Madone vs Domane

[Brucey]

because they are almost the same thing but not quite....

cheers

[Jezrant]

I'm 5'6" too. I'd go with the "52cm". According to the Trek geometry tables, the "minimum seat height" for the "54cm" frames is 68cm. That would be 1cm too high for me. You'd spot this in the shop before you pays your money, but there are lots of other bikes in this price bracket out there to consider IMHO.

That "minimum seat height" was something I overlooked in their rather extensive table. What does it mean?
The "52 size" seat tube actually measures around 50cm....so you can't get the seat lower than 68cm.....because?
If the bottom of the seat post fouls the seat tube bottle boss, thats easily solved with a hacksaw or a shorter post.
Wether a larger or a smaller frame is the "best fit" is more likely to be decided by handlebar reach and height than by saddle height, IMO....easily solved by measuring up and test riding......except that the OP isn't currently riding drops at all. The choice is usually between shorter reach on the smaller size or higher bars on the larger size, which is a difficult call if you are only used to flat bars.
Of course if a 1cm lower saddle offends the style police, thats an insoluble problem...
Be interesting to know what "fit" Trek recommend.

I also wondered about that business of a "minimum seat height", but whatever their reason, the "52cm" frame would be the one I'd try first if I was looking for that kind of bike, especially as it comes with drops. I'd be slightly annoyed if I was advised to get the "54cm" and then later discovered the saddle was too high in the shop and the only way I could get it down to the right height was by cutting down the seatpost or trying to find a shorter one. I'd probably also have to get a shorter stem while I was at it because the reach of the 54 is slightly too long.

[531colin]

54cm Madone is 2mm longer reach than 52.
With the other one its 3mm.
Don't think I'd notice that difference in reach.
Of course the different size bikes may be supplied with different length stems, but I wouldn't necessarily expect to ride a bike with the stock stem anyway.
But the main thing is to try them out.

[531colin]

Cheers. I'm not sure what to look for in a fitting since I've never ridden a road bike.

http://bikedynamics.co.uk/guidelines.htm

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73119

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73152

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html

[Jezrant]

54cm Madone is 2mm longer reach than 52.
With the other one its 3mm.
Don't think I'd notice that difference in reach.
Of course the different size bikes may be supplied with different length stems, but I wouldn't necessarily expect to ride a bike with the stock stem anyway.
But the main thing is to try them out.

I was referring to the saddle-to-bars reach. The "54cm" frame has an effective top tube that's 12mm longer than the "52cm". The stem is probably another 10mm longer. That would make the saddle-to-bar reach 22mm longer. You could, as you say, change the stem and cut down the seatpost, but more sensible advice would be to start with a frame that fits better, given they make them in a wide range of sizes. In reality, though, I agree, it really doesn't make that much difference.

[531colin]

Effective top tube is 12 mm longer, but reach is 3mm longer. ("M" on the diagram)
Most of the top tube difference is due to different seat tube angle.
Assuming you set saddle setback relative to the BB, then saddle to bar reach is governed by "M" not "E"
I think the biggest difference between the 52 and 54 is the 15mm difference in head tube height

[Chisa]

The domane has a longer headtube so you get a more upright position without needing a load of spacers on the forktube. I think the domane also has some shock absorbing stuff in there. I think the TT Is shorter on the domane - which again facilitates a more upright position.

Personally I wouldn't get a trek as you are paying for the brand name. For the price a smaller manufacturer like planet-x will get you more for your money.

[Brucey]

I agree with Colin; its the old 'short top tube, steep seat angle on small frame' dodge.

-just makes it moe difficult to get the saddle back far enough on the smaller frame.

cheers

[Mark1978]

Probably an impossible question to answer but would a Domane transmit more or less vibration than my hybrid (steel fork, Alu frame) as the comparisons are all with other road bikes.

[SilverBadge]

Domane has a "clever" joint at the seat cluster allowing some vertical movement there, supposedly to improve comfort (vertical compliance) whilst maintaining most of the performance stiffness (torsion). As used for Paris-Roubaix. The more "leisurely" the bike range is, the taller the heatube, think some Trek ranges come with a choice, at least at the high end of the scale.

[boblo]

If I were buying a decent road bike, I'd get down to somewhere like Epic and get a bike fit. They stock a range of manufacturers bikes and provide very good advice on fit and function without being strongly biased towards a single in stock range (not to say they aren't still trying to sell, of course they are). I have no allegiance to Epic apart from being a satisfied customer.

I went in with a preconceived idea of what I wanted having ridden road bikes for years and came out with something completely different. I still have it and it's still fantastic.

[Jezrant]

Effective top tube is 12 mm longer, but reach is 3mm longer. ("M" on the diagram)
Most of the top tube difference is due to different seat tube angle.
Assuming you set saddle setback relative to the BB, then saddle to bar reach is governed by "M" not "E"
I think the biggest difference between the 52 and 54 is the 15mm difference in head tube height

Heavens to murgatroyd! Hoisted by my own petard yet again! Thanks Colin for pointing that out and reminding me of this business. I’m sure the top tube “ruse” has been posted on here somewhere before, although I think I first read about this on Rivendell’s website. Obviously, the lesson hadn’t sunk in. It’s a shame that measurement isn’t provided by companies in the UK. It’s very handy for making comparisons. It also makes your case for going a size up clearer. Well done Trek for publishing it. Now what I'd really like to see is a model for predicting when sheep cross the road. Why do they tend to favour blind corners at the bottom of a hill where there's gravel on the road?

[531colin]

You see, you even know where the sheep run across.....you don't need a sheep-sensing bike at all!

[Jezrant]

Have you noticed that Texels aren't quite as unpredictable as Dalesbred?