The technical rulings of cycling's governing body, the UCI, aren't always popular with consumers or industry insiders. One distinct benefit, however, is the clause stating that all items used in competition must be made available to public.
Trek is making good on that rule with its new Race Shop program, which will offer everyday riders access to several items previously only available to sponsored athletes such as 2013 Paris-Roubaix winner Fabian Cancellara. (Click here to read about the three new mountain bike frames to be offered in Trek’s new Race Shop Limited program.)
Domane Pro Fit goes lower and longer
The current inline Trek Domane models offer up phenomenal rear-end comfort – thanks to the company's truly innovative IsoSpeed pivoting seat cluster – matched with outstanding overall frame stiffness and weight. The only major hiccup for more performance-minded riders has been the very tall stack measurements, which preclude even moderately aggressive bar setups.
RadioShack Leopard Trek team riders have avoided the issue with special molds that more closely mimic the geometry of the company's Madone H1 frames. On average, the Pro Fit frames allow for bar heights about 50mm lower than those on the standard Domanes, with reach extended by about 20mm across the board for comparable sizes.
Head tube angles are steepened by about a degree, too, making the Domane Pro Fit substantially longer, lower, and faster handling than typical production models. Tire clearance is slightly boosted, too, with enough room for the enormous 27mm-wide tubulars favored by the team.
Trek's IsoSpeed seat cluster design works extremely well – and now you can get it on a bike with an aggressive geometry
Trek will offer the Domane Pro Fit through its Project One custom program, with turnaround times said to be less than 30 days. Colorways will include Team Scheme, Solid Minimal Logo, Solid Team, and Solid Outline, with availability projected for this fall.
While the standard Domane is offered in 44-62cm sizes, though, the Domane Pro Fit will only be available in a more limited 54-62cm range. "I guess that is the 'limited' part of Race Shop Limited," Trek road brand manager Michael Mayer told BikeRadar. "It only comes in the sizes that are raced by the team."
Limited edition wheels, shoes, saddles, and bars
While Mayer says the Domane Pro Fit will likely remain on hand year-round as a Project One option, other Race Shop Limited items will be "one time only and then discontinued".
The Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 Classic features the same critical external dimensions as the standard Aeolus D3 5 carbon tubulars, including a versatile 50mm depth, generous 27mm width, and sub-1,300g claimed weight for the set.
Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 Classic
However, the Classic variant's tire bed is built with a larger radius to provide a better gluing surface for tires of 27mm and up – a key feature for the cobbled Classics but also something that should prove appealing to cyclocross riders with especially aggressive cornering styles.
Team spec saddles will also be available. The Bontrager Team Issue 'Rider Edition' Saddle will use the same shape as the standard Team Issue model but with a firmer foam.
'Rider Edition' Bontrager Team Edition saddles
For the mountain bike crowd, there's the Bontrager Hammerhead bar and stem combo, which pairs a flat carbon bar and lightweight carbon stem in an ultralight package said to weigh just 245g. Handmade at the Trek factory in Waterloo, Wisconsin, the Hammerhead will only be offered in a single 110mm stem length.
Also on hand are two limited edition shoe colors – the Bontrager RXL Road in Team Sky Blue and the Bontrager RXL MTB in Trek Factory Racing Red. Both will only be available in sizes 41-45.
Pricing for all Trek Race Shop Limited items is still to be announced.