\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/alejandro-valverde-flat-tire-bwr\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"que mala for el bala: alejandro valverde\u2019s first us gravel race is foiled by a flat\"}}\u0027>\n que mala for el bala: alejandro valverde\u2019s first us gravel race is foiled by a flat\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"report: amy pieters takes sd worx-protime to court in \u0027indefinite contract\u0027 dispute","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amy-pieters-takes-sd-worx-protime-to-court\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amy-pieters-takes-sd-worx-protime-to-court\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"report: amy pieters takes sd worx-protime to court in \u0027indefinite contract\u0027 dispute\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/amy-pieters-takes-sd-worx-protime-to-court\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"report: amy pieters takes sd worx-protime to court in \u0027indefinite contract\u0027 dispute\"}}\u0027>\n report: amy pieters takes sd worx-protime to court in \u0027indefinite contract\u0027 dispute\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/fresh-legs-fresh-mind-neilson-powless-returns-to-racing\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\"}}\u0027>\n fresh legs, fresh mind: neilson powless returns to racing\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": 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Review: Trek Emonda ALR 5, the bike that disc brakes almost broke 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aaargh, integration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Geometry chart

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

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

Here’s the full chart: 

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

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

Models and pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Build kit breakdown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ride report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rich get richer, the poor get heavier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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. 

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If anything, Bontrager's Montrose Comp saddle is a little too soft and flexible for my taste, especially through the cutaway central section – when it comes to squidginess, I'd prefer a scoop less – but as ever with saddles, that comes down to a matter of taste.

If you want more comfort you can always swap the Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite 25mm tyres for 28s – there's easily enough clearance from the frame and fork.

The disc brake-specific Bontrager Affinity rims are tubeless-ready if you wanted to run lower pressures for a more cosseted feel, although the tyres aren't tubeless so they'd need changing.

Full 105 groupset

The Emonda ALR 5 Disc comes equipped with a full Shimano 105 groupset and it performs exactly as you'd want it to. As you probably know, 105 is Shimano's third tier road groupset, and it's hard to beat in terms of value. It just works really, really well. I've been riding this bike every day for several weeks and the only tweak I've had to make is the usual turn of the rear derailleur barrel adjuster to sort out the indexing after a few rides.

I won't go into every aspect of 105's performance here, but the shifting is reliable, the hydraulic disc brakes are superb whatever the conditions, and the shape of the dual control levers is almost as good as that of the mechanical/rim brake version, with just a small bulge where the hose exits. That's positioned in such a way that it's unlikely you'll ever feel it.

Some people might quibble with the choice of compact 50/34-tooth chainsets throughout the Emonda range (unless you go for a Project One version of a carbon fibre Emonda, in which case you can spec what you like), but you could always ask the dealer if they'd be kind enough to swap over to standard chainrings if you'd prefer (it would be down to the discretion of the individual dealer).

All round, 105 is lovely stuff, only really suffering in comparison to more expensive Ultegra and Dura-Ace when it comes to weight.

Frame and weight

I don't like to go on about weight too much because it really isn't as big a deal as some people would have you believe, but Trek markets the Emonda as its lightweight road bike – as opposed to the Madone that's designed for aerodynamics and the Domane that's designed for comfort and endurance – so we need to cover it.

Trek hydroforms the aluminium tubing – the process of injecting fluid into a cylindrical frame tube and stretching it to its capacity. This allows complex shapes to be formed in order to tune the ride and keep the weight low. Trek also says that hydroforming allows it to produce tubes that fit together perfectly, reducing the amount of weld material. This, it says, allows for larger continuous surface areas on the frame, which increases strength and cuts weight.

Trek claims that the rim brake version of the Emonda ALR frame weighs 1,112g (56cm model) while the disc brake version is just 19g heavier at 1,131g. Of course, when you factor in the brakes themselves (the callipers, rotors, shifters, hoses and brake fluid), the weight difference is greater, our complete 58cm Emonda ALR Disc bike coming in at 9.16kg (20lb 3oz).

