I've had this bike for a few weeks. Love it. It is smooth, comfortable, and about a minute per mile faster than the Trek hybrid it replaces on the GP5000 tire.
Picked up a beautiful blue AL2 and upgraded the groupset to tiagra for my own makeshift AL4 (loved the blue too much on the AL2). Wife has the same bike in the vid.
My bike is this red AL4 with Hunt wheels, WTB 30C tubeless, carbon seat post and DuraAce disk rotors. Tiagra groupset is just right for my purposes such as commute and weekend long rides, and the bike is very comfy and beautiful despite being aluminium. It's a keeper and I adore it.
@@almassengale I guess most of the improvement in acceleration and cruising speed was brought by wheels which weigh 1.5kg as opposed to 2.2kg of the factory set. As to tires I first tried 28C tubeless which I used to wear with my carbon endurance bike (Specialized Roubaix), but my preference with Domane AL is 30C tubeless given the balance between comfort and performance on any roads. 28C significantly increases acceleration and harshness at the same time.
That’s very nice. I have had a previous version of the same bike for quite some time. My ALR4 is rim brake, but it’s fun. It doesn’t get ridden as much anymore as I have some nicer stuff; but when I do ride it, I like it. They have done a lot in the 8 or 9 years since mine was made. Mounts are a plus. A threaded, external bearing BB is a big plus. Mine is press fit. Tiagra. It’s about to go away, I have read. Here comes Cues.
Thank you for the review. I have the AL 5 and I was looking at this AL 4. I prefer the AL 4 colors to the AL 5. Interestingly, the AL 4 rotors say China on them whereas the AL 5 Shimano 105 say Japan. I would've thought they would have been the same.
105's rotors are three-layer (stainless surfaces with an aluminium core - my apologies for correction) whereas Tiagra is single stainless steel construction. That's why I upgraded my AL4's rotors to DuraAce grade for better heat dissipation performance.
I really liked this review and was wondering if I could get some advice. I’m 15 and getting into road riding with my dad. I’m trying to choose a bike close to 2000 usd. I’m going to use it for my main goal right now which is a ride that’s got a lot of climbing (11ft elevation gain over 103 miles) but also want to be able to throw cross tires on it and race cross in the fall. My current ideas are the domane al 4, the emonda alr 5 and the canyon endurace 8. Sorry for the long message but thanks for any help you can provide
Great review, you make an excellent case for this being a prime value Endurance bike. Question, what would you pick as the best budget Gravel bike right now?
Why is upright always equated with comfortable? It's not necessarily the case. It implies that less upright, is uncomfortable. Each is just a different riding style.
Is endurance a different category than road? Or is it a mix of road and gravel? Or is it just another word for road? I seriously don't know and stupid things like this keep me up at night. If I don't take my meds.
endurance is a road bike with: - just a bit more relaxed/upright geometry (shorter head tube, shorter/angled up stem etc.) - sometimes tyre clearance of 30-32 mm so just very small differences
It just means that certain compromises to the geometry are made that favor comfort over pure speed. Like you sit more upright which is less aerodynamic. Its not for racing where you want to go as fast as possible.
An endurance road bike has a more up right riding position and typically has wider tires. So not as aimed at out and out speed but more at being something you can ride for hours without discomfort.
I’ve been holding out because of the ridiculous price increases, but have been eyeing the Domane AL 5. The prices should be dropping soon I hope. I also for some reason like the feel of the rondo, but the price for what components you get so a-. So that is a no go
Unfortunately GIant does not make a bike that directly competes with this one at least in the USA. They make the AR1 which has Shimano 105, and directly competes against the Domane AL5, and then they make the AR3, which uses Sora and mechanical brakes competing with the Domane AL3. That's part of what I really like about this bike, very few companies have a 10-speed group set that also has factory Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, plus Trek has done a really good job with additional mounting points and geometry that allows the bike to be more than just an endurance bike.
