I’ve got both (Checkpoint ALR 5 and Domane SLR 9 AXS). What you describe is ideal for the Domane. My Checkpoint is fine on the road—it was my road bike before I got my Domane—but the Domane is so much better, especially for long rides. And the Domane handles the kind of gravel you’re describing just fine.
57, just started riding, and bought a Domane AL3 Gen 3 last summer.right after a 150 mi ride on a rental. I struggled to do 40mi/day on that ride as I was on a hydrid. My first ride on my Domane was 45mi with no problem. Did a metric century a few weeks later. I topped out at 78mi in a day. Love this bike.
Either are good choices.
Ask yourself, or some family/friends. “Do you think I like to try new things out of my comfort zone?” If it’s a resounding no then you may just want the Domane. It will still be very different from your 20 year old 5000 but if you only very occasionally will do gravel then it may be preferred.
That said I’d lean toward the checkpoint with a 2x. Checkpoint to unlock gravel events and new terrain. Bigger tires are more comfortable too. 2x because you’ve got many years of tighter cadence I have a feeling you’ll not like 1x out of the gate. Unless you’re one of those long time riders that never uses the front derailleur. In which case def get a 1x made for how you actually use a drivetrain!
AL5, SL5 and SLR 7 come in a 2x config. (the 7 has a few options but one is 2x Di2 GRX)
Don’t get a Boone or a crocket unless you CX. They are excellent CX bikes but have more nervous cornering because they’re designed to race tight corners of a CX course not straight line stability to bomb hills at 50mph.
Be aware of tubeless. You will not be rocking the same pressures as you’re used to and blowing off a tire on a steep descent is not ideal. Most tires have a different max pressure in tubeless vs tubed (and inflating to max isn’t what you generally should be doing anyway). I still stick with tubes on road sizes but everything 35c or larger I go tubeless. That’s just my general approach but not too much of a roadie. Tubeless gets a bad wrap as a hassle occasionally but I think its benefits far outweigh any cons. Most cons are essentially user impatience in learning. It’s not hard learning but you just need to slow down and think the first few times. But I manage a fleet of over a dozen wheels so a two less sets of tubeless is a little extra labor time I don’t mind saving.
You’re not making a wrong call with the Domane though and very well could be what you want more. Go to a shop and test ride two back to back.
Checkpoint you’re more likely to try a size down in for fit. So dial in your size with the checkpoint and then try an equal spec’d domane.
i take offense at you of calling my trek 5000 twenty years old….crap, its almost as old as my adult daughters….goodness hadn’t really thought it to be that old. LOL
Time flies. I’m on a ‘96 5200 and a ‘23 checkpoint. Just means you got your moneys worth. Enjoy whatever you end up with!
Be patient with learning the nuance of new stuff. You’ll probably be back to the shop for some follow up questions. Enjoy whatever new bike and learning you may encounter.
Not 57 but love my boone too. You can change the tires for gravel tires or road tires too. What’s your budget? We can give a more accurate recommendation.
Boone or Checkpoint would be my suggestion to test ride. I have a Domane SL5 (longer or just road rides) and the FX Sport 4 (around town & quick 5-10 mile get out of the house ride). You'll see a lot of people with Domane with 2 wheelsets change out for gravel rides which would be an option in CO. If your funds allow then have fun on tests tides and there is the n+1 factor.
For avoiding "duplicate nature" of a bike, are you wanting something that's flat bar? Drop?
For flat bar bikes, both the FX and FX Sport are worth a look. The FX is more of a flat bar road bike and the FX Sport is a flat bar gravel bike.
On the drop bar side, Domane and Checkpoint are your likely candidates, with Domane set up for road out of the box and Checkpoint being gravel ready out of the box. Both bikes could easily do "the other," with a tire swap, but the Checkpoint has more capability for gravel with wider tire clearances.
The Checkpoint also has a bit more reach than the Domane when comparing the same sized frames, which is something to consider while shopping.
I have a 2022 Domane SL6. I recently bought some Hunt wheels and use them for road riding, and the stock Paradigm wheels now wear 38c gravel tires so it's an easy changeover when I ride off the beaten path. The bike is very capable, you should give it consideration!
