Trek Domane SL 5 Women’s

As part of our women's bikes special, we take a look at the Trek Domane SL 5 Women’s

(Image credit: Cycling Studio)

Promotional feature with Trek

Designed for carrying the pros over the rough pavé of the Spring Classics, there’s no denying the Domane’s ability to be equally at home on smooth tarmac and rough terrain.

Brand new for 2018, the Domane SL 5 Women’s bike is made from Trek’s patented 500 Series OCLV (Optimum Compaction Low Void). The frameset manages to be lightweight, strong and stiff, while built-in compliance helps keep the rider comfortable on even the longest of adventures.

Developed in partnership with Fabian Cancellara, the IsoSpeed decouplers are at the core of the Domane SL 5 Women’s endurance comfort technology. Located at the front and rear, the decouplers significantly increase the compliance of the bike, isolating the rider from road vibration without impacting on performance.

Teaming this with Trek’s endurance geometry delivers stable and predictable handling thanks to a long wheelbase, short reach and tall handlebar stack height.

The Domane SL 5 is available with either direct-mount rim brakes or discs. The rim option creates an overall lightweight package and can accommodate up to 28c tyres, while the discs provide superb braking in poor weather and can accommodate up to 32c tyres.

Both set-ups are compatible with mudgards, an easy addition thanks to the hidden mudguard mounts.

The Shimano 105 complete Domane SL 5 Women’s comes with a 50/34 chainset and 11-32 11-speed cassette, so is ideal for heading to the hills or going full gas on the flats.

The rest of the bike is kitted out with Trek’s well-respected sister brand Bontrager and is even compatible with the Blendr stem — the integration system for easy installation of lights, computers, etc.

All in all it’s an impressive package, and excitingly versatile too.

Price: £1,900

Frame: 500 Series OCLV Carbon

Fork: Domane carbon, Carbon E2 steerer

Size range: 47-62cm

Weight: 8.4kg

Groupset: Shimano 105, 11-speed

Gear ratios: 50/34, 11-32t

Wheels: Bontrager Tubeless Ready Alloy

Tyres: Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite 700x25c

Brakes: Shimano 105

Bar: Bontrager Comp VR-S 31.8mm

Stem: Bontrager Elite 7-degree

Seatpost: Bontrager Ride Tuner, alloy seatmast cap

Saddle: Bontrager Ajna Comp

Distributor: www.trekbikes.com

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Hannah Bussey

Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.


Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.


For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas. 


She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection.