2018 trek emonda sl6 pro specs

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Test, Trek Émonda SL6 Pro

Émonda je v nabídce Treku považována za ideální silniční univerzál – rychlý, současně dostatečně pohodlný a svým jízdním projevem uspokojující požadavky závodníků i hobby jezdců. Sezóna 2021 přináší novou generaci Émondy, již jsme ve verzi SL6 Pro, s cenovkou 102 990 korun a karbonovými ráfky, důkladně otestovali. Několik set kilometrů po jihočeských a pošumavských silničkách ukázalo, jak univerzálním naladěním novinka disponuje.

Na úvod se zaměřme na mezigenerační změny, co všechno je jinak oproti verzi dosavadní? Je to jednoduché, nové je úplně všechno – geometrie, konstrukce i profilace jednotlivých rámových partií. Jediné, co přetrvalo, je karbon s označením OCLV. Nešlo o to „jen“ vylepšit původní Émondu. Požadavkem závodníků stáje Trek-Segafredo byla ještě vyšší rychlost, tudíž rám disponuje novými aerodynamickými prvky, byť ne tak ultimativními jako u modelu Madone. Aero-profilace se týkají partie hlavy s působivým přechodem do typicky prohnuté, široké horní trubky, dále přední vidlice nebo poměrně útlých sedlových vzpěr. Průřez dolní trubky zohledňuje redukci odporu vzduchu společně se zachováním boční tuhosti, tudíž je zde výchozí široký obdélníkový profil doplněn o spodní zakulacení usměrňující právě proudění vzduchu. I z dalších řešení je patrné zaměření na oba parametry, takže sedlová trubka mění ve své polovině průřez z kruhového na téměř obdélníkový, navíc s kónickým rozšířením směrem ke středovému pouzdru.

Typických prvků by se našla celá řada – od sedlovky se zažitou „opačnou“ konstrukcí, kdy je nosník sedla nasunován na komínek, jenž je součástí rámu, přes hodně výrazný rozestup sedlových vzpěr, plynule přecházejících v boční hrany horní trubky, až třeba po sníženou hlavu, jejíž horní krytka řízení navazuje na rám. Výsledek působí propracovaně a přitom čistě. Tomu nahrává i vnitřní vedení hadic hydrauliky či bovdenů řazení, jež najdeme také v útrobách hlavového složení či přední vidlice. Řídítka a představec jsou sice klasické konstrukce, nicméně vybízejí, aby se integrace hadic a bovdenů odehrála také zde. To je však už na potenciálním majiteli, stejně jako volba ze dvou barevných variant kola. V této souvislosti musíme zmínit, že nám obě přijdou trochu málo výrazné a i přes obří logo mohlo být té červené či bílé na testovaném modelu více. Je to otázka vkusu, ale tmavá silniční kola nepatří k našim oblíbencům...

Geometrie H1.5, klíč ke spokojenosti

V úvodu jsme zmínili, že kompletně nová je nejen konstrukce, ale i použitá geometrie. Trek pro modelový rok 2021 sjednotil dosavadní ryze závodní naladění s označením H1 a na hobby jezdce zaměřené H2, výsledek je naprosto famózní. Vlastně právě geometrie je tím, čím nás nová generace Émondy nadchla nejvíce , přitom normálně nebýváme zastánci jakýchkoli kompromisů, z nichž nejednou vzejde jakýsi kočkopes, teoreticky sice univerzální, ale v reálu ne právě ideální pro kteroukoli ze zmíněných skupin. To se nové Émondy rozhodně netýká a naladění geometrie H1.5 je přesně takové, že svými reakcemi uspokojí závodníka, ale současně hobby jezdci nabídne nečekaně přátelský projev. Na jednu stranu lze na kole nastavit ryze závodní, nekompromisní posed, současně sériová verze disponuje vysokou sestavou podložek pod představcem a dokonce si můžeme vybrat ze dvou různých délek nástavců sedlovky, takže variabilita posedu je hodně nadstandardní, což u podobně „aero“ laděných závodních kol nebývá pravidlem.

Jedna věc je ovšem posed či míra přizpůsobení konkrétní postavě a jízdnímu stylu, a něco úplně jiného je naladění reakcí, ostrosti řízení či ochoty držet přímý směr bez nutnosti pevného svírání řídítek. A právě v tomto ohledu je nová generace Émondy vynikající. Na první osahání se totiž jeví extra klidná, s výbornou směrovou stabilitou, až by skoro člověka svou přátelskou povahou ukolébala. Zkrátka je to jedno z kol, u nichž se nebojíme v šedesátce pustit řídítka , aniž bychom chtěli kohokoli k nějakým vylomeninám navádět. To vše je ovšem jen první dojem, byť velmi důležitý třeba při jízdě v balíku, kde je klid vedení kola vyloženě žádoucí. Druhý dojem přichází v okamžiku, kdy přijdou do cesty zatáčky. V nich totiž zjistíme, že i zde kolo reaguje přesně tak, jak chceme. Není sice superostré, ale to ani nebylo jeho cílem. Serpentiny projíždí velmi čistě, bez nutnosti neustálých korekcí směru, a položení do zatáčky proto ve výsledku působí stejně přirozeně jako již zmiňovaná jízda přímým směrem. Je to podobné, jako když je dobře naladěný podvozek a řízení u auta – automaticky přestaneme přemýšlet o jízdě, o řízení, přestaneme se soustředit a pouze si užíváme to, jak všechno skvěle funguje. Aniž bychom vůbec vnímali, že to funguje. To je známka precizního naladění jízdního projevu – ať už u kola či auta.

