Congrats 2 Trek Engineers for the NEW TQ powered Domane+ !!!

[Ebiker01]

Trek Domane+ SLR is an e-bike with all the ride sensations of a traditional road bicycle

Treks Domane+ SLR is genuinely an all-new animal for all-road riding and more like a traditional road ride than we've ever experienced.

bikerumor.com

Since most of the digital "news" is presented in bold in order to keep us glued to the screens , i had edited it for a better user experience and online traffic . k, enough BS let's discover this amazing new toy.


It took u guys a long trek through the Vastly inferior [/ISPOILER][/ISPOILER] Bosch motors landscape in order for this high end model to finally arise but is better then never .

I know the battery design was "inspired" from the daddy of ebikes , BH, specifically BH Core , which still after 3years since launching it's still better (bigger battery, 65Nm vs 50Nm , Bh's 299$ vs Trek's 599$ for 160WH xtra bottle .


This 2 high end road bikes will compete against each other in Europe, Asia, Etc, in US not soo much ; those who r in the know could order the Core online directly from Spain.

Which one would u choose if u were located in Europe and why ? The dealer presence/service exists for both brands over there .


Another big minus for the Trek is the connection for this 160wh extender. Bh Core is magnetic and like i said this came out 2-3 years ago.

CORE CARBON

www.bhbikes.com

That 599$ price for 160wh is just ........... (i'll edit this later based on the comments) .

Conclusion: Hot product , This will sell out very quickly, wishing everyone lots of enjoyable and safe times on the road.


btw- I was searching for a good gps device and sharing the info , no need for any wiring . It's v. good !! Using multiple ones for the personal 🏎 fleet needs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753LC2DQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Note- The TQ motors could be delimited in the past, it may still work for this one, not sure yet.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I really like this e-road bike and it would be a great replacement for my Giant deft advanced pro 0, but it is expensive. The Australian price for the carbon model with 105 Di2 is $14,000 and since the Australian and Canadian dollar are close to being on-par, I suspect the bike will be around 14 grand in Canada too.
Trek's Canadian website doesn't show the bike yet.
Gran Fondo has a good review for this bike: https://granfondo-cycling.com/trek-domane-plus-slr-6-2023-review/

 

[mschwett]

I really like this e-road bike and it would be a great replacement for my Giant deft advanced pro 0, but it is expensive. The Australian price for the carbon model with 105 Di2 is $14,000 and since the Australian and Canadian dollar are close to being on-par, I suspect the bike will be around 14 grand in Canada too.
Trek's Canadian website doesn't show the bike yet.
Gran Fondo has a good review for this bike: https://granfondo-cycling.com/trek-domane-plus-slr-6-2023-review/

i don't love trek's styling, but i think this is an incredible bike. at the upper end of the line, it's a fantastic deal in the states, with 12 speed dura ace for less than what many non-electric bikes with that group cost. it's a couple pounds lighter than the closest competitor (the specialized turbo creo), has a bit more battery, a bit more torque, narrower q-factor, offers 2x drivetrains, close to the same tire clearance, and is a lot quieter.

great to see some innovation and competition in this space. if the new motor design turns out to be reliable and offers the same ultra-natural feel that specialized's SL mid-drives do, specialized will have to up their game!!

 

[Ebiker01]

t's a couple pounds lighter than the closest competitor (the specialized turbo creo),

The only one to compare it with would be the BH Core carbon and they both start at about the same weight :11.5/12.3kg.
It's def. superior in many ways to S. Creo ! But that's still a great e road bike for now.

 

[Ebiker01]

but it is expensive.

If they could offer some kind of a payment plan or a monthly subscription (69.99/119.99/199.99$ /month for the top spec) it would be more affordable.
With the sub. /leasing model in case of non payment block the motor via an OTA , can also add a gps.
For someone who would do say 6-7k/year , after 3years it would cost 0.50 american cents/mile , plus some kwh charging expenses..but the riding experiences r priceless.

 

[Deacon Blues]

For most of my 71 years I've been a running, but arthritic in my knees put an end to that, so I took up cycling 7 years ago. Back in 2014, when I first started looking at road bikes I test rode a $1500 carbon framed road bike and liked it (can't remember the brand). I ended up not buying the bike because I thought $1500 was too much to spend for a bicycle.
Now I'm considering adding this new $14,000 Trek bike to my stable of 3 other e-bikes.
When the biking craze hit me it hit me hard.
Too bad (as far as I know) BH no longer sells road bikes in Canada.

