There is heaps of tire clearance through the fork crown. Like every IsoSpeed design since its inception, Top Tube IsoSpeed features a pivot at the intersection of the seat tube and top tube, which allows the seat tube to flex independently of the rest of the frame when riding on rough roads, basically adding a leaf-spring element to what is otherwise effectively a rigid structure. When fenders are installed to the neatly hidden mounts, that figure creeps down to a still-generous 35mm.Īs expected, Trek has also brought the Top Tube IsoSpeed design from the latest Madone over to the Domane family for a smoother and more refined ride. The original Domane came with 25mm-wide tires, but the new Domane has 32mm-wide ones as standard equipment, with Trek’s official blessing for tires up to 38mm-wide front and rear. The new Domane SLR is a beautiful machine, from any angle.įirst and foremost, consider the tire size. That shift away from pristine blacktop has brought with it a desire for road bikes that are better equipped to handle a broader range of road surfaces, and this new Domane has clearly been developed with that in mind. That’s how Trek kicked off its presentation of the new Domane, and that statement is certainly an accurate reflection of how road riding has evolved in recent years: less racing, more exploration, less tarmac, more “off-piste” routes that are less perfectly paved (or paved at all, in some cases), but devoid of motorized vehicular traffic.
“What was traditional road riding is changing” It’s a cracking machine for everyday road riding - whatever that “road” may look like. It’s heavier, too, but don’t let that detract too much from what’s on tap here. The Domane was once more of a toned-down road bike with ultra-stable handling, a very relaxed rider position, and semi-wide tires - this new one is a thoroughly refined all-road machine with gobs of tire clearance, an even more refined ride quality, a T47 threaded bottom bracket, and some neat convenience features. The new third-generation Trek Domane is a far cry from the endurance road bike it was when it first debuted in 2012.