trek emonda sl5 vs canyon

2024 Canyon Ultimate vs Trek Emonda

Our bicycle maestro Bernard Lu compares the Canyon Ultimate and Trek Emonda, comparing the variant, features, technologies and pricing.

In this article, I’ll guide you through a comparison between the Canyon Ultimate and Trek Emonda ; both popular road bikes among cyclists.

I’ll walk through the Canyon Ultimate and Trek Emonda models lineup, their specifications, and retail pricing (USD). I’ll explain the carbon fiber technology used ( Canyon Carbon Fiber vs Trek OCLV ), and unique frameset features for each bike.

The goal is to help you get a better understanding before you make your final purchasing decision.

Canyon Ultimate

The Canyon Ultimate is an all-rounder bike. Canyon claims that the Ultimate has an unrivaled stiffness-to-weight ratio, debunking the myth that a lightweight bike is not stiff enough to perform at the highest levels of cycling.

It’s the bike the pros rode to two World Championships and three Grand Tours wins in recent years with Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, and Richard Carapaz.

The flagship model, Canyon Ultimate CFR is the latest addition with the lightest setup weighing 6.52kg. The Ultimate CFR has the best electronic shifting groupsets from SRAM or Shimano. Next in line is the CF SLX weighing 6.98kg, and CF at 7.6kg.

Canyon Ultimate vs others

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Trek Emonda

The Trek Emonda is a lightweight bike for the high mountains.

The lightest Trek Emonda frame weighs less than 700g using Trek’s OCLV 800 carbon. This is the bike Richie Porte rode to his third place in the 2020 Tour de France.

The SLR is the lightest and most expensive atop the Trek Emonda models. There are six Emonda SLR options, specced electronic shifting groupsets from SRAM or Shimano.

Next in line is the SL, the mid-range, more budget-friendly option. It has the same frame design and geometry as the SLR but uses the OCLV 500 carbon instead. The groupset choices are Shimano Ultegra Di2 , Shimano 105 Di2 , SRAM Force AXS , or SRAM Rival AXS .

The Trek Emonda SLR and SL framesets are also available separately.

Trek Emonda vs others

2024 Orbea Orca vs Trek Emonda

2024 Pinarello Dogma F vs Trek Emonda

2024 Pinarello F vs Trek Emonda

2024 Scott Addict RC vs Trek Emonda

2024 Specialized Aethos vs Trek Emonda

2024 Specialized Tarmac SL7 vs Trek Emonda

2024 Specialized Tarmac SL8 vs Trek Emonda

2024 Trek Emonda vs BMC Teammachine SLR

2024 Trek Emonda vs Cannondale SuperSix Evo

Canyon vs Trek carbon fiber

Canyon carbon fiber (cf).

Canyon’s innovative approach to bike design includes the utilization of advanced carbon fiber technology, resulting in performance-oriented bicycles that offer remarkable strength, reduced weight, and improved ride quality.

Canyon employs three main types of carbon fiber in their range of bikes; CFR , CF SLX, and CF SL , each offering unique benefits to cater to your needs and budgets.

• Canyon CFR (Canyon Factory Racing) Carbon is the top-tier carbon fiber used by Canyon, designed for maximum performance. Bikes built with CFR carbon are the lightest and stiffest in the Canyon line-up, favored by professional racers and serious enthusiasts alike. The CFR series represents the pinnacle of Canyon’s engineering prowess and innovation, employing state-of-the-art materials and advanced manufacturing techniques.
• Canyon CF SLX Carbon is a step below CFR, but it still offers exceptional performance characteristics. It used to be the highest-grade carbon in Canyon’s arsenal until the introduction of the CFR series. Bikes with CF SLX carbon frames provide a perfect balance of weight, stiffness, and comfort, making them highly versatile for a range of riding conditions.
• Canyon CF SL Carbon is the entry-level carbon fiber in Canyon’s range, but it still offers excellent performance. While it doesn’t quite match the extreme weight savings and stiffness of the CFR and CF SLX grades, CF SL frames are still impressively light and stiff, providing excellent performance for the value. Ideal for cyclists who desire a high-quality, performance-oriented bike without breaking the bank, the CF SL series is a testament to Canyon’s commitment to delivering value and performance.

Trek OCLV carbon

The OCLV (Optimum Compaction, Low Void) carbon is a proprietary carbon fiber manufacturing technology developed by Trek.

• Optimum Compaction refers to the heat and pressure applied during the curing process to squeeze out excess resin and ensure that the carbon layers are compacted to the optimal density.
• Low Void refers to the goal of reducing microscopic air pockets or voids that can occur in the carbon fiber and create weaknesses.

One of the key advantages of OCLV carbon is its ability to achieve an optimal balance between stiffness, strength, and weight. Trek engineers carefully tune the carbon layup and utilize varying modulus carbon fibers to create stiff frames in certain areas to maximize power transfer while maintaining compliance in other areas to enhance comfort and ride quality.

The OCLV carbon is available in 800 and 500 series.

• OCLV 800 is the highest-grade carbon fiber used by Trek. The carbon modulus is higher in OCLV 800, making it stiffer and lighter. The manufacturing process is more refined, using more advanced carbon and resins, leading to a bike frame that provides top performance levels for stiffness, weight, and strength. OCLV 800 is used in all models with SLR .
• OCLV 500 is a lower-grade carbon but still offers a high level of performance. It has a slightly lower carbon modulus, meaning it’s a bit less stiff and heavier than OCLV 800. OCLV 800 is used in all models with SL .

It’s worth noting that the different OCLV grades don’t only refer to the material itself, but also to the manufacturing techniques used to form the carbon fiber into bike frames. Higher-grade carbon requires more precise manufacturing techniques to take full advantage of its superior material properties.

Frameset technologies and innovations

Canyon Ultimate and Trek Emonda framesets incorporate advanced technologies to enhance their bikes’ performance and ride characteristics.

Here’s an overview of the technologies used in each bike model.

Where to buy

Canyon shops.

• Canyon online shop . Available to ship to most countries worldwide.
• Trek online shops . Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States
• Trek retailers . Use this tool to find your nearest Trek retailers.

Bernard Lu has 7+ years of experience working in a bicycle shop, overseeing the retail and workshop operations. He’s a qualified bicycle mechanic who understands a cyclist’s needs and speaks the same cycling lingo.

If you meet him at the cafe, he will happily talk to you for hours about all the intricacies of bikes and cycling tech. Just buy him a coffee next time you see him.

Mr. Mamil's content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content is not a substitute for official or professional advice. Please do your own due diligence.

Mr. Mamil participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We also participate in various other affiliate programs, and at times we earn a commission through purchases made through links on this website.

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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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16 comments.

