New Owner of Domane+ ALR

[Esther]

I bought a Domane+ ALR in late July. Had to drive to a Trek store in adjacent state to get a size 52cm.
I have ridden 284 miles on the bike so far.
I really like the Fazua system, and the geometry of this road bike suits me.
I have upgraded the firmware to version 2.12 (released Aug 6, 2021) after installing Fazua toolbox. This firmware update fixed the 'motor stopped assisting' problems for some people in the facebook group for Fazua owners.

Using the Fazua Rider app, I edited the lowest assist setting (Breeze, green) to provide less assistance to me. This extends the battery range, and I get a good workout. I was finding that the default assistance on Breeze was a bit high for me. My heartrate was rarely getting above 140 on the default breeze, and I felt like I wasn't working enough. I use the blue assistance level when a hill is 4% or more slope, and have used the red (rocket) setting a few times. Sometimes I need help to catch up to my speedy husband on his non-motored bike.

I swapped the 40mm handlebars for 36mm bars - my shoulders are a bit narrow.
I have installed a titanium rear rack, adjustable stem, and purple stem cap.
I bought a trainer axle from The Robert Axle project so that I can put this thru-axle bike on a trainer.
I am very happy with the bike. I need to get a bike fit, and I'm still researching kickstands.
I sold my Trek Verve+ bike.

 

[skinnyneo]

Hi! I'm curious how you are liking your ALR? I don't see much about this bike on the internet. It seems like a great compromise of the higher-end Domane+ line with only a few sacrifices.

How do you think this bike would do as touring bike? The fact it takes a rack is already a huge plus, but I wonder about the range of the battery and charging it while on the road. Any thoughts?

Also, I'm curious about removing the battery and biking without it. Does the drop in weight feel noticeable? Can you store items in the down-tube when there is no battery installed?

I read in another post that the Fauzua motor system was causing others some grief. Any issues there?

 

[Deacon Blues]

@Esther, I love the look of the titanium rear rack.
Where did you purchase it from?
I have a titanium framed ebike coming from WattWagons and I think this rack would be a perfect addition.

 

[Esther]

@Deacon Blues I got the titanium rear rack from bikeman.com - they are a distributor for Carver Bikes, the manufacturer of the rack. http://carverbikes.com/parts/accessories/ti-raq-rear-rack/ My wonderful husband did bend the titanium stays with a bench vise for me. I used poster paper and a protractor to mark where to do the bend on the stays and measure the angle needed. You can see in 1st picture that I haven't cleaned off the sharpie marks yet.
I used instructions for a similar-looking Tubus rack to install and used their torque recommendation. I used 2 M5 10mm bolts and 2 M5 16mm bolts (stainless), and a collection of lock washers and washers. I needed more washers on the non-drive side bottom connection point, to clear the bike frame.

@skinnyneo I would want a spare battery pack if I did touring. I am still experimenting with changing the assistance levels in the Fazua Rider app, to give me longer battery range. I don't know how available spare battery/drive packs are. I would research a fast charger for the battery, because it takes around 3 hours to recharge mine. I have not run the battery empty yet, and I think that would happen between 30-40 miles. As I said, still tweaking in the app to extend the battery range. I've only used the highest assistance level a few times (mostly to catch up to very fit spouse on his wind-cheating recumbent).
I have not had any problems with the Fazua system. There's a facebook group for Fazua Riders, and some folks reported that their problems were solved by the August 2021 firmware version. There are a lot of manufacturers using Fazua, and a lot of folks discuss problems and solutions on fb.
My bike uses the Fazua evation system, where the motor/battery removable unit weighs 7.3 lb. I have not ridden with the $70 battery cover on yet, so I don't know if removing 7 lb makes the bike feel a lot lighter. I do notice that when moving the bike around in the garage.

If you plan to fly somewhere with an e-bike to tour, there's a problem. IATA has regulations and most e-bike batteries have to fly on a cargo plane. The batteries are not allowed in checked baggage, or in carry-on luggage.

 

[skinnyneo]

@skinnyneo I would want a spare battery pack if I did touring. I am still experimenting with changing the assistance levels in the Fazua Rider app, to give me longer battery range. I don't know how available spare battery/drive packs are. I would research a fast charger for the battery, because it takes around 3 hours to recharge mine. I have not run the battery empty yet, and I think that would happen between 30-40 miles. As I said, still tweaking in the app to extend the battery range. I've only used the highest assistance level a few times (mostly to catch up to very fit spouse on his wind-cheating recumbent).
I have not had any problems with the Fazua system. There's a facebook group for Fazua Riders, and some folks reported that their problems were solved by the August 2021 firmware version. There are a lot of manufacturers using Fazua, and a lot of folks discuss problems and solutions on fb.
My bike uses the Fazua evation system, where the motor/battery removable unit weighs 7.3 lb. I have not ridden with the $70 battery cover on yet, so I don't know if removing 7 lb makes the bike feel a lot lighter. I do notice that when moving the bike around in the garage.

If you plan to fly somewhere with an e-bike to tour, there's a problem. IATA has regulations and most e-bike batteries have to fly on a cargo plane. The batteries are not allowed in checked baggage, or in carry-on luggage.

Thank you! As I suspected eBikes are probably not the best for touring (as much as I'd like them to be). I would probably like to camp 70-80% of the time meaning I'd be hauling around the extra 7 pounds if the battery runs out.

I'm going to be moving overseas soon, so your advice about flying is also pertinent.

I'll probably think of other questions as the ALR really interests me.