That's a fair chunk heavier than the rim brake Trek Emonda ALR 6 we reviewed last year . That bike, equipped with a Shimano Ultegra groupset – a level higher than the 105 on the Emonda ALR 5 Disc – was 7.89kg. We're not comparing apples with apples there; disc brake bikes are always heavier than rim brake bikes of a similar (ish) standard.

Does 1.27kg (under 3lb) make any difference out on the road? Not much. The bike feels a little less chuckable and physics says that accelerating and climbing is slightly dulled, but we're talking about marginal differences. All other things being equal, you'd rather have the lighter weight, but all other things aren't equal – the flip side is that you're getting the added performance of disc brakes. It's up to you if you think it's worth it, of course.

All of the Emonda ALR bikes are built to Trek's H2 geometry, which is a little less low and stretched than its H1 or H1.5 setups but still focused on speed. If you want an Emonda in anything other than an H2 fit, you need to go through its Project One customisation system (the carbon fibre Emonda SLR 6 is the cheapest option, currently priced from £3,450). Trek is really dedicated to H2 these days and I guess it knows what its customers want.

"It's the perfect fit for most road riders because it's not overly aggressive but still puts you in the right position for power," says Trek.

To put some figures on it, we have the 58cm frame here with a 53.3cm seat tube, 57.3cm effective top tube, 19cm head tube and 73.8-degree head and 73-degree seat angles. The stack is 596mm and the reach is 391mm (giving a stack/reach ratio of 1.52).

For comparison, Trek's Madone SLR Disc in an H1.5 fit has a stack of 581mm and a reach of 396mm (giving a stack/reach of 1.47). Don't get the wrong idea, the riding position isn't nearly as upright as that of an endurance bike. Trek's Domane ALR Disc frame, for example, has a higher stack (611mm on the 58cm model) and a shorter reach (380mm on the 58cm model). The stack/reach ratio on the 58cm model is 1.61.

In other words, the H2 geometry splits the difference between an aggressive road bike and an endurance bike, and that's how it feels when you're in the saddle.

If you're used to a traditional race setup there's the possibility that you'll find the H2 geometry a bit too upright. I was happy with the position once I'd shifted the stem as low as it could go on the steerer, but we're all different. I did find myself down on the drops in search of efficiency a little more than normal, but that's not a bad thing. A lot of people buy a super-aggressive road bike, slam the stem and then never move their hands off the hoods, which kind of defeats the purpose.

Of the bikes that we've reviewed on road.cc recently, the £1,400 Pearson Allmodcons is vaguely similar to the Trek Emonda ALR 5 Disc in that it is built around an aluminium frame and has a Shimano 105-based spec, although one big difference is the use of TRP Spyre C cable-operated disc brakes.

As the name suggests, the Merlin Cordite 105 R7000 Disc Carbon is equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset too, although here you get a carbon fibre frame. That bike is discounted from £1,850 to £1,279 and Merlin tells us that it's a permanent reduction.

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of 2019’s hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

The Trek does compare well with other big brand offerings. It's £50 more at rrp than Cannondale's aluminium CAAD12 Disc 105 at £1,700, while Specialized's Allez Sprint Comp Disc, which also comes with an aluminium frame and a Shimano 105 groupset, is more expensive at £1,900. BMC's Teammachine ALR Disc One is also £1,900, with an aluminium frame, carbon fork and Shimano 105 groupset including hydro disc brakes. And while Bianchi doesn't do an equivalent road bike, its Impulso Allroad also has an aluminium frame, carbon fork and 105 groupset, including hydro disc brakes, for £1,900.

Giant's Contend SL 1 Disc looks good value at £1,249. We reviewed the rim brake version last year . Bear in mind, though, that the fork is carbon/aluminium rather than full carbon and although most of the groupset is Shimano 105, the chainset is a downgrade. The disc brakes are Giant's Conducts which use a cable-actuated master cylinder rather than being a full hydraulic setup.

There isn't a carbon fibre Trek Emonda SL 5 Disc in the range, the closest carbon equivalent being the Emonda SL 6 Disc with an upgrade to a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Bontrager's Paradigm Disc wheels. This model is £2,700.

The Emonda ALR 5 Disc is one of those bikes that manages to be greater than the sum of its parts. Check out the spec sheet and everything says that it should be solid, but the ride quality is comfortably above that. If you're expecting a harsh ride you're in for a lovely surprise here.

Disc brake equipped aluminium road bike that offers a great ride at a competitive price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Emonda ALR 5 Disc

Size tested: 58cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Trek lists:

Frame Ultralight 300 Series Alpha Aluminium, Invisible Weld Technology, tapered head tube, BB86.5, flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axle, internal cable routing, DuoTrap S compatible

Fork Emonda carbon disc, carbon tapered steerer, flat-mount disc brakes, 12 mm thru-axle

Front hub Bontrager alloy sealed bearing, 12 mm thru-axle

Rear hub Bontrager alloy sealed bearing, 12 mm thru-axle

Rims Bontrager Affinity Tubeless Ready Disc

Tyres Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, 700x 25c

Max tyre size 28 c Bontrager tyres (with at least 4 mm of clearance to frame)

Shifters Shimano 105, 11-speed

Front derailleur Shimano 105, braze-on

Rear derailleur Shimano 105

Crank Shimano 105, 50/34 (compact)

Bottom bracket Press Fit BB86.5

Cassette Shimano 105, 11-28, 11-speed

Chain Shimano 105

Pedals Not included

Saddle Bontrager Montrose Comp, chromoly rails

Seatpost Bontrager carbon, 2-bolt head, 27.2 mm, 8 mm offset

Handlebar Bontrager Comp VR-C, 31.8 mm

Grips Bontrager tape

Stem Bontrager Elite, 31.8 mm, 7-degree, w/computer and light mounts

Headset Integrated, cartridge bearing, sealed, 1-1/8in top, 1.5in bottom

Brakeset Shimano 105 flat-mount hydraulic disc

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, "Emonda ALR 5 Disc is a light and responsive road bike with an advanced alloy frame that gives it the sleek looks and handling of a far more expensive carbon bike. Paired with big upgrades on parts, like a dependable Shimano 105 drivetrain and powerful hydraulic disc brakes that stop in any weather, this bike is built to perform on club rides and races alike."

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

The Emonda ALR is available with either direct-mount rim brakes or disc brakes. Here's the range:

* Emonda ALR 4 (rim brake), Shimano Tiagra, £1,200

* Emonda ALR 4 Disc, Shimano Tiagra, £1,400

* Emonda ALR 5 (rim brake), Shimano 105, £1,350

* Emonda ALR 5 Disc, Shimano 105, £1,750

* Emonda ALR (rim brake) frameset, £800

* Emonda ALR Disc frameset, £800

In other words, this is the top level Trek Emonda ALR. There's then a whole range of carbon-fibre Emondas with prices starting at £1,800.

Frame and fork

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

The build quality is high. The frame incorporates what Trek calls Invisible Weld Technology which it claims is "revolutionary weld technology [that] creates a better connection with each tube junction, increasing strength while using less material".

You can't see most of the welds unless you go looking for them.

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

The frame is made from what Trek calls 'Ultralight 300 Series Alpha Aluminium'.

The fork is carbon, including the tapered steerer.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

All of the off-the-peg Emondas (as opposed to the Project One models that you can customise) are built to Trek's H2 geometry. This sits somewhere between a traditional race geometry and an endurance geometry.

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

As billed, the H2 geometry is a little more relaxed than a traditional-style race geometry.

Trek says, "It's the perfect fit for most road riders because it's not overly aggressive but still puts you in the right position for power."

It'll work for most people, although if you're used to a very aggressive setup there's a chance you'll find the front end a little high.

Riding the bike

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

Trek doesn't shout about it but this bike is surprisingly comfortable.

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

The frame has a claimed weight of 1,131g, which is light for a disc brake aluminium frame, but there are no issues with flex.

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

It feels stiff and efficient.

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

A little, but not a worry.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? The lively side of neutral.

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

The bike feels assured in use. It handles imperfect road surfaces well without transferring too much buzz up to you.