Rychlost kontra pohodlí

Varianta SL6 Pro je prvním modelem řady Émonda využívajícím karbonové ráfky, jmenovitě kola Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35 s konstrukcí karbon OCLV, použitou i v případě rámu a vidlice. Výška profilu ráfku 35 milimetrů se zdá být oním ideálním univerzálem, jenž nás znatelně podpoří ve vyšších rychlostech, aniž by nás omezoval v rozletu v akceleraci, v kopcích či při nepříjemném bočním větru. Trek nabízí tentýž model Émondy i ve variantě SL6 bez přídomku Pro, tedy s klasickými duralovými ráfky a cenovkou 88 990 korun, ovšem z našeho pohledu má investice do testovaných karbonových Bontragerů určitě smysl. Z hlediska rychlosti funguje testovaný model parádně a čím rychleji jedeme, tím více cítíme, jak nám kolo v našem snažení pomáhá. Je to klasická vlastnost kol s vyššími karbonovými ráfky, o jejichž přínosu začínáme vědět při rychlosti circa nad třicet kilometrů za hodinu. Jestliže chtěli Američané stvořit opravdu rychlou Émondu, pak se jim to povedlo .

Rychlost je skoro opojná, pakliže dále akcelerujeme třeba z třiceti pětatřiceti kilometrů za hodinu. Ani v kopcích nemáme dojem, že bychom strádali, a to i díky celkové hmotnosti 8,05 kilogramu, nicméně pocitově se kolo cítí lépe na rovinatějších tratích nežli tam, kde musíme využít silovější způsob jízdy. Z hlediska torzní tuhosti patří rám k lepšímu průměru své třídy, nelze jej proto zařadit k těm nejtužším – na silové nástupy odpovídá sice dostatečně razantně, ale ne vyloženě ostře. Možná to byl záměr konstruktérů, kteří se snažili naladit univerzalitu i v poměru tuhost / nabízený jízdní komfort. Právě z hlediska schopnosti pohlcovat rázy od nekvalitního asfaltu nás totiž rám potěšil a i na úzkých silničkách s nekvalitním asfaltem byl ve výsledku pohodlnější, než jsme od něj čekali . To je rovněž zásluha konstrukce sedlovky, jejíž vnější stavitelný nástavec nebrání předozadnímu pružení této partie rámu – atypická konstrukce zde není jen pro oko či pro odlišení se od konkurence. Předek kola se sice ve srovnání se zadní partií jeví tvrdší, ale ne natolik, aby to působilo rušivě.

Pár slov závěrem

Potěšilo nás, že námi navážená hmotnost přesně odpovídala materiálům uváděným Trekem a ani z hlediska osazení není kolu co vytknout. Kompletní ultegra řadila i brzdila luxusně, byť brzdy se nám chvílemi zdály ostřejší, přece jen kotouče průměru 160 mm udělají hodně. Potěší i sestava převodníků 52/36, adekvátní schopnostem kola. Z výroby je vše připraveno pro montáž bezdušových plášťů, přičemž rám i vidlice si poradí se šířkou obutí až třicet milimetrů. Ale už dost popisování detailů kola. Máme-li napsat finální verdikt, pak nás nová generace Émondy přesvědčila rychlostí a hlavně univerzálním, velmi přátelským naladěním geometrie. Pokud máte v plánu investovat do kola sto tisíc, pak vám model SL6 Pro nabídne odpovídající schopnosti a hlavně nebudete muset přemýšlet o tom, jaká karbonová kola si následně pořídit. Zde jsou již v ceně.

Fotogalerie kola ZDE

Technické specifikace:

Rám: karbon OCLV řady 500

Vidlice: Émonda SL karbon

Kliky: Shimano Ultegra 52/36

Brzdy: Shimano Ultegra flatmount, 160 mm

Řazení: Shimano Ultegra

Přehazovačka: Shimano Ultegra

Přesmykač: Shimano Ultegra

Kola: Bontrager Aeolus Elite 35, karbon OCLV

Kazeta: Shimano Ultegra 11-30 (11)

Pláště: Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, 700x25c.

Řídítka: Bontrager Elite VR-C

Představec: Bontrager Pro

Sedlový nástavec: Bontrager karbon, offset 20 mm

Sedlo: Bontrager Aeolus Comp

Hmotnost: 8,05 kg (vel. 56 cm)

Cena: 102 990 Kč

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Trek Emonda SL6 Pro review

Trek’s race bike updated

Warren Rossiter

Wonderful ride position, handling

Not the record-breaking ultra-light SLR chassis

Trek made the headlines with the launch of its new Émonda. In its top-flight SLR guise the OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void) carbon frame weighs an astonishingly light 640g, while the disc version weighs an equally impressive 665g. Unfortunately for most of us, that superlight frame only starts on bikes that retail at £4,000 / $4,400 / AU$7,000 and above.

