trek emonda s4 weight

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

The New Trek Émonda Is Faster Than Ever

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now With Aero

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

Simple Seat Mast

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

Light and Slippery

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

Wide and Threaded

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

A built-in chain watcher prevents unwanted derailments.

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

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

Ride Impressions: Émonda SLR 9 eTap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team Request

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

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

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

Still Light, Now With Aero

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

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

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

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

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

Eight Point One Percent

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

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

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

Computer-Aided Optimization

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

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

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

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

OCLV 800 Carbon

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

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

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

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

Aeolus Bar Stem

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

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

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

Aeolus 37 Wheels

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

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

Surprisingly Rider Friendly

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

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

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

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

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

H1.5 Geometry

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

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

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

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

The new Émonda is a disc brake-only platform.

Project One

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

Trek Émonda SLR 9 eTap

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

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

The Best Beach Cruisers for Leisurely Rides

The Best Hardtail Mountain Bikes

Best Hybrid Bikes You Can Buy Right Now

The 14 Best Road Bikes of 2024

The Best Commuter Bikes for Getting Around Town

The 10 Best Electric Bikes, Tested by Our Editors

These Folding Bikes Can Go Everywhere

Smoother and Faster: The New Pivot Switchblade

The Best Beginner Mountain Bikes

Reviewed: Colnago's Italian Made C68 Gravel

The 6 Best Kids’ Bikes in 2024

CURRENT PRICES END MAY 12

Outside Festival feat. Thundercat and Fleet Foxes.

FROM JUST $44

Powered by Outside

Test riding the new Trek Émonda

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Earlier this week Trek revealed its new Émonda range, the result of several years spent trying to develop the lightest production race frame on the market. While a few riders from the Trek Factory Racing team were riding the Émonda at the recent Tour du Suisse, and the Criterium du Dauphine, it wasn’t until Tuesday that Trek officially unveiled the bike to the press. CyclingTips’ roving reporter Dave Everett was in Yorkshire to learn more about the new frame and take it for a test ride.

Trek’s road line-up already has a frame to soak up the rough roads –the Domane — and an out-and-out race bike, designed to be fast, twitchy and cut through the air — the Madone. The one place Trek hadn’t ventured until now was an attempt to build an ultra lightweight racing machine.

The Émonda is the final piece in Trek’s now three-tiered frame range structure. With a new sales catchphrase of “choose your weapon”, Trek now has a bike that should appeal to any of the key racing markets.

For a bike brand to claim to have the lightest production bike on the market they really need to back this up with exact figures, and they made a point of sharing those figures. Previously the Cannondale Super Six Evo Black Label has been able to claim this sought-after honour as the lightest production bike, at 5.6kg for a 56cm frame. Trek, though, has managed to make a significant improvement on that with the Émonda SLR10 which weighs in at 4.65kg for a 56cm frame.

The build on this particular model is very well specced, using several parts from German lightweight component specialists Tune, including wheels, saddle and skewers, a SRAM Red drive set and Trek’s new direct-mount brakes that look very industrial. Steering is taken care of by Trek’s new one-piece bar and stem combo. The price is obviously at the high end too, at $15,999 for a full build on this model.

The SLR Frame alone tips the scales at 690g; 20g lighter than the Cannondale Super Six Evo and 187g lighter than the Specialized SL4 (the new Tarmac is heavier still). The SLR fork weighs 280g and it’s a new slender-looking fork compared to those seen on the Domane and Madone.

It’s reportedly taken Trek 30 months of research and development to get to the point where they are happy that the new bikes can perform to a standard that the company, its customers and the race teams are happy with.

The name Émonda derives from the French verb “émonde”, which means to prune or trim away. Of course it’s been butchered a little bit to use the same letters as the names “Domane” and “Madone”.

The bike may be light but Trek wanted it to pass all of the company’s and the industry’s stringent quality and durability tests — this was to be a light bike that not just the skinny racing snakes could use but a bike that any angry racing guy or weighty sportive rider could get benefit from.

From the ground up this Émonda bike range is all new — there is no carry over from either the Domane or Madone lines. Each of the three bikes in the Émonda range — the S (entry), SL (mid-level) and SLR (top) — were to be the lightest bikes in their respective categories. The bikes also come in women’s versions too, and with some absolutely stunning paint jobs.

Trek Factory Racing and the MTN-Qhubeka teams have helped with this development, though one can only feel sorry for these guys who will have to either use heavier components or weigh the bike down to use it in UCI-sanctioned races.

The geometry of the frame sits between the Domane and the Madone. When the Domane was introduced the difference between that bike and the Madone’s geometry wasn’t hugely different. Trek then reworked the Madone’s geometry in 2012 to make it an out-an-out race machine — more aggressive and faster in corners.

For the Émonda, Trek has revived a large proportion of the geometry of the old 2011 Madone. It’s not as twitchy as a Madone, but it’s not as relaxed as a Domane. It sits happily between the two.

Away from the SLR version, the SL frame comes in at 1,050g (56cm) and the fork at 358g (240mm steerer tube). This build uses 500 series OCLV carbon where the SLR uses 700 series. The direct-mount brakes are replaced with standard calliper brakes and the fork, unlike the SLR, isn’t of the asymmetric type. But that’s pretty much where the differences end — both have a BB90 bottom bracket, a new ride-tuned seatmast and the DuoTrap S speed sensor that has been updated to make it slimmer and more integrated.

A step further down the range is the S model which, with 300 series OCLV carbon, weighs 1,220g on a painted 56cm frame with a fork of 518g. There is no ride-tuned seat mast; instead a standard and now more common 27.2mm seat post is in its place. Cables are externally routed, the bottom bracket is BB86 press fit and the bike comes with the original DuoTrap sensor and an E2 tapered fork.

Starting at $1,899 the Émonda S4 comes with a Shimano Tiagra groupset. The SL range starts at $2,899 with Shimano 105 throughout, and the first rung of the SLR range — the SLR6 — lands at $6,999 with an Ultegra 6800 build up.

The test-ride

I managed to get a solid ride on the new Émonda after I was lent the SLR8 version. This build features: a Dura Ace mechanical groupset; Bontragers latest XXX integrated bar and stem combo; the Bontrager Aeolus 3 carbon clincher wheels; and saddle, tyres and finishing kit from the in-house brand too. The brushed matt black frame looked clean and simple in the rare Yorkshire sunshine.

Though the four hours I had with the bike were nowhere near enough to fully judge it, I felt I got a solid understanding of how the bike rides and handles.

I rode a large proportion of stage 1 of this year’s Tour de France, from just outside the village of Hawes — where the climb of Cote du Buttertubs starts — through to the finish in Harrogate. I ride these roads regularly as I live close to the area, so I was able to get a good understanding of how it handled compared to my usual ride, a Swift U-Vox 2012 model.

The first noticeable thing for me was not so much the weight but how planted the bike felt on the road. Even at 6.15kg the bike didn’t seem to skip or jump when hitting potholes or rough surfaces. Even strong crosswinds didn’t throw the bike about — it sat nicely holding the road at all times.

Descending on it quickly gave me confidence and the learning curve of knowing how the bike will react to cornering came naturally and quickly. The wheels and brake setup were a slightly different matter though. Long descents had the brakes squeaking and on two occasions I managed to lock up the rear wheel in to a very sharp corner. The Dura Ace direct-mount brakes were without a doubt some of the most powerful I’ve used. This is where more time riding the bike would have me learning where that “biting point” is.

Climbing the Cote du Buttertubs (or just Buttertubs as it’s usually called when the Tour’s not taking it in) was as close to a pleasure as a hard climb can be. Accelerations when climbing flung the bike from under me; when standing the front end felt light and lively underneath me. The one minor niggle I did find was that the cable routing seemed to rub against my knee when out of the saddle.

The fact that I found myself using a slightly smaller sprocket than usual just showed what comes in to play when you’re riding a lighter bike (the Émonda is 1.5kg lighter than my Swift).

I’m sure the wheelset had a part in the nature of this bike’s acceleration and climbing prowess. The wheels got up to speed quickly and stayed there with very little effort. It was just the braking that I felt let this item down.

Throughout the ride I surprised myself at how long I was able to stay in the big ring — the area doesn’t usually allow for the chance to romp away in the big dog for long periods of time. The short sharp climbs soon take their toll on the legs if you attack them in the 52- or 53-tooth chainring, even with a 25 on the back. With the Émonda I found myself definitely using the big chainring a lot more than I would normally.

The whole package of this bike is what I’d class as solid. The geometry of the bike plants it feet firmly on the road, the lightweight build gives so much advantage over a bike frame that may be carrying 300-500g more and the power transfer was as direct and responsive as you’d expect from a race-ready build.

The new XXX bar/stem combo at first didn’t sit well with me — I felt the shape of the bar at the top seemed to want to throw my hands forward and downwards, plus I was sure I could feel a fair amount of flex in the setup. Is this what happens when you try to reduce a product’s weight too much? At 240g for a 42mm by 120mm it’s a light setup for your steering option.

But after two hours of riding I’d changed my mind — the flex in the bars helped alleviate a large amount of road shock. That said, the slight flex I felt may be a slight put off for pure sprinters. The shape of the bars and where my hands sat on top grew on me quickly, though I feel I’d need more time to get used to it. I did find myself sitting comfortably in the drops for extended periods, which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall the bike rides exceptionally well, unless you ride on cobbles or real rough stuff regularly. The Émonda sits right between the Domane and the Madone and is well balanced for it.

Sure the bike is light and it shows this quality when the road heads upwards, but the way it sits on the road, the comfort and handling are all areas that I feel it excels in in equal measures. It may not be sold on these points but they are qualities that shouldn’t be overlooked.

I’d love the chance to try riding the Émonda again, maybe with a wheelset I’m already familiar with to see how hard I could push it and see where its limits are.