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

The shifters feel as good as Shimano's 105 mechanical shifters, with just a slight bulge where the hose exits. Because of the positioning of that exit point, you probably won't feel it in use.

Bontrager's own Montrose Comp saddle is a touch too soft for my taste thanks to a generous amount of padding and quite a flexible shell. Of course, some people will love it for those same features – that's the way with saddles!

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?

I'd imagine most people will like the compact (50/34-tooth) chainset although it would be nice if Trek offered standard options in the Emonda range without the need to use the Project One custom programme.

Wheels and tyres

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?

The Bontrager Affinity rims are disc brake-specific while the hubs use sealed bearings with 12mm thru-axles front and rear, which has become the norm for disc brake road bikes.

The wheels have stayed perfectly true throughout testing - no need for any little tweaks with the spoke key.

In the longterm, I'd swap them for something lighter or, rather, I'd keep these for everyday use and have some lighter wheels ready and waiting for special occasions.

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 R1 Hard-Case Lite tyres aren't particularly light but I've found them to offer a decent balance between grip and durability and you get reasonable puncture resistance.

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

Shimano 105 dual controls are among the best out there at a reasonable price.

Anything else you want to say about the componentry? Comment on any other components (good or bad)

Apart from the Shimano 105 groupset, everything is from Trek's Bontrager brand. That's not a bad thing; it's all good stuff.

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?

The Merlin Cordite 105 R7000 Disc Carbon is equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset. You get a carbon fibre frame here. That bike is discounted from £1,850 to £1,279.

Cannondale's aluminium CAAD12 Disc 105 is £1,700 while Specialized's Allez Sprint Comp Disc (which also comes with an aluminium frame and a Shimano 105 groupset), is £1,900.

Giant's Contend SL 1 Disc is £1,249. It has an aluminium frame and 105 groupset but the chainset is a downgrade and the disc brakes are Giant's Conducts which use a cable-actuated master cylinder rather than being a full hydraulic setup. The fork is carbon/aluminium rather than full carbon too.

Use this box to explain your overall score

A very good performance and solid value make this an easy 8.

Overall rating: 8 /10

About the tester

Age: 48   Height: 190cm   Weight: 80kg

I usually ride:    My best bike is:

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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As per previous comments, why would you put mudguard mounts on a lightweight climbing/race bike? Trek have the Domane for mudguards.

I have the 2017 rim brake model and its light, comfortable and fairly responsive. Probably not as sharp as alu Giant TCR SLR and Kinesis Aithein that I have previously owned though.

I wonder how much rubbing discs as much as the weight dull the feel of disc bikes? It's just inevitable isn't it when clearances are so tight.

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mtbtomo wrote: I wonder how much rubbing discs as much as the weight dull the feel of disc bikes? It's just inevitable isn't it when clearances are so tight.

If we're talking half-decent hydraulic disc brakes, then you really shouldn't notice any difference at all. What occassional small contact you get is pretty much nudged out straight away - unless there's something really out of wack. If it's mechanical then you can get a pad stuck against a disc, like a brake block against a rim, and it's a drag in all meanings and will likewise feel like crap - but more faff to sort.

My summer bike is 1.2kg lighter than my winter bike, combination of mudguards and cheaper components (105 vs Ultegra).

Summer bike rides noticeably lighter, encourages silly efforts in climbs and sprints and is just more fun in general.

I wouldn't be discounting that sort of weight difference casually, would REALLY have to want discs (irrelevant side note, was amazed at the extra power of the Ultegra brakes vs. the cheap Tektros on the winter bike...)

IanEdward wrote: My summer bike is 1.2kg lighter than my winter bike, combination of mudguards and cheaper components (105 vs Ultegra). Summer bike rides noticeably lighter, encourages silly efforts in climbs and sprints and is just more fun in general. I wouldn't be discounting that sort of weight difference casually, would REALLY have to want discs (irrelevant side note, was amazed at the extra power of the Ultegra brakes vs. the cheap Tektros on the winter bike...)

There isn't that sort of weight difference though, as far as published weights go - it's a couple of hundred grammes.