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 2021 - ALR or SL

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Hi There From Switzerland and looking to change my 5 years old Canyon Endurace AL 6.0, the Trek Emonda seems to me to hit the right spot. The budget is what it is and the max I could afford is the SL 5. Maybe the SL 6 but the I don’t really see the benefit of the Ultegra groupset over 105. Another solution is to buy the ALR 5 or 6 and add a good set of wheels, like the Zipp 303s or DT Swiss ARC 1100. The open point for me is to understand if the carbon frame is really better than the aluminium one? And if yes, how and why? Cheers folks Sam  

For road/gravel, I ride 3 main bikes. 2 are aluminum and 1 is carbon. I think they are all great bikes, personally don't feel much ride difference between them if at all. On a good day I can set a PR on my aluminum road bike even though it's alloy and 8 years older than my carbon bike. But in your case... I believe the Emonda is supposed to be a first-rate climbing bike which should be light... so almost certainly the carbon one fits that bill better. Yeah, the components and wheels offset that... but your next upgrade down the line could be wheels. There are always good deals to be found.  

Thanks for your answer [emoji120] As you, i dont care about the frame material. The ride characteristics, the ride feeling I should say as the weight, is more important to me. The aluminium frame is lighter than the carbon OCLV 500 one ... if it’s more aerodynamic (but at my speed and I’m not riding at 40 km/h) or more comfortable, then I’ll take it. I’m riding mostly on ondulated, wavy roads and sometimes goes for a big alpine ride. And I want just a bike to ride everywhere, anytime.  

It will be an Emonda SL 5. Wheel upgrade in a few months, when the temperature will rise a bit. Should be here for the week-end.  

Interesting choice. I’d be interested to know the weight out of the box - you know, before pedals and accessories, but including saddle and bars.  

Good choice. Most of the pro riders on the Trek teams (men and women) use the Emonda, which is Trek’s lightest bike. Those riders have a choice of the Madone (go fast aero), Domane (all-rounder, Spring classics) and Emonda (tour, climber). Enjoy! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk  

It’s a size 54 and it weights 8.7 kg. I will change the tires for tubeless ready and mount it without tubes for sure in the next weeks. As it is now, and due to a miserable weather here in Switzerland (I rode 30 km yesterday with a medium temperature of zero celsius), it has only seen 130 km in total.  

SamCH said: It’s a size 54 and it weights 8.7 kg. Click to expand...

Great choice. I guess... as I had been looking at Emonda Al as a winter / travel bike too. I decided to dedicate my BMC Road Machine Two for the winter. It’s carbon and I mounted mud ( crud ) guards. I look at it like this. .. if i’m going to have the discipline to consistently ride the road in cold of winter; I want the best ride I can get . A harsh aluminum road frame does not meet that criteria. I also want a decent group, 105 and a comfortable carbon frame. Let’s see your new bike 🚲 if you get the right pic . What Winter Road shoes are you wearing? Hint: Tubeless flats in the winter are a no fix on the road side. Better think tube.  

rudge66 said: I look at it like this. .. if i’m going to have the discipline to consistently ride the road in cold of winter; I want the best ride I can get . A harsh aluminum road frame does not meet that criteria. I also want a decent group, 105 and a comfortable carbon frame. Click to expand...

You should really be happy with your SL5. I got the blue version back in June with the intent of upgrading wheels, handlebar and components as they become available. So far I've only been able to upgrade the wheels to full carbon and the seatpost to carbon. The aluminum wheels that come stock are fine, but on the heavy side. The 105 groupset works just fine, but is not as refined as Ultegra, mind you I was coming from an older Dura Ace 9000 groupset on an aluminum framed bike. I think it is definitely a bike you can grow with (as in upgrading as your budget allows). I wanted a bike with disc brakes and I'm not disappointed. Hope you don't have to wait long for it, if you haven't already gotten the bike.  

hunstamash said: You should really be happy with your SL5. I got the blue version back in June with the intent of upgrading wheels, handlebar and components as they become available. So far I've only been able to upgrade the wheels to full carbon and the seatpost to carbon. The aluminum wheels that come stock are fine, but on the heavy side. The 105 groupset works just fine, but is not as refined as Ultegra, mind you I was coming from an older Dura Ace 9000 groupset on an aluminum framed bike. I think it is definitely a bike you can grow with (as in upgrading as your budget allows). I wanted a bike with disc brakes and I'm not disappointed. Hope you don't have to wait long for it, if you haven't already gotten the bike. Click to expand...

Back after almost 300km ridden. And I will buy new wheels ASAP. I’m not convinced yet I need mid-height aero wheels such as Zipp 303 S. I will maybe go for a nice light pair of aluminium wheels (yes it’s also a matter of budget). For example DT Swiss PR 1400 db. I asked a few people if mid-height aero wheels are worth the price and the weight penalty if I’m not riding faster than a 30 km/h average. Until now, no definitive answer to this question.  

Lookin at gettin a Sl-5 or 6, any updates on weight(wheels) & any other things about the bike, all the dealers here are tellin me to pay in full & wait till poss. november - december for delivery which is crazy to tie up that much & possibly run into problem gettin a refund for whatever reason,thanx  

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Best endurance bikes 2024: a buying guide

Our top picks of the best endurance bikes suited to long days in the saddle plus what to look for when buying an endurance bike

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The Best Endurance Bikes Buyers Guide

The best endurance bikes are designed so you can just keep riding, with comfort and stability top attributes. Heading out with just a few provisions in your pockets and exploring known and unknown roads always feels a lot like freedom. For many of us, it's why we began cycling in the first place. 

Of course adventurous road rides can be experienced on any bicycle. But they're far more enjoyable if undertaken on one of the best endurance bikes.

These are road bikes designed for long days in the saddle; drop bar machines that are less concerned with speed, rather on delivering bags of comfort over demanding terrain. If you're planning on tackling a sportive or gran fondo or training to ride 100 miles , then these are the bikes best suited to the challenge ahead.

So what do the best endurance bikes have in common?

The frame's geometry will certainly be more relaxed than that of a race bike, with a more upright riding position and a shorter reach to the handlebars. This more upright riding position is likely to be accompanied by a frame design that places a premium on compliance - including in most cases room for wider tyres. Often you'll get other comfort features like microsuspension built into the frame too, helping to smooth out the constant vibration from uneven road surfaces. 

The idea of comfort extends into the bike's gearing , with a wide range commonplace, offering you a low gear for the steepest climbs as well as helping to preserve your energy, while still allowing you to ride quickly on flatter roads. Other features you should expect to see include disc brakes and mounts for mudguards.

The endurance sector is well-established meaning there's plenty of choice but also many decisions to make when choosing the best road bike for you.

We've ridden and reviewed a wide range of endurance bikes, so here's our pick of the best endurance bikes, after which we'll help to answer questions about what features you should look out for when searching for a bike in this category.

The Best Endurance Bikes

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The alloy Canyon Endurace range provides quality riding

1. Canyon Endurace AL 7.0 Disc

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The Endurace AL 7 has had a recent update.  It's still designed for all-day riding adventures, with geometry racy enough to provide a fast and fun ride. However it now has clearance for 35mm tyres and comes specced with 32mm (as opposed the 28mm on our review bike). There are also mounts for a tube tube box, further adding to its all-day riding credentials.