Popular on Velo

\n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/sagans-surprise-road-return-cavendish-in-stealth-mode-and-spains-new-gc-kings\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"sagan\u2019s surprise road return, cavendish in stealth mode, and spain\u2019s new gc kings\"}}\u0027>\n sagan\u2019s surprise road return, cavendish in stealth mode, and spain\u2019s new gc kings\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":"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":"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":"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":"giro d\u0027italia gc analysis: is geraint thomas the only opposition to a poga\u010dar procession","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-geraint-thomas-pogacars-top-rival\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-geraint-thomas-pogacars-top-rival\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia gc analysis: is geraint thomas the only opposition to a poga\u010dar procession\"}}\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\/giro-ditalia-gc-analysis-is-geraint-thomas-pogacars-top-rival\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia gc analysis: is geraint thomas the only opposition to a poga\u010dar procession\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia gc analysis: is geraint thomas the only opposition to a poga\u010dar procession\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018i tried, i gave everything:\u2019 poga\u010dar mulling over missed opportunity for giro d\u2019italia stage win","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-tried-i-gave-everything-pogacar-mulling-over-missed-opportunity-for-giro-ditalia-stage-win\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/i-tried-i-gave-everything-pogacar-mulling-over-missed-opportunity-for-giro-ditalia-stage-win\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i tried, i gave everything:\u2019 poga\u010dar mulling over missed opportunity for giro d\u2019italia stage win\"}}\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\/i-tried-i-gave-everything-pogacar-mulling-over-missed-opportunity-for-giro-ditalia-stage-win\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i tried, i gave everything:\u2019 poga\u010dar mulling over missed opportunity for giro d\u2019italia stage win\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018i tried, i gave everything:\u2019 poga\u010dar mulling over missed opportunity for giro d\u2019italia stage win\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":"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":"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":"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":"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":"giro d\u2019italia stage 2: tadej poga\u010dar stomps to victory on first summit finish, seizing maglia rosa","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-2-tadej-pogacar-stomps-to-victory-on-first-summit-finish-seizing-maglia-rosa\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-2-tadej-pogacar-stomps-to-victory-on-first-summit-finish-seizing-maglia-rosa\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 2: tadej poga\u010dar stomps to victory on first summit finish, seizing maglia rosa\"}}\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\/giro-ditalia-stage-2-tadej-pogacar-stomps-to-victory-on-first-summit-finish-seizing-maglia-rosa\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u2019italia stage 2: tadej poga\u010dar stomps to victory on first summit finish, seizing maglia rosa\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u2019italia stage 2: tadej poga\u010dar stomps to victory on first summit finish, seizing maglia rosa\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"from woods to lamperti: these are the north americans chasing success at the giro d\u0027italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/north-american-ambitions-in-the-giro-ditalia-chasing-stage-wins-and-the-pink-jersey\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/north-american-ambitions-in-the-giro-ditalia-chasing-stage-wins-and-the-pink-jersey\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"from woods to lamperti: these are the north americans chasing success at the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\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\/north-american-ambitions-in-the-giro-ditalia-chasing-stage-wins-and-the-pink-jersey\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"from woods to lamperti: these are the north americans chasing success at the giro d\u0027italia\"}}\u0027>\n from woods to lamperti: these are the north americans chasing success at the giro d\u0027italia\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":"the next great breakthrough cian uijtdebroeks shines early in giro d\u2019italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-next-great-breakthrough-cian-uijtdebroeks-shines-on-stage-two-of-the-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/the-next-great-breakthrough-cian-uijtdebroeks-shines-on-stage-two-of-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the next great breakthrough cian uijtdebroeks shines early in giro d\u2019italia\"}}\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\/the-next-great-breakthrough-cian-uijtdebroeks-shines-on-stage-two-of-the-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the next great breakthrough cian uijtdebroeks shines early in giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n the next great breakthrough cian uijtdebroeks shines early in giro d\u2019italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"giro d\u0027italia stage 3: merlier strikes first in sprinter showdown after poga\u010dar springs late attack","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-3-merlier-strikes-first-in-sprinter-showdown-after-pogacar-springs-late-attack\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/giro-ditalia\/giro-ditalia-stage-3-merlier-strikes-first-in-sprinter-showdown-after-pogacar-springs-late-attack\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 3: merlier strikes first in sprinter showdown after poga\u010dar springs late attack\"}}\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\/giro-ditalia-stage-3-merlier-strikes-first-in-sprinter-showdown-after-pogacar-springs-late-attack\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"giro d\u0027italia stage 3: merlier strikes first in sprinter showdown after poga\u010dar springs late attack\"}}\u0027>\n giro d\u0027italia stage 3: merlier strikes first in sprinter showdown after poga\u010dar springs late attack\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"philippe gilbert applauds poga\u010dar\u2019s panache: \u2018he wins with style, not like the froome era\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/philippe-gilbert-applauds-pogacars-panache-he-wins-with-style-not-like-the-froome-era\/","markup":" \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 \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":"red bull\u0027s big entrance, sagan downplays return, poga\u010dar\u0027s close call","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/sagan-downplays-road-return-red-bulls-big-entrance-pogacar-close-call\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/sagan-downplays-road-return-red-bulls-big-entrance-pogacar-close-call\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull\u0027s big entrance, sagan downplays return, poga\u010dar\u0027s close call\"}}\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\/sagan-downplays-road-return-red-bulls-big-entrance-pogacar-close-call\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"red bull\u0027s big entrance, sagan downplays return, poga\u010dar\u0027s close call\"}}\u0027>\n red bull\u0027s big entrance, sagan downplays return, poga\u010dar\u0027s close call\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 "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

• Clean Eating
• Vegetarian Times
• Yoga Journal
• Fly Fishing Film Tour
• National Park Trips
• Warren Miller
• Fastest Known Time
• Trail Runner
• Women's Running
• Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• FinisherPix
• Outside Events Cycling Series
• Outside Shop

© 2024 Outside Interactive, Inc

Trek Introduces the All New Émonda, Claims World’s Lightest Production Road Bike

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

The title of the lightest production road bike in the world is not one to be taken lightly. So when Trek announced that they were introducing a new bike that would take the crown we were intrigued. Trek has certainly offered some light bikes over the years, but the lightest production bike in the world? That, we were excited to see.

Introducing the all new Trek Émonda, a new line of ultra light weight road bikes out of Wisconsin. While the name carries the same letters as Madone and Domane, Émonda is an all new frame that will sit along side of the current bikes. The name itself is derived from the French verb émonder – to prune or cut away. A fitting name for a bicycle where every bit of unnecessary weight has been trimmed away.

The end result is a new frame with enhanced integration, size specific performance, and the lightest production complete weight – provided you can afford it…

Last year when we took a tour of Trek’s Waterloo head quarters there were a number of Trek Factory Racing frames hanging in the rear of the Advanced Composites Room . From a distance the frames looked similar to Madones, but with a number of small changes. Given the fact that Trek has been working on the Émonda for three years now, the secrecy surrounding the frames on the wall now makes sense.

Trek has always touted the benefits of their OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void) carbon fiber, but light weight has always been a back story to ride quality and strength. In order to get the weight down as low as possible while still being repeatable, Trek started what they are calling their “most stringent and sophisticated frame tube optimization project” in their history. Using size specific carbon layups and a new ultralight Ride Tuned Seat mast on the top tier bike, Trek whittled the frame weight down to an incredible 690g. Not quite the 667g Cervelo RCA, but pretty close. Trek is still quick to point out that while the Émonda frame is extremely light weight, they claim it is the best riding road bike Trek has offered.

Built with Ultralight 700 series OCLV carbon for the SLR level frames, Émonda continues with a number of specifications like the E2 tapered head tube (1.5″-1.125″) with asymmetric steerer, BB90 bottom bracket with bearings pressed directly into the carbon, internal cable routing, and integrated 3S chain keeper, and the new DuoTrap S. As the second generation of their Speed Trap integrated computer sensors, DuoTrap S is now compatible with both Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity and uses a new mounting system for improved looks.

SLR Émondas will also be equipped with the new Bontrager Speed Stop brakes which are a dual post design similar to the Dura Ace integrated stoppers. Compared to Ultegra brakes, Bontrager claims a 50g per caliper weight savings. Speed Stop brakes also offer an adjustable leverage ratio, two position quick release, and a wide set design to work with the widest rims and bigger tires.

As a complete bike the flagship Émonda SLR 10 comes in at an incredible 10.25 lb (4.6kg) and will retail for an equally staggering $15,749.99. In order to get the weight down to that level Trek is equipping the bike with Tune Skyline tubular wheels, and a Tune Komm-Vorr Plus saddle in addition to the SRAM Red drivetrain and Bontrager parts.

Coming standard on the new SLR 10 is the new Bontrager XXX bar/stem combo which provides a 75g savings over the same XXX bar and stem combination used separately. The bar/stem combo features a 129mm drop, 93mm reach, and is compatible with Trek’s new accessory integration system, Blendr. Eventually to be found across their entire line, Blendr allows accessories like lights, computers, and even cell phones to be attached to the stem with out zip ties or additional mounts.

Émondas will be offered in a number of builds with three different frame levels. The S series Émondas use Ultralight 300 Series OCLV (1220g painted 56cm frame), a BB86.5 bottom bracket, a standard seat post, and are DuoTrap instead of DuoTrap S compatible. Jumping up to the SL level will gain you 500 series OCLV carbon (1050g painted 56cm frame), BB90 bottom bracket, DuoTrap S compatibility, internally routed cables, and the Ride Tuned seatmast. At the high end, SLR frames carry all of the bells and whistles using 700 series OCLV carbon for the 690g painted 56cm frame. Both the SL and SLR models will be sold as framesets for $1429.99 and $4199.99 respectively. The forks differ between the three models as well with a 518g painted fork for the S, 358g painted fork for the SL, and 280g painted fork for the SLR each with around 235mm of steerer tube.

Complete bikes will be offered in both men’s and Women’s WSD models as well as H1 and H2 geometries depending on the model. If nearly 16k is a little too steep, Émondas start out at just $1649.99 for the S 4. The full line starts at the S 4 and then proceeds with the S 5, S 5 WSD, S 6, SL Frameset, SL 5, SL 5 WSD, SL 6, SL 6 WSD, SL 8, SL 8 Red, SL 8 WSD, SLR Frameset, SLR 6 (H1, H2), SLR 8 (H1, H2), SLR 9 (H1, H2, WSD), and the top dog SLR 10 (H1).

Bike Weights (KG: LBS):

trekbikes.com

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor . He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Additional details/specs here as well: http://www.probikeswap.com/2015-trek-emonda-slr/

This should be really great for getting more people into cycling.

Me gusto muscho L’Emonda!

690g is pretty impressive when you consider that it has a seat mast cap. That RCa (and just about every other bike) runs a standard seatpost

@Vectorbug Dude, the S 5 retails for just over two thousand. For that you get a full carbon frame, FULL 105 11-speed, and tubeless ready wheels. If someone wants to get into cycling without feeling like they’re already behind the “curve,” this range is a pretty good option.

Justifying the jump from the SL frame at $1430 to the SLR frame at $4200 seems like a tough one

Looks like … every other bike in the showroom. (But because it’s Trek the glue and carbon yarn were put into the muffin tin to bake by skilled craftsmen.) Yawn.

Did everyone forget about cannondale EVO black inc frame at 655g? Those have been out for years….

A Ducati with a real motor same price point. My net worth logic and my tech logic says, “Don’t compute.” $15,749.99 WTH ; p

Thats all well and good for making the lightest production bike. Lets see how they hold up to a years worth of heavy riding without frame failures. No thanks! I have a 6 yr old Litespeed Archon Ti, that is worry and CREAK free!

690g which frame sise? Does that weight include FD hanger? RD hanger & bolts? Water bottle bolts x 4pcs? Seat collar and bolts? Cable stops?

What about fork 300mm steerer?

Just trying to compare to other ultra light weight which in the market already.

FastWayne- exactly what i was thinking. “mass production” bicycle, albeit the flagship model, is now over $15,000. I’ll take a Panigale.

Someone posted this on weightweenies: http://i.imgur.com/t3wsP4c.png

Frame weight is without hardware.

Where do you attach the 2 kg lead weights you need in order to be allowed to race this thing?

Pretty neat

Funny how your mind can play tricks on you: here I was, thinking $16k for a bike?!? Woah! And then I looked up the price for the Emonda SLR 9, right around $8k, and for some fool reason thought, “OK, now that’s more reasonable…. Wait, no it isn’t!” Painful watching other companies do lightweight bikes and Trek seeming to not be playing that game.

say what you will about the $16K wunderbike, but the lower end models are very well priced, especially if all the frames have the ride quality TREK is promising. Correct me if I’m wrong, but with the current Madone 3.1 retailing for $1,979, that would make the Emonda S4 the cheapest carbon road bike TREK’s ever released, right? (I realize there’s a groupset difference)

Trek weighed a 56cm painted frame. Also, when you by a Trek frame, all the unique parts (seat cap, bb, hs…) are included.

