dvdslw

I'm looking to buy a new road bike tomorrow and the Domane slr is on my short list. My previous bike was a pretty aggressive Caad10 race bike that I loved because it was light and fast but I'm at an age where I like to go on longer rides vs fast paced rides. My question is, are the Domane's good at keeping pace and climbing? I've ridden two on short test rides and they both felt great but I'd hate to pull the trigger on one and regret not getting something a bit more lively. Any feedback would be appreciated, thank you

robbyville

The geometry may be more relaxed but the lightness and build quality cannot be underestimated. I had a first generation Domane carefully built up by myself and weighed in at sub 15.5lbs. The longer wheelbase made for more stable and faster descending. The bike was more than appropriately stiff for climbing. Although I don’t own it anymore, ride qualities were never a concern nor a hindrance

SkepticalOne

I just Everested on my 2017 Domane SLR in October. It's an excellent climbing bike. Looking forward to trying again on my 2020 Domane SLR7.

WhyFi

I honestly can't tell you how well my Domane climbs, but I can tell you that I suck at climbing.

eflayer

if you decide to buy then rental price goes toward purchase. if you decide not to buy you saved about $5000 by not making a mistake.

nesdog

I had a second gen IsoSpeed Domane 4.3 purchased in 2014, and picked up a 2019 3rd gen SLR7 Disc this year after selling the 4.3.

It's an amazing bike, far better than I am. Smooth, listed at 17 -1/2 lbs bare and I have zero regrets about buying it. We have tons of climbs here. The bike performs well on the hills and flats. It seems to take off at speed and handles great. You can adjust to whatever level of feedback suits you; I left mine at default, the slider at halfway.

Some magazine review wrote "It's the bike most people should be riding."

colnago62

It the SLR is the one with the adjustable iso Speed, it is not the lightest bike out there. I think it is a bike that does a lot of things well, but if you want the ultimate bike to help you keep in fast paced road rides, it might not fill that void.

blakcloud

Do a search there are a few threads on the Domane here and they are recent. I picked up the 2020 SL6 and I love the bike. T47 bottom bracket, takes wide tires if you desire, has the hidden storage, nice clean cable design and of course the ISO system. It is a very comfortable and stable bike. Most of this is the geometry, just look at the head tube length compared to your last bike. It is not going to be a rocket, because it really wasn't designed for that, Emonda or Madone would be better. The biggest draw back especially for the 2020's is the weight. For a carbon fibre bike, it weighs more than most. I think you can offset this by buying lighter Bontrager Carbon rims as an option.

I have said this in other threads and I will say it again. My biggest regret is not buying the full SL7 with Di2 Dura Ace. I just spent $10,000 on a custom bike so I didn't want to spend much more on another bike. The problem is I like the Domane more.Live and learn I guess. Is the bike for everyone? No not at all. If you want a comfortable, stable bike with a great warranty, you can't beat the Trek Domane. Good luck with your decision.

Smokinbbl

I traded my Pinarello Gan S for a 2020 Domane SL7. The Pinarello was fast and light and a great climber.

the Domane is a little slower and a little heavier, but It does not slow me down. I have ridden with my normal group and keep up and pull like normal.

I have 2 sets of tires, a set of 28c for road use and a set of 38c for gravel. Originally I was going to switch them back and forth depending on what I was planning on doing. The gravel tires are so fast that I just leave them on now and do everything.

I definitely love this bike and can definitely say it does not hold me back.

swag72

I bought a 2020 SLR7 - It has Ultegra Di2. I was riding a Specialized Roubaix before and the difference is very marked. I find the Domane more comfortable and also MUCh more stable on the downhills. The Roubaix used to rattle and roll, whereas this bike is like a sure footed mountain goat. I put on a pair of Aelous XXX4 from the off as I wanted 28c tyres. It really is a joy to ride. Weight wise it's about the same as my previous bike, but it is definitely giving me confidence to go faster on the downs and is not holding me up on any other flat or climbs.

noodle soup

It's not the fault of your bike

A Domane can climb well, and keep up on fast group rides, as long as the rider has the ability to do so in the first place.

dvdslw

Well I went and rode 12 different bikes today from all manufacturers and every time I got on the Domane it just felt good so there you have it. Now, I have a ton of parts to accumulate!

