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

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

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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.

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

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?

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.

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: