High-end Aluminium, Is It Worth It? Trek Émonda ALR 5 Review
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- We all know carbon bikes are lighter, stiffer, faster and a million times better than aluminium ones, right? But what if we told you that last point isn’t always true.
The aluminium Trek Émonda ALR 5 is only 150g heavier than the carbon equivalent and it costs almost a third less, but most importantly, it performs pretty much the same on the road.
Senior technical writer Simon von Bromley has been reviewing the latest aluminium Trek Émonda to see how it compares to its carbon equivalents.
Are you in the carbon fibre camp? Let us know in the comments 👇
#Trek #Aluminium #review
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:12 Frameset
04:05 Geometry
05:11 Ride Impressions
08:21 Final Verdict
Credits:
Keystone / Staff Getty Images
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Can aluminium compete with carbon fibre?
Not with that paint job.
the allez sprint does, but this emonda doesn't support electronic shifting with shimano
The answer is no. Nowadays you better buy for the same money a chinese carbon race bike like an elves or winspace
I chose aluminium on purpose for my gravel bike because I didn't want to check the 5Nm Torque on every mounting equipment and to be honnest, my 9.5kg gravel rides almost as good as my 6.5kg Race Bike. About the comfort, it's difficult to compare since the gravel bike has larger tubeless tires, so even though alu I supposed to be less comfortable, it doesn't matter, depending on the tires
@@alainpfammatter8224Buyers of aluminium bikes will still exist for the sake of impact-resistance.
I have an original version Emonda ALR from 2016. Fantastic bike and I have carbon bars and seat post and recently updated to eTap AXS (rim brake) and it is just an awesome ride. Bike weighs in just a few grams over 16 lbs
Just purchased exact model very excited!
Had my ‘12 Caad10 from new. Just upgraded to dura ace 9100 from 105. It’s a keeper.
Best frame I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned 4 carbon frames in the past.
Last year, I bought a 2019 Trek Emonda ALR 5 Disc to enter the "serious" road cycling world. The bike offers excellent value for money with all the components an entry cyclist like me might need without unnecessary excesses. It's a nippy ride and aesthetically pleasing with its metallic purple and red paint scheme. My only niggle is that the next-generation ALR has a much neater internal cable routing, otherwise the bikes are very similar. I'm entering my first triathlon in about a year, so I'm finally fitting clip-in pedals and Zipp 303s to my ALR; however, it's a great ride even without those additions.
Thanks for the review!
I'm new to road cycling and I bought this bike about a month ago. So far I have no complaints.
Went for a couple rides both for distance and climbing. I'm probably too weak but I can't feel anything wrong stiffness-wise.
I also have no issues with the tires despite some rough surfaces, no punctures either. No idea what people are talking about with them being all "sluggish" or whatever.
Yes, surprisingly comfortable too and I seem to be getting along with the stock saddle.
Planning on getting the stem lowered and see if that makes it any better.
Perfectly happy with this one for now, though I imagine that over time, as I get stronger and more tuned in to the different ride characteristics, I will be better off on a stiffer carbon frame and wheels.
As a first (relatively) cheap upgrade try getting some nice tires, say GP5000s. You’ll notice the difference right away. I currently own a CAAD13 and a carbon race bike. There isn’t that much difference between them. Aluminum frames are great!
Hi there, as of today would you recommend this bike? Is still everything going well? I would like to buy it and still thinking about it. thanks for your help
Carbon frames are great, but there seems to be this perception that they are 10x better than any steel, aluminum or titanium frame. They aren't. I'd rather a good quality aluminum frame vs cheap carbon frame for the same price.
Back in late 2020, I almost bought a Giant TCR Advanced (rim brake) with 105 R7000. It's my lack of readiness for carbon bike ownership that stopped me, knowing how I'll have to baby it just to prevent it from breaking from stupid mistakes (ex.hitting an edge from falling from an unstable prop), even though I'm not too much of a klutz.
Problem is ‘cheap carbon frame’ doesn’t necessarily relate to the price you pay these days.
I LOVE my Emonda ALR! Light enough for me. I did update to carbon wheels, but I would've had to do that with a lower end carbon bike. Such good value.
My custom titanium Seven cost $12k in 2006. I'd take pretty much every modern bike over $4000 over my Seven. I loved that bike and it has over 200k miles on it but it's on lifetime trainer duty now. My new Domane was just over $5k and better in every way other than impact resistance. That Seven would be over $14k today.
I'd take the carbon bike over titanium nearly every time so definitely aluminum too
@@newttella1043I have the same bike and love it! Just curious as to which wheel you upgraded too. Thanks!
Aluminium is still cool..
Just purchased the Trek Checkpoint Driftless with mechanical 11 speed GRX.. no problems - comfortable and fun.
Cycling should be fun, and a bike should bring a smile to your face.. 😊
My canyon endurace al 7 is an awesome bike. and also was only 1500€. it just works.
I bought one of these a few weeks ago to get back into the sport.
Had a few issues and ended up with an Emonda SL6 as a loan bike (carbon & ultegra) whilst mine was in the shop (Trek Westlake in California - great guys).
My main criticism of the alloy Emonda is the wheelbase is very short.
Don’t expect to be taking a low speed turn / u turn whilst pedalling as the front wheel will be obstructed by your feet. A real pain in the ass for track stands / trying to stay clipped in at stop lights.
The geometry is quite different to that of the SL5 / SL6
I find the alloy model a little bit more of a stretch in a 54.
A different set of bars / stem may do the trick.
Overall nice bike and the paint job makes it look a lot more expensive than it really is!
Sounds like you got too small a frame.
I have the Emonda Carbon version and a Madone 800 carbon bike as well. Im looking ar getting this bike for training before races.
Excellent machine to upgrade to a crit racer. It looks great too.
Still crit racing on my CAAD 10
Invisible welding marks. Awesomeness to the highest level
This is my first "real" high-end road bike. I love the colors, too. Love everything about it, except I must get used to the short wheelbase and twitchiness.
Seems expensive for mechanical 105 and Alu you can get a good Canyon Vitus or Ribble Carbon for a little more
I still have my Caad 8 105 in MINT condition with Zero problems! It’s amazing and I actually choose it over my Supersix evo
Great review. What kind of brakes hydraulic brakes or Mechanical?
I bought the exact same bike for my son and he loves it.I got to my bike last week and found I had a ou ture and decided to take his bike as we ride the same size.I’m currently on a Domane SL 6 and really enjoyed the racy geometry of this bike.This is a mid level race bike and definitely not a entry level bike.Just put some nice race wheels on it👍👍
Alu beats carbon all day long for the non pro rider - negligible stiffness or weight difference and don't have to x-ray it after a crash or drop to check for cracks. Plus if traveling by air a lot less to worry about regarding possible damage.
I agree with all this. Alu frames are also more comfortable because the flex is anisotropic while the biggest lie in carbon frames is that they are vertically compliant. However, nothing is better than a carbon fork.
After a crash main problem is x-ray yourself, if you a worried about the bike - put it in garage and never ride
@@stanislavkindiakov6334 bet your nickname in school was "bic brainz", eh>
Don’t have to x-ray it, but if it is bust, the alu frame goes in the bin when the carbon frame goes off to the repairers.
@@keinpietz7697 you must be very proud with your sense of humour
I bought those bontrager new takeoff saddles for dirt cheap and put those on all my bikes.
Original ALR owner here. The first gen was too great that I got no motive to buy new road bikes. Now I spent all my money in MTBing
Being a bit of a lighter rider, I'd look at this bike as a light gravel bike if it could take 38mm tyres. It could potentially reduce the bike stable with a second set of wheels.
The domane ALR does exactly that.
@@luukrutten1295 thanks man, might keep an eye out for one.
my last gen trek crockett uses a lot of the same tubing as the alr and clears 38s front and rear
it rules
often surprised by how comfy it is for an alloy bike
I managed to get a Emonda SL5 with 50carbon bontrager wheels for £3000 all in
I got new Giant TCR Advanced 1 and upgraded wheels for 2500 a month ago
my 2021 TCR aluminium SL1 105r7000 weights circa ~9.2kg in stock form for ~usd1260(after conversion) when i got it in late 2021. i thought i paid too much due to covid price. it turns out was a good bargain by todays standard.
its now at 8.5kg for my racing use
dollar per kg weight wise, it is comparable to many carbon bike frameset. back few years, emonda ALR even lighter than emonda S carbon series.