Not the best choice for under 2k. I bought a AL2 disk and upgraded to carbon seatpost and handlebars and an Ultegra R8000/105 Group, DT Swiss Wheels and Conti tires. The bike was 25LBS! when I brought it home. It is spec'ed a bit higher than an AL5 off the shelf with what I've done. Despite putting another 1500 into this bike on top of the initial 1200, it still weighs 21lbs. While it advertises only 35c tire clearance I've been able to fit 38C on it and thats a plus. For the road I prefer 28C tires and this bike does not like anything below a 32C tire. The ride is extremely harsh, any road imperfection is instantly transmitted into your butt and hands. The benefit of being stiff is that it does have an extremely good bottom bracket feel, as good as my carbon Emonda SL5. This bike is truly the jack of all trades but master of none. Not light, not comfortable, and if you wish to replace the cheap groupset and wheels it's no longer cheap. I got it to be a backup road bike, but I've found it can also be a backup gravel bike as well. It's working for me best as a bike to keep permanently hooked up to the Wahoo trainer over winter. I'm glad I finally found a use for it but a carbon SL5 Domane is the better choice and out of the box does everything this bike tries to do but fails.
Thanks for your insight! I'm new to race bikes and this is a bike my local bike shop suggested to me. Do you think this is a good choice for a beginner? If not, what would you suggest for around 1500 USD?
@@dominikbaumgartner9221 you will get alot more for your money with a cannondale caad optimo 1050 dollars and way lighter. If you are looking for pure road. Used market you can get alot of bike for 1500
Not really, my loaded touring bike weighs about 60kg (about 130lbs) and I often ride it 50 miles (80km). ANYTHING around 10kg is going to feel like a feather.
"Road bike" weighing 10.5kg hard pass my friend. I'd rather get an 5 year old bike for 1000 USD with a weight around 8kg, shimano 105, and maybe even 30mm tyre clearance
This is not Trek Emonda nor Specialized Allez. Domane AL is an endurance road bike with more relaxed geometry and big tire clearance if someone wants to put wider gravel tires. My Domane SL5 from 2020 is not lightest either with around 9,5kg weight but I love it to pieces cause it’s so comfortable.
Really like this bike but I have a (tiny) question that keeps bothering me: Did their choice of name attempt an alternative spelling of the word that means "tomorrow" in Italian (i.e. "domani"). It would be cool if that were the case, since a bike called "tomorrow" would convey the idea of a future where the same bike can excel on roads and gravel. Still, why replace he "i" with an "e"? Pretty sure I'm overthinking this. Not sure whether to prioritize going to the nearest Trek shop or finding the nearest shrink.
@@alishabausone164 "Corona Regis" is "King's Crown" in Latin. I think the Trek guys are a lot better at making bikes than at mastering classic languages. Thanks for the reply.
I've had this bike for a few weeks. Love it. It is smooth, comfortable, and about a minute per mile faster than the Trek hybrid it replaces on the GP5000 tire.
Picked up a beautiful blue AL2 and upgraded the groupset to tiagra for my own makeshift AL4 (loved the blue too much on the AL2). Wife has the same bike in the vid.
My bike is this red AL4 with Hunt wheels, WTB 30C tubeless, carbon seat post and DuraAce disk rotors. Tiagra groupset is just right for my purposes such as commute and weekend long rides, and the bike is very comfy and beautiful despite being aluminium. It's a keeper and I adore it.
How big a difference did the tire upgrades make for you?
@@almassengale I guess most of the improvement in acceleration and cruising speed was brought by wheels which weigh 1.5kg as opposed to 2.2kg of the factory set. As to tires I first tried 28C tubeless which I used to wear with my carbon endurance bike (Specialized Roubaix), but my preference with Domane AL is 30C tubeless given the balance between comfort and performance on any roads. 28C significantly increases acceleration and harshness at the same time.
BTW I wouldn't really recommend WTB tires as they apparently have QC issues whereas the ride quality is superb.
@@kasu1033 Thanks!
That’s very nice. I have had a previous version of the same bike for quite some time. My ALR4 is rim brake, but it’s fun. It doesn’t get ridden as much anymore as I have some nicer stuff; but when I do ride it, I like it.
They have done a lot in the 8 or 9 years since mine was made. Mounts are a plus. A threaded, external bearing BB is a big plus. Mine is press fit.
Tiagra. It’s about to go away, I have read. Here comes Cues.
Thank you for the review. I have the AL 5 and I was looking at this AL 4. I prefer the AL 4 colors to the AL 5. Interestingly, the AL 4 rotors say China on them whereas the AL 5 Shimano 105 say Japan. I would've thought they would have been the same.
