Trek Launches New Aluminium Emonda

Symon Lewis heads across the pond for a spin on the Wisconsin-based brand’s new machine

- Symon Lewis

The new Trek Emonda ALR is said to offer lightweight performance at a competitive price and it’s a great-looking bike, too. Is aluminium on its way back?

Aluminium has always been a good option for those looking for lightweight performance at a reasonable price. Plenty of companies already offer great alloy frames but has any made its aluminium bikes look as good as the new Trek Emonda ALR?

The US brand has called its new Emonda ALR “lightweight aluminium perfection” and says it aims to deliver sleek looks and a ride quality to rival more expensive carbon machines, and weight wise the new Trek Emonda ALR is competitive.

For a size 56cm the rim-brake version weighs 1,112g and the disc version, which I got to ride at the launch in the US a few months back, weighs 1,131g. Trek claims the Emonda ALR is one of, if not the lightest aluminium bike on the market.

Part of this weight saving is down to what Trek claims is its most optimised structure ever, which, via hydro forming, has allowed its engineers to manipulate, stretch and design complex shapes from the 300 series Alpha aluminium.