Endurance Road Bikes For This Year
Manufacturers updating and releasing new models of endurance road bikes this year.
The likes of Pinarello, Giant, Van Rysel, Specialized, Vitus and Canyon have all released new models which sit within the endurance / all-road category and the result of their collective efforts has resulted in some of the most exciting endurance bikes we have ever seen.
The likes of Pinarello, Giant, Van Rysel, Specialized, Vitus and Canyon have all released new models which sit within the endurance / all-road category and the result of their collective efforts has resulted in some of the most exciting endurance bikes we have ever seen.
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00:00 2023 seems to have been the year of the endurance bike, with more models launched in this category
00:05 than any other. Of those that have been launched, the bikes now sit between two sub-categories.
00:11 You either have racy endurance bikes or all-road endurance bikes. In this video,
00:16 I've broken down all of the bikes into those two categories. So,
00:20 in the spirit of endurance riding, let's go and explore what's on offer in 2024.
00:29 We'll start with a range of bikes from Pinarello. Launched back at the start of 2023,
00:34 we have its new X series. Recently crowned with a new halo model, the Dogma X, the range lends
00:41 itself to those who want to ride long distances on the road but want to retain the performance feel.
00:46 It's often argued that road race bikes are too aggressive for the majority of riders,
00:50 and that we'd all be better off on a performance-orientated endurance bike instead.
00:55 And that's exactly what the Dogma X has tried to do with its slightly higher stack
01:00 and shorter reach. However, the rest of the bikes in the X series range go one step further in
01:06 making things a little bit more comfortable. With a higher stack and shorter reach than the Dogma X,
01:11 the X series still maintains a keen get-up-and-go attitude with precise handling and a playful rear
01:18 end without straining your back. The range starts with the X1,
01:22 with a 105 mechanical groupset, working up to the Dogma X. You can find each model in the range with
01:28 any of the top three groupsets from either SRAM or Shimano. So, whatever your preference,
01:33 there's likely a model which will suit your needs.
01:35 The Giant Defy was launched not all that long ago, and firmly sits in the performance/endurance
01:45 category, thanks to the efforts Giant went to greatly reduce the weight of the bike
01:50 compared to the outgoing version. Giant claims that its range-topping Defy Advanced SL frame
01:55 weight is now 20% lighter, having shaved off nearly 300g. To further improve ride comfort,
02:02 Giant stuck with its pretty popular D-Fuse seatpost, but not without a small redesign
02:07 to increase compliance, but it did also create a new bar and stem combo, which
02:12 is claimed to provide downward compliance while increasing upward stiffness.
02:17 It's a baffling and slightly difficult claim to get your head around, let alone test. However,
02:22 when we tested the bike out on the road, we found the ride to be very comfortable.
02:27 We could feel the seatpost working and reducing the road chatter. The bars were certainly
02:31 comfortable, but we cannot claim to have felt what Giant says it has engineered into the cockpit.
02:36 That said, the increased tyre clearance of up to 38mm was welcomed and will of course
02:42 be doing the bulk of the heavy lifting on smoothing out the ride. Giant has continued
02:46 to offer the Defy at great value and builds starting here in the UK will begin at £2,299.
02:53 Exploding onto the scene with some of the most exciting new propositions was Van Rijssel,
03:04 back in April at the Sea Otter Classic Bike Show. It debuted an entirely fresh new range,
03:10 and one of the bikes which caught our eye was the NCR.
03:14 Now, NCR stands for Neo Racer and the bike looks to share a lot in common with the Van Rijssel
03:19 EDR, but with a less bulbous headtube. The NCR has been designed to be incredibly versatile,
03:26 but as Decathlon says, still retains a strong focus on performance.
03:31 Its starting price point of £1,700 sees you net a Tiago groupset and a carbon frame. So,
03:38 there really is a lot to like and the value is hard to match. So, for those looking for a good
03:43 value bike which can be used on a variety of surfaces and parcours, but still with a performance
03:49 slant, this could be the bike for you. Other builds are available in either a SRAM Rival AXS,
03:55 SRAM Apex or Shimano 105 options, so there should be something out there which suits your needs.
04:01 The Trek Domane, now in its fourth generation, has long been a stalwart of the endurance category,
04:12 having earned its stripes over many years. Last updated in 2022, the current iteration of the
04:18 bike made a radical yet vital change. That being to ditch the front-end IsoSpeed technology,
04:24 allowing the frame to drop nearly 300g in weight, a burden which was holding the bike back in so
04:31 many ways. The rear-end IsoSpeed is still present and helps increase comfort of the saddle, however
04:37 it's no longer adjustable. By making it fixed, Trek was able to further save weight out of the
04:43 frame and simplify the technology. But, frame tech to one side, it's the position the bike
04:48 holds you in and the blend of performance and comfort the bike offers which makes it such a
04:53 stable platform. It doesn't embody the playfulness of the Giant Defy or the Pinarello X. Instead,
05:00 the Domane lends itself to being slightly more versatile and bordering on being an all-road bike.
