Endurance Bike Buyer's Guide 2024: Demand More
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- The best endurance bikes need to fit well and ride smooth for very long rides. Is that possible when you can't change important fit components at purchase? Or when the task is made even harder when some proprietary s*** is needed that's out of stock? A frame-up build isn't always practical or a good value. This video looks at 3 types of endurance bikes and models best suited to ultra distance cycling:
1. Proprietary diva: it's got features, but pray you fit it out of the box and all the little parts needed are supported when it breaks in a few years
2. Vanilla: normal parts, easy fit changes and upgrade paths, but no choice in stock fit or gearing components
3. Semi-Custom: normal parts, full fit options, and component choices from the shop. Maybe even locally made and with color choices. Surprising value to boot, all things considered.
00:00 Intro
02:22 Giant Defy Adv Pro 0 and Advance 1
03:57 Giant Revolt Adv Pro 1
05:03 Trek Domane AL5/ SL6, Checkpoint ALR5
06:45 Specialized Roubaix SL8
07:45 Vanilla: Cervelo Caledonia/Aspero
08:25 Scott Addict/Speedster
09:11 Merida Scultura Endurance
10:00 Canyon Endurace
10:53 Lauf Uthald
11:31 Semi-Custom- Do it if you can
12:00 Lynskey R300
12:36 Litespeed Arenberg
12:53 Obed Baseline
13:04 Orbea Terra
13:32 Ribble
13:57 Top Picks - Sport
Funny, I found you through your Polygon video, which I watched over and over, but just couldn't convince myself it was right for me. Ended up getting an Arenberg on a Black Friday sale, and couldn't be more impressed.
Congratulations! That's a really funny coincidence. The Polygon videos are almost a cautionary tale. I love it now, and I love to tinker, but it was so unsuitable for endurance riding as sold. What are your impressions on the Arenberg?
@@overbikedrandonneuring smooth, as fast as I could need, looks great, too. I ordered and paid for 105, but it showed up with Ultegra. It's the best bike I've owned, and the order process was super personal and reassuring.
@@IsaacAdler That is great to hear Isaac. Top notch service is all I've heard about from ABG. I pestered them with questions on multiple occasions, and they've always been really responsive and even send follow up emails.
@@overbikedrandonneuring I figured I needed an XS, but it's a pretty big chunk of change to guess on. Asked, they answered. Black Friday sale, in addition to a good discount, free shipping, free anodizing or in my case etched graphics, also included a free Ti seat post, had questions about length and setback, instant answers. And then once I ordered, I got an email from them asking for my measurements, to make sure I ordered the correct size. Really impressed.
@@IsaacAdler How much did you pay for it when it was on sale?
I agree with your last statement about the best endurance bike! Our humors align.
My current bike is a 2013 Surly Karate Monkey that I'm trying to make fast enough! It's comfortable but has gravel touring gearing and flared bars currently. With narrower bars and a larger chain ring, I bet I'll have something special and certainly unique.
If/when I upgrade, I'll definitely go titanium custom. Thanks for outlining some options for when I go bike shopping in the future!
Right on! That bike was designed for pretty rugged conditions. I would fear trying to make it fast would dilute it's purpose and strengths. If it suits a style of riding you do, I'd keep it indefinitely and add an endurance bike for paved riding.
Nice to hear some kind words for the Canyon Endurace AL. have the 7.0 version, snagged in 2020 and got a lot of bike (including 105 mechanical) for $1800. Love the thing, and it’s exactly what I need for the kind of riding I do - long distance, multi day rides. I’ll eventually upgrade, (and will consult this as a guide, most likely!) but pretty happy 15k miles later. I completely agree the more expensive new top end Endurace is too proprietary and not really compatible with what I need an endurance bike to be. Great vid!
Any full bike upgrade would be really minimal for you. You have a nice ride. 105 R7000 is unbeatable in performance, quality, and value. I am only teasing with the idea of electronic shifting to get blips for my aero bars. Hope you get lots of miles on the Canyon!
Good review. As I get older and less flexible I find an endurance bike works well for me. I went for a LOOK 765 Optimum. Would have loved the new TIME Fluidity but it's not out yet. Both LOOK and TIME make superb high quality frames with a crazy attention that the main stream manufactures can't compete with.
A great video, not only super quality content, but judging by the comments your contributors are also quality. I'm liking that Merida GR500, or the Trek Domane AL..seem good bikes for a guy on a budget. Good to have you back doing videos.
Thank you for the kind words Mick. Hope to keep this a good place for discourse on endurance cycling. I'm a bit slow on video creation, but hope to provide plenty of value when I do!
