I think the Domane has a place in the market, especially the consumer market. For the pros it might not be that interesting of a bike but a lot of people want a comfortable more affordable bike. The Madone starts at €4899 which no one in their right mind would ever spend if you just started cycling. The Checkpoint is really aimed at gravellers and bike packers so the Domane is a very viable option. Great quality bike with components ranging from entry level with a aluminium frame to the best in the market with high quality carbon frames. I have 2018 SL5 rim brake version and even though it is still a great bike and doesn't have to be replaced, a Domane would definitely would be on my short list for my next bike.
I have a Project 1 Domane from several years to go. I love it except for tire clearance. I live in a hilly area with poor road services and wanted to go wider. I considered the new Domane, but the weight put me off. Also the seat mast on the current bike creates fit problems for me. To me it looks like they may be recreating the bike I love with the tire clearance I need, however a year too late for me as I bought a Argon 18 Krypton Pro as it is much lighter, very comfortable, and fits me and has room for 32mm tires.
Disagree. Only because the new 2022 Allez just dropped. Literally makes zero sense to buy a Madone now that there’s a legit crit pig on the market. Especially one that weighs the same, is just as fast (or faster), and costs half the price. If you can get over carbon… the Allez Sprint is where it’s at. It’s an alloy SL7 w/ a far more tidy cockpit than the Madone… nuff said.
true! domane is by far the comfiest carbon bike i ever ridden. i am not a racer so madone is out of question. checkpoint as gravel bike on other hand has far more better alternatives. so domane all the way 🤙🤙
wrong wrong wrong j e r o n.theirs nothing wrong with my madone ive been cyling for 30yrs..i admit the madone is a little pricey.but any one new or experienced knows u want the best u gotta pay so in my mind no matter they will pay almost any price .and guess what. I paid 11k for my soon coming trek madone slr7 segafredo 2022
I ❤ my 2020 Domane SL7... easily the nicest bike I've owned over the past 25+ years of riding. With this potential new model, it looks like Trek addressed my biggest gripe about my bike... that being the seat mast on my bike invites water and dirt into the frame.
I bought my first road bike early this year. Domane SL5. Its chunky but I feel very confident riding it on the road. With the thick tyres and chunk tubes and iso speed, i accidently run over big pot holes unscathed. I have dropped a coffee and lost my rear light. I think its a great entry into the biking world. Comfortable and easy to ride. I do plan on upgrading to a Madone when i get more serious in a few years.
If you are like most of us you will want an upgrade before you need an upgrade. That SL5 is a good bike take care of it and it will serve you for years
I’ve run tubeless on my hardtail XC bikes for about 20 years now. It’s unbelievable how much it changes the feel of the bike and you see the results in performance per watt. It can be annoying getting them to seal and I’ve reverted to tubes in the past out of frustration with that but the return to tubeless reminded me what I was missing. As ever, road cyclists are more conservative and the demands are different. I have clinchers with tubes on one road bike and hookless, tubeless on another. It’s obviously not the only difference but the tubeless bike is the only one I’ve ridden outside in months, the feel of the road is better, the rolling resistance is lower, it’s confidence inspiring in the corners. The bike with clinchers is on the turbo and it looks like staying there.
I have a 2021 Domane. My third bike in 4 years. Super nice bike. The Domane is smooth and feels very comfortable and steady at high speeds (20 plus miles). You go down hill at 40 plus miles an hour like nothing. At lower speeds its not steady and you can lose your balance easier plus your toes hit the front tire (toe overlap) be aware of that.
Pandemic cyclist here. I purchased a Checkpoint for my first real bike, but wished I’d had got a Domane. The iso speed would be so nice and I’m finding the endurance fit would be more useful than a pure gravel bike.
Domane RSL owner here and agree the front Isopseed is unnecessary, the bike feels heavy compared to a climbing bike but I run decent wheels that make way more difference to speed than a few hundred grams on the frame. Besides like 99% of riders I could lose a few KGS never mind a few grams. Road tubeless on Paris Roubaix makes complete sense due to the pave but where I live in the South Downs I've got fed up with the sealant blowing out like a catherine wheel.
The key design changes seem to reflect those adopted by Trek on the latest Checkpoint. Trek explained their decision making process whereby, in terms of adjustable ISO Speed, they concluded, like you, that owners seldom adjusted the system once set. In terms if the front ISO Speed, they refer to simplifying the design by removing it, saving weight and added design complication, claiming the wide tyres fitted to the Checkpoint provide sufficient front end comfort. Whether any such benefit translates to the new Domane will remain to be seen in due course, no doubt.
The need for endurance bikes is simply around geometry, the upright (high stack / reach ratio) and compliance provides a comfortable bike. There is no longer a requirement for heavy feature, like front Isospeed, to achieve compliance which can now be achieved with higher volume tyres. I like the way Trek appear to be heading with the Domane, same geometry but lighter. I think that front end compliance can be achieved by larger tyre volume which, coupled with a tubeless setup, doesn’t give away too much in performance. Trek also need to watch overlap with Checkpoint.
Finally on tubeless, my only regret is not changing sooner. I have a Trek Madone for Road and Giant TCX Advanced SX (Giant's first gravel bike) for Gravel and wet/winter Road (two sets of wheels with 40mm knobblies and 28mm slicks). I have only loosely considered a third wet/winter road bike to save swapping wheels on the TCX all the time, but came to the same conclusion David. I ruled out the Domane and would go Checkpoint as my gravel bike and swap the TCX over to wet/winter road.
