Trek Emonda SL Ultegra Di2

[GorrGrimWolf]

Hi all,

My previous bike was BMC SLR02 with Dura-Ace Di2 9070. I stripped down the whole bike and sold everything except the frameset. We used to ride for local BMC dealer so it was an obvious choice, but the sponsoring ended. Team fall apart and I finally wanted to try something else than BMC. At that moment the process of finding the perfect frame has started. I tried S-Works Allez and Venge but I have never felt comfortable on neither of them. I sold them both and summarise the expectations I have from the future frame.

Comfortable
Big tyre clearance
Clever internal routing for both mechanical and electronic shifting
Stable geometry close to BMC
Cheap

There isn't many framesets on the market that ticks all the boxed. Tarmac SL4 and SuperSix were both frames with relatively comfortable ride, but rather limited clearance and poor internal routing (no mech/Di2 compatibility for SuperSix in one frame) were the reasons why I crossed them out. I considered also new Scott Addict, but the whole bike was expensive. I have read so many great things about new Emonda. My first real bike was Trek Madone and I always had feelings for Trek. I have found an unused frameset for a great price, but I wasn't sold initially. I was worried about my saddle height and Campagnolo compatibility with BB90.

I have to say Colnago is probably the main reason why I end up with this frame. His Emonda is stunning and his thread has helped me to answer almost all the questions I have. I wish Trek’s website was at least half as helpful as his thread - there is no manual online for Emonda. The only info about Campagnolo cranks installation in BB90 bottom bracket was in 2010 Madone manual. Originally I used Campagnolo Chorus 2015, but I wasn’t satisfied with the performance and ergonomics of mechanical Campagnolo so I am back on Shimano 6870 Di2 . I just love the shape of Di2 hoods and perfect shifting which doesn't required any tuning like mechanical.

Generally I am really please with Emonda’s riding quality and from this perspective I made a great decision. The stable and predictable handling is perfect for my liking and the comfort of the frame is just amazing, especially when you consider this isn't a noodle at all. I wasn't looking for a pure race machine, but rather for a bike which does it all and this is exactly the case of Emonda. It isn't a with most character, but it allows you to focus on riding without any distraction. And that is what I love the most.



As I have said I swap Chorus 2015 for Ultegra 6870 Di2, it could be seen as downgrade for some but I feel otherwise. Installation of Di2 on the frame is very easy, but still requires to remove BB bearings. Unlike of the other frames on the market the electric cable entering the frame uses the same holes as does the mechanical cables. This isn't the neatest solution. The other cable exists for FD and RD requires special Trek grommets - sadly they are not part of the frameset and needs to be ordered seperately. But due to the big bottom bracket shell the fishing of the cables is piece of cake.

The build should be relatively straight forward. I am not planning to buy anything really exotic or super lightweight, but nothing really porky either. I would like to get Emonda under 7,0kg just for the feeling, but my current set-up with future Bora's 50 hovers around 7,15kg. Need to cut the weight on finishing kit.

I used to forget to weight the frame and parts in the past, but not anymore...

Frame, fork and hardware
Trek Emonda SL Frameset (w/o chain catcher, DuoTrap S rubber cover and w/ Di2 Cable Stops)..... 1,069g
Seat mast topper and saddle clamp hardware (175/20mm)..... 151g
Trek Enduro BB90....... 61g
Fork (Uncut)..... 349g
Fork Compression Plug...... 27g
Headset bearings, compression ring and headset cover...... 69g
DuoTrap S Sensor with accessories..... 27g
Chain catcher..... 11g
Subtotal: 1,764g

Groupset Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2
Shifters 6770 Di2..... 316g
Rear Derailleur..... 258g
Front Derailleur..... 138g
Rear brake - Dual Pivot..... 170g
Front brake - Dual Pivot.....175g
Crankset 53/39 175mm..... 703g
Chain (cut)..... 248g
Cassette 11-25..... 228g
Di2 Junction Box A+B and Di2 Cables..... 53g
Battery SM-BTR2 + Trek Adapter..... 56g
Brake Cables + Housing..... 87g
Subtotal: 2,432g

Front Wheel
Campagnolo Bora One 50 (2015)..... ?
Vittoria Corsa 25..... ?
Skewer..... ?
Total Front Wheel Weight: ?

Rear Wheel
Campangolo Bora One 50 (2015)..... ?
Vittoria Corsa 25..... ?
Skewer..... ?
Total Rear Wheel Weight: ?
Subtotal (wheels, tires and skewers)..... ?

Finishing Kit
3T Rotundo Pro 42cm..... 253g
3T ARX Pro -17° 130mm..... 153g
San Marco Regale Narrow..... 199g
Look Keo 2 Max... 264g
Tax Deva..... 80g
Fizik Superlight..... 72g
Finishing kit subtotal: 1,033g

PS: I have bored the list of weight and structure from Calnagos threads. I hope he doesn't mind.

[ToffieBoi]

I can't see the photo

[GorrGrimWolf]

I have updated the photo, but it's still a crappy one taken with iPhone. Of course I will do better pictures once the bike will be completed.



