chubbyrooster

I am having a hard time deciding which bike to buy, speed over comfort??? Both bikes have the same equipment. price between them is not an issue for me. I would like some feed back from people who have ridden both bikes. I am an older rider in pretty good shape. Is the Domane that much more of a magic carpet ride? Is the Emonda that much better at putting the power to the ground? No dealer has both bikes in my size , a 52, or I would have tried them already.

Thanks for all feedback
PS I am not a racer.

McBTC

Tough call... both road bikes and the Emonda has the taller head tube but I like the Domane's longer wheelbase.

Dean V

I have a Domane SL6 disc so it takes a bigger tyre than the Emonda which is good for the bits of gravel road I ride.
If I was staying on sealed roads think I would go for the Emonda.

BarryVee

In April of '15 I rode an Emonda SL6 and a Domane disc, (not sure what version but priced higher), back to back. Handling and not comfort was the big difference for me. Granted those test rides were short and not hours in length.

Walked into the shop thinking I'd leave with a Domane, took the SL6 Emonda home. But....to improve comfort it now has 25mm Continental GP 4000 S II tires, a carbon handle bar, and since the original seat did not fit me well, a Serano RXL carbon rail saddle.

I'm riding 100 Training miles a week at the moment with a couple 30-35+ mile days. For me it's comfortable for that. I find 60 mile days OK, and 80-100+ not so much. Also an older guy, not racing.

cpach

Disclaimer: I work at a Trek retailer as a mechanic. I have test ridden both bikes a number of times, but do not personally own either. If my current road bike broke or was stolen, I'd probably replace it with an Emonda SL/SLR disc.

The Isospeed on the Domane is pretty obvious, particularly on sharp edges. I think that for general light road buzz tire selection, bar tape, and handlebars have a bigger impact, but yeah, Isospeed works. If you want a "magic carpet ride", buy either bike with discs and run them with 32-35mm tubeless tires at low pressures. They both fit a little differently, with the Domane having a taller headtube and a slightly shorter top tube in the same nominal size, but there's obviously a lot of overlap in the stack/reach adjustment range between the two, particularly if you take into account various high angle stems. Most riders can achieve their desired fit on either; riders with a low handlebar position may need a negative angle stem or sizing down on frame size on the Domane, riders needing little or no saddle to bar drop may need a high rise stem and or sizing up on the Emonda. For what it's worth I really like the Bontrager direct mount brakes--they have a cool adjustable mechanical advantage and good feel, and aren't difficult to work on.

Besides isospeed, the biggest thing is that the Domane has slightly more stable steering geometry with longer chainstays, lower bottom bracket, and a shallower head tube angle. While in general this makes the bike better for most riders who ride solo or mostly in cooperative group riding situations, steering geometry is a bit personal, and I for example, possibly due to acclimatization, like more conventional race geometry, even if it doesn't stereotypically make sense for the rides I predominantly do. The Emonda has a really nice conventional ride feel, if that makes sense, as opposed to the slightly damped ride feel of the Domane.

Assuming a similar riding position, neither bike is substantially faster than the other. A few hundred grams is honestly trivial for actual riding speed, and the Domane has a very stiff bottom bracket if that's a concern of yours. Many riders are probably faster on the Domane due to reduced fatigue from the more compliant frame. Aerodynamics between the two frames is probably not a big deal for competitive riders, not to mention a recreational one.

I'd guess Domane is a better product for you.

Campag4life

Wonderful comparison from cpach and other comments informative as well.
Thanks

SkepticalOne

I agree with cpach above...other than the benefit of Isospeed, the biggest deciding factor for me was the steering stability of the Domane over the Emonda. On longer rides, I found the Emonda more tiring to keep tracking while the Domane held a line much better on its own. This in no way impaired maneuverability on descending hairpins...In my final analysis, I couldn't see a single benefit of the Emonda over the Domane.

jpescatore

After 20 years of riding a Trek 520, a year ago I made the same decision you are looking at. I went to bike shops and road some Specialized bikes and then the Trek Edmonda and Domane.