I recently bought a Domane +LT, the e-bike version. I'm in my 70s and being dropped in hills was increasing. My previous bike was a Spesh Roubaix SL4 Disc from 2015. Before that a custom made Reynolds frame from 1973 when I was a young bloke. Trouble was, it transmitted every bit of road buzz into my aging spine, hence the move to the Roubaix in retirement. The Domane is more comfortable than the Roubaix. I have the seat post adjuster under the bar set to the softest setting but would like even more compliance. And I can't even feel if the front iso-speed stem is doing anything. Even with their adjustable seat post I'd like to add a suspension post but their weird design works against that. Trek's idea of what constitutes adjustable compliance doesn't go far enough for older riders. The new Domane with the standard seat post is a good idea as somebody in my position can fit a suspension post if stock compliance isn't sufficient. Pulling the front stem decoupler is also a good decision. Just add a reputable adjustable suspension stem like Red Shift offers and forgo the weird internal gadgetry.
As an owner of a 1st gen Project 1 Domane and a 2020 SL5. For me it’s all about weight. The SL5 is a terrific machine everything just works. The weight is hard to get by. Even upgrading to Ultegra and their V3 carbon wheels the bike is still heavy but more than that it’s sluggish. A great all day bike that’s hard to get up the climbs.
I own a ‘22 Domane SL5 and it had an issue with the seat post (Trek/LBS fixed this by sanding inside the seat post part to remove paint and now it’s terrific). This was a fairly common issue with that design, so ‘23 change is surely addressing this as well I’d think. Also, my front ISO speed is quite noisy at times. I could definitely see how just removing it altogether and soaking up some vibrations via good carbon bars would be a better alternative upfront. Now I already want to upgrade dammit!
I sure hope you are right as I have put down a deposit on a 22 Domane SL5 and was told, just last week, that I'll be getting the 2023 Domane SL5 instead with an ETA of Jan/Feb 23 but with a different color than the 22 model. Unfortunately I like the color scheme that has an Aug 23 ETA more. They are cool with me switching and waiting but I'll have to make up my mind when I can see Trek's release video/pics/specs ... etc, sometime in Sep 22. I'm a senior citizen and waiting until Aug means one less outdoor season that I'll ride my "last bike". The 23 SL5 with the Jan/Feb color scheme is almost identical to what I'm currently riding and I like that so it is a tough decision all around.
i think Trek are looking to create more separation between the Domane and the Checkpoint. Similar separation to what Giant have between the Defy and Revolt or Canyon with the Endurace and Grail...or Specialized with the Roubaix and Diverge...could go on. One optimized for those who ride mostly road (with wider than normal road tires) and the other for those who spend more time off road. The current Domane is a bit too close to the Checkpoint....and some of those who are looking for a more endurance focused road bike are put off by the prospect of having a bike up to a Kg heavier than similar level bikes in other company's ranges.
Yes, i think you're onto something there. I like the Domane, but I prefer the current Checkpoint to the current Domane; there needs a greater difference between them.
I have an older Madone 3.1 with the Blue/White colour scheme in perfect condition, running 28mm at about 75psi it's the best ride ever. That Model with fat downtube just soaks up road vibrations so well. Then I have my other road bike, a Scott Foil, it's a bullet, but talk about a rigid frame, total opposite to the Madone. Love them both for their particular attributes, but just two completely different frame types for sure. I think the Trek Madone would be the best general purpose quality road bike available to serious weekend warriors, awesome bike. Running a Madone with the wider 28's is the best compromise of all from my experience.
Hi, and thanks for the video. I’ve recently bought a Trek Domaine SLR 6 and could not be happier. I love the geeky little features like the integrated rear light and the storage. After considering for almost 6 months whether to buy the Roubaix Expert or the Trek it actually came down to preference of looks and in my opinion the Trek is far more pleasing to the eye than the Roubaix. Once riding the few hundred extra grams don’t effect the way I comfortably cruise down the road!
Thanks for a great video as always. I would like to add the Boone into the mix. Apart from the mud guard mounts, I see no obvious reason to buy the Domane. Boone is much lighter and responsive, same tire clearance, higher grade carbon for the price, front ISO Speed, etc. If the new Domane drops some weight and allows 42 mm tires I might be convinced, though.
Trek is no longer offering iso speed in the front of any of their bikes. I believe this decision has more to do with the integrated cable routing. I have the previous gen Trek Boone and I do prefer the front iso speed.
For someone like myself aiming to ride 1000s of miles per year (and I'm tall so I don't like aggressiveness in my stances)...I see the domane still seeing a great fit.
Did you notice that the 2022 Trek FX Sport no longer have Isospeed, even though the previous models had it? Or that the Boone and Procaliber now only have one build each? Isospeed is lovely, but Trek seems to be letting it fade.
Domane is definitely on my shortlist, along with Ribble CGR and Ribble Endurance. And tubeless is definitely the way to go. Versatile endurance bike, with 303 Firecrest wheels and 28-32mm wheels is perfect for me and will ultimately be FASTER in the real world for me, as well as less hassle, than an aero bike on 25mm clinchers.
I have a 2016 ( delivered december 2015) Trek Domane 5.9, with Ultegra. Came with a compact front chain rings which I swapped for 52/36 chainrings. I also swapped the standard wheels for some aero wheels much later on ( this did make a huge difference to performance). As much as I like the the Domane, I feel especially with that rear flex provided from the isospeed, for me is just a little to cushy, bit to much flex. I want something stiffer.
Interesting; I've had a few Domanes - and I'm a big fan of them all; however the current one is probably my least favourite one. Taking the front isospeed is quite a move, and simplifying the rear one too. The similar looking Checkpoint doesn't have the front isospeed, despite many people wanting it. Is it possible that they will now put it on a future Checkpoint, after removing it from the Domane? I think the Boone still has the front & rear isospeed; that hasn't been updated for a while.
