Endurance Bikes
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Endurance Bikes
I'm in the process of looking for a new or late model used endurance bike (i.e., Specialized Roubaix, Cannondale Synapse, etc.) Anybody have any suggestions. My current ride is a Cannondale SuperSix.
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Every bike company makes an endurance model and they are all good, some may be better for "you" than others. When I was looking for an endurance bike I test rode the two you mentioned plus the Giant and the Trek Domane. For me, the Domane was the clear winner by a long shot. It wouldn't hurt to look at what I call the B brands. The bikes that don't have the same sales number as Specialized, Trek, Giant and Cannondale. Bikes like the Fuji, Scott, BMC, Orbea, Factor and Canyon come to mind. It is a matter of test riding every bike that you can which can be difficult in these times. Canyon is a direct to consumer brand so the price is good and if you dislike it you can always send it back before 30 days. Good luck with what ever you choose.
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Best to see what's actually available.
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Be careful for what you wish for...I went from a SuperSix some years ago to a Synapse and hated that bike on many, many levels. I regretted with all my soul getting rid of my SuperSIx, worst decision I ever made bike wise, besides buying the Synapse. I sold it in less than a year, bought an Emonda which I absolutely love and still have. I don't think mentally I was ready for the endurance geometry and still enjoyed playing in the race geometry. Flash forward 5 years and I have a completely different mindset. I was now 56, not looking to ride 20+ mph group rides and more into the, lets just go ride and enjoy the fresh air and scenery mindset. I ended up getting a Domane last year and absolutely love it and enjoy riding it.
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#6
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Back in 2017, I rode a Domane SL6 Disc and the Specialized equivalent. The Domane just felt better - the geometries of the two bikes were slightly different but most of the component levels were the same. The shock absorption and the wheels on the Domane and the geometry probably are why I preferred it. I mostly do longer hilly rides on typical non-perfect road surfaces.
Still loving the bike with many thousands of miles on it. I'm not a racer so the endurance geometry is what I was looking for over the the more stretched out ride of the Trek 520 touring bike I'd been riding for 20 years.
Still loving the bike with many thousands of miles on it. I'm not a racer so the endurance geometry is what I was looking for over the the more stretched out ride of the Trek 520 touring bike I'd been riding for 20 years.
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I just bought a Cervelo Calendonia. I've only taken it out for three rides, but so far, I'm a big fan. Very comfortable, feels fast, but my opinion would surely be worth more if I'd been riding it for three years, or even three months, rather than just three total rides.
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That's what keeps me from even looking at them. Every bike I've ever bought has needed some mods to accommodate my physical dimensions. And if you show up at the LBS with a brand they don't carry, they'll work on it, but you certainly won't get priority. I'll pass on Canyon.
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There are now so many endurance road bikes that it is almost pointless listing them all. The Roubaix stands out because of it's front suspension and the Trek Domane has IsoSpeed damping. But since wider, more compliant tyres became the norm most endurance road bikes are now pretty comfortable without resorting to mechanical systems. I have a Giant Defy, which is a pretty solid endurance bike, with simple, but effective, flexible D-shaped seatpost and bars. On 30 mm or 32 mm tyres it is very comfortable and still pretty quick. Pretty much every other brand has an equivalent endurance model. If you like Cannondale then the Synapse is very well regarded. The current Synapse model has been out for a few years now, so likely to be due for an update soon. That might make the outgoing model a bit cheaper in the end, but not in the current market! Availability of most bikes is terrible at the moment and used bikes are selling at a premium.
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That's what keeps me from even looking at them. Every bike I've ever bought has needed some mods to accommodate my physical dimensions. And if you show up at the LBS with a brand they don't carry, they'll work on it, but you certainly won't get priority. I'll pass on Canyon.
