2021 Trek Emonda review: the semi-aero, “faster everywhere” climbing bike
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2020
- First introduced in 2014, the Emonda has always been Trek’s premier climbing bike, with a keen focus on low weight and high stiffness. However, we now have a much better understanding of the role aerodynamics play when it comes to going fast - even when climbing - and, as expected, the brand-new Emonda SLR and Emonda SL bikes have undergone an aero makeover. The Emonda is still light, and it’s still stiff, but now there’s an extra dose of free speed included, too.
- Sport
Oh my God excited for this news because that means old emonda would be 20%off!
Big brain moves.
Good luck getting discount in this market lolll
@@TheDbtom i think my LBS just put old emonda and sworks frame for 15% off. Full bike for emonda SL6 even 20% off. I think its enough for me.
Second hand bikes are making 20% less than new price !
Wait till October , the market will be flooded with nearly new bikes , that people rushed to buy in lock down and the novelty has worn off !
Or an over supply of new bikes that arrived to late from Asia !
Amazing we slate Asian products * even though nearly all the best bikes are made in Asia
Lee Suuton I think he’s talking about brand new, but sure
Can't tell if I'm more impressed by the bike or the number of donuts you guys did around the light post in the background. #respect
Picked up the new 2021 Emonda sl5 yesterday and traded my 2020 Emonda sl5. Big big difference when riding. Thicker lighter frame and clean looking..Cables is tucked well. More comfy and better looking than the old one.
Backdrop looks absolutely gorgeous
It's not a bad place to call home :)
Gorgeous bike. Great video. I just bought my first road bike, a 2020 Trek Domane, and I feel like I’ve been reborn
Which Domane....? Just got mine as well, sl6 😫🙏
@@christianservin7635 I’m debating between the Domane and Emonda SL6 models 🤔
@@alexm1841 100% the domane if your planning on doing long distance and comfortable ride, Emonda if your all speed and faster time on hills… ✌️🤙
The “everyman” road bike. Smart choice. The bike reviewed here is for Trek Segafredo racers. Less for us. The Domane I think is better for real humans riding in real conditions.
Wow, thats very very exciting!! I specially love the fact that it
I have the 2018 Emonda, love it, but this looks amazing, like a cross of the Madone and Emonda
I got a 2020 Emonda SLR6 last Spring and I love it. It was a work in progress as I needed a lot of tweaks to get it right. Front Disc Brake Pads frequently rubbing and rear derailleur needed many adjustments before the shop got it right. I don't know why but they put ugly bar tape on these new bikes, crap tires which I had to replace along with an uncomfortable saddle that I discarded. The bike flies up hills but unless you ride at high level, the aero advantages are negligible. At speeds of less than 25 mph, there are minimal advantages to these newer, more expensive models. I also prefer rim brakes but Trek now only puts on disc brakes on the Emondas.
I have the SL Pro 2019 model and it’s the most comfy fast bike I owned. Braking with Bontrager carbon and bonty caliper is so so. Great for long fast rides.
Nice review James. Thanks.
Just picked up a 2021 Emonda ALR frameset with direct mount brakes (no need for disc brakes on a road bike in SoCal where it never rains, and Swissstop pads on aluminum rims stop just as well as my bikes with disc brakes), and with heavier wheels/tires, weighs in at 15.8 lbs (SRAM Red eTap, Quarq PM, Look Keo blade carbon ceramic ti pedals, Ritchey WCS carbon streem handlebars, Enve 110mm road stem, Thomson masterpiece seatpost, Easton RL90SL rims w/ DT Swiss 240 hubs and Sapim CX Ray spokes, Conti GP5000TL tires, Selle Italia SLR superflow saddle, King ti bottle cages). Not bad for a $1,000 frameset - I just swapped my parts over from my old road bike it was replacing. If I threw on some XXX2's and lighter tires, it would be pretty close to the 15 lb mark....and for an aluminum frame, it feels amazing and handles mountain descents extremely well (I like it better than any carbon bike I've owned). Best bang for the buck out there by far for the typical cyclist if you want to get a new frame/fork or already have a build kit.
350 watts,presumably for an hour, literally is pro, elite amateur level watts... literally not the people who will be buying it. 250 would’ve been a more realistic number for us club riders. But then the saving would’ve been like 5 secs. I’d prefer a bit of honesty, like “it’s a bit quicker, but not much, we’ve made it shinier and cooler looking for you guys”
Wait, is it faster going up Alpe than the much lighter Emonda rim brakes at the same power? Who is the rider? Steve from Minecraft?