I had the 2020 Domane and just got the 2022 emonda. Tbh the Domane front iso speed didn’t help at all with vibration and I find the emonda to be just as good over bumps if not better due to lack of vibration that the suspension ended up creating. Go figure! 😂
Why do you think they recommend inner tube tires for climbing stages instead of tubeless? Ie what about tubeless was not appropriate for climbing stages… safety perhaps or? Thanks!
I think there's one guy in our group ride on tubeless and it's still not a popular option in the road scene after many years of promotion. I have it in my MTB and tbh it's a pita. You have to regularly remove the tyres to clean out the dried sealant otherwise you've got that extra weight in your already heavy tubeless tyres. Removing and fitting tubeless is not easy on road wheels either. TBH i'd rather have tubulars than road tubeless as it's pretty sraight forward. I'll stick to my latex tubes and quality tyres for the very few punctures that i get it's a no brainer.
[You have to regularly remove the tyres to clean out the dried sealant otherwise you've got that extra weight in your already heavy tubeless tyres.] No you don't. Given the weight of mtb tubes, your tires will be worn before the weight of sealant equals that of had you had a tube. It never fails, any time someone bitches about tubeless being so hard, its due to their own errors.
I also want to buy road bike but not to leave all comfort. For endurance bikes like Domane, they mentioned that this is for long rides but nobody mention about what is the long ride? Is it 30km, 50km or 300km? Considering about the weight, if you are having 100km ride, most prbly you face with hills and in this case you can forget about the comfort. What I am considering now, having lightweight Emonda SL6 and change the tires to 28mm or 30mm. It can go fast, absorb road vibrations which can create a bit better comfort condition and I can climb the hills more easy. For sure on the road it can goes fast if needed. What you think about it?
There is no mention of the difference in the fit of the Domane in this article. Madone and Emonda use a H1.5 fit which is great for racing. Domane uses a fit they call endurance. Makes this bike worth a look for many recreational riders over the other 2 models.
The bike you see in the photos that the pros are using will not be an SLR, it will be the rsl, a few years back trek offered domane in a h1 race fit as a p1 only option, I believe this will what rsl becomes, the SLR will retain the endurance geo.... Weather they change isospeed between the two I doubt but a lighter weight domane sounds pretty good to me!!
I have a Domane AL4 with 700*28c Schwalbe pro race tire and it’s very comfortable for flat terrains cycling but not so much for uphill cycling perhaps bcos of its weight?
Trek was one of the only brands that increased orders over the pandemic. They actually looked at the data. Simplifying the design and reducing the proprietary nonsense is about meeting demand. Standard parts makes it easier to fill those builds. All the tech in the world is irrelevant if you can't get it built.
The typeface changes for the top tube to me, have taken a noticeable direction backwards from the last iteration. I don't understand why Trek have adjusted the kerning to be even wider, between letters, and the choice of typeface has just diluted its finesse and class. Other than this, and the huge over-sized fonts on the downtube for the Madone SLR, looking forward to seeing these new iterations in the flesh.
They should come out with a lightweight, increased tire clearance version of the Domane called the “GLR” that would compete with the Crux as far as being a super-lightweight gravel bike. It might cannibalize some of the Checkpoint SLR sales, but it’ll likely be in a higher price point, so it shouldn’t too much. Since the CP competes with the Diverge anyway, they can fill that niche market that would be with the Crux. Also, it would be redemption for that garbage attempt Trek did to quickly jump on the gravel hype train with that weird mid-year Domane Gravel model from a few years back. Idk, likely all a bad idea, but I’d like to see it.
Apart from added tire clearance, I would say that the Boone is just that bike. More lightweight, livelier and fun than the Domane. Only thing I would wish for is a 42 mm tire clearance.
Wondering how easy it would be to service the headset. I can't tell from the pictures whether the cables travel through the headtube inside or outside of the bearings. Also would having such a short cable run mean you'd need to disconnect everything anyway to enable the fork to drop out?
@@tamasvarga67 yes cables are behind and outside of the headset on the current model. This new 2023 model discussed here has them clearly entering the headtube at the front, but there's no detail yet on whether they are external to the bearings or not. David actually comments on the new cable placement in the video.
@@Quizmate1 As they are visibly outside it would be hard and pointless to run them through the bearings. In that case they would be hidden and run through the stem.
Want a lighter bike? Ditch the discs and go back to rim brakes. Also go with a mechanical drive train. Disagree with you on the front iso-speed decoupler. Have a 2014 Domane 6-series (sans front iso-speed) and a 2016 Domane 6-series (with front iso-speed). The front iso-speed make a huge difference, particularly on the chip-and-seal poorly maintained asphalt in my state. It almost completely eliminates the high frequency vibration caused by this kind of surface and dampens blows from potholes, and frequent crevasses that adorn our highways. Has really been a lifesaver for my hands & wrists.
Given the amount of riders that blew up tires, dropped chains, or just straight out came off their bikes (repeatedly) this last weekend, they need to just be on gravel bikes for that race anyways. All the talk about marginal gains. How important is that 40seconds of efficiency over the race when you end up losing 3-5min because you've had 2 punctures, dropped the chain into the wrong gear on every cobble sector, crashed at least once, and had a bike change?
Thank God, the Domane went back to the standard seat post. I really hate that stupid seatmast concept. Rear ISO Speed seems like a gimmick. So to get rid of it, it's great. I don't really care about front ISO Speed, so getting rid of it makes it easy to disassemble the bike for traveling with Orucase B2. I hope they shed some weight and more aero. I've been waiting for the new Domane to come out since I don't like the previous model.