105's rotors are three-layer (stainless surfaces with an aluminium core - my apologies for correction) whereas Tiagra is single stainless steel construction. That's why I upgraded my AL4's rotors to DuraAce grade for better heat dissipation performance.
I really liked this review and was wondering if I could get some advice. I’m 15 and getting into road riding with my dad. I’m trying to choose a bike close to 2000 usd. I’m going to use it for my main goal right now which is a ride that’s got a lot of climbing (11ft elevation gain over 103 miles) but also want to be able to throw cross tires on it and race cross in the fall. My current ideas are the domane al 4, the emonda alr 5 and the canyon endurace 8. Sorry for the long message but thanks for any help you can provide
Great review, you make an excellent case for this being a prime value Endurance bike. Question, what would you pick as the best budget Gravel bike right now?
Van Rysel NCR : 1600€
Carbone frame
Shimano tiagra
“Downstairs to the tubing” lol, I’m going to use that more often
Lol
Why is upright always equated with comfortable? It's not necessarily the case. It implies that less upright, is uncomfortable. Each is just a different riding style.
Exactly,this myth is lazily trotted out over and over by bike reviewers.
@@timdixo agreed. I find, sometimes being leaned in more, is actually more comfortable , especially for aggressive riding. Its really very personal.
Great intro! Well done.
Hi, Thank you for the complete review. Can you please review the Marin Gestalt 1?. Thanks in advance
Nice review! Do you know if this bike comes tubeless ready?
When is the red available? Trek only shows the Blue green, black, and white and gold.
Is endurance a different category than road? Or is it a mix of road and gravel? Or is it just another word for road? I seriously don't know and stupid things like this keep me up at night. If I don't take my meds.
endurance is a road bike with:
- just a bit more relaxed/upright geometry (shorter head tube, shorter/angled up stem etc.)
- sometimes tyre clearance of 30-32 mm
so just very small differences
It just means that certain compromises to the geometry are made that favor comfort over pure speed. Like you sit more upright which is less aerodynamic. Its not for racing where you want to go as fast as possible.
An endurance road bike has a more up right riding position and typically has wider tires. So not as aimed at out and out speed but more at being something you can ride for hours without discomfort.
Seems like most sales are on mountain bikes. I’m hoping to pick one of these up when Trek starts it’s sale next week.
Same here! Hopefully it's a good sale
Thank you so much for the video. For a long time i am thinking of to buy it. I am corious which size was it? I mean the bicycle in the video. 49? 🤔🚲🚴🏻
You’re correct, it is was a 49cm in his video
Is the weight issue an inherit problem with wide-tired endurance bikes? Or specific to the Domane AL?
I’m in the market for a new summer bike, maybe a domane with car on wheels and a new aero bar
Is this on treks web page yet? Dont see the AL4 disc in this red. Love the price but cant decide on which trek to go with. Currently have a 2009 2.3
Great review.. can u suggest what is the best size for 5'4" height?? thanks..
49cm may work too if you have a longer torso and shorter inseam
I’ve been holding out because of the ridiculous price increases, but have been eyeing the Domane AL 5. The prices should be dropping soon I hope. I also for some reason like the feel of the rondo, but the price for what components you get so a-. So that is a no go
The prices never drop. Unless it's a leftover sale you're waiting on.
With 35mm tires could I run this as a gravel bike ?
For certain. I know a few people who do
Wonder what makes this better than the Giant Contend equivalent which I'm sure is cheaper at the same spec
Unfortunately GIant does not make a bike that directly competes with this one at least in the USA. They make the AR1 which has Shimano 105, and directly competes against the Domane AL5, and then they make the AR3, which uses Sora and mechanical brakes competing with the Domane AL3.
That's part of what I really like about this bike, very few companies have a 10-speed group set that also has factory Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, plus Trek has done a really good job with additional mounting points and geometry that allows the bike to be more than just an endurance bike.
