2muchroad

Hi everybody!

I have been offered this used TREK Emonda ALR 5 2018 for 600€. (Shimano 105 group and 300 Series Aluminum frame 3kg)

Seller Listing (w/ pictures): willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/rennrad-trek-emonda-alr5-1413122650

The seller says he bought it in 2018, only rode about 400km on it and let it sit in the garage after that.

I'm not an expert, but the casette looks rusted to me and I'm not sure if this is a good deal in general.

Could I find something better for 600€?

Thanks a lot!

ridelikeaturtle

The cassette looks to me like it could clean up easily, just a bit of road grime from normal use. I'd say you can't go far wrong for only €600, bike generally looks in good condition, very clean. Aluminum bikes can be underrated/undervalued.

My opinion: "good deal".

hidetaka

A lot of the answer is going to depend on your local market. People here keep posting some craigslist finds of $50 Kleins and $500 DuraAce carbon road bikes like that's just standard, on the other hand I've paid ~600 Euro for a basic alloy road bike with an even older 105 and that was quite a good deal (locally).
If that Emonda was for sale near me it would be gone in under a week 100%.

Jughed

Yes - great bike for a good price.

Ditch the stock wheelset, the only weak point of the bike (heavy/slow/bad bearings), replace with a decent CF set and you have a bike that is in line with $4k CF bikes.

My ALR5 is my workhorse/all purpose bike. 11k+ miles over the past two years and it's been fairly bombproof - aside from the stock wheelset.

2muchroad

Hey man, thanks for dispelling my suspicions. I recently watched a Youtube Video on casettes and the mechanic said that once the shape of the space between two sprockets starts looking rectangular instead of oval, you'll know that it's been through some serious abuse. I'm kinda seeing that happening on the outer rim, but I might be wrong.

The Shimano M5100 is only around 45€, I was wondering if I should still replace the casette, even if there isn't any rust.

Hello, thank you for the reply!

I don't think the 2018 ALR 5 is still being sold officially, but from what I could find online, the local MSRP in 2023 was around 1.400€.
I've been advised, that the Shimano 105 group is inferior to the Ultegra at that price point. Others have told me that it doesn't really matter, though.
Personally, I couldn't really find any decisive differences after watching some videos. Both seem fine to me, but of course I don't know sh*t lol.

Hello, thanks for the reply!

That was my plan exactly. I want to get a CF wheelset and go tubeless (for the first time in my life lol). Something that will go well with the bike's color scheme, which I actually don't love to be honest.

I thought about painting the frame, but apparently that is not recommended. I calculated how much paint and added weight would be applied as a result and I don't really see how that could be a problem.

Which version (year) of the ALR 5 do you have? I'd love some feedback of an actual owner with regards to comfort, seating position, weight and speed.

Thanks again guys!

(I'm trying to find a like button for your super helpful posts)

Jughed

I have a 2022 or possibly a 21 leftover.

Ultegra Vs 105 - the only real difference is weight. There is no real difference in performance.

I've not weighed my bike, but stock it was 19.8#'s/9kg. The stock wheelset is 2200 grams+ - I took 800 grams off with a set of Roval C38's. Could have gone even lighter if I wanted to spend more or go with a Chinese set.

Took another 200g off with a decent set of tires (GP5000's). So all in the bike is 18#/8.1KG +/-.

That makes the bike in line performance wise with the Emonda SL6 - which sells for $4200 MSRP.

The frame is smooth and stiff - worlds better than old aluminum frames and better than some CF frames that I've ridden/owned. The position is just slightly more relaxed than a race bike, but only by a few fractions of degrees.

Speed - while that is rider dependent, the bike is plenty fast for what I do. The only bikes that would give a real speed advantage would be full on aero bikes with the rider in an aggressive aero position, or a light weight climbing bike for the long mountains. Even then you are only talking a few min here or there over longer distances.

I've done a 21 mile 6k' mountain pass on the bike - spending 4-6k more would only save a few min overall.

cyclezen

Agree with others, a nice bike. Seems in good condition. WHeelset is adequate, but also prolly quite heavy, that's a good area for 'upgrade. The geartrain/equipment looks in good condition
Size - 58cm - quite large. I would say for a rider minimum 1,80m tall (or very long cycling inseam) 1,80+m tall better...If you are more towards 1,76-1,78m height or less, then a 56 would be a better fit.

