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Trek Domane Gravel hits the dirt w/ new carbon, aluminum all-road bikes

2018 Trek Domane Gravel carbon and alloy gravel road bikes with isozone flex points to damp vibrations
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Taking their existing endurance road bike platform to the dirt, the all-new Trek Domane Gravel borrows the IsoSpeed flex points but with larger tires to make it fully capable off the beaten path. Or, at least, off the paved path.

2018 Trek Domane Gravel SL5 carbon fiber gravel road bike

Using the same frame and fork as the road-going Domane, the Gravel version subs in wider Schwalbe G-One Allround 700x35c tubeless tires and specific spec builds suitable for offroad use. Specifically, they come with Bontrager’s tubeless ready wheels or rims, 50/34 compact gearing and disc brakes.

2018 Trek Domane Gravel carbon and alloy gravel road bikes with isozone flex points to damp vibrations

Three levels of frames are available. The Domane Gravel SL5 carbon, shown above, is the upper mid level offering in a line of three options with their 500-series OCLV carbon. It comes with a full Shimano 105 group with flat mount brakes and has IsoSpeed on the frame and fork. Retail is $2,499, claimed weight is 20.22lb (9.17kg).

2018 Trek Domane Gravel SL6 carbon fiber gravel road bike

Upgrade the frame to a 600-series carbon Domane Gravel SL6 and you not only get better, lighter carbon, but also the adjustable rear IsoSpeed decoupler, letting you custom tune the amount of added compliance the system provides.

2018 Trek Domane Gravel carbon and alloy gravel road bikes with isozone flex points to damp vibrations

2018 Trek Domane Gravel carbon and alloy gravel road bikes with isozone flex points to damp vibrations

It also gives you a full Ultegra mechanical group with hydro disc brakes, starts at $5,499.

2018 Trek Domane Gravel SL6 Project One carbon fiber gravel road bike

The trick is, to get the SLR6 Gravel, you’ve gotta go through their Project One program, available only with the SL6 frame. This one’s got army green paint with SRAM Red eTap and will definitely cost more than $5,499.

2018 Trek Domane Gravel AL5 alloy gravel road bike

For the more budget minded, there’s one alloy option called the Domane Gravel AL5. You still get the IsoSpeed on the frame and the IsoSpeed carbon fork, and a Shimano 105 group, but it subs in mechanical Tektro brake calipers. Retail is $1,789.99, claimed weight is 21.23lb (9.63kg, size 56).

If you need convincing it’s totally awesome, there’s this video:

All three are available now. Or, if you already have a disc brake Domane, just throw some bigger tires on there.

TrekBikes.com

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56 Comments
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Birdman
Birdman
7 years ago

The title got me excited… I thought Trek made a Domane with larger tire clearance. Nvm.

HBS
HBS
7 years ago
Reply to  Birdman

All Disc Domane’s come stock with a 32c tire. More then enough for gravel roads. Get a cross bike if you want wider. The Domane is awesome!

Andrew
Andrew
7 years ago
Reply to  Birdman

I think it will happen next year sometime

Heffe
Heffe
7 years ago

So these are actually the same frame and fork but with different wheels and marketing?

Birdman
Birdman
7 years ago
Reply to  Heffe

Yup, the very last sentence of this article says it all.

Smale Rider
Smale Rider
7 years ago
Reply to  Birdman

Easiest way to make a gravel bike is to actually nothing.

spotswood
spotswood
7 years ago

Trek spent so much time making motorized mountain bikes, they forgot to make a REAL gravel bike.

O. Tan
7 years ago

I thought the current Domane has large enough tire clearance for gravel providing you didn’t mount mudguards?

Jonathon
Jonathon
7 years ago
Reply to  O. Tan

This is the current Domane, “Using the same frame and fork as the road-going Domane”.

Chad McNeese
Chad McNeese
7 years ago

Just a lame stop-gap effort by Trek since they decided to ignore making a dedicated gravel bike.
I expect they will have something legit in the very next year.

Benny
Benny
7 years ago

I’ll be more interested when phase two comes along with another 10mm or more tire clearance.

satanas
satanas
7 years ago
Reply to  Benny

…and the ability to use smaller chainrings, like 46×30 or similar.

Benny
Benny
7 years ago
Reply to  satanas

That applies to any road bike. It’s up to the component manufacturers to mass produce the cranks for that.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Benny

@Benny: Trek managed to put a 48-32t this year’s CrossRip 1.

If anyone could pressure Shimano into developing a subcompact chainset it would have to be Trek…

Seraph
Seraph
7 years ago
Reply to  satanas

Just go 1×11 and get it over with.