Not the best choice for under 2k. I bought a AL2 disk and upgraded to carbon seatpost and handlebars and an Ultegra R8000/105 Group, DT Swiss Wheels and Conti tires. The bike was 25LBS! when I brought it home. It is spec'ed a bit higher than an AL5 off the shelf with what I've done. Despite putting another 1500 into this bike on top of the initial 1200, it still weighs 21lbs. While it advertises only 35c tire clearance I've been able to fit 38C on it and thats a plus. For the road I prefer 28C tires and this bike does not like anything below a 32C tire. The ride is extremely harsh, any road imperfection is instantly transmitted into your butt and hands. The benefit of being stiff is that it does have an extremely good bottom bracket feel, as good as my carbon Emonda SL5. This bike is truly the jack of all trades but master of none. Not light, not comfortable, and if you wish to replace the cheap groupset and wheels it's no longer cheap. I got it to be a backup road bike, but I've found it can also be a backup gravel bike as well. It's working for me best as a bike to keep permanently hooked up to the Wahoo trainer over winter. I'm glad I finally found a use for it but a carbon SL5 Domane is the better choice and out of the box does everything this bike tries to do but fails.
Thanks for your insight! I'm new to race bikes and this is a bike my local bike shop suggested to me. Do you think this is a good choice for a beginner? If not, what would you suggest for around 1500 USD?
@@dominikbaumgartner9221 you will get alot more for your money with a cannondale caad optimo 1050 dollars and way lighter. If you are looking for pure road. Used market you can get alot of bike for 1500
I wouldn't call $ 1700 a budget bike.
Inflation has hit the bike industry hard. Entry level road bikes are expensive.
Should be fully integrated cable.
Why?
Heavy tank you need endurance just to pedal the thing more than 50 miles 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not really, my loaded touring bike weighs about 60kg (about 130lbs) and I often ride it 50 miles (80km). ANYTHING around 10kg is going to feel like a feather.
Throw on some Continental GP 5000S TRs & you’ll be flying!
Yup! Two nice tires would make a heck of a difference on this bike
I put some of those on mine. It rolls so well.
@@almassengale best upgrade for the value
is it me or top tube is way too down?
It's a pretty small size bike, that causes the top tube to look much lower
The bike is heavy beware of that
My “DREAM” (Ideal!!) Bike!! Have the TREK FX2’022 as you know but sure want this one as well! b(‘_
I know this bike is a value bike because in India, they do not offer this hahahahaha. we get either the Al3 with sora or Al 5 with 105
Lol, most brands do that here in the USA. That's one of the reasons I like this bike is. It's a perfect positioning for price and performance
"Road bike" weighing 10.5kg hard pass my friend. I'd rather get an 5 year old bike for 1000 USD with a weight around 8kg, shimano 105, and maybe even 30mm tyre clearance
Its endurance bike. Still fast, i can make 100 kms with average 34km/h
@@andredo4880 imagine what average you could do with 2kg less
@@comedyman112 it's not a climbing bike.
@@comedyman112well i dont care cause my MTB is 14 kgs and my trekking bikepacked is above 20 kilos
This is not Trek Emonda nor Specialized Allez. Domane AL is an endurance road bike with more relaxed geometry and big tire clearance if someone wants to put wider gravel tires. My Domane SL5 from 2020 is not lightest either with around 9,5kg weight but I love it to pieces cause it’s so comfortable.
That bike is a waste of money
Straight to the point!
I had AL4 2020..it's heavy so i had to change/upgrade several parts to go below 9kg
@@fazidinamir If weight is important to you, why'd you go Domane in the first place?
I got a trek Al 3 for 130 is it worth it
Really like this bike but I have a (tiny) question that keeps bothering me: Did their choice of name attempt an alternative spelling of the word that means "tomorrow" in Italian (i.e. "domani"). It would be cool if that were the case, since a bike called "tomorrow" would convey the idea of a future where the same bike can excel on roads and gravel. Still, why replace he "i" with an "e"? Pretty sure I'm overthinking this. Not sure whether to prioritize going to the nearest Trek shop or finding the nearest shrink.
Trek insists that Domane is Latin for "King's Crown," but some etymologists say it is Latin for overcoming. Domäne is also domain in German.
@@alishabausone164 "Corona Regis" is "King's Crown" in Latin. I think the Trek guys are a lot better at making bikes than at mastering classic languages.
Thanks for the reply.
@@Dan210871 I agree. I can imagine them getting so excited about it in their design meeting. Thankfully, they've mastered the bike thing!
@@alishabausone164 The only language I've found where "Domane" exists as a word is Kurdish. It means the same as "Domäne" in German, by the way.