I’m sure it’s a great feeling bike, but 1800 is a lot these days for an aluminium bike. At this price range most people will be demanding carbon. 

And at 9.2 kgs it is very heavy for nearly 2 grand. Disks at blame there, improvements we’re sold by marketing don’t always add up. I’d challenge at 1.3kg against a rim model is massive that even ordinary people would notice. I don’t know why anyone would buy this. 

Prosper0 wrote: I’m sure it’s a great feeling bike, but 1800 is a lot these days for an aluminium bike. At this price range most people will be demanding carbon.  And at 9.2 kgs it is very heavy for nearly 2 grand. Disks at blame there, improvements we’re sold by marketing don’t always add up. I’d challenge at 1.3kg against a rim model is massive that even ordinary people would notice. I don’t know why anyone would buy this. 

Quick look around at the weights seem to indicate there's something a bit odd, e.g. comparing a 2019 Emonda ALR 5 and a 2019 Emonda ALR 5 Disc shows a 110g difference in the links below (8.75 vs 8.86kg in a 56).

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/310176/products/trek-emonda-alr-5-road...

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/310178/products/trek-emonda-alr-5-disc...

That's more towards what i'd expect the differences to be (i'd have guessed 2/300g tops) but safe to say it's probably the 'disks at blame there' -  to be frank though, i'd be fucked if I could seriously say i'd be able to tell the difference side-by-side and nowhere near 1.3kg if we're comparing apples with apples.

Edit : CyclingWeekly had a black ALR 4 with 105 (so ALR 5 basically) reviewed at the end of last year which weighed in at 7.8kg for a 52.

Ideal winter bike. Just get myself some compatible mudguards and we're away.

Zermattjohn wrote: Ideal winter bike. Just get myself some compatible mudguards and we're away. Oh....

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

bike_food wrote: Zermattjohn wrote: Ideal winter bike. Just get myself some compatible mudguards and we're away. Oh....

That's a bit like thinking I'll buy a mini convertible and stick a roof rack on it.

The ALR is an alloy version of a climbing bike. That's what it's for. There are plenty of alloy disc equipped bikes you can stick guards and panniers to.

I have the non-disc version and unless they've updated the bike since two years ago I'd disagree with the comment on this being a 'planted' bike. The lightweight alloy frame has flex in it and you can feel it when descending and even during normal riding. It's not like a Canyon Endurace or CAAD 12 in this regard. The latter is the better bike, the Endurace is more solid but that leads to a harder ride. It's light though, and comfortable.

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Trek Emonda ALR Disc 5 review

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

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

Quality feel

Handling not as sharp as rivals

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

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

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

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

>>> Aluminium road bikes: five of the best

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trek Emonda ALR: the ride

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

I think so!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Trek Emonda ALR Review: A Fast Yet Affordable Road Bike

I don’t think there is anything in the cycling world better than “new bike day.” Or, well, so I’ve heard . 

When I got my first road bike, I was honestly so overwhelmed with the idea of owning a nice bike that I am not sure I fully appreciated “new bike day!”

There were all of these thoughts, such as, “Will I ride it enough? Do I really need a bike? Gosh this is a huge investment!”

They almost overshadowed the fact that I was getting a new bike to begin with!  Now, though, I know that I love to ride. I want ALL the bikes. 

A cross bike, an e-bike, even a new road bike. You know, just because .  I am quite sure there is no such thing as too many bikes, and I cannot wait to get my next one! I will be doing an extremely celebratory happy dance. A million photos will be taken. I will revel in its shiny newness.

Road bikes are obviously a huge investment, though. Therefore, it will hardly be a surprise that when I was offered the opportunity to try out a Trek Emonda ALR with Di2 I was an enthusiastic YES.

Interested in learning if the Trek Emonda ALR is right for you? Read on for our in-depth review of this amazing road bike! 