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago

That is a huge price jump!

mudrock
mudrock
7 years ago

Get the Boone or Crockett, their cross bike with geo very close to a “gravel” bike – 68mm bb drop, 72deg headtube angle on a 56 frame. $3300 for the Sram Rival 1×11 version.

Use Your Brakes Normally
Use Your Brakes Normally
7 years ago

Why are people always skidding in these d*mn marketing videos? I ride gravel all the time and never do this crap they seem to imply is part of the riding style. I have disc brakes for crying out loud.

Woody
Woody
7 years ago

Stop. Gap.

Uhh
Uhh
7 years ago

Just wait for the new Trek Road Plus/Gravel bike… Check. Point.

Rustilicus
Rustilicus
7 years ago
Reply to  Uhh

word.

Woody
Woody
7 years ago
Reply to  Uhh

Trek should’ve waited tbh

J
J
7 years ago
Reply to  Uhh

And let’s hope that when they search the internet for people using that word, they also read the rest of the comments. I personally hope that it’s something similar to the Salsa Cutthroat.

feldybikes
7 years ago

This bike is so awesome that it can make your sunset ride last all day. Or, at least, that’s what the video would have me believe.

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago

Contrary to all the comments, this bike actually is compelling. There is nothing about gravel riding that requires a “slack” geometry. This bike provides the tire width to handle majority of gravel roads while maintaining an agressive all-round geometry that’s fun on the road but dialed down from crit sharp. IMO, the slacker “gravel” bikes are just hipster marketed rigid mountain bikes

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

The Domane’s geometry is plenty slack & stable enough for gravel riding, and it doesn’t ride poorly, like so many of the new “gravel” bikes out there now. I’m most excited about the paint jobs. Finally some good bikes that aren’t covered in racer-boy graphics…

Larry
Larry
7 years ago

It may check a few of the boxes to work as a gravel or all road style of bike, however, it is still sold by a company that doesn’t play nice with independent bicycle dealer’s. That is reason enough for me to never buy a bike with that logo on it. Additionally, there are plenty of other bikes sold by companies with integrity that are most assuredly more capable when the going gets rough and loose.

Seraph
Seraph
7 years ago

Red eTap isn’t available on the Project One bike though…

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

E-tap doesn’t fit well on on gravel bikes with short(er) chain stays. The front derailleur’s battery is really close to even a CX bike’s 33c tires.

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

It might not fit. The FD’s battery gets really close to the rear tire on a CX bike, which has longer stays and 33c tires (typically).

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

Woops.. Didn’t think the 1st post went through..

Jimmy
Jimmy
7 years ago

Too little too late.
Trek needs to be a little more bold. Finally able to use a 34 tooth small chainring, 4 years too late. Not enough room for 40C (or larger) tires, 2 years too late. They make awesome products, very slow to react….

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy

Finally? Maybe I’m living under a rock, but hasn’t the domane always been able to run a compact crankset (34t inner ring)?

The only limiting factor is really the braze-on style clamp hanger, and I really really doubt Trek limited that to a 53t or 52t chainring (as FD are adjusted on the big ring…their geometry allows them to drop down).
I can see being limited to a 50t big, but for the majority of people, this is fine (34t inner). Its a rough ROAD bike that will work very well in normal dirt/light gravel roads. Roads people have been running regular road bikes, shod with 25-28mm tires, for ages. Its not a bikepacking bike. Gearing below a compact doesn’t match the bikes intent.

Bas
Bas
7 years ago

where do i get those purple socks?

Mitch
Mitch
7 years ago

Please check the accuracy of the specs listed in this article. I spotted so many inaccuracies, it would take too much time to list. Bikeradar has it right.

To start with, the Domane maxes out at 32c with Discs, not the 35c listed in this article.

John
John
7 years ago

Corrections: The Domane SLR6 Gravel comes with the SLR frame, and currently is only available through Project One at a starting cost of $5999 ($500 more than their stock Domane SLR 6 Disc). http://projectone.trekbikes.com/us/en/?#model/domaneslr6gravell

Tom in MN
Tom in MN
7 years ago

Note that the AL version comes with an “isospeed fork” which is not the same as the front (headset) decoupler on the carbon frames. Darn.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Tom in MN

@Tom in MN: IMO, that ALR frame — but with front (head tube) IsoSpeed — would make the best actual gravel bike from Trek (cost/comfort/durability), but my guess is that we’re at least one more model year away from seeing that. :-/

Bill63
Bill63
7 years ago

Is the max tire width 35 mm, or can it go wider than that?

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Bill63

Sadly, 35mm is a pretty tight fit at the chainstays.

