trek emonda sl 2022 review

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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.

Price: $11,999 as tested (Émonda SLR 9 eTap) Weight: 14.75 lb. (54cm) View Gallery

Update: On August 25, 2022, Trek Bicycles and the CPSC announced a recall of this Émonda SLR model to address an issue with the Bontrager Aeolus RSL VR-C handlebar and stem. The bike's carbon handlebar/stem can crack if overloaded, causing the rider to lose control of the bike. Customers are asked to stop using the bike and to contact their local Trek dealer.

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.

—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. 

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2021 Trek Emonda SL Pro 6 road bike review: for the climb lovers

The first review from our 2021 road bike field test. we review and compare the mid-priced version of trek's newly overhauled emonda race bike..

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When it was first released, the Emonda was a climber’s dream that Trek claimed as the world’s lightest production offering. Dealer events would have the ultra-premium 4.6 kg (10.25 lb) SLR 10 hanging from large helium balloons, and the American company made a big deal of it providing a benchmark stiffness-to-weight ratio. 

In many ways the Emonda back-filled the void left by the once round-tubed and low-weight Madone that was then becoming more aero. And as the Madone further trended to becoming Trek’s full aero racer (with an obvious element of comfort, too), the Emonda kept to its round tubes and stiff hill-attacking personality.  

That changed for 2021 with Trek overhauling the Emonda in a similar way to how almost every other brand has overhauled its lightweight race machine. The Emonda, now disc-only, gained a little weight by moving to slippery truncated airfoil tubes and a wholly new approach to cable routing in an effort to make it sleeker all-around. Additionally it should run quieter with a new threaded bottom bracket format, too. 

All of those techy details (and more) were covered in James Huang’s review of the top-tier Emonda SLR . And while James went pretty deep with that review, he left a few unanswered questions in relation to the more affordable 2021 Emonda SL. And so it’s exactly this more-affordable, second-tier version – specifically the Shimano Ultegra-equipped Emonda SL 6 Pro – that we took to our Field Test in Victoria’s High Country .

Emonda SLR vs Emonda SL

Story highlights.

What: A second-tier version of Trek’s all-round lightweight race bike. ||Key updates: Aero frame design, a more performance-oriented geometry, sleek semi-concealed cable routing, T47 threaded bottom bracket||Weight: 8.01 kg for the Emonda SL 6 Pro as tested (54 cm, without pedals), claimed frame weight is 1,142 g (56 cm).  ||Price: US$3,800 / AU$5,500 / £3,350 / €3,880-4,000||Highs: Obviously a race bike with geometry to match, agile handling, high-end looks, more tyre clearance than claimed, threaded bottom bracket, Shimano Ultegra is hard to fault, great saddle. ||Lows: Stiff ride quality, weight penalty in frame versus premium option, heavy carbon wheels, bend of handlebar is too tight.

There’s no denying that the Emonda SL (starting from US$2,700 / AU$4,000 / £2,275 / €2,580-2,600) is substantially cheaper than the pro-level SLR (starting from US$6,700 / AU$9,300 / £5,450 / €6,200), but what are you giving up in the process? Simply, it’s a matter of weight. 

An unpainted 56 cm Emonda SLR frame has a claimed weight of 698 g, while the matching fork adds 365 g. By comparison, the Emonda SL frame sits at 1,142 g, with the fork at 380 g. This 450-gram difference is simply attributed to the carbon composite layup used (in Trek marketing speak, that’s OCLV 800 vs OCLV 500), and simply less material is needed when the more expensive fibres and resins are stiffer and stronger.

That 1,142 g figure for the Emonda SL isn’t terribly heavy, but it is noticeably plumper than many other second-tier racing frames on the market. For example, the new Giant TCR Advanced frame offers a claimed weight of just 850 g, while Canyon’s comparable Ultimate CF SL frame has a figure of 980 g. And the Emonda SL’s higher frame weight is of course reflected in the complete bike weight, too, with our 54 cm SL 6 Pro tester tipping the scales at 8.01 kg (without pedals). 

Beyond the weight, the Emonda SL and SLR framesets are remarkably similar. They share the same moulds, and therefore the geometry and aero tube profiles are identical. Trek claims the stiffness profiles, and therefore ride quality is effectively equal. The way the cables are funnelled through the front of the head tube is the same, the new threaded T47 bottom bracket is mirrored, and likewise for the use of Trek’s reverser topper seatpost design. And heck, even the paint of our SL 6 Pro was an almost exact match to the SLR 9 that James tested. 

Beyond the frame there are some more apparent differences. The SLR models feature a wonderfully light Bontrager one-piece carbon handlebar and stem, while the SL models use a more traditional bar and stem setup. And it’s a similar story for the other components which are lighter (and more expensive) on the SLR models. 

A race-ready geo and ride

The Emonda of old had two geometry options. There was the low and aggressive “H1” pro fit (offered in the SLR level only), and then the more mainstream “H2” with its more accessible and upright stack figure. For 2021 Trek combined those two fits into one with “H1.5” being used across all Emonda models. 

