These are simple fit-and-forget items that can provide decent service, but their bearings are well inside the bottom bracket shell, and this narrow arrangement makes them prone to lateral play sooner than bottom brackets with more widely spaced bearings positioned on each side of the shell. The non-series RS200 chainset is pretty basic, and spins on a UN300 cartridge bottom bracket, with square tapered axle ends. Dave Caudery / Our MediaĬasting an eye over the AL 2 exposes the groupset shortcuts, which help keep costs down. The head tube mimics the shaping of the carbon Domane, and is satisfyingly, organically chunky.Īll of the cables are routed externally, running beneath the down tube, and the rear brake cable angles pleasingly across beneath the flattened top tube from right to left, which gives it an ideal route from the left brake lever. Up front, Bontrager’s alloy Comp VR-C handlebar and Elite stem are fairly standard fare, with a tough black finish and rounded drops. The air volume of the 25mm tyres, which measure 27.5mm wide, helps further. Instead, the rear of the bike relies on the classic 27.2mm alloy seatpost and a very plush saddle. The aluminium frame, although nicely constructed, has no elements that are designed to offer any IsoSpeed-like benefits. Unlike its loftier brethren, and particularly the carbon Domane range, the Domane AL 2 can only count on an IsoSpeed fork to help quell roughness. So it proved here, with all positional options easily achievable. Since testing the very first Domane to arrive in the UK, I’ve always found them to be an ideal fit, straight out of the box. Trek has designed the Domane to fit most riders, whether they prefer to get long and low, or ride in a more commanding position. I inflated the 25mm tyres to 75-80psi, which usually works well for my 78kg, and took in every sort of climb, slog and drag I could, as well as plenty of technical corners. ![]() With countless miles of roads and lanes to hand, where smooth surfaces were definitely the exception, I aimed the Domane at many of my tried-and-tested training routes. The chainstays are 42cm, the wheelbase 101cm, and bottom-bracket drop is a stability-inducing 8cm, which all suggests that the Domane AL 2 has the essential qualities to calm stormy tarmac.Įdit Table Trek Domane AL 2 ride impressions Dave Caudery / Our MediaĪn endurance bike is intended for all road types, although predominantly tarmac. ![]() Head tube length is kept to a sporty 16cm, while the effective top tube length is 54.2cm. The head angle on my 54cm example is 71.3 degrees, with a 73.7-degree seat angle. The Domane follows the evolved geometry trend for endurance bikes, which is that of slightly relaxed race machines. Trek Domane AL 2 geometry Dave Caudery / Our Media The alloy handlebar and stem are from Bontrager, as are the TLR wheels and tyres. To keep costs low, Trek fitted Shimano’s 8-speed Claris groupset, although the double chainset is substituted with a non-series RS200 item, and the brakes with some unbranded Lee Chi alloy dual-pivot calipers. The IsoSpeed carbon fork is designed to absorb a lot of road vibration up front, with a 27.2mm alloy seatpost and well-padded saddle at the rear. It’s Trek’s lowest grade of aluminium tube, as you’d expect on an entry-level road bike, but shows obvious design care, and is welded neatly throughout. The Domane AL 2’s frame is built from Trek’s 100 Series aluminium tubes, which include some hydroformed profiles. Trek Domane AL 2 specifications Dave Caudery / Our Media ![]() Is it just marketing, or does it really work? Shortlisted for our 2022 Budget Bike of the Year award, the AL 2 offers impressive handling and spec at an entry-level price.įorever searching for alternate lines, not phased by rough surfaces, and with the ability to conquer almost anything, the Domane was one of the first really effective endurance bikes.įar from the World Tour’s Paris-Roubaix winning rigs, this Domane AL 2 promises elements of those bikes’ performance at a very realistic price. The class-leading Domane has always been the wild child in Trek’s triumvirate of road bikes whose names are all anagrams of each other.
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