I bought a Gen 3 Trek Domane AL4 on special at my LBS when I got to Japan to use as my dedicated commuter bike and trainer mule. It does that quite well. However, I immediately had to swap out some bits. Before I even accepted delivery, I had the saddle swapped to a Bontrager Aeolus (my preferred saddle), install some tubeless rim tape, installed some fenders, and swapped the stem from 90 to 100mm and then slammed it. Shortly after, I swapped the 42mm handlebar for 40mm, got a 170mm crank, wire bead 32mm tires for tubeless, and installed a 11-34 cassette. The geometry is, as you said, pretty relaxed. Fine for commuting while wearing a backpack. To get the fit close to my other road bikes, I'd have to install a 110mm -17 degree stem. With a few other minor mods, it would be an excellent audax bike.
However, my other bike is a Trek Checkpoint SL. I've been using that as my epic ride bike here in Japan. Since I have a fairly long torso, the lower and longer fit works well for me. Unlike the carbon Domane models, the seatpost and stem are universal swappable components. With the GRX groupset, Redshift Pro stem and seatpost (plus IsoSpeed!), wide carbon wheels on 32mm tubeless tires, it's so comfortable over long distances. I could easily see that bike ace a 1200k.
If given a choice between a Domane or Checkpoint for Audax duty, I'd say pick the bike with the geometry that better fits you as "endurance" geometry can be too upright for some. Both are excellent choices.
Sounds like your Domane experience is a combination of mine with the Silex (too relaxed) and Polygon (change every part). I used to own a Fuji endurance bike in the early days of road disc brakes, and it was slightly more relaxed than the Domane. I have long torso/short legs too and used a 130mm slammed stem to get a decent fit. Really weird looking bike.
A friend of mine wanted a bike reco a few years back I pushed the Checkpoint ALR based on his local availability. I bet your setup Checkpoint is supremely comfortable. Thanks for sharing!
What's your pick for best ultra distance bike in 2024? Semi-custom options like Litespeed, Obed and Lynskey will make sure your don't end like I did with my Polygon and have to CHANGE EVERYTHING: czcams.com/video/PP-MUS5WntM/video.html
I am thrilled with my Revolt Advanced Pro 1. $5500 retail and I got it for $4K. Upgraded the saddle and went with fast rolling and very durable Pathfinder Pro tires. Can ride at a relatively high cadence all day, tarmac or gravel, without feeling beat up. The Bento Box on the top tube behind the headset is very handy and accessible whilst riding.
What a steal!
Nice choices. I may just stick with my Mason Definition [2].
I got lucky buying the now discontinued Lynksey Backroad. Was on sale and it was labeled as their touring bike. They weren't kidding, it has a headtube of 183mm! Super upright for any bike Ive seen with a top tube of 54 but the reach is really short due to the stack.
Its basically their gravel bike GR300 but with taller headtube, oversized top and down tube for extra stability when loads is added. Its definitely a "retiring bike" as i get older and can bend as much i will still be riding this bike. The best part is all cables are external except the fork.
Setup is 46/30 chainrings with 11-46 cassette. Mechanical disc brakes, fenders, frame bag,bar bag.
That gearing is mega low! Which derailleur/shifter setup do you use to manage so much chain wrap?
@@overbikedrandonneuring 11speed 105 shifters with a shimano xt sgs long cage derailleur. I use a tanpan to make the shifting work with the mtb derailleur.
Yeahh! Opt for the Litespeed with Di2 and ENVE Adventure Fork. Or take another look at the S-Works AETHOS frameset
Locally, they have discounted the Aethos Expert with carbon wheels/Ultegra Di2 or Rival etap and power meter to $4000 USD (tax included in price). That matches Polygon Helios pricing, which is kind of nuts. The Rival gearing is better than 1:1, Aethos uses full standard parts, and lower tier 'Expert' carbon should be more resilient. The geometry matches my needs as a short legged fella. Do I go to road cyclist hell if I put heavy suspension bits on an Aethos? Still, the Litespeed just wins each time I compare it head-to-head with another bike.
Great video again! Also really good mix of bikes you’ve mentioned there, many of them being (or have been in the past) on my short list.
Unfortunately the bottleneck for me are rim brakes. I did multiple day big alpine descent with rim brake bikes and I just dont think there is a real need for discs on road riding. (Anyway thats personal)
So, most probable my next rando bike will be based on a Soma Pescadero. If there would still be an option, It’d be an external routed Fairlight Faran with rim brakes.
