Trek Émonda ALR 5

Bike fit is what matters to us, not the size of your budget. There are some superb value bikes out there, but no matter what the price if it isn't properly fitted you're not going to get the best from it.

Here we have one of Trek's best value lightweight climbers. They've been building aluminium frames for a long time, and it's not so long ago that their Pro-level race bikes used this material. Nowadays it gets overshadowed by carbon fibre, but it still builds an incredibly light, stiff, performance bike.

This Émonda is equipped with Shimano's 105 rim brake groupset, sitting at the sweet spot of price and performance. Straight off the peg the whole package is remarkably light, with Bontrager contact points and wheels rounding out the build. Add in our bike fit expertise and you have a fantastic base to build on, which is ready to hit the sharpest of climbs right out of the gate.

photos by Bence Bujaki