We have a new Trek Émonda ALR 5 aluminium road bike in for review here at road.cc at the moment and we’ll be revealing our findings as soon as our man Stu Kerton has got a few more miles in, but before we get to that, here’s a quick look of what the bike is all about.
Trek announced the updated version of its Émonda ALR back in April. The new frame incorporates Kammtail aero tubing and fully integrated cables, and it’s built around the same race-specific geometry that the US brand uses for its higher-end road bikes.
Trek says that this third-generation Émonda ALR is both lightweight – our ALR 5 in a 56cm size tipped the scales at 9.08kg although Trek claims 8.80kg – and strong. The 300 Series Alpha Aluminium frame is made using what Trek calls its Invisible Weld technology, giving it a sleek appearance.
‘Invisible’ might be over-egging it a little but the welds are certainly discreet, especially in the more prominent areas around the head tube and top tube. Granted, the ones at the bottom of the seatstays are noticeable if you go exploring, as are the ones around the BB, but Trek has been successful in its quest to give the bike a carbon-like aesthetic.
The new Émonda ALR inherits performance features from its more expensive carbon counterparts, chief among these being the down tube’s Kammtail aero shaping. It’s a fairly broad tube with a profile that’s squared off at the rear, the idea being to save weight while maintaining the drag-reducing properties.
The cable routing configuration has also changed. Instead of a port at the top of the down tube, the gear cables and hoses (for the hydraulic disc brakes) now run just underneath the stem and enter the top of the head tube through holes in the headset bearing cover.
The front derailleur cable, rear derailleur cable, and rear brake hose emerge just in front of the bottom bracket, with the latter two re-entering the frame at the bottom of the BB shell to connect with their respective components.
In terms of geometry, Trek has shifted the ALR bikes from its H2 fit to H1.5, bringing them into line with both Madones and carbon Émondas. If you’re not familiar with the ins and out of it, Trek used to offer you either an aggressive H1 fit or a more relaxed H2 fit on its performance-focused road bikes. H1.5 splits the difference between them. Trek says that it’s a race-specific geometry that allows you to maximise power while remaining in a low and aero position.
Trek has opted for a threaded T47 bottom bracket design for the Émonda ALR. Trek, like Specialized, has gradually been stepping away from press-fit systems. This move towards threaded components will be welcomed by those who have experienced issues like squeaks and creaks in the past.
The Émonda ALR is equipped with tubeless-compatible wheels although it is supplied with standard inner tubes and non-tubeless-compatible tyres and rim strips. Still, it’s an easy enough upgrade – if you regard tubeless as an upgrade – when the tyres inevitably wear out. The frame and fork can accommodate tyres up to a maximum width of 28mm.
The Trek Émonda ALR 5 is the cheaper of the two new models, coming equipped with a Shimano 105 R7000 11-speed groupset – with mechanical shifting – and Bontrager’s Paradigm SL wheels for £2,325.
> Take a look at our review of Shimano’s 105 R7100 Di2 groupset
The more expensive Trek Émonda ALR 6 gets Bontrager Paradigm Comp wheels and the Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 12-speed groupset – with electronic shifting – that was released last year. This model is priced at £3,150.
Stay tuned for a review of the Trek Émonda ALR 5 on road.cc soon.
