Bought a Trek ALR
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Bought a Trek ALR
So I have not been super happy as I thought I would be with my Synapse I bought last year. Sad too, I wanted to love it, but the geometry is just a little too relaxed for my liking, felt a little cramped, but I so wanted to love this bike. I am just glad I did not pop for the Hi-Mod version I originally started to get. So with that I went by the local shop last week to talk them about just buying a frame and then I would move my parts over to it. I have been riding carbon for a while now and my thought was to pick up a Hi Mod SuperSix or the Emonda SL frameset. I rode a SuperSix for a couple of years and absolutely loved it. However, I have also been intrigued by the Trek Emonda ALR and the Cannondale CAAD12. I bought a CAAD9 in 2007 and rode it for 5 years and it was a great bike, just a little long, should have had a size smaller.
Since the CAAD12 is not really out yet, at least in my area, I checked out the CAAD10, which has the same basic geometry I had on my SuperSix which I absolutely regret to this day getting rid of..... Anyway, take it for a spin, it's very nice and really like it. The shop just happened to get in a couple of Trek ALR 5's, 1 in my size and I said, lets check that out too. OMG......., it was super comfortable and it would not be an understatement to say it was the smoothest riding aluminum bike I have every ridden, almost carbon like smoothness. The back parking lot area where this shop resides, it less than smooth and wow, it tackled that with comfort. The fork on the ALR's is the same on the carbon Emonda SL models. Back in May, I had an accident and basically exploded my colorbone in 4 places and I still have a plate and 8 screws in my shoulder and have no reach on my left arm, it hurts to basically do anything, can't ride my bikes as I have a hard time reaching the shifters, but even all of that, I was extremely comfy on the bike and did not feel any jolts you would normally expect to feel with an aluminum bike. Throw a carbon seat post on it and there really is no need to go for a carbon frame, it was really that good. It was also in the Trek Factory Racing viper red color, which was just awesome. Even the shop guys were amazed at the ride quality.
While I did not want the whole bike, the bike fit me so well, even without really doing a proper full fitting yet and with the impressive feel of the ride, I had to pull the trigger. The other deciding factor, you can't get the frameset in the Red. My LBS gave me an awesome deal and I will just be moving my Ultegra components from my Synapse over and put the 11 speed 105 stuff on my commuter which is setup with a mix of 105/Ultegra 10 speed I had from my CAAD9. It will look nice as the new 105 parts are black and the commuter is black and white.
So with that....this is the bike I got, but going to make some changes to it. Ditching the white bar tape to black Lizard Skin, changing the saddle to my preferred Specialized Ronin, going to swap out the white stem for black. Can't use my BB30 crank with the BB86 without going through a bunch of adapters...so picked up an Ultegra crank from PBK for $165. Getting a FSA SL-K carbon seatpost and once I get the proper fit after I have the plate removed from my shoulder, will get an FSA SL-K stem and look at some compact handle bars. Will move my Boyd Altamont wheels over and I will be set. Getting a pretty good deal already and once I net out a sales of my Synapse frame and some of the other parts, will end up running about $650-900 which I think is damn good deal considering the bike will end up being an ALR 6 and they are going for $2200. Even as it is setup, it only weighs in at 18.4 lbs, I estimate after all the changes, it will weigh near 16 lbs, which again, for aluminum, is pretty damn awesome.
If you are the mix for a new bike....I highly recommend checking these out, they might change your mind about an aluminum frame in these days of all carbon, I know it did mine. Now I can't wait to actually ride the thing in total comfort and no plate in my shoulder....
Trek ALR
Since the CAAD12 is not really out yet, at least in my area, I checked out the CAAD10, which has the same basic geometry I had on my SuperSix which I absolutely regret to this day getting rid of..... Anyway, take it for a spin, it's very nice and really like it. The shop just happened to get in a couple of Trek ALR 5's, 1 in my size and I said, lets check that out too. OMG......., it was super comfortable and it would not be an understatement to say it was the smoothest riding aluminum bike I have every ridden, almost carbon like smoothness. The back parking lot area where this shop resides, it less than smooth and wow, it tackled that with comfort. The fork on the ALR's is the same on the carbon Emonda SL models. Back in May, I had an accident and basically exploded my colorbone in 4 places and I still have a plate and 8 screws in my shoulder and have no reach on my left arm, it hurts to basically do anything, can't ride my bikes as I have a hard time reaching the shifters, but even all of that, I was extremely comfy on the bike and did not feel any jolts you would normally expect to feel with an aluminum bike. Throw a carbon seat post on it and there really is no need to go for a carbon frame, it was really that good. It was also in the Trek Factory Racing viper red color, which was just awesome. Even the shop guys were amazed at the ride quality.
While I did not want the whole bike, the bike fit me so well, even without really doing a proper full fitting yet and with the impressive feel of the ride, I had to pull the trigger. The other deciding factor, you can't get the frameset in the Red. My LBS gave me an awesome deal and I will just be moving my Ultegra components from my Synapse over and put the 11 speed 105 stuff on my commuter which is setup with a mix of 105/Ultegra 10 speed I had from my CAAD9. It will look nice as the new 105 parts are black and the commuter is black and white.
So with that....this is the bike I got, but going to make some changes to it. Ditching the white bar tape to black Lizard Skin, changing the saddle to my preferred Specialized Ronin, going to swap out the white stem for black. Can't use my BB30 crank with the BB86 without going through a bunch of adapters...so picked up an Ultegra crank from PBK for $165. Getting a FSA SL-K carbon seatpost and once I get the proper fit after I have the plate removed from my shoulder, will get an FSA SL-K stem and look at some compact handle bars. Will move my Boyd Altamont wheels over and I will be set. Getting a pretty good deal already and once I net out a sales of my Synapse frame and some of the other parts, will end up running about $650-900 which I think is damn good deal considering the bike will end up being an ALR 6 and they are going for $2200. Even as it is setup, it only weighs in at 18.4 lbs, I estimate after all the changes, it will weigh near 16 lbs, which again, for aluminum, is pretty damn awesome.
If you are the mix for a new bike....I highly recommend checking these out, they might change your mind about an aluminum frame in these days of all carbon, I know it did mine. Now I can't wait to actually ride the thing in total comfort and no plate in my shoulder....
Trek ALR
__________________
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Last edited by jaxgtr; 08-22-15 at 08:42 PM.
#2
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Nice! I was considering picking up one of these in the black/yellow once I hit my weight goal, will be interested to see how you like yours over the next few months
#3
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So I finally got my ALR home and took it for it's shake down tour.....a little Navy lingo for ya. I have been off the bike for 4 months since my accident, and my physical therapy masochist told me I have frozen shoulder, so my reach is not the best, so was not sure how the body would hold up.
I decided for safety reasons, I would take the first ride on the local rail trail. I ended up replacing the cockpit and seatpost with the FSA SL-K group and could not be happier with that decision. Between the the Emonda SL fork, the Trek 300 aluminum frame, the ride was flipping unbelievably smooth. Even on some of the rougher surfaced area's, I swear I was riding a carbon bike. While I did not like the fit of the Synapse for me, the ride quality of the Synapse was awesome, this bike meets or exceeds that. Also, the fit of this bike could not be better for me and the Viper Red color is just awesome looking. All in all and very successful ride and the body held up pretty good. Although my reach is still impacted because of my shoulder, reaching he hoods was not a problem. The weight of the bike with pedals\bottle cages is 16.9 lbs......yes...16.9 lbs. My carbon Synapse was 17.8 lbs.
I never felt this comfortable on my Synapse and I am so glad that I decided to make the switch. So if you are looking for a new bike, I would highly recommend checking the ALR out. You might be surprised and save your self a load of money at the same time. I am still waiting on my stem, should be here the week sometime, once I get it, I will post a pic of the final setup.
Brian
I decided for safety reasons, I would take the first ride on the local rail trail. I ended up replacing the cockpit and seatpost with the FSA SL-K group and could not be happier with that decision. Between the the Emonda SL fork, the Trek 300 aluminum frame, the ride was flipping unbelievably smooth. Even on some of the rougher surfaced area's, I swear I was riding a carbon bike. While I did not like the fit of the Synapse for me, the ride quality of the Synapse was awesome, this bike meets or exceeds that. Also, the fit of this bike could not be better for me and the Viper Red color is just awesome looking. All in all and very successful ride and the body held up pretty good. Although my reach is still impacted because of my shoulder, reaching he hoods was not a problem. The weight of the bike with pedals\bottle cages is 16.9 lbs......yes...16.9 lbs. My carbon Synapse was 17.8 lbs.
I never felt this comfortable on my Synapse and I am so glad that I decided to make the switch. So if you are looking for a new bike, I would highly recommend checking the ALR out. You might be surprised and save your self a load of money at the same time. I am still waiting on my stem, should be here the week sometime, once I get it, I will post a pic of the final setup.
Brian
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I've been looking at these recently! Glad you like the ride so much. My LBS doesn't have any in stock and was debating driving an hour to ride one. Now I'm definately going to have to. I do have a question on it though that my LBS can't seem to answer (since they don't have one in stock). How much space is there for larger tires? The area I'm can barely be considered paved and I prefer to run 28c tires currently but I'm not sure if these can hold that or not. Would you mind measuring or taking some pics of the clearance?
Grats on the new bike! Now my blood is pumping to pull the trigger on one!
Grats on the new bike! Now my blood is pumping to pull the trigger on one!
#5
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Im surprised by weight. My 5.9 Domane with Dura-Ace is only a bit lighter (16.2 lbs) with 500 series carbon, lighter race light wheels and lighter Dura ace components.
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I may need to go test ride one... I'm still pretty happy with my CAAD9 but am considering something different for a distance bike. Domane, Synapse, Roubaix are on the list, along with building up a Gunnar Sport (which is what I'm leaning towards). If the ALR is that nice, I might just save some money. I prefer SRAM though...
