Bespoke Blog

Trek's Domane has long been a top choice for endurance riding. But exactly what that means has changed over the years, and the bike has evolved to accomodate those changes in rider expectations.

This latest model comes with 32mm wide tyres as standard (and takes up to 38mm) - an indication that endurance road bikes are now expected to be even more versatile.

Trek have made a conscious decision to prioritise comfort over shaving off every last gram of weight. After all, they've got the Emonda in their range for ultralight climbing. The Domane has a different focus...

There's IsoSpeed shock-absorbing tech at front and rear, now with adjustable top-tube IsoSpeed on the SLR models. The redesigned rear IsoSpeed, carried over from the latest Madone, is now tuned to each frame size to provide just the right amount of compliance for different sized riders.

IsoSpeed really is something special. We've done some long hauls on our test bike and it has proved exceptional at soaking up the typical British road surface.

Of course it's also a little more aero than the previous Domane - no surprises there - at least partly thanks to the neatly integrated cable routing, with the cables disappearing behind the stem and into the steerer tube. Thankfully the bars/stem are a standard, non-proprietary design, so there's plenty of option to swap them out as required for the perfect fit (or when doing a full custom build).

Geometry is the same as the previous generation Domane, using Trek's endurance-focused H3 fit, and that's no bad thing. It's a great blend between long-ride comfort and efficiency. Project One customers still have the option of the more aggressive endurance race H1.5 fit if they prefer.

above: our test bike is in the latest Project One ICON Cosmos paint scheme

Project One is a great way to customise your new Trek, and opens up not just paint but also a wide range of component and wheelset options. The Domane is also available as a frameset only, either in stock or Project One colours, should you prefer to do a full custom build.

A very welcome change is the move back to a threaded bottom bracket, rather than the previous Pressfit options. Trek have gone for a T47 Threaded BB, which still allows for larger bearings (and compatibility with modern crank designs) but avoids the potential for creaking that has plagued many pressfit bikes.

There's also no more WSD - the concept of a separate "women's" range has been ditched, and the whole range of sizes from 47cm to 62cm (and down to 44cm on some models) is now available in all their standard colour options (and as always Project One provides a host of other build and paint options). This is great news, as it opens up far more choices for all riders - and as bike fit specialists we have always fitted the right contact points for the individual rider anyway, so apart from colour options there's never really been a difference for us!

Rob's Thoughts

Overall I was pretty impressed with the latest Domane. Most endurance bikes I've ridden feel a little dull in terms of handling but this was surprisingly quite lively, although obviously not like a full on race bike. On Saturday I rode it on a 40 mile course that I do quite regularly and the average speed was only around 0.5mph off my Venge, so all in all I'd say it's pretty fast in the real world.

I was curious so I weighed the bike and it came in around 8.5kg which seemed a little heavy to me for a top of the range model, however it honestly didn't feel that heavy. It felt decent climbing and of course super stable descending. I'd say Trek must have prioritised aerodynamics and comfort over weight though.

Where this bike does really deliver is comfort! The IsoSpeed (which I'd never used before) and the bigger tyres really did an incredible job absorbing all those bumps. You know what UK country lanes are like... road surfaces are generally awful but this handled them with ease. There is a very nice descent near me - not long, but fast - and the road surface is crap. Normally on the Venge I'm weaving around trying to avoid the bumps but with the Domane I felt confident just gliding over them.

It also turned a few heads which is nice! Literally at the end of my road I bumped into a guy who was riding the older Domane. Straight away he was asking me questions about it. Turns out he is actually a Bespoke customer and bought his bike from us - small world!

All in all its a great bike and if I was in the market for an Endurance bike I'd definitely be considering it. With a bigger cassette on the back I think it will make a superb long distance bike for tackling epic rides. You'll be glad of the added comfort on longer days in the saddle, it really does make a difference.

• At Bespoke we're Trek Project One specialists - the combination of their customisation options and our bike fit expertise is hard to beat. Contact us to discuss your own Trek build.