Trek Domane AL Review – Domane AL 2 VS AL 3 Disc VS AL 4

Last Updated on 10 July 2024 by Cycloscope

Trek Domane AL Review!

Domane AL 2 Disc VS Domane AL 3 VS Domane AL 4 VS Domane AL 5. Weight, tire clearance, specs, comparison table. Cheap/Affordable Trek gravel bikes!

The Trek Domane AL is a great introduction to the gravel world for those roadies used to riding on the tarmac but who want to try the excitement of the unpaved world. In this review, we’ll have a look at the different models of Trek Domane AL.

Taking the popular road bike design of the Domane AL, Trek has made some important upgrades to make this beauty handle its own across different types of terrain.

Thanks to Trek’s precision-engineered Endurance riding position and capacity for wide tires (by road bike standards), the Domane AL leaves you in full control, even when the track starts getting hairy. Although you can only get 35c width tires, which are on the thin end of the gravel world, they are grippy enough on lighter trails.

The carbon forks work with you to dampen the vibrations from the trail, leaving you to enjoy the view as you career through the wilderness. This is essentially a road bike built for long-haul comfort, a great combination when you are looking for a reliable gravel bike. 

Finally, the Domain AL Disc comes with all the mounts you need for fenders and racks, both front and rear, despite its sleek design. This makes it the perfect transition for any roadies who want to be able to take their bike for a more adventurous ride.

The various versions of the Trek Domane

The Domane range for 2022 has four main models:

• Domane AL
• Domane SL
• Domane SLR
• Domane+

The Domane AL has an aluminum frame (100 Series Alpha) and a carbon fork. While both SL and SLR are full carbon.

The only difference between the Trek Domane SL and the Domane SLR stands in the grade of the carbon composite. The SLR frames are made of 700 Series OCLV Carbon which is of a higher quality and lighter weight compared to the 500 Series OCLV Carbon used in the SL.

The Domane+ is the e-bike version of the Trek Domane.

All these versions come in plenty of different builds for all budgets, from cheap to top components. The wide range of different frame sizes is offered by Trek on all the Domane series, making it available to either short or tall people, men and women alike.

In this article, we are going to compare the different builds of the Trek Domane AL, which are all relatively affordable and great value for money.

Model	Domane AL 2	Domane AL 3 Disc	Domane AL 2 Disc	Domane AL 4 Disc
Price	$1,029.99	$1,379.99	$1,199.99	$1,759.99
Colors available	2	4	3	3
Value for money	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

Domane AL 2 is the perfect gateway to comfortable road biking. It’s stable, light, easy to accessorize, and fun to ride—all of which makes it the ideal choice for anyone looking for a great first experience with a real road bike.

Domane AL 3 Disc is a smooth, stable, and super fun road bike. It’s a blast on everything from longer loops to group rides and even light gravel trails. The lightweight and comfortable frame features a road-smoothing carbon fork, quality parts, and a wide range of gears ready for bigger adventures.

Domane AL 2 Disc is an awesome pick for your first road bike. The lightweight frame is responsive yet stable for a fun, confidence-inspiring ride. Plus, it’s built with reliable parts and disc brakes that provide better stopping power in any weather. Best of all, the comfort-focused design makes every single ride more enjoyable.

Domane AL 4 Disc combines the smooth, comfortable qualities of an advanced alloy frame with the performance of higher-quality parts. It features an upgraded drivetrain and crisp hydraulic disc brakes for a fast road bike perfect for competitive group rides and even races.

Tech specs

Frameset

While the materials are all the same, the AL 2 fork and frame are not disc-compatible, meaning it’s impossible to upgrade.

The 12x100mm thru axle is the standard in the AL 2 Disc, AL3 Disc, AL 4, and AL 5, which are all discs. The axle for the AL 2 is 130x5mm.

All models are DuoTrap S compatible and feature fender mounts. The cables are routed externally on the AL 2 and internally on all other models.