Tune and THM deserve more of the credit for any of these superlight bikes. The H1 geo version of the frame looks pretty good aside from that weird seatpost deal they keep using. I wish companies would get rid of ISP and the Trek version is even worse aesthetically.

How about a rider weight limit? Me thinks the doctors and lawyers who pony up this kind of coin on bikes might be a bit large for the 10.

OK guys, here’s the deal: Only the top end bike is the “lightest” production bike, and even that has a generous rider weight limit of 200lbs (due to the wheels) the rest of the line (with the top models sharing the same frame) have the standard 275lbs limit! If you’re a Clydesdale, ride gravel grinders, tour the world with all your belongings, commute daily, or just don’t like it, then guess what? Don’t buy it. By the way, I find it odd that people trash Trek for making an expensive super-bike, but not Pinarello, BMC, etc… if there wasn’t someone buying these things, they wouldn’t build them. I can’t afford a Porsche, a Tesla, or even a Corvette but others can and I still appreciate the engineering.

Ok,I think we are pretty much ready to see the 2015 McLaren Tarmac priced at $15,759.99 now.

I can’t wait to warranty one of these!

@Bro, The goal was lightest total bike. Which trek Crushed. 10.25 for the Trek, compared to 11 for the Cannondale. It doesn’t matter if you have a super light frame and have to put extra shims and cups to attach the components to the bike.

Trek has cornered the market on bikes for orthopedic surgeons and professional athletes

can i get it without the red accents

Whoever is naming these bikes is really reaching. Just rolls of the tongue. Like fuemonda

I will take this beast instead if Trek. http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3331

Hmmmm…. Those brakes look a bit familiar. Can anyone say EE Cycleworks?

Buy trek care with it and you a crash it and it doesn’t matter. No questions asked on any thing you damage or wear out. Pretty sweet.

Madone Domane Emonda

I like the anagram theme…

Should have called it Ona’med

How long until Trek’s other road bikes are updated for DuoTrap S?

I was pretty sure CANNONDALE’s evo NANO was lighter, stiffer and stronger than this bike…

Fun fact: here in the UK Trek are offering a lifetime frame and fork guarantee on all models, plus a very good crash replacement scheme.

At least with Trek there is some backup, unlike other brands who don’t want to know (cough..Cervelo..cough) Skurce: i’m a Trek dealer (so might be somewhat biased!)

@ John smith, please show us the data comparing the two frames to validate your claims… didn’t think so.

@ Ghostt, lifetime warranties here in the US too. You can also purchase the Trek Care Plus, which cover ALL parts for replacement for ANY reason, for three years from purchase.

@chader http://roadcyclinguk.com/gear/cannondale-supersix-evo-nano-now-even-lighter-3920.html

Now before you say this is based on a website, note bike rumour is also a website. How does a reader get actual data??? Can you show me by sending me the trek data?

I hope they’re paying Craig a licensing fee for his EE brake. http://www.eecycleworks.com/index.html

@John – the Cannondale Evo Nano weighed over 11 lbs. So no, it wasn’t lighter.

Ja, they look like (less refined) EE-brakes. Hope Trek/Shimano honoured Craig’s intelectual property, his patent was still pending as far as I know…

Trek’s next carbon bike will be a touring rig, called the NOMADE… I’m waiting for that one.

http://cdn2.coresites.mpora.com/rcuk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/LapierreXelius800SideProfile.jpg

bunch of aliases in this thread complaining about how much it cost, smh.

Patent pending typically means no patent has been filed, but we would if we could…

@John smith, weight is one variable & the Dale may well be lighter. Trek may well be wrong in their claims. I never made a claim one way or the other.

You made claims about stiffness & strength being better for the Dale. Neither of those is substantiated in the article you linked. It is merely a press release with some weight info and nothing about stiffness, strength or even ride quality.

I doubt that you know anything about those values for the Dale and nobody outside of Trek has stiffness and strength for the Emonda right now. VeloNews and others will probably get the data for both bikes, then we can have a meaningful comparison. Until then, anything else is useless speculation.

They are both probably great bikes and anyone is free to chose whatever they like. Stop acting like you know this stuff enough to make a claim that one is superior to another.

@Ilikeicedtea, Patent Pending means they have filed the paperwork with the USPTO, but the patent has not been issued or denied.

They often take several years from the point of filing before they get approved or denied. At the point of filing, their idea is protected based on that date assuming the patent is approved.

LOL at you guys comparing these brakes to EE brakes. Try WTB lever link, and the idea is probably older than that even.

Yeah. Pat. Pending means paperwork is filed, but it takes a while to go through the system.

So even if you know your design will not be judged patentable, it’s still worth filing the paperwork because you’ll have several years to sell and market you doodad with a nice little “pat. pending” text in the ad copy. And by the time your patent is rejected it won’t matter.

Did anyone notice that the translation of Emonda is prune. Yet another lack of creativity on Trek’s part…

Here, in the real world, “patent pending” is used all of the time when it shouldn’t be used “legally”.

In fantasy land, yeah, one needs to have filed a patent application.

Follow Us On

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

• Buyer’s Guide
• Gear Reviews
• Rides+Events
• Training Guide
• Maintenance

The new 2021 Trek Émonda mixes climbing prowess with better aerodynamics

What happens to a lightweight performance bike when a company reduces its drag.

The new 2021 Trek Émonda has been released by the Waterloo, Wis.-based company. The frame, which has been Trek’s lightweight climber’s bike since 2014, is now more aerodynamic than its predecessors. Adding wind-cheating gains to a bike that is not primarily an aero machine is something Trek has done before. In 2019, when the endurance-oriented Domane was updated , it fared better in the wind. Usually, aerodynamic tube shapes add weight to a bike. In the case of the Émonda, I wondered how Trek could keep the frame true to its climbing roots. Could it really fight gravity and wind?

The top-end model of Trek’s 2014 Émonda weighed in at a little more than 10 lb. or 4.6 kg. The second-generation, launched in 2017, featured disc brakes, while the frame continued to weigh less than 700 g. Still, members of the Trek-Segafredo team wanted more out of the Émonda. “There was just a big gap between the Émonda and the Madone,” says Matt Shriver, technical director of the pro road teams, comparing the lightweight bike with Trek’s aero road bike. “But the team was pushing for a new Émonda that didn’t lose the ride characteristics, the geometry and its snappy feeling.” And it had to be more aero.

One of the designers at Trek who participated in the balancing act of reducing drag while also keeping the weight down is aerodynamicist John Davis. He and his team looked at making the bike faster up the iconic Tour de France climb, Alpe d’Huez, through a simulation. “We know if we reduce the weight, we’ll be faster up Alpe d’Huez,” he says. “But that’s not necessarily the most efficient way to get there. Before we did any engineering at all on the bike, we decided to create a road map. What’s the most efficient way to be faster up Alpe d’Huez? The way to do that was to take the current bike and calculate the time up the climb. Then, what happens if we add 500 g of weight to the bike in order to reduce the drag by 100 g? We did that tradeoff for every single point: plus or minus 1 kg of weight and plus or minus 30 per cent in aero. What we got on our road map was a set of contours similar to elevation contours on a map. If you want the fastest way up a mountain, you go where the contours are closest together. We did the same thing with our road map, where the contours are the time up Alpe d’Huez. We checked where we started, then we saw if we reduced about three times the drag for every unit of weight. That’s the fastest way to go faster up the climb.”

2021 Trek Émonda SLR 7 Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

2021 Trek Émonda SLR 7. Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

The Shimano Ultegra 52/36-tooth crankset on the Trek Émonda SLR 7 sits in a T47 bottom bracket, which should prevent any creaking. Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

Davis employed a lot of computing power not only to run his aerodynamics work, but also to connect with members of the structures team. He would see what effects his changes would have on weight and other design implications.

A climber’s bike—which generally has rounder, shallower tubes than an aero machine to keep weight down—usually goes up an incline at slower speeds and faces gustier winds, often moving at similar rates to the bike itself. These three elements—tube shapes. slower speeds and gusty conditions—create what Davis calls unsteady aerodynamics. It’s a lot harder to manage unsteady aerodynamics compared with the steadier variables that surround a time trial bike cruising in a straight line on a flat course. Still, the tricky aero conditions are what David and his team addressed with the new Émonda’s tube shapes. For example, the head tube is wider and stiffer than that on the previous Emonda. And even though it’s bigger, it’s lighter and more aerodynamic. The down tube has subtle shape changes across its length. At the top of the down tube, it addresses airflow off the wheel rim and tire. Then there’s shaping to smooth the air around the bottle and cage. Trek says this bike saves you 182 g of drag, or about 1.8 N.

Trek could have made more aero gains with dropped chainstays, but of course, that would have added more weight. That kind of change fell outside of the road map Davis mentioned. It seems dropped stays would have taken the frame just a bit too far away from its main purpose.

As with the first two generations of Émondas, the new frame weighs less than 700 g. Trek says a size 56 of the top-end SLR frame comes in at 698 g. One way the company kept the weight down while getting more aero is with the new carbon-fibre recipe used within the frame. It features the new optimum-compaction, low-void (OCLV) 800 series. Compared with OCLV 700, the latest composite is 30 per cent stronger. The 800 gave designers 60 g of savings, too.

The top-end SLR frames are made with the 800 series carbon fibre. The SL models use OCLV 500. At the top you have the Émonda SLR 9 eTap ($16,500) and SLR 9 ($16,500), which run SRAM’s top gruppo and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 respectively. Both come in at just a little less than the UCI weight minimum, 6.75 kg and 6.78 kg. (Don’t worry. Once full bidon will tip the scale into race-legal territory.) The SLR 7 models go to the second-tier groupsets by each component maker, Force ($11,300) and Ultegra ($10,000). Those groups appear again in the SL 7 and 6 models of Émonda ($8,150–$4,200). There’s also the Shimano 105 Émonda SL 5 ($3,500), which weighs a respectable 9.16 kg.

Trek Émonda SL 5

The Trek Émonda SL 5 comes spec'd with a Shimano 105 groupset.

The Trek Émonda SL 6 comes spec'd with a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Trek Émonda SL 6

The Trek Émonda SL 7 comes spec'd with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and is built with OCLV 500 carbon fibre.

Shimano Ultegra disc brakes on the Trek Émonda SL 7.

The new one-piece Aeolus RSL handlebar-and-stem combo ($870) also continues the theme of lighter and more aero. Trek says it’s 10 per faster than the previous setup on the Émonda. The bike’s brake lines and cables run into the head tube, just beneath the stem. The setup means you can change the bars and stem without having to re-hose or re-cable the system. You can also run more traditional bar/stem parts on the Émonda, should you wish. The Aeolus RSL is optimized for Shimano’s electronic Di2 groups (you’ll find the junction box in the bar end) and hydraulic disc brakes, but is compatible with mechanical systems, too. Don’t go looking for a rim-brake model of the Émonda. All new models run rotors. Trek says its sales have favoured disc-brake models so heavily that it will simply forgo making a new rim-brake Émonda.

In 2019, Trek’s Crockett cyclocross rig was outfitted with a T47 bottom bracket. Later that year, the new Domane had the same BB. The latest Émonda continues the trend. Two threaded cups twist into a metal sleeve bonded inside the carbon fibre. This system is in contrast to the press-fit BB90 on the Madone, which can be prone to creaking. The T47 allows Trek’s designers to continue to build frames with a wide stance at the bottom, for better stiffness and ride feel, while keeping creaks out of the cranks.