Well, they are always going for the top end of power level, since the aero advantage is more pronounced. I have to disagree with you however. This is a $12k bike, so obviously it is target at the highest of performers. For a young, healthy, ambitious cyclist, 350Watts for the length of Alpe du Huez is absolutely achievable. An older, less fit rider will have worse results... like the have in all areas of cyclists.
I think this is a lot more achievable than „4.7 Watts faster at 50kph“. Other than in a peleton, a downhill or a tail wind section, who rides at 50k? And in all these scenarios, the „4.7 Watts“ saving wouldn’t even apply.
What is dishonest about stating facts? It’s up to you to decide what’s relevant and what’s not.
Lars You think? I don’t know many guys who can sustain that power for that long, the ones that can tend to be very young without much funds. Those of us that can afford it are sub 300 for an hour.
Russell Brown I didn’t say it was dishonest. Should’ve been clear that I believe it to be marketing drivel
Can you compare the SL vs SLR (oclv800)? Maybe and apples to apples style with SL7 vs SLR7? Asking for a friend.
Honestly hearing there is a new emonda makes me excited for a new version of the emonda alr.......a alu version of a aero climbing bike would be awesome
I'm totally with you there, but I'd like to see room for wider tyres.
CyclingTips seeing it’s only officially 28mm as its max tyre clearance that’s a bit of a downer. Good to see the rear triangle isn’t dropped. If there is a aluminium version hopefully it will have wider tyre clearance. Trek really should take a page out of specialized’s design book with the Allez sprint and design a ALR emonda with a massive BB made out of two halves and head tube for stiffness.
@@andrewchow6357 i feel like i remember CT (maybe James in his article on the emonda alr) mentioned that Trek's official numbers are usually quite conservative (something like 4-5mm clearance rather than 2-3) so you can no doubt fit a little more in there (esp. judging by the few close shots in this video too)
@@andrewchow6357 Trek's official tire clearances have historically been pretty conservative. There's about 42mm of space between the chainstays (which is the pinch point on this frame), but just exactly how much tire will cram in there will depend on your risk tolerance.
Oh also disc ALR, means more room for tire and god can't wait for an emonda with 33c tire!
Who called the 5-0 on James? "Hello? My name is Karen....I'd like to report a small strange looking man performing some kind of weird ritual with a bicycle in an empty car park....he's making me feel unsafe".
gibbon Haha. Cue “Bad Boys” (Theme from Cops) @ 6:22.
8:15 “basically going a little bit faster for free” if by free you mean $12,000. 🙃 (sorry for the troll-all in good fun)
Just ordered one today!
Is it okay for say a Gran Fondo if you wish, or possibly the Battenkill maybe? I've read that you can squeeze a 30c tire on it as well.
one of the best looking bikes on the market. wanna see the new Tarmac coming out soon.
James I see you've been shredding and skidding the Emonda really hard around that field...
Great review!
BTW, I've ridden the 2021 SL5 in person. The stays and fork could easily handle 30mm, maybe a 32mm road tire. Trek was being very conservative with the 28c limit.
Isn't 28mm big enough ?
Trek claims that they want the bike to fit 28c, have 4 mm clearance and additional 2 mm tolerance.
Hence the seemingly “will fit 50 mm tires” looks;)
How was the weight, ride quality, and bottom-bracket stiffness under load? I'm considering the SL5 vs the SL6 Pro
@@thecarsavant the weight and overall feel between the SLR and SL framesets is noticeable. I love how flick-able the SLR frameset is, but it does come with the extra cost. That being said if you're concerned about weight, but want to be mindful of the cost upgrading the wheelset would do wonders for the SL5.
BB stiffness feels good on the SLR7 and although I didn't get much time on the SL5 I imagine it would be similar. Max power for me is about 1300w for a second and about 1000w for 15s. No issues. I also weigh a hefty 190lbs at the moment.
Ride quality is smooth. Definitely nail down a proper fitment and test ride for yourself. Inventory is getting better now.
I thought I mentioned this, but I bought (and have been riding) the SLR7 P1 since September of 2020.
@@Sijray21 Thanks for the speedy reply! I wish I had enough budget for the SLR frame. I'm compared the SL5 with similar bikes with 105 groupsets (Supersix EVO, BMC Teammachine, and Cérvelo Caledonia)
I would argue that it does still have dropped stays; traditional shape has the seat stays, top-tube, and seat tube all meeting up at a common junction. On this bike, the stays and top tube clearly meet separately ahead of the seat tube, which comes down behind that junction and between the stays and probably allows said stays to flex slightly more than a full traditional shape due to the increased length.
