bought the GIANT DEFY Endurance 1.0 at Xmas and am in love with it. I'm nearly 62, not what you'd call a skinny bloke (think of rolling 3 David's into making 1 me LOL ) and managed on Saturday last 148 km's in one go on it. Best £2,300 I have ever spent. Keep up the great videos !!!
I’ve got the Trek Domane 2021 and must say, the versatility of multiple mounts for 3 bottle cages to mudguards and rack at the back is nice. I use this bike during the week as my transportation, but in the weekends I take off the rack/mudguards and 3th bottle cage together with my aero wheels/slim tires. Makes this one of the best “one for all bike”. The lifetime guarantee on the frame gives me peace at mind.
Bought same in October, love it. Moved from 15 lb race bike to Defy, feels fast, but without the jarring bumps. Change to tubeless was a happy consequence.
defy advanced pro 1 with di2 but i don't like the hookless rims as i'm into vittoria or challenge tyres. problem solved, pirelli p zero race tlr 28mm. not cheap but great tyre and also for hookless rims
Not on the list of giant but ready for hookless rims are the pirelli p zero race TLR from 28mm on. Better than the gavia tire, i love the pirelli on my slr1 wheelsystem. road.cc/content/review/pirelli-p-zero-race-tlr-278857
6 months ago I bought a Trek Domane SL6 & love this bike, so comfortable & the compact gearing is awesome. Great for road & gravel & even light single track, great bike!
I am 30 days into my SL 7 SRAM etap. Ride is amazingly smooth and comfortable. A bit not happy about the weight when trying to keep up fast group rides. Not sure if swap to 28 mm tires and go tubeless from the stock 32 mm. I went from 2010 Specialized Roubaix with Ultegra.
@@hms350 I feel the same way about the weight, for what these cost they should be lighter, the disc brakes are the weight penalty, they’re awesome but heavy. I love the 32 tires, feel very planted, 28’s may be a little quicker but that’s a personal preference, hope you enjoy that awesome bike, stay safe!
@Wooly Chewbakker I didn’t say anything the Domane being heavy, I love this bike as I said in my comment. Maybe your comment was meant for someone else?
@Wooly Chewbakker the guy replied to a guy that said he didn't like the weight by replying he felt the same. So, yes he did say something about weight and you were correct.
For me the “one bike to rule them all” is the Cervelo Caledonia. I sold my Roubaix and bought the Caledonia instead. It’s been such a great bike so far. It’s incredibly fast with the carbon wheels I’ve installed. Personally I didn’t hate the suspension in the Roubaix, but really didn’t find a need for it. The Caledonia is very versatile too, with my carbon wheels and 28 mm tires for fast road rides and my cheap aluminum wheels with 33mm tires for gravel/ adventure/bad weather riding. If anyone’s thinking about the Caledonia, definitely buy it!
You must be riding smooth roads if you didn’t see the need for the front suspension. The jarring pain I would get in my wrists from rough pavement, sidewalks, or some gravel roads disappeared with the Roubaix front shock. I can ride for 5+ hours on the bike and never feel any wrist pain anymore. The annoying vertical separation between sidewalk pads almost completely disappeared. Tubeless and lower tire pressure can help, but the damping from the suspension is amazing in my opinion. I log 800km a month.
I just bought the ROSE REVEAL FOUR ULTEGRA. For a price of 2800€ with integrated cockpit and very good wheels tires you can't do anything wrong with it. So smooth and comfortable I really love it.
I’ve repeatedly heard it said that the Canyon Endurace is showing it’s age but I don’t see it. I think it looks better than the models with dropped seat stays and it had aero shaping before other bikes in this category so it could be said it was ahead of the game. Then again it could be because I have one so I’m biased. 🤗
Scott Bikes don't get enough credit - I have a 2020 Addict SE (Shimano Di2 vs 2021 has SRAM) put 5000 miles on it last year and the Endurance bike does provide the comfort if fitted properly - I truly look forward to riding every chance I get.
Bought a Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 (di2, 2020 model) this spring.. incredibly comfortable bike, and I’m still able to get into a decently aero position so I’m not catching all the wind. 10/10
Can't go wrong with a Defy. Surprisingly fast (I've bagged the odd segment without knowing) and the best built big factory carbon bike. Now my all year training bike. Comfy, light, stiff, fast, well made. THE GT bike. Etape is good too - super durable, but can't match the Giant for speed. Specialized and Trek are now just gimmicky messes, though wide tyre capability on the Trek is good. Cervelo and Cannondale would be good if their bottom brackets worked... If you don't mind the weight (and if you just ride for pleasure, not performance, why should you?), steel is sublime. The best ride quality, super tough, but chips and rusts if you're not careful.
Hi James, I was just watching the RU-vid channel, Peak Torque. He has a very engineering-centric focus on bikes and is not kind to manufactures who don't practice good engineering in the design of their bikes. In the video, he refers to Trek's IsoSpeed system on the Domane as a very clever and sound engineering solution to creating a comfortable riding bike. Anyway, I thought you might find this interesting and a different perspective on referring to Trek's endurance bikes as "gimmicky messes."
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm Yes, thanks, a great channel. Trek's 'suspension' solutions are clever. On paper. But, they have no practical requirement - a solution waiting for a problem. The lack of damping is not ideal and elastomers are very hard to tune spring rate. Small, high frequency road impacts are almost impossible to suspend anyway. Trek tell us rear suspension only is the answer, Specialized tell us just front! The answer is neither - they are marketing gimmicks to separate them from other brands (and justify an upcharge). If you want road comfort, big tyres, a good saddle and thick bar tape is all you need. Incidentally, Peak Torque rides a Giant! And Giant manufacture Trek (to Trek's design). I hope this helps if you are deliberating!
@@jameshoward9700 Hi James! Thanks for all that good feedback. Part of the reason why I am trying to do a deep dive regarding Treks is I live where there are not a lot of options in local bike shops. In fact, there is only one bike shop within a modest car ride, and they sell Treks. I am fairly adept with bike repairs, but with a purchase of this magnitude I am just more comfortable buying locally from a shop with a good reputation (which this Trek store has). The lifetime warranty of the Trek frame is a plus IMO when one considers the subpar QC of so many bikes these days. My perfect bike would be a Giant Defy with a threaded bottom bracket bought from a local, well respected bike shop with a lifetime frame warrantee. Sigh, such an option does not exist. What do you think of the Trek Emonda? Although it does not have the more relaxed geometry of Trek's endurance bikes, I wonder if it is relaxed enough for my 67 year old cycling body. I ask because the Emonda is better at "sticking to the basics" with no iso-speed suspension.
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm Hi Luigi. No worries. I know there are sometimes practical (shop, price, hell - colour!) reasons that have to influence our cycle choice. If you'd rather stick to a local dealer (support, backup etc) then go ahead - Trek make a high quality product. The Emonda is their best bike. They have well made (Giant!) frames and a new, better bottom bracket standard. They don't rely too heavily on integrated components (hard to adjust, expensive, hard to travel) and Bontrager (also Giant!) parts are well designed and good quality. Basically, The bike is a quality product. I would't worry about the bike being less relaxed than Domane - the shop should be able to get your fit spot-on and my experience of the Emonda is that it's geometry is quite relaxed outside the top race models. Consider different sizes too. For example, I ride different sizes of bike for race, winter training and gravel. Going up a size will make the bike much more relaxed. All the best with your choice!
I brought the specialized allez elite, me being a heavy rider of 115kg I must say with a decent pair of bib shorts it is very comfortable and very good value for money at £1,250
Wow! All area impressively pretty: even the least attractive of them (i.e., the Mason & the Cervélo) are still quite handsome. I probably prefer the Scott, thee Synapse, the Domane & the titanium bike (followed by the Merida) the finest-looking of the lot by a small margin. Lovely bikes!
Shout out to the Bianchi Infinito CV. It has different sizing to most other bikes which works well for people like me with long inseam and short torso who are in-between sizes and has a much more racy feel than the likes of the Defy, Roubaix and Domane.
Yeah, totally not sure how the Infinito missed this list. You’ve got the Bianchi heritage, one of the best and most vibrant colors of ANY bike period. You have Countervail in the frame set which does offset some road noise and bumps. You’ve got a relaxed endurance geometry. One of the best enduro rigs on the market no question. A much better bike than 90% of the ones in the vid, especially the dumpster fire Cervelo and emotionless Canyon bikes. Good list nevertheless, but...
Brilliant content David. Whichever one you have, going tubeless is a game changer for comfort. Canyon VCLS split seatpost is a close second for reducing the buzz 🐝 from the road surface.
Merida is really a good value for money. I have the force AXS version and when you compare this with TRek for the same groupset and carbon disc wheels you will have to pay 30% more.
Giant first introduced the Defy in 2008, not 2015. My 2014 Defy Advanced 1 is still a delight. Because Giant actually weaves their own carbon, they build compliance into the frame instead of relying on suspension like Trek and Specialized. They also know that a rider’s elbows and knees are far better forms of suspension than mechanical shock absorbers.
Yesterday afternoon was very bright and sunny, I had been riding my 2015 endurance bike for quite a while and was beginning to feel my legs. I then got onto a smooth paved 'greenway', riding along at about 28MPH. I had just starting to relax and coast a slight downhill under some welcomed shade trees when BAM! The handlebars instantly jolted out of my hands (!). The sudden mix of sun and shade had camouflaged a 1" sharp pavement heave across the path caused by a tree root. Fortunately I was able to recover without a crash or damage, but a true front suspension, perhaps like a 'Future Shock' in the handlebar stem (e.g. 2021 Roubaix) would have eliminated or at least moderated my very dangerous experience.
A great roundup - lots of really nice bikes there covering a wide interpretation of "endurance". Hopefully something there for everyone. Good idea not to mention prices - probably will have gone up before you finished editing let alone before this video is out of date!
Excellent video. These types of bikes should be ridden by the majority of people, they would love even more cycling. It would be great to have a deeper review of some of them.
I just purchased one in military green a couple of days ago, with carbon wheels, and a separate set of aluminium wheels fitted with gravel tires 33 mm wide. The absolute perfect package for most types of riding!
Dog Almighty I'd HOPE it's about the comfort for a category called "endurance." Most performance-marketed bikes are things one endures to go fast in the last 30 seconds of a completely artificial situation. After having spent so much time and money on this, my next bike, and hopefully the one to replace the rest of mine, is going to look like Jan Heine's All Road Bicycle.
I was happy to find out from your video about your favorite groupset, Ultegra, that my 2018 Domane has it. It's a great bike, I usually use 32 WTB Expanse tyres. Very versatile.
Ultegra is awesome. I'd forgotten how smoothly and well it operates until I adjusted my brother's bike yesterday. I've been riding SRAM for the last two years. ETap on my road bike and mechanical on my gravel. Before that, I used Ultegra for a very long time.
hi David, great video again. I was wondering if you would ever consider reviewing any bike from Ridley. Haven't seen a video of you yet where you review their bikes and I'm really curious what your thoughts are.
All beautiful bikes. And expensive, I'm sure. So hard to get any bike these days. There is a huge shortage and supply crunch of bikes in Canada and North America right now.
Depends on what you're after... the Domane is the most versatile, hands down. The Caledonia is the fastest, most road race of the endurance bikes... the Giant and the Canyon are solid and crazy good values.
Great summary David - query a few points though (f.ex not so sure about full cable integration on the 2021 Giant Defy) and I do not consider a bike to be in the endurance category just because the brand labels it as such unless it has a stack to reach ratio of 1.5+ which rules out a lot of (Italian) bikes. One bike that I have on my list that you do not is the Argon 18 Krypton - hopefully you can ride review it some time in the future!
@@davidarthur That Defy is 2020, which 2021 model has full cockpit cable integration? Zyro Fisher is the UK distributor for Argon 18 - Mark Beaumont rode a Krypton in GCN's Endurance Tortoise vs Aero Hare ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FXK0u16Vn-8.html&ab_channel=GlobalCyclingNetwork - if you can review one please get the Pro model. Cheers
I’m by no means an expert, but I think Giant Bikes is by far the largest bike company in the world. Possibly several times larger than Merida. Not sure how to confirm that, though.