That means the new Emonda SL is more aggressive than the last, and relatively speaking the reach figures are on the long side and the stack figures are fairly low. For example, our 54 cm tester offers reach and stack figures of 386 mm and 541 mm respectively, right in the realm of where many race-focused machines sit.

The handling is equally as sporty, with a traditional 73º head angle and 45 mm fork offset combining for a 58 mm trail figure with the control 28 mm Continental GP500 tyres fitted (25 mm Bontrager tyres are fitted as stock). And the wheelbase is kept fairly tight, too. 

Trek balances that longer reach by fitting a shorter-than-usual stem (90 mm on the 54 cm), and as a result the bike fits a little more upright than the figures may suggest. At the same time, that shorter stem produces a bike that handles even quicker and with less input than other race bikes with comparable trail figures. 

And it’s this quick-feeling attitude that will reward a rider with good handling skills. The Emonda can dive into turns and jump back out of them with little input. And it does that without an inkling of instability at speed. 

Further rewarding a good handler is the stiff frame that pounces when called on and lets you feel what the tyres are doing through your hands and bum. No doubt, this was the firmest-riding bike we had at our small Field Test, and despite the wider 28 mm tyres, I could still feel the cracks and inconsistencies in the road surface. Thankfully that stiffness manages to find the right side of the line between a bike that speaks to you and one that skips about. 

Both Andy van Bergen and I agreed the Emonda was the most impressive under power when directly compared to the Giant TCR Advanced Pro and Canyon Ultimate CF SL , and similarly it beats the Specialized Tarmac SL6s that we both have sitting at our respective homes. I’d most liken the ride to BMC’s recently updated and stiffened Teammachine SLR01 . 

That stiffness is great for riders who like out-of-the-saddle attacks and to feel their energy reach the rear wheel, but it’s less ideal for those seeking a smooth and compliant machine. And while many other brands utilise flexible seatposts to achieve more comfort through the saddle, Trek’s own reverse topper seatpost design just rides stiffer than the company claims and there are no options to change it for something more flexible – a somewhat surprising element given the company has gone to great lengths with its IsoSpeed technology to produce seated flex in its aero race and endurance platforms. 

Instead your best bet to add comfort to the Emonda is through the tyres. Trek officially states the Emonda can fit up to a 28 mm tyre, however that figure is extremely conservative. I trialled some 32 mm GP5000s (measured 32 mm width) in the frame without any sign of issue. 

Compared to the previous version, living with the new Emonda frameset has some wins and losses. The new internal cable routing sees the brake hoses and shift cables enter through a funnel at the proprietary headset top cap, and then squeeze between the squared-off fork steerer and top headset bearing. It looks wonderfully clean, but as James previously covered, it does introduce some servicing difficulty, and that’s especially true for this model that uses mechanical shift cables.

Perhaps offsetting that servicing pain is the new T47 threaded bottom bracket , something that’s more universally compatible with oversized crankset spindles and surely simpler to service than Trek’s previous BB90 design that saw bearings pressed directly into the carbon frame. And while that new bottom bracket (made by Praxis) does require a unique tool, servicing it is vastly more accessible than with the former press-fit design.        

I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of the aerodynamic design – we’ve done that – but I will say that the lines of this bike are quite stunning. The aero head tube is just so distinct, the wide and concave top tube offers a wonderfully interesting curvature, and similar can be said for where the long and flowing seat stays connect.  

The paint is also well done and makes this look far more expensive than it is. And as an added bonus there’s a second choice of colours, too (dark grey with chrome lettering). Although, perhaps Trek could have been a little more subtle with its logo, rather than turning the down tube into a rolling billboard. 

Carbon wheels aren’t always light

The tested Emonda SL 6 Pro sits smack bang in the middle of the Emonda’s range and features a full Shimano Ultegra R8020 mechanical groupset matched with a smorgasbord of Bontrager components (Trek’s own component and accessory brand).  

Below the SL 6 Pro (US$3,800 / AU$5,500 / £3,350) is the SL 6 (US$3,300 / AU$n/a / £2,900). The two bikes are effectively the same with the exception of the rolling stock. The cheaper SL 6 features Bontrager’s aluminium Paradigm Disc wheelset shod with the company’s R2 Hard-Case Lite tyres in a 28 mm size, whereas the tested Pro version moves to the carbon-rimmed Aeolus Elite 35 Disc wheels wrapped in a 25 mm version of the same tyre model. 

Adding US$500 to the bike’s price, those carbon rims offer a relatively shallow 35 mm aero-profiled rim that handles remarkably well without any sign of the flutter often present with deeper wheels in crosswinds. They offer a fairly modern profile, with an inner width of 19.2 mm and an outer width at 27.7 mm. However, the material is somewhat misleading and these wheels aren’t as light as you may expect. I weighed my sample set at 1,740 g for the pair (770 g front, 970 g rear).

That weight doesn’t sound like much, but it impacted how the bike felt when attacking steep slopes, with Andy remarking that it made the bike feel sluggish to respond. Carbon isn’t always an upgrade. 