Keep the nice content coming 🤘
Thanks! Wider adoption of the long reach rim calipers like on the Pescadero may have kept rim brakes more popular for a longer time. As a heavy guy, tire width was the always the priority over brake type, and compatible brake solutions performed really poorly.
I tried cantis, hated them. Swapped a few bikes to V-brakes/long pull levers which were okay. Some scary moments in heavy rain though. Never got the chance to use the long reach calipers aside from my Brompton, but those are good with MTB style levers. Discs have simply worked wonderfully for me for over a decade now. The light touch of hydraulic brakes is really nice on long rides where hand fatigue is an issue. Glad to hear options are still available for a good rim brake experience on wide tires.
@@overbikedrandonneuringon that I totally agree, in rain there discs are way better !
A note on Orbea: they also sell an adapter that replaces their proprietary internal routing steerer tube cap, which then allows you to use any regular stem (or at least they claim any round ones). This requires disconnecting/bleeding the brakes of course. I bit last year for the Avant H30-D and unfortunately the sizing ended up a hair too big, so looking to swap or adjust it as much as possible. Also, note that their own sizing chart is completely wrong (at least for the Avant), I’m 166cm, which theoretically is the top boundary for a size 49 and I can slam the stem while keeping the saddle underneath the handlebars.
Wow, I just checked the Avant geometry chart. It's more upright than anything from my survey in my size (1.58 stack/reach). Best for long legged, short torso body types. Thanks for the details on the steerer cap.
I have a Cervelo C3, the 2016 Endurance bike, which I got for a song. Canyon VCLS seatpost and 400mm handlebars, the stem to sort out next, and then replace the HED wheel set if my pocket allows. I’m running 165mm GRX cranks and 48/31 11-34 gears, on an otherwise manual Ultegra group set. Now if I could just drop 10 kilos in weight…
Nice choices! All of that equipment matches what I preach here, and so does to 10kg of weight to lose. Keep a lookout for my upcoming review on the Vecnum freeQENCE stem. I think it might be the best suspension stem option for many endurance cyclists.
I had been starting to think about a Dream Build for an endurance bike ahead of PBP 2027, so your thoughts in this video were intriguing. I had excluded the Roubaix with serviceability concerns about Futureshock, but with version 3.0, perhaps I should revisit that assumption?
Thanks, I hope some insights were gleamed. The Roubaix is well worth considering, even if other options end up more compelling. It depends on personal preference I guess. Most vanilla bikes can get that comfort (or more) from aftermarket solutions. I've been on Redshift for a few years and love it, and will have a video up soon on the Vecnum freeQENCE which surpassed very high expectations. One noteworthy point is that to change stem length, it's cheaper on a Roubaix than buying a new suspension stem, but suspension stems can move from bike to bike. My subjective ranking for comfort additions for road riding goes Universal Aftermarket(Redshift/Vecnum/Canyon/Cane Creek) > Roubaix > Trek/Giant > extra wide tires.
I've just committed to buying the Roubaix SL8 Comp. Overall, it has a good set of components, except the wheels which are being upgraded straightaway.
Specialized usually specs alloy wheels better than the Giant, Trek, and Merida in the same product class, but still easily upgrade worthy. How do you like the Roubaix so far?
@@overbikedrandonneuring ordered one. Haven't received it yet!
Hi! I have a gravel bike with a 1x drivetrain, 38T chainring and a 11-46 cassette. I woul like to use that bike for randonneuiring and wonder what would be the lowest gearing that would be suitable for that purpose. What changes I should make to its drivetrain in order to make it more road oriented but to still be able to climb hills with my middle aged body?
With that gearing, you can get up near 40kph comfortably. There is no need to pedal faster than that during a brevet since the return on effort becomes very low at high speeds (air resistance increases non-linearly with speed). Just coast down hills to recover. I used a setup like that before, and my only problem was the 13t to 11t jump was really big. You will want a fast set of tires though. Here is a video I did on gearing needs that might be helpful: czcams.com/video/dWUC3ywvko8/video.html
Great video, as always!
Have you checked the LOOK 765? Similar geometry to Trek Domane (IMO the best endurance geometry of the bikes you presented here) and the Gravel option with 11spd GRX600 is currently on offer at 2500€. And we're talking about LOOK carbon, not cheap, rebranded far east stuff.
Thanks! Do you have a link to that deal? Look has almost no bike distribution where I live so they don't cross my mind much. Checking BikeRadar, they say it is made in Taiwan. I have nothing against that, but some folks may care. The 765 wouldn't have scored highly in my survey, as typical pricing and components are in line with Cervelo, but they use a proprietary stem/spacer setup similar to Scott. The geometry is really similar to my previous Merida Silex and custom titanium mostercross rig.
