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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00:002023 seems to have been the year of the endurance bike, with more models launched in this category
00:05than any other. Of those that have been launched, the bikes now sit between two sub-categories.
00:11You either have racy endurance bikes or all-road endurance bikes. In this video,
00:16I've broken down all of the bikes into those two categories. So,
00:20in the spirit of endurance riding, let's go and explore what's on offer in 2024.
00:24We'll start with a range of bikes from Pinarello. Launched back at the start of 2023,
00:34we have its new X series. Recently crowned with a new halo model, the Dogma X, the range lends
00:41itself to those who want to ride long distances on the road but want to retain the performance feel.
00:46It's often argued that road race bikes are too aggressive for the majority of riders,
00:50and that we'd all be better off on a performance-orientated endurance bike instead.
00:55And that's exactly what the Dogma X has tried to do with its slightly higher stack and shorter
01:01reach. However, the rest of the bikes in the X series range go one step further in making things
01:07a little bit more comfortable. With a higher stack and shorter reach than the Dogma X,
01:11the X series still maintains a keen get-up-and-go attitude with precise handling and a playful
01:17rear end without straining your back. The range starts with the X1, with a 105
01:23mechanical groupset, working up to the Dogma X. You can find each model in the range with any of
01:28the top three groupsets from either SRAM or Shimano, so whatever your preference,
01:33there's likely a model which will suit your needs.
01:40The Giant Defy was launched not all that long ago and firmly sits in the performance endurance
01:45category thanks to the efforts Giant went to greatly reduce the weight of the bike
01:50compared to the outgoing version. Giant claims that its range-topping Defy Advanced SL frame
01:55weight is now 20% lighter having shaved off nearly 300g. To further improve ride comfort,
02:02Giant stuck with its pretty popular D-Fuse seatpost, but not without a small redesign
02:07to increase compliance, but it did also create a new bar and stem combo, which is claimed to
02:13provide downward compliance while increasing upward stiffness. It's a baffling and slightly
02:19difficult claim to get your head around, let alone test. However, when we tested the bike out on the
02:24road, we found the ride to be very comfortable. We could feel the seatpost working and reducing
02:29the road chatter. The bars were certainly comfortable, but we cannot claim to have
02:33felt what Giant says it has engineered into the cockpit. That said, the increased tyre clearance
02:38of up to 38mm was welcomed and will of course be doing the bulk of the heavy lifting on smoothing
02:44out the ride. Giant has continued to offer the Defy at great value and builds starting here in
02:50the UK will begin at £2,299. Exploding onto the scene with some of the most exciting new
03:01propositions was Van Rysel back in April at the Sea Otter Classic Bike Show. It debuted an
03:08entirely fresh new range and one of the bikes which caught our eye was the NCR. Now NCR stands
03:15for Neo Racer and the bike looks to share a lot in common with the Van Rysel EDR, but with a less
03:21bulbous headtube. The NCR has been designed to be incredibly versatile, but as Decathlon says,
03:28still retains a strong focus on performance. Its starting price point of £1,700 sees you
03:34net a Tiago groupset and a carbon frame, so there really is a lot to like and the value is hard to
03:41match. So, for those looking for a good value bike which can be used on a variety of surfaces
03:46and parcours, but still with a performance slant, this could be the bike for you. Other builds are
03:52available in either a SRAM Rival AXS, SRAM APEX or Shimano 105 options, so there should
03:59be something out there which suits your needs. The Trek Dumane, now in its fourth generation,
04:09has long been a stalwart of the endurance category, having earned its stripes over many years.
04:15Last updated in 2022, the current iteration of the bike made a radical yet vital change.
04:21That being to ditch the front end IsoSpeed technology, allowing the frame to drop nearly
04:26300g in weight, a burden which was holding the bike back in so many ways.
04:32The rear end IsoSpeed is still present and helps increase comfort of the saddle,
04:37however it's no longer adjustable. By making it fixed, Trek was able to further save weight
04:42out of the frame and simplify the technology. But, frame tech to one side, it's the position
04:48the bike holds you in and the blend of performance and comfort the bike offers which makes it such a
04:53stable platform. It doesn't embody the playfulness of the Giant Defy or the Pinarello X. Instead,
05:00the Dumane lends itself to being slightly more versatile and bordering on being an all-road bike.
05:05It still feels at home churning through the miles on the road, but should the urge strike
05:10you to power across some hard-packed gravel, the Dumane will not be holding you back.
