Trek’s new Emonda ALR Disc is lighter than its SL carbon counterpart

Alloy racer gets two all-new framesets

Published: July 26, 2018 at 4:00 pm

Trek’s lightweight alloy Emonda has received an update with an all-new frameset available in both rim and disc brake flavours.

The original carbon Emonda made headlines thanks to its exceptionally low weight, and the aluminium ALR variant that followed proved to be an outstanding bike in its own right, one that earned 4.5/5 stars when we reviewed it in 2016 and 2017.

The entry-level ALR 4 with Tiagra is sure to be popular

Trek

Now Trek has refreshed the ALR, offering a rim brake model with direct mount rim brakes and a disc option too.

The ALR’s direct mount calipers will make rim brake fans happy

Trek

While the design is new, the headline features remain much the same. The ALR is built from Trek’s 300-series Alpha aluminium which is hydroformed into “carbon like” shapes and joined together using ‘Invisible Weld Technology’, which is exactly what it sounds like. The new versions stick with Trek’s racy-but-not-crazy-aggressive H2 geometry and boast “reduced weight and reduced stiffness in key areas that produce a harsh ride quality”. When was the last time you heard the phrase “reduced stiffness” in the context of a new bike, eh?

Worth the weight?

This ‘Purple Flip’ paintjob looks fantastic and is available on both rim and disc versions. This is the ALR 5 Disc WSD with 105

Trek

Weight has always been central to the Emonda and the ALR is pretty feathery, especially for a metal bike. Claimed frame weight for the rim brake model is 1,112g, while the disc version comes in at 1,131g for a size 56 without paint. The matching forks weigh 313g and 350g respectively, and are shared with the rest of the Emonda range. For context, the carbon Emonda SL’s numbers are 1,091g and 1,149g for the rim and disc versions, meaning that the disc ALR is actually lighter than its carbon counterpart, although it’s possible that the SL’s seatmast design is skewing the numbers slightly.

Both the SL and the ALR are approaching double the weight of the range-topping — and fearsomely expensive — SLR, but that’s more a reflection of how incredibly light the halo bike is, rather than how heavy they are.

The top-of-the-range carbon Emonda SLR is seriously impressive, but it’ll cost you

Trek

Is there a women’s version?

Yes, but the geometry doesn’t change. ‘WSD’ versions of the Emonda ALR will get women’s-specific finishing kit (saddles, bars and stems) but the framesets are shared.

Trek Emonda ALR pricing and availability

Precise availability is TBC, but pricing on the new Emonda ALR is as follows, with the caveat that Euro pricing is provisional and there may be some variations between countries:

	UK	US	Australia	EU
Emonda ALR 5 Disc	£1,750	$1,889.99	$2,399	€1,899
Emonda ALR 5 Disc Women’s	£1,750	$1,889.99	n/a	€1,899
Emonda ALR 5	£1,350	$1,579.99	$1,999	€1,499
Emonda ALR 4 Disc	£1,400	$1,679.99	n/a	€1,599
Emonda ALR 4	£1,100	$1,359.99	$1,499	€1,199
Emonda ALR Disc frameset	£800	$959.99	n/a	€899
Emonda ALR frameset	£800	$959.99	n/a	€899

Matthew Loveridge

Senior Writer

Matthew Loveridge (formerly Allen) is an experienced mechanic and an expert on bike tech who appreciates practical, beautifully-engineered things. Originally a roadie, he likes bikes and kit of every stripe, and he's tested a huge variety of both over the years for BikeRadar, Cycling Plus and others. For a long time Matthew's heart belonged to the Scott Addict, but he's currently enjoying Specialized's sublime Roubaix Expert and having a torrid affair with a Giant Trance e-MTB. At 174cm tall and 53kg, he looks like he should be better at cycling than he actually is, and he's ok with that.