A fellow rider has already asked our local Trek dealer to order one for him. I may to the same.

 

[Ebiker01]

a othe bidden advantage of an e road bike is that

For most of my 71 years I've been a running, but arthritic in my knees put an end to that, so I took up cycling 7 years ago. Back in 2014, when I first started looking at road bikes I test rode a $1500 carbon framed road bike and liked it (can't remember the brand). I ended up not buying the bike because I thought $1500 was too much to spend for a bicycle.
Now I'm considering adding this new $14,000 Trek bike to my stable of 3 other e-bikes.
When the biking craze hit me it hit me hard.
Too bad (as far as I know) BH no longer sells road bikes in Canada.

A fellow rider has already asked our local Trek dealer to order one for him. I may to the same.

this one is also an amazing ebike !!

This is the Best Class 3 Commuter ebike - NIU BQI3

https://shop.niu.com/products/niu-c3-pro-electric-urban-commuter-bike Read up about it, 2 batteries (980wh total) , big Halo light, Gates belt, great warranty, real stores in Us and overseas, very reliable company, integrated batteries, locking features with the app. I've had a few of their...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Captain Slow]

Deacon, thanks for the Gran Fondo link.

 

[CaptainMux]

If they could offer some kind of a payment plan or a monthly subscription (69.99/119.99/199.99$ /month for the top spec) it would be more affordable.
With the sub. /leasing model in case of non payment block the motor via an OTA , can also add a gps.
For someone who would do say 6-7k/year , after 3years it would cost 0.50 american cents/mile , plus some kwh charging expenses..but the riding experiences r priceless.

Trek Financing: Fund Your Next Ride With These Options

Trek offers financing through its co-branded credit card. But that’s not your only option. Learn about other ways you can pay for a new bike.

www.lendingtree.com

 

[TomWilcox]

I own a first generation Domane+ (65Nm) and just test rode the new Domane+ SLR $9000 with the tQ motor around the empty trek store parking lot for about 10 mins.
1) As expected, the bike is more nimble with its lower weight, less bulky motor underneath and 800 series carbon frame.
2) The power up/down buttons on the handle bars are ergonomic and really nice.
3) It had 32 mm tires, which are a nice midway between gravel 35mm and the 28mm road bike tires that most lightweight non e-bikes come with.
4) The motor is certainly quiet, but I dont find the Bosch motor to be noisy, so I may not be as discriminating as others.
5) I found the three power levels limiting. My Bosch has 8 and each has unlimited customization through the Nyon headset
6) I found the most powerful assist underwhelming, especially for the limited range that the battery has at that level.

Summary:
If you are a strong rider (which you are likely to be if you are buying a $9,000 bike) the tQ motor will be fine as an occasional assist.
You can certainly ride this bike undetected with other riders because it's quiet and the motor isn't visible.
But if you live in the hills, or are a more casual/older/medically limited rider the bike doesn't offer enough assist to justify the price.

For me: If I'm going to bear the burden of the extra weight of an e-bike, then I want the option to occasionally use serious power to get me home if a) I run out of strength, b) run into headwinds, rain, darkness, or c) actually win the race.

I'll keep the Bosch.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Anyone know what the torque number is for the new TQ motor?

 

[mschwett]

Anyone know what the torque number is for the new TQ motor?

they say it’s 300w, 50nm.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

it's a couple pounds lighter than the closest competitor (the specialized turbo creo), has a bit more battery, a bit more torque, narrower q-factor, offers 2x drivetrains, close to the same tire clearance, and is a lot quieter.

What does "q factor" mean in this context? I know what it means in resonant systems, but that's probably different.

 

[mschwett]

What does "q factor" mean in this context? I know what it means in resonant systems, but that's probably different.

it’s the distance between the cranks, left to right as seated on the bike looking forward. mid-drive e-bikes have very unusually large ones, which can be a drawback for your ankles or knees or hips, and of course the aerodynamics of a very fat bottom area of the frame. the new TQ motor is narrower than most (all?) mid drive bikes. a standard road bike is 146mm, the new trek is 163. a specialized turbo creo is 181mm.

it hasn’t bothered me, but narrower is definitely better here.

 

[Deacon Blues]

they say it’s 300w, 50nm.

