Originally Posted by Reality33

The 08 Madone (if still the way it was stock) will have a few advantages over the 4.3. It has better wheels (Race-lite compared to the heavy TLR wheels that come on the 4.3), Ultegra groupset, and a better carbon layup (OCLV Black which is probably close to the OCLV 500 series of today.) It was also still made in Wisconsin if that matters to you.

The Domane 4.3 is a nice bike and the iso speed system works great. It is very comfortable when you hit the bumpy stuff and great on long rides.

Both bikes (once again I am assuming are both stock) have 10 speed groupsets, so when it comes to kit, the Madone wins hand down alone for better wheels, carbon in the frame and groupset.

I test rode both not too long ago. A Madone 7 series and Domane 5.2 I rode away with the Domane because I was looking for something to do longer rides on. The comfort level was just light years ahead and that with the more relaxed "endurance" geometry was a nice change from my other bikes. It did take me a while to get used to riding with the ISO Speed rear as at first it felt very "floaty" and not connected to the road, especially in downhill corners. After a while I was used to it and really love the bike.

With the two bikes you are looking at, the Madone may be more comfortable due to the higher grade carbon in the frame. It is hard to tell on paper, so if you can, try and ride both bikes. Either one is a great ride.

Originally Posted by Boehmer

Thanks, Dan. This is helpful. Do you do any longer, endurance rides on the Madone? I've test ridden Madones several times and find them lively and fun to ride while remaining fairly comfortable, but I have no sense of how they'd feel on longer rides. Any opinion there?

Originally Posted by Dan333SP

My longest ride was 106 miles on it, but I haven't done anything like multi-day touring with 150+ miles/day. For 106 miles it felt fine (my butt didn't because I had a bad saddle at the time), but I did it at race pace in a group so I was focused on the wheel ahead of me the whole time and didn't spend much time analyzing the relative pros/cons of the bike's ride over long distances. I have the H2 geometry which has a taller head tube, it doesn't cause me any neck/shoulder/back discomfort on normal weekend rides in the 40-70 mile range.

Originally Posted by Boehmer

The Domane is a 2014 4.3 and has 2014 (10-speed) 105. The Madone has 10-speed Ultegra. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by flyfisherbob

FWIW - I owned a Madone, and sold it to buy a Domane. For me, it was an issue of comfort on bumpy/chattery roads. Those left me feeling pretty beat up on the Madone, but not nearly so on the Domane. Your results may vary, of course. I am 61 years old, 6 ft and 215. A younger and leaner person may feel the opposite of me.

Originally Posted by Boehmer

The Domane is a 2014 4.3 and has 2014 (10-speed) 105. The Madone has 10-speed Ultegra. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by spdracr39

6700 Ultegra is probably better but 6600 would be about the same as the 2014 105.

Originally Posted by Boehmer

Thanks for the feedback here - really helpful. I've had a chance to ride a 2013 4.5 Domane and 2013 5.2 Madone. Unfortunately, haven't been able to ride either of the two I'm actually comparing (2014 Domane 4.3 and 2008 Madone 5.2). They both still have their stock set-up (the Madone has a different saddle). I found that I fit in the cockpit slightly better on the Madone as I have a slightly longer torso and liked feeling a bit more stretched out (even with H2 geometry). Loved the comfort of the Domane, however. I found myself aiming for potholes and bumps just to feel how incredibly smooth it took them. In the end, I imagine I'll end up with the Madone. Just kind of a gut feel.