05:19From one stalwart to another, the Specialized Alley received an update this year which positioned
05:24itself in front of a new audience. The American brand changed the geometry of the bike to favour
05:29those wanting a more versatile alloy bike. This meant the bike suited those who do want to ride
05:35in more comfort, be that out riding long distances, commuting or just enjoying leisurely weekend
05:41rides. Along with the change in geometry, the bike is now disc brake only and plays
05:47host to both mudguards and pannier rack mounts for ultimate versatility. The frame has space
05:52for tyres up to 35mm in size when no mudguards are fitted which does continue to smooth off the ride
05:59feel. Specialized brought all of these features together and mated them to a high-quality
06:04aluminium frame with the end result being a bike which can now perform for so many,
06:09rather than just the performance-orientated road cyclist in the past. The bike doesn't come cheap
06:15with the starting price here in the UK being £1,000 for a Claris-equipped bike and that will
06:21be hard for some to get excited about. We also think the Alley Sport is a better specced bike
06:26as it makes the step up to a Tiagra groupset and also comes with hydraulic disc brakes
06:31rather than cable actuated units. So if a sturdy and versatile alloy bike is what you're after,
06:38then we would look no further but be warned because that does not come cheap.
06:47The Vitus Venon marks the change of subcategory as we move from performance endurance
06:52to all-road endurance and there is no better bike to do that with. The Venon is available
06:57as a gravel bike and an all-road bike and it's the latter that we're going to take an interest in
07:02today. When we reviewed the bike, we gave it the full five stars. We had the 105 Di2-equipped bike
07:09on test and found it provided a fantastic endurance geometry and can accommodate tyres
07:15from 28mm to 45mm in size which makes it one of, if not the most versatile endurance bike
07:22on the market. Considering you can swap the tyres out and have yourself a fast-rolling
07:27gravel race bike, it leaves very little to be desired by the adventure-seeking crowd.
07:32The builds on offer range from Rival Axis all the way up to Shimano Ultegra Di2. And if the
07:38builds on offer aren't to your liking, then Vitus does make a frameset-only option available,
07:43meaning you can build it up however you see fit and spend as much or as little as you like.
07:49The Canyon Endurace saw a pretty radical update in 2023. It, too, sees the opportunity to open
07:55its horizons by altering its geometry to incorporate a higher stack and shorter reach,
08:00bump tyre clearance out to 35mm and build in some internal frame storage.
08:05On the surface, all of these things sound great and are indicative of the endurance category,
08:10but the Endurace is capable of so much more. It's a bike that's been around for a long time
08:16but the Endurace is capable of so much more. While still being competitive on weight,
08:21it's not the lightest bike in the world, so the shorter reach means the bike can still
08:25maintain a light-feeling front end, which provides a fun and nimble feel.
08:30The leaf spring-inspired seatpost does a great job of removing road chatter and smoothing off
08:35the surface. Pairing that with the wide tyres and wheels and the feedback through the frame
08:40is rarely anything but plush. We like how the Endurace has evolved and that it has become more
08:45of a do-it-all machine. The bike will still provide you with a great feel out on the road,
08:50but much like the Domane, if you want to head down a rough road or light gravel trail,
08:55the Endurace will take it in its stride.
09:02The bike most recently released was the Specialized Roubaix. The Roubaix has long
09:07been a fan favourite in the endurance market, and the latest version of the bike has seen the
09:12brand double down on what the market seems to like so much. The new bike is also leading the
09:17way in the change from heritage endurance bikes embracing a new world of all-road versatility.
09:23So, what are the changes? Well, the bike now has clearance for up to 40mm wide tyres,
09:28a very flexy seatpost and a new future shock up front, allowing for a greater amount of fine
09:34tuning to the front end suspension. These all sound like gravel features,
09:39but the Roubaix did also improve its aero credentials, with subtle changes to the tube
09:44profiles to keep itself up to date with its competitors. It's also lighter than the previous
09:49version, again not by a lot, around 50g, but the saving does mean it's kept lean and up there with
09:56the best of the rest. With new rack mounts, top tube mounts and fender mounts, the Roubaix is an
10:02incredibly versatile bike, and one which should perform well on a myriad of terrains. The only
10:08downside is that, like many other bikes in the Specialised range, it doesn't come cheap,
10:12as the starting price for a Tiagra build is either $2,800 or £2,500.
10:21Let us know down below, out of all of these bikes, which would you pick?
10:25If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
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