Wanted a road bike for over a decade. I tore my PCL in SURT right before Ranger School. The swelling went away after graduating Ranger School (went 62 and through on a completely torn PCL) and I have not been able to run like I used to. I was a sub 11 minute 2 mile guy. Talk about being down in the dumps.

This led me to purchasing an entry level TREK Domane Al 2. I’m not trying to win any races. This bike is amazing. I feel like a kid again. My guilty pleasure is bunny hopping over speed bumps, speed tables, curbs, on downhill banks, and so on. Don’t judge me. 😂

Not new to 2 wheels. I have a Yamaha R1 track only bike. I don’t ride motorcycles on the street anymore because going fast was too easy. This TREK will help me keep my driver’s license and my security clearance.

I’m looking forward to inevitably learning from the community.

Welcome!

Glad to have you here. Lots of good folks, knowledge and varied opinions to be had.

Welcome, from SE Wisconsin. I think I may have seen your intro on "read it" too.

Sounds like you caused permanent damage by finishing that run on a torn PCL...

When I decided I wanted to get into cycling more seriously, I joined a group ride that was the final farewell to the Waterford Bicycle Company, run by Richard Schwinn. It was the last gasp from that storied family. Anyway, I showed up on my Trek Verve 3 hybrid and could not keep up even with the slower, older folks. They were carrying on full conversations while seemingly taking it easy on their road bikes. I was huffing and puffing at max effort only to get dropped after maybe 5 miles. My tires were a bit low, 35 psi, but it was then that I knew I had to have a proper road bike. I bought one almost just like yours, mine's a Domane AL3. 14 mph average is pretty effortless and I can keep up in a group averaging 17-18 mph, taking my turn pulling.

Now, a group ride like that first one for 25 miles is one that I do three nights a week, at varying paces between 14-17 mph average.

I bunny hop the Domane now and then, or at least wheelie a bit to go up and down curbs, but I may have overdone it somewhere, as I broke a spoke on the rear late last year. Careful there.

As you say, it's a great bike. The lower trims are still smooth-rolling and with reliable shifting. The stock tires are quite puncture-resistant in exchange for being heavy. I wore out the rear this past year, and when looking at it under good light, I couldn't believe how many cuts were in the center of the tread from chips of glass without puncturing!


Here's me taking a fun lap of the local velodrome on my then-new Domane two winters ago.