Giddy up

Domane is slang for "rides over everything."

Got a new road bike last fall, a Domane 2.3. The short version of this post is I love this bike and it has made me rethink the way I approach aluminum road bikes.

I'm sure I'm breaking some sort of industry code. A long-time industry guy on a 105-equipped road bike? Not just a 105-equipped bike but an ALUMINUM frame?!

Don't worry, I had my concerns. Aluminum road bikes do not have a great track record for me. I've tried a few. I've hated them. Every. Single. One. They've always been sooooo damn stiff and rattle the teeth from my skull. A 20-mile ride feels like 40. However, they have the advantage of being less expensive than carbon, so there's that and frankly I wanted to keep the cost down.

2014 Trek Domane 2.3
I've kept it mostly stock. I've swapped out the saddle and bar tape because the stock saddle/tape were white and I don't care for white saddle/tape. This spring I threw on some new rubber also. Bontrager AW3 Hard-Case Lites in 28c. Typically I've ridden 23c or 25s, but I want to do a bit more gravel so I went with something slightly wider.

My rides mostly have been lunch rides but I have enough miles I think I can give this bike a fair assessment. I really enjoy the way this bike rides.
Heart & soul of the Domane
The Iso-Speed decoupler is fantastic. It really flattens out the rough spots on the roads. I've ridden aluminum, carbon, steel and ti road bikes. I really enjoyed the ride quality of ti. Carbon, also, fantastic. Certainly more responsive and tending to a smooth ride quality. But since I was on a budget I stuck with the aluminum and this is hands down the best aluminum road bike I have ever ridden.

The parts specs is sound. 105 drive train mostly with an R565 compact crank and Tiagra 12-30 cassette. The wheels are Bontrager-approved with no-name hubs. I certainly could see that being a place to upgrade however they have been just fine for me. Lots of other Bontrager bits as you would expect.

The only thing I would love to see changed on this bike would be the headtube. Lots of our bikes have the E2 headset. The 2.3 does not. I found myself wishing that it did have an E2. Maybe it is psychological but a standard 1 1/8" headset just looks small on the bike.

I don't usually get all geeked out over parts though. I want to know how the bike rides and how does it fit. It fits me very well and the ride is great. I'm looking forward to logging some serious miles on the 2.3 this year.

2014 Trek Remedy 7 650b
Besides the 2.3 I also bought a 2014 Remedy 7 650b. I have not ridden it other than around the block and I'll have a few more weeks to wait until the trails dry out.

Regardless I'm very excited to play in the dirt with that bike. I've loved  the Remedy's for a few years but the 650b version to me rides very well, at least the miles I put on one last fall. I'll have more to say about this bike in a few months after I've put some quality miles on it.

There is a lot of new technology going on here for me on both bikes. ABP and 650b. Iso Speed Decoupler
Waiting for the trails to dry!
and Iso Speed fork. E2 headsets and 10-speed drivetrains. Yes, that helps me enjoy the rides a bit more, but at the end of the day I just want to go for a ride.

Enjoy!

P.S. -Don't give me sh$t about the similar paint on these two bikes. It wasn't intentional, just how this one happened to work out.

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