Another area that left Andy and I underwhelmed was the Bontrager Elite VR-C handlebar. We just didn’t get along with the ultra compact shape of the drops which left me complaining of wrist clearance issues, while Andy found that he was unable to make comfortable use of the drops due to his hand sitting proud within the tight radius. We both agreed that the handlebar would be the first thing we’d change.

Thankfully that’s the extent of our issues, and the rest of the build kit is hard to fault. Bontrager’s basic alloy stem works with its Blendr series of computer and light attachments (some of which are supplied), while the new Bontrager Aeolus Comp saddle features a modern short-nose design with a generous centre channel. And all the smaller details, including the proprietary headset top cap and seat post topper, add to a premium look and feel. 

And finally there’s the Shimano Ultegra groupset. One thing James wasn’t able to test in his review of the SLR 9 was how the internal cable routing impacted mechanical shifting quality. I can confirm that it doesn’t. The shifts were just as snappy and consistent on this bike as they were on other bikes, and they should remain that way for a fair while with full-length housing used from shifter to derailleur. And that full-length housing should ease future repairs, although it does add to the bike’s total weight. 

Champagne tastes on a (craft) beer budget

Despite the lower price, Trek has done a solid job of bringing the Emonda SLR’s attributes to the SL. It offers the same handling, stiffness and aesthetic of its pro-level sibling, and that makes for an impressively enjoyable bike to ride.

However where the more expensive Emonda jumps with joy at every thought of an attack, the extra mass of the SL sees it hesistate somewhat. That difference may not be reflected on the clock, but it sure can be felt and it’s a constant reminder of the price tag attached to this ride. 

The new Emonda SL will be a good fit for the rider wanting a well-rounded race bike that handles and behaves like a WorldTour machine. However it’s best to avoid this one if you’re seeking an opulent ride quality or the lightest bike for the given sticker price. 

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Trek Émonda SL 6 road bike review

Giving the ride feel of a thoroughbred GC frame, Trek manages to deliver the perfect balance of stiffness and comfort in the elegant looking and reasonably priced Trek Émonda SL6.

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The Trek Émonda SL 6 exists a few places below Trek's signature SLR model but that doesn't stop it embodying the GC spirit and as a frame it certainly feels worthy of Alberto Contador.

It's made the coveted  Cycling Weekly's Editor's Choice list for its lightweight, fast and comfortable ride quality that'll have dancing up climbs like Contador himself. 

Think of top Tour de France bikes, and there are only a handful of names that pop into your head faster than the Trek Émonda.

While its old sibling, the Émonda SLR occupies the top echelons of WorldTour racing, we've got our hands on the more reasonably priced Trek Émonda Sl 6, coming in at £2,250.

Made famous in recent years beneath the likes of Alberto Contador and his Trek-Segafredo team mates, the Trek Émonda SL 6 feels like a thoroughbred GC frame regardless of its lower price point, and it's a frame that looks built to race yet still manages to maintain an air of elegance.

Trek Émonda SL 6 : c lassy looks

Sweeping lines blur one area of the frame into the other, and the slender seat stays make the bike look responsive and nimble. Pair the sweeping design with the matte silver paint job, and the bike has a seriously classy look.

But it isn't just surface, and the 500 series OCLV carbon makes the frame a skimpy 1091g. On our scales, the whole bike weighed in at 7.66kg, with any additional weight no doubt coming down to the components rather than the frame.

Down below, an overbuilt, beefy bottom bracket makes sure that every pedal stroke powers the bike forward – which is especially helpful when things start heading uphill.

Without a doubt, the most exciting equipment on the bike is the Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset. Newly updated, it marks an enormous overhaul of Shimano's everyman groupset.

In terms of shifting feel and action, it's every bit as good as it's older, more expensive Dura-Ace sibling. The re-designed front mech and more ergonomic levers offer a light action to front shifts, and rear shifts are crisp, accurate and powerful.

Of the new Ultegra groupset itself, the most exciting feature are the excellent rim brakes – again, they're every bit the match to the Dura-Ace models.

With them being so good, it was a bit of a disappointment to find them missing on the Émonda. Instead, Trek has specced its Bontrager Speed Stop Pro brakes rather than Shimano's far superior rim brakes.

Bontrager's in house stoppers can't match Shimano's for neither feel nor power but it's an oversight we can forgive considering the Émonda's excellent frame and ride qualities. Besides, the Ultegra brakes are always going to be there for that next upgrade.

Again, the Bontrager Paradigm aluminium wheelset could be lighter to match the svelte carbon frame but at this price point they're par for the course and they didn't feel like lead weights when heading uphill.

GC quality frameset

Out on the open road, the ride quality of the GC frame really shines through, and there's a sense of urgency laid up in the carbon that wants to let rip.

But there's a gentler side to it, too, and the high modulus frame gives comfort to the ride. Unlike so many stiff carbon frames, the Trek Émonda Sl 6 feels dampened and absorbent without that dreaded sluggishness that heavier bikes suffer from.