Ride on
Yuri

2muchroad

The 2022 is very nice. I like the color scheme and the frame of the newer versions just looks sleeker somehow. I know they all have the same 300 series Alpha Aluminium frame with identical weight (around 2.4kg), but ALR 5 2019 and upwards all have the internal cable routing and just look edgier and more streamline to me.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions, so Ultegra isn't inherently better.

9kg is amazing, this thing must be an absolute rocket. Omg I can't wait to ride it already. I am gonna follow your advice and switch the wheelset to a CF one. Possibly used, if I can find a good offer. That should really be great value overall. I have seen used ALR 5 2017 - 2020 frames sell for 600 - 800€. That's why I was initially stoked to find this offer, but still had to confirm with you guys if I was correct.

You are making me feel so much better about my decision, thanks man!

I have heard people describe the ALR 5 series as climbing bikes before, so I'm guessing that's why the frame is slightly bent at the top and not straight like a true racer one.

Thank you for the heads up. I am about 6.1' (1.84cm my apologies for the metric system guys) on a good day and after spinal decompression exercises lol. Hope it's gonna work out. I have never had a road bike before, so I don't really know what the seating position is gonna feel like. I'm actually a bit anxious about it.

Also thanks for reassuring me about the drive train. When I first saw the casette I was sure that thing is rusty. This type of yellow discoloration is usually a clear indicator I thought, but I trust you guys of course. I must be wrong, it just struck me on first sight.

I wanted to post a picture of it with the concerning areas marked, but I am not allowed to post pictures yet as a newbie. xD

Jrasero

For 600 euro yes, not sure what else you can find locally with 105 in good shape.

Iride01 

Just make sure you like the fit that the Emonda is made to give a rider. And that is a fairly aggressive fit. For a 58cm frame you should probably be at least 180cm or better.

The saddle height on that one looks low in the picture. Or perhaps the owner has the stem flipped to put the bars higher. So they apparently bought the wrong model bike for their preferences. A Domane would have given them a better fit since from the bikes setup, it's seems they didn't want a aggressive fit.

Can't say anything for the price. But realize that with the rim brakes your options might be a tad more limited if you ever want to put better wheels on it.

2muchroad

Yes thank you, I've never been on a road bike before. So when I buy it, I'll do a test drive first. Aha you can tell from the picture that the stem was flipped? I'll have to ask the seller about that, thank you for that tip.
Won't I be able to install disk brakes after? I wanted to go with a CF wheelset and disk brakes.

Russ Roth

Stem may have been changed, to me it looks like a 0 degree stem, I could be wrong here but stems are meant to be replaced to adjust fit. A 7 degree stem can change things a lot flipped one way or the other and lengths can vary on a road bike from 70-120mm, longer and shorter are possible but then you should probably size up or down on the bike if you're outside that range since handling is also effected.
That's a no on disc brakes, the frame and fork need to have the mounting points built in for running disc, usually if they don't come with disc they don't come with the ability. For a short time some bikes did come with both options but I think those were rare and I've only ever seen one in the wild. The one I saw used 135mm rear spacing and was quick release front and back, while rim brake bikes like this even now stay at the traditional 130mm from what I've seen, not sure why they haven't gone to 135mm, but then rim brake in 2024 on road bikes has virtually disappeared. Road bikes with disc were quick to ditch quick release for thru axle and 142mm rear spacing, finding a new 135mm disc quick release rear wheel of good quality wouldn't be easy now.
And yes, I think the bike is a good value if it fits.

Jughed

Nope, can't swap.

The frame and fork are designed a bit different to handle the load of discs. There are CF rim brake wheelsets out there, and some decent alloy ones as well. Campy Zonda's are decent alloy wheels...

Size - if its a 58cm? That bike is good for 5'11" to 6'1" +/-. Trek frame sizes can measure up small vs other frames... I'm 5'11 (shrunk in my old age from 6') and comfortably ride a 58cm. I could ride a 56 and get a more aggressive position, but I have other bikes for that.

Iride01 

I think Russ Roth is correct. That might be a 0° stem. Usually road bikes come with about a 7° stem to offset the head tube angle by turning the stem negative so it looks about parallel to the ground. Mostly just for the aesthetics on road bikes. And I am very vocal here about that aesthetic needing to be maintained unless absolutely necessary because one purchased the wrong bike and can't afford another more proper model with the geometry to give them that bar height without flipping the stem.

I'm also wondering if the bars have been changed too. They look a little long in the reach from what I remember the bars on that year Emonda having been. In this side shot you can see the saddle to bar drop isn't very much. I doubted initially that this was even a Emonda when I saw it.

https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-...lr5-1413122650

A Emonda is about the same geometry as my Tarmac. And I have way more saddle to bar drop than that. And I've only removed about 15 or 20 mm of spacers from under the bar. Perhaps the owner bought a over size frame for their height. To give them a higher stack and the saddle is just lower for their shorter legs.