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Be careful for what you wish for...I went from a SuperSix some years ago to a Synapse and hated that bike on many, many levels. I regretted with all my soul getting rid of my SuperSIx, worst decision I ever made bike wise, besides buying the Synapse. I sold it in less than a year, bought an Emonda which I absolutely love and still have. I don't think mentally I was ready for the endurance geometry and still enjoyed playing in the race geometry. Flash forward 5 years and I have a completely different mindset. I was now 56, not looking to ride 20+ mph group rides and more into the, lets just go ride and enjoy the fresh air and scenery mindset. I ended up getting a Domane last year and absolutely love it and enjoy riding it.
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I just bought a Cervelo Calendonia. I've only taken it out for three rides, but so far, I'm a big fan. Very comfortable, feels fast, but my opinion would surely be worth more if I'd been riding it for three years, or even three months, rather than just three total rides.
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There are now so many endurance road bikes that it is almost pointless listing them all. The Roubaix stands out because of it's front suspension and the Trek Domane has IsoSpeed damping. But since wider, more compliant tyres became the norm most endurance road bikes are now pretty comfortable without resorting to mechanical systems. I have a Giant Defy, which is a pretty solid endurance bike, with simple, but effective, flexible D-shaped seatpost and bars. On 30 mm or 32 mm tyres it is very comfortable and still pretty quick. Pretty much every other brand has an equivalent endurance model. If you like Cannondale then the Synapse is very well regarded. The current Synapse model has been out for a few years now, so likely to be due for an update soon. That might make the outgoing model a bit cheaper in the end, but not in the current market! Availability of most bikes is terrible at the moment and used bikes are selling at a premium.
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Back in 2017, I rode a Domane SL6 Disc and the Specialized equivalent. The Domane just felt better - the geometries of the two bikes were slightly different but most of the component levels were the same. The shock absorption and the wheels on the Domane and the geometry probably are why I preferred it. I mostly do longer hilly rides on typical non-perfect road surfaces.
Still loving the bike with many thousands of miles on it. I'm not a racer so the endurance geometry is what I was looking for over the the more stretched out ride of the Trek 520 touring bike I'd been riding for 20 years.
Still loving the bike with many thousands of miles on it. I'm not a racer so the endurance geometry is what I was looking for over the the more stretched out ride of the Trek 520 touring bike I'd been riding for 20 years.
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+1 A great way for a shop to go out of business. Some shops are so short-sighted. When Canyon and other direct brands first came on the scene a few of our local shops decided to black-ball them on servicing, which I thought was the dumbest thing ever. But the ones that are still in business seem to have learned to accept that people might choose to buy a bike from somewhere else. Especially these days when stock levels are at an all-time low.
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+1 A great way for a shop to go out of business. Some shops are so short-sighted. When Canyon and other direct brands first came on the scene a few of our local shops decided to black-ball them on servicing, which I thought was the dumbest thing ever. But the ones that are still in business seem to have learned to accept that people might choose to buy a bike from somewhere else. Especially these days when stock levels are at an all-time low.
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#19
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I've been very happy with my Synapse. She's super comfortable.
I prefer to buy local and keep my bike shop in business. They take great care of my bikes and it's nice to have somewhere close to run in when I need something.
I prefer to buy local and keep my bike shop in business. They take great care of my bikes and it's nice to have somewhere close to run in when I need something.
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That's what keeps me from even looking at them. Every bike I've ever bought has needed some mods to accommodate my physical dimensions. And if you show up at the LBS with a brand they don't carry, they'll work on it, but you certainly won't get priority. I'll pass on Canyon.
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No idea if that's true, but I'd hate to take a mail-order bike to a shop and say "can you make this bike fit me?" I usually need some mods to get a proper fit. I'll stick with my LBS for a bike that fits. Also, what's so special about Canyon?
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My local shop fixes and puts together a lot of big box store bikes. There are a lot of them that do. My shop does not care about brand or type, if it is two wheels and does not have a gas motor, it is welcome.
Brian
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That's good, but, well, what's so special about Canyon? And how will I know if it will fit if I can't sit on it first? Frame geometry numbers can only go so far.
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Cheers!
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