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Endurance Bike Buyer’s Guide 2024: Demand More
Endurance Bike Buyer’s Guide 2024: Demand More
#Endurance #Bike #Buyers #Guide #Demand
“Overbiked Randonneuring”
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…
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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.
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 choices. I may just stick with my Mason Definition [2].
No drop handle bars then ? Or pinion & Rohloff , they are on plenty of endurance bikes . personally I don't see the point in drops .
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!
Yeahh! Opt for the Litespeed with Di2 and ENVE Adventure Fork. Or take another look at the S-Works AETHOS frameset
Demand more: just get a bike by Fairlight Cycles and you're good to go…
Hi, what are your thoughts on chapter2? are they an off the track option?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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?
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.
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 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 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…
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?
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.
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!
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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP-MUS5WntM
I agree with your last statement about the best endurance bike! Our humors align.