Frame	100 Series Alpha Aluminum, fender mounts, DuoTrap S compatible, rim brake, 130x5mm QR	100 Series Alpha Aluminum, tapered head tube, internal routing, fender mounts, DuoTrap S compatible, flat mount disc, 142x12mm thru-axle	100 Series Alpha Aluminum, tapered head tube, internal routing, fender mounts, DuoTrap S compatible, flat mount disc, 142x12mm thru-axle	Domane AL carbon, tapered alloy steerer, internal brake routing, fender mounts, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru-axle
Fork	Domane carbon, straight alloy steerer, fender mounts, 5x100mm QR	Domane AL carbon, tapered alloy steerer, internal brake routing, fender mounts, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru axle	Domane AL carbon, tapered alloy steerer, internal brake routing, fender mounts, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru-axle	Domane AL carbon, tapered alloy steerer, internal brake routing, fender mounts, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru-axle

Wheels

The biggest takedown of the 1,000 bucks Domane AL 2 is for me definitively the narrower tire clearance. With space only for 28c tires, this bike can handle only the friendliest gravel, making it more of a road option than a real gravel bike – considering all its disc sisters, including the twin Domane AL 2 Disc, have a tire clearance of up to 35c, which makes a big difference.

The rear hub difference means the AL 2 can be upgraded up to a 10-speed cassette, while the others, including AL 2 disc, can host up to 11 speeds in the freehub.

Front Hub	Formula TK-31 alloy, 5x100mm QR	Formula RX-512 alloy, 6-bolt, 100x12mm thru-axle	Formula RX-512 alloy, 6-bolt, 100x12mm thru-axle	Bontrager Switch thru-axle, removable lever
Front Skewer	Formula QR22	Formula RX-142 alloy, 6-bolt, Shimano 11-speed freehub, 142x12mm thru-axle	Bontrager Switch thru-axle, removable lever	Bontrager Switch thru-axle, removable lever
Rear Hub	Formula TK-32 alloy, Shimano 8/9/10 freehub, 5x130mm QR	Formula RX-142 alloy, 6-bolt, Shimano 11-speed freehub, 142x12mm thru-axle	Bontrager Affinity Disc, Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 21mm width, Presta valve	Formula RX-142 alloy, 6-bolt, Shimano 11-speed freehub, 142x12mm thru axle
Rim	Bontrager Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 17mm width, presta valve	Bontrager Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 17mm width, Presta valve	Bontrager Affinity Disc/Bontrager Paradigm SL (depending on size), Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 21mm width, Presta valve	Bontrager Affinity Disc/Bontrager Paradigm SL (depending on size), Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 21mm width, Presta valve
Spokes	14g stainless steel	14g stainless steel	14g stainless steel	14g stainless steel
Tire	Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x28c	Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c	Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c	Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c
Max tire size	28c without fenders, 25c with fenders	35c without fenders, 32c with fenders	35c without fenders, 32c with fenders	35c without fenders, 32c with fenders

Components

Besides the cheaper handlebar tape of the Domane AL 2, the main difference here stays in the brake system: while the AL 2 has Alloy dual-pivot calipers, the AL 2 Disc and AL 3 come with Tektro disc brakes.

The Trek Domane AL 4 features Shimano Tiagra hydraulic brakes, a nice but costly upgrade. On the AL 5 (not present in the table) the brakes are also hydraulic but Shimano 105 – a notch above.

Saddle	Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145mm – 155mm	Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145mm – 155mm	Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145mm – 155mm	Bontrager P3 Verse Comp, steel rails, 145mm – 155mm
Seatpost	Bontrager alloy, 27.2mm, 12mm offset,	Bontrager alloy, 27.2mm, 12mm offset,	Bontrager alloy, 27.2mm, 12mm offset,	Bontrager alloy, 27.2mm, 12mm offset,
Handlebar	Bontrager Comp VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 38cm to 44 width	Bontrager Comp VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 38cm to 44 width	Bontrager Comp VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 38cm to 44 width	Bontrager Comp VR-C, alloy, 31.8mm, 100mm reach, 124mm drop, 38cm to 44 width
Handlebar Tape	Bontrager Gel Cork tape	Bontrager Supertack Perf tape	Bontrager Supertack Perf tape	Bontrager Supertack Perf tape
Stem	Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 70mm to 110mm length	Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 70mm to 110mm length	Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 70mm to 110mm length	Bontrager Elite, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 70mm to 110mm length
Headset	FSA Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8”	FSA Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8” top, 1.5” bottom	FSA Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8” top, 1.5” bottom	FSA Integrated, sealed cartridge bearing, 1-1/8” top, 1.5” bottom
Brakes	Alloy dual-pivot	Tektro C550 mechanical disc brake, dual piston, flat mount, 160mm rotor	Tektro C550 mechanical disc brake, dual piston, flat mount, 160mm rotor	Shimano Tiagra hydraulic disc Shimano RT66, 160mm, 6-bolt

