TREK DOMANE SL 5 WOMEN’S £1,900

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.