Trek Domane+ AL 5

Images from manufacturer's website

55 mi

RANGE

20 mph

TOP SPEED

4 hrs

CHARGE TIME

31 lbs

WEIGHT

Rear Hub

MOTOR TYPE

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Trek Domane+ AL 5 Review: Takeaway

If age or injury has slowed you down, but you don’t want to give up road riding, then the Trek Domane+ AL 5 is just the electric bike for you. With a lightweight, low-resistance electric power system, it will help you keep up over the big miles or return to form after injury.

This e-bike gives the rider a more upright, endurance position that allows for more comfort on longer rides. Its 250W electric rear hub motor and in-tube 250Wh battery are discrete so you won’t be on a machine where fellow riders immediately recognize it as a “cheater bike.”

Ideal for...

Returning from injury

Riding with more energetic riders

Long-distance touring

E-Bike Overview

Whatever your reasons for looking for an extra push in your road riding, the Trek Domane+ AL5 is a great first step into electric biking.

For the heckling you might get, this is a lovely electric bike that is light, fast, and doesn’t require lots of electrical energy to get you up the hills. Thanks to its low-friction motor, you can pedal economically and maximize the time you’re on the road.

The high-quality Shimano drivetrain will allow you to get those miles in without demanding too much from the motor and battery, and the light but powerful Shimano RT66 brakes will handle a wet descent without overheating.

Reasons to Buy

The Trek Domane+ AL 5 is a lightweight electric bike that can be ridden on lower power settings to maximize the distance you can cover in a day’s riding. We love the carbon forks that make for a smoother ride and the riding position that allows for more comfort.

We also love the mounts for accessories like a pannier rack, frame bag, and mudguards. This can allow you to get the machine ready for longer tours — perhaps a planned route between motels on a multi-day ride in the countryside.

For those longer rides, it’s possible to achieve 110 miles of riding with the optional extra battery that mounts on the bottle cage fitting. That’s a big day in the saddle!

As a whole, this makes for a great first step from an analog road bike where you’re used to doing 70 miles of riding a day already. You’ll just do it without too much strain on your body!

Things to Consider

One drawback of having a rear hub motor is that it can give too much power too soon and spin the wheel. Starting in a high power mode can lead to this, and is something that you should get used to for safety.

That said, there is little else to raise as an issue on this comfortable, quick, and good-looking electric road bike.

Specs & Components

Riding style

Endurance

Motor

250W HyDrive 40Nm rear hub

Battery

250Wh. Bottle bracket mounted extender available with extra 2500Wh

Controller

Hood mounted buttons

Drivetrain

Shimano 105 R7000 11 speed, 11-34t rear cassette

Brakes

Shimano RT66 hydraulic disc with flat-mounted 160mm front and rear rotors

Front Fork

Domane+ carbon front fork

Mounting points

Mounting points for pannier rack, mudguards and range extender battery

The specs above come from the manufacturer and may vary from what you’ve experienced. Notice something that needs correcting? Let us know.

Ratings

Power

 4.5/5

4.5

It’s interesting that Trek used a 250W rear-hub motor on this electric bike. Rear-hub motors don’t offer resistance when pedaling when they’re switched off — unlike mid-drive motors. With that in mind, though the motor can only take you to 20 mph and deliver up to 40 Nm of torque, you’ll have an easy time going faster with manual effort. Delivering power when you need it (and not resisting you when you don’t), this bike gives you that added push when required without standing in your way when not.

Range

 4.5/5

4.5

With up to 500Wh of energy available with the optional range extender, the Trek Domane+ AL5 offers plenty of range. With the motor in constant use, you can get 55 miles, but there may well be spells when you don’t wish to use the motor very much. That could allow you to get another 45 miles in — a full day of 100 miles of road riding.

Efficiency comes from the slick road tires and low overall weight of the machine at 31 lbs. They all combine to make for a lightweight, fast, and long-range electric bike.

Comfort

 5/5

Being a road racing/training bike, the Trek Domane+ isn’t built for the sort of comfort that you’d expect from a trekking or utility e-bike. Sat in an aerodynamic, sporty position, the rider will have some comforts like the raised handlebar extensions (to take a breather and be more upright).

There are no suspension forks, and the saddle is ergonomically designed for big miles without major discomfort — though for someone used to another type of riding, you may end up saddle sore.

That said, if you’ve spent time choosing the right bike size and have arranged the saddle post to the right height, this will be comfortable as you train or recuperate from injury.

Durability

 4/5

Trek offers a lifetime warranty to the first owner of this e-bike for the machine’s frame and forks. In addition, the parts and accessories fitted to the frame (excluding consumable parts) are protected for two years.

You’ll need to change the chain and cassette about every 1,000 miles depending on how you use the bike. The chain should be oiled on a weekly basis (if used every day) and after a rain shower, or it could rust and break. Keep an eye on brake pads and the hydraulic fluid levels in the brake lines, too.

Style

 4/5

Offered in a choice of color schemes of jet black, red, or light gray, the Trek Domane+ AL5 is nice enough to look at. Though other riders on analog bikes may initially struggle to tell if it’s an e-bike, the wider downtube where the battery sits is reasonably obvious.

Road racing bikes have changed little over the last decade or so — though this design isn’t dated, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd and break new ground.

Our Research Methodology

We personally research and test every e-bike featured in our reviews and guides to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations. Learn how we review.

About Our Editorial Team

Written by Robb Dorr

Co-founder

Robb is a massive cycling enthusiast who has more than 20 years of non-motorized cycling experience. He started eBikes.org to lower the barrier of entry to cycling and reduce the intimidation people can experience when getting into the cycling world.

Meet Our Editorial Team