Elsewhere it still uses Shimano's ever-reliable 105 groupset - the 11-34 cassette provides plenty of range - and Fulcrum Racing 900 wheels. It's also still available in some markets with a rim-brake option.

Read our full review of the older model Canyon Endurace AL 7 .

The Giant Deft Advanced Pro range has a quality spec for its price

2. Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1

With a relaxed position and stable ride, those long miles will be eaten with ease aboard any of the Defy models.

Giant tweaked its best selling bike in 2020. It has taken its D-Fuse seatpost concept and applied it to the handlebars. Now both the seatpost and handlebar will dampen the bumps on the road. The brand has also lengthened the wheelbase slightly to add a comfortable level of stability. The tubes have also been re-shaped.

The Overdrive 2 steerer promises excellent handling and front end stiffness thanks to oversized headset bearings. 

The reviewed model comes with a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain. However for 2023 the 11-speed mechanical Ultegra groupset is now offered on the Defy Advanced Pro 2, which features Giant's SLR-2 carbon wheelset, while the Advanced Pro 1 is offered with both 12-speed Shimano Ultegra Di2 and SRAM Force eTap AXS. The top-tier Advanced Pro 0 uses SRAM Red eTap AXS while the Advanced Pro 3 is equipped with Shimano 105.

The Giant Defy Advanced range starts with a model equipped with a Shimano Tiagra groupset (not available in the US). The Advanced 2 features Shimano 105 while the Advanced 1 boasts an Ultegra groupset. There's also an Advanced 0 which utilises SRAM's Rival eTap AXS electronic groupset. 

We have a full explainer of all the bikes in the Giant Defy range or you can read our full review of the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 here.

Ribble's bike builder lets you decide on the spec that you want

3. Ribble Endurance SL Disc

With aerodynamically optimized tube shapes and a 2x11 hydraulic disc brake groupset, this offering from Ribble represents extremely good value. The quality of the frame does not disappoint, with the carbon doing a lot to absorb the road buzz. With discrete eyelets for mudguards and confidence-inspiring handling, long winter miles aren’t a problem for this bike.

The Mavic Aksium wheels our bike came with are not the lightest, nor the most aerodynamic. While they are certainly dependable and robust, in pure performance terms they do hold back the bike a little from its full potential.

Fortunately, Ribble allows you to swap out components with its Bikebuilder app. There are a wide range of wheelset options, heading up to some very expensive raceworthy hoops and you can choose the groupset spec that suits your budget, including the new Shimano Ultegra Di2 12-speed . 

You can read more about the Ribble Endurance SL Disc here.

The Specialized Roubaix has great vibration damping

4. Specialized Roubaix Sport

The Specialized Roubaix saw a major overhaul in 2017 with the addition of the 'Future Shock' front suspension, and 2019 saw another update, with adjustable suspension added to the top models. 

The suspension built into the steerer tube provides 20mm of damping between the Hover handlebars, with their slight raise, and the frame. The Future Shock suspension does a great job of improving comfort on really rough surfaces, and also helps to improve handling, as the tyre spends more time in contact with the tarmac around bumpy surfaces. The bar shape does mean that there's less room to mount lights and other accessories though.

At the rear the carbon S-Works Pave seatpost is clamped below the top of the frame, adding some extra flex and compliance and there's clearance for 33mm tyres, although no mudguard mounts. There's a good quality range of finishing kit, although we found the Praxis Alba chainset didn't shift as smoothly as an in-series Shimano 105 unit.

The 2023 Roubaix comes in a number of models with wide ranging specs. The entry level Roubaix Sport comes with a Shimano 105 hydraulic groupset (with a Praxis chainset), while the Comp model is offered with  an electronic SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset (£5,000). There are also Expert and Pro builds as well as the top-tier S-Works bike that comes with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed and has an RRP of £12,600.

We reckon that the higher specced models of the Roubaix are a better bet than the entry-level Sport spec, as they give you features like a lockable Future Shock, which helps if you're riding hard. Take a look at our reviews of the Specialized Roubaix Comp .

For more info, read our explainer of the Specialized bike range or our full review of the Specialized Roubaix Sport .

Cannondale's SmartSense system uses a single battery to power lights and a rearview radar

5. Cannondale Synapse Carbon

The Cannondale Synapse is renowned for offering a comfortable ride, without cancelling out the quality handling and frame reactiveness that you want from a road bike.

It's been significantly updated for 2022 and we haven't yet had the opportunity to fully review the latest models, although you can read our first impressions of the Synapse Carbon 2 RL. 

The headline-grabbing new feature is the integration of SmartSense lighting and a radar to let you know what's coming up behind you. There's also a new carbon frame with clearance for 35mm tyres, better aerodynamics and mounts for mudguards and a top tube bag. 

The RRP for the top spec Synapse Carbon 1 RLE is £9,000 but some of this new tech is offered on cheaper models, such as the Synapse Carbon 3 L, which still boasts the SmartSense lights, and the frameset improvements but is specced with Shimano 105 to help lower the price significantly to £3,200.  The spec sheet above applies to this new version rather than the 105-equipped model we reviewed in 2020.

We have recently ridden this latest iteration of the Synapse , where we got to experience first hand the various updates including the SmartSense lights and radar.

The Boardman SLR range provides great value

6. Boardman SLR 8.9

The Boardman SLR 8.9 delivers a carbon frame and fork, which have been wind tunnel tested, for a price that's not much over £1000, where many brands will give you alloy. Although billed as an all-rounder, the SLR 8.9 is plenty comfortable for longer rides and sportives. 

To hit that price it's made a few compromises, so you get rim brakes rather than discs, although we found them as effective as the cable operated discs that you're likely to find at this price. 

You also don't get quite the full 11-speed Shimano 105 groupset, with an FSA chainset, but it's impressive for the price. Tyre clearance at 28mm is okay, but wider rubber would up the compliance.

Read our full review of the Boardman SLR 8.9 here.

Wide tyres and IsoSpeed provide all-day comfort 

7. Trek Domane SL6

The Trek Domane has evolved over the years into an extremely capable endurance road bike that can tackle long miles on surprisingly rough terrain. Part of its magic is the inclusion of the front and rear IsoSpeed decouplers; these pivot-based flex points take the square edge off big hits without sacrificing any efficiency or power transfer.

The other piece of the pie is the tyre clearance. There is room in the frame for up to 38c tyres (35c with fenders), which also makes it somewhat gravel-friendly. Trek has also integrated nifty down tube storage that comes with a tool roll and is big enough for a few spares and tools or heaps of snacks.

We reviewed the 2019 SL 6 but the 2022 version is offered with both Shimano's Ultegra groupset (as tested) or if you prefer electronic shifting, SRAM's Rival eTap AXS. There's a broad range of Domane models in the range, starting with the sub-£1000 alloy Domane and topped off by the Domane SLR 9 at over £11,000, so it's worth reading our Trek bike range overview for more context.

Read our full review of the Trek Domane SL 6 too.