• Bike of the Year 2018
• Best bike: our buyer's guide to which bicycle type you should buy in 2018
• The Trek Émonda SL6 Pro is one of our Bike of the Year bikes for 2018. To read reviews of the other contenders and the categories tested across road, mountain and women's bikes, visit our Bike of the Year hub .

Anything below that and it’s the SL version of the frame made with 500 Series carbon, so my SL frame is closer to 1,019g. On the face of it, that doesn’t seem quite so impressive, but when you consider that the Émonda’s design incorporates most of the seatpost — the Émonda uses a carbon topper instead of a full-length post — that accounts for around 150g-plus on a ‘normal’ frame design.

The SL6 comes in two guises, the standard SL6 with Bontrager’s mid-range alloy Paradigm wheels and this Pro version, which adds a set of excellent tubeless-ready Aeolus Pro 3 carbon wheels.

The SL6 rides beautifully. Trek seems to have hit the sweet spot across its whole range — the Domane is as plush as you’ll ever need and the Madone sets new standards for comfort on an aero road bike.

The Émonda was always the firmest in Trek’s lineup, and that still rings true, but the firm feel and super-stiff lower half of the bike makes power transfer impressive. Where the new Émonda scores over the previous generation is that the firmness never encroaches into harshness. The chassis feels wonderfully balanced, subtly smoothing out road noise, without having to resort to a high-end carbon bar or big volume tyres.

Trek Émonda SL 6 Pro - Road Bike of the Year Over-£2000 Winner

The SL6 conforms to Trek’s more endurance-biased H2 fit. It’s still pretty racy compared to out and out sportive bikes, but I love the way it fits. Trek has done a lot of research into biometrics, and bike fits are an ever-growing part of its business. It’s paying dividends, rarely have I felt so at home immediately after getting on board a bike.

The Émonda feels perfectly poised when barrelling along on rolling terrain, and when you get into the climbs the rigidity of the chassis and the 1,500g wheelset combine to make the SL6 a wonderful companion. It’s a bike that wills you to get out of the saddle and attack.

The handling is very much like Cannondale’s Evo and Cervélo’s R3D, but slightly less rapid to turn. That’s no bad thing as both the Evo and R3D need your full-on attention at all times, but with the Émonda you can have those moments to cruise, relying on the stability it exudes.

Brake performance from the Bontrager Speed Stops felt much better than the previous instances I'd tried them, a lot of that is down to Bontrager’s switch to (Bontrager-branded) Swiss Stop Black Prince pads. Also Trek sent over a more detailed instruction document on the correct way to set up the skeletal Speed Stops.

With the direct-mount brakes properly set and centred, they hold some serious power. I had no issues scrubbing speed in wet or dry conditions. I’d still give Shimano’s direct-mount brakes the edge, like those found on the Specialized Tarmac, as they match the Speed Stops for power but have an extra level of feel at the lever. The Speed Stops do look suitably trick and at 95g they’re also lighter.

The SL6 is a damn fine road bike. If you’re not sold on discs just yet and want to stay with standard rim brakes, you’d be hard pushed to find a bike that combines a classy ride with such a fine level of equipment. Not even the likes of direct-sale brand Canyon can put together a bike with carbon wheels this good for under £3,000.

I know how ridiculous it would to describe a £2,850 / $3,500 / $4,499 bike as great value, but when you are spending so much, you want to spend smart, and with the SL6 Pro it would be very difficult to buy smarter.

If you thought 2018 was the beginning of the end for the humble rim brake, you’re mistaken, with a bike like this, the Specialized Tarmac and Cannondale Evo, there seems to be a renaissance afoot for the humble caliper brake.

Also consider...

Interested in what else is available at this price point? Have a look at the following list of tried, tested and reviewed bikes.

• Cannondale SuperSix Evo Dura-Ace
• Cervelo R3D Ultegra
• Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Giant Propel Advanced Disc
• Argon 18 Krypton CS
• Specialized Tarmac Expert
• Willier Cento 1 Air Ultegra
• BMC Team Machine SLR02 Disc Two
• Simplon Kiaro
• Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2
• Lapierre Pulsium 500 Disc
• Bergamont Grandurance Elite
• Genesis Zero Disc 3
• Sensa Guilia Evo Ultegra
• Ridley Helium X 105
• Orbea Orca Aero M20 Team
• Settle down, your rim brakes are here to stay
• BikeRadar would like to thank Life Cycle Adventures , Sanremo Bike Resort , MET Helmets , Le Col , Mercedes Benz and Brittany Ferries for their help and support during our Bike of the Year test.

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Trek 2018 Émonda SL 6 Disc review

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 .

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 Émonda SL 6 Disc.

Story Highlights

Purpose: Mid-level road cycling.|| Highlight: The updated frameset is stiffer and more exciting to ride.|| Material: Carbon fibre.|| Brake type: Disc (rim version also available).|| Key details: Proprietary BB90 bottom bracket, internal cable routing, flat-mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles.|| Price: AU$3,999/US$2,999/£2,650.|| Weight: 7.94kg/17.5lb (54cm without pedals or bottle cages).

