jamesdak 

Well the internal cable routing on my 5.9 always seems to rattle on the chipseal roads I ride as do the cable housing right where it goes in. I made little tape "donuts" over the cables there to stop the rattle but the internal noise is always there.

Noize4

I want to ride a Domane 4.5 badly.

RyleyinSTL

I think the biggest differences over the Madone to consider are the frame geometry and the IsoSpeed decoupler and what these to things will or won't do for you. This is what really differentiates the two bikes and what you need to base your choice on.

RyleyinSTL

https://www.cumberlandtransit.com/
Schedule a test ride!

JRD

That makes two of us!

bung

I have a Roubaix that I ride badly. Haha!

AllisonAntonio

The Domane is a great bike, you will enjoy it! I rode one for 2 weeks until my LBS was able to get my Trek 1.5c in and put together. I purchased my girlfriend's bike (7.5 fx) from the Maplewood bike store.

RedC

I already ride badly on what I have, I want to ride a Domane well!

RyleyinSTL

Maplewood Bicycle is a great place to shop for a Domane in the STL metro. They had as many models in stock as the Trek store in Ballwin. Plus they will happily spend hours with you fitting you up and sending you out on test rides. Great place.

Noize4

My Thule T2 finally came in to the LBS today, and I chatted them up about the Domane when I went to pick up the rack. They have a ton of bikes there, but not one Domane. They said they are selling them as fast as they get them.

Researching online, the Domane 4.5 is the one that I would want based on options, appearance, and price.

I had a little doubt knocking at the back of my head that I should have ponied up for a Madone instead of getting this 2.1. As luck would have it, they had one in my size, a last year 4.6 with Rival. I took it out for a spin. Here's what I noticed:
-Rival feels and shifts exactly like Apex (which is good), but you're clearly paying for lighter weight.
-Carbon is crazy stiff. This is nice in that it is super responsive, doesn't flex, and is quiet. This is not nice in that it is bumpy on rough pavement compared to my bike.
-While I loved the bike, I don't think it is worth an extra $1200 to drop 3 pounds and see a marginal performance increase.

Why put all this in a Domane thread? Riding the Madone cemented the fact that I would definitely choose a Domane over one. I want a nice bike that I can ride for a long time and not feel beat up over. If the Domane achieves this and is at least as fast as my bike (easy task), I think it will be the next bike for me.

JRD

Thanks for that well thought out response! I appreciate it.

Noize4

I can't cheat on Moab like that!

Edit: I called just to see, and they don't have any either. My LBS will order one in, but I probably need to hold off until the end of the year before pulling the trigger.

gundom66

Going to my local Trek shop since they finally got them Domane's in stock. Actually, this will be the 3rd call I received from them... First was when they receive the 6 a week after Domane's announcement. Through all the excitement, I went there after work only to find out that it's a 61cm. WAY TO BIG FOR ME!!! Next call was when they received 2 5.2 in 56cm and a 4.5 in a 54cm. I went there the next day and they were GONE!! So since I'm going to Disneyland with the family tomorrow and won't be back until late Sunday, the only possible day will be the following Saturday. I hope I don't get a 4th call on another restock... =p. And let's hope that the 4.5 will at least be available for a test ride.

JRD

Let us know your thoughts after your test ride.

Noize4

I talked to my LBS again about the bike, and they are going to get a 56cm Domane 4.5 in for me to try. Apparently, Trek is way backlogged on these, because they're telling me late October. They're going to give me a decent trade in on my 2.1, and I'll transfer the wheels over to the new bike.

The thing that makes me leery at this point is that there are two owner reviews of the Domane 4.5 up on Trek's website that say the handling is very nervous. I don't want that at all.

Right now, I am on a 58cm bike, and feel a bit of lower back and right shoulder pain around 20+ miles. I don't know if this is me getting used to new exercise (been at it about 6 weeks), or that my current bike is a little too big and need longer time for a perfect fit (initial fit took about 20 minutes).

85% of the pavement I am on is decently smooth. 15% is rougher. I'm between a 4.5 Madone and Domane. Maybe the shop will have both on hand and let me take a good 10+ mile ride on each.

This is lots more confusing than buying a car.

RyleyinSTL

I find the Domane handling to be very predictable and stable when compared to a regular geometry road bike. The steering will be quicker and require much less input than your Giant Escape...some people coming from MTB or hybrid bikes might describe this feeling as "nervous" perhaps.

The Domane will have a more aggressive riding position than your Giant Escape, so as far a back pain goes, your really going to have to ride the bike and see how it goes. If pain is an issue the bike shop can make adjustments such as less drop and/or move the hoods around to tweak the ride for you.

Late Oct delivery sounds about right to me. If my LBS stock hadn't contained the right size for me I was looking at about the same wait. If your looking for a road bike with comfort as a priority there is no better choice than a Domane right now...IMO.

volosong

Went into my closest Trek dealer, (where I purchased my Madone the other year), and they have/had one Domane. It was a six series, (can't remember the exact model number). The sales guy came over and put the bike on the floor and showed me some stuff on it. He placed his arm weight on the seat and proceeded to show me how much flex there is in the seat post. Not only does the seat post, (above the top tube) flex, but the whole seat tube all the way down to the bottom bracket! Not much, but enough to be clearly seen. No wonder "they" say it is a comfortable riding frame. Some time, when I have my shoes and pedals with me, they are going to let me take it for a test ride.

Noize4

Thanks for posting.
I wasn't comparing it to my hybrid, I know that would have been a huge difference, but the Trek 2.1 road bike I had. All I use the hybrid for is pulling my son in a trailer, slow family rides, and errands.

I liked the idea of a 5 series bike, but the extra $1000 is more than I want to be. I rode a lot more bikes, and ended up getting a 2012 56cm Madone 4.6. Not only did I get a good deal, but really prefer SRAM double tap to Shimano, and was shifting all over the place in the 105 and Ultegra bikes I rode recently. I know this only take a day to get used to, but we threw better tires on the Madone, and I'm not having any issues with comfort on the bumpy roads, so I bought it and moved my wheels over. Shoulder pain is gone, but still working on the lower back. I think it's just going to take training and time.

Thanks Ryley for all the info and help!

roadwarrior

I know a few top notch mechanics that agree with you on internal vs external cables.

Nick Bain

How much did they save in decals? emonda fits as well how am I now just figuring this out!?