Trek Émonda ALR 5

This update is still a great alternative to carbon

- Simon von Bromley

£2,325 

4/5

Weight 9.04kg (56cm)

Frame Trek Émonda ALR alloy

Fork Trek Émonda ALR, carbon

Gears Shimano 105 R7000 11-speed (50/34t x 11-30t)

Wheels Bontrager Paradigm SL

Brakes Shimano 105 R7000, 160mm rotors

Finishing kit Bontrager Comp alloy seatpost, Bontrager Verse Comp saddle, Bontrager Comp VR-C bar, Bontrager Elite stem, Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite 25c tyres.

THE TREK ÉMONDA ALR IS THE American brand's take on the premium aluminium race bike. Now in its third generation, the ALR takes the recipe for the 2021 Émonda but substitutes carbon fibre for aluminium to bring the cost down.

The ALR 5 is the base model in the 2023 Trek Émonda ALR range, which offers a suite of relatively affordable components alongside a frameset and groupset worthy of future upgrades.

As with most bikes at this price point, not every stock part sparkles, but the ALR 5 nevertheless impresses as an alternative to identikit carbon race bikes. The updated aluminium frameset is the headline act. Like its carbon sibling, it features a mix of round tubing and truncated aerofoil - or 'Kammtail' - shapes. The frame is built from Trek's 'ultra-light' 300 Series Alpha aluminium, while the fork is made from carbon fibre. Trek says a painted, size-56cm Émonda ALR frame weighs 1,257g, while the fork is said to weigh 406g. That's just 34g heavier than Trek's Émonda SL carbon frameset (£2,950).