The Émonda comes in the company’s H 1.5 fit. It’s a less aggressive geometry than the older H 1 fit, but still works for the pros. (It already features on the Madone.) Trek says the Émonda is a bike that works for both genders. Riders can choose different cranks, seatmasts and, of course, bars and stems, to achieve the right fit.

The new bike comes with a new set of wheels. The top-of-the-line Émonda SLR 9 features the Aeolus RSL 37 hoops ($3,199, wheelset). They weigh 1,325 g. They’re lighter than the Aeolus XXX 2, deeper at 37 mm and 17 per cent faster, says Trek. In fact, the company says the aero performance of the RSL 37 approaches that of the 47-mm-deep Aeolus XXX 4. On the Émonda SLR 7, there’s the Aeolus Pro 37 wheels ($1,600, wheelset). They have the same aerodynamic features of the RSL 37, but weigh in at 1,505 g. Lastly, the third-tier Aeolus Elite wheels come in rim depths of 35 and 50 mm ($1,200, each wheelset). The wheels and the Émonda frames are optimized for 25c tires, but can accommodate 28c treads.

With the 2021 Émonda, Trek achieved its goal of making its climbing bike more aero. It was a similar story for the 2020 Domane, the endurance bike that now rides better in the wind. With features from one performance road bike moving to the other – remember, the aero Madone has an IsoSpeed decoupler which used to be only the domain of the Domane – I wondered if the singular purpose of each bike might get blunted. Jordan Roessingh, Trek’s director of road bikes, doesn’t think so. In fact, he says they start their projects by considering the bike’s main function.

“We default back to the rider and our understanding of who our riders are,” Roessingh says “They have different motivations and are doing different things with their bikes. Then we have a rider and a ride that we’re targeting for a specific platform. That’s the foundation of how we design all of our platforms and segment them, from gravel, to endurance road, aero road or climbing/traditional road. The rider we start with for the Émonda is motivated by weight, someone who is in hillier terrain, or rides climbs, and looks to beat personal records up climbs. There’s a racier motivation overall, including with the fit. We always start with the rider.”

Trek Émonda SLR 9 eTap, Trek-Segafredo Team Edition

Trek Émonda SLR 7 first impressions

I’ve had the Trek Émonda SLR 7 for about a week. I was impressed during my first rides. The bike is responsive, but I can say the same about all super bikes. The Émonda does have a certain snap, though. You almost feel you get more out of a pedal stroke than you’d expect, whether that’s on a climb or hammering out of the saddle. I remember that from the first-generation bike I tested in 2014. (Somehow, I then skipped a generation.) It seems Trek’s designers really did keep the bike’s ride feel, just as the pros wanted. The Émonda corners smoothly, as the wheels carry the speed into the bend and the geometry guides it throughout. I’m looking forward to getting more miles on the machine.

• Email address: *
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for video reviews.

Trek Émonda Bikes Compared: Which One to Choose?

CyclistsHub is supported by its readers. We may receive a commission if you buy products using our links.

In this article, I’ll help you navigate the Trek Émonda aero road bikes by comparing the Émonda SL 6 to SLR 9 .

You will also learn:

• Who are they best suited for?
• Why I think you shouldn’t buy Trek Émonda with SRAM groupset.
• And which model gives you the best value for your money?

KEY TAKEAWAY

Trek Émonda bikes are ideal for climbing and hilly terrain. They are the lightest bike family of all Trek road bikes . The models differ in components (e.g., electronic shifting) and frames. The more expensive ones are usually lighter and have a higher-grade carbon frame, but usually diminishing returns.

Let’s dive deeper to help make your decision easier.

This article compares Trek Émonda Gen 6 and 7. The main difference between Émonda Gen 6 and Gen 7 is that Gen 6 has IsoSpeed decoupler, while Gen 7 has IsoFlow.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 to SLR 9

The following table summarizes the main differences between all Émonda road bikes.

Émonda Pros & Cons Summary

I summarized the pros & cons of the Émonda series below.

Émonda Pros

• Lighter than Madone road bikes
• Aluminum and carbon models are available
• Relaxed geometry
• Availability in multiple sizes and colors
• Integrated cable routing
• Lifetime warranty

Émonda Cons

• Slower than Madone road bikes
• Narrow tire clearance (28mm)

Émonda Main Features

Let me now explain the most important features of the Trek Émonda aero bikes.

Frame and Geometry

The Émonda bikes are part of Trek’s road bike lineup . They’re made of aluminum or carbon .

The names of the bikes have abbreviations that refer to the type of material used for the frame:

• ALR  are  aluminum  frame bikes.
• SL are bikes with 500 series OCLV*  carbon (mid-range).
• SLR are bikes with 800 series OCLV carbon (high-end).

*OCLV carbon is Trek’s patented carbon fiber process ( learn more ).

ALR Émondas are great entry-level road bikes , thanks to their affordability. However, they are still a bit more expensive than less-known competitors.

SLs are the best mid-range option. They are slightly heavier than SLRs but about 25% cheaper.

And SLRs are ideal for people who have more money to spend and don’t want to compromise.

Most Émondas are available in 47-62 sizes and multiple colors giving you a wide range of options.

Their geometry is more relaxed than on other racing bikes, so you won’t experience as much strain on your lower back and neck. The following picture shows the comparison with Specialized Tarmac SL 7.

Weight & Aerodynamics

Trek Émonda frame weighs 760g in size 56. The highest-end Émonda even weighs below the UCI 6.8 kg limit. However, low weight is not everything. Stiffness and aerodynamics are also important.

Trek claims Émonda frames are also relatively stiff and aero (of course, less aero than Madone). They are 18 seconds per hour faster at 8% gradients. ( Source ) However, more information on the methodology is not available.

Émondas are so lightweight also due to the absence of an IsoSpeed decoupler that adds weight.

Wheels and Tires

On some Émonda models, the wheels may be different, but typically, they come with Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 wheels.

Of course, the low-end models have cheaper aluminum wheels . Fortunately, all Émondas come with tubeless-ready wheels. But remember, the tires are clinchers. So, if you want tubeless tires, you have to buy them separately.

One of the things that surprised me is that the lower-end Émondas have 28mm tires, while the higher-end only have 25mm. Most road bikes these days (except for some aero bikes) have 28mm or 30mm tires.

Unfortunately, Émondas only have tire clearance for 28mm tires.

Unsurprisingly, the Émonda bikes have a 2X drivetrain, as is customary for road bikes.

Trek fits them with Shimano and SRAM groupsets, and the number in the bike name indicates the groupset.

• Models ending with 5 use Shimano  105  (R7000) groupset.
• Models ending with 6 use Shimano Ultegra , 105 Di2 (R7100) or SRAM Rival AXS groupsets.
• Models ending with 7 use Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) or SRAM Force AXS groupsets.
• Models ending with 9 use Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200) or SRAM Red AXS groupsets.

Interestingly, the Émondas with SRAM are heavier than the Émondas of the same series with the Shimano groupset. In addition, those with Shimano are also cheaper.

This is somewhat strange because Shimano retail prices are higher than SRAM. That’s why I recommend choosing Trek bikes with Shimano groupsets unless you prefer SRAM.

TIP : You might also be interested in this comparison of Shimano vs. SRAM .

So, which Trek Émonda bike is the best?

If you’re considering buying an Émonda, I suggest a model with a Shimano groupset. They are lighter and less expensive than the equivalent SRAM models.

For better value, consider the Émonda SL. It’s around 30% cheaper than the SLR but offers almost the same performance. From all models, I believe the Émonda SL 6 Pro with the Shimano 105 Di2 is the best deal.

However, if you don’t want to compromise, go for the SLR, which is more expensive but lighter.

Trek Émonda FAQ

Trek Émonda bikes are for pro cyclists, competitive roadies, and enthusiast cyclists who want a lightweight road bike. They are ideal for hilly, mountainous terrain and short, medium, and long-distance rides.

The main difference between Émonda and Madone is that Émonda is a lightweight road bike, while Émonda is an aero road bike. For more detailed info, please check out my comparison of Émonda vs. Madone .

The main difference between Émonda and Domane is that Émonda is a lightweight aero road bike. Domane is an endurance road bike with wider tire clearance, also suitable for off-road adventures. Domane is somewhere between Émonda and Madone. Learn more in my Émonda vs. Domane comparison.

About The Author

Petr Minarik

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Start typing and press enter to search

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

Trek Emonda SL 6 review

The legendary Madone gets another anagram

Robert Smith

Warren Rossiter

Trek’s rivals in the big three bike brands both launched aero-road machines in the form of Giant's Propel and the Venge from Specialized. Trek followed suit in the last revision of the Madone with it morphing into an aero-tweaked race special. With the innovative Domane, with its ‘decoupler’ soft tail design, being a straight-up rival for Specialized’s Roubaix and Giant’s Defy, the Madone was always in direct competition with the big S’s Tarmac and Giant’s TCR. Its aero revisions left a big hole in Trek's arsenal, which the Emonda is here to fill.

• Highs: A ride full of life and excitement, a future classic
• Lows: Average wheels and mediocre bars
• Buy if: You want a true all rounder in the classic sense

Emonda may be an anagram, but it’s also derived from the French verb emonder, meaning to prune and trim away. So at the core of the design its lightweight with any extraneous material and features trimmed back. That’s certainly true of the flagship SLR 10 and its astonishing 690g frame weight and 4.65kg (56cm) complete weight (though its price tag certainly won't appear pared-down to anyone except the super-rich).

This SL6 uses the new 500 series OCLV carbon to create a frame weight of 1050g. That's impressive enough, especially for a bike at this price – the complete weight of our 58cm test ride is a very respectable 7.74kg – but it’s certainly not all about grams here.

The SL6 is well equipped, with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset

The SL6 is one of the best equipped Treks we’ve seen in a long time. In the past we’ve criticised them for their mix and match approach to component specs, which often saw a few lower grade items dropped into the drivetrain to save a few bucks. For 2015 though we are seriously impressed that Trek has gone the complete route with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset that adds an impressive value status to the overall equation.

Though the Emonda is an all-new bike, within minutes of hopping into the saddle we felt right at home. If for a moment we hark back to the glory days of the Madone, when it was one of the lightest in the peloton and winning everything (no matter how tainted those victories are now), the essence of that bike's excellence was its mix of lightness and handling prowess – and the SL6 has that and more.

The familiar H2 fit, slightly taller than the pro-level bikes, and slightly shorter in reach too (our 58cm bike has a 57.3cm top tube) gives a comfortable yet commanding riding position. We were still able to get down in the drops and push the pace without ever feeling cramped, yet rise up onto the hoods and you can push the pedals all day and cover epic distances free of aches and pains.

Climbing is where the Emonda excels – it may not be class-leadingly light, with its average weight wheels and middleweight finishing kit, yet it climbs with the vigour of a spider monkey escaping a hungry predator.

Crest the brow of a hill and point the SL6 back down and the chassis’ liveliness uphill transforms into a compliant ground hugging missile that floats over bumpy and broken surfaces with a limpet-like tenacity for holding its line. The amount of grip it exudes through hard cornering is mighty. The only negative is the alloy bar's narrow diameter, which doesn't offer the most comfortable of holds – and its overly stiff nature is at odds with the rest of this hugely impressive 2015 debut.

