Road Bike Review – Trek Domane 2012
When I hit one of the most famous cobbled climbs of the Tour of Flanders, the Koppenberg, I knew Trek's all-new Domane could take it.
::GEARBOX
Domane $8,837
Trek
33168
Components: Shimano Dura-Ace, Brontrager bar, stem saddle
Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 Clincher
Sizes: 44, 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 cm
The Spring Classics, with their rough roads, are notorious for beating up pro cyclist and their bikes. When I hit one of the most famous cobbled climbs of the Tour of Flanders, the Koppenberg, I knew Trek’s all-new Domane could take it. I rattled along the pavé, bouncing from stone to stone, and the bike did what it was built to do — dampen the shock and keep me pointed in the right direction.
Trek’s ISO Speed is the Domane’s centrepiece. It enables this bike to both flex for comfort and maintain stiffness for handling and power transfer, whereas some other bikes trade a little of one for the other.
Ben Coates, the company’s road bike manager, explained that when a bike hits a bump the rear flexes, causing buckling on the top tube near the head tube. “In reality, a bicycle’s wheels are always pulling apart and coming back together on the road.” It’s this accordion-like effect that can make a bike hard to handle on rough road surfaces.
ISO Speed got around this problem because the seat tube is decoupled from the top tube and seat stays, turning what was normally a solid junction into a sliding pivot. This allows the seat tube to move slightly without affecting the rest of the frame.
The drawback? The Domane weighs roughly 100 grams more than the company’s best-selling Madone, and this is mainly because of the ISO Speed junction.
As expected, the ISO Speed’s function was most noticeable on gravel or chip sealed roads. It lessened the vibration from rough road surface, especially on the cobbles. The feature was not, however, designed to withstand hitting large bumps or holes in the road like a full suspension mountain bike. In addition, the front end of the bike doesn’t dampen road vibration as well as the rear, and has a slightly harsher feel in comparison.
With a slacker head tube angle and increased fork rake, compared to the Madone, the Domane’s geometry provides additional comfort on long rides. In addition, Trek lengthened the wheelbase and the head tube, and lowered the bottom bracket. The geometry adjustments provide riders with more stability without excessively compromising handling through corners.
Even though Trek’s sponsored rider Fabian Cancellara officially debuted the Domane at the Tour of Flanders in April, the company understands that most of us will not be racing on cobbled roads in Northern Europe. They created a bike that average riders can feel comfortable riding. The bike is even equipped with hidden fender mounts that can accommodate tires up to 25C, features that show Trek paid attention to the smaller details.
I recommend this bike if you enjoy spending long hours in the saddle, plan to ride your next GranFondo or want to experience the famed cobbled roads of the Spring Classics on your next bike trip.
