Marwood79

Hi all,

New member based in the UK. Writing here as no dealerships have all brands in stock so are not impartial.

I am looking at acquiring either a Roubaix Pro, a Domane SLR7, a Rondo CF0 or a Canyon Endurace 9.0 SLX. This will be for 90% road, 10% track. Will be a mix of short fitness rides (20-30 miles) and longer multu-day trips. All the bikes look amazing, all are between £6k & £7k right now in the UK.

I wanted to check if anyone has ridden all of these models (or similar specs/bikes) 2020 versions and any thoughts on preferences?

In particular, I am interested in relative handling characteristics? Comfort? Speed? and anything else?

If anyone does have this experience and would be willing to share I would be very grateful. Thank you.

Rich

datlas 

I have ridden previous years versions of the Roubaix and Endurace. They are both good as I expect the other two are as well. Can you take each of them out on a test ride?

Honestly, I expect you will do fine with ANY of them as long as you have the right size/fit/setup.

topflightpro

At that point, you really can't buy a bad bike. They are all really good. You just need to make sure you buy one that fits well.

kingston 

A few seasons ago I was looking for something similar and rode the Domane, Roubaix, Synapse and Infinito CV. I ended up going with a titanium Seven, but of the CF bikes I rode, I liked the Bianchi the best, and you can get it as a complete bike with chorus which is what I would do.

tomato coupe

I don’t think there is any endurance bike that would be useable on the track ... unless track has a different meaning in British.

noodle soup

I think “the track” is the UK version of a MUP.

canklecat

A friend seems very satisfied with his Canyon Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0. He's 60, I think, a couple of years younger than I, stronger and faster. He's ridden many 20-50 milers and a few centuries on it the past year, and I haven't heard any complaints from him.

surak

Roubaix doesn't have any fender (mudguard) or rack mounts, so it's not ideal for a multiday outing. As my dealer would say, those guys at Specialized down in California don't understand that there are places where it rains and some of us still want to go out riding when it does.

Marwood79

Thanks all for quick replies! Confirm 'track' meaning off-road path etc rather than a velodrome!

noodle soup

Off-Road means something different here too.

It's nice that we speak the same language.

tomato coupe

Any other names used for velodrome riding?

mstateglfr 

Will these multiday rides be self supported where you carry everything or rdes where a van carries your gear/you stay at a hotel as base and do day rides?

That will matter a lot for what bike works best.

eduskator

If you're looking to squeeze a little more ''bang for the buck'', the Giant Defy Advanced Pro might be a good candidate as well! Giant has always offered very good products for lower prices, mainly because they produce their own frames & have a high purchasing power.

MonsterFat

Was in a similar position last spring and wound up on a BMC roadmachine. I absolutely love the bike and would suggest you look at BMC. Also, at the price range you are looking, definitely make sure you get electronic shifting, if you don't have it, it's definitely worth it.

noodle soup

Fit is the first thing that you should look at. If the fit isn't right for your body, all the other features of one bike over another are meaningless.

I ride a Domane because the measurements of the frameset, are almost identical to those of my custom frame(that was stolen).

I'd have no problems owning the other bikes you mentioned, but the fit isn't right for me.

robbyville

As noodle says it all boils down to fit for you and your body, and then once you choose having the bike properly fit to you and your riding style.

when I went to a Domane (while back since been sold), I had been on a different bike made by Ridley that I just could t get to fit me right. The Domane was unbelievably stable and comfortable at speeds. I rode it in gravel, on the road, and raced it a couple of seasons in cat 5 races. Great bike and highly recommend from a comfort standpoint. When you’re comfortable on a bike it barely matters if you’re on mile 15 or 150

noodle soup

I love the Domane, but it's not a good fit for everyone. I have very long legs, and a short torso(arms are about average for my height). It's hard for me to buy a stock frame.

canklecat

After reading some mixed reports from Canyon owners (a few complaints about out-of-round bottom brackets, that sort of thing), if money wasn't an issue I'd probably go with Trek, mostly because of their commitment to frame warranties. Or Specialized. I suppose the higher price is sort of like pre-paying for an extended warranty and, hopefully, better quality control.

And I like my local Trek dealer. They're an old school LBS, good guys. If I could afford it I'd buy new from them.

Marwood79

Thanks everyone for some really useful thinking. Having never bought a bike at this level new I am not entirely familiar with the set-up / fitting process. Although it seems this is the single most important element. Shops with these bikes in stock are rarer than hens teeth in the UK, but that is another matter...

Really appreciate your time!
Thanks

Rich

ultrarider7

I bought an Infinito last summer and love it. It is a great bike.

kingston 

While fit is certainly important and I get it that some people have body proportions that makes fitting harder, fit is not as important to me as it seems to be for many others. As long as the frame size is in the right ballpark, I can make most bikes work with the right stem, especially an endurance frame with a shorter reach and taller stack.

ultrarider7

You are 100% right on the Endurance frame. Shorter reach and taller stack. I am just under 6 feet tall, but a 32" inseam, so it works very well for me.

noodle soup

Most of these bike use frames with the same geometry/fit throughout the model line, so an entry level bike that costs $1000 will fit the same as one that costs $13,000. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a shop that stocks the entry level bikes

MoreLowGears

If you're looking at the Roubaix, I recommend considering the Expert Di2 too. You lose the hydraulic damper and carbon wheels, gain a small amount of weight, but gain Di2. The damper and lockout may or may not be worth more than Di2 to you. I have the 2018 Roubaix Pro, which is nice: it had the same frame as the S-works. But riding my bike with my girlfriend's Roubaix Sport back to back, I can't tell the difference in frame construction.