The skip in its step no doubt comes from its lack of weight, and even with the aluminium wheels and overbuilt brakes, the Émonda SL 6 weighs a tiny 7.66kg. Spoil yourself to some killer wheels and you'll bring that down even further.

Dancing out the saddle on the Émonda SL 6

On the hills it climbs like you'd expect from a frame built for Alberto Contador, encouraging you to imitate his signature out the saddle dance on the steepest inclines. But its a frame that really shines on the downs, too. The 992mm wheelbase is manoeuvrable but well balanced and the handling was sharp in the corners, everything you'd expect from a GC super bike.

The Émonda Sl 6's frame is faultless – lightweight, comfort and stiffness all in perfect equilibrium. Its more than a match for the aluminium wheels it comes with, but it has to meet a price point after all.

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Trek Émonda SL 7

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62

Weight / 56 - 7.80 kg / 17.2 lbs

At a glance

Where to buy.

"Lizzie Deignan takes monumental win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège"

"A decisive solo victory for the Briton as teammate Ellen van Dijk takes third."

"One of the fiercest climbing bikes available, the new Émonda is even faster thanks to a dose of aero"

"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."

"It's an incredible update from Trek"

"The updated Emonda packs one helluva punch, and Trek has a winner on its hands. The integrated cockpit is nice and all, but the real win is the H1.5 fit, which makes the Emonda feel more stable while maintaining the aggression and responsiveness of previous Emondas. That, coupled with a lightweight construction, comfortable ride, and aerodynamic shaping, brings Trek's top of the line climber from a very good bike to an excellent one."

Specifications

• Frame Ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon, Ride Tuned performance tube optimization, tapered head tube, internal routing, DuoTrap S compatible, flat mount disc, 142x12mm thru axle
• Fork Émonda SL full carbon, tapered carbon steerer, internal brake routing, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru axle
• Chain Shimano Ultegra/XT M8100, 12 speed
• Crank Size: 50, 52 Size: 54, 56, 58
• Shifters Shimano Ultegra R8170 Di2, 12 speed
• Brakeset Shimano MT800, centerlock, 160mm
• Handlebar Size: 50 Size: 52
• Seatpost Size: 50, 52, 54 Size: 56, 58, 60, 62
• Stem Size: 50 Size: 52, 54

Q: Where to buy a 2022 Trek Émonda SL 7?

The 2022 Trek Émonda SL 7 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2022 Trek Émonda SL 7 weigh?

A 2022 Trek Émonda SL 7 weights 56 - 7.80 kg / 17.2 lbs.

Q: What size 2022 Trek Émonda SL 7 should I get?

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Trek likes to keep it simple, stupid when it comes to navigating its road bike range. Madone: that's the aero one. Domane: that's the comfort one. Emonda: that's the lightweight one. Easy-peasy.

The Emondas are then divided up into the aluminium ALR and the S, SL and SLR carbon fibre frame platforms, getting progressively lighter and – because this is the way things generally work – more expensive.

Coming in at 8.55kg (18.8lb), the Emonda SL 5 is light but it doesn't feel like Trek has filled the tubes with helium (the frame weight is a claimed 1,091g, size 56cm). The Merlin Nitro SL (£200 more expensive at £1,999.99) that we reviewed back in the summer hit the scales at 7.7kg (17.0lb), for instance, while the Boardman SLR Endurance Disc 9.0 (also £1,999.99) we tested was 8.2kg (18.2lb).

Don't get too hung up on weight, though. I only really bring it up because Trek makes such a big deal of it when talking about the Emonda. Climb aboard the SL 5 and it immediately feels alive, responding keenly as soon as you turn the pedals. Put a serious amount of power through the cranks and it springs forward as if it was just waiting for the flag to drop. Both the head tube and the down tube are enormous, holding the frame firmly in shape when you're recruiting every muscle fibre on an out-of-the saddle sprint or climb.

Relaxed but performance-orientated

Speaking of climbing, the Emonda SL 5 is fitted with a Shimano 105 compact chainset (50/34-tooth chainrings) which, matched to an 11-28 11-speed cassette, provides enough low gears to get you up the steep stuff in relative comfort. All of the other Emonda SLs are fitted with compact chainsets too, by the way, and they all come with frames built to Trek's H2 fit. That requires an explanation and, as luck would have it, there's one coming along right now... While Trek's H1 fit puts you into a low, flat-backed, aggressive riding position, H2 is a little more relaxed, although it's still performance orientated.

I have the 58cm Emonda SL 5 here with a 57.3cm effective top tube, a 55.3cm seat tube and a 19cm head tube. The stack height is 596mm and the reach is 391mm.

With an H1 fit (the Emonda SLR Race Shop Limited frameset is available in H1) the reach is a little longer (400mm) and the stack is quite a lot lower (567mm). You all know what reach and stack are... (no? stack is the vertical and reach the horizontal measurements from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube).