Review in a Nutshell

• The Trek Emonda is FAST. This bike is built to race, and you can tell. I don’t race, but if I did I would definitely want an Emonda!
• Great on hills – I can climb hills faster on this bike than my carbon bike. 
• It’s comfortable! For such a fast bike, I actually find it to be almost as comfortable as my Trek Domane (more of an endurance bike). 
• It’s SOLID. The aluminum frame is SO sturdy. 
• Even though it’s aluminum, it has a very light and responsive feel. 
• The disc brakes are super responsive. 
• The Shimano Di2 electronic shifting makes this bike so smooth and so easy to shift. 
• The price! Likely the fact that it is aluminum keeps the price of this bike VERY economical for what you get. 
• The Trek Emonda is built more for race than comfort, so if comfort is more important you might want an endurance road bike like a Trek Domane, or a hybrid bike. 
• It is not carbon. For some people this is a deal breaker. I expected to be bothered by this and I wasn’t, and I kind of liked it, but this is still an important consideration if a carbon bike is important to you. 

Price & Where to Buy:

• $2,299.99 List
• Buy at Trek Bikes.com*

The Trek Emonda ALR is a Fast Road Bike 

If you are into road bikes, usually your brain tends to think “the faster the better” and this bike is fast .  There are a lot of things that go into making a bike faster than another…weight, components, etc. The big thing that makes the Emonda ALR fast is that it’s “more aero.” The idea is that the whole entire bike is designed to be as aerodynamic as possible. It is lightweight (even though it’s aluminum) and it places your body in a less upright position so that you and the bike are creating less drag.  

Trek also makes the Domane road bike, which is more of an endurance bike. This means that the bike is built for comfort, for long distances, and places you in a more upright position. 

My current everyday road bike is a carbon Trek Domane, and I can absolutely say that the Emonda is a faster bike (even though it’s aluminum!). My times on similar rides/segments are faster with the Emonda. BUT it is definitely not as comfortable as the Trek Domane.

The Emonda is stiffer and when I go over bumps I feel it a lot more. If you are riding on rougher roads you will definitely prefer a carbon bike or a Domane to an Emonda! 

I also find that for me the more aero position means that I have more pressure points between my soft tissue and my saddle. 

This means that no matter how padded my bike shorts, or what saddle I use, I know that I am going to have at least a little more saddle/soft tissue pain with the Emonda. 

For a shorter ride this really doesn’t bother me, but if I am doing a longer, endurance ride I would find myself reaching for the Domane.

A Lightweight, Aluminum Alternative to Carbon

I know, we kind of have it emblazoned into our heads that a carbon bike is always more lightweight and the better option, but it’s not quite that simple. 

There are plenty of people who prefer the sturdier, stiffer feel of an aluminum bike, and aluminum bikes are not necessarily all that heavy! 

Carbon is more expensive than aluminum, so if price is a concern, getting an aluminum road bike is a great option. 

Trek has also done a lot of research into creating an aluminum bike that allows the stiffness and sturdiness of aluminum and the lightness of carbon. The fork in the Emonda ALR is actually carbon though, so this does lend to the bike being a bit lighter too! 

According to Trek.com, an aluminum bike can provide enhanced stiffness and responsiveness, and their “Alpha Aluminum” technology means that their aluminum bike provides an experience “that rivals many of their carbon counterparts.” 

The Emonda ALR is Stiffer and More Aero and You DO Feel It 

That being said, the Emonda is stiffer and when I go over bumps I feel them a lot more. 

This means that no matter how padded my bike shorts, or what saddle I use, I know that I am going to have at least a little more saddle/soft tissue pain with the Emonda.

This is not a problem for me on shorter club rides of 25 miles or so, but when I start pushing the 30/35 mile point on the Emonda I am feeling pretty ready to get off the bike. 

You Can Climb Like a Beast With the Emonda ALR  

This bike is a climbing machine. Some of this will definitely be personal preference, but there is just something about the stiffness of this bike that gives it an amazing, sturdy feeling when you climb. 

When I am standing up on my bike I love to feel like I can really put some stress on it and have it hold up, and the Emonda ALR definitely gives me this! 

