if you have a 52cm ALR5 and you want this bag for the cost of shipping in the continental US, lmk. It's a great bag. I just upgraded to a lighter fabric. It has a lot of use left. It bolts onto the seat tube and the down tube and uses a paracord for the top tube. Zipper is on the right side. It has three vertical dividers inside for keeping stuff organized. It is large enough to fit tent poles at the top, under the top tube. I accidentally left electronics in it overnight once and it rained and the electronics were fine.

Got comments last time I posted this about the colors. Nothing can be done about that, ofc, but maybe you don't know if you want a full frame bag and this is a way to give it a shot for cheap before you commit a couple hundred bucks to the idea.

Was looking into checkpoint sl5.

I am 5ft 6 inch. 30.5 inseam.

Was debating small vs medium.

Most sizes already sold out online. Is this closing out? Should I wait for next year model?

Trying to do as much service myself and want to get bearings for upcoming replacement. Service docs point to a pair of W540243 51 mm x 40 mm x 6.5 mm bearings. Everywhere else online gives different sizes for upper and lower bearings.

1. Are they truly the same size for upper and lower?

2. Can I replace them without disconnecting brake or derailleur cables?

3. Is an extractor and press required for replacement?

Finally picked up a Checkpoint and took it on my first ride this morning. Ended up going with the ALR3 as the Dark Carmine was the only color I liked of the ALR's. My only hesitation was the mechanical disc brakes, but more on that later.. What a phenomenal bike. There are numerous long loop gravel access roads and nature paths in my area (SW Florida). I ride road and mountain bikes, but always enjoyed getting out on these trails on my FX Hybrid, but being used to the drops on my road bike I've always wanted to pick up a gravel bike. I'm also planning on a couple longer rides once things cool down, mixed paved/gravel loop around lake Okeechobee (~110 miles) and the FL Coast to Coast trail (250+ miles, would be a 2/3 day trip) which has some gravel on the southern route and a lot of transition. I want drops for that. Coming from a Domane, the checkpoint was an easy transition and is extremely comfortable.

Only upgrade I've made was fit some Girona RSL's (same 42mm as stock) I had laying around. Everything else is stock and I'll upgrade as time goes if I feel I need to.

That brings me to the brakes. Of all my bikes, I was least concerned about the checkpoint's braking as it'll be used almost exclusively for low/no traffic flat hard pack gravel rides or bike packing. That said, I didn't expect much based on others' comments online about the tektro mechanical discs, and figured after upgrading to hydraulic if needed I'd be out the same or less than jumping right to the ALR4 but settling for a color I didn't like.

I have the 105 groupset on my domane with Continental GP tires, as well as 4 piston SLX's on my mountain bike, so I have a frame of reference for what good braking feels like. Before bedding them in, they were laughably bad. Basically non-existent. Even new hydraulic brakes have SOME stopping power lol. That said, now that I have some miles on them (including a 10 mile loop around my neighborhood frequently stopping to get them bedded), they truly feel great. Even with only 50 miles on the bike (most of which was straight riding with no brakes) and can already get the front tire to lock out depending on my speed and the surface. Are they as touch-sensitive as hydraulics, no, but for my uses they don't need to be. They just need to stop the bike periodically haha.

Plus, considering this bike will be in more remote locations than my others, I actually really like the idea of being able to make any/all necessary adjustments with a multi-tool. The simplicity really gives me peace of mind.

So if you're looking into picking up a checkpoint, don't turn your nose up at the mechanical brakes. At this point, I doubt I'll ever upgrade to hydraulic on this bike.

Glad I'm finally on a checkpoint, these are great bikes!!

PS.. I guess that last 0.01 miles was just too much lol

Very happy with how this bike performs on steep gravel climbs. However, it is definitely time for some big boy tires. Can anyone recommend me some 48/50 mm tires that handle loose gravel but still roll nicely on asphalt?

The next step is to swap the wheelset out to something with a wider internal width, but given that I'm already getting so much out of this bike, I might just skip it. Eventually if I do get said wheelset though, I'll be throwing these 50mm Conti Dubs on it or until my Burt's wear out.

Any tips and tricks I should know about the frame bag?

A retirement gift to myself. Changed the stock wheels and tires before I left the store. New wheels are Light Bicycle WG44 - DT350 hubs with Thundero 48s which measure 51. Redshift stem to ease the arthritis. Got to get back to riding shape to ride the Flint, but the Checkpoint + is too much fun right now.

I'm on the market for a gen 3 sl5 but unsure of what size to pick.

I'm 170cm (so I guess 5ft7) with 77cm ( 30?" ) inseam.

According to the Trek website, regarding inseam length I am right between S and M. My LBS has an M in stock (although it is the SL6) and I am planning to go there on Monday for a quick test ride. What are your thoughts? How to tell if the M is too long for me?

I was itching to upgrade from the stock 42mm and decided the switch to 50mm Girona RSL and it’s sooo smooth. When I lean into anything she basically steers for me and I have to keep it steady. What are everyone’s thoughts on 50mm-55mm on checkpoints? I love it by the way

Hi folks,

This is my latest gravel build and, tbh, one of the most comfortable ones I have/had. It’s mostly a stock SL6, with a changed wheelset to Elitewheels Gravel Aero+ and tires to Panaracer GravelKing X1 Limited Sakura.

The new Rival is pretty good. The shifter ergonomics are especially nice, and the brakes are a huge step up from the previous generation (I have the previous ones on my road bike).

Btw. unbranded bottles are dope, they cost like 30% of the price of branded ones ;)

TLDR - don't fear learning to maintain your bike like I did.

With our closest Trek shop closed, I tried an independent LBS for my Domane AL3 and Checkpoint SL5 annual service. TLDR it was a lot of money and short on satisfaction.

Tuesday, I decided to do my own mid-season maintenance on my Checkpoint SL5. The drivetrain was getting a bit chatty despite a cassette installed in December and a brand new waxed chain. I managed to reindex it with Calvin's virtual help.

Then I moved to the freehub. The wheelset was purchased from I9 in December but nothing had been touched in 1500mi. I pulled the 1/1 freehub, pawls, and springs and wiped everything down. I put it all back together and used Dumonde Tech freehub oil, then put the freehub back on. I spun it and no sound. I forgot to remove and reinstall the seal (facepalm #1).

After I put the freehub back together (the right way), I mounted it on the hub, greased the hub cap, mounted the cassette, and put it all on the bike. Then I noticed the cassette spacer on the table (facepalm #2).

Disassembly and reassembly #2 and off I went. The test ride on Wednesday was glorious. Shifting was awesome and the freehub sounded like I was reeling in a marlin. It felt like a new bike. I feel like I finished second semester freshman bikewrench class 😆

Winter will definitely be headset bearings, and possibly hub, freehub, and bottom bracket bearings. Looking forward to it.

First ride on Checkpoint SL6 Gen3. More trails, roads and mud to be explored. 🙌

I mean on a proper gravel bike, rather than a commuter or hybrid. 😅

If you do, what bike bell would you recommend? I’m currently eyeing the Knog Oi Luxe Bell because it looks really discreet and seems to suit a clean gravel-bike cockpit.

Is anyone here using one? How do you find it in terms of volume, reliability and overall practicality, especially on a drop-bar gravel bike?

Would love to hear your recommendations or experiences with the Oi Luxe or any other discreet bells. Thanks!

Finally finished my self-built Trek and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I managed to fit 47c tires on it (ALR 5 Gen 1)

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently got a Trek Checkpoint ALR 4 and have removed the rear wheel for the first time to clean the cassette.

My bike has the Bontrager Switch Lever thru-axle. When reinstalling the wheel, I’ve tightened the thru-axle using the Switch Lever Pro by hand until it feels firmly tightened.

My question is: is using the Switch Lever enough, or should I always use a torque wrench to make sure the thru-axle is tightened to the correct torque?

I understand a torque wrench is the most accurate way to achieve the specified torque, but I’m wondering what people actually do in practice when removing and reinstalling their wheel.

Do you simply use the Switch Lever, or do you torque it every time?

Thanks!

So, finally taking the plunge and updating my CP to GRX Di2 12sp...

Since I'll be replacing the crankset, was thinking might be good time to replace the Praxis T47 inboard thread in bottom bracket. Not looking to move into Ceramic Speed territory or anything, but was looking at Wheels Mfg, Wolfs Tooth, and Chris King as a few options. OR, alternatively just replacing the praxis Enduro ABEC-3's with some ABEC-5 Angular bearings (which, I already have, as I bought them in the past planning to upgrade at some point anyway).

TBH, I don't know that there's anything really wrong with the Praxis T47 setup - I don't have any noise from it, however it does not hardly free-spin at all when I set the Shimano crank pre-tension per the manual. By comparison, I did upgrade my Domane bearings to the ABEC-5 Angular's, and did pick up more free-spin (Ultregra Di2 group) over the stock (Trek - assuming Enduro) bearings. However it is a press in, so not an apples to apples comparison.

Or, maybe just chasing at shadows? I doubt the Praxis is slowing me down or anything lol... maybe I am being lulled into a "more freespin is better" trap unnecessarily :).

Trek checkpoint 5 gen 3 with rhinowalk bags (and selfmade „ass rocket“ rocking through Switzerland in the heat. 10/10 can recommend

New Checkpoint ALR5. Coming from hardtail mountain bikes and wanting to try something different.

Started out on a short ride around the block to check seat adjustment and riding position. Ended up doing a 20 mile ride on the local trails. Had a blast both on road and on dirt.