You won't put disc brakes on it if there aren't the mounts for the disc calipers. Though there might be some that use mounts that can be clamped on. But I don't know. Rim to disc will be a tad expensive since for hydraulic, which IMO are the only kind you should consider, will require a STI change too. And if that model doesn't have the wider rear spacing needed for disc, you'll be SOL there too! As well you'll need new wheels or at least new hubs.

And the money adds up to where you should have just bought the bike you want because now you are at showroom new price for a new Emonda with Sora or maybe even Tiagra. .

ridelikeaturtle

As a seller - and this is a personal thing - I wouldn't allow a test ride unless I have the asking price in cash in my hand. After that (when you've returned the bike after a few minutes!), you can negotiate if you find something to negotiate about. Of course, this is just me.

As has been replied to already, converting to disc brakes is a whole new "can of worms".

2muchroad

Thank you so much for the info guys!

Ah ok I see, so disk brakes would be a no go. I only wanted them because I thought the options and variety of CF wheelsets compatible with rim brakes would too small. I found a couple interesting ones used for around 250 - 300€. To me that raises another question, unfortunately. When do I reach the point of diminishing returns with my current method.

Option 1:
Used ALR 5 2018 with 300 Alu frame 2.4kg, 105 Shimano group - 600€
Used CF wheelset - 250/300€
Total = 850 - 900€

Option 2:
Finding a used roadbike that can beat that under 1000€.

For example here are a couple more listings where I was able to negotiate a price for about 200€ more. I'm really wondering if it would be better value to get the cheaper ALR 5 and possibly upgrade the wheelset later, or get one of the slightly more expensive options instead. Is the difference between those significant? People just keep saying that the ALR5 frame is so good.

Trek Madone Carbon / Ultegra Group - 700€
willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/trek-madone-carbon-rennrad-1234977823

Wilier Triestina GTR XL Carbon / Ultegra Group - 950€
willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/wilier-triestina-gtr-xl-1323815905

Cube Attain SL / Shimano Tiagra - 850€
willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/cube-attain-sl-1326000450

Ridley Helium Carbon / Ultegra Group - 800€
willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/ridley-helium-carbonrennrad-693282399

hidetaka

None of those 4 look better than the Emonda + cheap carbon wheels. If the Cube was on Tiagra with hydro disc is would be a clear winner but mech is not really cutting it for me. The other ones will probably be lighter than the Emonda but they're old and gonna start costing you money sooner, and that money won't even be spent on upgrades, just to keep them running.

2muchroad

Hmm, the Trek Madone and Ridley Helium have full Carbon frames with Ultegra Group Set and fairly good wheelsets. The Trek Madone would only be 100€ more than the Emonda ARL 5 2018. What makes the ARL 5 so good in comparison, apart from the extra cash for a better wheelset?

Iride01 

You have bikes listed that give different positions. Of them the Cube Attain is more similar to a Trek Domane in the position it gives than it is a Trek Emonda. The Ridley is between the two.

If you haven't any experience on road bikes, then you need to realize that really need to know what position you want on the bike and look at models that are made to give you that position. The Emonda, Madone and Triestina are aggressive position. They are meant for you to be in a very aero riding position. The Domane and Helium give you what is more in the middle of the two fit extremes of road bikes.

You concentration on better wheels is slightly misguided unless you have some reason at this moment to need better wheels. But I can't imagine what that might be since I'm imagining that you don't have a lot of road bike experience.

All bikes come with good wheels that are appropriate for their price level. Better wheels are not going to make you a better rider. As you get more experience handling a bike, you might want better wheels at that time. But only because they give you a better feel for the road handling. Not that they make you faster or are more comfortable.

2muchroad

Hi, the reason why I'd consider better wheels for the Emonda is to increase the bike's value. I would like to ride it briefly for the experience, but ultimately my goal is to touch it up, increase the value and resell it. It's true, I have zero riding experience with road bikes, which is why I would like to use this chance and get some. Bikes with more aggressive seating positions usually sell faster, because they're in higher demand, so that would shift my focus to the Madone, Emonda and Triestina. At the same time, I would like to know why @hidetaka is convinced that the Emonda is superior to an all Carbon bike with Ultegra, internal cable routing and better wheelset, namely the Ridley one (apart from the seating position)?