The Trek’s comfortable frame doesn’t need wider than 23c rubber

The Bontrager Race wheels are the most basic Trek offers, but even these are tubeless ready (admittedly, we're all still waiting to see if tubeless will ever take off on the road). They're decent enough – under hard sprint efforts we managed to induce a little brake rub, but nothing of any real concern and only apparent because the Emonda is so damn good at everything else it does. The slim 23c rubber they're shod with offers great all-weather grip and proved plenty tough enough in testing, and it's testament to just how smooth the bike is that Trek hasn’t resorted to anything wider for extra comfort.

In all the Emonda is the rightful heir to the classic Madone, blending ride quality, lightness and a whole shedload of riding fun. Its set to be one of the stars of 2015 and fully deserves the accolades that will undoubtedly come its way.

Share this article

Senior technical editor

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

Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap Long-Term Review: Light for Climbing, Slippery for Speed

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Trek has touted the Emonda as its climbing bike since introducing it in 2014. But the 2021 revision threw aerodynamics into the light-is-right alchemy, producing a road race bike that blurs category lines.

Editor’s note:  Trek issued a recall on this bike and is replacing the integrated stem and handlebar free of charge to the customer. Learn more in our full article .

The claimed aerodynamic gains over the prior model are huge. Trek states that the current Emonda is 60 seconds faster per hour at 350 watts of output on the flats. The claimed gain on an 8% grade is 18 seconds.

And the bike is still substantially lighter than Trek’s aero road race bike, the Madone. The current equivalent Madone has a claimed weight of over 1.3 pounds heavier than the Emonda SLR 9 eTap.

I used the Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap as a long-term review bike, putting it on the roads for 18 months. The bike rolled across super smooth, new tarmac and neglected country blacktop. I tested other parts on the bike and took it on several trips to ride terrain different from my home in the Hill Country of Central Texas. It has been in my testing rotation longer than any bike.

In short: The Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap is a pure race bike at the highest end. Although it may be called a climbing bike, the new aerodynamics vault it into a well-rounded road racing machine of the highest caliber. And it still satisfies the weight weenies.

How Aero Is the Emonda?

Aerodynamics on a bicycle frame is mainly dependent on tubing shapes. And often, going “full aero” means losing vertical compliance, which hinders comfort. Super aero tubing also often adds weight.

Trek had to walk fine lines to keep the weight and compliance advantages and maintain lateral and torsional stiffness. But engineers wanted substantial free speed offered by improved aerodynamics.

Modern bike designers use CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and CAD (computer-aided design) to help them in their quest for the ultimate alchemy of shapes to produce the intended results. And Trek claims they scrutinized every inch over hundreds of CFD and CAD models.

The result is truncated-airfoil profiles other than the seat tube, which is still round. Trek also went integrated, with a one-piece bar and stem that hides the cables from the wind.

The claimed reduction in drag is 182 g, with the claimed frame weight for an unpainted 56 cm size being 698 g.

Somewhat surprisingly, Trek kept the non-dropped seat stays. This greatly pleased my antiquated tastes in bicycle aesthetics.

Other Significant Frame Changes

Trek didn’t stop at the truncated airfoil. The brand incorporated several other significant changes.

Trek used to offer aggressive (H1) and more upright (H2) geometries but split the difference on the new Emonda SLR with the middle-of-the-road H1.5. This singular geometry follows the lead of the full aero Madone.

Surprisingly, Trek omitted women’s-specific Emonda frames. But it does offer a full spread of sizes, from 47 cm to 62 cm.

T47 Bottom Bracket

Gone is the BB90 press-fit bottom bracket. A T47 threaded bottom bracket takes its place, pleasing home mechanics everywhere. The BB90 was reportedly problematic, although I never experienced issues with any Trek BB90 bottom brackets.

Not only does this follow the current trend to a homologated bottom bracket standard, but T47 also allows oversized crank spindles where BB90 did not.

800 Series OCLV Carbon

Trek’s longstanding OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void) carbon on the Emonda SLR frame moved from 700 series to 800 series, purportedly to allow aero profiles without a concomitant increase in weight.

The Waterloo, Wisconsin-based brand claims the new carbon contains fibers that are 30% stronger, with the same amount of stiffness as before, and with no gain in mass. This means less material is required to maintain the same positive characteristics, which translates to aero shapes without adding weight.

Trek also developed over 50 new carbon layups (how the carbon fibers are aligned) to create the new 800 Series OCLV. Real-world testing of the final layup choices was done by the professional Trek-Segagredo team. And the brand builds these frames in Waterloo.

Trek Emonda SLR 9 Ride Experience

Testing high-end road bicycles these days is an act of trying to split hairs that have already been split. All these bikes are sublime. Any differences in performance are minuscule, and much of it is subjective. But here’s my best attempt after 18 months of solid use.

Damn, It’s Light

There is no getting around how light the bike is (our 56 cm tester weighs a verified 14 pounds, 5 ounces with tubed tires). That attribute alone brought me joy when accelerating or climbing. The Emonda SLR 9 eTap floated like a butterfly. No need for more explanation. Remember when race bikes were 21 pounds?

The H1.5 geometry fits me exceptionally well. I have had custom-built titanium road race frames, and if I ever ordered one again, I would replicate the Emonda SLR geometry.

I am 6 feet tall, but my inseam is only 32 inches, making my torso long. My lower back is accustomed to road racing positioning, but my hips and hamstrings are not exceptionally flexible. I found the reach and stack spot on, and the stock-integrated 100mm stem, without spacers, was also perfect.

The 42cm-wide bars of the Bontrager RSL felt correct, but I had to move the SRAM Red brake hoods a touch higher up the bar’s primary curve to feel comfortable. Moving the hoods up the bar created slack in the brake hoses that was hard to manage. The stiff hoses run straight from the underside of the bars through the head tube.

A tiny range of brake hose lengths will provide a clean run. So this is a concern to anyone that wants to change the dimensions of the front cockpit. But lines are not threaded through the bar, simplifying at least that part of the process.

Stiffness vs. Compliance

Climbing out of the saddle and sprinting revealed that the Trek Emonda SLR chassis is plenty stiff laterally and torsionally about the head tube. The bottom bracket felt equally rigid, and I never felt like the frame was squandering energy.

Riding a stiff, efficient bike typically means trading off some vertical compliance and comfort. And I felt the Emonda SLR chassis sat on the efficient side more than the comfortable side. But it wasn’t overly so, as it tends to be with super light bikes. Much of how the bike felt regarding compliance came down to wheels and tires.

The Emonda SLR 9 eTap came with tubeless-ready Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37 wheels, which felt like a great all-around road wheel. But the Bontrager R4 320 tires (with tubes) were 25c. I felt wider tires on hookless rims with lower air pressures would drastically improve the comfort. Trek states that the frame can accept 28c tires.

It was ridden with various wheels and tires over 18 months as a long-term review bike. Using hookless wheels, 28c tires, and lower pressures improved comfort drastically.

I felt like just swapping the tires to 28c on the RSL 37 stock wheels would be such a welcome change. But going to a wheel like a Zipp 404 Firecrest or Zipp 353 NSW with the ability to use lower pressures (for me, on those wheels, I ran under 72 psi) was an absolute game changer.

It gave me the best of both worlds. A light, super efficient bike that kept me comfortable over long hauls on rough chip seal blacktop.

As expected, the Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap was a snappy, quick-turning bike. On twisty tarmac, it felt like it wanted to turn about the head tube axis, with the rest of the bike to follow — more of a “turn and flick” instead of the other way around. It was one of the quicker-steering road bikes I’ve tested over the last few years.

Yes, the bike required attention on the straights and in groups, but I never thought it was twitchy or nervous. It reacted to small inputs without delay, but that’s what I expect in a WorldTour race bike. The bike wasn’t a lazy café cruiser, and it shouldn’t be.

On wider radius turns on smooth pavement at high speeds, the Emonda was pure joy. I felt the chassis was reading my mind, putting the tire contact patches precisely where I desired, and fed me the tactile information I needed to predict how it would respond to any slight irregularities in the road.

How Fast Is the Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap?

The bike came with a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset with a power meter. And I’m familiar with the power output versus speed on my regular routes. I’m not a human strain gauge, but subjective feelings mated with the power output did convince me that for a “non-aero” bike on moderately aero wheels, the Emonda SLR 9 eTap was a rocket.

On calm days on smooth, flat pavement, the feeling of speed while churning a tall gear was palpable and brought a big grin to my face. Trek’s data points to an aero gain while climbing, but I felt the bike’s super light weight and stiffness contributed more to my feeling of speed on ascents.

With either the Bontrager RSL 37 wheels or the mentioned Zipp wheels, I didn’t feel any buffeting or other negatives of aero profiles except in extremely windy conditions. Only once did the buffeting cause an unstable feeling to the point where I tensed up.

I had exited the cover of trees on a speedy descent, and the sudden, super-gusty, 90-degree crosswind got me pretty good. I cannot say that about other “full aero” setups, which I’ve found somewhat puckering when large trucks pass me.

So, in the end, I felt like the aero gains of the new tube shapes delivered free speed without much downside.

Final Thoughts

One trend in cycling that I don’t necessarily like is the continued segmentation of products. The number of mountain bikes one could “need” is astounding. And coming from road racing in the ’80s, the “need” for a climbing bike and an “aero” bike seems superfluous. Now throw in gravel rigs, and you could have a garage full of bikes.

I can somewhat understand having multiple mountain bikes, as different terrains’ travel and handling requirements dictate wholly differing chassis. But road bikes? Most of us will never see the level of competition that demands different chassis and a slew of wheels. But plenty of serious recreational cyclists buy high-end road bikes, and it’s the category that splits choices into “aero” and “climbing.”

Although Trek labels the Emonda SLR 9 eTap as a “climbing” bike, with the aero gains, it makes a perfect all-around high-end road bike. It’s under the minimum legal weight for the WorldTour, satisfying the weight-obsessed.

It has enough aero shaping for legitimate free speed gains, yet it doesn’t ride like a brick (especially with wider tires and lower pressures). And it’s super efficient.

The MSRP of the Trek Emonda SLR 9 eTap is an astonishing $13,000 . It sits at the top of the Emonda SLR lineup. But the pricing is in line with other bikes of the same caliber. And for that money, to me, the bike should perform well in all areas. Which it absolutely did.

Trek does offer Emonda SL bikes with the same aero gains at a much lower price, using 500 Series OCLV carbon.

Trek Domane Gets Racier, Looks to Keep Reputation for Comfort

Trek cut up to 1.5 pounds of frame weight off the Domane, its all-around road bike that cyclists have long known for a comfy ride. Read more…

Seiji Ishii is Editor at Large at the AllGear network and the Climbing and Cycling editor at GearJunkie.

He has been writing about cycling, climbing, outdoor endeavors, motorsports, and the gear and training for those pursuits for 20+ years.

Before AllGear, Ishii was a freelance contributor to print and web publications related to his interests and professional experiences. He continues to pursue climbing and cycling objectives seriously.

Follow Us On

Subscribe Now

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!

Join Our GearJunkie Newsletter

Gear Top Stories Deals

Trek Emonda – Review

I received a loan of a Trek Emonda SLR 9 for the last week of the hill climb season, where I finished 4th in national hill climb on Pea Royd Lane.

For 2015 I bought a Trek Emonda SLR, and used all year. Photos of that Trek Emonda are here

It’s a good bike.

2014 Emonda For the national championship I customised the Trek Emonda to get the weight down from 6.4kg to 5.1kg. Details of the hill climb bike are below. This is a general review of the Trek Emonda.

The Emonda is designed for those most interested in climbing. The frame is based on the OCLV series carbon used in the Madone series – which has been Trek’s flagship model for quite a few year. For the Emonda, Trek have sought to reduce weight wherever possible, whilst retaining the strength and rigidity of the frame.

