Bike Fitter RANKS Endurance Bikes Worst to Best

Endurance bikes are often a great choice for cyclists who want a bike that fits. James Thomas ranks the big brands offerings from worst to best.

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[gearhunter]

00:01 Intro
00:26 Ribble Endurance SL
01:07 Scott Addict
01:48 Specialized Roubaix
02:46 Trek Domane
03:54 Boardman SLR
04:39 Cannondale Synapse
05:11 Triban RC520
05:49 Giant Defy
06:51 Pinarello X
08:15 Canyon Endurace

[BradleyHansonPhotography]

I will watch anything with James ranting. I can't quite describe why I enjoy him being an enjoyable curmudgeon.

[vermilionink]

Thank you for continuing to beat the drum for shorter riders! 5'3" is in fact the AVERAGE height for women in both the UK and the US. As a 5'3" rider I am in fact very normal, but the bike industry largely treats me as a distant outlier. With cycling jerseys I can kind of get used to my pockets dragging down below my butt and letting overlong bibs just bunch up a little on my thighs so they don't cover my knees (though I won't ever love it!!), but finding a frame that fits is a much more serious and limited story. And it shouldn't have to be! Because my height is, again, completely average. There are a lot of us out here and we all have a damn shoulder ache.

[ReganFreeman]

Love my Canyon Endurace. Grabbed the AL model back in 2020. Best value imho, mine came with Shimano 105 and it’s done everything I need it to do. Highly recommend 15, 000 miles later

[Fabeman]

I have a Specialized Roubaix and I actually think the future shock 2.0 is a real plus in terms of comfort. Haven’t had any issues with it and really glad I have it every time I hit the Belgian cobble stones. It’s also easy to lock whenever I don’t need it and since I’m not looking to shave off every gram on the bike, the whatever extra weight is fine with me.

[TriathlonDan]

LOVE my Endurace. Had it 7 years and it's the one bike I can ride all day.

[gabrielcarlothomas]

I have a future shock 2.0 on my 21 Diverge and have had zero complaints with it.

I also work in a shop where we sell a decent amount of bikes with Future Shocks, and the only thing I have had to replace is the boot occasionally. I have never had one break. Not saying they can't, but I have never seen a failure.

[DavidtheDoom]

I've had the Triban RC520 for the last 3 years or so. Absolute great ALU-bike. I've done a 200 miles/320 km trip in one go but also a bunch of centurians on it (162 km or so). Smack a bunch of wide tyres on it and it is really comfortable. The saddle is a bit so so out of the box, but for the price easy to replace with bills still in the wallet! 😁

[andrewengland]

I bought my Canyon Endurace CF 7 disc back in late 2021. It was my first real road bike and my first carbon framed bike. It's still looking like new except for the worn bar tape and tires, but it's done a lot of +12hr rides.
Everything I read at the time I purchased this bike pointed at those new to road cycling (or older like me) should get an endurance geometry. Obviously my heart wanted something flashy and fast but I'm really happy with the bike.
Waiting for the weather to improve to take on some 300-400km rides 😊

[quincywalker]

In trek’s defense they took out the front iso speed, while keeping the only one that matters which is the rear one.

[andyzeigler]

The Trek Domane was dinged because they said it has a suspension in the front. Fact check: that was removed in Gen4. The Domane pictured does not have a front shock/damper.

[AdrianWells]

Was hoping to see the BMC Road Machine and Look 765 Optimum+ in this list (mostly because they seem to match my fit well).

[TheTurnerturner]

Love my Domane Gen 4, ride is amazing. Very smooth on gravel as well. No sore issues after a 5 hour ride.

[matthewshaw]

It’s good to hear James talk about shorter riders. My wife is 160cm and most bikes “in her size” are seriously compromised. Toe overlap for days, 2 cm of seat post sticking out etc etc etc. It’s crazy to me how many bikes get made that suit riders that are 190cm+ and how few suit 160cm or less. There are so many more people that are that shirt rather than that tall. Huge market just left with very few options.

[dmoore]

I purchased a Cervelo Caledonia w/105 as my road bike last year and I absolutely love it. Hydraulic discs, 105 w/ bigger cassette stock and 52/36 front, non integrated headset to help my mechanic. It was between that and the defy and really came down to the deal i got!

[jc]

Purchased the Ribble endurance sl rim 2022 for £560 on ebay, thought it was an endurance bike. Did feel stretched to start with so I pushed my saddle forward slightly. Now it feels more comfortable. No aggressive position. Can easily ride for 3-4 hours no back/neck pain. Slam the stem if I want more aero/racing. Best of both worlds!

[hurleyvideos]

Trek Domane AL 5. The 105 aluminum version. No suspension to mess with. Very comfortable and very affordable. Great value.

[ryanglahs]

Glad to see the Defy was near the top of the list - it helps to validate my purchase 😊

[gerrymcbride]

I'm 67, have a 2016 Defy Advanced 2, a 2020 Madone SL6 and 2023 Domane SLR and I can't honestly say that one is more or less comfortable than the others. I'm fine on all of them as long as I have the right saddle.

[jasonself]

Merida Scultura Endurance? These seem right on the money to whats being discussed, and well good value. I ride the more aggressive Scultura, which I love.