Don't get the impression that the Emonda SL 5's H2 fit will have you sitting bolt upright in the saddle because it's a long, long way from that. For comparison, a 58cm Domane SL 5 has a stack height that's 15mm higher and a reach that's 11mm shorter. In other words, the H2 fit sits somewhere in the middle, an Aristotelian golden mean. Or Goldilocks' favourite porridge, if that's a cultural reference that works better for you. Put simply, a lot of people will get on well with the fit because it requires less flex in the back and neck than a traditional race fit without binning off the idea of efficiency.

One aspect of the Emonda SL 5's ride that surprised me is the level of comfort on offer here, particularly for a performance bike with 25mm-wide tyres. Okay, you don't get a clever IsoSpeed decoupler like you'll find on a Madone or a Domane to cushion the ride, but there's a decent amount of give in the seatmast and cap that Trek provides instead of a more traditional seatpost, and in the flattened, ultra-skinny seatstays.

As we all know, saddles always come down to personal preference – what feels like an armchair to one person can feel like a razor blade to another – but the steel-railed Bontrager Montrose Comp specced here has a pressure-relief channel/hole in the centre and loads of flex in the shell so I imagine it'll make more friends than enemies.

Great groupset

The Emonda SL 5 descends with assurance, giving you the confidence to lay off the brakes when others are nervously feathering theirs. When you do need to slow down the Shimano 105 brakes work on the alloy rims to provide plenty of predictable power. Shimano does make very good brakes. These are of the direct mount variety and they can be relied upon to hold tight when you need them. They even put in a decent performance in damp conditions although, like any rim brakes, they're outperformed by disc brakes when it's properly wet. If that bothers you and you can stretch to £2,650, the Emonda SL 6 is available in a disc version – with 12mm thru-axles front and rear, a Shimano Ultegra groupset including flat mount hydraulic discs, and an 11-32t cassette.

As well as the brakes, the SL5's shifters, derailleurs, chainset, cassette and chain are all Shimano 105. We've covered this groupset a million times on road.cc and it really is difficult to fault for the money.

I particularly like the light action shifters. They're slim, comfortable and easy to operate from either the hoods or the drops. There's not a massive difference between these and more expensive Ultegra, or even top of the pile Dura-Ace mechanical shifters. Sure, you can tell them apart but in use... puh! I'd happily use 105 on every ride. It's amazingly popular and rightly so. Although a couple of others run it close, 105 is still arguably the best value groupset out there.

> Head to head: Shimano 105 vs Shimano Ultegra

> And: Shimano Tiagra vs Shimano 105

This has all been a bit of a lovefest so far, but my one tiff with the Emonda SL 5 was right at the start of our relationship. I picked up the bike and was riding home from the office on it – five miles in, whistling a happy tune, thinking about what I'd have for tea, you know the sort of thing – and the front end started to feel... odd. I got out of the saddle on a climb and it felt decidedly spongy. Weird!

I stopped to check everything and it turned out that several spokes had loosened – about eight of them, I think. And I mean that they'd really loosened to the point that the nipples were just about holding on by their fingertips (shut up! Of course they do). My multi-tool has a spoke wrench on it so I tightened them up at the side of the road, then did a proper job when I got home. Since then the wheel has been fine.

I've reviewed loads of Treks before and this hasn't been an issue in the past, so I'm happy to put it down to bad luck. To be honest, if you know which way up to hold a spoke wrench it's not a massive problem, but it would be a pain if you had to book your bike in to a shop and have a mechanic do the fettling for you. Anyway, I've forgiven the Emonda SL 5 for that now and we've both moved on.

Spoilt for choice

The Emonda range is large, kicking off with the Shimano Tiagra-equipped ALR 4 at £1,000 and going right up to the SLR 9, with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components, at £8,500 (a customisable Project One version of the Emonda SLR 9 is also available).

There are four SL models ranging in price from £1,500 (SL 4, Shimano Tiagra) up to £4,300 (SL 7, Shimano Ultegra Di2). At £2,000, the Emonda ALR 6, with an aluminium frame, is actually more expensive than the SL 5 courtesy of a next-level-up Shimano Ultegra groupset. The SL 5 is also available as a women's model.

Oh, and you can buy an Emonda SL frameset for £1,350 – but why would you do that when you can get a complete Emonda SL 4 for £1,500?

> Check out our guide to Trek's 2018 road bike range here

As well as the Emonda SL 6 Disc mentioned earlier, there's an Emonda SL 7 Disc, equipped with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3 Tubeless Ready wheels, for £4,400.

You can certainly get complete bikes with carbon fibre frames and Shimano 105 components considerably cheaper than the Emonda SL. The Focus Izalco Race Carbon 105, for example, is £1,399 and Giant's TCR Advanced 2 is £1,449. Those two are killer value. Equally, there are plenty of carbon/105 bikes out there that are more expensive. Cervelo's R2 105 is £2,199, for example, and BMC's Teammachine SLR02 Two is £2,250.

I would say that you're getting an extraordinarily good frame with the Trek Emonda SL 5 – one that'll handle considerable upgrading if you fancy doing that gradually as and when individual components wear out. It's that which makes this bike such impressive value for money.