The BMC Roadmachine offers fast handling along with comfort

8. BMC Roadmachine 01 Four Di2

The Roadmachine from Swiss brand BMC has the slightly more upright ride position, tubes shaped for compliance and space for tyres up to 33mm that mark it out for endurance riders. It's a bit faster handling than many endurance bikes though.

The Roadmachine 01 comes with BMC's top end carbon and an Ultegra Di2 groupset. There's a D-shaped seatpost, also designed to smooth the road and BMC's integrated cockpit for clean looks. There are no fittings for full mudguards, but BMC does make a rear clip-on that's mounted to the rear of the seatpost to help keep your rear end dry.

Read our full review of the BMC Roadmachine here.

Countervail tech helps add comfort to the Infinito XE

9. Bianchi Infinito XE Disc

Painted up in its trademark celeste green, the Bianchi Infinito XE sees a slightly more relaxed position than its racier cousins with a taller head tube and a slightly longer wheelbase — which also makes more room between the rear stays for bigger 32c tyres.

But hidden between the layers of carbon that make up the frame is Bianchi's Countervail vibration cancelling technology. The viscoelastic material which is incorporated into the layup was originally developed for NASA and does surprisingly well to eat up harsh road vibrations before they reach the touchpoints. The layup also sees the same Carbon Nano Technology used in the Oltre XR which reduces the gaps between the resin and carbon fibres vastly increasing the overall stretch and stiffness.

All of this adds up to a planted and confident frame that creates a plush ride, but with chunky tubing that is unyielding to twisting and flexing during big efforts and sprints.

The current model is offered across three builds: 11-speed Shimano 105, Ultegra and SRAM Rival eTap AXS. 

Read our full review of the Bianchi Infinito XE .

What is an endurance or sportive bike?

An endurance bike, otherwise referred to as a sportive or gran fondo bike, is a bike that has been designed to make long days in the saddle just that little bit easier by providing a more comfortable ride that should not only protect your backside from all the vibrations passing through your seat-post and saddle, but should also keep your legs fresher after multiple hours on the road.

These bikes have become increasingly popular over the last few years for two main reasons. First, the huge growth of sportives and fondos has meant that there are more and more people whose main concern when buying a new bike is that it makes eating up the miles on long rides that bit more pleasant. And second, most people don't get to ride on velvety Swiss roads, and so as to tackle broken tamac and chip seal most riders generally value a bike that is able to take the worst out of rough tarmac.

How should an endurance bike ride?

Comfort is your primary concern when buying an endurance bike. As most of your weight is supported by your saddle rather than the handlebars, it is most important that the back-end of the bike is comfortable. However, depending on your position, your arms and wrists will still be bearing a fair amount of your weight so front end comfort is still important.

But comfort is not the be-all and end-all with an endurance bike. After all, comfort is not going to be your only concern 100-percent of the time, and you still want a bike that is able to respond and give an exciting ride when you want to put the hammer down.

This means that you don't want a bike that provides comfort by building flexibility into every part of the frame as this will result in a frame that cannot respond to quick bursts of power and will mean that you can't hold your speed as well. So any extra comfort would be offset by the extra time that you have to spend out on the road due to lower average speeds.

As you're not going to be tearing up a tight and twisty criterium circuit on an endurance bike, the handling should be leaning towards the more chilled out end of the spectrum. This means that you need to put in more effort to navigate the bike through corners, which might sound like a bad thing, but also means that less effort is required to keep it on the straight and narrow.

Don't worry though, it should still be able to cope with everything but seriously fast and technical descents. And anyway, your bike handling is probably more important than the bike's handling when it comes to cornering.

What is endurance bike geometry?

The geometry is one of the most important elements that defines how a bike rides. Indeed, give an expert a geometry chart and they will be able to have a pretty good guess at the type of bike that they are looking at and how it rides.

The geometry of an endurance bike is tuned to add comfort and stability

There are a number of features of an endurance bike's geometry that should make it comfortable for riding long distances over rough terrain, normally including a more upright riding position that will place less stress on your back and neck.

The first thing to look for is a taller head tube, which will usually be more than 17cm for a 56cm frame, although on some bikes it will be approaching 20cm, which will mean that you don't have to lean over as far to reach the bars. Of course, this position can always be tweaked by the use of spacers underneath the stem and by using stems of different angles.

Endurance bikes will also usually come with a slightly shorter top tube, which will effectively bring the saddle and handlebars closer together. Again this will mean a more upright, less stretched out position to reduce the strain on your back and neck.

Other endurance bike geometry features are designed to improve the comfort of the frame and to alter the bike's handling. Most endurance bikes have a slightly slacker head tube angle and greater fork rake, which will create a more compliant front end and more stable handling, while a longer wheelbase (occasionally greater than a metre) also makes for a less twitchy ride.

Slacker frame angles add stability

What makes an endurance bike comfortable?

Aside from the geometry there are a whole load of different features that different manufacturers build into their endurance bikes to try and make them stand out from the crowd.

One of the most popular such features is the use of some sort of suspension or vibration dampening technology to reduce the amount of road buzz that is transmitted through the frame and into your body. Two of the most well-known are Trek's IsoSpeed decoupler technology and Specialized's Future Shock, although there are other similar systems used by the likes of Pinarello and Lapierre. Other brands like Bianchi (see above) and Look build layers of vibration absorbing materials into their carbon layups.

Yet other manufacturers create comfortable endurance bikes by working with the carbon-fibre layups of the frames to build flex into areas like the seatstays and top tube while other areas of the frame are stiffened up to make sure that power transfer isn't hindered.

Features like Trek's IsoSpeed increase ride comfort

What components should I look out for on an endurance bike?

As when buying any new bike, the most important thing to look at when buying an endurance bike is the groupset. Most endurance bikes will come with gearing with a wide range that should enable you to get up some pretty steep hills even when tired at the end of a long ride but still ride relatively fast on flat and downhill runs.

This will usually mean a compact chainset (50/34t) and a wide range cassette with a 32t or even 34t largest sprocket. SRAM eTap AXS cassettes go out to 36 teeth. Along with smaller chainrings, enabled by SRAM's cassettes going down to 10 teeth, that means that there's more range on the large chainring before you need to change down and a lot of low range with the small chainring, which goes well below 1:1. 

However, your choice of groupset won't affect the comfort of your endurance bike, while your choice of wheels and tyres certainly will.

You probably won't get much of a choice if you're buying a complete bike, but some wheels with wider rims combined with wider tyres will improve the comfort of the ride. More and more endurance bikes are coming with clearance for 28mm, 30mm or even wider tyres , which can be run at lower pressures to soak up road vibrations, and come with the added benefit of better grip and lower rolling resistance. Most of them can be run tubeless too, which lets you lower tyre pressure even more.

The benefits are greater when combined with wider rims , which allow for a greater volume of air within the tyre at any given pressure, and therefore a more comfortable ride, as well as making for a wheel that is also able to absorb more vibrations from the road and greater tyre stability for predictable cornering.

