drewguy

Hi - I have a Domane 4.3 (2015). For the second time, the stock Bontrager TLR (not the race version) rear wheel has developed cracks and needs to be replaced. 2000-2500 miles each. I don't ride it roughly or on particularly bad roads (all paved, not all smoothly). If you want to blame the user, I run about 200 lbs. Trek replaced the first under warranty (or perhaps the LBS did under extended warranty I bought). LBS is looking into warranty claim for this one.

Anyway, this seems like an unacceptably frequent rim failure, no? Anyone else with these wheels meet such a fate?

And, whether or not the second one gets a warranty replacement, any recs for rims (or at least a rear) for non racing use? I.e., regular road, don't need super-aero profile, weight of course matters, but with reasonable budget (hard to justify a $1000+ wheel set on a $2000 bike I think). I'm somewhat inclined not to deal with the hassle of wonky rims, unless Trek steps me up under warranty this time to something that lasts a bit longer.

Gyro

I've had two rims crack at a spoke hole in the last three years on my (2013). Warranty replacement for both rims. I'm 182 pounds.and ride on some dirt trails and roads. My LBS is at a lost of what causing this and he said Trek is as well. I'm around 4000 miles each year.

Cyclist0108

Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully TREK stands behind the wheels.

If not, I recommend Chris King or November Wheels to build you some nice custom ones. I use aluminum HED Belgium Plus rims, but November now has some carbon rims they say are as robust as the HED Belgium Plus rims. FWIW, I also weigh nearly the same and I beat the living shyte out of mine and they are still pristine, five and four years later.

zippifish

Looking at a 2019 Domane SL6 and I know the wheel set is different now but still disheartening, have the Campy Eurus G3 wheel set on my current bike, over 40K on them and never a problem.

TimothyH

Bontrager wheels have been cracking around the drive side spoke holes since the 1990's. I don't know why people continue to use their products.

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...ught-them.html

Wheel issue, cracking around spoke nipple.

Cracks in Bontrager rim

Cracked bontrager race rear wheel / need new wheel


-Tim-

colnago62

Cyclist0108

If I ever get another Trek, I think I might get a frame and build it up. Ditching a stock saddle is one thing, but paying > $4K for a bike and then having to shell out another $1K or more for wheels isn't good value. It is enough to make me buy a (complete) bike elsewhere (assuming it has adequate wheels and other components). Santa Cruz bikes guarantees their carbon rims for life, and puts those wheels on many of their mountain bikes. I wonder if there is something analogous in the road bike world?

WhyFi

The OP is talking about a $2k bike - where are you getting this $4k figure? Regardless, $2-4k price range is typically where the bulk of the money is put towards a great frameset and good components, while the wheels are often placekeepers - there are some exceptions, but common practice and Trek is certainly not alone in this.

Unfortunately, I don't have any feedback on the stock wheels that came with my Domane - I think that I put all of 100 miles on them before the streets cleared up and I put my nicer wheels on. The stock back wheel will likely get relegated to trainer duty.

Cyclist0108

I was thinking of the Domane models I was lusting after. Sorry that wasn't clear. (The frame for these models alone is about $3K).

Are the wheels on their more expensive Domanes reliable?

WhyFi

Ah, so the SLR version. Yeah, that's going to get expensive pretty quickly - I think that they tend to jump from mech/aluminum wheels all the way to Di2/carbon wheels; it would be nice if they offered a mech/carbon wheels combo.

I can only assume that their carbon wheels are good and reliable - I've seen nothing but glowing reviews for them and, despite already owning some Reynolds Assaults, I'm kinda lusting after a pair of Bontrager Aeolus Pros.

In their alloy line, I think that they've got the Paradigm Comp and Elite, maybe some others. I haven't heard anything bad about the better Paradigms and they're available separately for not exactly rock-bottom prices, so I would think/hope that they're at least reliable. Now that I think about it, one of the guys that I ride with still has the stock wheels on his Boone and hasn't felt the need to swap them out. It's an Ultegra bike, so I would guess it's the Paradigm Comps. He's not a small guy (175-ish?) is and always one to hop a curb or take a shortcut off-road (this is with road tires, no CX), so he's putting them through the ringer.

drewguy

Good question. Looking at current models (too difficult to check old ones) it looks like the 105 model (SL5) comes with basic aluminum wheels; the Ultegra (SL6) comes with Paradigm wheels, and the Ultegra di2 (SL7) comes with Aeolus Pro 3 (carbon) wheels. I imagine there was similar tiering for the model year I bought.

Perhaps having to sell the wheel in the market (or trying) means they have fewer problems?

Cyclist0108

Thanks.

I've probably bought more that 12 Treks since my first one in 1992 (a 520 touring bike that was rock-solid throughout its entire life -- I finally gave it away to one of my grad students), including a bunch of mountain bikes ranging from a few hundred bucks (kids bikes) to about $2.7 K. Every last one of those was completely robust and without any major issues, including the wheels. That is why i am so surprised that the less expensive Domanes would have fragile wheel rims.

Steve B.

biker128pedal

popeye

IIRC those were all paired spoke abortions or no? Surprised to see this still happening.

DGoodrow

They may not be. All the forum discussions noted go back to 2008-2011...one even before.

tagaproject6

Where are the "you are taking a chance with those Chinese wheels" folks?

noodle soup

they are probably smart enough to realize that a crack around a spoke hole, doesn’t cause a catastrophic failure.

Riveting

I've gotten cracked nipple holes on both Bontrager and DT SWiss rear rims, with me at about 180 lbs, both at about 5k miles each. I'm now on an H Plus Son "Deep V" rim that I had laced to my PowerTap hub, 4k miles no issues so far.

drewguy

OP here - traditional 32 spoke rear.

Paul Barnard

Aksiums weigh in just over 1800g per set. I beat the hell out of a set for several thousand miles on the rough streets of NOLA and some gravel roads. They were still true when I sold the bike a few weeks ago.

Roadlizzard

Had the same problem with my 2013 Domane 4.5 Cracks around the spokes on the rear wheel, Trek replaces the wheel it was less than a year old, I now use them as spare wheels that I lone out when someone needs them.

TimothyH

Mine was not paired spokes.


-Tim-

Stormsedge

My 2017 Domane SL6 Disc came with Vision Metron 40 wheels...no issues...~205lbs at 2K miles. The 2019s have Bontrager Paradigm Disc Tubeless Ready...believe the 2018s had some model of Bontrager as well.

drewguy

Well, Trek agreed to replace the second wheel under warranty (it was only a year old, and they have 2-year warranty on wheels). Hopefully this one lasts longer than the last two, although I think I'll need to start looking at new rear wheels as a precaution in about 2000 miles . . .