Looks like 2022 will be the year of endurance bikes. Let’s see what bike brands come up with (very curious on BMC, top-end Canyon). I totally believe that there’s demand for a traditional all-rounder bikes that are suitable for 90/10 road/dirt roads. I think endurance bikes fit that charActeristic perfectly. Would be curious to see market stats on what type of bike sell the best (aero, endurance, gravel, etc)?
I love my 2017 Domane SL5 but god it’s heavy from the factory setup, to the point you’d spend the same amount as the bike purchase to drop 1-1.5kg. Bigger issue for me is lack of race geometry, only the slack endurance geometry . What if I like the comfort and versatility of the Domane but ride in an aggressive position? Tough luck. Maybe the idea is to sell me a Madone, but not ready to drop that kinda $
Every year, I look at what Trek is doing and I always get the sense that they over-engineer their bikes. What happened to those guys? I think serious riders like a certain amount of simplicity and this is not it. Trek needs to go 'back to basics'... To their credit, though; at least they are moving off of press-fit bottom brackets. A welcome change I'm seeing across the industry :)
As you have ridden both. Assuming the Gravel bike is running the same 28C road tyres. How does a Gravel Bike compare to an Endurance Road bike when descending a fast and twisty descent? How does it feel, respond? Which gives the feeling of more confidence and sure footedness? Reason, I ask their geometries are similar but it would seem Gravel bikes have a shorter stem length in comparison.
@@glennoc8585 Well I´ve rinding hookless almost since 303 Firecrest was launched and obviously the trend in rims is to end the hooks and set 23mm inner width as the new industry standard for road wheels. Now think about this: higher or lower pressures, which is riskier? PS: You know that David has been on 303S for a long time too right? Some Pro´s ride hookless HARD and HARSH... still no problems reported... would you try it once and get a factual opinion afterwards?
Tubeless couldn’t give a pee about. I understand the benefits, but the cons far out weigh them. It will never go main stream the general punter will not keep on top of it. Heck most take there bikes to the bike store to get a tube fitted there not going to do that every 4 weeks for the stuff that actually works for the road. High end bikes are a very small niche within the industry. 20 years later and tubeless is still a tiny tiny portion of the market, tubes are still 95% of the market. Tbh it’s a failure in the grand scheme of things. Even within the mtb world. The amount that still use tubes in the mtb world is staggering. And tubeless is meant to be of age in the mtb land. The real news is the tpu tubes. That’s actually quite interesting considering all the qc problems this type of product has had. Pirelli must be very confident.
I'm no longer a big fan of any bike pushed out by Trek or Specialized. Those huge brands are more marketing, less cycling culture. They may still drive innovation, but the smaller brands are where it's at. I will say, however, that the smaller brands I've experienced aren't as responsive when you reach out to them. I feel that may just be the shortcomings of the brands I have purchased from. In short, I'd be hard pressed to be excited about a new Domane/Checkpoint/Madone/Emonda/Roubaix/Tarmac/Diverge (or anything from Giant, though the latest Anthem X Pro is a STEAL for what it offers and its price).
well "Hats and Horns from what i see on both the new 2023 Trek madone and emonde they both sucks .take the seat post i think it will snap before u get a yrs riding ."Serious Trek "
I think the Domane has a place in the market, especially the consumer market. For the pros it might not be that interesting of a bike but a lot of people want a comfortable more affordable bike. The Madone starts at €4899 which no one in their right mind would ever spend if you just started cycling. The Checkpoint is really aimed at gravellers and bike packers so the Domane is a very viable option. Great quality bike with components ranging from entry level with a aluminium frame to the best in the market with high quality carbon frames. I have 2018 SL5 rim brake version and even though it is still a great bike and doesn't have to be replaced, a Domane would definitely would be on my short list for my next bike.
Well said, I agree.
I have a Project 1 Domane from several years to go. I love it except for tire clearance. I live in a hilly area with poor road services and wanted to go wider. I considered the new Domane, but the weight put me off. Also the seat mast on the current bike creates fit problems for me. To me it looks like they may be recreating the bike I love with the tire clearance I need, however a year too late for me as I bought a Argon 18 Krypton Pro as it is much lighter, very comfortable, and fits me and has room for 32mm tires.
Disagree. Only because the new 2022 Allez just dropped. Literally makes zero sense to buy a Madone now that there’s a legit crit pig on the market. Especially one that weighs the same, is just as fast (or faster), and costs half the price. If you can get over carbon… the Allez Sprint is where it’s at. It’s an alloy SL7 w/ a far more tidy cockpit than the Madone… nuff said.
true! domane is by far the comfiest carbon bike i ever ridden. i am not a racer so madone is out of question. checkpoint as gravel bike on other hand has far more better alternatives. so domane all the way 🤙🤙
wrong wrong wrong j e r o n.theirs nothing wrong with my madone ive been cyling for 30yrs..i admit the madone is a little pricey.but any one new or experienced knows u want the best u gotta pay so in my mind no matter they will pay almost any price .and guess what. I paid 11k for my soon coming trek madone slr7 segafredo 2022
I ❤ my 2020 Domane SL7... easily the nicest bike I've owned over the past 25+ years of riding. With this potential new model, it looks like Trek addressed my biggest gripe about my bike... that being the seat mast on my bike invites water and dirt into the frame.
I bought my first road bike early this year. Domane SL5. Its chunky but I feel very confident riding it on the road. With the thick tyres and chunk tubes and iso speed, i accidently run over big pot holes unscathed. I have dropped a coffee and lost my rear light. I think its a great entry into the biking world. Comfortable and easy to ride. I do plan on upgrading to a Madone when i get more serious in a few years.
