The new 2023 Trek Emonda SL7 features the new Shimano Ultegra semi wireless groupset and some pretty good parts out of the box. It’s not the lightest bike out there but handling is great, and features nice aero frame shape and mostly hidden cables.
Let’s start with the group that the Trek Emonda SL7 comes equipped with. I had been riding Sram Force AXS for the past couple of years and had grown to love it. You can read the review on that bike here. It shifts fast, is super easy to setup, the sequential shift mode is great, and you don’t have to take your whole bike to the charger.
I was eager to try the new Shimano as the new hood design and sleek looks caught my attention. Also, the fact that it was semi wireless seemed great. After spending a few months on this group I am enjoying it. The new hood design fits great in my hands! Also I have always loved having the front derailleur auto trim feature.
However, I am not a fan of the semi sequential shifting option compared to Sram. Sequential shifting works like this. If you shift from the small ring to the big ring up front, the rear derailleur automatically will shift to an easier gear in the back. If you shift from the big ring to the small ring up front, the rear derailleur will shift to a harder gear in the back. Sram also has this feature and it seems to do this at basically the same time so you don’t really feel it much. Shimano is slow compared to Sram and you may as well go ahead and press the button on the shifter yourself. Not being able to remove a battery to charge and the sequential shifting are really my only gripes.
Now onto the bike as a whole. I have been riding Trek for a long time and this is one of the best riding bikes I have had. It’s not much different from the previous year as far as handling and weight. I just really wanted to change groupsets and colors. The build is great for the cost of the bike. You get carbon wheels, handlebars, disc brakes, and an aero frame with mostly hidden cables. The saddle that comes on this is the Bontrager Aeolus Comp and I have added this to my gravel bike as well. The cutout works great for me and I like it more than the Specialized Power saddle I was using. The color is a dark blue which is hard to grab in photos. Most people think the bike is black until they see it in the sun then the color really pops.
According to Trek’s site the frame will accompany a 28c maximum tire size. I think they are really doing a disservice by not showing that it will accept at least a 30c. The 2023 Trek Emonda SL7 will easily fit 32c tires with some room to spare. The above photo is the Emonda with a 32c Bontrager AW3 road tire.
Below are the pros and cons after living with the Trek Emonda SL7 for a few months.
Pros
- Light enough (Trek’s site claims 17.2LBS for a 56cm frame)
- Aero frame with mostly hidden cables
- Good looking group with the new Shimano Ultegra
- Carbon Wheels
- Carbon Handlebars
- One of the best saddles on the market
Cons
- Must move your bike to the charger
- Cables are not fully hidden
- Expensive
- No power meter included (they should include a Stages or something at this price point)
- Shimano sequential shifting not as fast as Sram
Thanks for reading!
