# 2013 Madone vs. Domane ride quality



## Rashadabd

I would love to hear people's thoughts that have had a chance to ride both. How would you compare the ride on one to the other in all the key categories (stiffness, speed, weight, comfort, responsiveness, vertical complaince, etc. Feel free to conflate any of these categories as you see fit).


----------



## tWnWill

Went to a Trek demo day and rode both in the 6.2 series. The Domane, as expected rode noticeably softer in the rear end over larger cracks and potholes. However, for me (180lbs, 5'11") it was a much smaller difference than all the "pro" reviews had me believing. Problem is that they had the Domane with Aura 5 wheels, and the Madone with the stock RL rims. So not quite apples to apples there. Here are some opinions that I took away from the ride:
1. The Domane Isospeed works, but the front and your feet still feel the same over road imperfections. I was not particularly impressed by the OVERALL feel of the ride vs my old Madone.
2. The Domane is really stiff otherwise. Climbs great out of the saddle and I can't flex it during sprint efforts. No complaints there.
3. The Madone rides ggggrrreeeeaat. Coming from a Tarmac, this bike is just really smooth. Only bike I can recall riding like this is my R3 from a few years ago. It is also just flat out responsive (twitchy for most folks), probably due to geometry, light weight, shorter wheelbase and stiffness. I have no way to test the KVF and its benefits. Weird having a comfortable bike react so quickly under me.
4. The wheels likely made a difference. Nothing I can do about that.

I would buy the Madone personally, because it's comfortable enough for me. I don't need that extra cush in the tush. I'd rather have a hot rod to play with. BUT, from my experience selling bikes, I feel that most people would be much happier riding a Domane. It will slow down steering response a tiny bit to keep it from being twitchy. It will take the edge of most hits from potholes. Most importantly, it allows less flexible riders to run a normal stem at 7 degrees or even slam it without making them run to the chiropractor. And it's plenty stiff/fast. Win win.


----------



## Rashadabd

Thank you for the insight that is precisely the kind of information I am looking for. I am excited to test both, though my preference right now is for the Madone (I am currently riding a Cervelo R3 and want to see if I like either of these better).


----------



## slowdave

Which fit option did you test on the madone, im looking at the h2?


----------



## tWnWill

H2. Neutral fit with stem at top, and my saddle at 77cm above BB, but I would drop stem and switch to 11cm for my usual fit.


----------



## dougrocky123

*War of the Treks*

I happened to go off the deep end and bought both a Madone and a Domane. Both 2013 and 5.2's H2's. I could go on and on about them but I like the Madone better. The Domane is very smooth in the rear over certain types of bumps but seems disconnected from the front. On certain series of bumps it almost seems like I'm getting bucked off the saddle. The Madone seems more solid and takes the bumps the same front to back.
Ride them both and check it out.


----------



## Rashadabd

Thanks Doug. Will do.


----------



## S2k552m

Rashadabd said:


> Thanks Doug. Will do.


... and with the same wheelset as they have a huge impact on ride quality.


----------



## puckpack

Has anyone had the chance to compare the aluminum frames for both? My LBS has a Madone 2013 2.1 for sale during October for $1299. I like the ride in my limited rides with it but would like to compare it to the Domane 2.0 which they do not have in stock yet. 

The Domane is $200 more with tiagra instead of 105 components.


----------



## Richard

If the OP hasn't pulled the trigger yet, I'll offer my take.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Trek ride camp for shop employees in north San Diego County (i.e., hilly). I rode the 6.2 Madone and 6.2 Domane "back to back" for about 20 miles each. Both were 58cm H2's, full Ultegra, and the new Race Lite wheels. So a fair comparison. The route included good pavement and bad, some rollers, and one long 10% or so descent with the climb back up it.

The Madone was nice but not noticeably different than my 2008 6.9. Light, quick (but not nervous) and comfortable considering it's a "race bike." 