They ride like a dream. I have the 765 Gravel RS with two wheel sets. Best value? No… but the ride is unreal. Geometry is perfect endurance geo with no gimmicks. Nothing quite compares.
I own 2021 Focus Paraline 8.9. Great endurance bike for the price.
Just checked out the 2024 and it looks slick. I especially like the integrated fender with the thru axle and included top tube bag. Bonus points for a round seat post, but it does have a proprietary stem, albeit one that looks easy to swap out. The geometry is ideal too. Looks like a great off the shelf bike if pricing is good.
Locally, it looks like only the Izalco and Atlas are available from Focus. The Atlas looks attractive, except that it uses very uncommon hub sizes.
@@overbikedrandonneuringMine had everything I needed out of the box. Rides really well, fits me perfectly. I'm 184 and 85 leg and I ride L (56). The new one with Di2 Ultegra looks tempting.
In the UK we have well-regarded companies that produce excellent bikes such as Fairlight, Mason and Condor. They eschew proprietary parts and full integration and mostly build in steel, aluminium and titanium. Fairlight and Condor allow some felixibility in build options too. Personally I have a steel Reynolds 853 Strael v3 which serves as a great 4 season road bike. If i was to invest in anything else to compliment it there's no way I'd consider anything with fully integrated cables or hoses. Litespeed also do the Cherahola, which is mainly focused on endurance road, but is capable on light gravel and takes fenders and bigger tyres than the Arenberg. Likewise Ive also been considering the Revolt, but the Roubaix is a no go due to the future shock proprietary part.
I envy the selection of local bike brands you have in the UK, and their ethos of design and practicality. If you haven't tried one yet, I would recommend a suspension stem and seatpost for comfort.
Points to the Fairlight Strael for its amazing fork, with good clearance and dynamo routing. My endurance bike is custom-made (the frame, not just the parts) but I still specifically asked for a Fairlight fork as they are really well made for long-distance cyclists.
Hi, what are your thoughts on chapter2? are they an off the track option?
They don't offer an endurance bike from what I can tell, and don't seem to be doing much in the way of complete bikes. I don't see how they are competitive in any space based on their offerings.
I like the Roubaix SL8 Comp as well.
The only problem is the price.
Here in the UK there is a price difference of £2,000 between the Sport 105 and Comp.
I could buy the Sport 105 for £3,000 and a full 105 Di2 groupset for £1,100.
Then change the necessary parts over and save £900 on the Comp's price.
Plus I could save even more buy selling the unused parts.
Unfortunately I can't as I don't even have £300 for a new bike 😒
I edited out commentary on the weird pricing scale of the Roubaix variants, but they were in the 'director's cut'. It is really hit and miss relative to the competition, and the higher the spec, the further off the rails pricing goes. Hopefully you can find some good deals on the second hand market.
@@overbikedrandonneuring😂 that there is a Director's Cut to overbiked randonneuring.
My issue with the Specialized is longevity. How long is that proprietary headtube suspension going to last? And will there be parts to fix it when it inevitably fails.
ALL of my bikes do not have any internal routing (besides just through the downtube etc). All my handlebars are normal bars with external cable routing. I love it, it makes maintenance so easy. I can't understand why people want all internal cables, proprietary suspension etc. If I want suspension on my road bike, I'll buy a cane creek stem or seatpost.
I think V3 is more serviceable and was iterated to be more robust than the V2. It's been 6 years or so since it launched, and seems to be a system they will keep around. I'll be sticking with universal aftermarket solutions. A review on the Vecnum freeQENCE will be incoming soon.
“Best endurance bike is the one you already own”….not if it messes up your hands or back due to its real intention of being a crit bike. Aftermarket suspensions seat post and stems just hide the basic fit problems and even add more fit problems in their max flex positions and continuous movement.
Just a sarcastic comment joking about how bike media has a tendency to end buyers guides. Are there actually any endurance bikes disguised as crit machines these days? I have short legs, so I don't really see that when surveying what's available. Maybe the Defy?
Also, please see my videos on minimalist suspension components. My testing shows my chosen models absorb vibrations greater than dropping a 33mm tire from 70 to 50 PSI. As long as travel is kept modest (15-20mm is my preference), parallel linkage designs will have no impact on fit/ergonomics that is noticeable. Max travel situations are a tiny percentage of riding time and would require compensation by bending arms or standing on the pedals anyway, lest we take a beating. The movement over modest roads is so small to have little impact on fit, but still offers a nice improvement to comfort.