Endurance bikes typically offer a wide gear range

Finally, the majority of endurance bikes come with disc brakes rather than rim brakes. These are by no means a deal breaker, but certainly offer a number of benefits over rim brakes. Most notably you get more consistent braking performance in wet and dry conditions, while they have more braking power and better modulation as you don't need to squeeze the brake lever as hard to apply the brakes. 

More expensive bikes are likely to have hydraulic rather than mechanical disc brakes. In general hydraulic systems are more powerful than mechanical disc brakes and they're a closed system so not subject to contamination and should be lower maintenance.

How must does an endurance bike cost?

There's no need to splash the cash in search of a good endurance bike. The geometry is probably the most important thing in creating a comfortable endurance bike, and in general bikes at the lower end of the market have a more relaxed geometry. This means that you should be able to pick up a comfortable endurance bike for well under a grand.

However, if you want something made out of carbon fibre and featuring the bells and whistles of some snazzy vibration dampening technology, then you can spend a lot more than that. £2,000 / $2500 and a bit of shopping around should be able to secure you a bike with the same frame design features as used by the pros in the likes of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, albeit made with a cheaper mix of carbon fibre and with a cheaper (although usually perfectly good) groupset and heavier wheels.

Spending more money than this will move you up the groupset ladder but might not give you a significantly better frame, so it's worth considering whether this extra money is better spent on other kit, such as some high quality shorts which will greatly improve your comfort on long days in the saddle, or a bike fit which could relieve any aches and pains that you get from riding.

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After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back. 

Since then, he’s earnt his 2ⁿᵈ cat racing licence in his first season racing as a third , completed the South Downs Double in under 20 hours and Everested in under 12 .

But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia . 

Height: 177cm

Weight: 67–69kg

We look at No.22's beautifully made but ruinously expensive mudguards, plus other eye-catching tech that will test your bank balance to the limit

By Luke Friend Published 13 September 24

'It’s been everything that I’ve dreamed of so far' says American as he reflects on debut season with Visma-Lease a Bike

By Tom Thewlis Published 13 September 24

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Best climbing bikes 2024 | Lightweight bikes for when the road points upwards

The top lightweight road bikes for climbing as reviewed by our expert testers

Russell Burton / Our Media

Simon von Bromley

The best climbing bikes are low-weight, helping you conquer the longest (or steepest) ascents.

There's a definite buzz to riding a fast, flyweight machine, and many road cyclists love the fast acceleration and responsiveness of climbing bikes.

A modern lightweight bike has to prove itself not solely through whether it's under the UCI weight limit, but also by having the aerodynamics to up your ride speed on descents and the flat.

Keep reading to see our pick of the best climbing bikes and to find out more about these lightweight bikes, check out our buyer's guide at the end of this article .

Best climbing bikes 2024, as rated by our expert testers

Giant tcr advanced sl 0 dura-ace di2.

• £11,999 / $12,500 / AU$13,499 as tested
• Weight: 6.4kg (L)
• Pros: Light, stiff and responsive race bike; flawless spec
• Cons: Integrated seat post; top-spec build is pricey

The Giant TCR has long been a benchmark for race bikes and the tenth generation of the bike remains a top performer.

Although the latest version is lighter, potentially smoother and more aerodynamic, it's probably not worth upgrading from the previous generation . Unless money is no object.

While the TCR comes in many tiers to suit different budgets, the Advanced SL 0 model we reviewed is unashamedly premium. Its frameset sports an integrated seatpost rather than a conventional one, which won't appeal to everyone.

With a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and carbon wheels from Giant's in-house brand Cadex, it's ready to race out of the box and is properly light.

• Read our full Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc review

BMC Teammachine R 01 LTD

• £14,999 / $14,999 / €14,999 as tested
• Weight: 7.25kg (56cm)
• Pros: Ride feels stiff and efficient; narrow, aero one-piece cockpit; superb spec
• Cons: Tyres aren't very robust; previous generation SRAM Red groupset

The BMC Teammachine R 01 LTD is optimised for all-out speed and it excels when you push the pace on the flat, and up and down climbs. 

The aggressive ride position, narrow handlebar (only available in a 36cm width) and minimal compliance aid this goal. 

This won’t be right for everyone and nor will the £15,000 / $15,000 asking price.

But BMC isn’t trying to compromise with the Teammachine R 01 LTD. It’s hard to fault this specialist speedster and it succeeds at what it’s designed to do.

When spending this much though, free bar and seatpost swaps would be welcome, as would more durable tyres. 

• Read our full BMC Teammachine R 01 LTD review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 2

• £8,250 / $8,300 / €8,999 / AU$11,999 as tested
• Weight: 7.57kg (56cm)
• Pros: Excellent handling combined with compliance and stiffness
• Cons: Vision Trimax handlebar may not suit those with smaller hands

Now in its fourth generation, the Cannondale SuperSix Evo continues to cement itself as one of the best climbing bikes.

The new bike takes much of what made the previous versions so well regarded, but removes the often-maligned PF30a press-fit bottom bracket and replaces it with a 68mm BSA threaded model. The front-end design and down tube have also been refined and there's a new proprietary seatpost, too.

Out on the road, the SuperSix Evo balances its inspired handling with compliance and stiffness. It's a particularly adept climber, feeling assured and firm when under the rider and when you want to put the power down, it rockets forward. The new aero seatpost isn't as stiff as you might expect, offering a good amount of buzz-reducing compliance.

The Shimano Ultegra R8100 groupset on this build is BikeRadar's pick of the Japanese brand's latest groupsets and we were impressed by the newly updated flagship HollowGram R-SL 50 wheels, too.

Although Cannondale specs Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyres, they're in a 25mm width and we'd be keen to run wider rubber. We also suspect the Vision Trimax won't suit those with smaller hands because the tops are very deep.

• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 2 review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 EF Replica

• £12,500 / $14,000 / €14,499 as tested
• Weight: 7.27kg (56cm)
• Pros: Wonderful handling; balance of stiffness and compliance; lightweight frame; top-notch spec
• Cons: Computer mount and finishing kit changes cost extra

The Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 is ridden at the highest level by EF Pro Cycling. You can own this exceptional climbing bike if you have 12,500 / $14,000 to spare.

Blending poised handling with a frame that's stiff but not overly so, the SuperSix Evo Lab71 EF Replica feels as fast as any on the flat.

Uphill, our tester thought there's little between the SuperSix Evo Lab71 EF Replica and specialist climbing bikes.

You're unlikely to want to upgrade the stellar spec. But it's a shame to have to shell out more for your preferred handlebar size and seatpost.

• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 EF Replica review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo 3

• £4,000 / $4,500 / €4,499 / AU$6,999 as tested
• Weight : 8.42kg (56cm)
• Pros: Still light but more aero; fine handling; better value than glitzier SuperSix models
• Cons: Skinny tyres

The Cannondale SuperSix Evo 3 proves the best climbing bikes can keep weights and prices relatively low.

At half the price of its top-end SuperSix brethren, the Evo 3 weighs slightly more but features the same aero profile and nimble handling.

The result is a mid-range bike that feels fast anywhere you ride it. However, you'll probably want to upgrade the wheels and increase the tyre width from the 25mm stock size.

• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix Evo 3 review

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2

• £6,199 / $5,499 / €6,499 / AU$9,899 as tested
• Weight: 7.26kg (L)
• Pros: Cheaper than Ultimate CFR; smoother than Ultimate CFR
• Cons: Can’t customise components at purchase

The Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 sits below the range-topping CFR, but our tester found it to be smoother with the same handling and stiffness as the pricier model.

In short, you get better value for money with this Shimano Ultegra-equipped bike and a more balanced ride, earning it a place on the very top shelf of current road bikes.

It’s a shame you can’t customise the build at the point of purchase, which might be an annoyance if you prefer an inline seatpost.

• Read our full Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 review

ENVE Melee (Ultegra Di2 build)

• £5,500 / $5,500 / €5,500 for frame 'chassis' | £10,400 / $12,834 / AU$19,220 as tested
• Weight: 7.8kg (58cm in this example build)
• Pros: Outstanding handling balanced with great comfort and geometry
• Cons: Expensive and you can't buy a full build off the peg

The ENVE Melee took our 2023 Performance Bike of the Year crown, thanks to its outstanding handling and balanced comfort.

The brand's second bike after the Custom Road has been aerodynamically optimised, albeit with a slightly taller ride position than you'll find on longer and lower bikes. The Melee also fully integrates its cables and hoses and uses a D-shaped seatpost.

We found the Melee to be one of the easiest-handling race bikes on the market and we were struck by how stable and composed it is in every scenario. It deals with everything with real calmness.

A stable and composed ride can sometimes be a little boring, but there's none of that here. The Melee's reaction to inputs is quick and it's unperturbed by crosswinds.

Unlike the other bikes on this list, the Melee is sold as a 'chassis' – a frame, fork, stem, handlebar, seatpost and thru-axles. You then build the bike up with your preferred electronic groupset , wheels and tyres. Even in a modest build, that means the Melee is far from a cheap proposition, but the ability to mould it into your own makes it a real winner.

Our example build came with a Shimano Ultegra R8100 groupset, and ENVE's Foundation 45 carbon wheels and SES tyres in a 29mm width. We've also reviewed the pro-level Dura-Ace Di2 spec .

• Read our full ENVE Melee review

Focus Izalco Max 9.8

• £6,599 / €6,799 / AU$10,499 as tested
• Weight: 7.9kg (56cm)
• Pros: Aesthetic design considers speed and practicality; brilliant handling; good value spec
• Cons: Not the most exciting

The Focus Izalco Max 9.8 is a fantastically versatile climbing bike that won our 2024 Race Bike of the Year crown.

Its frameset delivers low weight and aerodynamic efficiency, but Focus hasn't forsaken crucial adjustability.

Our only gripe regarding the impressively competitive spec was the omission of a power meter. 

The Izalco Max does most things well, but nothing exceptionally. Whether this is a sign of sensible competence or dull conservatism is up to you.

• Read our full Focus Izalco Max 9.8 review

Lapierre Xelius SL 9.0

• £7,399 / €7,799 as tested
• Weight: 7.5kg (L)
• Pros: Good-value spec; racy geometry
• Cons: Limited sizing; can be twitchy in the wind

Another lightweight bike with aero features, the Xelius nevertheless stands out thanks to the design of its seatstays. The navy blue fade glitter paintjob looks stunning and the racy geometry leads to sharp handling.

If you're at either extreme of the size range, the five sizes available may not work for you though.

The spec is really good for the price, with 12-speed Dura-Ace Di2, a carbon bar and stem and Lapierre's own-brand carbon wheels with 25mm Continental GP5000 tyres that measure 27mm on the 47mm-deep, 21mm internal-width rims.

• Read our full Lapierre Xelius SL 9.0 review

Merida Scultura Team

• £8,000 / €9,999 as tested
• Weight: 7.1kg (M)
• Pros: Great value for a pro-level spec; exciting ride
• Cons: Tricky fit adjustment

The Merida Scultura Team took our 2022 Performance Bike of the Year crown, thanks to its superb, exciting ride and racy handling. It's also great value, with a Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed groupset, complete with power meter.

Merida has shaved 4.2 per cent from the previous Scultura's drag numbers, while also lowering weight slightly to a claimed 822g for a size M frame.

It's well kitted out; we particularly liked the Vision Metron 45 SL wheels, their 1,372g weight leading to low inertia on climbs. They're shod with 28mm Continental GP5000 tyres for a comfortable ride.

The one downside is the lack of narrower options for the integrated bar/stem.

• Read our full Merida Scultura Team review

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 Dura-Ace Di2

• £12,000 / $14,000 / €14,000 / AU$19,900 as tested
• Weight: 6.76kg (56cm)
• Pros: Exceptionally well-balanced handling; aero bike speed
• Cons: Wider tyres would be beneficial; cost

The Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 is the brand’s latest flagship road bike.

The SL8 rides like a dream with exceptionally well-balanced handling. It has the speed of an aero bike and it’s a fantastic climber.

Our tester described this no-expense-spared build, featuring Shimano Dura-Ace, as one of the finest race bikes available. But he cautioned that it doesn’t shift the goalposts far enough from the performance of the previous-generation SL7 to warrant upgrading.

• Read our full Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 review

Basso Diamante Ultegra Di2

• £7,199 / €8,299 as tested
• Weight: 7.58kg (58cm)
• Pros: Sharp but stable race geometry
• Cons: Long and low cockpit won't work for everyone

The eighth-generation Bsso Diamante is a thoroughbred race bike, while remaining classic in its appearance. The tube shapes are rounded, which Basso says is designed to improve stiffness and efficiency, while minimising weight.

The geometry is in pure race bike territory – long and low, so you'll want to have a long think about whether it will work for you and carefully study the geometry chart.

That said, in testing we found the Diamante to balance its tactile handling with satisfying stiffness. It's surprisingly comfortable, too, thanks to the slim seatstays and carbon seatpost.

There's little to criticise with the Ultegra Di2 specced. The second-tier groupset delivers identical shifting and braking performance to Dura-Ace with a compelling cost saving. We also rated the Microtech RE38 wheels – many own-brand efforts can vary in design modernity, but these are on the money with a 23mm internal rim width.

• Read our full Basso Diamante Ultegra Di2 review

Bianchi Specialissima RC

• £10,999 / $13,899 / €12,749 as tested
• Weight: 6.75kg (55cm)
• Pros: Speedy everywhere; comfy; balanced handling
• Cons: Idiosyncratic looks; inappropriate tyres; deeper wheels would be beneficial

The Bianchi Specialissima RC is an all-round race bike that goes like a rocket on all terrain. In the frame, the Italian brand has meshed low weight and aerodynamics to brilliant effect.

Although the Specialissima RC's geometry is pretty racy, its handling doesn't feel skittish. High frame stiffness contributes to a sensation of efficiency as you climb, but there's plenty of compliance too.

The Specialissima RC won't be the apple of everyone's eye while more resilient tyres and deeper rims might be better for most people's riding.

• Read our full Bianchi Specialissima RC review

Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2

• £10,399 as tested
• Weight: 6.3kg (L)
• Pros: More versatile than ever
• Cons: Inconsistent spec

The Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2 is tremendously expensive and light at a mere 6.3kg in size large.

The top-dog Ultimate retains its race-winning stiffness, agility and climbing ability while becoming ever more aerodynamic.

However, the shallow-section DT Swiss wheels undermine the Ultimate's versatility, while the Schwalbe Pro One TT tyres are a puncture risk on all but the smoothest roads.

• Read our full Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2 review

Colnago C68

• £11,753 / $15,772 / €14,065 as tested
• Weight: 7.3kg (58cm equivalent)
• Pros: Beautifully built; superb handling
• Cons: Saddle should be better at this price

Colnago uses its lugged construction on the C68, but the tube shapes are more reminiscent of the monocoque V3R . Colnago fits its own comfortable one-piece cockpit with hidden cable routing.

The ride position is long and low, although not too aggressive for less flexible riders and leads to great handling from the taut frame.

There's a full Dura-Ace R9200 build, including C50 wheels with 28mm Pirelli tyres, although the Prologo saddle isn't the range-topping carbon-railed version. It's a great bike that merits its superbike rating.

• Read our full Colnago C68 review

Colnago V4RS

• £5,000 / €12,630 as tested (UK price is for frameset only)
• Weight: 7.23kg (57cm)
• Pros: Pinpoint handling
• Cons: Seriously expensive

Ridden by UAE Team Emirates (and perhaps most importantly) Tadej Pogačar, the V4RS is Colnago's monocoque carbon race bike, where a balance of lightness, stiffness and speed is the name of the game.

Colnago claims the V4RS is 3 per cent more aerodynamic than the outgoing V3RS and the new CC01 cockpit alone is said to be 16 per cent more aerodynamic. There are some new tube shapes too, with a reprofiled head tube, although many will be glad to hear the brand has reverted back to a round steerer tube.

Out on the road, the V4RS is unerringly poised, with direct handling and sharpness. It felt particularly confident on descents, driving hard into an apex and the bottom bracket laps up power when climbing, the bike keen to accelerate when you get out of the saddle.

• Read our full Colnago V4RS review

Factor O2 VAM

• £11,800 / $11,799 / €11,349 / AU$18,990 as tested
• Weight: 6.63kg (56cm)
• Pros: Low weight; feels efficient; brilliant climbing wheels; good ride quality
• Cons: Very costly; clincher tyres specced; quality problem

The Factor 02 VAM weighs a scant 6.63kg (56cm) thanks to its slimline frame, carbon seat post mast and low-profile Black Inc wheelset.

Predictably, its climbing performance is sensational since the O2 VAM also feels receptive to acceleration on inclines. Handling and compliance are impressive too.

On the flat, the O2 VAM feels competitive with the best climbing bikes, having taken aero inspiration from Factor's aero bike, the Ostro VAM .

The O2 VAM is expensive though. So our tester was disappointed to see clincher tyres on a tubeless wheelset and to experience issues with the bottle cage screws.

• Read our full Factor O2 VAM review

Scott Addict RC 10

• £5,949 / $8,000 / €6,599 as tested
• Pros: Quality ride; power meter
• Cons: Middling wheels and mediocre tyres

The Scott Addict marries sharp handling with a predictable and compliant ride quality that's similar to the Cervélo R5. There's integrated cabling that works for mechanical and wired electronic, as well as wireless shifting, and it's reasonably easy to work on.

Scott includes a power meter with the SRAM Force AXS electronic groupset and you get decent, if not outstanding, Syncros Capital 1.0 35 Disc wheels with a claimed weight of 1,574g a pair.

We were disappointed with the fitted Schwalbe One TLE tyres though, with their higher rolling resistance than many of the best road bike tyres . Tyre clearance is a little narrow at 28mm too.

Although this mid-spec Addict weighs just under 8kg, you can spend a lot more and get the bike's claimed weight down to 6.7kg.

For less money, you can have the Scott Addict RC 40 . This entry-level model uses the same frameset as the RC 10 but cheaper parts.

• Read our full Scott Addict RC 10 review

Specialized Aethos Comp

• £4,500 / $5,000 / €5,400 / AU$6,900 as tested
• Weight: 8.2kg (58cm)
• Pros: Rapid handling, but stable ride quality; climbs well
• Cons: Wheelset and tyres limit performance

Although the Comp spec of the Specialized Aethos weighs over 8kg, the top-spec S-Works Aethos brings that down to a claimed sub-6kg, definitely earning a place on our lightweight bikes list. The classic frame profile with round tubes goes against the aero-is-everything modern trend.

The Comp uses a lower-spec carbon than the S-Works, but still has a 700g frame weight and comes with a SRAM Rival AXS groupset and lower-priced, heavier wheels. These make it feel less skittish than the S-Works bike, while it retains its rapid handling and shares its geometry with the Tarmac SL7. It still feels light when climbing too.

• Read our full Specialized Aethos Comp review

Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro (SRAM Force AXS)

• £8,000 / $8,500 / €8,500 as tested
• Weight: 7.46kg (56cm)
• Pros: Quick; low weight; lively ride; nearly spotless build 
• Cons: High cost; brake rotors are cacophonous in the wet

The Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro matches much of the performance of the S-Works Tarmac at lower cost.

It’s still expensive, but the frameset and spec are brilliant, making the Tarmac SL8 Pro (SRAM Force AXS) a pulsating and rapid ride. 

Wider tyres and quieter disc brake rotors would be good. However, if you want an excellent climbing bike that’s fast on the flat too, the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro ticks the boxes. 

• Read our full Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro review

Trek Émonda ALR 5

• £2,325 / $2,300 / €2,325 / AU$3,500 as tested
• Weight: 9kg (56cm)
• Pros: Deft handling; high ride quality; simple to customise; wide size range
• Cons: Sluggish tyres and wheels

Trek has discontinued the carbon Émonda , but its specialist climbing bike lives on in alloy.

The entry-level Émonda ALR 5 is only marginally heavier than the old mid-range carbon model, while delivering a smooth ride and assured handling.

Although the tyres and wheels feel disappointingly slow on a race bike, the rolling stock will be easy to upgrade. As will other components because Trek hasn't saddled the Émonda ALR with too much proprietary tech.

• Read our full Trek Émonda ALR 5 review

Wilier Verticale SLR Dura-Ace Di2

• £11,000 / $14,500 / €12,200 as tested
• Weight: 6.8kg (XL)
• Pros: Wonderful climbing and descending; free or cheap component changes at purchase
• Cons: Short of straight-line speed; high RRP; power meter not included

The Wilier Verticale SLR Dura-Ace Di2 is the Italian brand's dedicated climbing bike. It ascends as well as you'd imagine for a bike which is almost UCI-illegal, even in size XL.

The geometry and V-Bar handlebar are also optimised for inclines. Handling isn't as fast as some race bikes, but this makes the Verticale SLR a stable descender.