The Domane, on the other hand, blew me away. Sections of road where the shoulders hadn't been resurfaced in years had me out in the smoother traffic lane (it was wide) on the Madone, I just cruised on the Domane. I somewhat expected that but I didn't expect that there would be absolutely no trade-off in performance. The "power transfer" was every bit the equal of the Madone. Yes, it's a little slower in the handling department but that really is only a concern if you're racing crits. On the long descent (no computer but spun out in a 50/11) the Domane felt noticeably more stable than the Madone. On the turnaround and climb back up, the Domane was the match of the Madone, both in and out of the saddle.

My only problem with the Domane is that currently only offered in H2. Even slamming the stem and running it negative the bar was still 3 centimeters higher than the bar on my H1 Madone. I ride a pretty aggressive setup despite the fact that I'm 66 years old.

Trek made a limited run of H1 Domanes to satisfy the UCI's "production" requirement for the pro peloton. I was in no position to buy one (and I'm not ready to retire my 6.9. Hell, I just put Chorus 11 on it.)

Bottom line. When, and if, I'm in the market it'll be a Domane. That is, if they introduce an H1.


----------



## leadout_kv

Wow. Some really interesting comparisons and reviews. Thanks OP for starting this thread.

______________________________
2012 Trek Madone 6.2 - Full Ultegra
2011 Trek Mamba 29er
2000 Lemond Zurich - Dura Ace


----------



## DaveWC

I rode both and preferred the Madone.


----------



## slowdave

DaveWC said:


> I rode both and preferred the Madone.


What was it about the Madone that you prefered?
Ride quality, speed etc
are you a racer, big guy, climber?


----------



## DaveWC

slowdave said:


> What was it about the Madone that you prefered?
> Ride quality, speed etc
> are you a racer, big guy, climber?


I'm 6'3", 185lbs. I found the Madone very comfortable and didn't notice any significant improvement on the Domane. I'm not into racing, just solo ride but I do enjoy as much speed as possible. I go anywhere from rides of 25km length to 100km. I also tested the Roubaix and didn't see the big deal regarding comfort there. I figured if I can enjoy the Madone ride for 100km there was no advantage for me to get a Domane or Roubaix.


----------



## teoteoteo

Own a madone 7 but spent about 10 rides on a Domane 6.2 demne thing to note is that the Domane comes with 25 tires, and some of that domane ride magic is from the 25 tires. At the end of the day I disliked the geometry--mainly the cornering and tall headtube. Couple of scenarios where there was a crack in the road or bad pavement mid turn and the reaction time just wasn't quite fast enough for my taste. I do like quicker bikes so not entirely surprised. 

Power transfer and climbing was great on Domane. My other dislike was noted by someone else above, that while the rear of the bike soaks up the front doesn't always. As if I was riding an MTB that had front and rear suspension that was mismatched. I think with more time perhaps I'd learn to weight and un-weight the bike to mitigate this effect, but then again I don't know that I should have to un-weight the front on bigger hits, seems counter to what I should do on a road bike. 

I'll have a shot at one of the the new H1 Pro fit models soon, shorter stays and lower front end may quicken up the handling enough that it would overcome the geometry issues I have with bike.


----------



## slowdave

DaveWC said:


> I'm 6'3", 185lbs. I found the Madone very comfortable and didn't notice any significant improvement on the Domane. I'm not into racing, just solo ride but I do enjoy as much speed as possible. I go anywhere from rides of 25km length to 100km. I also tested the Roubaix and didn't see the big deal regarding comfort there. I figured if I can enjoy the Madone ride for 100km there was no advantage for me to get a Domane or Roubaix.


Thanks Dave, you sound simalar to me, i am waiting for the Demo of the madone to have a test on. Looking forward to it!


----------



## NealH

teoteoteo said:


> Own a madone 7 but spent about 10 rides on a Domane 6.2 demne thing to note is that the Domane comes with 25 tires, and some of that domane ride magic is from the 25 tires. At the end of the day I disliked the geometry--mainly the cornering and tall headtube. Couple of scenarios where there was a crack in the road or bad pavement mid turn and the reaction time just wasn't quite fast enough for my taste. I do like quicker bikes so not entirely surprised.