It has been almost four years since Trek launched the Émonda , the company’s lightest road chassis that not only yielded, at 4.65kg, the lightest production bike in the world, but according to Trek, the lightest range of road bikes as well. After devoting two-and-a-half years to development, Trek was never going to talk down what it had managed to achieve with the Émonda, which included some bold adjectives for the performance of the new bike.

The introduction of road disc brakes seems to have provided the main incentive for revisiting the design of the Émonda, but it also gave Trek’s engineers a good opportunity to build upon the experience gained from creating the first-generation Émonda (which supposedly included 300 physical prototypes). Computer modelling and finite element analysis was used to explore hundreds of refinements to identify only those that could provide a tangible improvement for the weight, stiffness, and compliance of the new frame. After that, physical prototypes were used to validate those predictions.

According to Trek’s figures, the company has managed to achieve all of these goals, however the magnitude of said improvements are modest, at best. The first-generation Émonda SLR frame and fork (56cm, H1 fit) weighed 690g and 280g, respectively, according to Trek, compared to 640g and 313g for the second-generation frame and fork. Overall frame stiffness has been increased by 11% with a head tube that is 1.7% stiffer and a bottom bracket that is 7.6% stouter, while vertical compliance has been improved by 1.9%.

The disc-brake version of the Émonda SLR mirrors the rim-brake version in many regards, however it is 62g heavier (frame, 665g; fork, 350g) and overall frame stiffness is down a little, offering a 9% improvement over the first-generation chassis. Clearly, Trek is working within the realm of marginal gains, but our roving reporter, Dave Everett, was able to notice a difference when he attended the launch of the bike last year , and concluded that the new bike was a tangible improvement.

What about the Émonda SL?

While all attention was focussed on the new Émonda SLR Disc frameset at the launch last year, the more affordable SL version also received an overhaul, including the addition of a disc-brake version. Once again, Trek promised an increase in both frame stiffness and compliance coupled with a marginal weight saving: the first-generation SL frame weighed 1,050g with a 358g fork; the new SL frame weighs 1,091g with a 313g fork.

Unsurprisingly, the disc-brake version of the new Émonda SL is heavier than the rim-brake version with a claimed weight of 1,149g for the frame and 350g for the fork. Be that as it may, the Émonda SL in either guise is not going to woo weight-weenies, but it will have broader appeal since it is a lot cheaper than the SLR version.

A difference in carbon fibre accounts for much of the extra weight (and expense) of the Émonda SL frame — which is constructed from Trek’s 500 series fibre compared to the 700 series that serves the SLR — however there is also a difference in the moulds that are used, and hence, the final shape of the two frames.

Nevertheless, the SLR and SL frames share the same specifications that have been carried over from the first-generation Émonda, such as Trek’s proprietary BB90 bottom bracket , E2 tapered head tube, internal cable routing, and a semi-integrated seatpost. For the disc-brake version, there are flat mounts for the disc callipers and 12mm-diameter thru-axles for the wheels.

The geometry of the frame remains unchanged, too. Thus, the Émonda SL continues with Trek’s forgiving H2 fit that provides a taller head tube, however it is not as generous as the geometry for the Domane .

Frame sizes 50-54cm are partnered with a fork with 45mm of rake, while the larger sizes get a fork with 40mm of rake. Bottom bracket drop is 72-68mm, decreasing with frame size; chainstay length is 410-411mm, increasing with frame size.

It’s worth noting that the geometry of the Émonda SL is identical to the Émonda SLR and does not vary between the rim or disc-brake versions. In addition, it is almost identical to the current Madone , however the latter offers an extra 5mm of stack for each frame size.

The semi-integrated seatpost places a limitation on the maximum and minimum saddle height for any given frame size, which is detailed in Trek’s geometry charts for the Émonda SL. However, the maximum saddle height is based on a 175mm seat mast cap rather than the stock 135mm cap that ships with the bike, so buyers with long legs should pay attention to this when ordering and/or collecting the bike. Buyers that require less saddle setback can also opt for a cap with 5mm of offset rather than 20mm to help with their fit.

Trek has put together two builds for the new Émonda SL Disc frameset: the SL 7 and SL 6. However, the former (which features a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and a Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3 carbon wheelset) is not available in all markets, such as Australia. By contrast, there are several builds for the rim-brake version of the Émonda SL on offer, providing buyers with a much wider range of options and pricepoints.

The Émonda SL 6 Disc features Shimano’s new Ultegra R8000 mechanical groupset (50/34T crankset, 11-28T cassette) with hydraulic disc brakes and 160mm rotors. The rest of the components come from Bontrager’s catalogue: Paradigm tubeless-ready alloy wheels with R2 Hard-Case Lite tyres (25C), Elite VR-C alloy bars, Pro alloy stem, and a Montrose Comp saddle with chromoly rails.

I’ve long been impressed by the quality of the presentation of Trek’s bikes, and the Émonda SL 6 Disc is another good example of this. The matte metallic gunmetal finish may strike some as conservative, but it’s not dull, and it sits well against the black components.

The 54cm sample sent for review weighed 7.94kg/17.5lb without pedals or bottle cages, which doesn’t do much to support the notion that the Émonda is a lightweight race bike. For those hoping for a lighter bike, they can opt for the SLR 6 Disc that promises a weight saving of 700-800g (depending on frame size), but it costs almost twice as much as the SL 6 Disc. Alternatively, the SL 6 with rim brakes provides almost the same kind of weight saving (600-700g) and actually costs less than the disc-brake version.