I think that's the same power/torque figures that the new Mahle X20 motor puts out in the Orbea Gain.

 

[mschwett]

I think that's the same power/torque figures that the new Mahle X20 motor puts out in the Orbea Gain.

the X20 looks like a really nice system, love the new through axle config. but the numbers are fishy.

The new X20 hub is still rated at 250W but its official toque output scales down up to real 23Nm at the hub (from 40Nm for the X35), which Mahle says equates to a 55-60Nm (compared to 40Nm for the X35) torque output from a mid-drive motor

basically, they seem to be saying that 23Nm at the hub equals two to three times that at the crank, since the gearing between crank and rear hub is typically 1:2 or 1:3. i agree that’s true if you’re in a high gear, but when i want that torque is on a steep, tough climb, where i’m in a nearly 1:1 gear on any properly equipped bike for such a climb. even my aethos is close to 1:1, so in my book 23 Nm = 23 Nm whether at the crank or hub.

 

[TomWilcox]

2 anecdotes:

1) In general, crank based motors tend to be more powerful than hub based motors. Their output is more predictable and feels better to me. Torque is generally measured at the crank in both normal and e-bikes. Hub motors add rotational mass to the back wheel and become a pain if you get a rear wheel flat. Also, as you suggest, their output becomes a function of the gear you are in, which becomes unpredictable.

2) I have a tight racing geometry cannonade with a narrow Q distance (distance between the middle of the pedals) for increased aerodynamics. Over time (as I got fatter and my knees got further apart while riding) there was more and more pressure on the outside of my calves because the center line of pressure from my thighs to the center of the pedals was widening up top, and I was riding more and more pigeon toed. The center line of power through your leg should be as vertical as possible but if your knees are further apart or you narrow the q distance your power lines become more like an inverted triangle. Imagine sprinting on a tight rope. Toes 3,4 and 5 of each foot would go numb if I rode more than 30 miles or so. I didn't understand what was happening and I spent hundreds of dollars on new seats, pants and shoes to fix the problem, none of which worked. When I bought the domane - which has a more relaxed geometry than a Madone for example, the problem went away. Fortuitously, there happened to be a motor between the cranks as well!

 

[Deacon Blues]

I recently read a review of the new Gain, with the X20 motor, and the reviewer did state that it didn't have much power on the hills, so I'd also question the 50Nm of torque.
Before the pandemic hit I was able to take a couple of Creos for a test ride. I liked the bike, but thought that for $11,000 there should be a bit more 'oomph' for those really steep hills.
I'm not sure how much torque the Creo motor puts out, but I suspect it's around the same as the TQ and Mahle motors.

 

[TomWilcox]

The $9000 creo SL was quoted thus: "With just 35 Nm of torque, the 1.95 kg (4.4 lb) motor is as elegant as it is underpowered."
Notice also that the creo has a 46 tooth chainring and a 11-42 rear configuration. Clearly this is a casual rider configuration.

And this illustrates a general conundrum. The trek salesman I spoke to the other day admitted that there has been very little interest in the road e-bikes, but the mountains bikes are selling well. High torque motors are a clear advantage for mountain bikes, but the road bike community is still scratching its head bout e-bikes for several reasons:

1) A casual rider is not going to spend $8,000+ on a road bike. So only serious riders will look at road e-bikes.
2) In the last decade high rpm - low torque "spinning" has become more popular than low rpm - high torque "grinding", and front chain rings have dropped from 52 down to 48 as a result. As a result, having a high torque motor is seen as less of an advantage, and newer e-bikes have much less torque than earlier models.
3) Weight is still seen as the ultimate evil. Buying a bike that is twice as heavy and twice the price as the same analogue version is nonsensical for a lot of road bikers.
4) In the last 4 years, Trek has gone from Bosch, to Fazua and now to tQ (an unknown company). Every time they change vendors, your $10,000 bike is instantly worthless, unsellable, and unfixable. Analogue bikes dont depreciate like that.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Weight is still seen as the ultimate evil. Buying a bike that is twice as heavy and twice the price as the same analogue version is nonsensical for a lot of road bikers.

Tell me about it. In my more serious pre-ebike era, I worried about every gram -- though more on the bike than on me. As a more casual ebike rider, I now worry about every kilogram or so, and exclusively on the bike. Very liberating!

Not a roadie put-down. May we all enjoy our bikes in our own ways.

However, that "don't worry, be happy" song was onto something.