Trek released the fourth generation of its versatile ride-smoothing roadie Domane a little while ago, with some key tweaks to the specification. Now Big Bear Bikes customers and our team have had chance to put it through its paces, we profile the 2023 Domane and speak to one rider who is now onto her fifth bike from this outstanding line.
The new Trek Domane announced itself to the world in spectacular fashion when Elisa Longo Borghini rode it to victory in the 2022 Paris-Roubaix. For the uninitiated, this is a notoriously attritional one-day classic featuring rough terrain and cobbles, also known as the “Hell of the North”.
Of the Trek road line-up – and put very simply – Madone is all about speed, Emonda is super-lightweight and Domane is very much about comfort in the saddle over prolonged periods, which makes it the obvious pick for Paris-Roubaix and its challenging surfaces. To use Trek’s own words, it’s smooth, fast and fun.
The 2023 Domane has sacrificed a little of the ride-smoothing in favour of saving on weight and increasing speed. To this end, Trek’s built-in suspension system IsoSpeed no longer features in the front but remains at the rear, positioned where the top tube and seatpost meet.
This and other adjustments mean Trek has shaved “a dramatic amount of weight” from the older Trek Domane, with both the entry-level SL and the higher spec SLR said to be 300g lighter. This makes the fourth-generation Domane the lightest disc brake version of the bike.
Here’s a selected specification of the Trek Domane SLR 6, the entry level for the new model, which retails at £7,400.
Kathy, a keen road cyclist and treasurer of Scarborough and Ryedale Community Cycling, bought her fifth Domane on the release of the fourth generation. Having tried it out all over the roads of North and East Yorkshire, as seen on the photos above, she gives us her thoughts on it.
She said: “My reasons for buying a new fourth generation Domane SLR were two-fold: firstly I got a new winter bike earlier in the year and it is another Domane; the previous generation and a lower spec SL model. It’s heavier and has bigger wheels and tyres. It also has disc brakes. I have for the last few years really struggled braking as I have a weak grip. The winter Domane was a revelation; finally, I could stop and I had much more confidence descending, and the bigger tyres meant I felt even more secure in poor, wet conditions.”
She added: “I'm also planning on cycling the Italian Grand Traverse next year so I needed a really comfortable bike that I can ride on this multi-day trip. I think this will be the longest multi-day ride I will have done and it is basically from the top to the bottom of Italy.
“The new 2023 Domane summer bike I have now is a beautiful, sleek bike. It looks like every part of the bike has been studied and refined to make it look as good as possible. The design ethic really is exceptional and photos don't really do it justice.
“In terms of how it feels to ride, it again has the bigger tyres and wheels but this model has super-fast wheels and you can really feel that on the ride. It also has very light high spec components so my performance on the bike I feel is noticeably better. Braking, gear changes and so on are all much improved. It basically rides like a dream.”
Mike, our road bike specialist who has ridden all generations of the Domane, said: ‘’The Gen 3 Domane SL and SLR were already very comfortable and fast rolling bikes with IsoSpeed and a relatively aero frame, but this new 2023 Gen 4 model is so much lighter and more aero with the reduction of IsoSpeed in the front but also a much lighter and non-adjustable rear IsoSpeed design with just the right amount of damping for rougher roads and over pavement fun.
“The whole bike has had a thorough re-design and now uses a lot of the know-how from the more aero design of bikes like the Madone and Emonda, but with the added benefit of a wider fork and wheel stays of the Checkpoint gravel bike to create a super-fast and comfortable multi-disciplinary bike that is as happy riding as a summer bike or hitting some great gravel trails.
“The jack of all types just got better, a road bike that can really do it all.”
The new Trek Domane is a bike that demands to been seen in person. Check out the design, feel how light it is and take a test ride around the car park. Our friendly, expert team are on hand to answer your questions and advise on the best bike for your riding preferences.
Check out our Domane sale models, with reductions of up to £1,075, view the full range or visit us in store in Southgate, Pickering.