The asking price for the Émonda SL 6 Disc is AU$3,999/US$2,999/£2,650, which is fair given the quality of the build, but it won’t woo bargain hunters. For those looking for better value, the rim-brake version of the SL 6 sells for AU$3,499/US$2,699/£2,250. In both instances, Trek provides a lifetime warranty for the Émonda frame and a two-year warranty for the fork and all Bontrager components.

For more information on the Émonda SL 6 Disc and the rest of the Émonda range, visit Trek .

After the ride

The Émonda has always fitted very nicely into Trek’s road catalogue, confidently staking out the middle ground between the aerodynamically-refined Madone and the rut-gobbling Domane. And while Trek went to extraordinary lengths to highlight the weight savings that the first-generation bike had to offer, they were limited to the high-end SLR frameset, so that everyday buyers opting for the SL version were missing out on the best that Trek had to offer.

With that said, a back-to-back comparison of the first-generation Émonda SLR 6 with the SL 6 (both of which featured rim brakes) demonstrated that the distinctions between the two versions of the frame were surprisingly modest. In fact, I found it difficult to appreciate any of the performance gains that the lighter SLR frameset might have provided simply because there was very little feedback from the bike.

The second-generation Émonda has reversed this to some degree, presumably due to the increase in the stiffness of the frame, and as a result, I found that the bike was more exciting to ride. An increase in feedback from the road adds life to the bike and gives it a race-oriented feel.

The bike was at its best on smooth bitumen. Rising out of the saddle, the stiffness about the bottom bracket was obvious, and I could enjoy some sense of responsiveness whenever I pressed on the pedals to accelerate. However, the overall weight of the bike held it back, so it won’t impress buyers looking for a svelte climbing rig.

It’s better to think of the SL 6 Disc as a bike for undulating courses. On this kind of terrain, the extra weight of the bike was less noticeable and I could enjoy the stiffness of the bike when attacking each short rise. Moreover, I was often struck by how sturdy and robust the bike felt, and sudden changes in speed really had no effect on its demeanour.

The second-generation Émonda SL 6 Disc may provide more feedback from the road, but that doesn’t mean that Trek has done away with the highly refined ride quality that defined the original Émonda. It’s still there, and at times, I was impressed with how well it worked to insulate me from unnecessary chatter. This was most obvious on groomed unpaved tracks where the Émonda SL 6 Disc provided a smooth, almost gentle ride, without robbing me of a sense of how the tyres were behaving on the dusty surface.

While the Émonda SL 6 Disc did an admirable job of soaking up vibration and chatter, it wasn’t nearly as adept at contending with shock, especially at the front end of the bike. Any kind of sharp hit from a bump, crack or hole was quite harsh, which was something that Dave Everett noticed at the launch of the Émonda SLR Disc last year. By contrast, the rear end of the bike was noticeably more compliant, so my backside never suffered the same kind of shock as my hands.

I was able to fit tyres up to 30mm wide on the Émonda SL 6 Disc without any risk of frame or fork rub. The larger tyres were able to reduce the shock of sudden impacts, however the front end of the bike was still too rigid for long stretches of unpaved terrain. Compared to a bike like Cannondale’s new Synapse or Canyon’s Endurace , the Emonda SL Disc Disc isn’t nearly as versatile, but then, riders interested in extra versatility are probably going to be looking at Trek’s Domane or the new do-it-all Checkpoint instead.

Thus, it’s best to consider the Émonda SL Disc as a pure road-going machine where tyre size and pressure can be used to satisfy the owner’s preferences for ride quality. I found myself vacillating between the stock 25c clinchers at 70psi and more supple 28c tyres at 60psi, but by the end of the review period, the narrower tyres seemed a slightly better match for the bike.

The stable and predictable handling that characterised the first-generation Émonda was still very much in evidence, which isn’t surprising given that no changes were made to the geometry of the second-generation frame. As such, the Émonda remains an inviting and well-mannered bike to ride. The steering tends towards slow, so the bike requires a little more effort when negotiating tight turns and technical descents, but I can’t see many riders struggling with this aspect of the Émonda’s handling.

Shimano’s new Ultegra R8000 groupset continues to shine, regardless of whether it is partnered with rim or disc brakes. The latter adds significantly to the weight of the bike, but that has more to do with the associated hardware (e.g. rotors and wheels) than the brakes. This is a handicap that continues to afflict road disc bikes in general, but for those looking for more braking confidence, it’s a necessary compromise.

Bontrager’s one-bolt saddle clamp promises to be easy to use, however the wedges that sink into the cap provide too much bite, so it is difficult make minor changes to the angle of the saddle. At the front end of the bike, Bontrager’s Elite VR-C handlebars offer more reach (85mm) than other compact shapes, which, when coupled with the generous length of the hoods of Shimano’s hydraulic brake levers, adds significantly to the overall reach of the cockpit. Swapping to a stem that was 10mm shorter was enough to address this issue for me.

