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| My new 2015 Emonda SL6 (pretty soon I'll cut the steerer tube so I won't chip my buck teeth on all those spacers;-) |
Since
Tweety's sad retirement from service, Sylvester has been
performing surprisingly well. Yet I don't have much faith that
Sylvester's frame and worn components would last another road
racing season.
I
gaze in wonder at the level of equipment that many in the masters
peloton are riding on, as I piece together whatever machine I can
just to be able to ride. Work has been slow this year and unlike
24 years ago, I can no longer spring for a grand tour level bike.
But
I have to ride. Tweety lasted almost two decades, and a
well-cared-for bike is almost like a piece of real estate–it
even could be considered an investment.
So
a couple of weeks ago I started shopping, hoping I'd find a modern
bike that I could almost afford, without feeling like I was
settling. If I felt like I'd be “driving a Rambler” I'd just
stick with Sylvester, as that bike actually rides like a classic
80's race bike.
What
I bought today is far, far below the level of what many of my
fellow racers are riding, but so far I love this bike.
It's
a Trek Emonda SL6. The Emonda is new for Trek in 2015. The SL
frame is Asian manufactured, with 500-series OCLV carbon fiber.
The “6” means it's Ultegra 6800 11-speed equipped.
The bland
wheels are Bontrager Race, as are the alloy stem and bars. Higher
level Emondas are U.S. Made frames that are quite a bit lighter.
With my clunky old Look pedals, this bike weighs 16 lbs (five pounds lighter than what I've been riding–now the combined weight of bike and rider are less than my body weight alone three years ago).
While
the new Ultegra group has a lot more thermoplastic and pressed
steel in it than past generations, it works solidly.
What
is so remarkable to me is the ride of the whole bike. I had about
an hour to take it for a spin this afternoon. Like I told Jen
tonight at dinner, there's no way I can describe how amazing this
bike feels on the road, but that won't stop me from trying over
and over until you're all sick of hearing it.
What
I notice most of all is rigidity of the frame at the bottom bracket and the
front end, yet there isn't any jarring feeling. It feels like a really good
italian steel race frame in that there's a liveliness that's not
the result of flexibility (If that makes any sense).
Equally
impressive is overall handling. I've only done two test rides from
the bike shop, and then today's ride. Today's ride covered a mix
of good to poor pavement. You can hammer hard for 14 miles through
the curves and rollers, powering over rises and through turns. I
didn't beat any of my personal records, but I was really impressed
with the handling. It's hard to crow about neutrality, but with
this frame, I think Trek really struck gold. I've ridden old 70's
crit bikes with 74-degree head tubes and they weren't any fun in a
60-mile road race. This Emonda is about a degree more relaxed in
the front, while still having a 74-degree seat tube. The fork
offset is a cushy 45 mm so the steering is predictable, yet lots
of fun in turns.
I think I found the
bike that's in that sweet spot of the market–one that performs
solidly, yet comes in well under three grand. Most shops are
selling the SL6 for $2999. My new race team's sponsoring shop
offers a generous discount, but it's inconvenient for me to drive
all the way over there for multiple test rides, etc. I'm very
lucky that my local City Cycle in Corte Madera was willing to
match the deal. For convenience and the impressive level of
customer service I experienced there, I purchased the bike there
today. Major kudos to Scott Green for his great service.
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