I have measured other components and get DuoTrap S sensor. Unfortunately it doesn't clear my trainings Fulcrum Racing 5's, so i will need to glue a magnet to the spoke. Probably due to asymmetric rim. Otherwise the DuoTrap is clever piece of engineering and its 2nd gen doesn't compromise the look of the left chain-stay from the outside like the 1st gen.

The level of the frame finish is very high. There seems to be no issues with colour or decals. The paint job has the classic look, the styling is very simple and minimalistic, but it isn't boring. The glossy finish is also helping big time. I would prefer to have white or red colour, but the deal I got on frameset was much better than buy SL5 in colour I want and stripped it down. But if someone would like to have Emonda 56 in black instead of yours white or red I am all ears.

The internal routing seems to be really well thought and doesn't compromise shifting. But there is no manual online how to do the routing, but for someone who has done internal routing job before this should be questions of 15 minutes. Even without internal stealths.

Clearance looks good even with my 25c tires. Should be no issue run 27-28c without worrying about tires touching the frame, maybe even 30c. I will try this first hand since I plan to get Challange Paris-Roubaix 27c clinchers which tends to be 30 wides.

[nd2rc]

Really looking forward to seeing this build completed!

[Calnago]

@GorrGrimWolf: Thanks for the kudos on my build, but wow... what kind of a saddle to bar drop are you going for? Your saddle height is about the same as mine. I'm sure you've thought it out so looking forward to see the completed build.

[BlackMadone]

Did you get rid of your Allez? That bike was amazing!

[Lars K. P.]

Following and is looking forward seeing it completed. Having a SL8 with Sram Red myself which I am upgrading at the moment and will post later.

[GorrGrimWolf]

@Calnago: I was hesitating for about a month. Unfortunately no one had Emonda in my size with bigger seatmast cap available to test, so I needed to do a lot of research and I should fit fine despite being around 0,5cm from the maximum. I really like the design of Trek's integrated seatpost and for someone like me there is a H1 geometry. The H1 Emonda in 58 would be perfect. Maybe my next bike...

A small update.
I have recieced the BB90 Campagnolo adapter and the installation is very simple. The BB area looks really precise, BB on my Emonda isn't slip fit by any means and I almost needed to press the cranks in when I was testing the fit. Unfortunately I forgot to weight the adapter, but I guess the weight is pretty the same as Calnagos's. I am letting the Loctite dry overnight and assemble the cranks during the weekend. The long seatmast cap from eBay will arrive in my mailbox on Monday. Hopefully the bike will be ready to ride by then.

In terms of pure aesthetics I was thinking to use white cables instead of black ones and do white handlebar tape too. Dunno about the saddle. The rules say match the color of saddle and the tape and I will probably do so. I will probably get a Deda Superleggero stem and Deda Shallow instead of 3T option. Will see...

BTW would you choose Campagnolo Bora 35 or 50? Since the weight difference is almost negligible the 50's look like no brainer. I want carbon wheels on which I could train and race at the same time.

[GorrGrimWolf]

The bike is completed, but definitely not in the final form. Especially the finishing kit will be brand new as the parts I am using now are from my previous bikes. I managed around four rides and my first impression is very, very good.

The stiffness of the frame is very high, but it is the comfort that surprised me the most. It is a day and night when I compare my Emonda to the Venge. The ride is very subtle and almost vibrations free, yet the ride isn't completely dead. Climbing is also very good and I liked how stiff the frame feels. It is the frame who equally rewards pushing the big gear on the small crests and a high cadence climbing during long ascents.



Emonda is a great descender with neutral handling, it is definitely not as twitchy as was Venge and coming close to BMC SLR01. Sometimes too much stiffness does compromise descending but I have found myself pushing my limits during the descends immediately - usually it takes me while before I completely trust the bike. The stability during high speed descends is very good. I would classify its riding characteristic as classic all-rounder. Great for someone looking for just one bike in the stable.

I am really please with its riding quality and from this perspective I made a great decision. It is a shame they don't make the SL frameset in red or white colour and H1 geometry. I would be swapping it immediately. My biggest fear came from the BB90 Campy adapters but I have to say they are dead silent. The installation was simple and cranks just spin effortlessly within the bottom bracket. If someone fears Trek's bike because of their BB90 I can confirm it is well made BB and Campy works great with it.

I have also updated the first post so you can see the parts planned for the final build. I am aiming to have it finished by the end of March when the weather will justify spending on wheels and other bits.

[GorrGrimWolf]

I have multiple issues with Chorus and since Campagnolo Service Center said the shifting is as good as the mechanical Campagnolo should be I am going to ditch to Chorus and switch back to Shimano. I think the issue with shifting is caused by the fact I almost exclusively rode with Di2 systems during my short time of biking (3 years). Due to this my shifting habits are probably not perfect either. I really tried to love Chorus but I cannot and here are the reasons why:

1) Poor rear shifting. It isn't that bad since I got it back from Service Center, but I still believe this isn't the way how Campy should shift. I still feel the small hesitation during downshifting around the middle cogs. Campy SC told me "we are happy how it shifts now". But I am not.
2) 3 positions for small ring? It is just too much. But I like there is no trim for a big ring.
3) The shifting system is generally good. One lever - one action is fine concept and lever shape is perfect. But it is awkward for me to downshift from the hoods and downshifting from drops isn't really comfortable either.
4) The look of new 2015 groupsets. It looks great on pictures but it never worked for me in person.