Summary and final thoughts

It has been over 25 years since Trek introduced its first carbon fibre road bike frame and the amount of evolution that has taken place in that time is quite remarkable. One frame has slowly grown into three specialised offerings and the number of builds has blossomed to give shoppers an impressive range of bikes to choose from.

The Émonda may appear to be quite removed from Trek’s original OCLV road frame, but it still possesses the same kind of aura as a lightweight and exotic racing bike. This is certainly true for the Émonda SLR and some of the aspirational builds on offer, but the SL version is well within reach of many mid-level shoppers. It’s not going to dazzle buyers with a low weight like the SLR, but it is a confident road-going bike that promises to provide a tangible upgrade from an entry-level bike.

For those contemplating such an upgrade, the choice of brakes may create some consternation, however much of the controversy surrounding disc brakes has died down. Quite simply, discs have become a legitimate option for road bikes and are now future-proof to some degree, so buyers can decide the matter on the basis of appeal. In this regard, the Émonda may be a little late to the party, but the second-generation frameset gives shoppers both options to consider.

What do each of the individual ratings criteria mean? And how did we arrive at the final score? Click here to find out. You can also read more about our review process .

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why","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/best-off-road-races-north-america\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/best-off-road-races-north-america\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"there are three marquee off-road races in the us this weekend. who\u2019s going where and why\"}}\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\/best-off-road-races-north-america\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"there are three marquee off-road races in the us this weekend. who\u2019s going where and why\"}}\u0027>\n there are three marquee off-road races in the us this weekend. who\u2019s going where and why\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"the thesis n1 wants to be your sole drop bar bike for 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Trek Émonda 2018 range: lightweight all-rounders now disc equipped

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The Trek Emonda is the featherweight, all rounder in the brand's stable and the recently released 2018 models are the lightest yet.

The carbon bikes within the Trek Emonda range come in two standards: the SL and SLR – the latter being the lighter of the two. Both frame standards now come with the option of disc brakes.

>>> Trek bikes: which model is right for you?

The range also contains lightweight aluminium bikes in the Emonda ALR collection, though the only 2018 version currently available is the Shimano Ultegra equipped Trek Emonda ALR6.

2018 Trek Emonda: lightest ever and disc brake equipped

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.

The newest Trek Emonda SLR frame comes in at 650g, in a size 56cm, with the disc version tipping the scales at 665g. The slightly heavier SL versions are still hardly hefty, at 1091g and 1146g with disc brakes.

>>> Trek Emonda SL6 review

For 2018, Trek also increased the tyre clearance of the Emonda SL and SLR models to 28mm – going as far as to say that this addition, along with disc brakes, made the bikes fully capable of gravel and adventure riding duties. This is quite a claim on a bike that’s been tried and tested for pro racing by Trek Segafredo riders.

To cater for racers after adequate power transfer, developers of the lightweight frame have ensured that it continues to remain stiff.

Indeed, the newest 2018 model is said to be stiffer than previous versions across the frame, head tube, bottom bracket thanks to the use of the OCLV carbon layup which has been tested extensively by pro riders.

Trek Emonda Reviews

• Trek Emonda SL5
• Trek Emonda ALR 6
• Trek Emonda SL6 2018

Alberto Contador's Trek Emonda SLR

Special features of the Trek Emonda SL and SLR

The disc models use a flat mount system. The non-disc brake models come with Trek’s own rim brakes: Bontrager Speed Pro Brakes.

They say these direct mount, tuneable rim brakes are lighter than other options. At 95g thanks to their hollow arms and titanium components, this is hard to argue with.

In terms of computer technology, Trek has centralised it all into its cockpit. Accordingly to the company, "Blendr Integration" seamlessly mounts Bontrager's cycling computer, Ion bike lights or even Garmin computers directly to the handlebars.

All of the bikes in the Emonda range also boast a ‘ride tuned seatmast’ which is created to be light whilst promoting comfort, dampening out rough roads.

The SLR models are lighter than the SL bikes, and use 700 Series OCLV carbon as opposed to 500 Series OCLV. They also feature ‘Control Freak Cable Management’ which allows for shifter and brake cables to be housed through the frame and they’re available with a Project One custom pain job.

Whilst the Emonda is race tested, most built bikes come in the H2 fit, which is the slightly more relaxed geometry when compared to more aggressive H1. However, SLR frames are available with H1 fit if you choose the 'Race Shop Limited' version.

Trek Émonda SLR weights and technical specs:

• Émonda SLR frame = 640g
• Émonda SLR disc frame = 665g
• Émonda SLR fork = 313g
• Émonda SLR disc for = 350g
• 28c tyre clearance
• H1 and H2 fit possible
• Specs from Emonda SLR6 with Shimano Ultegra at £4,400 to Emonda SLR9 in Shimano Dura Ace Di2 for £8,500

Trek Émonda SL weights and technical specs:

• 500 series OCLV carbon
• Trek SL frame = 1019g
• Trek SL disc frame = 1149g
• Trek SL fork =313g
• Trek SL disc fork = 350g
• Émonda SL 5 (women's model) fork = 436g
• Women's model available as Émonda SL 5
• Specs from Emonda SL4 with Shimano Tiagra at £1,500 to Emonda SL7 with Shimano Dura Ace Di2 at for £4,400

TrekÉmonda ALR:

• 300 Series Alpha aluminium
• Specced with Shimano Ultegra on the ALR6 for £2,000

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Émonda SL 6 Pro Ridden and Reviewed

Filter by category:, an early contender for "bike of the year".

