Originally Posted by
AidanS
Snipped. . .
Both race bikes, I’ve only ever owned endurance bikes so I’m wondering will a race bike be to aggressive for me in the long term. I don’t plan on very long rides but I do live in a mountainous area.
Thanks
AidanS
This is the real question here. It is irrelevant on bike brand/model until you figure this out. In a simple way of describing endurance bikes, they have less reach and more stack than a race bike. Of course there are variations in that but it's basic. Typically you will find that endurance bikes will have longer head tubes, which translates to less saddle to bar drop. Iride01 already touched on this, you could be looking at stack and reach in the geometry sections. Compare this to what you had.
The second part is do you really need an endurance fit? Unfortunately no one can tell you this because it all depends on your likes and dislikes, your fitness level, your flexibility and other variables. Personally I love the endurance fit of my bike but there are plenty of people on this board who love their race bikes. How much did you like riding your Defy? If you loved it then I would say purchase an endurance bike and wait it out until you can get what you need. If you didn't love your Defy, try a race bike and you may find it is even better.
Good luck.