Trek unveils world's lightest production road bike a day before the Tour de France

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — Trek Bicycle Corp. on Friday unveiled its newest bicycle, the Trek Émonda SLR 9, one day before the start of the 104th Tour de France.

The Waterloo, Wisconsin-based company says it is the lightest bike it has ever made and the lightest production road bike in the world. The 56cm Émonda SLR 9 frame weighs 640 grams (1.41 pounds). Trek said the bike, with the build above but in size 56cm, weighs just 13.4 pounds (without pedals). The bike will retail in the US for $11,000.

It is the same bike that two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador and his Trek-Segafredo teammates will ride over the next three weeks in the sport's biggest race. Because the bike is so light, the team will need to add weight to meet the minimum weight of 6.8 kilos (14.99 pounds) set by the UCI, the governing body of world cycling.

Business Insider got a peek at the ultralight offering, and you can see photos below.

SEE ALSO: America's top cyclist entering the Tour de France has been using a portable brain stimulator to try to gain an edge, and he says it actually works

Trek sent Business Insider a 58cm rim-brake version of its new Trek Émonda SLR 9. (The bike also comes in a disc-brake version, the SLR 8.) Trek says it is a year-round bike for serious competitive road cyclists.

The tapered headtube is a standout design feature of the Émonda, and the bike is available with all-new Bontrager Speed Stop Pro rim brakes. The fully tunable, direct-mount brakes weigh in at only 95 grams. You can fit tires up to 28mm wide.

The new Émonda SLR 9 will retail in the US for $11,000.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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