If the difference between ALR and SL is less than 100 g on the frame i guess the weight argument is out the window. All other components are just place holders on a shimano 105 and cast iron wheels.
how big a tire will it fit🤔
Just bought one today :)
How is it as of today? I wanna buy it but still not sure
Still loving it. No regrets
How about Scott Speedster Alloy 2.0 ?.. alumunium Bike with an internal cable routing..lek the carbon bike Scott Addict RC..same geometry..but the 2.0 version still use Tiagra 10 speed..but is already Hydrolic brake..
I thing Caad 13 cable routing still outside and the Allez Sprint is little bit expensive than a scott speedster alloy internal cable
Yes, the CAAD13 still uses regular internal routing and I don't see this as a negative.
I’ve got this frame with Di2 and carbon components, it’s ok. But doesn’t ride nearly as well as my carbon
This bike was really easy to assemble ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
I like the design,because the water won't go inside of the frame.
9kg? I thought it would be lighter. Not a kilo and a bit more than my cervelo S3 !
Is the ALR 5 going to be able to fit 30 cm tires?
32 is max
Really?
Trek really screwed up with using that short cage rear derailleur and not using 11-32 tooth cassette.
Nice but hardly a bargain. Not least if you then go to upgrade wheels etc. See the Ribble AL for value.
Carbon bike sales have plummeted since the carbon fibre submersible imploded. People do put their bikes under pressure.
Good bike to use with a zwift trainer
THE MAX 28MM TIRES KILLS IT
The caad13 is such a dissapointment. Basically an endurance road bike with walmart welds. A far cry from every caad before.
Love my CAAD10 amazing bike 😊😃🚴🏻
@@n22pdf Caad9-5 checking in. :)
@@supreme9905 nice 👍👍🚴😀
Honestly I have to disagree to a certain extent with you. I found Emonda SL to be heavy and sluggish, not worthing a single penny of its money. What is the reason to buy something heavier and definitely harsher in ridding? There are far better frames in the market.
Yes, it probably does go fast like other race bikes. It's probably so stiff your fillings rattle out while riding. I got rid of a Specialized Allez because of that. So unforgiving. Fast, yes, but soooo insanely stiff.
Eddie the goat?
Tadej Pogacar: hold my beer
Maybe if we remake this video in a decade. Pog's an amazing talent, but Eddy won *everything* haha.
My bike trek Emonda ALR be 130g heavier than a trek Emonda SLR 9 AXS with about half the price and no annoying seatmast, aimed more at durable and aero so might use dropper, also bell to weigh it down
It definitely won't be more durable. Aluminum fatigue life isn't so hot. And in the event you may dent your frame, there may be a crack on the inside of that dent. Carbon is quite resilient and in the event that it does crack, it's very easily repaired. Very thin aluminum isn't easily welded and the tubes on an Emonda are extremely thin the closer you get to the middle of each tube
@@veganpotterthevegan I would of gone SLR if I knew from experience they last over 20 years and had no seatmast but a seatpost instead and that carbon is fine as a daily commute bike (I worry someone yank a lock through the carbon more than would aluminium), just I keep reading carbon don't life as long as aluminium at the moment (I know someone with aluminium frame over 30 years old)
In future I can change it if I want to though
@mlee6050 there aren't many carbon bikes out there that are 30yrs old anyway but if you worked in a shop, you'd see a few a month so they're definitely out there. The Trek seatmast is very simple and quite good at not slipping compared to everyone but Giant. Carbon has much better fatigue life than aluminum. People that buy carbon simply tend to upgrade even though they don't really have to.
@@veganpotterthevegan yeah like in future I could upgrade frame if want, just mainly I like to know the build will last my whole rest of life, I don't want seat mast as I want to use the rockshox axs dropper on same bike at times too and that was main issue, I went trek Emonda as thought best aero one with still a round seatpost for the dropper, got nice white era paint design too, maybe in say 5-10 years time if see people on carbon from all the years ago I might swap alr to SLR if can get seat post one
@mlee6050 Carbon is much more likely to so that than aluminum. My highest mileage bike is a titanium Seven with over 200miles on it but ti doesn't fatigue. I have 1000% confidence my Domane will get to 200k miles and beyond. I most definitely wouldn't expect that with aluminum with my size and wattage(I'm a 190lb cat 1)
Now that carbon has been done to death they'll have to move onto something else to keep sales going.
