Checkpoint AL 3 AL 4
11-17-18, 03:46 AM
#1
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Checkpoint AL 3 AL 4
Checkpoint AL4
Is this Trek’s foray into a more affordable gravel bike?
I was about to bite the bullet on the ALR 4 but just couldn’t get comfortable with the price, This one is much more in my budget. The 3 is only $1099 but I really prefer the feel of hydro brakes over mechanical.
Also please someone tell me I’m not insane, these haven’t been on their website for months right? I wonder if they will release WSD versions of these soon. I’m ready to buy like right now, but I was at least planing to wait until next weekend to see what their sales look like so I will do that.
Is this Trek’s foray into a more affordable gravel bike?
I was about to bite the bullet on the ALR 4 but just couldn’t get comfortable with the price, This one is much more in my budget. The 3 is only $1099 but I really prefer the feel of hydro brakes over mechanical.
Also please someone tell me I’m not insane, these haven’t been on their website for months right? I wonder if they will release WSD versions of these soon. I’m ready to buy like right now, but I was at least planing to wait until next weekend to see what their sales look like so I will do that.
11-17-18, 08:53 AM
#2
Reno/Seattle/NYC
I saw someone post one of these on ****** just now and I was similarly confused.
It looks like the AL has slightly different geometry compared to the ALR frame, so maybe it's more inexpensively constructed? 200 series vs 300 series aluminum, whatever that means. Also the AL has Formula hubs/rims compared to the Bontrager wheels on the ALR, but I assume these are both entry level anyway. And the AL doesn't have the weird horizontal dropouts, which I guess could be a plus to some.
Not sure why they decided to introduce a second Tiagra model, though. Seems like there's no point in getting the ALR4 now. If you want 105 you go for the ALR5, if you want Tiagra the AL4 is $300+ cheaper than the ALR4.
Both seem to be less value than the Topstone, though. I test rode an ALR5 and appreciated the responsiveness, and was going to compare it to a Topstone once those are in stock.
It looks like the AL has slightly different geometry compared to the ALR frame, so maybe it's more inexpensively constructed? 200 series vs 300 series aluminum, whatever that means. Also the AL has Formula hubs/rims compared to the Bontrager wheels on the ALR, but I assume these are both entry level anyway. And the AL doesn't have the weird horizontal dropouts, which I guess could be a plus to some.
Not sure why they decided to introduce a second Tiagra model, though. Seems like there's no point in getting the ALR4 now. If you want 105 you go for the ALR5, if you want Tiagra the AL4 is $300+ cheaper than the ALR4.
Both seem to be less value than the Topstone, though. I test rode an ALR5 and appreciated the responsiveness, and was going to compare it to a Topstone once those are in stock.
11-17-18, 09:48 AM
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I saw someone post one of these on ****** just now and I was similarly confused.
It looks like the AL has slightly different geometry compared to the ALR frame, so maybe it's more inexpensively constructed? 200 series vs 300 series aluminum, whatever that means. Also the AL has Formula hubs/rims compared to the Bontrager wheels on the ALR, but I assume these are both entry level anyway. And the AL doesn't have the weird horizontal dropouts, which I guess could be a plus to some.
Not sure why they decided to introduce a second Tiagra model, though. Seems like there's no point in getting the ALR4 now. If you want 105 you go for the ALR5, if you want Tiagra the AL4 is $300+ cheaper than the ALR4.
Both seem to be less value than the Topstone, though. I test rode an ALR5 and appreciated the responsiveness, and was going to compare it to a Topstone once those are in stock.
It looks like the AL has slightly different geometry compared to the ALR frame, so maybe it's more inexpensively constructed? 200 series vs 300 series aluminum, whatever that means. Also the AL has Formula hubs/rims compared to the Bontrager wheels on the ALR, but I assume these are both entry level anyway. And the AL doesn't have the weird horizontal dropouts, which I guess could be a plus to some.
Not sure why they decided to introduce a second Tiagra model, though. Seems like there's no point in getting the ALR4 now. If you want 105 you go for the ALR5, if you want Tiagra the AL4 is $300+ cheaper than the ALR4.
Both seem to be less value than the Topstone, though. I test rode an ALR5 and appreciated the responsiveness, and was going to compare it to a Topstone once those are in stock.
11-17-18, 02:28 PM
#4
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The Al is about 1lb heavier then the ALR. I guess do to the heavier aluminum. The big difference to me would be the lack of hydraulic brakes and stranglehold dropouts. The adjustable dropouts make the bike truly versatile. If you have no plans to load the bike up then I don’t think it would make much difference.
11-17-18, 03:06 PM
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The Al is about 1lb heavier then the ALR. I guess do to the heavier aluminum. The big difference to me would be the lack of hydraulic brakes and stranglehold dropouts. The adjustable dropouts make the bike truly versatile. If you have no plans to load the bike up then I don’t think it would make much difference.
11-17-18, 03:19 PM
#6
Senior Member
I just took a second look at the trek site. It lists hydraulic brakes under components. In the section that says “the tech you get” it lists Tiagra and mechanical disk brakes. So if the adjustable dropouts don’t sound like a useful feature for you then im sure you made a great decision.
11-17-18, 08:48 PM
#7
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I suspect they got beat up on their pricing of the ALRs. At least that's the vibe I got from my local shop (that I use to work at) when chatting with the guys. Interesting, the fork on the AL4 is cleaner than the SL5 with the hose running through it versus zip-tied to the inside of the leg.
11-17-18, 10:00 PM
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Is this right? The Trek sites lists AL 3/4 "tires up to 35c" while the ALR 4/5 show "tires up to 45c?" Both are described as massive tire clearance. Some are more massive.
11-18-18, 11:14 AM
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With that kind of clearance I'd call it more a cx bike with relaxed geometry vs a gravel bike. That is some tiny tire clearance.
