flowingfire

Warmest Greetings, Everyone!

I plan to buy a Trek Domane on a small budget and have the option of buying:
1) A NEW Trek Domane AL 3, aluminium frame w/ carbon fork & Sora R3000 components. ($1019.00)
2) A USED Trek Domane 4.5 from 2013, carbon frame, with 2013 Ultegra components. Very good shape. ($1000.00)

Which would you select and why? (Or, do you have another recommendation for someone who takes all-day distance rides and is looking for an endurance build?)
I have a small amount to spend on a bike. (Road biking is a huge part of my life, but the budget...)

I'm a road cyclist who has been on a 2007 Felt Z4 Aluminum/Carbon bike w/ Tiagra components for years. I paid $300 for it, because the last owner crashed and cosmetically damaged the frame. I've gotten so much awesome riding out of it, but it's time to upgrade. Would new Sora components be an upgrade or a disappointment compared to what I'm used to w/ Tiagra? I don't race anyone or have any need to be competitive; I do go on long century rides frequently and want the best comfort possible on extended journeys, however. I've never been able to afford a great bike, and am not really sure how every-day people on a budget can when the price-point these days basically begins at $2000-4000. (That's what a used car costs to me!)

Thanks for the help making a good decision!

Much peace,
-David, avid cyclist without the big money.

zacster

I'd say neither. Keep looking out for a true bargain. You won't be satisfied with either of those over what you already have. I myself ride a 2005 Kuota cf bike with Chorus 10. When I rode a bike with 105 11sp I thought it felt good but not that much better than what I have. Look for a newer bike with 105 11sp at least and carbon frame. And keep looking. In the meantime just ride what you have.

flowingfire

Hey - good advice. I'm hoping the right bike appears! Do you know if there's a good cut-off year to get the benefits of modern cycling tech while also saving money on "used"?

y2zipper

I'm on the last couple months with my entry level bike (for what it's worth it's got a Claris groupset, I was BROOOOKE) and when I started 3 years ago I was in your spot where I didn't have the big budget. FWIW I do centuries and all-day type stuff and decided to upgrade because now that i ride with groups and take it more seriously I want more aggressive geometry and more speed.

Based on the age of things alone, I'd tell you to pick up the new one just because on a really tight budget, something new has a better chance to last than something almost 10 years old and on a tight budget you want something that lasts longer. I am more inclined to go new than used though.

Most of what you get for putting more money into a bike itself is lighter-weight and more aerodynamic components and the Sora Group set can do about 90% of what the others can do. I rode a century with 10,000 feet of climbing on a 7 speed Claris groupset last year and had no problem getting up the climbs.
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flowingfire

Thanks for your thoughts! That's good information, and looking at "new"-- to me-- is a function of improvements in technology. A lightweight bicycle is less important to me than a robust, durable, comfortable bicycle that will work, not have failures, and just last. I've heard that the modern Sora/Claris groupsets are good enough to hold up if you're not in a racing environment. You kinda reflected that. It sounds like the trade-off between a $1000 aluminum bike and a $3000 full carbon bike is fairly hairline if it's just about a little weight and a 10% performance upgrade. (That said, I know it feels GREAT to have that performance upgrade.)

y2zipper

If you don't care about speed, modern Claris and Sora groupsets do hold up and have low enough gears for climbing. The other consideration immediately is the used market is out of whack with the pandemic. I had about 1k on my budget when I started and grabbed a 700 dollar bike, upgraded the tires, got it fitted and got a jersey and shorts.

Speaking to my personal situation, going from my 700 dollar entry level road bike to my 4k roadbike shaves off a little over 5 lbs and gets me from aluminum to full carbon. It's a bunch of hairline gains that add up to more, but if you're on a tight budget and don't care about speed that stuff doesn't matter to you.
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flowingfire

Yeah, I should have done this before COVID happened, lol. Used prices sky-rocketed. Now that demand is sky-high, and everything is hundreds of dollars higher than before, bikes aren't accessible. I wonder if there will be a rebound market afterward, when everone who never actually rode says, "oh well." Maybe it's just good to wait until this is over.