Lol, almost 2700€ for shimano 105 and an aluminum frame...
Trek's prices are crazy. It's probably heavy also.
What do you suggest? For the price? Genuine question
Such a beautiful design, such a shame the wheels are total trash
I really appreciate bike designs with normal sizes and shapes of seatpost, stem, and bars. All these special integrated parts are getting out of hand. I'll gladly skip the 4.823 watts saved at 50 km/hr. Whatever.
Yes, aluminium can compete with carbon, but I wouldnt pick this frame. I'd go with something like the Mason Definition.
I'd be sold if it came with rim brakes.....
Carbon bikes are Stiffer.
Allez Sprint: Hold my beer
If you want a great bike, yea it is.
But if you plan on racing crits, I’d go with carbon.
You can fix carbon and steel, but if an aluminium frame is toast in a crit crash, it’s toasted. 😆
Trek's OCLV500 carbon is too heavy CRAP.
That paint job is horrendous! I'd pay plenty to get something classy and elegant, not something clashy and garish.
"pretty much exactly" is not exactly and definitely not better
0:14 "We all all now . . ."
Looks like you're allergic to facts?
@@keinpietz7697 to fax, yes
@@savagepro9060 man's got jokez n sht.
@@keinpietz7697 yea mon!
Sagan in his top form tried racing high-end alloy in pro peloton - he did not last long haha. Theres no such thing as high end aluminium.
oh really? A specialized Allez?
@@BurgerTime7441 yeah I think it was allez sprint, he trashed it after 3 uses
For racebikes carbon is king, but for gravel or endurance aluminium is often the better choise.
And Titanium is better than both for gravel and endurance
@@monty2078 Why is that?
@@Avioto Titanium is about the same weight as a 'high end' carbon frame, while being more comfortable to ride. It is also indestructible. So, it is as light as high end carbon, without the potential to be broken,more comfortable than aluminum and doesn't deteriorate like steel or aluminum. I have had several friends break high end carbon bikes in simple falls. I have high end carbon, titanium and aluminum bikes. Titanium bikes are very hard to build because of the basically manual requirment to weld the frames in a very clean environment, so they are expensive, but, no more than high end carbon which, if anything are much cheaper (the carbon) to build. Plus titanium bikes get 'round holes for things like the bottom bracket. The reason carbon bikes have gone back to threaded bottom brackets is that the manufacturers can' t make round holes with consistent thicknesses, so now they hype 'threaded' because their manufacturing tolerances are crap. Titanium is for life.
@@monty2078what you mean „indestructible“? When you crash, you may break any bike.
@@stanislavkindiakov6334 True, but, in all my years of cycling I have never seen a titanium frame broken while I have seen several carbon frames broken and a couple of aluminum ones
Not aero? Not interested.
Love metal frames though!
Nice bike but that paint job is godawful...
Lance is the greatests cyclist ever.
Aluminium can compete with carbon, but this is very much the aluminium version of an "identikit carbon bike". For the price you pay there are multiple smaller manufacturers out there who offer better value for money and ultimately better bikes. Trek bikes are horribly overpriced in comparison to their competition, you can spend a little more than this and get an aluminium or steel bike with my better component choice, and top quality wheels. if it was under £2k with better wheels and tyres then it would make sense, especially with the big clearance.
Can you name some? I'm looking at replacing my main bike (after 10 years) with alloy instead of carbon.
@@sjurk81 Depends on your budget, but for under £2k you can get bikes from Kinesis, Canyon, Giant, Forme with the same spec. Then if you want to spend the same and a bit more there are companies like Mason and Condor, who build up bespoke aluminium bikes to your spec for not much more money, and they have off the peg bikes at a similar price. Even the likes of Ribble and Orbea have cheaper bikes with a similar spec, that you could upgrade wheels on for the same money as the Trek. Personally I've been looking at Condor and Mason, but I have also been considering the Fairlight road options in steel, which can be had for similar money with similar finishing kit (better wheels too, if I remember rightly). I haven't looked but I would imagine Genesis also offer good options in aluminium, or steel. Then the direct competitors, such as the CAAD13, which by all accounts is a better bike, if you wanted to go in that direction.
disappointingly heavy!
waaaayyy too expensive for a supper heavy bike
Trek made in China is high end?