Project One

Another advantage of the Emonda is that you can pick and choose combinations through Project One – if you already have light wheels you can save money there, and keep the cost down.

What’s it like to ride?

Firstly, the lightness is noticeable. On the smooth surface of Pea Royd Lane, it had fantastic acceleration.I’m used to riding the Madone (2010 model) which is no heavyweight, but the Emonda was a noticeable improvement. For me, that is a big plus.

The lower weight has not been sacrificed for any loss of strength and rigidity. Using a simple stress test, it’s hard to notice any lateral movement. Of course, rigidity is harder to measure than weight. But so far, I can Trek’s word for it that it is as strong.

Value for money

Bikes seem to be be getting more expensive as manufacturers find better ways to get us to part with cash. Still the Trek Emonda is reasonably priced compared to similar models.

Is it the right bike for you?

Certainly there is a great attraction in getting a super-light bike, it definitely makes it easier in the hills. But, bear in mind 0.5kg / 1kg weight saving is not that much, if you’re carrying around 20kg of surplus insulation. Also, bear in mind that aerodynamics can make a bigger difference to your speed. When doing flattish time trials – you learn it’s all about aerodynamics, weight doesn’t really come into it. Aerodynamics is harder to measure than a simple 4.6kg weight value, but in a solo attack, the Madone will be a better choice.

In my case, the Emonda is top of my wish list. It ticks all the boxes in what I need from a bike. I definitely want to get one, the problem is that it’s already been an expensive year with a new TT bike. After the national hill climb, my comment was that the Emonda is irritatingly good. Alas, there’s always a new bike to buy!

Trek Emonda Hill climb bike

Firstly, thanks to Beeline bikes Oxford for helping me get loan of bike and setting it up.

I have been riding a Trek Madone (at 2013 hill climb champs, it weighed about 6.0kg). But, with the new Emonda coming out this summer, I wanted to try and get the new specialist climbing bike for the upcoming national championship.

It meant only 1 week to get used to the bike – not ideal, but I thought potential weight saving worth it.

Customised Trek Emonda

To state the obvious, the bike is really light. We had it in Beeline’s and asked a few punters to lift it up. Many were driven to exclaim in the bluest French words to the effect of ‘goodness me that is light’. There really is a wow factor to lifting up a bike that light. As a hill climber, I’m spoilt by being used to riding a 6.0kg bike, but when you get it down to 5.1kg, it’s a big bonus.

I rode the Emonda at Burrington Combe, and Cheddar Gorge on Sunday and also yesterday and today. The acceleration going up hills is very good. It is also feels quite rigid and strong. Doing a simple stress test, it is hard to feel much lateral movement. The extra wide bottom bracket, does seem to help with power transfer.

It can’t say it feels a huge difference to riding the Trek Madonne – in terms of ride quality, control, stiffness and weight; but there is a marginal improvement and it was quite a bit of fun working out how to reduce weight.

Trek agreed to lend a Emonda SL9. The Emonda SLR 9 The SLR 9 has a claimed weight of 6.1 kg. When we first weighed it was about 6.3kg, but that was with 60cm frame, mechanical Dura Ace 9000 rather than Di2 and lots of extras screwed on – . However, from the SLR 9, we made quite a few modifications to bring the weight down to 5.1kg.

Some details of hill climb bike

• Frame – Emonda SLR – OCLV 700 series frame (claimed weight of an Emonda SLR 56cm frame is 690grams) – This frame is 60cm, so a bit bigger.
• Groupset – Shimano Dura Ace 9000 mechanical – but front mech removed and Shimano Dura Ace 7900 crank to fit Race Face narrow wide single chainring.
• Rear wheels – Zipp 202 (weight with cassette and TT tub – 900 grams)
• Front wheel – Tune hub / AX lightness rim (weight with Vittoria Chrono TT tub – 550 grams)
• Saddle – AX Lightness (63 grams) (The Bontrager Paradigm XXX saddle was 175g)
• Brakes – Shimano Dura Ace 9000
• Pedals – Speedplay (X1) – 150 grams a pair
• Total weight – 5.1 kg – (8-900 grams lighter than Trek Madone hill climb bike in 2013)

Trek say ‘The Emonda is made from Trek’s top-end 700 Series carbon fibre, but lighter and without compromising stiffness or handling’. It is geared up to be a ‘climber’s bike and Trek must be hoping the UCI reduce their weight limit of 6.7kg.

For a hill climb bike, it seems a great frame to build a bike up from. I was hoping for Di2 electronic gearing, but it only came with mechanical groupset.

Frame: 700 series OCLV

Bontrager XXX integrated stem and handlebars. Stem cap removed for big race. (it isn’t an integral part of keeping the stem tight).

Wide Bottom Bracket 90. Trek say it is the widest bottom bracket to give extra rigidity and stiffness to help acceleration.

It tapers from a 1.5″ lower bearing to a 1-1/8″ upper bearing, and is wider side to side than front to back. Trek say. ‘This asymmetric steering system minimises weight while maximising power transfer and keeping the fork stiffer under cornering loads.’

Handlebars without handlebar tape. The only problem with borrowing a bike is that you can’t cut the ends of the handlebars you don’t use. There’s 20 grams right there. Also, I didn’t like riding without handlebar tape, it was too slippy so I have put some lightweight tape on the drops. Also, it’s a good job this isn’t my bike or I would be cutting off the ends of those brake levers and regretting it later.

It was hard to get a narrow wide chain ring to work on bike. This 5 armed Race Face, doesn’t fit the Shimano Dura Ace 9000 series crank with 4 bolt holes, so the chaps at Beeline found an old 7900 crank to fit it.

The alternative would have been to go SRAM red and use another type of chainring, but that would have got too expensive. Initially, it looked like we would have to leave front mech on. But, it does look cooler without.

Emonda at Burrington Combe – with outer chain ring still on.

Direct mount brakes. Reduce redundant parts

Could it have been lighter?

The Emonda SLR 10 (at a mere £11,000) – has a claimed weight of 4.6kg. If I had the time and money, I could have made the bike even lighter. For example EE Brakes (or Bontrager Speed Stop brakes), AX lightness stem/handlebar and SRAM red gruppo groupset. But, it’s still pretty good at 5.1kg. Just as there’s always a new bike to buy – I suppose there is always a lighter bike. At the end of the day, the power you can generate is more important than the odd gram here and there.

I would also have preferred to be riding Dura Ace di2 electric gears, though a week before the big race is probably a little late to be changing gear systems just now.

• Marginal gains from hill climb bike
• hill climb technique
• Do I need a new bike?

14 thoughts on “Trek Emonda – Review”

That paint job looks a little heavy 🙂

The Swift Sculp is incredible: http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/10/bikes-of-the-bunch-swift-sculp-ultralight-project/

Best of luck on Sunday Tejvan.

• Pingback: National hill climb championship2014 -

Would you have cut the steerer tube (if it was your own) to save weight?

No, I don’t think so. It would have saved 0.001 seconds and not made any difference really.

how tall are you?

Thanks. Im 190 with a 60cm Emonda on order. I love the review.

There is another option over Sculp.Ax Lightness Vial EVO D. Better geometry, lower price and lighter than Emonda.

Hi Great review, trying to get some prospective is the the H1 model or H2. Given the extra tube sizing on a H2 I would of thought that would be heavier.

Many thanks

• Pingback: Winter training bike -

Hi do you experience chain drop at the chainring when riding or shifting gears? I know that you are using the narrow wide chainring, but without a clutch RD or a chain guard or chain spotter, does the chain drop off during normal riding on road?

I am thinking of going 1×11 on a road bike, with Dura-Ace 9000 RD and front single narrow wide chainring, but I am not sure if the chain will drop off the chainring.

I have not experienced chain drop

why not remove one shifter and rear brake? just have one shifter to shift and control the front brake (less cable length).

Did you have to use shims for the chain ring bolts? I’m attempting the same thing but the bolts are too long

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

• Rider Notes

2017 Trek Émonda S 4 Women's

A carbon frame women’s race bike with mid-range components and rim brakes.

Manufacturer Price

For This Bike

View more similar bikes →

Based on frame geometry and build specs.

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

Émonda S 4 Women's

Similar Bikes

(descending)

Add custom gearing

Dec 2018 · Philippe Tremblay

A stunning sparkling purple paint job on an alloy frame with s Shimano Ultegra disc brake build and Bontrager carbon hoops

Read Review

Aug 2018 · Benjamin Topf

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

May 2018 · Matt Wikstrom

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

Feb 2018 · Mat Brett

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

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

May 2017 · Matthew Loveridge

The spec is average, but the Émonda’s frameset is an utter peach. Buy if you want the authentic Émonda experience at an everyman price

Outstanding ride, quality finish

No mudguard mounts

May 2017 · William Tracy

The aggressive and versatile Émonda SL 6 combines the stiffness you’d expect from a top-of-the-line race bike, with big tire clearance and moderate race

When Trek first introduced the Émonda back in 2014, it was sort of a surprising addition. Seeming to compete directly with the Madone, the biggest difference was that Trek’s new lightweight lacked the aerodynamic touches of its sibling. Now with the most modern iteration of the Madone, we know that Trek was already working on creating …

Last updated 21 July Not listed for 2,478 days

Trek Emonda SL6 Pro review

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

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The radical changes brought about in this new Emonda frame are somewhat hampered within the SL range owing to the heavier nature of the frame and subsequent ride quality of the 500 Series OCLV carbon. It is a solid all-round performer and there's no getting away from the fact the ride quality provides a good balance of efficiency and ride comfort. It's just if you were looking for an improvement on the ride of the previous model you'll need to hold off and get one of the higher level SLR models to truly see improvements.

Efficient power transfer

Excellent handling prowess

Compliant ride

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

Heavy for a 'climbing' bike

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.

Trek recently released a brand new re-imagining of the Emonda, the brand's lightweight climbing/GC model platform, featuring a drastically aero-ised chasis. The model family is split into a higher tier SLR and the lower SL range that this SL6 Pro sits in, the critical difference is in the carbon layup and the enhanced integration sported by the SLR range.

The frame on the Emonda SL6 Pro is constructed of Trek's own 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre. This carbon layup might be heavier than the newly showcased ultra light 800 Series OCLV of the top level SLR Émonda's but is considerably more economical to produce, helping keep the SL range prices in a much more affordable tier.

>>> The Trek Madone gets an update, but you won't spot it

The new Emonda features a completely new set of tube shapes, most of which have gone down the aero route. But Trek is at pains to keep the comparisons to the Madone aero race bike to a minimum; this isn’t simple a ‘Madone Lite’. Rather than being the same elongated shapes as found on a proper aero race bike, the aero shaping of the Emonda’s tubes is much more subtle and is based around the principle of unsteady aerodynamics.

>>> Best road bikes reviewed

In this case it’s more about how drag is affected through wind gusts and other factors at slower speeds than the usual 45km/h, after all, not even pros climb at these speeds. There are still the characteristic truncated airfoil shapes that we associate with aero frames but the effect is far less dramatic and produces a frame that still has a traditional look.

Trek Madone SLR9 Disc review

Trek hasn’t jumped on the dropped seatstay bandwagon with the new frame either, preferring to stick to a set of widely spaced yet aero shaped, thin seat stays.

The new frame also enjoys a little more integration, bringing it more in-line with the Madone. All models now see the cable routing brought neatly into the frame at the front of the headtube keeping the front end profile as slippery as possible.

