While Trek started by building steel road bikes, they have a long history of working with cutting-edge materials. They debuted bonded aluminum frames in 1986, added bonded carbon fiber in 1988, then their molded OCLV carbon in 1992, arguably kick-starting the mass-production of carbon-fiber frames.
The Madone was Trek's first departure from the OCLV frames of 1992-2002. It was lighter and stiffer and sized better for riders. As Trek has refined its road offerings, the Madone has become the aero racer, with dramatic shaping and extensive integration. It’s super-slippery against the wind, and thanks to IsoSpeed damping, it is compliant for increased comfort on the long-hauls.
The Domane is Trek’s endurance road bike, designed for the rough cobblestone classics. Trek’s top racer in 2012, Fabian Cancellara, immediately took to the new bike and proceeded to ride it exclusively. The Domane’s biggest innovation was the IsoSpeed Decoupler, a means for adding compliance by separating the seat tube from the stays and top tube, increasing comfort for long, pounding miles. By 2016, Trek had added front IsoSpeed to increase steering compliance without affecting handling. The Domane excels at endurance by having more stack and less reach as well as increasing tire clearance; the 2019 version accepts tires up to 38mm in width, meaning it can easily double as a gravel bike. The Domane line comes in carbon (SLR, SL) and aluminum (AL). The AL 2 comes in rim- and disc-brake versions.
As the Madone got more aero, Trek needed a climbing bike. They debuted the Emonda in 2014. Because aerodynamics are always important, they made sure to deploy aero shaping as much as possible while still keeping the weight low. Their SLR frame weighs less than 700g. The Emonda comes in SLR and SL versions, including aluminum (ALR, with a number, like 6, after it), in rim- and disc-brake options.
