Trek Domane SL6 vs Checkpoint SL6
 

Looking at the trek domane sl6 & the checkpoint sl6, which one comes out on top for a 90% road 10% mixed terrain (packed gravel) user?
Would want durability, reliability, easy to upgrade drivetrain in the future, simple to accessorize (not held to select brands & proprietary gadgets) , retain mechanical shifting, must have hydraulic disc brakes.

The things that stand out to me that I'm comparing are the following:
checkpoint*
Shimano GRX RX810 shifters
Trek BB90
Shimano Ultegra HG800, 11-34, 11 speed
Shimano GRX RX810 groupset
FSA Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8'' top, 1.5'' bottom

domane*
Shimano Ultegra R8020 shifters
Praxis, T47 threaded, internal bearing BB
Shimano Ultegra HG800, 11-34, 11 speed
Shimano Ultegra R8000 compact groupset
FSA Headset Bearing, FSA p/n MR006, 1.5in

I'm not familiar with Treks newer GRX components & wouldn't want to be stuck with a quick phased setup. Is GRX the future for there lineup,? When I contacted TREK about it, the rep was not knowledgeable enough to answer that question.

Cost is moot, however, the color option(s) have me swayed to the Domane. I've looked thru other brands & have isolated the above as my options. Not interested in other brands.

I'd say the Domane, just because you're only doing 10% of your route on packed gravel, a surface that any 'road' bike should be able to handle with any tire 28mm+.
Or are you by chance saying 9 out of 10 rides are completely on road, 1 out of 10 rides are almost completely on gravel?

For the type of riding you describe, I find the Domane to be perfect. I have a 2020 SL5. I have ridden a Checkpoint with the same 105 drive train (so an apples to apples comparison) on packed gravel, and found no advantage to the Domane. The Checkpoint's tires are not as good on paved roads/MUPS. If you want to switch to a "gravel" tire, you can go up to 38mm on the Domane as well.

The only proprietary part is the seat post.

The Blendr mounts and Ion/Flare lights provide a very nice integrated look. You don't have to use those, but I really like them.

Aren't you buying a frameset instead of whole bike?

GRX isn't some short lived setup- its just 10 and 11 speed with a couple tweaks for gravel.

I would buy a Domane and put 38mm fast rolling slicks on it. That would give up little on pavement and fine for the little hardpack gravel you mention.

Out of the two, Domane - hands down.

What do you mean by "packed gravel," though? If you, in MI, have similar gravel to the limestone that we have in MN, even the Domane might be overkill. For dedicated paths, like rails to trails, even 28s are hunky dory and most modern disc bikes will accommodate (hell, every new Cervelo has clearance for 34mm tires, now). If you're talking about B roads, where the gravel can be more chunky and loose, and you expect/want to traverse at speed, yeah, go with something that'll get you in to the 38mm+ range.

GRX are Shimano components, not Trek. If you couldn't tell by the name they're gravel oriented. The Domane is the bike you seek.

Domane, I did this same review and consideration in Aug 2020, I recognized that most, meaning 98% of my riding is on the road, and the fit and function of the Domane just worked better for the road with some gravel if needed. So I went Domane. I even picked up the Bontrager Pro 51's recently so I could, if I wanted to, roll on 25\26mm tires, can't do that on the Pro 3v's, they are just too wide internally, so are limited to 28mm.

I love my Domane, it is a just an awesome bike for me and really easy on my back. My only issue I had is the Praxis BB, the bearing gave up the ghost pretty quick, not sure why, they are generally pretty good bearings. I ended up putting in a BBInfinite BB and it's been smooth sailing ever since.

This is mine with the Pro 51's on it.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...19c07762db.jpg

I'd absolutely go with the Domane. It is awesome on packed gravel trails. Most importantly, it has a threaded BB. BB90 is fine until it isn't...

Supply issues & other factors are making changes in the plans. I still might pick up a frame after the fact, but not in an urgent want type of way.

The premature failure of the BB is concerning. The retailer was not able to leverage that failure under any warranty? If they were not able to, that concerns me in some ways.

During a ride, I am likely to ride 90% of the time on the motored vehicle [crapply] paved roadways & the remaining 10% may put me on surfaces that mirror a compact gravel surface mixed with random dirt filled ruts as well as course northern crabgrass.

I'm pretty sure the domane can easily support a 12 speed hub setup, but would the GRX combo be just as easily supportive?

The BB shell was fine, it was just the bearings that failed. The bearings were only $40, so I was not really worried about doing a warranty. I just happen to go through 2 sets of bearings, so I could have just replaced the bearing with another brand, but I just decided to replace the whole BB. I know some others that have a Domane with the T47 and they have not had any issues, so it might have just been a bad lot of bearings, just not sure.

And I am currently running 30mm tires on my Pro 51's.

I have a 2021 Domane. I use a 25/28 F/R GP5000 combo for road and switch back to the stock Bontrager RW2 32mm for rougher stuff. Great bike. I’ve put about put over 1500 miles on it in 4 months. The ISO thingys take the edge off. I like the endurance geometry. Pro37 wheels planned for road use in the future and >35mm tires for the rough stuff.

Here is the important part. For an all arounder the Domane is missing rack mounts like the Checkpoint. They both have the same wheels so if I had the Checkpoint I’d be using the current 25/28 setup for the road. Then have the stock 38mm tires for the rough stuff. If I road 90/10 road/gravel I’d run 32mm tires to smooth out that 10 percent. The 25mm on the front works but is a little too rough.

Bottom line is you want to ever add a rack to tour or get grocery get the Checkpoint.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...99530eff9.jpeg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...793694d0e.jpeg

for fitment, would you say the domane runs bigger or smaller in frame size? I've had other types of 62s feel like a 60s & have had 58s feel like 62s. It was a factor of stem/stack/lean & crank arms lengths that caused it to feel different than advertised.

Pay attention to the sizing chart for the Domane on Trek's web site. Domanes are typically very "tall" in the front as they are endurance bikes. My last Domane 56cm frame had a head tube that was just as tall as the 58cm frame on a different bike.

That aside, my use-case is just like yours (90% road, 10% gravel) and I absolutely love my 2020 Domane SL7. The stock width 700x32c tires are plenty wide to handle whatever the road throws at me, including gravel. I do have a second wheelset with a much more aggressive tire, but I've found they are quite overkill for the packed gravel trails I ride on. The Checkpoint is certainly a nice ride as well, but I'd only go that route if the majority of your riding was on gravel, off-road, or you required a lot of attachment mounts for bags. The Checkpoint would allow for wider tires than the Domane, but it doesn't sound like you need to go mega-wide with your tires.

My gravel wheels are the stock Bontrager 3V wheels with Specialized Pathfinder Pro tires (700x38) and my road wheels are Light Bicycle with Continental GP 5000 TL (700x32). Both wheelsets are setup tubeless.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1067102597.jpg

No issues with my T47 in 18 months.

I found the Domane ran smaller larger that what I am used to. I generally ride a 54 and typically a 90 or a 100 stem, based on top tube effective length. With the Domane, the top tube seemed to stretch me out more, so I went with a 52 and 100mm stem and it been really good. I did not change the crank length to a 172.5 as the 52 came with a 170, I should have done that, but it has not been terrible. However, if I ever change over to the 12 speed Di2, I will probably change to the 172.5.

You mean runs larger if you went down a size.

I did the same. My Specialized bike is a 58, but I had to go with a 56 in the Domane. On the 58, I could barely reach the pedals, and the bars were a big stretch.

Yep, same as my experience.... for the gravel, I have some Bontrager GR1 in 35mm that I run on my Pro 3V's

oops... yep

If you have concerns about future-proofing, I'd avoid the unfortunate BB90. Kind of surprising Trek still has it on the Checkpoint.:foo:

They are moving them to the T47 with the 2022

Yes the newer Domane and Checkpoint and Madone run large. I had a 2005 Madone in 60cm. I switched to a 58 but could have gone 56 with a longer stem. Trek warranties my old Madone when it broke so I upgraded with the credit. I test road mostly 56cm bikes as 58cm was in short supply last July.

Oh the 2021 Domane has the down tube storage.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...rCode=bluedark

I don't know about your area, but where I live, the SE USA, you can't get either right now, unless a shop ordered it several months back. I've got both bikes and the Domane is what you want.