Trek's launch of the new generation Émonda is a big deal. The previous generation was a very good bike but I felt it was out-classed by its arch rival the Tarmac SL6 (no harm there as the Tarmac was exceptional, but Trek and Specialized products are much closer in abilities in the aero road and endurance categories).

So a new Émonda is an exciting prospect; especially when the hype coming from the Pro teams has been so loud - this bike is aero enough that it will apparently replace the Madone as the main stage race weapon. That's some welcome extra versatility for a very light bike.

Being a bike tart I was initially focused on the top of the range Émonda SLR series (and I do have one on order).

But when we looked at the specs we realised the SL series (made with OCLV 500 carbon vs the 800 on the flagship range) looked a cracking bike for the money, and the pick of the bunch was the SL 6 Pro at £3350. A lightweight climbing bike with aero advantages, Ultegra disc groupset and carbon wheels. That's a heck of a bike for the money.

And it comes in a super smart Lithium Grey / Brushed Chrome finish (well, these things matter too!) that belies the price point.

In the first week it was launched we sold 10 of the SL 6 Pros; everyone loved it and I said to Dan that based on spec and first impressions this was a (very) early contender for 2020 Bike of the Year. And so, in the interests of editorial thoroughness, I decided to buy one myself and see how it performed.

I have wheelsets that cost more than this entire bike; so I was really keen to see how it performed vs the £9000 super bikes I kid myself I 'need'.

Initial impressions

On unboxing my first impressions were immediately very positive; it looks very smart indeed. I have always loved dark grey (slightly darker than Nardo grey if you are a car geek) and the chrome decals really set it off. Its a really good looking bike, with a sleek look from the aero tubes that still manages to be quite 'classic' in profile.

The SL range don't have the trick one piece bar/stem that features on the SLR models. Instead it comes with a separate alloy stem and an alu bar with Bontrager's VR-C shape. This is the first time I have ridden them and they are long - 100mm reach when most bars are 75-80mm; so my maths shows that all things being equal you need to lose some stem length. My bike comes with a 110mm stem in 58cm, and truth be told I might go down to 100mm (which hurts the ego... but fit matters!). But the bar shape overall is great, and the drops are super useful.

The saddle is the new Aeolus shape; with a massive pressure-relieving cut out in the middle, running almost the full length of the saddle. It comes in a posh one at £150 (with carbon rails and shell), a middle range one at £90, and this 'budget one', the Comp, which retails on its own at £49. The Comp is relatively heavy at 280g, thanks to steel rails, but that's my only issue with it; the shape is great and £49 for a saddle this good is outrageous value for money.

I like mechanical Shimano; I have Dura Ace 9000 and 9100 on other bikes; but this was the first time I have ever owned a bike with a mechanical disc groupset. As ever with Shimano shifting is flawless, and I really like the shape of the hoods (whisper it, but more than the Di2 version) as there is a lot to grab hold of; its closer in size to AXS than Di2 (and to me, thats a good thing).

My only change from the stock bike is to put my SRM power meter crankset on the bike, replacing the stock Ultegra crank. Everything else is 'as is'.

Those carbon Aeolus 35 wheels look the part, the only thing I would recommend changing from stock immediately is the Bontrager R2 tyres which are decidedly 'budget' in feel and don't roll that well. You can feel the stiffness in the casing, and a more supple tyre would improve the ride and handling at little cost.

I popped on a set of my favourite Specialized Turbo Cotton 320TPI in 28mm and it really made the ride come alive. Sacrilege, I know, but they're what I had to hand. Something like the Vittoria Corsa would also be a superb option when you're looking to upgrade from the stock tyres, that supple casing makes all the difference.

Ride impressions after 4 rides

It's still early days; but I have tested enough bikes to know that good bikes rarely become bad, but sometimes bikes you don't immediately gel with can come good with some small positional or component tweaks.

I am pleased to say the Emonda SL 6 Pro is simply a very good bike from the off. I had to keep reminding myself it was 'only' £3350; apart from some small weight gain and cheaper tyres it rides like a bike that costs double this. Swap the tyres out and it's even better.

Trek have mirrored the Madone geometry. There's no longer the choice of H2 (moderately relaxed) or H1 (Pro aggressive), but instead they've gone to H1.5 across the range. This to me is a welcome development - it's a Goldilocks geometry; aggressive enough to be racey but not so low or long as to need lots of spacers.

It's hard to 'feel' the aero gains of the new Émonda; I am coming off a Venge with 65mm wheels so that's setting a pretty high benchmark. But it doesn't feel slow on the flat by any means; it's certainly competitive (especially vs the old Émonda which was a bit of a brick wall aerodynamically). Where it does shine is uphill; the thing just flies.

I have read some people think the SL 6 rides 'harsh'; I certainly don't agree. Direct and responsive yes, but definitely not harsh, and swapping out to 28mm tyres (vs the stock 25mm) has improved things further, without any downsides.