Joey B
Joey B
7 years ago

I would rather buy the Spez Diverge over this bike, as it’s far more capable. That’s if you want something from one of the big 3. My personal choice right now would be the Lauf Grit SL for a gravel bike.

Dinger
Dinger
7 years ago
Reply to  Joey B

Capable in what way? It can handle a few mm’s more tire, but it’s much heavier and noticeably slower over anything but the roughest surfaces it can reasonably handle. For that reason, I’d call it less capable.

The Lauf is pretty cool, but cost of entry is much higher.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Joey B

@Joey B: The carbon Diverge Comp is priced $500 over the similarly spec’ed Domane SL5 Gravel and that Spesh Future Shock needs to be serviced every few hundred miles.

But what really scares me away from the Diverge is that Spesh has this terrible habit of dropping maintenance parts for their weird/proprietary tech. I’d want to get a drawerful of Future Shock rebuild kits if I bought one of the current Diverge models.

Ed Ng
Ed Ng
7 years ago

They call it a gravel bike. Then they don’t do anything to make it clear tires any bigger than 35mm; if you can’t fit 40C at the minimum, you can’t call it a real gravel bike. End of story.

-Ed

JBikes
JBikes
7 years ago
Reply to  Ed Ng

What? That’s ridiculous. Just like mtb’s and road bikes there is a large range of use. Many people will run a mix of pavement and dirt. Not every dirt/gravel road is 2″+ chunk limestone. Why would one handicap frame design to run tires they will never need?
It’s not like trek is lying about the tire sizes it can fit

Rustilicus
Rustilicus
7 years ago
Reply to  Ed Ng

Some of us find a 35c plenty for gravel. Keep honing your skillz and you may one day get there as well.

Mike W
Mike W
7 years ago
Reply to  Ed Ng

Someone can always buy a Crockett if they really want to go hardcore off-road with the bike. But honestly, how much tire do you really need on your average gravel ride?

Bob
Bob
7 years ago

apparently 40c according to some of today’s rant

Steve F
Steve F
7 years ago

So what would one choose, the ALR5 or SL5? Same bike other than frame material at $700 difference and 1 pound.

John
John
7 years ago
Reply to  Steve F

@Steve F: That front (headtube) IsoSpeed is the real deal. If the ALR bike had that, I’d say maybe save yourself the $700 but, as it is, the SL5 is far-and-away the best bang for the buck, especially considering the upgraded brakes and shifters.

Woody
Woody
7 years ago
Reply to  Steve F

Choose the proper gravel bike they’re likely to release in 12 months time

tyler
7 years ago

what even is a gravel bike. it’s the market that demands these artificial marketing categories.

you cant buy a tablet PC, you have to be marketed an i-pad to “get it”.

and why would someone run 40c boat anchors on a gravel bike? seems slow.

Lyford
Lyford
7 years ago
Reply to  tyler

Why 40s? It all depends on where you ride……

“A 36mm-wide 700C tire works in a great many situations. A great many. But for all the riding I do east of the 101 in Sonoma County, it’s just not enough tire. There have been too many (okay, a half dozen) occasions when I’ve hit a rock hard enough to make the rim bottom out against it.”
http://redkiteprayer.com/2017/11/big-and-quick-the-clement-mso-xplor-40-tubeless/

On some of the dirt roads in my area, I’m a lot more comfortable — and faster — on a 29r hardtail with 2.3″ tires than a cross bike with 34s. On other roads it’s the opposite. Rolling resistance on smooth surfaces and weight matter less as the roads get worse.

David
David
7 years ago

I like the geometry (Boone and Crockett are two racey for me). But I do require 40s and ideally a 45 for my next gravel bike. This is too close to my road bike to justify another frame. Just buy a second wheelset. Also, cross today is a 50/34 and 11-36. I know it’s easier to do a 1x 10-42 and then pick a chainring to match. Fire roads and gravel trails around here (western VA) are too steep and rutty for anything less. Norco Search XR looks to check the right boxes, if priced about $500 more than it should be.

Douglas
Douglas
7 years ago

It seems to me that Trek has been dabbling in the gravel market for at least three years. At one point they guided you to their cross bikes, the next year they came out with their adventure line. Which included the 520, 720, and 920 disk. Last year they had a gravel category. It included their cross bikes, three models of Crossrip(which have a tire clearance of 40mm without fenders) and all models of Domone. This year they list the cross bikes and all models of Domone. Crossrip ended up in their hybrid category. Does that mean it’s similar to a Salsa Fargo? I think most bikes can be used for gravel. Depends mainly on racing gravel. It would seem that a drop bar mountains bike like the Fargo would be the good one for a race like the Dirty Kanza.

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