Rose Reveal? ok, not available to order anymore direct from UK but I just purchased one here in Ireland and it is an incredible endurance bike. I would absolutely include in the top 5 here for price:quality ratio.
Was hoping to see a Bowman Weald here. I'm building mine up now, can't wait to ride it. Will you have a review of the Weald soon? I'd be curious to get your thoughts on it.
This list is definitely missing the Giant Contend AR 1. It has basically the same geometry as the Open U.P. (L=Xl), it fits 42mm tyres (tested myself). It has an amazing seatpost that flexes loads. And it costs very little. If you are planning on using a Powermeter crank that'd save a lot of weight. I brought mine down to 8,5kg which for an alloy bike with 105 r7000 is quite okay! Just make sure to test a smaller size. I ride an XXL on my focus race bike, and the XL was too large for me.
Hi David. Really nice content on your RU-vid channel. I'm on the market for a budget endurance bike. I'm between the Canyon Endurace AL 7 (when it becomes available) and the Rose Pro SL 105. Specs are very similar. Rose frame looks more modern but Canyon is a big trustworthy name. I would appreciate any feedback. Otherwise, keep up the good work!
If you want comfort, if that is top of the lust list it needs to be a recumbent by a country hundred miles. I’ve got upright and recumbent you can do a100 miles on a recumbent with luggage and not get a pain other than effort fatigue. No numb arse, stiff back aching wrists.... nothing. It’s the difference between sitting on a fence post to laying on a Sun lounger.
@@davidarthur it's hidden away! if you click on let's say the Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0 model, most sizes will be shown as sold out. Click on "see similar bikes" and you'll see the "A new bike is on it's way" message
Good luck to anyone buying an expensive carbon frame with moving parts, elastomers, etc. When that thing is creaking and squeaking after a few years and you can't find replacement proprietary parts that only fit the bike they no longer make, you'll wish you had just bought a steel frame.
Canyon: no frilly gimmicks, full spec groupsets, direct to consumer cost, endurance geometry, lightweight frame, racey aerodynamics...= Best Endurance Road Bike! No need to update when it was right the first time!
Thanks for this. Love your channel and insight. Question for you. Trying to decide between ultegra di2 vs SRAM AXS. Do you have a preference or recommendation as it relates to ride experience, ergonomics, shifting quality and speed, use with gloves in the cold? I currently have ultegra mechanical. No experience with SRAM group sets. Thanks in advance.
Thanks. My perfect groupset would be a mashup of Ultegra and Force AXS! Which I know doesn't help you. How about making a list of pros and cons for each based on your riding preferences and see which comes out on top?
Go for Ultegra Di2 number of reasons, 1- if your other bikes are 11 speed it means wheels can be switched easily without the need for a new freehub body. Given that SRAM also decided to do some "funky" things with gear ratios, Shimano mechanically makes better sense in terms of ratios on offer. Ergonomics wise, the Di2 is smaller than the SRAM AXS lever and I think that's a benefit to the Di2 in my eyes as the size of the hoods on SRAM aren't really designed to be held in any other position than the standard position (the "v" shape grip if you will). Considering other things like spares and interchangeability, keeping it 11 means everything is simpler. You can get chainrings more accessibly, chains and cassettes are cheaper, etc. SRAM is ever-so-slightly better than Shimano when it comes to batteries dying but there's a simple solution which is to charge your Di2. With Di2 the 2 shift paddles are behind the brake lever. They are textured differently and I think you can notice the difference with gloves on but I prefer riding with slimmer gloves, not big mitts in winter. SRAM only has one button with its double-tap. The best bet is to try and the shifters with gloves on by nipping to a local bike shop (even if it's a defunct shifter off an old bike). Hope that helps.
I have a Di2 Synapse (2015) and a Force AXS Roadmachine (2021). They are both great bikes with excellent shifting. For me the AXS has the slight edge because 1) I like and regularly use the lowest 33/36 gear on steep slopes where I live, 2) the gear change paddles are very large and very simple - left for lower gear, right for higher gear, 3) it was easy and relatively inexpensive to fit an SRAM spider power meter, and 4) I can carry a spare SRAM battery just in case (though I also get a low battery warning on my Garmin if I forget to charge). I do share wheels between bikes - buying new free hubs and switching hub and cassette in one go is really easy (with DT Swiss and Hunt wheels anyway).