11-18-18, 11:29 AM
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i wanted a road bike because I’m planning on doing a few sprint triathlons next summer and I need to make up some speed on the bike. But outside of that I’m a more casual rider, mostly riding a few days a week on the hard gravel trails near my house. i like the wider tires and mechanical disk brakes on my hydrid so I think this will be the perfect bike for me.
11-18-18, 12:30 PM
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Congrats on the new bike. Sounds like you made a thoughtful decision between price and features.
I'm sure you will enjoy it.
I'm sure you will enjoy it.
11-19-18, 05:34 AM
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I own an ALR4 and had never heard of the AL 3/4 models untill now. I agree that the pricing on the ALR models is expensive, but I have been mightly impressed by mine, it is my first Trek bicycle and so far the brand has earned my respect, I did not expect it to behave that well on the local dirty roads that can get get quite rough and rocky.
The AL versions seem like excelent bike for bad roads and smooth gravel, I'd personally go for the AL 4 version, because I love hydraulic brakes and to upgrade the AL 3 to hydros at a later date can get expensive.
The AL versions seem like excelent bike for bad roads and smooth gravel, I'd personally go for the AL 4 version, because I love hydraulic brakes and to upgrade the AL 3 to hydros at a later date can get expensive.
01-31-19, 12:48 AM
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The pros and cons very much favour the al4 over the alr4 (unless one considers riding it singlespeed). Even the colouring is preferable imo! Brooke, how do you like your new bike???
N.B. Two differences that were not yet mentioned in this thread are the saddle and the handlebar. No isozone on the al-version.
N.B. Two differences that were not yet mentioned in this thread are the saddle and the handlebar. No isozone on the al-version.
02-03-19, 01:12 PM
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The pros and cons very much favour the al4 over the alr4 (unless one considers riding it singlespeed). Even the colouring is preferable imo! Brooke, how do you like your new bike???
N.B. Two differences that were not yet mentioned in this thread are the saddle and the handlebar. No isozone on the al-version.
N.B. Two differences that were not yet mentioned in this thread are the saddle and the handlebar. No isozone on the al-version.
02-03-19, 02:17 PM
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A slipping seatpost is not right. Have you mentioned this to your local bike shop? They should fix that for you.
As for the saddle, is the picture showing your preferred height? It seems a bit low (although I am not an expert by any means). The higher you sit, the more pressure on the handlebars and less on the saddle. Also moving the saddle horizontally sometimes helps.
The bike itself looks great! I am surprised you were able to notice the quality difference compared to the ALR. In what way?
As for the saddle, is the picture showing your preferred height? It seems a bit low (although I am not an expert by any means). The higher you sit, the more pressure on the handlebars and less on the saddle. Also moving the saddle horizontally sometimes helps.
The bike itself looks great! I am surprised you were able to notice the quality difference compared to the ALR. In what way?
02-03-19, 07:14 PM
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A slipping seatpost is not right. Have you mentioned this to your local bike shop? They should fix that for you.
As for the saddle, is the picture showing your preferred height? It seems a bit low (although I am not an expert by any means). The higher you sit, the more pressure on the handlebars and less on the saddle. Also moving the saddle horizontally sometimes helps.
The bike itself looks great! I am surprised you were able to notice the quality difference compared to the ALR. In what way?
As for the saddle, is the picture showing your preferred height? It seems a bit low (although I am not an expert by any means). The higher you sit, the more pressure on the handlebars and less on the saddle. Also moving the saddle horizontally sometimes helps.
The bike itself looks great! I am surprised you were able to notice the quality difference compared to the ALR. In what way?
I am planning on doing a couple of sprint triathlons this summer but normally ride crush gravel so I think this bike really is the best of both worlds. I haven’t gotten it out in the road yet but I’m looking forward to it when gets a little warmer.
02-04-19, 03:26 AM
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It may have been the wider 35 mm G-One tires on the ALR that gave you the impression of better quality. For your purposes, a combination of racing and gravelriding, the narrower/slicker Bontrager R1 tires seem a better compromise.
A gravelbike can handle all weather conditions. Don't put it on a trainer!!!
I would use the bike for gravelriding and bikepacking. I love the multiple mount options on this bike. But my current cyclocross machine is still functional, so I don't allow myself to make a new purchase yet.
And I wait for a 1x11 drivetrain option. I wonder why Trek only offers 50/34 compacts on the Checkpoint. Can anyone start a thread on that???
A gravelbike can handle all weather conditions. Don't put it on a trainer!!!
I would use the bike for gravelriding and bikepacking. I love the multiple mount options on this bike. But my current cyclocross machine is still functional, so I don't allow myself to make a new purchase yet.
And I wait for a 1x11 drivetrain option. I wonder why Trek only offers 50/34 compacts on the Checkpoint. Can anyone start a thread on that???
02-09-19, 01:10 AM
#19
Alberto
Tire clearance
Hi Brooke
i am also interested in the same model AL4. The only question for me is tire clearance. Website says 38 mm but everyone mention 35. Have you ever try to fit bigger tires than stocks?
02-18-19, 10:08 AM
#20
Chases Dogs for Sport
[EDIT: The 35mm capacity came from my review of Trek's website and a discussion with Trek's customer service guy on Friday, February 15, 2019. Today, Monday February 18, 2019, the capacity spec on Trek's website is 40mm for SL models and 38mm on AL models. What is it really? And why? Who knows. The constantly changing spec is maddening!]
Last edited by FlashBazbo; 02-18-19 at 10:24 AM.
05-17-19, 02:05 PM
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Hi Brooke, how are you liking the AL 4? I'm contemplating to buy one but not sure which color to get. Can you post more pics on the matte grey color?
