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Trek Domane AL5 sluggish due to high total weight
Marathon bike, all-road bike or gravel bike? The Trek Domane AL5 cannot be pigeonholed. Even Trek is obviously struggling to market the fourth and latest generation of the aluminium racer and lists it as both a long-distance endurance and off-road model. The truth lies in between. With 32 millimetre wide Bontrager tyres and Shimano's 105, the US bike is actually best suited to asphalt. However, due to the high overall weight, the stable Domane feels rather sluggish and, with the lead-heavy wheelset, delivers the tuning tip on a silver platter.
38 millimetre wide tyres and more possible
The most expensive version of the aluminium frame can be transformed into a respectable gravel bike in just a few simple steps. The robust frame set with visible weld seams is approved for 38 mm tyres, but leaves enough clearance for even wider tyres. Mounting points for mudguards, pannier rack and top tube bag even make the Trek Domane AL5 fit for bikepacking tours. However, the Trek with its unshakeably stiff frame does not come close to the comfort level of the competition with its wide tyres, even when set up for gravel tracks. Either way, the versatile concept seems to be well received: During the test period, only a few small frame sizes were still available in the US manufacturer's online shop.
Info & notes on the Trek Domane AL5
- Price: 2299 Euro >> available here
- Weight of complete wheel: 9.8 kg
- Frame sizes: 44, 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61
Geometry data of the road bike
- Seat / top / head tube: 500 / 540 / 161 millimetres
- Stack / Reach / STR: 594 / 366 millimetres / 1.62
- Stack+ / Reach+ / STR+: 657 / 544 millimetres / 1.21
- Wheelbase / caster: 1015 / 63 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive / gearstick (2.0): Shimano 105 (2x12; 50/34, 11-34 t.)
- Brakes (1.5): Shimano 105 (160/160 mm)
- Tyres (3.0): Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite 32 mm (eff.: 32 mm)
- Impellers: Bontrager Paradigm
- Impeller weights: 1678/2230 grams (front/rear)
Overall rating of the Trek Domane AL5: 2.4
More bikes with Shimano 105
Julian Schultz
Editor