I just did a build 2021 Domane with the GRX DI2 48/31 on a XD ratchet hub with a Leonardi 9-36 cassette. It rolls as fast as a 54/11 & billy goats equal 42/50. It literally has really good gear ratio's (9-10-12-14-16-18-20-23-27-31-36). Super easy on the knees on 700c x 40mm for gravel & 25mm for road. Best of both worlds.
Hi David, great video! So you don’t think the supersix evo belongs in this category? Why? The new design offers more comfort and compliance needed as endurance bike is it not?
When folks say "relaxed geometry" to refer to the shorter reach and higher stack of endurance bikes, I've never been able to visualize what this means in actual rider position. How big a difference are we really talking about? Is this relaxed geometry of a few millimetres to a centimeter here and there worth the extra weight that most endurance bikes carry compared to lighter bikes...especially when spending a day climbing in very hilly terrain?
Talking with ride mates who are 50+, who've gone from a race bike to an endurance bike, they all love the extra comfort and don't feel significantly slower on flats or up hills. Extra weight is often countered somewhat by easier gearing compared to their previous race bikes. That said, they had 2005-2015 era carbon race bikes with max 25mm tyres, and modern endurance bikes are minimum 28mm and up to 32mm tyres stock, so the extra comfort is largely down to lower tyre pressure. But they do mention less strain on their backs and necks, even with seemingly minor differences in geometry numbers. I'm 42, if and when I can afford a better bike I'd get a TCR, keep it for 10 years, then when I'm 55+, look to switch to an endurance bike too.
@@Mububban23 Thank you SO MUCH for the kindness of that reply! I am quite a bit older than you and am trying to decide if that weight gain (I ride a lot of hills on the Blue Ridge Parkway of the United States) of an endurance bike will offset those extras kilos. The different gearing is a good point. I'd just have to lower my expectations for kilometers covered in a day!
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm I'm 75, ride several thousand kilometers a year in a very hilly area of Ontario and thru experience, I definitely recommend an endurance geometry annd 30 to 32 mm tires for comfort.Many endurance bikes are only a few grams heavier than road race bikes, depending on components and yes, gearing makes a big diference for the hills. I have 2 Di2 bikes, but, am adding a Sram AXS bike as I prefer their gearing options over Ultegra.
Argon 18 has the Krypton Pro- I wonder what you think of that one? I have a Trek Domane SL -so capable, very happy with it, a joy to ride, incredibly comfortable.
Where's the Caledonia? Sorry,great video! Just noticed you used old footage of the Cervelo C series and not the Caledonia! The Caledonia is a much better looking bike! Got one on order and I will let you know my verdict when it arrives! 👍
@@chanc2 I believe you can set the Caledonia up the same as the old C Series. It comes with too different height top caps and a lot of spacers to cover anything from the height of a R Series to the comfort of a C Series.
Hi David: Very helpful! - I’m a new rider looking for a do-it-all bike - either an Endurance that works on Wide tyres or a Gravel that works on Narrow tyres - then get a second wheel/tyre/gear pack. Might do some Bike Packing so need F/R pannier mounts. For Endurance looking at Trek Domane, Giant Defy, and now possibly Mason. For Gravel looking at Ribble CGR, Giant Revolt and Cannondale Topstone. Be very interested to have your thoughts on my n+0 quest.
With your note about front and rear pannier mounts, that definitely limits your list quite a bit so something from Mason or Fairlight, steel frames, would be the more obvious option. Few if any endurance bikes will take a front pannier rack really
An endurance road bike should have 3x bottle cage mounts, I have had a Cannondale Synapse which I love for about 4 years but since getting my gravel bike 2 years ago (Trek Checkpoint) which has more mounting options the Cannondale has sat unused. The Trek is heavier but for endurance rides I need 3x bottles at least, plus I often carry a 4th one in my jersey. The Synapse is now for sale.