Since I have already made my mind the choice is simple. Shimano. I wanted to give it a go and try Dura-Ace 9000, but it is probably just a matter of time until I switch to Di2 again.

Now I am planning to rebuilt Emonda with Ultegra Di2, probably with Dura-Ace brakes and crankset. Will let you know once this is done and post pictures with the weight of Di2 components.

[terrible1]

Loving the aggro form, good luck with the Chorus issues.

[Calnago]

Holy smokes, that's a huge amount of drop you're running there. Can you really ride in the drops for any length of time?
What you say about the Campy mechanical is interesting... wish I could see first hand just how well, or not, it is working. For one thing, there are not 3 positions in the small ring with the new 2015 stuff. When you're in the big ring, you should be able to get to all the cogs without issue, no rubbing on the derailleur and no "trimming" (there is no trimming on the big ring). Then, when you push the thumb shifter all the way, it clicks twice and hits the stop, and the chain drops to the small cog. Then from there, there is only one more push of the thumb when the chain gets to the upper couple cogs. Depending on where the front derailleur is when you're on the small cog, it can take one, two, or three clicks to get to the big ring. So, two possible front derailleur positions when on the small ring, not three.

What you say about being new to cycling and only having ridden with Di2 brings up an interesting point with electric shifting versus mechanical. I prefer mechanical, even though I have had plenty of opportunity to try it, and if I wanted, to go electric. But I grew up with mechanical, and work on it all the time, and am very in tune with what it does, how it works, and how to shift. The operating of it is intuitive to me and I know when to finesse and when to jam. At this point it's every bit as instantaneous as electric, to me. But not everyone. For instance, a friends wife just doesn't seem to get how to shift, no matter how much we try to teach her, she always seems to find herself in the wrong gear or having no idea how she got to be in the right gear, if it ever happens . So, I'm thinking for her, electric is the way to go, so that when she finds herself in the wrong gear at the start of a hill say, then it may be a lot easier for her to correct it, since the force the electric front derailleur exerts is pretty substantial. I cringe when I think of the force being thrown at it that way when not in the right gear, but when she's already found herself in the wrong gear, I think getting out of her predicament may be easier with electric. I guess my point is, and after hearing your complaints with the Chorus shifting, that maybe since learning on electric, that is what you're used to and have never really acquired a finesse for using a mechanical system. So be it.

One final thing since you've installed the Campy Adaptor kit for Trek's BB90. I presume you've used the recomnmended retaining compound when you installed the two bearing seal seats on the outer lip of the BB90. I think these will have to come off to use the Shimano cranks, but maybe not. Just wondering how easy removal will be. Let us know, or send me a pm about that. I've installed them, but never had occasion to remove them. Actually, in your instance, it may be that you don't need to remove them at all. Test it out first. After removing the Campy crank, and inserting the Shimano crank, just check to see if the shimano crank rubs at all on the outer bearing seats from the Trek Campy Adaptor kit. If they don't interfere, then I'd just leave them in there, since they're not doing any harm, and if you decide to go campy again in the future, or even Campy EPS, they are already there.

Glad you're enjoying the Emonda. I think it's a great frame.

[GorrGrimWolf]

@Calnago: With similar set-up I managed to be 2,5 hours in the drops only during the pan-flat race. Now I am little bit higher (1cm) and maybe will end up 1,5cm. Since I don't really do stretching like I did during my competition I am little bit less flexible. I also believe higher is more aero in my case - I manage to have arms parallel to the ground with more upright set-up.

I didn't believe Chorus should be shifting like it did on my bike. When you look at the videos on YouTube the shifting is always with nice clunk. I did one last thing in order to fix it and changed the cable exit on the lever from the inside to one further from the frame. And it shifts almost perfectly - it would get even better with original Campy cables (was using Jagwire LEX) and proper RD cable length (they cut it too much in the service). I dont believe the cable exit itself made a difference, but the routing behind the bars has less severe angle in the housing and caused less drag. Even the shifting required less force after this.

Unfortunately I have already made a deal for a good price so I no longer have the Chorus anymore. So now I have to choose another Campy groupset. Either to go for Record 2015 or Chorus EPS. The main reason to stick with Campy is the adapter kit for BB90 like you mentioned. I tried to remove it and it look almost impossible to remove the adapter without damaging something. The fit is tight and there are no groves where you can apply force. I guess you need to have something really strong and really, really thin (like a razorblade) that will slip between the adapter and frame. If you managed to get behind then you should be able to push and hopefully it will come off (heating the adapter by hairdryer should also help). But I didnt have the balls to tried all this. Another thing would be to push crank on the edge of the adapter and wiggle - maybe heat would be also necessary?