We like how it's free to switch the handlebar to your preferred width and you can swap the seatpost for a small fee.

However, the omission of a power meter on a £11,000 / $14,500 bike is unforgivable.

• Read our full Wilier Verticale SLR Dura-Ace Di2 review

What we've included (and what we haven't)

This buyer's guide features lightweight bikes at a range of prices, reviewed by BikeRadar and having scored at least four stars in our testing.

While lighter bikes may be available (including custom builds and different models within a given manufacturer's range), these are bikes we have tried and tested, and can confidently vouch for as a result.

Why you can trust BikeRadar

BikeRadar has been an authority on bikes and cycling tech since its inception in 2007, delivering the world’s best riding advice.

We have experts testing all types of bikes, parts, clothing and accessories, from road, mountain and gravel bikes to commuting, bikepacking and electric bikes. 

Our reviews are always editorially independent – with no exceptions. Our reviewers comprehensively test all products in the real world, always reflecting on performance, value and the wider market when delivering their verdicts and review ratings .

We have more than 15,000 product reviews available at your fingertips, as well as expert buying, maintenance, training, skills, health and fitness advice. 

Our annual Bike of the Year test is an industry benchmark and the BikeRadar team consists of some of the most experienced riders and testers in the business.

Buyer’s guide to climbing bikes

It perhaps goes without saying, but when you’re riding uphill, gravity is always trying to pull you back down.

For this reason, hill climbers will often lose bodyweight before the season and shave grams from their bike and equipment . Some hill-climb obsessives do this literally .

Therefore, if you want to ride uphill faster , or simply make the hills a little easier, a lightweight bike helps a lot.

The only issues are that high-end, lightweight bikes and parts can be eye-wateringly expensive, and the weight-weenie bug can be hard to shake once you get started. However, some of the best road bikes under £3,000 are good for climbing.

Cheaper still is improving your power-to-weight ratio . You can do this by becoming more powerful at the same weight or losing weight through cycling and maintaining power.

Top-quality carbon fibre is prized for its incredible stiffness-to-weight ratio, and rightly so – this is the reason it’s used in Formula One. If you can afford it, the lightest bikes and parts will almost always be made out of high-end carbon fibre.

At the lower end though, good aluminium is competitive with, or even better than, cheap carbon fibre. That applies not just to weight and stiffness, but also ride quality and strength.

The very last of those characteristics is also a general worry for ultra-lightweight carbon fibre frames and parts. You have to be very careful about sticking to recommended weight, torque and clamping specs, or else it’s very easy to break these feathery items.

Aero vs. weight for climbing

Until fairly recently, climbing bikes made no concessions to aerodynamics, leaving drag-reduction to the best aero road bikes . But with the rise of computer modelling, on-bike aero sensors and other advanced testing techniques, this has all changed.

Even dedicated climbing bikes are now launching, with brands touting their aerodynamic efficiency.

True hill climb aficionados will no doubt be tearing their hair out at this point, exclaiming ‘anything under 10 per cent isn’t even a proper hill anyway!’. But if you want to go fast, aero always matters, regardless of the gradient.

It's true that aerodynamic drag becomes a smaller part of the equation as gradients increase in severity. However, the absolute amount of air resistance you experience remains the same for any given speed.

On top of that, the power to overcome any increase in air resistance is proportional to the cube of speed. So, if you want to ride your bicycle twice as fast, you’ll need eight times more power to overcome the extra drag force, unless you can reduce your aerodynamic drag.

In an ideal world, then, you want a bike that’s both lightweight and aero for smashing hills.

"Weight weenies should be Crr weenies"

So said Robert Chung, Professor and Theoretical Mathematical Demographer at the University of California-Berkeley. Chung is perhaps most famous for devising the ‘Chung Method’ of calculating aerodynamic drag, but he also reminds us of the importance of not ignoring rolling resistance.

Using a power equation for wheeled vehicles (such as the one found at www.kreuzotter.de), he showed that even a relatively small difference in rolling resistance (Crr stands for 'coefficient of rolling resistance') can be worth as much as large changes in weight, even on steep gradients.

Chung's graph plots the difference in Crr between Continental’s GP4000S II and GP5000 tyres in terms of the equivalent efficiency found through weight loss on different gradients.

On a flat road, it’s clear that even a relatively small decrease in rolling resistance is worth more than practically any increase in weight.

What’s really interesting to note though, is that changing from a GP4000 to a GP5000 is still worth more than 500g of extra mass even on a 10 per cent slope.

Yes, that’s right; the small difference in rolling resistance between two of the best road bikes tyres can have a greater effect on your efficiency than 500g of extra weight even on a 10 per cent slope.

That equivalent mass penalty only increases as the gradient gets shallower. On a six per cent slope, the difference is equivalent to a kilogram of extra mass.

The key takeaway is that you shouldn’t just look at weight figures when shopping for tyres. The differences in rolling resistance between tyres will be worth far more to your climbing speed than any minor weight variations.

Gearing and cadence when climbing

Some riders apparently enjoy using singlespeed or even fixed-gear bikes for climbing hills . But most people are going to want bike gears .

For a long time though, back in the days when riders only had five or so cogs on their cassette to choose from, gears such as 42×21 were considered adequate for climbing mountains.

Thankfully, though, things have moved on and we now have access to compact/sub-compact chainsets , long-cage rear derailleurs and much larger bike cassettes .

Used together, these can allow practically anyone to spin up steep climbs at a comfortable cycling cadence , rather than turning them into a series of leg presses.

Muscling up a steep hill in a massive gear might feel heroic, but it’s probably slower and it’s costing you more energy too, as anyone with a power meter will be able to attest to. These days, even the pros know you need to gear down when the road goes up .

Rim or disc brakes

Another thorny issue. In our opinion, there are two answers to the bike brakes debates – a simple one and a nuanced one.

The simple answer is that rim brakes are, generally, lighter, and therefore are better for climbing bikes .

There's a more nuanced answer, however. While disc-brake equipped bikes generally come with a weight penalty (though this is becoming harder to measure because, despite what we wrote in 2017 , new high-end rim brake road bikes are uncommon), the advantage of better braking will be keenly felt on the way down the hills.

If the only thing you care about is going uphill as fast as possible, then rim brakes could still be the right choice. Otherwise, the advantages of road disc brakes might tip the balance.

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The new 2021 Trek Émonda mixes climbing prowess with better aerodynamics

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

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

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

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

2021 Trek Émonda SLR 7 Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

2021 Trek Émonda SLR 7. Image: Nick Iwanyshyn

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trek Émonda SL 5

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

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

Trek Émonda SL 6

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

Shimano Ultegra disc brakes on the Trek Émonda SL 7.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trek Émonda SLR 9 eTap, Trek-Segafredo Team Edition

Trek Émonda SLR 7 first impressions

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

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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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"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."

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

"Overall, Trek has done a solid job here of updating the Emonda, infusing meaningful improvements in several key areas, but without breaking the basic formula that has made the bike so popular."

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