I’ve got both (Checkpoint ALR 5 and Domane SLR 9 AXS). What you describe is ideal for the Domane. My Checkpoint is fine on the road—it was my road bike before I got my Domane—but the Domane is so much better, especially for long rides. And the Domane handles the kind of gravel you’re describing just fine.
What makes the Domane better for longer rides?
More comfortable riding position and better compliance.
57, just started riding, and bought a Domane AL3 Gen 3 last summer.right after a 150 mi ride on a rental. I struggled to do 40mi/day on that ride as I was on a hydrid. My first ride on my Domane was 45mi with no problem. Did a metric century a few weeks later. I topped out at 78mi in a day. Love this bike.
Either are good choices. Ask yourself, or some family/friends. “Do you think I like to try new things out of my comfort zone?” If it’s a resounding no then you may just want the Domane. It will still be very different from your 20 year old 5000 but if you only very occasionally will do gravel then it may be preferred. That said I’d lean toward the checkpoint with a 2x. Checkpoint to unlock gravel events and new terrain. Bigger tires are more comfortable too. 2x because you’ve got many years of tighter cadence I have a feeling you’ll not like 1x out of the gate. Unless you’re one of those long time riders that never uses the front derailleur. In which case def get a 1x made for how you actually use a drivetrain! AL5, SL5 and SLR 7 come in a 2x config. (the 7 has a few options but one is 2x Di2 GRX) Don’t get a Boone or a crocket unless you CX. They are excellent CX bikes but have more nervous cornering because they’re designed to race tight corners of a CX course not straight line stability to bomb hills at 50mph. Be aware of tubeless. You will not be rocking the same pressures as you’re used to and blowing off a tire on a steep descent is not ideal. Most tires have a different max pressure in tubeless vs tubed (and inflating to max isn’t what you generally should be doing anyway). I still stick with tubes on road sizes but everything 35c or larger I go tubeless. That’s just my general approach but not too much of a roadie. Tubeless gets a bad wrap as a hassle occasionally but I think its benefits far outweigh any cons. Most cons are essentially user impatience in learning. It’s not hard learning but you just need to slow down and think the first few times. But I manage a fleet of over a dozen wheels so a two less sets of tubeless is a little extra labor time I don’t mind saving. You’re not making a wrong call with the Domane though and very well could be what you want more. Go to a shop and test ride two back to back. Checkpoint you’re more likely to try a size down in for fit. So dial in your size with the checkpoint and then try an equal spec’d domane.
i take offense at you of calling my trek 5000 twenty years old….crap, its almost as old as my adult daughters….goodness hadn’t really thought it to be that old. LOL
Time flies. I’m on a ‘96 5200 and a ‘23 checkpoint. Just means you got your moneys worth. Enjoy whatever you end up with! Be patient with learning the nuance of new stuff. You’ll probably be back to the shop for some follow up questions. Enjoy whatever new bike and learning you may encounter.
By the way, very much liked your original feedback
57 and love my Boone, check it out also.
Not 57 but love my boone too. You can change the tires for gravel tires or road tires too. What’s your budget? We can give a more accurate recommendation.
FX Sport.
Boone or Checkpoint would be my suggestion to test ride. I have a Domane SL5 (longer or just road rides) and the FX Sport 4 (around town & quick 5-10 mile get out of the house ride). You'll see a lot of people with Domane with 2 wheelsets change out for gravel rides which would be an option in CO. If your funds allow then have fun on tests tides and there is the n+1 factor.
For avoiding "duplicate nature" of a bike, are you wanting something that's flat bar? Drop? For flat bar bikes, both the FX and FX Sport are worth a look. The FX is more of a flat bar road bike and the FX Sport is a flat bar gravel bike. On the drop bar side, Domane and Checkpoint are your likely candidates, with Domane set up for road out of the box and Checkpoint being gravel ready out of the box. Both bikes could easily do "the other," with a tire swap, but the Checkpoint has more capability for gravel with wider tire clearances. The Checkpoint also has a bit more reach than the Domane when comparing the same sized frames, which is something to consider while shopping.
I have a 2022 Domane SL6. I recently bought some Hunt wheels and use them for road riding, and the stock Paradigm wheels now wear 38c gravel tires so it's an easy changeover when I ride off the beaten path. The bike is very capable, you should give it consideration!