Overall, the Trek Emonda SL 5 is excellent. I had an early issue with one of the wheels but that doesn't detract from the fact that this is a fast and nimble road bike that reacts like something considerably more expensive. Also comfortable and well behaved, it makes you question whether it's worth spending any more money than this.

A fast and nimble road bike that puts in an exceptional performance for its price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Emonda SL 5

Size tested: 58cm

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

Frame Ultralight 500 Series OCLV Carbon, ride-tuned performance tube optimisation, E2 tapered head tube, BB90, direct mount brakes, internal cable routing, DuoTrap S compatible, Ride Tuned seatmast

Fork Emonda carbon, E2 steerer, direct mount brakes

Wheels Bontrager Tubeless Ready

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

Shifters Shimano 105, 11-speed

Front derailleur Shimano 105, braze-on

Rear derailleur Shimano 105

Chainset Shimano 105, 50/34 (compact)

Bottom bracket BB90

Cassette Shimano 105, 11-28, 11-speed

Chain Shimano 105

Brakeset Shimano 105, direct mount

Saddle Bontrager Montrose Comp, chromoly rails

Seatpost Bontrager Ride Tuned alloy seatmast cap, 10mm offset

Handlebar Bontrager Race VR-C, 31.8 mm

Handlebar tape Bontrager

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

Headset Integrated, cartridge bearing, sealed, 1 1/8in top, 1 1/2in bottom

Tell us what the bike is for

It's a road bike designed for racers and other performance-type riders who are interested in speed and fitness.

Frame and fork

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

The quality is exceptionally good throughout.

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

The frame is made from Trek's 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre. The fork is carbon too.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Like all the Emonda SL frames, this bike is built to Trek's H2 geometry which sits somewhere between a low and stretched H1 fit and a more upright endurance setup. H2 is certainly performance-focused, it's just not as aggressive as H1.

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

It's about what you'd expect.

Riding the bike

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

It's surprisingly comfortable for a bike of this type. You only get so much cushioning from 25mm tyres but the seatmast certainly helps to damp vibration and soften the blows.

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

The super-wide down tube holds the bottom bracket firmly in place and the tapered (1 1/8in to 1 1/2in) head tube keeps the front end in order.

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

It felt efficient, without a doubt.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so

Some. It's only ever an issue for tight manoeuvres at walking pace.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively Lively.

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

It offers a great ride whether you're going uphill, downhill or on the flat. It's a well-balanced bike that feels like it can cope with pretty much anything.

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

The seatmast and seatmast cap take some of the credit here, along with Bontrager's saddle.

You can swap to 28mm wide tyres if you want to run lower pressures for more comfort.

The drivetrain

Wheels and tyres

I have to take into account that several spokes came loose almost immediately. The rims are tubeless ready, if you want to go down that route.

After an initial scare they were fine.

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

The Shimano 105 groupset put in an excellent performance.

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

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Trek Emonda SL 5 puts in a really strong performance. You'd be hard-pressed to tell from riding it alone that this wasn't a considerably more expensive bike. You're getting an exceptionally good bike for the money, and that equates to a 9.

Overall rating: 9 /10

About the tester

Age: 43   Height: 190cm   Weight: 75kg

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

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

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

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I share similar thoughts on Emonda SL 5. Bought new in 2019 as 2018 model for only 1.200 € and it seemed like a great deal. But wheels almost fell appart after 30 km, most of the spokes were totaly loosened. I was lucky to find that out just before the fast descent. Both wheels, front and rear! I took it to dealer and they said I was just unlucky, one in a million. Then I waited more than 2 months for new pair of wheels, replaced under guarantee. Got Bontrager Affinity TLR wheels. They were fine but bearings seem to be totaly destroyed after about 7000 km. So I did upgrade to Mavic Cosmic.

What do I think about the bike now? It is a great bike, with perfect geometry for me, very responsive and good for climbing. Not super light but good enough. Not aero at all but new wheels are doing the job much much better. It's a climber not a TT bike. Would I recommend the bike to anybody? Probably not, due to the serious issue with wheels that could affect safety. 

I still cannot understand how can a company like Trek put so awfull wheels on a nice carbon bike like Emonda 5. In my eyes this was a recall situation and obviously not a one in a million case. 

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I might be corrected but up to last year or perhaps this, the model was fitted with lighter 'Race' wheels.  They kept the price at £1800 and put cheaper wheels on it.  It's a shame as the frame and groupset is excellent, in my opinion.

  "Coming in at 8.55kg (18.8lb), the Emonda SL 5 is light...

   Don't get too hung up on weight, though. I only really bring it up because Trek makes such a big         deal of it when talking about the Emonda".

How does a carbon bike which sells for £1800 and weighs over eight and a half kilos get described as LIGHT ?

For comparison at £1800:  the Canyon Endurace CF8.0 is size Medium is 7.2 kilos.

The £1800 Rose GF Team 4 Ultegra is 7.1 kilos.