The top model is only $16000.00?? I'll take twelve 🙄
hi, i ride an old emonda slr 2018 in 50cm size, if i want to change the frame to this emonda 2021 slr, what size do you suggest to me ? should i upsize the frame or stick with 50cm ? my saddle to bb height is around 68/69cm, my reach from saddle to bar is around 50-51cm. Thankyou
I’d be interested in a comparison between the new Émonda and the new TCR. James said he’d pick TCR for comfort and Émonda for handling, which was the opposite of what I thought. Would like to know more about how these super expensive all rounders stack up. :)
Man i've really loved Trek's designs these last few years. The Madone disc is one of my favourite looking bikes, big fuckoff logo and all, and i'm glad to see that style carried over to the emonda.
Must say though, you forgot to mention a specific distance when you said "the rider on the new emonda will finish on flat ground about 60 seconds ahead..." so, kinda meaningless. Also didn't mention the distance of alpe d'huez but at least you can look that up.
was gonna say the same thing, but I'm gonna assume it's 60 sec over an hour or 40km. So I'm gonna guess at a 2ish% time savings
This thing is life changing
What about the paint Job? Looks like that the red shines throu the blue...
Really great overview, and lucky you getting to ride that bike for the past several weeks. What color combination is that? The darker red paired with the brighter red is nice. On their site, that brighter red is paired with a dark blue so I can't find your exact combination.
What colour of the bike in the video?.., would like to order thru projectone
How tall r u and saddle height to ride this size 52?
Cockpit cabling is a huge improvement. T47 is also a great choice. There isn't too much to complain about here.
Does it ride different to the pervious emonda ?
Someone's been doing some sick donuts!
will Madone SLR stem and handlebar combo fits on new Emonda? i have spare stem and hbar from my Madone, sold off the frame
Yes, you can, provided you use the madone spacers
Well, at least they not made dropped seatstays, like many current trend bikes, which look like the same.
Trek and other main brands only have a lifetime warranty for original purchaser if they really stood behind the bike it would have a lifetime warranty fullstop it would allow them to keep there value for longer.
Great sharing
try reviewing the lower range ones too, just cuhz more people actually buy those. Idk anyone who ones a top of a range bike thats also customized.
I have two Émondas (SL & SLR). They should have developed a rim brake option: For TREK that should be no big deal financially or manufacturing wise, even if
Yes, true. They didn’t claim the carbon is lighter. They claimed that it’s stiffer so it allows them to make those aero shapes without increasing the amount of carbon used on this frame compared to the last gen. If they stuck with the 700 series carbon, this model would be heavier.
“Big NASCAR look” 😂😂
Kind request for the video of James drifting his whip around the light poles (skidz), PLZ :P
That's for VeloClub members only ;)
@@VeloVeloVeloTV Touche! :D
Hello
Does anyone know where I can find the right mount for garmin and bontrager front light as it shows on the video?
Thank you
It’s part of the blendr system. You can find it on the trek website.
How do you keep water from going down the hole where the brake hoses enter the headtube?
You don't. It drains out at the bottom. Not at all uncommon these days given how many holes there are in modern road bikes.
@@jameshuang4205 what size bar/stem combo is on your test model here?
Thinking of getting emonda 2021 should I go for size 52 or 54 I'm 5'9?
Depends how long your legs are
What colour is this bike?
But Trek claimed the OCLV 800 is 8% lighter and 30% (I think) stronger or stiffer...
@James Huang 1:46 they said Trek didn't make any claims about the OCLV being lighter or stiffer, but they absolutely did
It's weird that Trek make the aero comparisons uphill, the real gains are between the cols in my experience.
What is the name of that color?
i do 1m65, do you think 52 is ok or i need to get a 50 size?
I'd say a 50. But check with your local dealer. - Dave
i want this or the Orbea Orca M30
Are they still going to have the Emonda ALR?
Yep, although I'd guess that will get a similar semi-aero tweak soon.
@@jameshuang4205 Emonda SL5 is slightly heavier at 9.16kg but has the same frame and is £2,275 in the UK which in my book places it as bargain of the century. Plus it doesn't have the massive TREK logo.
Just doesn't seem like a 12 bike compared to the Madone.
But for 12k you could probably get frames etc, power meter, THM crank and Lightweight wheels
Charles Trotman and a THM crankset, where the chainring is known to work bad with SRAM AXS derailleurs, and a Lightweight wheelset, that are heavier and less aero than the Aeolus RSL37, is an upgrade?
That the new big logo decal weights 300g
for sure
My 2018 Emonda SLR 8 is 6,4kg (size 58)
That new bike is heavy af
Challenger Cycling SRAM Red AXS is a rather heavy groupset (compared to Red Mechanical or Dura Ace), so that might have added between 200 and 400g. Also, the full integration is heavier. 6.8kg is not heavy AF and this bike is faster 99% of the time than a 6.4kg Emonda from the previous gen (basically everywhere but a Zoncolan like climb).
@@LarsRR I think how fast you can go on the bike depends very much on the aerodynamic position of yourself, does'nt it? So in my opinion you are faster when the position is the best, no matter how aero your bike is.
The emonda is really good at donuts 🍩 👌
So Not Happy there isn't a rim break version. IM not into the disk breaks. DOsnt look as Sharp and takes away from the beautiful classic look of road bikes.
What is the colour of that bike? Can't seem to find that colour on Treks website
It's a Project One Icon scheme (KOM).
Is the fork and rear colour scheme red smoke or cobra blood? And viper red top/front tube? Looks amazing. Nice review 👌
I guess drifting in a parking lot is covid friendly activity. Near perfection around that center pole. I spent more time checking the tire pattern of that drifter than the review itself. But good bike.
what will happen when aero gains come to an end ?
Umut Birey we are clearly not nearly there. The fastest bikes aerodynamically (Cervélo S5, Cannondale SystemSix, Venge, Madone) are well beyond the 6.8kg weight limit of the UCI. So to make the pros happy (who don‘t want to carry anything beyond 6.8kg), and make the fastest bikes aerodynamically (presumably faster than the bikes listed), there is still room in both directions. Also, there is still room for the UCI to move their rules around (to allow for lighter AND more aero bikes). As long as we can‘t have a sub 6kg bike, that is as aero as a high end TT rig now, we shouldn’t think about „the end“.
01:15 “will finish 60 seconds ahead of a rider…” is that for a 5 mile race? 10 mile race?
Weight of all carbon bikes are gdue to super expensive light components, not so much by the frame, since almost evey moder carbon frame weight less than 1kg. (I have cheap Focus Cayo my frame weights 950 gramms), so I would spend another 3K on carbon components it would be around 6.5kg easly.
Yes, the Trek, aka the Giant, when propelled at World Tour numbers is much faster than the current model. It’s cool, it’s new but not 12k cool.
Wow only $12,000...I will take 2 of them!
I’m torn, this or SL7
This
After going deep throat on disc brake, "consumer doesnt want rim brake anymore".
@JR Except at going fast.
I still like rim brakes. So there is a demand. They just won’t listen.
Despite the maintenance and weight penalty, disc brake is much much much more superior for bombing descent and modulation
@JR except in weight.
I purchased the Emonda SL5 but regretted it. The bike weighs in at over 9 kg. The wheels weigh over 2 kg. For a climbing bike it felt like an elephant. I returned it back to the shop and got my money back. The top models are probably awesome, but way over my budget.
Yes it's a tank!
I love my SL6 ...... S-works Tarmac Rim ❤😂
Can someone explain the difference between a racing bike adapted for women vs for men?
The (none integrated) seatpost clamp is an eye sore!
But it works really well, which is what I care about far more than if it's visually hidden.
There is no way this is any better than an S-Works Tarmac Disc SL6
John Trussell why? It’s pretty much the same weight and allegedly more aerodynamic. We don‘t know if the latter is true, but it is believable.
The cyclingtips review of the emonda sl6 pro had both content contributors agreeing that the bike's handling is best in class, as well as better than the Specialized sl6.
Thanks to UCI who did not dicrease the limit weight of 6,8kg (due to bike industry). Disc bike would be obsolete...Now we have to pay more than 10Kdollars to have a 6,8Kg bike ! Youpi
Great, I was looking for any footage of this frame size. I notice your saddle is really far forward. Is that because of the supposedly long reach of the bars?
Nope, I run a pretty forward position regardless. Thanks for the short legs and femurs, mom and dad.
6.8 kg for that drive terrain and aero dynamics, kill me man. My school backpack is heavier . Hopefully this technology becomes cheaper soon
I’ll stick to my old emonda that’s 13.5 lbs
5:09 That bag said "alright I'ma dip"
Designers: Do you want an ugly stem/bar integration?
