voyager1

Hey everyone,

I am thinking about these three bikes. Anyone have a personal opinion why the Edmonda is better then the Domane or vice vesa. I realize the ALR5 Edmonda is more in line with the Domane ALR4 Disc. I have a Trek 1200 so I understand any of these three will be a huge upgrade. I just got to narrow this down so I can start working on SWMBO on why I need to spend money on a new bike.

I am still pretty new with bikes. Been riding the 1200 since April. My main interest is things like 100K and 100mi rides and also when the kids get older maybe double centuries. I live in a pretty hilly area (think foot hills of the Appalacians). I am training for my first century in Sept.

My thoughts are that the Domane is best for the distance, but I should also consider the Edmonda since it is so hilly... but the Domane has Disc breaks... but the Edmonda is lighter and a climbing bike

My wife thinks I need to pick the one with the best color, and the Edmonda ALR4 matches her Trek 820 mountain bike

So help Bike Forumites!

Jewishcowboy

I was going to get the Domane ALR 4 disc but the Trek store I go to was out and they were also out of stock online so it could be hard to find them. They then steered me twords the Emonda ALR 5 which I now have on order and am waiting to come in. They said the main differences were the weight difference but the biggest was the 105 groupset on the Emonda. The Emonda also has the Alpha 300 aluminum and not the 200 so it's a stronger metal. The weight difference between the 2 is 3 pounds but the 105 full groupset is a better more reliable set than the Tiagra. Yes the Domane has the IsoSpeed decoupler but I honestly couldn't tell a difference when I rode each. I would go with the Emonda, same price, lighter, better components

Campag4life

The Domane maybe have slightly bigger tire clearance than the Emonda..and isocouplers should portend better ride quality for the Domane.
That said the Emonda is a hell of good bike. Really depends what surface(s) you plan to ride on.
I think of all the Aluminum bikes out there, if I needed more than 28c tire width, I would be the new Domane Al Gravel which fits 35c...perfect for rougher road riding.
Choice of road bike other than price point, frame material, most important geometry, begins with what tire width you need 'based upon the roads you ride on'.

milan4ever

Isn't Emonda more of a race bike while Domane is endurance? I though their geometry was slightly different. Great topic, I have the same dillema.

HTupolev

Domane allows for larger tires, which can be advantageous if you're thinking about stuff like gravel roads. If you'll be riding in the wet, the disc brakes will have better modulation than the rim brakes on the Emonda, and because the brake track is no longer on the rim, the rim takes no wear from braking. And of course, Domane builds more compliance into the rear end via the IsoSpeed.

Emondas are optimized toward feeling lively. The front-end geometry of the Emonda is steeper, probably to make the bike feel just a bit tighter when throwing it around out of the saddle. Emondas are also lighter.

The ALR 4 vs ALR 5 component spec is primarily 4700 Tiagra vs 5800 105. 105 gets you an extra cog on the cassette and, in the case of the rim-brake Emondas, somewhat better brakes.

Don't overthink it. Road bike categorization is fuzzy and arbitrary, and the marketing teams like to exaggerate the functional implications. An Emonda can be a great bike to do long rides on, and you can climb hills and race on a Domane.

Try them out, look at them, pick what you like. It'll be hard to go all that wrong.

maartendc

Emonda definitely if you live in a hilly area and you like the color better! The Domane Disc ALR4 is almost 700g heavier, at 9.89kg vs 9.2 for the Emonda.

You can easily shave a lot of weight from the Emonda by getting some better wheels, they are absolutely heavy at 2.2 kg wheelset. Pick yourself up a cheap wheelset around 1500g, (should be able around $300), and you'll have a 8.5 kg bike, which is pretty respectable for an alloy bike with entry level components.

Disc brakes... not really necessary in my opinion on a road bike. Also add weight again.

Stormsedge

carlton

I have a 2018 ALR5 Disc Domane. I have ridden a aluminum frame Emonda. I found the domane much more comfortable of the two. Mostly due to its more upright riding position and larger softer tire size. All the disc brake domane will except a 35mm tire (actual width). The 105 shimano hydro brakes are awesome. Noway will I ever go back to rim brakes. For a 100K or 100 mile ride, If I owned both a emonda and a domane, I'd ride the domane no matter what the terrain.

RAF M

I test rode the Trek Emonda ALR 4 on the day that I bought the Trek Emonda ALR 5. My store didn't have the ALR 5 available at the time. But compared to my experience on the ALR 4, the ALR 5's quality feels slightly better. You will notice a small difference. Maybe the difference has to do with better componentry — Shimano 105 complete. I've noticed the pedalling feels a bit better, which speaks for the more efficient drivetrain that the ALR 5 has. But the retail price difference is about $400. So whether you will want to pay for a slight improvement in ride performance is up to you. I think it'll be worth it if you ride the bike frequently and long.