If you are like most of us you will want an upgrade before you need an upgrade. That SL5 is a good bike take care of it and it will serve you for years
@@coreyallert1482 you're right. Its too much bike for me now. I expect to ride this one into the ground before i upgrade
I’ve run tubeless on my hardtail XC bikes for about 20 years now. It’s unbelievable how much it changes the feel of the bike and you see the results in performance per watt. It can be annoying getting them to seal and I’ve reverted to tubes in the past out of frustration with that but the return to tubeless reminded me what I was missing. As ever, road cyclists are more conservative and the demands are different. I have clinchers with tubes on one road bike and hookless, tubeless on another. It’s obviously not the only difference but the tubeless bike is the only one I’ve ridden outside in months, the feel of the road is better, the rolling resistance is lower, it’s confidence inspiring in the corners. The bike with clinchers is on the turbo and it looks like staying there.
I have a 2021 Domane. My third bike in 4 years. Super nice bike. The Domane is smooth and feels very comfortable and steady at high speeds (20 plus miles). You go down hill at 40 plus miles an hour like nothing. At lower speeds its not steady and you can lose your balance easier plus your toes hit the front tire (toe overlap) be aware of that.
What would you recommend at lower speeds for steadier and comfy ride?
Loved the video! So glad I’ve found this channel! All the way from Tasmania 🇦🇺
Pandemic cyclist here. I purchased a Checkpoint for my first real bike, but wished I’d had got a Domane. The iso speed would be so nice and I’m finding the endurance fit would be more useful than a pure gravel bike.
Domane RSL owner here and agree the front Isopseed is unnecessary, the bike feels heavy compared to a climbing bike but I run decent wheels that make way more difference to speed than a few hundred grams on the frame. Besides like 99% of riders I could lose a few KGS never mind a few grams. Road tubeless on Paris Roubaix makes complete sense due to the pave but where I live in the South Downs I've got fed up with the sealant blowing out like a catherine wheel.
I think we need a proper review of tpu inner tubes vs butyl , to the differences in performance, puncture resistance, reliability and durability
The key design changes seem to reflect those adopted by Trek on the latest Checkpoint. Trek explained their decision making process whereby, in terms of adjustable ISO Speed, they concluded, like you, that owners seldom adjusted the system once set. In terms if the front ISO Speed, they refer to simplifying the design by removing it, saving weight and added design complication, claiming the wide tyres fitted to the Checkpoint provide sufficient front end comfort. Whether any such benefit translates to the new Domane will remain to be seen in due course, no doubt.
The need for endurance bikes is simply around geometry, the upright (high stack / reach ratio) and compliance provides a comfortable bike. There is no longer a requirement for heavy feature, like front Isospeed, to achieve compliance which can now be achieved with higher volume tyres. I like the way Trek appear to be heading with the Domane, same geometry but lighter. I think that front end compliance can be achieved by larger tyre volume which, coupled with a tubeless setup, doesn’t give away too much in performance. Trek also need to watch overlap with Checkpoint.
Finally on tubeless, my only regret is not changing sooner. I have a Trek Madone for Road and Giant TCX Advanced SX (Giant's first gravel bike) for Gravel and wet/winter Road (two sets of wheels with 40mm knobblies and 28mm slicks). I have only loosely considered a third wet/winter road bike to save swapping wheels on the TCX all the time, but came to the same conclusion David. I ruled out the Domane and would go Checkpoint as my gravel bike and swap the TCX over to wet/winter road.
I recently bought a Domane +LT, the e-bike version. I'm in my 70s and being dropped in hills was increasing. My previous bike was a Spesh Roubaix SL4 Disc from 2015. Before that a custom made Reynolds frame from 1973 when I was a young bloke. Trouble was, it transmitted every bit of road buzz into my aging spine, hence the move to the Roubaix in retirement.
The Domane is more comfortable than the Roubaix. I have the seat post adjuster under the bar set to the softest setting but would like even more compliance. And I can't even feel if the front iso-speed stem is doing anything. Even with their adjustable seat post I'd like to add a suspension post but their weird design works against that. Trek's idea of what constitutes adjustable compliance doesn't go far enough for older riders.
The new Domane with the standard seat post is a good idea as somebody in my position can fit a suspension post if stock compliance isn't sufficient. Pulling the front stem decoupler is also a good decision. Just add a reputable adjustable suspension stem like Red Shift offers and forgo the weird internal gadgetry.
Agreed with David , my front Isospeed decoupler on my 2018 Domane is useless.
As an owner of a 1st gen Project 1 Domane and a 2020 SL5. For me it’s all about weight. The SL5 is a terrific machine everything just works. The weight is hard to get by. Even upgrading to Ultegra and their V3 carbon wheels the bike is still heavy but more than that it’s sluggish. A great all day bike that’s hard to get up the climbs.
I own a ‘22 Domane SL5 and it had an issue with the seat post (Trek/LBS fixed this by sanding inside the seat post part to remove paint and now it’s terrific). This was a fairly common issue with that design, so ‘23 change is surely addressing this as well I’d think. Also, my front ISO speed is quite noisy at times. I could definitely see how just removing it altogether and soaking up some vibrations via good carbon bars would be a better alternative upfront. Now I already want to upgrade dammit!
I sure hope you are right as I have put down a deposit on a 22 Domane SL5 and was told, just last week, that I'll be getting the 2023 Domane SL5 instead with an ETA of Jan/Feb 23 but with a different color than the 22 model. Unfortunately I like the color scheme that has an Aug 23 ETA more. They are cool with me switching and waiting but I'll have to make up my mind when I can see Trek's release video/pics/specs ... etc, sometime in Sep 22.