I find that I can get up a hill a lot faster on the Emonda ALR than I can with my carbon Trek Domane. I think that part of this could be due to different gears/cassettes in the bikes too, so that is a consideration, but I just love how fast I can get up a hill with the Emonda in comparison. Hill climbing can be a very daunting part of cycling. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are slowing down to a crawl and barely moving. You start to question everything about your ability in those moments, and having a bike that makes you feel strong can really inspire confidence. 

Components Matter 

At the end of the day, whatever bike you choose, I would be remiss to not mention that the components can make a difference. 

For example, the Trek Emonda ALR I am using has an Ultegra groupset which makes the bike a little bit lighter than the Shimano 105 that the ALR appears to come with standard. A groupset is the components that have to do with the braking mechanism/shifting of the bike, and the higher end the groupset, usually the lighter it is and potentially the better it performs. It also has Di2 electronic shifting which is, in a word, AMAZING. Electronic shifting is a little annoying because you have to charge the bike (we won’t talk about when I lost half my gears because I didn’t charge the darn thing). However, in terms of functionality it is so smooth and easy. 

It also has Di2 electronic shifting which is, in a word, AMAZING. Electronic shifting is a little annoying because you have to charge the bike (we won’t talk about when I lost half my gears because I didn’t charge the darn thing). However, in terms of functionality it is so smooth and easy. If you get any hand/wrist pain electronic shifting is wonderful because your hands don’t have to work as hard to change gears.  

Finally, the carbon wheels that were put on this Emonda ALR will also make it a little bit lighter than wheels that come stock on the bike.

If you can’t afford a carbon Emonda (they do run significantly more) you can consider upgrading the components on the Emonda ALR to get a faster ride. This is also a great option if you prefer the stiffness of an aluminum bike to begin with. 

Trek is a Staple in the Cycling Industry 

In 1976 Trek’s founders, Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg began producing Trek bikes in Southern Wisconsin. Today Trek is an internationally renowned cycling brand. 

Trek sells bikes, bike accessories, and clothing. They have elite racing teams in pretty much every type of cycling event available. Trek even has STRAVA challenges annually where they give a little prize to everyone who rides at least 100 miles on STRAVA during this challenge.  Whether you need a fast and fancy racing bike or your child’s first balance bike, it is likely that Trek makes a bike that will suit you. Trek is a top-tier cycling company with Trek retailers all over the US and all over the world.

From a bike owner’s perspective, the great thing about this is that you can likely find a retailer around you to purchase the bike, and maintain it for you too.

Bottom-Line Trek Emonda ALR Review 

No single bike is going to work for everyone. A friend of mine had a beautiful carbon Emonda that she ended up selling because no matter what she tried, it just didn’t quite fit her right. My husband started on a Domane, switched to an Emonda, and much prefers the fit of the Emonda in terms of comfort. 

Everyone has their own personal preference in terms of fit and speed. Some of us will be more willing to make the sacrifice of comfort for a little more speed. Others of us, not so much. 

If you are looking for a racing bike, or just, like me, want to ride your road bike as fast as possible, the Trek Emonda ALR is a great, affordable option. Though it will be a bit heavier than its carbon Emonda counterpart, you can still go with a lighter groupset and upgrade the components to get a more economical, fast ride. To be very frank, I love this bike. It is a dream, and it is NOT going to be easy to give it back. My bike shop has given me an option to buy it though…one that I am seriously considering. If that’s not in the cards for me, though, maybe they will let me keep it for just a little bit longer! 

Learn More About Choosing A Bike

• Ultimate Guide To Women’s Bike Sizes & Size Chart
• 19 Types of Bikes & How to Pick The Best For You!

About The Reviewer

Stacy Ann Smith  is a New England-based cyclist who strives to stay upright on her bike.  She is the founder of Sascy Cycling, and her mission is to encourage women to love their body and focus on what it can do, not what it looks like.  When Stacy’s not cycling she is teaching high school history and eating pizza with her husband and son.

IG:  @sascycycling

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• Rider Notes

2024 Trek Émonda ALR 5

An aluminum frame race bike with upper mid-range components and hydraulic disc brakes. Compare the full range

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Émonda ALR 5

In Stock: 47, 50, 52, 58, 60, & 62cm

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