Seems to me that the Emonda is actually the only bike on like 15 pages with external cable routing, which apparently will make it harder to sell I'm told.

cyclezen

They all appear to be very nice bikes, some a bit 'newer' model than others - but deciding online from just pics is not a good way to decide. There's SO MUCH to be considered when buying a bicycle above something which might be a do-it-all around-town bike...
You're asking for a complete manual on "How To Buy a Road Bike" - way too much to go thru. I would suggest searching here and reading prior threads on this subject.
All the comments, including Iride's below, have validity, the 'view' and weight of each, depends... a lot on what your expectations are, your physical self, and a host of other considerations.
... but I'll add some further ideas below... Then you really need to do homework, if you want to go deeper than "A nice bike I can start my Road Cycling addiction/adventure"...

I'll agree with most of the above - each bicycle has it's design and purpose points - a new rider won;t know how to interpret them, until they start getting some accumulated 'riding time'. But classifying each, as above, may prolly differ from above... a personal opinion...
Each has somewhat varying 'geometry', which give considerations on the rider makeup and how they expect/wish to ride. a Good assist is to know what 'geometry' means and does for a rider/bike - that's homework. For bike info, each manufacturer usually have geometry lists for their bikes
and for 'comparison - geometrygeeks is a great tool ! https://geometrygeeks.bike/bike-directory/search/

Then gearing - is important depending on the rider, needs and abilities
knowing what gearing you're going to mostly use and the range that you might need will help... Homework...
a great tool to compare and get to know how derailleur gearing works and what any combination might provide:
https://www.gear-calculator.com/
you can put in different gearing combinations to get a chart of what gearing a bike might have - add up to 3 chainrings, most any combination of rear clusters/cassettes, and see how wheel/tire size, cadence, etc affects gearing, speed... takes understanding of each element and what a rider might desire/need.
It's a learning curve...
Good luck, enjoy, it's a lifetime adventure, well worth the undertaking !
Time riding a bike is Aging suspended !!!
Tschüss !
Ride On
Yuri

Iride01 

I don't know about your area, but upgrading bikes to resell is going to be mostly a lot of work for little improvement if any on the margins here where I'm at.

Trek Emonda's were sold new at many different price points or tier levels as are other models of bike for the bigger brands of bikes. Each of those price points had different components on them, including wheels that allowed Trek to sell the same frameset at different prices. External and internal cable routing is one indicator of whether the particular version of the bike you have was upper or lower tier. Though not definitive in itself as other things have to be considered.

Is one bike superior to another? I think it depends on the cyclist and how they intend to use the bike. We don't all use road bikes the same as the other person. The type of rides we do and the length of those rides make a difference for which bike is superior. And much of that is just personal preference.

2muchroad

I'm from Germany and have been refurbishing/reselling MTBs for years. Lately, the used market for MTBs has stagnated a bit, with a very decisive shift in demand for road bikes. That's why I am trying to adapt and expand my horizon. Of course I understand the mechanics and individual parts, but I would like to gain some experience riding road bikes, so I can talk to potential buyers from the perspective of a rider, not just in the technical sense.

As I understand it, frame weight is the most important, followed by seating position, groupset and wheelset.

Lower or higher tier with regards to the Emonda ALR5 line, as I understand it, is decided by the groupset, wheelset and features like internal cable routing, but they all have the 300 Alpha Aluminium frame weighing only 2.4kg.
That's where this Emonda shines, because the wheelset and other stuff can be easily replaced, hopefully, significantly increasing the value. The only thing that matters is the top tier frame.

Let me rephrase my question, which one is the superior race bike in terms of cost/value and upgradability?

Iride01 

That's all going to be opinion and personal preference. If you are going to be re-selling, I'd build out what ever your potential customers are buying. Whether it's the superior bike is not important. Unless you feel you have the salesmanship and advertising capability to convince them otherwise.

I just can't see any worthwhile of money in used bikes unless you can turn huge quantities of them. But you are in a totally different market area.

2muchroad

Yeah, what's your opinion in terms weight, features and novelty?
@hidetaka is convinced that the ALR5 2018 is the superior bike out of the line up, with a better/lighter frame, granted that a new wheelset is provided. Do you agree with him?

I'm not selling bikes professionally, but in a good year I'll flip around 8 - 9 bikes with a reasonable profit. You won't get rich obviously, but it's a decent side hustle.

I just want to know if it would make more sense to spend a little more, like 800 - 900€ for a slightly better bike outright, or get the cheaper ALR 5 2018 and upgrade the wheelset.