05:05 It still feels at home churning through the miles on the road, but should the urge strike
05:09 you to power across some hard-packed gravel, the Domane will not be holding you back.
05:14 From one stalwart to another, the Specialized Alley received an update this year which
05:24 positioned itself in front of a new audience. The American brand changed the geometry of the
05:29 bike to favour those wanting a more versatile alloy bike. This meant the bike suited those
05:34 who do want to ride in more comfort, be that out riding long distances, commuting or just
05:39 enjoying leisurely weekend rides. Along with the change in geometry, the bike is now disc brake
05:45 only and plays host to both mudguards and pannier rack mounts for ultimate versatility.
05:51 The frame has space for tyres up to 35mm in size when no mudguards are fitted,
05:56 which does continue to smooth off the ride feel. Specialized brought all of these features
06:01 together and mated them to a high-quality aluminium frame with the end result being a bike
06:07 which can now perform for so many, rather than just the performance-orientated road cyclist
06:12 in the past. The bike doesn't come cheap, with the starting price here in the UK being £1,000
06:18 for a Claris-equipped bike, and that will be hard for some to get excited about.
06:23 We also think the Alley Sport is a better specced bike as it makes the step up to a Tiagra groupset
06:29 and also comes with hydraulic disc brakes, rather than cable actuated units. So, if a sturdy and
06:35 versatile alloy bike is what you're after, then we would look no further, but be warned,
06:40 because that does not come cheap.
06:42 The Vitus Venon marks the change of subcategory as we move from performance endurance to all-road
06:53 endurance, and there is no better bike to do that with. The Venon is available as a gravel bike and
06:59 an all-road bike, and it's the latter that we're going to take an interest in today.
07:03 When we reviewed the bike, we gave it the full five stars. We had the 105 Di2-equipped bike on
07:09 test and found it provided a fantastic endurance geometry and can accommodate tyres from 28mm to
07:16 45mm in size, which makes it one of, if not the most versatile endurance bike on the market.
07:23 Considering you can swap the tyres out and have yourself a fast-rolling gravel race bike,
07:28 it leaves very little to be desired by the adventure-seeking crowd.
07:32 The builds on offer range from Rival Axis all the way up to Shimano Ultegra Di2.
07:37 And if the builds on offer aren't to your liking, then Vitus does make a frameset-only option
07:42 available, meaning you can build it up however you see fit, and spend as much or as little as you like.
07:53 The Canyon Endurace saw a pretty radical update in 2023. It too sees the opportunity to open its
08:00 horizons by altering its geometry to incorporate a higher stack and shorter reach, bump tyre
08:06 clearance out to 35mm and build in some internal frame storage. On the surface, all of these things
08:12 sound great and are indicative of the endurance category, but the Endurace is capable of so much
08:19 more. While still being competitive on weight, it's not the lightest bike in the world, so the
08:23 shorter reach means the bike can still maintain a light-feeling front end, which provides a fun
08:29 and nimble feel. The leaf-spring-inspired seatpost does a great job of removing road chatter and
08:34 smoothing off the surface. Pairing that with the wide tyres and wheels and the feedback through
08:39 the frame is rarely anything but plush. We like how the Endurace has evolved and that it has
08:45 become more of a do-it-all machine. The bike will still provide you with a great feel out on the
08:50 road, but much like the Domane, if you want to head down a rough road or light gravel trail,
08:55 the Endurace will take it in its stride.
08:57 The bike most recently released was the Specialized Roubaix. The Roubaix has long
09:07 been a fan favourite in the endurance market, and the latest version of the bike has seen the brand
09:12 double down on what the market seems to like so much. The new bike is also leading the way in the
09:17 change from heritage endurance bikes embracing a new world of all-road versatility. So what are
09:24 the changes? Well, the bike now has clearance for up to 40mm wide tyres, a very flexy seatpost,
09:30 and a new FutureShock up front allowing for a greater amount of fine-tuning to the front-end
09:35 suspension. These all sound like gravel features, but the Roubaix did also improve its aero credentials,
09:42 with subtle changes to the tube profiles to keep itself up to date with its competitors.
09:47 It's also lighter than the previous version. Again, not by a lot – around 50g – but the
09:53 saving does mean it's kept lean and up there with the best of the rest. With new rack mounts,
09:59 top tube mounts and fender mounts, the Roubaix is an incredibly versatile bike, and one which
10:04 should perform well on a myriad of terrains. The only downside is that like many other bikes in
10:10 the Specialised range, it doesn't come cheap, as the starting price for a Tiagra build is either
10:15 $2,800 or £2,500. Let us know down below, out of all of these bikes, which would you pick?
10:25 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
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