Another brand with customizable bikes : Origine. They make decently priced bikes and even have dynamo hub wheels and cable routing on their endurance bikes for those who prefer those to battery-operated. (AFAIK it’s the only carbon non-gravel bike with that option)
Awesome, thanks! That's the first I've heard of Origine
I love my vanilla Domane AL 5. All 105 for a decent price. Oh, the black and white version not that green machine. Lmao
Nice choice! Especially avoiding drab green. My wife has a theory that bike brands intentionally give ugly paint to lower end bikes.
No drop handle bars then ? Or pinion & Rohloff , they are on plenty of endurance bikes . personally I don't see the point in drops .
Hi Kevin, some riders use non-drop bars for ultra distance riding, but primarily off road or low speed/low daily distance touring, which are not a focus of my channel. Flat or alt bars are not a general recommendation I support or would put my name behind for randonneuring/audax where efficiency is very important. Their advantages don't really matter in this context. It sounds like your riding context benefits from them though.
Drops provide a narrow, efficient primary position on the hoods, many hand positions,and a lower center of gravity, control, and brake leverage in the drops for descents. Most riders, including me, consider them to offer vastly superior ergonomics over long rides by keeping the wrist in a handshake orientation and arms square to the torso.
Pinion efficiency is too low to recommend in this context. Rohloff efficiency is high enough that those in very wet climates could consider it with a belt drive. Maybe a Shand bike with a Gebla shift box would be okay. Generally though, I don't think the context of randonneuring benefits from a Rohloff outside of very wet climates. Both options make perfect sense for touring though.
I have a Domane SL 5 from 2023 with the IsoSpeed seat tube, and honestly, I wouldn't buy it again. The bit of flex in the seatpost limits one's ability to use something like a Tailfin rack, so you're stuck with frame bags or floppy bikepacking seat bags.
Thanks for the response, that's the rub with proprietary systems. Have you considered something like a 'saddle bag stabilizer' to tame the bikepacking bag?
@@overbikedrandonneuring I have, but it is low on my priorities at the moment. Currently training for the Triple Bypass ride in Colorado and the Tour des Stations in Switzerland. So, the Domane will be used for those, and in the meantime, my steel touring bike with its dynamo and heavy racks will suffice for the ultracycling.
what about vitus evo-rs?
Looks to be a fine bike, but wasn't included due to international availability and Wiggle/CRC going bankrupt. There are many lovely UK brands I wish I had access to or could recommend, but they incur large import duties, high shipping costs, and have limited mechanisms for A/S service outside the UK where me and 90% of my audience reside. I think all brands in this video, except Ribble (used as an example of a semi-custom approach) have some degree of international support network or are set up in an international direct sales model.
No Pinarello or cervelo?
Cervelo is mentioned at 7:50. The Aspero with a tire swap is most attractive from them for very long rides. Our biggest online Pinarello distributor here just sells $7000 USD framesets, so I didn't bother to include them. Looking at smaller distributors, the X3 with 105 Di2 and Rival Etap is on sale for about $4100 USD, which is a steal. An ITA bottom bracket is not what I would want to be stuck with long term. 32mm tire clearance is fine, but I would want a wider rear tire with such a chunky aero seat post. Ultra upright stack/reach and 9 frame sizes would make it a top option for some riders though.
I don't know.. predatory pricing seems in still...
RRP is still way too high across the board, but several brands I recommended here are trying to clear out inventory with heavy handed sales. The current sale at Giant Korea is especially aggressive. I got my wife a new Avail for a pre-Covid price not long ago. The Ultegra spec Specialized Aethos is on sale here and competitive with a Polygon Helios. $3800 USD including tax. I would be making moves if my current cheap bike wasn't performing perfectly well already.
I think you put too much of a premium on external cabling. I'm a mechanic and personal trainer dabbling into bike fit, and helping clients choose a handlebar width is extremely straightforward, quick, and uniquely removed from the nexus that is the rest of bike fitting.
And bleeding brakes, especially mineral oil brakes, is really not that big of a deal.
Fair play, but a main point here is that few brands offer the choice to buy a bike with the correct size handlebar and stem even if we already know those sizes. A $6000 push bike should fit when you buy it, and any brand pushing proprietary fit components should especially facilitate proper fit from the point of purchase without upcharge. Internal cable routing and proprietary parts become much less of a problem when they fit when you buy it.
"... is the one you already own." Yea, but it's broken.
Time to make the bank account scream
Demand more: just get a bike by Fairlight Cycles and you're good to go...
I like what they are doing over there at Fairlight. I'd get wrecked by shipping and duties, but a great option for the UK and continental Europe.