Upgrade pOTENTIAL

Trek offer the Émonda SL 6 as standard in two variants; the SL 6, at £2900 with Bontrager Paradigm alloy rims and the SL 6 Pro at £3350, which is the same bike but equipped with Bontrager's Aeolus Elite 35 carbon wheels.

Both wheelsets are tubeless ready, but the Paradigm are a fairly "entry level" wheelset, tough and durable but not especially matching the light weight of the frame (at approx 1750g per pair). So for the relatively small uplift in price it's no surprise that the SL 6 Pro is proving to be vastly more popular, it's a really cost effective way to get some decent carbon wheels from the offset.

I was really impressed with the 35mm deep Aeolus Elite carbon wheelset in my testing, it packs a lot of punch for the money, part of the new generation of superb value wheels that have reduced the cost of entry to carbon.

The Émonda SL though is a bike that makes a perfect platform for upgrading over time, it's such a strong base to build on. I couldn't resist trying it with some of my other wheelsets (some of which are £2000+ and thus 2/3rds of the bike's price!). You can tell a good bike when good wheels "lift" it further.

That's certainly the case here, and as seen in my photos I've been putting in some miles on the ENVE SES 5.6 and my Rovals, both of which take things up a notch further still. With a high-end wheelset the SL 6 really flies, it can hold its own with bikes costing much more.

As you can tell, overall I really liked the bike. It's an outstanding privateer's race bike; for £3350 it offers everything you need; an aero climbing bike, with disc brakes and carbon wheels. The pace of technology is such that this is better than a £10,000 bike was a generation ago...

Of course me being me, I can't help but wonder when I get the SLR frame (rumoured to be 400gm lighter than the SL one) just how good it will be! But that'll get its own review, I'll just have to wait...

In the meantime the SL 6 is already proving to be a justified sales success for Trek, and has got the revamped Émonda line off to a superb start. If you're looking for an exceptionally capable race day bike and this fits your budget, it's got to be on your (very) shortlist. Its the most impressive new bike I have ridden in 2020.

words and pictures by Barry Scott

• At Bespoke we offer the full Trek range, perfectly fitted. For more info and to discuss your own Émonda, get in touch

Ultralight and Aero - the new Trek Émonda

Trek have unveiled their new generation Émonda, bringing all the climb-focused light weight you'd expect (sub-700g for the SLR frame) together with new aero benefits. We've...

New Project One ICON paint schemes

Trek's Project One programme offers a world of custom colour options. They've marked the launch of the new Émonda with some very special editions in their ICON series.

All New Trek Domane

Trek have unveiled a very fresh take on their ever-popular Domane, with an all new design for the 2020 model year.

Test: Trek Émonda SL6 (2018)

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Testbericht: Trek Émonda SL6 (Modelljahr 2018)

Das teure Trek Émonda SL6 gefällt Tourern und Rennsportlern. Komfort, Handling, Vorwärtsdrang – alles passt, bis auf die schwachen Bremsen.

Was uns gefällt:

Nach dem Kauf erhältst du eine E-Mail mit einem Link zum PDF-Datei Download oder kannst die Datei direkt hier auf der Webseite herunterladen.

  souveräner Alleskönner

  Systemintegration

  viele Größen

Was uns nicht gefällt:

  Bremsen etwas schwach

Testurteil: Gut (64 Punkte)

Treks Émonda ist die Profi-Plattform der US-Marke: Rahmen dieses Typs sind auch bei den großen Rundfahrten unterwegs. Zumindest fast: Es gibt zwei „Passformen“ für das Émonda, die getestete Version H2 kommt mit etwas längerem Steuerrohr als die Profi-Version H1. Das bedeutet: Man sitzt auf dem Trek Émonda SL6 gestreckt, aber mit etwas weniger Sattelüberhöhung. Das, so fanden die Tester, passt bestens zum wirksamen Federungskomfort, zur hohen Laufruhe und dem punktgenauen Handling. So gibt das Émonda einen veritablen Alleskönner mit klarem Hang zur sportlichen Gangart – optimal für Vielfahrer, die Großes im Sinn haben.

Denn seine Race-Gene kann das Trek Émonda nicht verheimlichen. Die nicht zu schweren Laufräder beschleunigen gut, die zentrale Fahrerposition erlaubt so ziemlich jeden Einsatz. Sehr gut gefielen Details wie die Integration von Trittfrequenzsensor und die Befestigungsmöglichkeit eines Tachohalters am Vorbau. Einziger Kritikpunkt: Die Bremse der Eigenmarke Bontrager packt weniger kraftvoll zu als aktuelle Shimano-Ultegra-Stopper.

Trek Émonda SL6 (Modelljahr 2018) im Vergleichstest

Erscheinungsdatum 09.04.2024

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• Émonda SL 6

• Rider Notes

2019 Trek Émonda SL 6 Pro

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

Manufacturer Price

For This Bike

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Based on frame geometry and build specs.

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

Émonda SL 6 Pro

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Aug 2020 · James Bracey

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

Efficient power transfer

Excellent handling prowess

Compliant ride

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

Heavy for a 'climbing' bike

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

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

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

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

Beautifully balanced handling, low, low weight

A technical marvel

It’s hard to wrap your head around a 10-grand-plus price tag

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 […]

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Last updated 16 September Not listed for 1,686 days