The aluminium bike uses Trek’s H1.5 geometry and features Kammtail tubing

By Stan Portus

Published: Thursday, 06 April 2023 at 12:00 am

---

Trek has announced the third generation of its Émonda ALR, said to be the brand’s lightest alloy road bike and “highest-value road race bike”.

The new Émonda ALR frameset includes features found on Trek’s carbon road bikes, including Kammtail tube profiles and integrated cables, and uses the same racing geometry, too.

In keeping with its other new bikes, Trek moves from the press-fit bottom bracket seen on the previous Émonda ALR to a threaded T47 bottom bracket.

The bike will be available as a frameset and in two builds, the ALR 5 and ALR 6.

The ALR 5 features a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset and will cost £2,325/$2,300.

The ALR 6 uses Shimano’s latest 12-speed Shimano 105 R7150 Di2 electronic groupset and costs £3,150 (US pricing to be confirmed).

The announcement also comes with the news Trek has discontinued the Trek Émonda ALR 4 and rim brake-specific Émonda ALR frameset, meaning the range is now disc brake only.

Lighter, faster

Trek says the new Émonda ALR is its lightest aluminium road bike.

Trek says the painted frame (in an unspecified size) weighs a claimed 1,257g and the carbon fibre fork weighs a claimed 406g, totalling 1,663g.

At launch, the 2019 Trek Émonda ALR frame and fork were said to weigh a claimed 1,481g, but the figures Trek provided at the time were for an unpainted frame and fork.

As complete builds the Trek Émonda ALR 5 weighs a claimed 9kg and the ALR 6 weighs a claimed 8.8kg.

The Émonda ALR is made from “ultra-light” – in Trek’s words – 300 Series Alpha Aluminium.

It features Trek’s Invisible Weld technology to give the frame a carbon-like finish. We’ve received the ALR 5 to review and the lines are, indeed, very clean.

Jack Luke / Our Media

The bike has Kammtail aero tube shaping and integrated cables and housing, which are said to improve the aerodynamics of the new ALR over its predecessor.

No watt savings versus the outgoing bike are supplied by Trek.

Jack Luke / Our Media

The cables and hoses run from the handlebar and into the frame via a port at the top of the headset, similar to the design on the Specialized Allez Sprint Comp.

The cockpit itself continues to be a two-piece affair, with a separate handlebar and stem. The Émonda is not compatible with the Trek Madone’s one-piece cockpit.

28c tyre clearance and no mudguard mounts

Jack Luke / Our Media

The integrated cable routing signifies Trek’s racy intentions for this bike and that continues with the absence of mudguard/fender mounts.

Trek says the Émonda forgoes mudguard eyelets in order to keep things “light, stiff and simple”.

We’d certainly argue that adding four eyelets wouldn’t sacrifice any of those, and would, in turn, increase the Émonda’s appeal as a year-round road bike – but you can, of course, still fit clip-on mudguards.

Maximum tyre clearance is stated as 28c (that still leaves a decent amount of clearance between the tyres and the frame).

Both bikes are equipped with 28c tyres out of the box, fitted with inner tubes. “Tubeless ready-tyres, rim strips, sealant and valve stems must be purchased separately to make the conversion to tubeless,” Trek says.

Bye, bye, press-fit (Press-fit, bye, bye)

Trek

The previous Émonda ALR used a BB86 bottom bracket, but the new version uses a threaded T47 bottom bracket.

Launched in 2015, the T47 bottom bracket was a collaboration between Chris King and Argonaut cycles designed to minimise the creaking associated PF30 bottom brackets.

Trek adopted the standard in 2020 with the Crocket cyclocross bike and it later appeared on the 2021 carbon fibre Trek Émonda and 2023 Trek Domane.

It’s little surprise, then, to see the new Émonda ALR switch to the standard, even if some will contend press-fits are better.

H1.5 geometry

The Émonda ALR has the same H1.5 geometry as the carbon Émonda and Domane.

Trek says this geometry is “race-specific” and positions you in the “right position for power while minimising aero losses.”

When reviewing the Émonda SL 6 eTap, Warren Rossiter said the H1.5 geometry  “occupies the sweet spot between Trek’s slammed H1 fit, aimed at pros, and the H2 fit, found on the Domane endurance bike.”

New saddle and stem

Trek

The new Émonda ALR 5 and 6 feature a new stem and saddle from Trek’s component sub-brand, Bontrager.

The Verse is a short-nose saddle which comes in a 142mm width.

The RCS Pro stem on the ALR 6 has a -7-degree angle and is 100mm long.

Trek Émonda ALR specs and prices

The Trek Émonda ALR will be available in two complete builds with Bontrager components and either Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 or Shimano 105 R7000.

It will also be available as a frameset.

Trek Émonda ALR 6 Di2

Trek

• Frame: Trek Émonda ALR Utralight 300 Series Alpha Aluminium
• Fork: Trek Émonda ALR full carbon
• Groupset: Shimano 105 R1750
• Wheels: Bontrager hubs with Bontrager Paradigm Comp rims
• Tyres: Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, 700x28mm
• Handlebar: Bontrager Elite VR-C alloy, 42cm
• Seatpost: Bontrager Comp 6061 alloy
• Saddle: Bontrager Verse Comp
• Price: £3,150