Hairline gains make for a fun ride! (I did a 300+ mile fundraising ride on a rented Carbon+Ultegra once. That was FUN.) The best speed is nice, but it's not an essential element to great cycling. (Though the carbon & 105s would be nice.)

jcg878

I have your option 2 bike and have put 20k miles on it. It has been a wonderful bike. The way the Domane has evolved over the years, I feel they may ride quite differently (though admittedly I haven't followed the aluminum models). I did some virtual window shopping a year ago and was shocked by how much the weights have gone up. My Domane 4.5 listed at 17.3 pounds and even though I don't need a rocket, adding 3 pounds for a comparable model sounded like a ton.

I'd bet that new Sora whoops old Tiagra.

I think the feel of the two bikes may be different enough that your mind will be made up after riding them.

rubiksoval

I would go with neither of those two choices. I wouldn't get an AL bike with Sora, and I wouldn't get a 13 year old bike with 10 speed.

For 1000, you can do quite a bit better. For 1500, you can way better.

bampilot06

CAAD 13 is a hell of a deal, and comes with 105. It’s a little more than 1000, but if you shop around you can find it closer to 1500.

Wooderson

6700 Ultegra is very good. Sure, the newer groups have continued to evolve, but you're not really going to miss out on anything with the 2013 Domane, assuming it is indeed in good shape. I'd lean that direction, but it really depends on the condition.. if the bike is close to new-ish (the owner just didn't ride it much), that's one thing. But if the bike has 25,000 hard miles on it, and everything is wearing out, that's different. Does it have the stock wheelset? Are they straight? Do all the bearings turn smooth? Are the frame and fork free of crash damage? How much life is left in the chain and other drivetrain components?

tigat

FWIW: my wife rides a 2013 Domane 4.5. It is a great ride - comfortable, fast and a bit lighter than the current model. A few years ago, I set it up with lighter wheels and converted to a mid cage 105 (10 speed), so we could put a bigger granny gear on. She is flying on that thing and will never need another bike.

My daughter has an aluminum Domane with Tiagra, which we converted to a flat bar. She has Down syndrome, races Special Olympics (top distance of 25k on a closed course), and has several metric centuries to her credit, along with some big mountain climbs training for and riding in special events, but she was never fully comfortable with the drop bar Felt she used to ride.

The aluminum version works great for my daughter but is not in the same league as the 4.5, not even close.

Ogsarg

If its comfort you are after, I'd definitely want the ability to run wider tires. If switching will allow you to go to a bigger tire, then it might be worthwhile. If not, I'd wait till supply/demand is more normal and you can find a better deal.

probe1957

I agree with those who say, wait if you can. There is no such thing as a "good" deal on a bike in this environment. Doesn't sound like you need to pull the trigger right away so, don't. $1500 will buy you a pretty nice bike when things calm down. Now, not so much.

aliasfox

Personally, for about $1k, I’d look up a Ribble 725. British retailer that has their own-brand bikes that they ship. For just under $1k, you get a Reynolds 725 steel frame with Tiagra and rim brakes, for just over $1k you get disc brakes instead.

You asked for comfort, and steel is usually well regarded here, due to smaller diameter tubes that allow a bit more flex than larger diameter aluminum. Not that material is the be all end all - I’ve heard great things about modern CAAD12 and CAAD13 frames. That said, I love my 2006 Bianchi Vigorelli with Reynolds 631, and would have high hopes for the Ribble.

One big benefit of a steel frame though, is the potential longevity of it, making a good steel frame a great platform to upgrade over the long term. Not that one can’t find a good, rideable aluminum frame that’s 15 years old, but the theoretical fatigue limits of aluminum are closer than that of steel when ridden hard. Of course, steel rusts, so depending on where you live and how you ride, that may be a long term issue as well.

If I had a need (and a spot) for a third bike, I’d be considering the Ribble disc. Or a Moots...

jfranci3

Of those two choices? The new bike hands down. 1) Loads more tire clearance. 2) better paint 3) everything is new 4) tire clearance you can put 35c tires for soft-roading

Having said that... Checkpoint AL3 . Basically the same as the Domane (they're basically the exact same bike), but with nicer frame details and you can take it slightly further soft-roading.