GAtkins

Great to hear. What specifically did you like about it versus the Roubaix? Thanks.

Glenn

dvdslw

I didn't care for the future shock, other than that it felt pretty good.

GAtkins

What didn't you like about it? Spongy, too soft?

But you did like the IsoSpeed on the Trek OK? Is it better than the future shock system?

Thanks.

Glenn

Dean V

I had a 2017 Domane SL6. I have since replaced it with a 2019 Giant Defy which I prefer.
The iso speed did give the Trek a bike more compliance but the Defy is still plenty comfortable enough and the ride feels a bit more lively and connected.
Not really a fan of the added complexity and weight of the iso speed either with the weird headset arrangement, little bearings, pivots, pins rockers etc.

colnago62

It sounds like the Trek design is less complicated then the Specialized design.

guachi

I have a 2019 SL5: and I quite like it. The iso speed works and I like that it came with 32 mm tires stock. The 2020 version can handle even larger tires.

It wasn't a cheap bike but I also feel little need to ever get rid of it.

Moishe

I got a year-end 2018 SLR6 last January to replace my 2010 Roubaix with a seized seat-post. I’m 68, and I doubt I’ll live to ride long enough ever to buy another bike again. I like the bike a lot, but for stupid reasons—the internally routed cables, the wider tires, and most of all, the black on black lettering that makes it hard to see that I’m riding a Trek.




But to be honest, despite having ridden the two bikes over 25,000 miles, if you gave me a blind ride test (blind as to the bike, not blindfolded, wise guy), I don’t think I could identify which bike I was riding.

swag72

When I had ridden only the Roubaix with the future shock I really liked it. But having ridden the Domane, I felt that the future shock was soft and gave the entire bike a lot less rigid feel.

Wittyname

I've had my Domane SL5 for a couple years now, and it just plain works. What climbing we have in central Ohio is mostly sub-3 minutes and relatively sharp, and the Domane's stock gearing does good job of getting through it; I've not yet run out of gears. I find that I do not notice the Isospeed in action, but regular Saturday rides are 80-95 miles and don't leave me worn out, so I take that as sign that it's doing it's job

Stormsedge

I bought a year end 2017 SL6 Disc after riding both it and a bit pricier Roubaix. It is a great bike. It came with Vision Metron 40 carbon wheels. We weighed it at the LBS when I picked it up...19.5lb with Duotrap/without pedals. It rides great, especially on the rougher roads. Great bike, absolutely confidence inspiring. Better than me.

dvdslw

Glad to hear so many positive responses about this bike, I can't wait to start the building process. My last bike had Ultegra di2 so that's the plan for this one along with an Ultegra crank and cassette. Not sure about wheels yet? My previous bike had some Easton EC90sl's that were 35mm deep, 28mm wide (19mm inside), light @ 1,500g, and felt really good so something along those lines would be great.

I'm also hoping the 600series carbon rides as well as the 500series. I'm sure it will but I only rode Domane's with the lower grade frame material. I could have bought the sl instead of the slr but the slr was 50% off so the price was within a few hundred dollars so I went for it.

Anyway, thanks again for the responses and let's see some of those Domane's. Post some pics to give me some motivation please!

blakcloud

Congratulations on your new frame! Building the bike will be half the fun.

Here is my bike for riding around my flat city of Toronto. I changed out a few parts.
Compass Chinook Pass 28 mm tires
White Industries pedals with Bruce Gordon half clips
Dura Ace Cassette 11-28 tooth
Specialized Avatar 155 mm saddle (I use this one on all my bikes).
Blender for my Garmin 820

To put some things in context, I am kissing 60 years of age, so I am not looking for the lightest and fastest bike. I want comfort which this bike brings in spades.

Next upgrade, sub 1400 gram carbon wheels, which will knock one pound of the whole bike. Looking at Bontrager Aeolus XXX 2.

Winter has arrived so I won't be riding for the next five months, which is a long time.

noodle soup

stock 2015 Domane 6.9 disc



4 years later(about 400g lighter than stock)