# Emonda SL Reviews from Tall Riders



## deoranjeleeuw (Dec 3, 2010)

6'6" and getting close to purchasing an Emonda SL5 or 6 in 64cm. Since its so new and in that size I cannot test ride (even special order is 4 weeks or more) fishing for all the info I can get.

Handling, head tube and bb stiffness, ride quality etc. Any responses are great but would find 60cm+ riders most beneficial.


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## DonBjr (Oct 4, 2014)

deoranjeleeuw said:


> 6'6" and getting close to purchasing an Emonda SL5 or 6 in 64cm. Since its so new and in that size I cannot test ride (even special order is 4 weeks or more) fishing for all the info I can get.
> 
> Handling, head tube and bb stiffness, ride quality etc. Any responses are great but would find 60cm+ riders most beneficial.


I'm 6'4" 188lbs and have the SL6 in 64cm, but unfortunately I don't really have the experience to give you much analysis about it. I don't dislike it though. 

I do have one 'interesting' experience I can relate, though I don't think it's particular to the model. Again, I'm not an experienced road biker, but I've been riding mtn bikes awhile. 

So... we were out riding and as I recall I turned my head to look behind me and I think I probably hit a small bump which triggered some oscillation of the front wheel. It quickly stopped as I turned back facing forward etc ("etc" meaning I don't really remember what else I might have done in response).

After that disconcerting experience I intentionally steered the front wheel back and forth quickly which gave me the impression (visually) that there was flexing going on, but that could be an illusion because of the size of the head tube and overall height of the front of the bike because of the large frame. 

I have since read about speed wobble and how it's more prevalent with larger frames/riders, so I don't think it's particular to the model. It's the one and only time I had wobble. I wasn't going particularly fast at the time, so perhaps it had more to do with the rearward shift in weight to the back as I was sitting up and looking behind me. I've had the bike up to 35 or so (probably in the drops) without problems.

Other impressions I could give you are only in comparison to a full suspension mountain bike.  The sl6 is lighter and faster. I can generate gobs more power on it. It's smoother on smooth pavement. It's ok for the occasional bump, but sucks if there's an unending supply of bumps one after another. It's weird giving thought to the road surface conditions, curbs, etc.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

I would have the shop you bought it from check the headset preload, too loose can cause that wobble.


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## deoranjeleeuw (Dec 3, 2010)

DonBjr,

Thanks for the reply! How do you have your front end setup- ie number of spacers, is it the stock stem, flipped up or down?


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## DonBjr (Oct 4, 2014)

deoranjeleeuw said:


> DonBjr,
> 
> Thanks for the reply! How do you have your front end setup- ie number of spacers, is it the stock stem, flipped up or down?



I had a bike fitting and they built the bike when it came in to those specs, so I haven't paid much attention. However, it's 100mm stem flipped up (bontrager rl). 

It looks like it has 2x10mm and 2x5mm spacers (30mm total), and another 5mm spacer before the cap.


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## sneakyracer (Dec 1, 2007)

Hi, I am 6-2 185 and ride a 58 H2 Emonda SL8 Red with a 120mm stem. I absolutely love the bike. 

My previous bike was a Cannondale SuperSix 58 with SRAM Force. That bike is a tank, stable and fast.

The Emonda feels a touch racier than the SuperSix but more comfortable in the rear. The front feels a tad more aggressive in the Emonda. Stiffer. The Emonda is a full on race bike so it is for those who love aggressive bikes. Stellar on the climbs and descents and really efficient on the flats. It is just a very responsive bike. I do quite a bit of rides with 5k-8k ft of climbing and the Emonda with the compact crankset is super efficient and comfortable to climb in.

I would be VERY surprised if all this changed on the larger size since they have specific tubing for each size. 

Overall I would not put a beginner on this bike but for experienced riders that love to climb it is just a superb steed. 

The Madones are generally smoother and easier going than this bike, a touch softer but still fast.

One note on the Emonda, it handles much better with a long stem 110mm is the minimum I would use on this bike. Mine came with a 100 and it was a bit too sensitive to input.


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## GTIgunner (Feb 4, 2015)

I waited about 4 weeks for my 64cm Black, Emonda SL6. I got my first ride in last Sunday and was truly thrilled by its performance. I'm bummed because it's raining this whole weekend and I won't be able to get out on it.

I'm 6'6" and have usually run 62cm center to center frames. even then they were just a touch too small. But this is the first bike I feel right at home on. It came with a 120mm stem and I'm more leg than torso so I got a 90mm stem to compensate.

It was solid climbing, and very noticeably faster than my co-riders transitioning from the flats to the inclines. Flats were very comfortable and very smooth. Downhills were responsive. Not sure if my shorter stem had anything to do with it or because the bike has a very straight fork geometry, but it felt very precise. I didn't get the feeling there was any flex, but I've never tested or owned a bike that was truly rigid. Large bikes are just more prone to flexing than smaller bikes. But this was definitely one of the most rigid. I'd say my fathers 62cm titanium Eddy Merchx was the most rigid bike I've ever ridden to compare. The Emonda is a close second.

One note about the bike is that I just installed the Duotrap S and the distance between the sensor and the spoke magnet is really tight. Nervously tight. Like if the wheel flexes to that side too much it might crash, ejecting me off the bike. Or ripping the sensor from the chainstay and cracking the carbon.

The bike shop installed the derailleur cables from the handlebars into the downtube a little short so they touch the headtube. For that first ride it was pretty noisy until I manually pulled them away to make sure it was them making the noise and nothing more serious. I fixed it by adding a zip tie where the two cable housing cross, opening them up to clear around the headtube.


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