Anyone ride a Trek Domane? Impression please

[chirpy999]

Hi, here is my Domane which is my winter bike. Not sure what year she is got her secondhand from a friend . bust brought her into use the last couple of weeks. There is something about her that grows on you . I havent messed about with the decoupler but I like her and will be out on her tomorrow and probably sunday as well.

[19wisconsin64]

The Domane is an excellent bicycle. I have a 58 cm that I purchased from a fellow forum member, and love it! It is very comfortable, compared to other non-suspension carbon bicycles. The version I have is the first generation with only rear suspension, and mine has the "E2" more upright riding position.

The newer Domane versions have both front and rear suspension.

The best thing I did to further smooth out the ride was to put on a clincher wheelset with wide rims-the HED Belgium Plus.

Just purchased a modern Aero race bike, with race geometry. Night and day ride in terms of smoothness and comfort. The modern (Specialized Venge) beats me up and makes my teeth chatter over small bumps. The Domane takes on anything with a smile.

My Domane has rim brakes, the modern bikes have disc brakes. Both work well, but discs do stop better.

Hope this helps!

[malbecman]

I have a 2017 SLR with the front and rear decoupler and yes, with the rear decoupler set in the middle, it's like cruising down the road on a smooth, fast, firm sofa....just the right amount of plush and stiffness.

I have an older Ti (Spectrum) and steel bike (Bridgestone) and they really have more road buzz and take hits harder.

[blakcloud]

I am not a drop bar bike fan but the Trek Domane has changed my mind. I bought it as a an occasional rider, but I like it so much it is my go to bike now. It is 2020 SL6 and it is the smoothest bike I have ever ridden.

My only complaint is weight. It is heavy for a carbon bike but that is the price you pay for IsoSpeed.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have invested in a Di2 version and some carbon rims. Now I will just have to upgrade as I go along.

[Cornfed]

I had a 2017 Domane SLR disc and I liked it all right; it was smooth for sure, but smooth to the point of feeling "dead". I felt less beat up at the end of a long day, but honestly, those long days felt longer on the Domane -- just not as much fun as my metal bikes.

The nail in the coffin for the me was the seatmast. Maybe it works for lighter riders, but for a big guy like me, it was always slipping or squeaking or rocking, ... just a huge PITA (pun intended).

[Bob Ross]

Two years ago my wife & I rented a pair of Trek Domanes during a vacation to Lake Tahoe. Definitely the nicest rental bike I'd ever been on...and it is the only bike in the history of ever that made my wife think she might possibly be satisfied with something off-the-shelf (she'd been riding a custom Strong since 2010).

[PSJoyce]

I picked up a 2018 Domane SLR caliper brake on closeout earlier this year. It's the bike I pick for just about every ride.

[whateveronfire]

I'm on my second Domane. I had a 2013 and was sorry i sold it. When my LBS had the owner's barely ridden 2016 SL6 with all the bells and whistles (di2, tubular bontragers), I jumped on it.

I'm riding it 8 times out of ten. Smooth, fast, not squishy. My lower back doesn't hurt after long rides. I find myself riding longer.

Former very heavy now sorta heavy rider and I am quite convinced I'll never not have a Domane in the bike mix.

[veggieburger]

Thanks all. If an older 58 comes up, I’ll give it strong consideration. The less bells n whistles the better. Sounds like it might be one to have in the collection.

[Cornfed]

Originally Posted by veggieburger

Thanks all. If an older 58 comes up, I’ll give it strong consideration. The less bells n whistles the better. Sounds like it might be one to have in the collection.

Be sure to check the geometry. Treks are a bit funny in sizing. I ride a standard 58 in everything, but my Domane was a 60. Good luck!

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Cornfed

Be sure to check the geometry. Treks are a bit funny in sizing. I ride a standard 58 in everything, but my Domane was a 60. Good luck!

Was going to say the same thing. The sizing on these gets weird as they get bigger. The 62cm has a massive stack and barely any reach in the standard geometry. To get one that actually sits you on it like a road bike you have to find a SLR RSL - which are the top of the line and pretty rare. Personally, I wouldn't buy any model at this point other than the latest incarnation with the T47 threaded BB, and I'd only buy one new - just too much gizmo wizardry that could go wrong out of warranty. They are awesome bikes though.