Trek: Yes please!
Did I just see a XOSS G+ computer on that bike....
@James Huang good to hear, I use to work for the company， LOL
So many things to like here, except that stupid top-mounted seat post/mast. Get rid of that and you have an almost perfect bike!
My knee hurts watching this lol
It looks like Madone 7S
Charly Then it is a lighter Madone 7Series with even better aerodynamics. Pretty neat.
i like it a lot
MAdone light😉😁
mainstream buyers arent interested in rim brakes because most new bikes are disc
So full aero road bikes are dead??
Nope, hardly. Madone is still in the range, for example. But it's reasonable to expect that aero efficiency will be an increasingly prominent design feature across the board.
is there a rimbrake version?
Sadly, no. The new Emonda SL and SLR are disc-brake only.
Lol. Did you watch the video?
@@justinsprung1454 commented even before it started haha
@@jameshuang4205 bummer! wouldnt hesitate getting one had they had a rimbrake version
Does Project 1 offer a rim brake version if you buy just the frame?
Hambini prefers pressfit. James should do a deep dive on Nerd Alert. czcams.com/video/3l6EcBg9EPA/video.html
So 350w sustained all the way up all du huez is literally world class / world tour / pro category (~40min)....and it saves....18 seconds. Lmao how much time does it save for your local blokes riding up their 5/10/15 minute hills
man i was on that type of gradient a few days ago and i couldn't believe the pro's go up that so fast, pretty insane for a norman human.
The argument for someone to switch from the current Emonda to this new one is indeed pretty low. But like I said, if you can maintain pretty much all of the good stuff from the previous model *and* add more performance (even if it's only a modest amount), there's nothing wrong with that. It's like not Trek is claiming that tossing yourself on a new Emonda will suddenly make you a World Tour rider.
mothaybabonnam 350 watts for 40 minutes is not world class. Stop this exaggeration. So many amateurs can do that power (at low bodyweight). World Tour climbers have FTPs of over 6Watts per kg. With the average pro cyclist being 68kg in weight, that means that they can sustain over 410Watts for a full hour.
I took on cycling a mere 16 months ago and even I can do around 340 Watts for the duration of Alpe du Huez (at 70kg).
@@LarsRR cool story bro. on the internet, everyone is world-class. how much are you getting paid to ride?
So it’s light but not as light as the old rim version and you might go faster downhill. For $12000 US dollars? . That’s a big FUCK THAT from me.
how bout no 64 cm frames anymore. no love for taller riders
Sky Scraper how tall do you have to be for 64 though? I am 6‘3“ and ride a 57/58.
They didn't improve the stiffness?
The pedaling stiffness of the 2020 Emonda is poor. Linguine noodles poor. A good climbing bike without good pedaling stiffness? Nonsense.
Bike weights without pedals shouldnt be a thing, add pedals and you are looking at a 7 kg "climbing bike"
Except that it is, because there's a lot of variation between what sort of pedals people use.
@@jameshuang4205 I get why you dont pedals with a bike, but the industry could just add a fixed amount to account for a headunit mount and pedals.
@@rubendeklerkdeklerkperform5501 Except that not everyone rides with a computer, and pedal weights vary quite a lot.
i bet they tested it on zwift!:)
semi-aero+semi-light=semi-bike.
Trek is lost...
No joke: one of the climbs they used to calculate theoretical gains was on Zwift.
Let’s be real here, bike manufacturers always develop bikes for the World Tour. That makes sense from a marketing POV, because people buy what the pros use. For pro racing, it doesn’t make sense to develop a bike that is a gram under 6.8kg, and they have developed the fastest bike aerodynamically, that they could while not going above 6.8kg. It’s actually pretty smart.
Lars they didn’t develop anything. they took 2010 madone and changed tube shapes!
as for what people buy... i asked about slr at local trek shop in Toronto they don’t even have it, its preorder only because of the price.
people buy sl models that’s their bread and butter but for comparison if you’ll look at new TCR on mech ultegra it’s 7.40kg with power meter and deeper wheels. trek had to make shallower wheels to save to cut the weight and yet it’s still over 8kg.
This looks great except for the fact that trek are greedy :(
Donut car park 👍🏻
They just made it look nicer. The old one was pathetic looking.
I've already watched 50 videos on the release of this bike. It's not that impressive.
I'm more impressed that you've watched 50 videos of that bike.
With that price I'm going to buy a new Harley
This is ferrari in cycling world