Trek Domane AL3 2018: Advice needed

[StartingOut]

UPDATE: Evans have got the bike for me now and I will be testing tomorrow at 3pm!. Prior to this, I may pop into Decathlon to test the Triban 540 which is £100 more and If it proves to be a better choice, I'll wait till pay day to buy this instead.

Evans are happy to take my Triban off me as a trade in so quite quick and easy in that respect.

[Paulatic]

UPDATE: Evans have got the bike for me now and I will be testing tomorrow at 3pm!. Prior to this, I may pop into Decathlon to test the Triban 540 which is £100 more and If it proves to be a better choice, I'll wait till pay day to buy this instead.

Evans are happy to take my Triban off me as a trade in so quite quick and easy in that respect.

Pal of mine put all his c*** stuff on his oldest frame and took it with him to Evans to get £250 off a winter bike. He got the discount and was told to keep his bike too.

[StartingOut]

UPDATE: Evans have got the bike for me now and I will be testing tomorrow at 3pm!. Prior to this, I may pop into Decathlon to test the Triban 540 which is £100 more and If it proves to be a better choice, I'll wait till pay day to buy this instead.

Evans are happy to take my Triban off me as a trade in so quite quick and easy in that respect.

Pal of mine put all his c*** stuff on his oldest frame and took it with him to Evans to get £250 off a winter bike. He got the discount and was told to keep his bike too.

Lucky him! They've not offered me near enough that but then that could be because of the brand of the bike. Am looking to sell it privately but I don't think many people would be interested.

[thelawnet]

To be clear, aluminium Trek Domanes (including, of course, the AL3, the one StartingOut is looking at) no longer have the Rear IsoSpeed decoupler; only the carbon Domanes have it. Presumably it's been discontinued with aluminium Treks because of the seat tube breakages Paulatic and others experienced? I don't think even last year's aluminium Domanes had it either.

Aluminium Domanes now just have a 'regular' TIG-welded frame with hydroformed tubing. They have an IsoSpeed fork, but that's just a very compliant carbon fork. They don't have Front IsoSpeed either, which is located at the top of the headset and allows the steerer tube to flex; again that's only on the carbon Domanes.

To be clear, the AL3 has a carbon/alloy fork. Reading the specs more carefully still

AL3: Domane carbon
SL5: Domane carbon, carbon steerer

So no carbon steerer on the AL3.

[TrevA]

UPDATE: Evans have got the bike for me now and I will be testing tomorrow at 3pm!. Prior to this, I may pop into Decathlon to test the Triban 540 which is £100 more and If it proves to be a better choice, I'll wait till pay day to buy this instead.

Evans are happy to take my Triban off me as a trade in so quite quick and easy in that respect.

Pal of mine put all his c*** stuff on his oldest frame and took it with him to Evans to get £250 off a winter bike. He got the discount and was told to keep his bike too.

Lucky him! They've not offered me near enough that but then that could be because of the brand of the bike. Am looking to sell it privately but I don't think many people would be interested.

I would keep your old bike and use it as a winter bike, with mudguards fitted. Keep the Trek for summer riding, when the roads are not covered in mud or wet.

[Vorpal]

I would keep your old bike and use it as a winter bike, with mudguards fitted. Keep the Trek for summer riding, when the roads are not covered in mud or wet.

+1