The other notable feature of the new frame is a wholesale move to the T47 bottom bracket standard . This style marries the reliability of a threaded shell with the capability of running larger diameter internal bearings and enables Trek to maintain its characteristic wide and efficient bottom bracket stance.

The new Emonda range has also been designed with Trek’s middle-ground H1.5 geometry ensuring a set of numbers that sits it half way between the ultra-aggressive pro H1 and its laid back and relaxed, endurance specific H2 geometry. A tall stack of split spacers under the stem provides plenty of height adjustment for a wide range of rider requirements.

And finally, keeping the Emonda in a pretty rigid user set Trek has bucked another trend and limited tyre clearance to just 28c putting the focus of the bike purely on road going high performance.

The SL6 Pro sits near the top of the SL range and as such has a a pretty decent spec sheet. A mechanical Shimano Ultegra is the least we would expect at the +£3,000 price point and we don't need to point out how reliable and consistent it is in providing smooth shifting and braking.

As with the entire Emonda range the SL6 Pro runs on Bontrager wheels; Aeolus Elite 35 to be precise. These feature a carbon 35mm depth and complement the new 'aero' frame without compromising too much on weight and climbing ability. They feel stiff under power and spin up to speed relatively quickly. There are lighter and faster wheels that would suit the new frame but at this price point the Aeolus Elite is spot on. The tyres are Bontrager as well, in this instance 25mm R2 Hardcase Lite tyres. These are not Bontrager's fastest tyres, more classed as an everyday tyre with plenty of puncture protection.

In a complete whitewash the entirety of the finishing kit is also provided by Bontrager. Unlike the integrated carbon bar/stem of the higher end SLR models, the SL6 Pro is fitted with a standard aluminium handlebar and separate stem, allowing for much simpler cockpit customisation. Despite the more ordinary setup the cable routing is still really neat underneath the stem without needing any additional housing.

The Émonda maintains the 'reversed' seat post, with a larger diameter seatpost mast fitted over the seat tube. This allows for plenty of adjustment plus further lengths are available if needed. The Bontrager Aeolus saddle also stands out for being incredibly comfortable even when sat right on the nose.

I was curious to see if the new Emonda was able to improve on the ride quality of the highly rated existing version and the short answer is yes, well kind of....

The first thing to note is that in this new guise, the lower SL version I have on test feels a little chunky at over 8 kilograms - not something you expect when the bike's raison d'etre is all about low weight and climbing. However a total mass doesn't always equate to an anchor of a ride experience and this is true of the Émonda.

Trek has managed to provide a level of stiffness around the bottom bracket that enables the Émonda to deliver in its promise of rewarding effort. Granted it takes less effort to maintain speeds on flat and rolling terrain, much like the Madone aero bike, and I'm certain it is a 'faster' bike than the last version. But I can't help but feel that this new design has stifled some of the existing model's lively and exciting ride nature - it feels like using adjectives such as solid and dependable is more appropriate, almost like the Domane endurance bike.

Trek's relaxing of the geometry on the Emonda has increased its ability to keep you comfortable and riding hard on a long ride and I had no issue taking on some challenging and long routes around Dorset and South Wales. The tall stack of shaped and split spacers sit the cockpit a little too high for my personal preference but luckily I was able to drop the stem height by using some standard spacers on top of the stem, without needing to cut the steerer. This put a little more weight on the front wheel which enabled me to descend the Émonda with aplomb and happily stuff it into downhill corners at high speed without any of the vague feeling that can come with a front end that is a touch too high.

Climbing is where the Emonda should thrive and it certainly is no slouch on your typical British climb, however it doesn't set the tarmac alight and the near eight kilo weight does neuter the Émonda's ability to counter attack when your riding mates try to accelerate away from you on a climb.

It feels like I'm being a little harsh and critical of the Emonda SL6 Pro, after all in most respects it is a solid all-rounder and I have enjoyed my time riding the bike over the last few months. It's a great looking bike and I expect most riders will be satisfied with the performance, it's just I feel it has a lost a little of the magic the old version had. If you are looking for the sort of engaging ride the Emonda is known for I suspect you would need to save your pennies and opt for one of the lighter SLR options and certainly if it was my money that would be what I would need to do.

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

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

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Get The Leadout Newsletter

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

James Bracey's career has seen him move from geography teacher, to MBR writer, to Cycling Weekly's senior tech writer and video presenter. He possesses an in-depth knowledge of bicycle mechanics, as well as bike fit and coaching qualifications. Bracey enjoys all manner of cycling, from road to gravel and mountain biking.

This is not a performance-based evolution but a customer-oriented one, lowering the overall cost of ownership and increasing the useful life of each hub

By Kristin Jenny Published 8 May 24

Kick Gen-Z’s bad rep to the curb, they’ve given cycling a much-needed facelift, says Emmie Harrison-West

By Emmie Harrison-West Published 8 May 24

Stage 5 was supposed to be a day for the sprinters, but they missed their opportunity

By Adam Becket Published 8 May 24

Useful links

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

Buyer's Guides

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

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

• off.road.cc
• Dealclincher
• Fantasy Cycling

Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

• Sportive and endurance bikes
• Gravel and adventure bikes
• Urban and hybrid bikes
• Touring bikes
• Cyclocross bikes
• Electric bikes
• Folding bikes
• Fixed & singlespeed bikes
• Children's bikes
• Time trial bikes
• Accessories - misc
• Computer mounts
• Bike bags & cases
• Bottle cages
• Child seats
• Lights - front
• Lights - rear
• Lights - sets
• Pumps & CO2 inflators
• Puncture kits
• Reflectives
• Smart watches
• Stands and racks
• Arm & leg warmers
• Base layers
• Gloves - full finger
• Gloves - mitts
• Jerseys - casual
• Jerseys - long sleeve
• Jerseys - short sleeve
• Shorts & 3/4s
• Tights & longs
• Bar tape & grips
• Bottom brackets
• Brake & gear cables
• Brake & STI levers
• Brake pads & spares
• Cassettes & freewheels
• Chainsets & chainrings
• Derailleurs - front
• Derailleurs - rear
• Gear levers & shifters
• Handlebars & extensions
• Inner tubes
• Quick releases & skewers
• Energy & recovery bars
• Energy & recovery drinks
• Energy & recovery gels
• Heart rate monitors
• Hydration products
• Hydration systems
• Indoor trainers
• Power measurement
• Skincare & embrocation
• Training - misc
• Cleaning products
• Lubrication
• Tools - multitools
• Tools - Portable
• Tools - workshop
• Books, Maps & DVDs
• Camping and outdoor equipment
• Gifts & misc

Trek Émonda SL 5 Disc

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

• Exceptional
• Not so good

Trek's Émonda SL 5 Disc is a solid all-round race bike offering great handling, a stiff platform for performance and a comfortable riding position, plus it's all wrapped up in a minimalistic, clean-looking package. This build isn't exactly lightweight though.

Trek launched this latest Émonda design last year, giving what has always been considered its lightweight climbing machine an aerodynamic makeover that takes it into what I consider quality all-rounder territory.

From a ride point of view, I can't fault it. It's firmer than a lot of carbon bikes on the market, and I kind of like that. Getting smashed about isn't fun, but neither is a bike that mutes all the signals from the road below. The Émonda balances this well.

> Buy Now: Trek Émonda SL 5 Disc from Trek

Stand hard on the pedals for a climb or sprint and the bike feels tight everywhere, although most notably around the bottom bracket area. There is no flex anywhere, and it just eggs you on to keep hammering away when your legs are screaming to ease up.

Chubby chaser

The only downside is that this SL 5 build's weight can just take the shine off. This 56cm model weighs in at 9.16kg, which is on the beefy side for a near three-grand bike.

The SL 6 Pro I rode last year came with an Ultegra mechanical groupset and 35mm deep Bontrager Aeolus Elite carbon wheels, and weighed 8.23kg. It felt much nippier than the SL 5 when it matters.

As an experiment I switched the SL 5's wheels for a pair of 1,400g Scribe Élan Wide+ 42-D wheels I had on test, and that unlocked the Émonda's potential. I'm not saying you should go out and blow £1,190 on newwheels, just that you shouldn't be put off by the standard weight of the SL 5. It can be tweaked without spending a fortune in the future.

On all but the steepest of climbs though, the Émonda doesn't feel as heavy as the road.cc scales would suggest. It still feels nippy as you accelerate out of corners or crest those short power climbs, and it always seems to have an eagerness to keep rolling.

Right angles

The geometry helps too. This is a proper race bike with a steepish 73.5° head angle for quick steering, plus a short 151mm head tube to allow a low front end and a short wheelbase. At just 983mm, this certainly gives it a nimble and flickable feeling in the bends.

On the downhills I found I could let the Émonda go even when the road surface was less than perfect. It just feels really planted, and coupled with that firm frame passing through loads of feedback from the tyres, I left me feeling perfectly in tune with it.

The steering is on the fun side of neutral, and allows you to just point the handlebar and aim for the apex. The Émonda is also very responsive to slight changes in body position if you need to tweak your line or get yourself out of trouble. I found this out when riding somewhere I had never ridden before – a descent which was easily 40mph+ in sections.

The Trek just nailed it, even though I didn't know what was around the next corner. With less caution than I probably should use, I could throw the Émonda through the bends while constantly making little tweaks to my position to line it up for the next one.

The SL 5 is also a quality mile muncher. The firm ride didn't seem to fatigue my joints any sooner than normal, and although the position is racy, it isn't extreme either. I could ride on the hoods for hours without discomfort and made good use of the shallow drops too.

Frame and fork

As I mentioned earlier, the Émonda focuses more on aerodynamics now than ever before, but that doesn't mean it has become a rocket ship on the road. The Émonda is a climbing bike after all, so Trek's engineers have honed in on 'unsteady aerodynamics,' which they say give larger effects at lower speeds when ascending, rather than on curves for cutting through at high speeds in straight lines.

For starters the front end has been made as smooth as possible, with all cables and hoses directed through the head tube into the frame and fork, giving a very clean look. The head, down and top tube junction is large and beautifully sculpted for airflow too. As a whole the Trek has been optimised for 25mm tyres, although it will swallow 28mm with 6mm of space around the tyre.

The integrated spacer is designed to line up perfectly with the frame when the handlebar is pointed straight ahead, although it does limit how far the bar will turn in each direction. It can feel a bit daunting at first – I kept worrying I might not have enough lock to negotiate a tight turn at low speed.

It proved an unfounded worry though, and the only time I reached the turning limit was when trackstanding at the lights.

The top-end Émonda SLRs use a carbon fibre all-in-one handlebar and stem to take things even further, but there isn't the budget for that here.

As for the seatpost, Trek has decided to do things a little differently. The seat tube extends high, up past the top tube by some way. An external seat mast slides over the top and clamps into position, and the seat tube inside the mast allows a bit of flex, which aids comfort.

The top tube flares out at the seat tube junction, which I find I often rub my thighs against. I got around it by running the saddle 5mm further forward, but it's worth bearing in mind if you have large legs.

The frame and fork are created using Trek's 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre. It's a bit heavier than the new 800 Series found on the more expensive SLR range, but still gives a reasonable claimed weight of 1,142g for the frame and 380g for the fork. There are a massive eight sizes available, too, ranging from 47cm up to 62cm.

The Émonda range is now disc brake only, which means you're getting 12mm thru-axles and flat mounts for the disc calipers.