Both bikes have a complete Ultegra groupset - no sneaky substitutions, both have excellent DT Swiss wheels and are well equipped right down to Conti's top tyres.

What they seem to lack (apart from a kilo and a half) is the word Trek written down the side.

macbob wrote:   "Coming in at 8.55kg (18.8lb), the Emonda SL 5 is light...    Don't get too hung up on weight, though. I only really bring it up because Trek makes such a big         deal of it when talking about the Emonda". How does a carbon bike which sells for £1800 and weighs over eight and a half kilos get described as LIGHT ?

If the original article was from 2014 when the SL5 was launched, then 8.55 Kg would have been viewed as somewhat light for a fast endurance bike back then.

"If the original article was from 2014 when the SL5 was launched, then 8.55 Kg would have been viewed as somewhat light for a fast endurance bike back then".

     All true, although the article is bylined:

                   by Mat Brett May 25 2018  

    and a quick check of the Evans website suggests the bike is still nearly eight and a half kilos.

macbob wrote:   "If the original article was from 2014 when the SL5 was launched, then 8.55 Kg would have been viewed as somewhat light for a fast endurance bike back then".      All true, although the article is bylined:                    by Mat Brett May 25 2018       and a quick check of the Evans website suggests the bike is still nearly eight and a half kilos.

Unlike the German bikes this bike does come with boat anchors for wheels and wire bead tyres. Along with the 105 groupset that would explain most of the weight difference.

The review suggests though that the frame is fantatsic so a wheel + tyre upgrade would leave you wth a fantastic bike. Sure it would cost more than the German bikes but there's more to a bike than just it's weight.

Joe Totale wrote: macbob wrote:   "If the original article was from 2014 when the SL5 was launched, then 8.55 Kg would have been viewed as somewhat light for a fast endurance bike back then".      All true, although the article is bylined:                    by Mat Brett May 25 2018       and a quick check of the Evans website suggests the bike is still nearly eight and a half kilos.

European reviews of the Rose & UK and European reviews of the Canyon suggest the frames on both those bikes are excellent too. So the question is: do you want a lightweight bike with an excellent frame, a complete Ultegra groupset, highly regarded DT Swiss wheels and top drawer finishing kit... or do you want the Trek.

Or you could take the view that a bike is more than just a frame, a groupset, wheels, tyres and finishing kit in which case the big American brands with their overweight, under specced and overpriced offerings are for you.

"Updated May 25th  2018". It was a recycled article, hence my comment......

Why is this bike being compared to the  Boardman SLR Endurance Disc 9.0? The calliper version comes in at 7.6kg and gives you an almost complete Dura-Ace groupset and a better wheelset for only £99 more.  https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/242-slr-9.2-endurance.html

Did a few hundred KMs on a rented SL5 in Mallorca earlier this year.

Nice machine, although the most impressive element was the 105 groupset (especially the brakes), which is easy to find on other makes/models.

It was definitely comfortable, and reasonably light - although I couldn't say I noticed a huge improvement on my 725-framed Equilibrium. May be my own frame which means a couple of KG off the bike doesn't make much obvious difference, of course...

So certainly not a bad option but I'd be tempted to look around a bit more before splashing that sort of cash.

Decent / good frame with full 105, own brand everything else (bars, stem, seatpost, wheels, tyres, may be ok stuff) inc wheels which look very spokey. 

giant tcr advanced pro 2 would be a potentially better bike

in a sale at £1800 it has giant tcr frame (one of stiffest on market) giant slr carbon wheels and 105.

beaut bike would reccomend. Its weight is also 7kg

spinner98 wrote: giant tcr advanced pro 2...has giant tcr frame

Well that's very reassuring.

Incredibly generous considering the wheel supplied was in a dangerous condition.

An ordinary person may not have noticed the odd feeling and ridden it until it collapsed under them, throwing them under a car. It’s pretty serious. 

Prosper0 wrote: Incredibly generous considering the wheel supplied was in a dangerous condition. An ordinary person may not have noticed the odd feeling and ridden it until it collapsed under them, throwing them under a car. It’s pretty serious. 

Well that really depends, for most people that would have been picked up by the shop you purchased the bike from. For everyone who orders it direct I would expect them to check the wheel before riding it

Really? They'd notice the wheel not fitting between the brake pads a long time before collapsing.

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

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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 an Editor at Large at the AllGear network and the Climbing, Cycling, Fitness, Travel, and Powersports 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.

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"It's an incredible update from Trek"

"The updated Emonda packs one helluva punch, and Trek has a winner on its hands. The integrated cockpit is nice and all, but the real win is the H1.5 fit, which makes the Emonda feel more stable while maintaining the aggression and responsiveness of previous Emondas. That, coupled with a lightweight construction, comfortable ride, and aerodynamic shaping, brings Trek's top of the line climber from a very good bike to an excellent one."