I went with the Domane mainly for 3 reasons:

1. I carry about an entire bicycle-worth of extra weight around my waist. Paying to save more weight on the bike didn't make sense and I'd favor a bit more strength over weight saving.
2. I've bought into the "wider tires are faster and more comfortable" and wanted to run 32mm tires.
3. The ride test had me just liking the feel of the Domane a good deal more.

(2) was probably the go/no-go in any event, but (3) sealed the deal for the Domane for me. I'm not a very sensitive kind of rider but going from a 1995 520 to any carbon 2017 bike was going to be a major improvement. The ride position and wheels (Vision 40) were different enough on the Domane that I liked the ride better.

A year in with about 2500 miles on the Domane I'm happy with the choice. Had one maintenance issue - there is a plastic cable guide on the bottom of the bottom bracket. Coming down a hill, the front wheel kicked something up into the bottom bracket and it became really hard to get back to the big chain ring after climbing up the next hill Turns out the plastic piece had been broken - bike shop replaced it for free as part of free 1 years adjustment. Don't know if the Edmonda has a better/tougher cable guide down there.

Stormsedge

I purchased a Domane SL6 Disc in Jul17 and logged 1188 miles before putting it up for the winter (61yo, M). Did 3 100k and 1 Century as part of that mileage. Extremely stable and forgiving enough in the handling dept that I feel confident in riding situations that previously made me break my (slow yet steady) pace. Super ride, soaks up lots of vibration on the less than pristine roads I typically ride...isospeed very noticeable alongside other non-ISO bikes when riding chip seal---Domane quiet compared to the rattle and buzz of bikes alongside. Mine weighed 19.35lb at assembly before pedals and bottle racks (there are lighter bikes, but unsure the advantage for my level of riding). I did not ride an Edmonda in comparison, but my LBS rep had ridden one a long time and pointed me at Domane knowing I was looking for a cushier (protecting back and joints) ride. I did test ride a comparable Roubaix for a weekend and it was a nice bike too, but $1000 more and without local bike shop support. My .02.

Roadlizzard

I have never ridden an Emonda but I ride a 2013 Domane 4.5 with 27000 miles. The bike is a little heavy I guess around 19 pounds. At times I start thinking about a new bike but after a littler research, I just buy a new set of wheels,chain and cassette and keep riding.

chubbyrooster

Thanks everyone for the personal input, I still have not made up my mind, tough call, I am leaning slightly towards the Domane. I hope to get a ride on both soon, I will be in FLA/Tampa and there is a flagship store near . I am excited about the new purchase. Please keep the feedback coming.
Thanks Again!

ColonelSanders

Hopefully a test ride makes your decision easy, but what a great position you are in, no matter what, you will have a great bike to ride.

tigat

I went more than 20k road miles on a 6 series Domane before it lost a head butting contest with a Dodge Durango, and now have a bunch of miles on an Emonda SL frame, including a number of century plus rides. Last summer, I did a back to back, unintended "test ride" on the Ride Across Wisconsin when a battery problem on the Emonda after 85 miles put me on a borrowed Domane SL6 for the last 90 or so.

I love the Emonda for the burst you can get on climbs, and it's a bit more crisp in the handling department, although I seldom push the limits there. The Domane disappears beneath you on longer rides and on long climbs, sitting in the saddle, it gets to the top every bit as quickly as the Emonda.

If I had to choose one, it would be the Domane for me, but agree wholeheartedly with those who call this a win either way you go.

Fendertele

Helpful comparison.

GlennR

I own a Emonda SLR for 5 years. I've also rented, on vacation, a Domane SL and put over 100 miles on it.

Unless you live where you'll do a lot of climbing, get the Domane. Its the "safe" choice if you don't have a clear preference for the Emonda.