[cetuximab]

My wife and I did a fall tour in Vermont.

The 2019 Domane disc was great. There were so many potholes and the Domane minimized the rough. The tires were 25s. The chip seal was tolerable.

I’m building a supercross bike with a 29 er frame and 2.25 wide tires. The 29 frame will give a more upright posture. Tubeless 29x2.25 at 28 psi will make gravel and chipseal feel smooth.

[Calnago]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Was going to say the same thing. The sizing on these gets weird as they get bigger. The 62cm has a massive stack and barely any reach in the standard geometry. To get one that actually sits you on it like a road bike you have to find a SLR RSL - which are the top of the line and pretty rare. Personally, I wouldn't buy any model at this point other than the latest incarnation with the T47 threaded BB, and I'd only buy one new - just too much gizmo wizardry that could go wrong out of warranty. They are awesome bikes though.

The Domane is a great bike as is. But the “special” geometries that have been available and pretty rare still seem extremely confusing to most people. For instance, the SLR RSL is basically just the high end Domane, project one paint etc. To get an actual different geometry in the current lineup, (not even sure if it’s still offered in the most recent model), you have to specifically request the “Pro Endurance” geometry. It is long and low and the same as the old “Classics” geometry. And they are nothing like real road race geometry, being pretty much specifically designed for going fast over the cobbles of Paris Roubaix. Compared to a Emonda or the Koppenberg (which I’ll get to in a second) it has a slack headtube, greater fork offset, long wheelbase (a whopping 3cm longer in a size 60 over an Emonda or Koppenberg). In fact, Paris Roubaix was the only race that Cancellara used this geometry. For the other classics like Flanders, etc, and also the grand tours like Tour de France, the Koppenberg was his bike of choice. It has rear Isospeed but the geometry is labeled as H1, and is extremely similar to the Emonda, like almost identical. They are very rare frames which were only available as a frameset in very limited numbers and sizing (smallest size they made was 56) but in my mind it’s the nicest pure road bike that Trek has ever made to date. Extra beefy with added layups in the BB area, which made it great for the larger riders (myself included). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the next Emonda takes some cues from that frame. Now I don’t believe the OP (@veggieburger) would be interested in either the Pro Endurance (old Classics) geometry of the Domane or the H1 (Koppenberg) geometry so I’m just posting this for those that have really followed the Domane’s development throughout the years and to lessen the confusion over the two geometries that were actually raced but both very different from the standard geometry of the vast majority of Domanes actually sold to the public. But for what the OP is actually looking for, I think standard Domane geometry is probably ideal. Personally I could do without the added complexity of the front end isospeed, but that’s how it comes now. And quite frankly I prefer the older simpler isospeed which leveraged off the the entire seattube for flex. Looked cleaner too imo.
The Koppenberg (60cm)...

[TimD]

Replaced a 2015 Emonda SL H2 with a 2018 Domane SL earlier this year. I built it up with a mix of DA and Ultegra mechanical parts which make it somewhat better than SL6 spec. Bought a pair of used DT Swiss ER1400 wheels which are quite nice.

As an aside, a nice aspect of disc braked wheels is that the fastest wearing element - the braking surface - is eliminated, making used disc braked wheels a great build option. IMO.

I'm very happy with the ride, the fender mounts, the direct mount disc brakes, the somewhat relaxed handling, the ability to use wider tires, and the tasteful (IMO) graphics. I semi-jokingly call it my 'old man's bike'.

I dislike the press-fit BB90 and the generally noisy nature of large, hollow, thin-walled carbon shapes, and the fiddly adjustment of saddle angle on the 'seat mast', but that's about it.

For reference my other primary road bike is a 2011 Serotta Colorado on 32h handbuilt wheels and 25mm GP4000 tires. That bike is a really nice ride but is noticeably more harsh over small stuff as compared to the Trek. The Trek has gotten way more use than has the Serotta this year.

[Dired]

I'm looking at picking up a 2020 Domane SL7. For those who recently purchased, what kind of offers (if any) did you receive from trek? Sorry for the segue from the original topic, but figured that this is the best place here to ask. Thanks!