I would be interested in any comparative comments between the 7 and 6 series Madone if you can provide them. Don't mean to be causing thread drift so you can PM me.


----------



## bootsie_cat

I have a 56 Domane with a nude carbon P1 paint job in classifieds if anyone is looking-


----------



## Golfster

Why are you selling it so soon?


----------



## bootsie_cat

*Domane*

I really wanted to try a bike with a higher handlebar position- but I need my bars to be lower than the Domane will allow. Great ride though- I think it rides better than a Roubaix.


----------



## Golfster

Hi Bootsie,

Could you post a link?...trying to find you ad. I ride a 54, but also interested in your P1 for ideas.


----------



## bootsie_cat

I don't have any pictures. I will try to take some tomorrow and post.
You can go to the P1 site and mock it up. It is the "solid team logos" Base color is pearl carbon and Trek logos are black. Very low key- but cool.


----------



## bootsie_cat

*56 Domane*

Here are some pics. I can't figure out how to ad pics to already placed ad. Trek logos don't really show from a distance (intended). Has sparkles when in sun


----------



## Rashadabd

Thank you for all of the info and advice folks, but after thinnking thins over for a while I have decided to jump into cyclocross instead of getting another road bike. My R3 really great bike and fun to ride, so I will just stay with that and invest in a cross bike. Keep on riding and thanks again.


----------



## M_Legend_Balla_W

I own a Domane 4.5 and i have some weird noises coming from the either the front fork, head steam or maybe even the cable house brackets. Has anyone else had these problems?

The fork also seems to have a "tuning fork" thing inside of it. It sounds as though a rode may be inside of it and vibrated freely.

If anyone knows anything towards this, please let me know. I'm concerned...


----------



## KDGast

I have a Domane 4.5. I do not have any sounds like you describe coming from the bike.


----------



## Srode

No sounds like that coming from my 5.2


----------



## Captainlip

it shouldnt rattle take it to your local trek dealer.


----------



## M_Legend_Balla_W

It only makes that vibrating noise once take the wheel, axle and all off from the bike. :aureola:


----------



## Captainlip

then whats to worry about unless you wheelie everywhere


----------



## M_Legend_Balla_W

Captainlip said:


> then whats to worry about unless you wheelie everywhere


And what if I did? 
:mad2:


----------



## Pattonn

Does anyone have any experience with warranty replacement? I have a 2009 Madone 4.5 and the metal sleeve that is bonded inside the seat post has failed. Does this mean new frame? If given the chance I would love to replace this with a cyclocross frame. Will Trek let me do this?


----------



## Captainlip

Pattonn said:


> Does anyone have any experience with warranty replacement? I have a 2009 Madone 4.5 and the metal sleeve that is bonded inside the seat post has failed. Does this mean new frame? If given the chance I would love to replace this with a cyclocross frame. Will Trek let me do this?


no they will take the frame back and rebond it, had that issue at our store recently. you will get your frame back.


----------



## spinfit

Rashadabd said:


> I would love to hear people's thoughts that have had a chance to ride both. How would you compare the ride on one to the other in all the key categories (stiffness, speed, weight, comfort, responsiveness, vertical complaince, etc. Feel free to conflate any of these categories as you see fit).



i am also trying to decide between the 2 models. due to low back issues i need to ride more upright and tested a 2011 madone 5.2 (H2) and the new domane. only rode about 1 hour on each and they felt fairly comprable. trying to decide if over time/distance the domane will offer significantly more comfort.
the kicker is that the shop is selling the 2011 madone for only $2K. so is the nearly $1300 savings worth it? will it provide enough comfort over multi day distance rides?


