Forum home› Road cycling forum› Road buying advice

Trek Emonda SLR Sizing, H1 or H2

carbineacscarbineacs Posts: 65
edited February 2018 in Road buying advice
Hi, I'm about to pull the trigger on getting an Emonda SLR RSL H1 frameset for a new race bike build.
My LBS said 'Even the pro's don't use H1, it's too uncomfortable..' So that's put some doubt into my mind about H1, and should it be H2?

Anyway, I'm hoping someone who knows what they are talking about can help here. I don't want to make a mistake and buy an expensive frame I can't ride.

So my current bike is a Dolan Ares, size 48. Roughly equivalent to a 52cm in Trek.

According to the data I can find:

Dolan Ares (My current bike)
Stack 51.3
Reach 38.6
Head Tube Length 145mm
Effective top tube 54.5

Emonda SLR H1
Stack 51.8
Reach 38.1
Head Tube Length 110mm
Effective top tube 53.5

Emonda SLR H2
Stack 54.7
Reach 37.9
Head Tube Length 155mm
Effective top tube 53.4

Now going from what I've read before, Stack and Reach are the most important. So if that's true, then the H1 will be very similar to my current bike. Is that correct?
However in my LBS, they were measuring the length of my head tube. Does that count for more than I think? Will the really short head tube on the Emonda H1 mean a radically different posture to the Dolan? My logic is that the H1 will be pretty close, but I thought I would check with others first that may know what they are talking about more than I do!
Stem on the Dolan is slammed at the moment, and I feel like I would be just fine a little bit lower. I can ride in the drops for long descents without too much problem. Maybe not a 4 hour ride like that, but it doesn't bother me being low. However I don't want to do myself damage or be uncomfortable either..

Thanks
Rule #65 // Maintain and respect your machine.

Posts

  • sloppyschleckondssloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    It would be prudent to be wary about buying a bike with a 35mm shorter headtube than your current ride.
    But noone else knows your fitness/ physical qualities
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • carbineacscarbineacs Posts: 65
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    It would be prudent to be wary about buying a bike with a 35mm shorter headtube than your current ride.
    But noone else knows your fitness/ physical qualities

    But isn't that part of the 'stack' measurement? I think that's my confusion, the stack is the same on both bikes but head tube is shorter. So does that mean my back would be much more bent over?

    Physical / fitness qualities, depressingly average. :wink:
    Rule #65 // Maintain and respect your machine.
  • w00dsterw00dster Posts: 879
    I ride both H1 and H2. Pro’s do ride H1 in the main, please just trust me on that one.
    I had the Emonda SLR H1 with a slammed stem as my main race bike up until the end of last season. My other general riding around bikes were H2 fit. I’m not the worlds most flexible person but I had no trouble switching between the different bikes.

    The bars I had on the SLR had a really nice curve (excuse the lack of technical wording!), so while the position was low I never felt overstretched. I’ve done lots of long rides in H1 and never felt too low, in fact I hardly noticed any difference. Being reasonably fit my body didn’t have any issues adapting. I used to race on a CAAD and the H1 fit still doesn’t have that super agressive feel.
  • w00dsterw00dster Posts: 879
    Here's a side by side view of my old Emonda SLR H1 and my Domane H2, both are a size 52 frame (I'm 5 foot 8 with a preference for a smaller frame). Its not an ideal photo but you may find it useful, also its not when the slam was stemmed - which remembering now I couldn't - I left the larger of the spacers in, can't remember why but it was what was recommended during a fitting session. (My Madone was slammed but not the Emonda and I haven't slammed my Domane either)

    <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/25669891797/in/dateposted-public/&quot; title="B3241B92-B373-4036-943E-60C027604AA6"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4657/25669891797_00ced5f2a7_b.jpg&quot; width="1024" height="768" alt="B3241B92-B373-4036-943E-60C027604AA6"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    If the link doesn't work hopefully it will at least take you to my album which has the picture in it. If not let me know and I'll see if I can get it to you.
  • w00dsterw00dster Posts: 879
    So that didn't work - here's the link to my album, hoping this works!

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/
  • carbineacscarbineacs Posts: 65
    w00dster wrote:
    I ride both H1 and H2. Pro’s do ride H1 in the main, please just trust me on that one.
    I had the Emonda SLR H1 with a slammed stem as my main race bike up until the end of last season. My other general riding around bikes were H2 fit. I’m not the worlds most flexible person but I had no trouble switching between the different bikes.

    The bars I had on the SLR had a really nice curve (excuse the lack of technical wording!), so while the position was low I never felt overstretched. I’ve done lots of long rides in H1 and never felt too low, in fact I hardly noticed any difference. Being reasonably fit my body didn’t have any issues adapting. I used to race on a CAAD and the H1 fit still doesn’t have that super agressive feel.

    Thanks for the pictures, you're clearly a Trek fan.. Cool pic of Contador! Nice Superfly, I have that exact frame too :)

    I think from what you've said, I shouldn't worry too much then. I can probably just have a few spacers (but not too many so it looks stupid..) on the steerer tube and then that gives me the option to get lower if I do get used to a lower position.

    The thing I didn't mention is that I also have an Emonda ALR, that's H2 of course, and that feels higher then my Dolan, I feel a bit more upright on that that I do on the Dolan so maybe the H1 will be just right.

    Thanks!
    Rule #65 // Maintain and respect your machine.
Sign In or Register to comment.