I'm a senior citizen and waiting until Aug means one less outdoor season that I'll ride my "last bike". The 23 SL5 with the Jan/Feb color scheme is almost identical to what I'm currently riding and I like that so it is a tough decision all around.
i think Trek are looking to create more separation between the Domane and the Checkpoint. Similar separation to what Giant have between the Defy and Revolt or Canyon with the Endurace and Grail...or Specialized with the Roubaix and Diverge...could go on. One optimized for those who ride mostly road (with wider than normal road tires) and the other for those who spend more time off road. The current Domane is a bit too close to the Checkpoint....and some of those who are looking for a more endurance focused road bike are put off by the prospect of having a bike up to a Kg heavier than similar level bikes in other company's ranges.
Yes, i think you're onto something there. I like the Domane, but I prefer the current Checkpoint to the current Domane; there needs a greater difference between them.
Timely video, thanks David! 👍
I have an older Madone 3.1 with the Blue/White colour scheme in perfect condition, running 28mm at about 75psi it's the best ride ever. That Model with fat downtube just soaks up road vibrations so well. Then I have my other road bike, a Scott Foil, it's a bullet, but talk about a rigid frame, total opposite to the Madone.
Love them both for their particular attributes, but just two completely different frame types for sure.
I think the Trek Madone would be the best general purpose quality road bike available to serious weekend warriors, awesome bike. Running a Madone with the wider 28's is the best compromise of all from my experience.
Hi, and thanks for the video. I’ve recently bought a Trek Domaine SLR 6 and could not be happier. I love the geeky little features like the integrated rear light and the storage. After considering for almost 6 months whether to buy the Roubaix Expert or the Trek it actually came down to preference of looks and in my opinion the Trek is far more pleasing to the eye than the Roubaix. Once riding the few hundred extra grams don’t effect the way I comfortably cruise down the road!
Thanks for a great video as always. I would like to add the Boone into the mix. Apart from the mud guard mounts, I see no obvious reason to buy the Domane. Boone is much lighter and responsive, same tire clearance, higher grade carbon for the price, front ISO Speed, etc. If the new Domane drops some weight and allows 42 mm tires I might be convinced, though.
Trek is no longer offering iso speed in the front of any of their bikes. I believe this decision has more to do with the integrated cable routing. I have the previous gen Trek Boone and I do prefer the front iso speed.
For someone like myself aiming to ride 1000s of miles per year (and I'm tall so I don't like aggressiveness in my stances)...I see the domane still seeing a great fit.
Did you notice that the 2022 Trek FX Sport no longer have Isospeed, even though the previous models had it? Or that the Boone and Procaliber now only have one build each? Isospeed is lovely, but Trek seems to be letting it fade.
Domane is definitely on my shortlist, along with Ribble CGR and Ribble Endurance. And tubeless is definitely the way to go. Versatile endurance bike, with 303 Firecrest wheels and 28-32mm wheels is perfect for me and will ultimately be FASTER in the real world for me, as well as less hassle, than an aero bike on 25mm clinchers.
I have a 2016 ( delivered december 2015) Trek Domane 5.9, with Ultegra. Came with a compact front chain rings which I swapped for 52/36 chainrings. I also swapped the standard wheels for some aero wheels much later on ( this did make a huge difference to performance). As much as I like the the Domane, I feel especially with that rear flex provided from the isospeed, for me is just a little to cushy, bit to much flex. I want something stiffer.
Double wrapping my drop bars makes my track bike comfy even sitting on 23's
Interesting; I've had a few Domanes - and I'm a big fan of them all; however the current one is probably my least favourite one. Taking the front isospeed is quite a move, and simplifying the rear one too. The similar looking Checkpoint doesn't have the front isospeed, despite many people wanting it. Is it possible that they will now put it on a future Checkpoint, after removing it from the Domane?
I think the Boone still has the front & rear isospeed; that hasn't been updated for a while.
I had the 2020 Domane and just got the 2022 emonda. Tbh the Domane front iso speed didn’t help at all with vibration and I find the emonda to be just as good over bumps if not better due to lack of vibration that the suspension ended up creating. Go figure! 😂
The front isospeed was a gimmick
Why do you think they recommend inner tube tires for climbing stages instead of tubeless? Ie what about tubeless was not appropriate for climbing stages… safety perhaps or? Thanks!
Price point will determine the success of the Domane....👍🏽
I think there's one guy in our group ride on tubeless and it's still not a popular option in the road scene after many years of promotion. I have it in my MTB and tbh it's a pita. You have to regularly remove the tyres to clean out the dried sealant otherwise you've got that extra weight in your already heavy tubeless tyres. Removing and fitting tubeless is not easy on road wheels either. TBH i'd rather have tubulars than road tubeless as it's pretty sraight forward. I'll stick to my latex tubes and quality tyres for the very few punctures that i get it's a no brainer.
[You have to regularly remove the tyres to clean out the dried sealant otherwise you've got that extra weight in your already heavy tubeless tyres.] No you don't. Given the weight of mtb tubes, your tires will be worn before the weight of sealant equals that of had you had a tube. It never fails, any time someone bitches about tubeless being so hard, its due to their own errors.
The domaine SL looks like a good endurance bike choice and seems to be better value when compared to the more expensive SLR, roubaix or synapse
I have 2018 domane rim brake set up with 28 mm tires. Great for road
I also want to buy road bike but not to leave all comfort. For endurance bikes like Domane, they mentioned that this is for long rides but nobody mention about what is the long ride? Is it 30km, 50km or 300km? Considering about the weight, if you are having 100km ride, most prbly you face with hills and in this case you can forget about the comfort.