----------



## CORoadie

*I too will vouch for the Domane.*

This is the big one... everything the other poster said up above was true, but this is the big one, the folks I ride with have noticed the difference. On dirt, on poor pavement, on this particularly bad section of concrete that just chatters the hell out of everyone else (and to make it worse it is a steep descent where the guys really screwed up the trail surface) I just fly over it and hardly notice the chatter or bad conditions at all. On a dirt road recently I heard, 'Hey, slow the BLEEP down,' from one of my friends, and I wasn't even riding hard, it was just the ride was so much smoother and it made it nearly effortless. These other riders were on Madones, Swork Tarmacs and all sorts of other good rides, but none of them performed like my Domane 6.2. I rode both before deciding and the Domane was better for the type of riding and surfaces I do.


----------



## pato46

I tried the 2013 5.2 Domane (first) and Madone today on the same route for each, though only about 5 miles, and reached a somewhat different conclusion. Both were 54cm with same wheels (Bontrager Race) and drivetrain (Ultegra compact 10sp); The Madone's H2 headtube was 10mm shorter than the Domane's. The Domane was enjoyable and fairly smooth but on the very rough pavement I sought out it wasn't as smooth as I expected based on other reviews. Uphill riding on a moderate grade was OK but not snappy, and steering was a bit slow descending that grade. I liked it but didn't love it. The Madone, OTOH, was almost as smooth as the Domane (more on that below), and while it gave continuous road feel through the seat that feel was muted rather than harsh. Compare to the Domane, acceleration and climbing were slightly but distinctly quicker, and the handling was noticeably quicker but solid and stable (not twitchy). The Madone's smoothness may be partly due to the non-bridged seatstays, which can flex separately. Riding position, which is important for me due to a stiff back, was OK with each despite my expectation that the Domane's taller head tube would be more comfortable. Overall, while I didn't buy either bike today (I might in the future), if I had to choose one it would be the Madone. Note that I'm an old recreational rider, not a racer.

Brake question: The Madone (not the Domane) has the rear brake mounted directly at the bottom of the frame, behind the bottom bracket, rather than up on the seatstays where it usually is. Does this make the rear brake more subject to gunking up on dirty roads or in bad weather? Does it affect ease of opening the brake arms to allow releasing the wheel, or ease of adjusting the brakes? All comments appreciated.


----------



## Gaspasser1

I rode the Madone and Domane back to back and preferred the ride of the Domane. The Madone was very nice as well, but the Domane was a smoother ride. Equally as stiff and responsive. Not quite as quick in steering responsiveness, but everything else I liked the Domane better. I would be very happy with either however.


----------



## DaveWC

pato46 said:


> Brake question: The Madone (not the Domane) has the rear brake mounted directly at the bottom of the frame, behind the bottom bracket, rather than up on the seatstays where it usually is. Does this make the rear brake more subject to gunking up on dirty roads or in bad weather? Does it affect ease of opening the brake arms to allow releasing the wheel, or ease of adjusting the brakes? All comments appreciated.


I've got a 7 series Madone with those brakes and haven't had any of the predicted problems with the rear brake. No additional crap collecting down there, though I don't regularly ride in crappy conditions. Given that the wheel rotates down to the brake, and the frame blocks the brakes from any crap traveling on the wheels I suspect this is partly why it remains clean. Any splatter from the road will jump up to the brake but it hasn't been a problem. I've also had no problem releasing the wheel but it is trickier to remove/replace the brake pads.

Overall I have found no advantage or disadvantage to the brake placement.


----------



## TrekJunkie

I own both a 2013 Domane 4.0 and my new toy a 2013 Madone 5.9. In terms of comfort, Domane wins though by not much. I both have a Fizik aliante in both my steeds. Lately though, I am using the Madone much more as I find it more lively, responsive and quicker on the acceleration. You will be happy with whatever model you eventually choose. These are good times to be on a Trek.


----------



## softreset

Last week I upgraded the Domane 4.5 saddle (Affinity 2) to the Bontrager Paradigm RL and I've noticed a huge improvement in ride comfort after a long ride. I logged about 1000 miles on top of the Affinity 2 saddle and just did a 100 mile weekend (65 + 35 mile rides) on the Paradigm RL. Huge difference afterwards, worth the $125 upgrade.


----------