"The Emonda is still light, and it’s still stiff, but now there’s an extra dose of free speed"

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• 火曜＆水曜ラン　　　　　04/08～09

2024/08/30 14:51

【アウトレット】EMONDA SL 5のお買い得な店頭在庫あります！【TREK】 by: 渡邉考一

EMONDA SLのラストモデル！

【TREK】EMONDAと統合された注目の新型MADONEが入荷！【EMONDA SL 5 Gen 8】 こちらや

【最新モデル】新型MADONE GEN8を試乗してきました！

こちらの記事でご紹介しているように、TREKのロードラインナップである「MADONE」シリーズと「EMONDA」シリーズが統合されました（アルミフレームのモデルは除く）。

つまり、軽量モデルであるカーボンフレームの「EMONDA」シリーズは、現在流通している分が最後ということになります。

「EMONDA SLR」、「EMONDA SL」シリーズは、その軽量性はもちろん、オリジナリティの高い精悍なフレームデザインでとても高い人気を誇っていました。

中でも一番リーズナブルで人気の高かった「EMONDA SL 5」は、メーカー在庫がすでに無く、流通在庫のみとなっています。

そんな状況の「EMONDA SL 5」ですが、現在越谷店には2台在庫がございます。

カラーはNavy Smoke/Dark Aquatic、サイズは52、54サイズが各1台ずつです。

ちなみに2024年8月30日現在、越谷店在庫以外のサイズも、ワイズロードのネット通販サイト「 ワイズロードオンライン 」にてご注文いただけますので、そちらからお申し込みいただき、越谷店でお受け取りいただくことも可能です（在庫があるサイズに限ります）。

TREK ( トレック ) ロードバイク EMONDA SL 5 ( エモンダ SL5 ) 105 機械式 12S ネイビースモーク / ダークアクアティック 52 (適応身長目安166-172cm前後)

アウトレット品扱いのためキズ等がある場合がありますが、お買い得価格になっていますので、気になる方はぜひ越谷店店頭までお越しいただければと思います。

TREK 2024 EMONDA SL 5 アウトレット

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納車前整備で初期不良等の不具合が発覚した場合

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※定価販売商品が対象、アウトレット等値下げ品を除く。 万一の際、大変ご迷惑をお掛けしますが何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。

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アウトレット価格とは、基本的に他支店での販売不可の商品が多く含まれる”ワイズロード越谷店 店頭ご来店特価”となります。キズ有品、サンプル商品、B級品など様々な理由がございます。傷や汚れなどある場合がございますので、現品確認の上で店頭にてお買い求め下さい。お取り置き期間については、基本的には対象商品のすべてが 「早い者勝ち」 でございます。 ご商談させて頂きました商品に限り「お取り置き期間1日程度」 で承っております。お気軽にご相談下さいませ。 返品、交換については、基本的に全て現物確認の上でお買い求め頂きますので返品交換はいたしかねます。 製品製造上の欠陥とみられる場合など、スタッフまでご相談下さい。メーカーへ相談し、対応方法を確認させて頂きます。 アウトレット商品をお買い求めの際は上記予めご了承の上、お願い申し上げます。

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特典①waonポイントがつきます。.

通常、特価商品にはワイズクラブポイントがつきませんが、WAONポイントが適用可能な越谷店なら20万円の車体ですと1,000ptたまります。もちろん、用品関連はダブルポイント！

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特典②アウトレット店限定商品

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特典③20日・30日はお客様感謝デー

 20万円の車体なら1万円引きです！他支店取り寄せ品にも適用可能です。 ※一部車体は対象外。お問い合わせください。

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• Rider Notes

2022 Trek Émonda SLR 7

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

Manufacturer Price

Émonda SLR 7 - 2022, 56cm

In Stock: 56cm

Émonda SLR 9 | Shimano Dura Ace Di2

In Stock: 58cm

Émonda SLR 9 AXS Project One - 2022, 54cm

In Stock: MD

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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 SLR 7

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• 6'2", size 58cm, Just right
• 5'10", size 54cm, Just right
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Nov 2023 · Charlotte Head

Hill climbers push their bikes to the extreme and this Trek Émonda is the perfect example, slimmed down to an

Read Review

Oct 2022 · Warren Rossiter

A climb-friendly bike with aero styling

Snappy handling

Fast to respond through the pedals

Power meter included in a fine package

Faster tyres would enhance its ride further

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

Light and aerodynamic

Easy to service

Proper race bike feel and handling

Apr 2022 · Stu Kerton

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

Internal cable routing gives a very clean look

A great all-rounder

Good finishing kit

Not exactly light

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

Jul 2020 · Dan Cavallari

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 […]

Jun 2020 · Benjamin Topf

With Trek's completely revised 2021 Émonda SLR 9 eTap, the American brand's lightest frame goes into the 3rd generation. Have Trek managed to design an aerodynamic climbing specialist that performs just as well on flat terrain? How does it compare to the Madone? Our first ride review includes everything you need to know about the brand new bike!

Light-footedness and speed in every situation

High precision

Race-level stiffness when attacking

Coherent overall concept

Tidy look with excellent attention to detail

Race-level stiffness all the time

First added September 3

Last updated August 15

Not listed for 744 days

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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.

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