No. Much have trek paid you to push this line?
Nothing - all of BikeRadar's reviews are 100% independent and always will be. Any sponsored content will always be clearly marked as such.
If you'd like more info on how we make money, you can find it here: www.bikeradar.com/news/how-does-bikeradar-make-money/
@@bikeradar so your happy to say you believe an alloy emonda is good value? And better value than any carbon bike that is similar or cheaper value? I’ve ridden alloy bikes. There is a difference - a noticeable difference. The value way is second hand not alloy. Or the bike that won bike radar value bike a while back a boardman slr… yes rim brakes but I’d personally take a rim brake carbon over alloy and discs. Again I’ve owned both Tim and disc bikes so yes I know discs work better
@@gregkane8635 Hi Greg, I'm happy to say everything I said in this video - I wrote the script myself, and then said it on camera. If you want to read my full written review, you can find it here; www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/road-bikes/trek-emonda-alr-5-review/
I'm pretty sure I didn't say this bike is "better value than any carbon bike that is similar or cheaper value" - I said I think it's better value than the carbon Trek Emonda SL 5 (which costs about £1k more for a similar spec).
Buying second hand can be a great value way to get a good bike, yes (I've done that myself in the past), but this is a review of the Trek Emonda ALR 5 rather than a guide to getting the best value bike - it's not that I don't think that's an important subject, it's just not what this video is about.
Again, we've no issues with rim brakes, but this isn't a disc vs rim brake video either ;-)
Cheers for watching. Simon
@@bikeradar hi Simon thanks for the reply appreciate it. I still don’t think at 2200 it’s good value - a 105 tcr could be got for similar money. I know we’re id spend my cash
@@gregkane8635 No worries. That's absolutely fine - the TCR is also a great bike (if you watched the whole video, you'll know I own one!), and it makes no difference to us if anyone buys this bike or not, we've just giving you our honest review of it! Cheers, Simon
An aluminum bike frame with carbon fork, seatpost, stem & handlebars is a good entry level ride.
Carbon in the fork and seatpost is already good enough.
Entry level for 2500 Euro? Thank you 😊 (no)
Major Taylor was the best rider ever…stop with the lies
I still have my pristine 1998 cad 4, made in USA aluminium bike. Running mostly dura ace / Ultegra Weighs around 7.8kg, love the bike. Just bought a full carbon Giant tcr 2022 pro disc modded with Utegra, weighs more than cad 4 at the moment. They both have attributes i like, and enjoy riding both! I do think aluminium will make a come back, especially as tech has moved on massively and weight etc will only reduce to compete with carbon at some point imo.😁
I envy you. A CAAD4 that I built up with Campy Chorus was the best bike I ever owned.
The problem with making aluminum bikes lighter is their impact resistance goes away. Aluminum also has bad fatigue life and making walls thinner makes that even worse. Carbon does too but not as much. Also, injection molded frames are coming. There is little use for high end aluminum now and that's only gonna change for the worse.
I miss the Alloy and Carbon mix bike frames. Also, where did the sub 1k us dollars go? This is still a very big pill to swallow if you're getting into road riding.
105 is arguably not a "beginner bike" groupset.
There are sub $1.2k versions. Inflation exists.
I just got an Cannondale optimo 4 for 1000. I have a 105 groupset, carbon wheels, carbon one piece handlebar, and seatpost. All the stuff are just spares, so no additional cost for me. I got the bike for the frame and to use the groupset to convert a mountain bike into a killer gravel bike. You just need to get inventive.
Life is too damn short to ride aluminum bike with that all rough looking welding every sections of the tube connected from seat post to down tube between the crank is just unattractive, yes indeed, life is too short to ride ugly bike, unless designed engineer can find others way to make a aluminum frame set without welding it
A great review, I've watched so many and this was just 🤌 Bellissimo. Thank you.