What I am considering now, having lightweight Emonda SL6 and change the tires to 28mm or 30mm. It can go fast, absorb road vibrations which can create a bit better comfort condition and I can climb the hills more easy. For sure on the road it can goes fast if needed. What you think about it?
There is no mention of the difference in the fit of the Domane in this article. Madone and Emonda use a H1.5 fit which is great for racing. Domane uses a fit they call endurance. Makes this bike worth a look for many recreational riders over the other 2 models.
The bike you see in the photos that the pros are using will not be an SLR, it will be the rsl, a few years back trek offered domane in a h1 race fit as a p1 only option, I believe this will what rsl becomes, the SLR will retain the endurance geo.... Weather they change isospeed between the two I doubt but a lighter weight domane sounds pretty good to me!!
I have a Domane AL4 with 700*28c Schwalbe pro race tire and it’s very comfortable for flat terrains cycling but not so much for uphill cycling perhaps bcos of its weight?
My 2022 Domane SL5 has a threaded bottom bracket. Where some models press fit?
Would love to see slightly wider (up to 40mm) tyres
Trek was one of the only brands that increased orders over the pandemic. They actually looked at the data. Simplifying the design and reducing the proprietary nonsense is about meeting demand. Standard parts makes it easier to fill those builds. All the tech in the world is irrelevant if you can't get it built.
And a new Emonda ALR Disc? Sweet
What size is Hosking’s (Chloe) bike shown in the video? 45?
The Domane decoupler is gone, but the isospeed is not. Its built into the fork.
I know you love tubeless but what you think of those tpu innertubes? Are they any good, I have heard good things
perhaps they are relying on wider tires to smooth out the bumps?
Hi David, do you have any tubless sealant review in your vlog? What's the best sealant in the market you would recommend?
David, you can't run larger than 35c tires on 700c in road racing as the UCI limits to 70cm diameter
Time will tell but with the loss of some of the comfort factors, in what niche does this bike sit? Seems to me its just going to be a heavy Emonda?
from some of the other pictures, it looks like the seat post is D shaped, not round.
The typeface changes for the top tube to me, have taken a noticeable direction backwards from the last iteration. I don't understand why Trek have adjusted the kerning to be even wider, between letters, and the choice of typeface has just diluted its finesse and class.
Other than this, and the huge over-sized fonts on the downtube for the Madone SLR, looking forward to seeing these new iterations in the flesh.
I think you were saying Tubular tyres when you meant tubeless a couple of times towards the end unless I’m mistaken.
They should come out with a lightweight, increased tire clearance version of the Domane called the “GLR” that would compete with the Crux as far as being a super-lightweight gravel bike. It might cannibalize some of the Checkpoint SLR sales, but it’ll likely be in a higher price point, so it shouldn’t too much. Since the CP competes with the Diverge anyway, they can fill that niche market that would be with the Crux. Also, it would be redemption for that garbage attempt Trek did to quickly jump on the gravel hype train with that weird mid-year Domane Gravel model from a few years back. Idk, likely all a bad idea, but I’d like to see it.
Apart from added tire clearance, I would say that the Boone is just that bike. More lightweight, livelier and fun than the Domane. Only thing I would wish for is a 42 mm tire clearance.
Will it be lighter? Maybe, but your wallet will certainly be. The prices are becoming outrageous.
So true! Sadly, it gets worse. Thanks Obama (and Biden's Obama handlers).
@@IronHorsey3 smh
Don't worry... with supply chain issues still being an issue, normal people won't be able to buy these bikes for a long time despite the cost. 😞
@@IronHorsey3 prices were decent under obama
Seriously. Bikes have gone up $500+ in just the last year or two!
I dont see how the steerer can bend if the upper bearing is locked in x,y positions.... The front isospeed is only a gimmick
I wish Trek would make a new rim brake bike.
am i wrong or the new Emonda is on that list as well?
It really looks like a hardtail, race and endurance bike had a child.
Same thought here
Trek Number 1
Wondering how easy it would be to service the headset. I can't tell from the pictures whether the cables travel through the headtube inside or outside of the bearings. Also would having such a short cable run mean you'd need to disconnect everything anyway to enable the fork to drop out?
Behind and outside of the headset it’s clearly visible @4:14.
@@tamasvarga67 yes cables are behind and outside of the headset on the current model. This new 2023 model discussed here has them clearly entering the headtube at the front, but there's no detail yet on whether they are external to the bearings or not. David actually comments on the new cable placement in the video.
@@Quizmate1 As they are visibly outside it would be hard and pointless to run them through the bearings. In that case they would be hidden and run through the stem.
@@tamasvarga67 fingers crossed then that you are right in that respect. Cables running through the bearings are a PITTA for the home mechanic.
@@Quizmate1 Yes, the stupidest thing in my opinion too. This new Domane looks neat.
I have domane sl 6 etap 2021. Domane is very comfertable. I won’t to change this bike for 5 years next.
Want a lighter bike? Ditch the discs and go back to rim brakes. Also go with a mechanical drive train.
Disagree with you on the front iso-speed decoupler. Have a 2014 Domane 6-series (sans front iso-speed) and a 2016 Domane 6-series (with front iso-speed). The front iso-speed make a huge difference, particularly on the chip-and-seal poorly maintained asphalt in my state. It almost completely eliminates the high frequency vibration caused by this kind of surface and dampens blows from potholes, and frequent crevasses that adorn our highways. Has really been a lifesaver for my hands & wrists.
Given the amount of riders that blew up tires, dropped chains, or just straight out came off their bikes (repeatedly) this last weekend, they need to just be on gravel bikes for that race anyways. All the talk about marginal gains. How important is that 40seconds of efficiency over the race when you end up losing 3-5min because you've had 2 punctures, dropped the chain into the wrong gear on every cobble sector, crashed at least once, and had a bike change?