Trek Domane AL Drivetrain

Here the two versions of the AL are the same, with a Shimano Claris 2×8 speed with a 50/34t on the front and an 11-32t cassette.

The Domane AL 3 features a Shimano Sora 2×9 with a 50/34t on the front and an 11-32t cassette same range of speed but two more gears.

The Domane AL 4 comes with a Shimano Tiagra Drivetrain, again 50/34t on the front and an 11-32t cassette – but this time the gears are much closer to each other.

Also, the bottom bracket is upgraded in the Domane AL 3 and AL 4, Shimano RS500 vs Shimano UN30, but this can always be upgraded.

The AL 2 is the only one to come with pedals included out of the box.

Shifter	Shimano Claris R2000, 8 speed	Shimano Sora R3000, 9 speed	Shimano Claris R2000, 8 speed	Shimano Tiagra R4725, short reach lever, 10 speed
Front Derailleur	Shimano Claris R2000, 31.8mm clamp	Shimano Sora R3000, 31.8mm clamp	Shimano Claris R2000, 31.8mm clamp	Shimano Tiagra 4700, 31.8mm clamp
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Claris R2000, long cage, 34T max cog	Shimano Sora R3000, mid cage, 34T max cog	Shimano Claris R2000, long cage, 34T max cog	Shimano Tiagra 4700, long cage, 34T max cog
Crank	Shimano RS200, 50/34 165mm to 175mm length	Shimano Sora R3000, 50/34 165mm – 175mm	Shimano RS200, 50/34 (compact)	Shimano Tiagra 4700, 50/34, 165mm – 175mm
Bottom Bracket	Shimano UN30, 68mm, threaded cartridge, 110mm spindle	Shimano RS500, 68mm, threaded external	Shimano UN30, 68mm, threaded cartridge, 110mm spindle	Shimano RS500, 68mm, threaded external
Cassette	Shimano HG31, 11-32, 8 speed	Shimano Sora HG400, 11-32, 9 speed	Shimano HG31, 11-32, 8 speed	Shimano HG500, 11-32, 10 speed
Chain	Shimano Sora HG71, 8 speed	Shimano Sora HG53, 9 speed	Shimano Sora HG71, 8 speed	Shimano Tiagra HG54, 10 speed
Pedal	Wellgo R199, nylon body, alloy cage

Trek Domane AL Weight

Surprisingly, with its lightweight caliper brakes, the cheaper Domane AL is also the lightest of the squad!

All the bikes have the same load capacity, as the frames and wheels are almost identical.

Weight (size 56)	9.57 kg / 21.09 lbs	10.30 kg / 22.71 lbs	10.55 kg / 23.26 lbs	10.48 kg / 23.11 lbs
Weight limit	275 lbs / 125 kg	275 lbs / 125 kg	275 lbs / 125 kg	275 lbs / 125 kg

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Trek Domane AL 5 Disc – $2,029.99

The big sister of the Trek Domane AL family

This is the version that has made it into our list of the 11+1 Best Gravel Bikes for Women, check that out to learn more!

frame material	Aluminum
weight	56 – 10.05 kg / 22.16 lbs
max tire clearance	35c without fenders, 32c with fenders
tire size	Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite, wire bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c
drivetrain	2×11 Shimano 105 50-34T x 11-34T
brakes	Shimano 105 hydraulic disc, flat mount
smallest available size	49 cm
price	$2,029.99

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