Trek has gone down the T47 bottom bracket route. Standard threaded bottom brackets have the bearing cups sitting outside the frame, which limits the width the bottom bracket shell can be without pushing the Q-factor (the distance between the pedals) too wide.

To allow a wider shell, which in turn lets the down tube, seat tube and chainstays all have larger joins for increased stiffness at this crucial point, many brands use press-fit cups. These sit inside the frame, allowing a wider shell while keeping the Q-factor the same. In the past there have been creaking and wear issues due to slack tolerances between the cups and the frame, though, so some people have fallen out of love with them.

The T47 is kind of the best of both worlds, as the bearings sit inside the frame but they are threaded into place rather than pressed. That gives a better (and easier) fit, but still allows for that wide bottom bracket shell.

To finish everything off, the SL 5 is available in two colours: this Quicksilver/Brushed Chrome, or Carbon Blue Smoke/Metallic Blue, which I reckon looks even better.

Finishing kit

The SL 5 is adorned with a Shimano 105 R7000 11 speed groupset, which cannot really be faulted, either from my own experience of riding it for thousands of miles on test bikes, or from Dave's in-depth review from a couple of years ago.

The gear shifting is precise and works well even under load – especially at the chainset – and the feel at the lever is practically the same as Ultegra R8000.

Trek has paired a 50/34t chainset with an 11-30t cassette, which gives a decent spread of gears for a bike with racing intentions. Crank length is determined by frame size, ranging from 165mm to 175mm.

Alongside the flat mount 105 calipers the SL 5 uses 160mm SM-RT70 rotors front and rear.

Stopping power is great, as is the modulation and control.

If you weren't aware, Trek's in-house kit and component brand is Bontrager, so it's no surprise to find this adorning the Émonda throughout. The Comp VR-C Road is a shallow drop bar with a compact design, making it usable for most riders regardless of flexibility.

There is nothing flash about it, but it is comfortable, has a decent length of central section for computer mounts or lights, and its aluminium construction is stiff enough for out-of-the-saddle efforts.

> road.cc Road Bike of the Year 2020/21

The Bontrager Elite Stem is another component that just gets on with its job. On the 56cm frame you get a 110mm, and it comes with Trek's Blendr compatibility.

This means you get a selection of mounts for various accessories, such as lights and computers, to sit out in front of the stem. On Trek's website it's £59.99 (£30 more than the handlebar), so it's certainly not a budget component.

The saddle is called the Verse Comp and it's a good 'un, at least for me. It's got a swoopy shape I found gave me plenty of different position options (I like to slide back to climb, for instance). It's 270mm long and 145mm wide (155mm on the smaller frames) with steel rails and a central cut-out. It's also compatible with Blendr accessories.

The frame itself is compatible with DuoTrap S, which is a Blutooth/ANT+ sensor which can send all sorts of data and works with Garmin, Bontrager, PowerTap and more, though the sensor is sold separately.

Wheels and tyres

As with the rest of the finishing kit, the wheels are Bontrager. Using their sealed alloy hubs mated to Paradigm SL rims, they have an internal width of 21mm and 24 spokes front and rear. As I mentioned earlier, they are a bit weighty, but they rode well enough throughout the test period, and I had no durability or trueness issues. They are tubeless ready for a bit of futureproofing.

> road.cc's Best Cycling Wheels of the Year 2020/21

I'm a fan of Bontrager's tyres. I've ridden a few, and was impressed when I tested the R3 Hard-Case Lite a couple of years back. The SL 5 uses the entry-level R1 Hard-Case Lite, and it's pretty good. With a 60tpi (threads per inch) casing it isn't the most supple, but it doesn't detract too much from the ride quality.

They roll pretty well too, and grip is more than adequate in both the wet and dry. More importantly though, considering the review period took in the end of winter, they seem robust and suffered no punctures.

Still, as with the wheels the SL 5 deserves better in the long term. If you want to keep things in the Bontrager family, those R3s mentioned retail for £42.99 now, or £52.99 if you want to go tubeless.

Bike prices are all over the place at the moment, and there have been some big jumps in Trek's line-up. That SL 6 Pro I reviewed was £3,350 in 2021, and it's now £3,900 with what looks to be the same build. The frameset has gone up from £2,200 to £2,700. Meanwhile this SL 5 has come through relatively unscathed at £2,750, up just £25 over last year's prices.

Around the time this Émonda was released, Specialized launched its new Tarmac SL 7 (I was lucky enough to review the S-Works model), and it's a similar sort of bike to the Trek. For 2022 Specialized has largely used SRAM components on its road bikes though, so there's no direct comparison with the SL 5.

However, the entry-level Tarmac SL 7 is the Comp model, which comes with a Rival eTap AXS electronic groupset and DT Swiss alloy shallow section wheels for £5,000, while Trek's SL 6 eTap comes with the same wireless groupset and the Bontrager 35mm deep carbon wheels for £4,300.

There is some tough opposition out there though, with Canyon's new Ultimate CF SL 7 Disc featuring a 105 groupset, a full aero carbon cockpit and a claimed weight of 8.2kg for just £2,149.

Giant's TCR Advanced Disc 2 doesn't quite have the aero attributes of the SL 5, but it is considered a very good lightweight all-round race bike. For £2,349 you are getting a 105 groupset, full carbon frameset and Giant's own alloy wheels.

> Buy Now: Trek Émonda SL 5 Disc from Trek

The Émonda SL 5 is a great bike to ride, and that's down to the top-notch frame and fork paired to good quality finishing kit. True, the wheels and tyres can take the shine off of the performance a touch, but that is true of many entry-point bikes. This is a bike that will tackle any kind of topography or race and excel at it. The frameset is great and it's ripe for upgrades over time too.

The Émonda is a classic all-rounder, fun, fast and stiff, although this model isn't the lightest

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Émonda SL 5 Disc

Size tested: 56cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Hub front: Bontrager alloy, sealed bearing, CenterLock disc, 100x12 mm thru axle

Hub rear: Bontrager alloy, sealed bearing, CenterLock disc, Shimano 11-speed freehub, 142x12 mm thru axle

Rim: Bontrager Paradigm SL, Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 21 mm width, Presta valve

Spokes: 14 g stainless steel

Tyre: Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x28 c

Max tyre size: 30c

Shifter: Shimano 105 R7020, 11-speed

Front derailleur: Shimano 105 R7000, braze-on

Rear derailleur: Shimano 105 R7000, short cage, 30T max cog

Crank Size: Shimano 105 R7000, 50/34 (compact), 172.5 mm length

Bottom bracket: Praxis, T47 threaded, internal bearing

Cassette: Shimano 105 R7000, 11-30, 11-speed

Chain: Shimano 105 HG601, 11-speed

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

Saddle: Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145 mm width

Seatpost: Bontrager alloy seat mast cap, 10 mm offset, tall length

Handlebar: Bontrager Comp VR-C, alloy, 31.8 mm, 100 mm reach, 124 mm drop, 42 cm width

Handlebar tape: Bontrager Supertack Perf tape

Stem: Bontrager Elite, 31.8 mm, Blendr-compatible, 7-degree, 100 mm length

Brake: Shimano 105 hydraulic disc

Brake rotor: Shimano SM-RT70, CenterLock, 160 mm

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

Trek says, "Émonda SL 5 Disc is a lightweight carbon road bike with a balanced ride quality, superior handling characteristics and the added benefit of free speed thanks to aero tube shaping. It's a great choice for century rides on hilly terrain, windy flats and speedy descents."

I think the SL 5 is a classic all rounder.

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

This SL 5 model kicks off the SL range, sitting just £25 above the price of the frameset. Going up through the models you find the SL 6 and SL 6 Pro (£3,400 and £3,900 respectively), the SL 6 eTap (£4,300) and the Ultegra mechanical SL 7 (£5,350). Finally you get to the 12-speed Ultegra Di2 SL 7 (£5,600) and the SL 7 eTap, which uses SRAM Force for £6,100.

Above the SL range is the SLR line up, and below you'll find the aluminium alloy range, the ALR.

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

A high quality frame and fork. It feels great to ride and the paint finish is high end.

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

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

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

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

With its steepish angles and short wheelbase, this sits very much in the race bike camp.

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

This 56cm model features a stack of 563mm and a reach of 391mm, which is fairly typical for a bike of this size with racing intentions.

Riding the bike

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

It has a firmer ride than a lot of carbon frames, but personally I like that. It feels like a purposeful and aggressive frame without ever feeling harsh and uncomfortable.

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

Plenty of stiffness throughout, most notably at the bottom bracket junction.

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

It does feel efficient, especially considering its weight.

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

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

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

I found the handling quick with a degree of balance to it – it never feels twitchy.

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

I liked the Bontrager saddle. I found it squidgy enough to absorb the bumps, without being so soft you find yourself bouncing around.

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

The stem and handlebar offer stiffness to match the frame, and there's no real sign of flex from the wheels either.

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

The wheels are a bit weighty, so if you can upgrade to something lighter you'll really unlock the performance of the Émonda.

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?

Performance-wise, 105 is probably all the groupset most of us will ever need from Shimano's catalogue. The shifting is great, as is braking power and modulation, and the value is good.

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 wheels are decent enough. They blunt the SL 5's climbing and acceleration a touch due to their weight, but I can't fault their durability.

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?

Bontrager tyres typically offer decent performance, and so it is with the R1s. Like the wheels though they are a touch heavy and not the most supple.

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

Good quality in-house kit. Upgrade if you want some bling, but there's no real need.

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?

This is well priced against a similar model in Specialized's Tarmac line-up, as mentioned in the review. There is tough opposition from the likes of Giant and Canyon, though.

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Émonda SL 5 is a very likeable bike; it has a solid dependable feel while still maintaining plenty of fun factor. There is some tough opposition out there price-wise, but would I feel shortchanged by the Trek? No. It has a quality ride feel and a quality build, and I enjoyed every mile I covered on it.

Overall rating: 8 /10

About the tester

Age: 42   Height: 180cm   Weight: 76kg

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

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

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

Help us to fund our site

We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99. 

If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.

Help us to bring you the best cycling content

If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.

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

Add new comment

Latest comments.

£88 victim surcharge? Who's the victim here?

Well I take it you dont ride on zwift and look at the messages that pop up ,I can assure you there is plenty of riders that only do zwift now one...

Folkestone and Hythe District Council look what you've made us do. ...

If she could reasonably have foreseen the consequences of her actions she could, and should, have been charged with murder. Manslaughter exists as...

My interpretation would be different. If the driver does not give his details simply because he's not asked then he still has to report it. Section...

Looks like it has terrible pinch points  like normal, if cyclists start using  nice conflict with pedestrians 

I did a Cytech 2 course some years back with a mechanic from Wiggle who told me that he'd seen bikes in Halfords with the forks mounted back to...

NEVER understood narrow shoes, never still I ever, Lakes all the way, even the Lake 333 is possible to get in wide, these no, poor show Decathlon,...

Your right, it's not finished, but if this was road works (for motorists) would this be acceptable? ...

Related Reviews

Orbea Orca Aero M10iLTD 2024

Stunningly fast without sacrificing versatility, handling or comfort

Boardman SLR 8.6

Comfortable, lively ride, an excellent gear range and well-chosen components – one of the best entry-level bikes you can buy

Fara F/Road

Quick, nimble, fun, an impressive ride quality and excellent comfort – and I think it looks stunning

Factor O2 VAM

A master of climbing – but a bike that's also incredible fun and extremely capable everywhere else