Thank God, the Domane went back to the standard seat post. I really hate that stupid seatmast concept. Rear ISO Speed seems like a gimmick. So to get rid of it, it's great. I don't really care about front ISO Speed, so getting rid of it makes it easy to disassemble the bike for traveling with Orucase B2. I hope they shed some weight and more aero. I've been waiting for the new Domane to come out since I don't like the previous model.
Last Domane was as heavy as John Prescott
Ah ..... the Trek Two Jags
Looks like 2022 will be the year of endurance bikes. Let’s see what bike brands come up with (very curious on BMC, top-end Canyon). I totally believe that there’s demand for a traditional all-rounder bikes that are suitable for 90/10 road/dirt roads. I think endurance bikes fit that charActeristic perfectly. Would be curious to see market stats on what type of bike sell the best (aero, endurance, gravel, etc)?
TBH a lot of gravel bikes have an endurance road geometry especially the rear chainstay lengths.
3:30 a 6 and half month pregnant cyclist competing at 2022 Paris-Roubaix is pretty impressive!
next they will bring back rim brakes and even later they will make out of steel again
I love my 2017 Domane SL5 but god it’s heavy from the factory setup, to the point you’d spend the same amount as the bike purchase to drop 1-1.5kg. Bigger issue for me is lack of race geometry, only the slack endurance geometry . What if I like the comfort and versatility of the Domane but ride in an aggressive position? Tough luck. Maybe the idea is to sell me a Madone, but not ready to drop that kinda $
For me this new frameset looks like some MTB :D
Every year, I look at what Trek is doing and I always get the sense that they over-engineer their bikes. What happened to those guys? I think serious riders like a certain amount of simplicity and this is not it. Trek needs to go 'back to basics'... To their credit, though; at least they are moving off of press-fit bottom brackets. A welcome change I'm seeing across the industry :)
first it was the threaded bottom bracket. now its the round seat post. give it a year or two bike manufacturers are going back to rim brakes.
You forget the sacrarium of mentioning it'll be back to the future at a higher price ☹
As you have ridden both. Assuming the Gravel bike is running the same 28C road tyres.
How does a Gravel Bike compare to an Endurance Road bike when descending a fast and twisty descent?
How does it feel, respond? Which gives the feeling of more confidence and sure footedness? Reason, I ask their geometries are similar but it would seem Gravel bikes have a shorter stem length in comparison.
Tubeless is and has been for a while the ultimate option, I´m already waiting for the next generation of hookless tires!
For the road? I wouldn't risk my life on road hookless and i'm not kee on trying it on my mtb either
@@glennoc8585 Well I´ve rinding hookless almost since 303 Firecrest was launched and obviously the trend in rims is to end the hooks and set 23mm inner width as the new industry standard for road wheels. Now think about this: higher or lower pressures, which is riskier?
PS: You know that David has been on 303S for a long time too right? Some Pro´s ride hookless HARD and HARSH... still no problems reported... would you try it once and get a factual opinion afterwards?
That excessive slope to the top tube is horrible.
I think endurance bikes and their geo is most relevant to the majority of amateur cyclists
expect it to be more expensive, what else.
Must be nice, David, to be able to ride your bike 365 days a year...
I wish I could claim to be able to ride even near that much
What can we expect? A heavy expensive bike with reduced spec😉😆
It blows my mind how trek just rams E tap to consumers, I don't want electronic shifting its ridiculous to to have battery powered shifting.
Tubeless couldn’t give a pee about. I understand the benefits, but the cons far out weigh them. It will never go main stream the general punter will not keep on top of it. Heck most take there bikes to the bike store to get a tube fitted there not going to do that every 4 weeks for the stuff that actually works for the road. High end bikes are a very small niche within the industry. 20 years later and tubeless is still a tiny tiny portion of the market, tubes are still 95% of the market. Tbh it’s a failure in the grand scheme of things. Even within the mtb world. The amount that still use tubes in the mtb world is staggering. And tubeless is meant to be of age in the mtb land.
The real news is the tpu tubes. That’s actually quite interesting considering all the qc problems this type of product has had. Pirelli must be very confident.
Lol what? I fill my sealant and forget to ever look at it for a year and a half. You people are ridiculous.
one thing for sure it will be extortionately expensive
To many what ifs and maybes.
That’s speculation for you
It's "Doman" not "DomanE" ! haha
Not according to everything Trek puts out. There was a lot of emphasis on saying "do-ma-ne" when it was launched back in the day. 🤷♂️
I'm no longer a big fan of any bike pushed out by Trek or Specialized. Those huge brands are more marketing, less cycling culture. They may still drive innovation, but the smaller brands are where it's at. I will say, however, that the smaller brands I've experienced aren't as responsive when you reach out to them. I feel that may just be the shortcomings of the brands I have purchased from. In short, I'd be hard pressed to be excited about a new Domane/Checkpoint/Madone/Emonda/Roubaix/Tarmac/Diverge (or anything from Giant, though the latest Anthem X Pro is a STEAL for what it offers and its price).
Discs, LOL.
well "Hats and Horns from what i see on both the new 2023 Trek madone and emonde they both sucks .take the seat post i think it will snap before u get a yrs riding ."Serious Trek "
Why are you in Trek's "bad book"?!!!
Not feeling most of the new Trek road bikes. I like my road bikes simple
Pros don't want disc brakes
Man! That is one ugly looking frame......
Keep in mind the pictures are of very small women's frames. I find the super-small bike frames often makes them look a little odd.