Hey guys,
A bit of an apples-vs-oranges but hear me out…
I have about $2k with which to purchase a new bike. I’m looking for something sporty which can handle a bit of gravel as well. My use is mostly paved for sure but I would like to be able to do some “light” unpaved trails. Definitely nothing where a mountain bike is appropriate.
Normally, this seems like no-brainer in favor of the Domane but the main complication is that I’m a below the knee amputee. What this means is that I cannot stand and pedal. Not even for a little bit. I don’t have a left ankle so if I’m out of the saddle, I can’t make a full revolution with the pedals. I also happen to live in a very hilly area (the Pacific Northwest). So if I get stopped on a hill, I need to be able to start going up again by shifting the bike into a \*\*super duper granny gear\*\* and spinning as fast as I can. Having really low gearing is key.
The Domane has slightly higher gearing (50/34 with an 11-34 cassette) versus the Search (46/30 with an 11-34 cassette). The Search can take wider tires (up to 50mm) but realistically I doubt I would ever go over 40. In fact, if I got the Search, I would probably swap in some 35’s right away.
The Domane AL5 gen 4 and the Norco Search XR A1 are both remarkably similar in terms of geometry.
[https://99spokes.com/compare?bikes=trek-domane-al-5-gen-4-2024%3B\*z.58cm-700-700%2Cnorco-search-xr-a1-2023%3B\*z.58cm-700-700](https://99spokes.com/compare?bikes=trek-domane-al-5-gen-4-2024%3B*z.58cm-700-700%2Cnorco-search-xr-a1-2023%3B*z.58cm-700-700)
Would it make to more sense to get the bike with the lower gearing (Search) and just swap some skinnier tires onto it due to my (somewhat) unique situation? Or is it wiser to get the more purpose built road-endurance bike (Domane) ?
I’ve ridden both bikes (in different trims unfortunately but same geometry) and they both feel really good. I’ve also tried the Trek Checkpoint but did not like how that one felt (too long and racy). They both look good but I do like the looks of the Search a bit more since it doesn’t have the shift housings routed through the headset like the Domane.
Thanks!
by Puzzleheaded_Fig7536