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Glad you are enjoying your new bike! May it give you thousands of miles of pleasure
#8
SuperGimp
So I finally got my ALR home and took it for it's shake down tour.....a little Navy lingo for ya. I have been off the bike for 4 months since my accident, and my physical therapy masochist told me I have frozen shoulder, so my reach is not the best, so was not sure how the body would hold up.
I decided for safety reasons, I would take the first ride on the local rail trail. I ended up replacing the cockpit and seatpost with the FSA SL-K group and could not be happier with that decision. Between the the Emonda SL fork, the Trek 300 aluminum frame, the ride was flipping unbelievably smooth. Even on some of the rougher surfaced area's, I swear I was riding a carbon bike. While I did not like the fit of the Synapse for me, the ride quality of the Synapse was awesome, this bike meets or exceeds that. Also, the fit of this bike could not be better for me and the Viper Red color is just awesome looking. All in all and very successful ride and the body held up pretty good. Although my reach is still impacted because of my shoulder, reaching he hoods was not a problem. The weight of the bike with pedals\bottle cages is 16.9 lbs......yes...16.9 lbs. My carbon Synapse was 17.8 lbs.
I never felt this comfortable on my Synapse and I am so glad that I decided to make the switch. So if you are looking for a new bike, I would highly recommend checking the ALR out. You might be surprised and save your self a load of money at the same time. I am still waiting on my stem, should be here the week sometime, once I get it, I will post a pic of the final setup.
Brian
I decided for safety reasons, I would take the first ride on the local rail trail. I ended up replacing the cockpit and seatpost with the FSA SL-K group and could not be happier with that decision. Between the the Emonda SL fork, the Trek 300 aluminum frame, the ride was flipping unbelievably smooth. Even on some of the rougher surfaced area's, I swear I was riding a carbon bike. While I did not like the fit of the Synapse for me, the ride quality of the Synapse was awesome, this bike meets or exceeds that. Also, the fit of this bike could not be better for me and the Viper Red color is just awesome looking. All in all and very successful ride and the body held up pretty good. Although my reach is still impacted because of my shoulder, reaching he hoods was not a problem. The weight of the bike with pedals\bottle cages is 16.9 lbs......yes...16.9 lbs. My carbon Synapse was 17.8 lbs.
I never felt this comfortable on my Synapse and I am so glad that I decided to make the switch. So if you are looking for a new bike, I would highly recommend checking the ALR out. You might be surprised and save your self a load of money at the same time. I am still waiting on my stem, should be here the week sometime, once I get it, I will post a pic of the final setup.
Brian
Glad you're enjoying your bike - it really sounds like Trek got the emonda right.
#9
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I've been looking at these recently! Glad you like the ride so much. My LBS doesn't have any in stock and was debating driving an hour to ride one. Now I'm definately going to have to. I do have a question on it though that my LBS can't seem to answer (since they don't have one in stock). How much space is there for larger tires? The area I'm can barely be considered paved and I prefer to run 28c tires currently but I'm not sure if these can hold that or not. Would you mind measuring or taking some pics of the clearance?
Grats on the new bike! Now my blood is pumping to pull the trigger on one!
Grats on the new bike! Now my blood is pumping to pull the trigger on one!
#10
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I may need to go test ride one... I'm still pretty happy with my CAAD9 but am considering something different for a distance bike. Domane, Synapse, Roubaix are on the list, along with building up a Gunnar Sport (which is what I'm leaning towards). If the ALR is that nice, I might just save some money. I prefer SRAM though...
Wiggle has a Force 22 for $800 or Rival for $600 although you would need to swap the BB to pressfit now.
Force22
wiggle.com | SRAM SRAM Force 22 groupset | Groupsets and Build-kits
Rival
wiggle.com | SRAM Rival 22 Compact Groupset | Groupsets and Build-kits
#11
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LOL....yea true...and I think I type that first and changed it, but it's been 25 yrs since my last adventure with the Navy.
#12
SuperGimp
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#14
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Finally got a picture with the final version of the bike. Ending weight...16.95 lbs with Pedals and Bottle cages.
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Yeah, that looks pretty spiffy. A lot of people don't like a sloping top tube, but there are some frames that I think look really great with more modern lines.
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Nice Bike @jaxgtr!
Currently I just can't decide I'll go with ALR5 or CAAD12 105. Do you have tried CAAD12? In my place there is no way I can try the bike before i buy it. So i just completely blind about this two options.
Currently I just can't decide I'll go with ALR5 or CAAD12 105. Do you have tried CAAD12? In my place there is no way I can try the bike before i buy it. So i just completely blind about this two options.
#18
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thanks. Yea I rode both and at the end of the day, the Trek fit me better and I thought the Trek had a smoother ride. The CAAD12's were pretty much the same as the 10's to me, not a bad ride, but it did not say buy me like the Trek did.
#19
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Same thing happened with me. I can't really put my finger on what it was about the ALR6 that got me, but it was a "this is the one" moment. I don't have the spiffy Trek Factory Racing paint scheme, though. Red = faster.
#20
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I picked up a set of the Aeolus 5 when they were closing out their warranty stock when Bontrager changed the rim to be able to work tubeless. I will probably never go tubeless on the road, so got these for a tad bit under half price. Love them.
A more recent picture...