The explosion of electronic groupsets has made the top tier of ranges swell with battery-equipped bikes. While the Émonda is also available with Shimano’s Dura Ace Di2, the SLR 8 model features the mechanical variant of the company’s top-of-the-line group.
Some riders prefer the feedback of mechanical shifting, and after a couple of years running an electronic grouppo on my own bike, it was exciting to see that Dura Ace has lost none of its reliability under cable tension.
And, from a weight shedding perspective, dropping a battery (or batteries if you’re running SRAM Etap), is a boon. Cables are all neatly routed through the frame, and hidden from view for an elegant finish.
Trek have broken the Shimano ensemble by employing Bontrager’s Speed Stop Pro Brake set. Direct mounted onto the frame, the brakes are somewhat awkward to look at and setup, with the cable routed vertically downwards through the left hand arm of the brake.
However, once you’ve got them tuned, their braking performance is impressive and they provide fine-tuned control over the power applied from either side of the brake.
Bang for your buck
Checking the RRP of this bike produced another of those “wow” moments. Having ridden it prior to looking up the price, I can attest that it represents value for the $9,749 you’ll hand over. You could spend a whole lot more for the same experience.
If you’re looking for a bike to help shave seconds of your favourite climb, this is one of the best value lightweight options on the market and should definitely be on your shortlist.
Something that will reinforce the value of the package is the fact that manufacturing of the Émonda range has now shifted to Taiwan from Trek’s Wisconsin factory. It’s a significant compliment that production has moved to Asia, as it indicates that Trek’s faith in the product has been proven in the market. After just a few weeks with the Émonda, I’m a believer.
The overall impression this bike leaves you with is purity of its purpose. There’s no excess. Components have been selected and deployed for their specific role in making the bike go and stop. Combined with a frame that lays the foundation, Trek have produced a bike that punches well above its weight.