The only major downside is Giants choice to use its second-tier carbon. If, like most of us, you don't have the unlimited pockets of cash to spend on an endurance road bike, you'll need to make compromises to save money. We tested this model when the Caledonia 5 was launched in July 2021 but, while the frame remains unchanged, the latest bike with have the new, 12-speed Ultegra Di2 groupset. But if the heavens open on the day of your ride, youll enjoy it much more if your bike is fitted with mudguards and protected from wheel spray. If youre new to cycling, a sportive is an ideal way to challenge yourself, ride new terrain and meet other riders. kathmandu hybrid rabe trapeze The winner of the endurance road bike category in Bike of the Year 2020, the Defy Advanced Pro 2 offers a great ride, handling and comfort, with the latest model including vibration-damping D-Fuse D-shaped bars and seatpost, along with carbon wheels and 32mm tubeless tyres. The main differentiation between the two bikes comes down to weight. To understand the modern endurance road bike it's worth taking a look at the history of the category. Hydraulic disc brakes are more effective, but theyre also pricier, so youll find them on higher-spec machines. We found the lights to be excellent in testing, but the output is limited to 350 lumens, which might not be suitable for riding in full darkness on unlit roads. The place where the best endurance road bikes excel is as all-around bikes. A carbon seatpost will absorb road buzz like so many of the other frames on this list, and the price of the Cube Agree C:62 is quite reasonable. Giant designed the D-Fuse seat post and handlebar system to absorb shocks and vibrations from the road. Riders can even adjust the compression and rebound damping, tailoring their ride to be as comfortable as possible no matter the terrain. The Vitus Zenium is aimed at sportive and endurance riders, but is on the sportier side of things with a low stack height and long reach. The trend now is for even wider tyres of 28mm or more, and our endurance road bike picks come with rubber up to 32mm wide, and even wider in some cases. A quality road bike groupset will give you light, precise shifting, with a broad range of gears for a wide variety of terrain. Pair this frame with the Ultegra Di2 groupset and carbon wheels, and youve got a bike that will float over the road and has been specced wisely. There are bikes that are the right tool for the job covering whatever you want to do on two wheels. Fuji is one of those brands that continually flies under the radar. Greater versatility is built into endurance road bikes, too. First launched in 2004, the Specialized Roubaix was the first commercially available endurance road bike. The Caledonia 5 is Cervlos take on the endurance road bike: a machine that combines the brands performance focus with the versatility weve come to expect from this category. They each have their pros and cons, but they are both fantastic groupsets with impeccable shifting performance. The groupset comes from Shimano in the form of 11-speed Ultegra. This might seem like an odd question given how far we are into a guide for the best endurance road bikes. Most will throw in a few steeper hills, while some routes take you up and down as much elevation as possible. Although women can find comfort in a men's bike - as explained in our article: Can women ride men's bikes? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Endurance road bikes also tend to have a lower gear range than race bikes. He will happily talk for hours about the minutia of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. Paul has been riding since he was a teenager and has been writing about bike tech for almost a decade. speedster cannondale tiagra synapse rennrad tredz A compact chainset with 50- and 34-tooth chainrings is a good starting point for any endurance bike. The best endurance road bike for you is unlikely to be the same for the next person. hpc rabe From there designers add endurance focused details like wider tyre clearance. It doesnt even look like an endurance frame outfitted with aerodynamic tube shapes and a tapered head tube. fuji carretera 49cm zannata atombike periodistadigital rower szosowy 52cm ride Over time the gravel bike became its own thing with even greater specialisation but that history continues to influence the category. That should give you plenty of low range to tackle steeper uphills, with lowest ratios at or close to 1:1. nuroad rabe Additionally, the oversized and tapered OverDrive 2 steerer tube improves cornering precision while the MegaDrive downtube and PowerCore bottom bracket are responsible for precise handling and efficient pedalling. rabe The Liv Avail Advanced 2 is a bike designed by women, specifically for women, and it's our pick as the best endurance road bike in that category. The best tubeless tyres let you lower your tyre pressure even more, add puncture protection by removing the need for an inner tubeand may save a bit of weight too. The frame may also be designed with additional focus on compliance or even micro-suspension. Endurance road bikes tend to have wider tyres than race bikes, to aid comfort and help create a smoother ride. Along with the smart systems there's plenty to love about the standard bike as well. Heres why you can trust us. Youll want to be comfortable as you ride and a good-quality saddle that suits your anatomy is important. The Cube Agree C:62 is one of the best value endurance road bikes on the market. Having worked as a freelance writer and journalist for over six years, Stan started working in the bike industry in 2018, writing content for some of the sports biggest brands, including Chris King, ENVE, Castelli and Sportful. It's not a fast bike but it is a comfortable bike design for more people. Choosing the best road bike for your needs neednt be a compromise, however, and the latest endurance bikes are faster and more versatile than ever. The Trek Domane SL6 offers many of the features available on the top-end Domane SLR 9 for a whole lot less money. 2022 rabe bike sutra 2022 kona These are the bikes ready to take on long rides and even head well-off the beaten path. It makes excellent bikes that come attached to value pricing and the Fuji Sportif is yet another in this line-up. Realistically a tyre in the 25-28mm is plenty for road riding. In most cases there is more than one bike that would do the job but if you choose the specialised option it will excel in a particular way. Our bike fit guide explains how to do this and what to expect. Theres just enough clearance for the 32mm tyres, which also help. bmc roadmachine But this isnt detrimental to the ride. Modern bikes are almost entirely equipped with disc brakes. You want to make sure though that you are happy with what you have from the beginning. When it comes to the spec, Liv starts with a carbon fibre frame. henley The spec includes a mechanical Ultegra groupset and quality alloy DT Swiss ER1400 wheels.Theyre tubeless-ready, as are the Schwalbe Pro One 28mm tyres. And remember, endurance bikes place a greater focus on comfort. The Cannondale Synapse was already an iconic endurance road bike. Choose the right endurance road bike and you can ride whatever road looks interesting without worrying if it's paved or not. If you're looking to really push the envelope of off-road capability, the Roadmachine might come up short. Larger tyres are generally a good idea. At the back, youll normally get a cassette that goes from 11 teeth for its smallest sprocket (or 10 teeth for SRAMs latest eTap AXS 12-speed groupsets) up to 30, 32 or 34 teeth in its largest. Let's see if we can narrow down what is going to work best for you. As we have seen throughout this list, endurance road bikes start with a more relaxed, and stable geometry. An endurance road bike will be designed to enable you to cover the distance in comfort. Try 3 issues of Cycling Plus magazine for just 5! If you decide to adventure off paved roads, the Liv Avail Advanced 2 won't let you down there either, thanks to the Giant Gavia Fondo 1 tubeless tyres in a 700x32c size. Knowing which compromises to make is always the trick but don't despair. sutra Endurance road bikes have a more relaxed geometry with a longer wheelbase and upright seating position, they are stable and comfortable and were some of the first road bikes to make the switch to disc brakes and wider tyres. However, it's worth stating that just because endurance road bikes are great, that doesn't mean they are for everyone. For the same reasons that an endurance bike is good for riding all day and good on unpaved roads, they are good for racing when you need a little more compliance. You can feel the effects of flex built into the fork, seatstays, and seatpost. If the S-Works version is out of reach, the more budget-friendly models come close in the performance department without the big price tags. The Defys ride position is on the sporty side and theres the resilience to take on gravel roads. For some, youll need to find a dealer, while for others you can input your details online and get a selection of models to choose from. Smartsense is a complete smart bike system. henley What to look for in an endurance road bike and our pick of the best. In the past braking performance was dependent on a stiff rim brake calliper. BA1 1UA. If you want to upgrade things later you can come very close to duplicating the best Trek offers. Stan joined BikeRadar in 2021 and now covers the latest cycling news and, as an experienced cyclist and writer, provides advice on the best products to buy, based on BikeRadar's independent reviews. Thanks! Having said this, alloy frames can be designed to be very compliant and tend to offer a price saving. Put that all together, and youll have a much softer ride. Theres a huge range of options. Earlier versions used Zertz inserts to absorb road buzz, and the same goal has stuck with the bike. If you ride a mix of terrain, like to dabble in gravel, prefer a more relaxed position on the bike, or want a bike that can do a bit of everything, then the best endurance road bikes are a great option. Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. Many people think about saving money in terms of what they can change later. Racing geometry will typically give you faster handling, a lower position and the ride may be firmer, whereas endurance geometry gives a more upright riding position and more stable handling. For those looking to ride through the winter there's fender mounts and for those looking to carry more, there's rack mounts. The larger wheels and tyres a bike used the less responsive the braking performance would be. Get a Snycros iS Couple bottle cage when you subscribe to Mountain Biking UK today! Compact 50/34t chainsets and cassettes with 32-teeth sprockets are not uncommon, and these will help you crest steep ascents at the end of a long day. The same applies for endurance bikes, which are designed to meet that challenge and allow riders to tackle a wide variety of terrain in relative comfort, rather than being forced to turn a massive gear. Cannondale has always positioned the Synapse not as a second-tier option but rather as a premier bike with a different focus. These give you a bit more top-end gearing, but paired with a wide-range cassette you still have the lower gears for easier climbing. This engineering reality paired with a believe that narrower, harder, tires were faster meant that road bikes had very thin tyres.