What Endurance Bike Should I get?

Equipment
21

I would love a BMC, but they are so expensive… I don’t remember the specific model, but one of them was perfectly within the numbers I’m looking for.

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22

I’ve heard many people recommending it, and I’d be happy to consider it, unfortunately it’s beyond my budget. I’ll check for old models and used if I happen to find a good deal.

23

The Roadmachine AL X for 3,000 €? They seem to have discontinued the non-X version. Have a look on bike24.de, they had some BMC stuff on sale, including a Roadmachine carbon frame for 1,000 €.

24

It’s really not that big a problem, there are aftermarket stems from at least 4 brands available in all lengths, and how many time are you swapping stems? It is a tiny cost difference at most.

You should check out current get Cannondales - they’ve gone the other way quite drastically, and the current supersix evo is actually more short/tall than some of the endurance bikes you’re considering - the Synapse even more so.

25

I’d second that. The new SuperSix Evo is only slightly longer (2mm) and shorter (5mm) than the newest Caledonia 5 while still haveing “race-bike” handling (both in 56).

26

I’d be happy to check it out, but I doubt it fits the budget; that’s the reason I didn’t include the synapse, which would have been excellent geometry-wise.

27

Is something like The Pro’s Closet useful to you? I just saw some Caledonias and other nice bikes at attractive discounts a couple of days ago, since they’re in their end-of-season sale.

28

I get that you don’t want to spend the extra to replace the cockpit, but…given that you already have a 2023 Canyon and are considering buying another, I’m assuming you like the bike and I would probably avoid all the frustration of comparing and trying to find other bikes and spend the money on the cockpit, especially since you can’t test ride the others. For me personally, buying the product I know I like and avoiding the risk of buying something else and being unhappy would be worth the extra money in the long term.

Alternatively, if you just want to try something different, you could consider a quick trip to another city where the bikes you’re looking at are available and do a test ride weekend, but that would probably cost even more.

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29

i have a different Trek bike but I’m a big fan and love the bike (emonda…so in the same family as domane). I don’t have a ton to compare to. customer support has been incredible also.

in the US I believe you can buy a bike and return it if you don’t like it.

if you can’t test ride bikes, that’s a pretty generous offer.

30

Three months later, I’m going back to Europe and would be nice to make a decision. Unfortunately I’m quite stuck. I’ve ruled out Bianchi (heavy), Cube (I like it less than others, aesthetically), and I’m still considering Canyon Endurace, Merida Scultura Endurance, and Giant Defy.
Of these three Giant is probably the one I like the most, but for 2600 euros, I find shitty of them to not even include the original Shimano 105 drivetrain. At 2400, Merida is quite spot on, and aesthetically very similar to the Endurace. Canyon right now is on sale, and it could be within budget, but that means having a mech taking out bar tape and brakes out of the cockpit to put them on a new stem/handlebar. If they hadn’t switched to the integrated cockpit I had already bought the Canyon a long time ago, damn them…

31

Which of those bikes have you test ridden? If the answer is none, this is the first thing I’d do. Aesthetics don’t do much if you don’t like how the bike feels.

Fit + feel (= geometry) >> components, weight, etc.

  • I’d forget about specs as long as the bike has 105 mechanical or above.
  • You will likely want to upgrade saddle, handlebars and perhaps even the wheels, so those things wouldn’t enter the discussion in my mind.
  • There are more and less aggressive endurance bikes.
  • Tire clearance matters IMHO. A modern endurance road bike should be an allroad bike that has clearance for narrow gravel tires.
  • There are sales on e. g. Bike24.de. They have a BMC Roadmachine Two on sale with Ultegra Di2 group set and all for 4,300 € or the Roadmachine X for 3,700 €.
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32

I can’t test ride.
Those bikes are beyond my budget.

Completely agree with you re: specs - all those bike I mentioned have 105 mechanical (except Giant Defy Adv 2, which has a cheaper Shimano drivetrain, while being more expensive).

33

Why not? Aren’t there any bike shops near where you live?
IMHO this is really important to determine which bike is right for you. Typically, bikes by the bigger manufacturers are more conservative. I used to own a Cube Attain GTC SL Disc (2016): great specs for the money, but I hated the geometry. My experience with a Trek Domäne and Cannondale is essentially the same. BMC’s endurance road bike has a more aggressive geometry in comparison, which means it more readily turns into corners.

The most expensive bike in your original post goes for 2,750 € and you wrote the upper limit is 3,000 €. Biker24.de has plenty of offers in that price range.

I only selected those that were available in your size. They obviously offer cheaper bikes, and if you could also get a cheaper bike (aluminum frame and 105 groupset) and then replace the wheels, for example.

34

I’m not sure they’ll let me try a new bike and also I’m not sure if I have the finesse to understand in a ride if I like it or not.

Is bike24 reliable? These prices are impossible to find in my area, but both would be excellent; the BMC in particular is an excellent fit for me, I had ruled it out only because the shop that carries them has nothing lower than 5000 euros.

35

In most locales, trying a bike is part of the sale. You don’t need finesse to understand fit and ride quality. Just try to ride several different bikes, you can also ask to ride the same bike in different sizes if you are unsure what works best for you.

Compared to an online retailer, the advantage of a bike shop is that they will allow you to replace parts (such as saddles and handlebars) at a discount. Especially on cheap bikes, both can be entry-level affairs. And you could e. g. replace the cranks with a shorter one if you prefer.

As far as I know it is the biggest website selling bike parts post Wiggle. I have ordered multiple times, including bigger items like bike trailers without any issue. The obvious downside is that you cannot test ride bikes.

Personally, I love the way BMC bikes feel. The Teammachine is like a 911, it is a 9/10 in essentially every category. The Roadmachine is great, too, although I prefer the Teammachine (I’m not much of an endurance bike person). I almost got a Teammachine instead of my 3T Strada.

36

I tend to trust online retailing, and now you’ve made me heavily tempted.
Tomorrow I’ll call the shops and see what they can offer. Getting the BMC for the price of a Giant Adv 2 would be excellent.

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37

I was in the market for an endurance/all-road bike this time last year and my shortlist was similar to yours. The Endurace checked every box for me except that stupid cockpit. It was a deal breaker for me as the stock stem length was 20mm shorter than I needed. The Defy was also on my shortlist and seems like a great bike. The Scultura seems to be really well liked but I’m in North America so it wasn’t feasible for me.

Ultimately I went with a handmade steel frame that serves as my all-road bike and I’m really happy with it. Best of luck on your hunt - let us know what you go with!

38

Exactly the same here. Tomorrow I’ll call Giant dealer and Merida dealer (as well as BMC), and see what they propose re: model/price. If their prices are not competive, I’ll likely go for the BMC, which would always been my first choice, had I found it earlier for a lower price.

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39

If you’re not confident you can tell which one is best for you during a test ride due to lack of experience, I would absolutely not buy without finding a shop that can help fit you to the bike. I also wouldn’t buy an expensive bike, because in your first year of riding you’ll realize all the things you like and don’t like about the bike and the fit, and can use that knowledge to buy your next bike. Don’t buy online to save a few dollars at the expense of finding a bike that fits you correctly.

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40

I don’t need the shop to fit me: I’ve seen a fitter beforehand, and I’ll go back for the final adjustments, although I already know what measures I need more or less. Also, this is definitely not my first bike. I’m currently riding a Canyon Endurace in the US, and I will be replacing a Cannondale Supersix in Europe. Until an year and a half ago I rode a Specialized Elite Roubaix.

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