Endurance Bikes
 

I built up a steel rando bike, discussed in this thread, and I pretty much love the bike. After 10k+ miles, three SR series, one 1000, one 1200, and a fleche, I've proven i can ride an upright bike long distance without blowing up my back. Now the grass is getting greener.

Bikes branded endurance are looking pretty enticing. Room for wide tires, bottle mounts, fender mounts, relaxed geometry, and perhaps most compelling the claims of smoothness due to various tech. Dampeners, compliant layups, isolation, and so forth. Interesting enough to get my attention.

So maybe the thread title should be Dream Rando Rig II: Carbon.

Trek Domane, Giant Defy, and a handful of others.

Two questions:
Have any randos here switched to one of these carbon endurance branded bikes from steel, and if so do they live up to the hype? Specifically, comfort.

Given the cost of entry isn't pocket change to me, suggestions on how to determine this for myself? Are extended test rides or rentals available?

I went from a miyata 1000 to a specialized roubaix. It was an older model, 2013 I think, so only room for 28mm tires but I found it more comfortable. I was faster on that bike but I also got in better shape over the years. I even managed to break the frame in a crash and had it repaired, and I still ride brevets on it. I have ~40,000km on it and am thinking it's time for another groupset or something.

I also have a newer carbon 'gravel' bike that I use for brevets now too, it started off with 650B but I am switching over to 700x30/32 for a bit more comfort while being able to run fenders for rainy rides. I'm ditching the dynamo hub in the upgrade to 700 as well.

I think there are so many factors going into comfort that carbon vs steel is a hard argument for me to make.

I have a steel rando bike with wide tires. It is slower than my carbon rando bike, for sure. The steel bike has a suspension stem, a seatpost with a lot of give, a B17, and RH tires that measure 40mm. It has rim brakes. Overall, comfort is good.

The carbon bike has less drop to the bars and does not have a suspension stem or carbon bars. It has a seat post with a lot of give but a racing saddle. It has clipon bars. Aero wheels. I run GP5000 tubeless in the 30-34mm actual width range. I am about an hour per 200km faster on the aero carbon bike. In my case, the aero carbon bike is more comfortable to my neck but less so to the hands. Being faster means the fast kids drop me slower. Overall, comfort is a little better. Saddle is an issue and a works in progress. I might retrofit a suspension stem, carbon bars, and a different saddle. In which case, it would be no contest.

Fenders are a challenge with carbon. Cervelo, Trek and Cannondale make endurance frames that let you use fenders...Caledonia and Synapse and Domane. Delivery was over a year for the Trek and Cannondale in my size. I don't know if supply chain issues will impact your choice but something to consider early.