WorldIRC

The Scott is a great bike. They always cost less without sacrificing quality (except the wheels). I had a 2019 with Di2 and it’s a great bike.

WorldIRC

I love my new Roubaix. Very enjoyable ride!

blakcloud

I own a Trek Domane SL6 but upgraded with Ultegra Di2, Dura Ace cassette, pedals and Bontrager RSL 37 wheels with superlight Rene Herse tires and though I haven't weighed it, it feels like it is over 20 pounds. Basically the frame is heavy for a carbon bike but I am willing to compromise because the bike is so comfortable.

What I like about the bike is the versatility. Yesterday I rode the bike with 650 x 42 on some gravel and the day before that on 700 x 37. Days before that I was on 28 mm tires on pavement. It really is an all rounder.

There are so many good bikes in your price range that what ever you choose, it will be a good one.

WorldIRC

My Roubaix also isn’t the lightest. But like you it is quite comfortable. The best bike is the one that is enjoyable to ride, even if it’s a bit heavier.

Esthetic

Great upgrades and wheelswap options, im looking forward to hitting dirt with it soon. It is heavier build for a carbon bike but it still feels swift and speedier in uptempo pace than say a traditional piping steel bike at the same weight. My issue is I have not upgraded the gearing. Where I live in NJ , our steepest hills and metric Fondo i do I've always done well with 11-28 on a Compact on my climbing bikes. The 11-34 has a few gearing jumps that slow me down to where the weight of the bike compounds a bit. At my first chance I'd like to try an 11-30, I think that would smoothen and tighten up the gearing for me on the road. I just hope I won't miss it when the tires get bigger and the gravel gets lower speed and technical?

Jburrow

Posting to pose another option: what about Time and Look? I am in a similar position as the OP but in the $5k bracket. Currently looking at the Look 765 Optimum+, Giant Defy Advance Pro 2, Specialized Roubaix Expert.

I only pose Time and Look as I hear wonderful things about their quality control when compared to Cervelo, OPEN, and others. Apparently they make wonderful CF.

guachi

I recently bought a Trek Domane SLR7 and used Project One to upgrade some bits (mostly because of availability). Ended up with a bike just under 18 lbs and it feels so much lighter than my 2019 SL5. The bike is vastly more expensive but it's also obviously better basically everywhere. It will definitely be my do-it-all bike for (hopefully) many years.

Di2 is great. Being lighter is great. The bigger tire clearance is great. The vastly better wheels is great. The saddle is better (stock P3 Verse Pro vice Arvada Xomp). The storage compartment is great.

clichty

I have heard the opposite about Time and Look recently though. I thought they used to be much better (I did love Look bikes 10 years ago) but their equality has deteriorated in recent years.

tigat

I run an 11-30 on my Domane on both the road and gravel wheels, because that is as much as the DA will take. It's more than ample for the road. In gravel mode, ramps over 12% or so have the front wheel bouncing up with every slow pedal stroke - no standing for me since I only have one arm. I would love to have something a bit lower.

Then again, I've reached an age where I am on the downside of the power curve

Jburrow

oh! That is interesting - would you mind linking some of that info? This isn’t sarcasm at all - I am genuinely interested since I am heavily considering the Look. Currently comparing to the Giant and Specialized.

a friend of mine was going to buy the Domane but ended up with an Emonda because he found the iso speed odd at speed - he said he didn’t feel connected to the tires and the road.

PeteHski

I have a Giant Defy Adv Pro 2 (2019 model, current frame) and can't really fault it as an endurance bike. But our local roads are bumpy enough that I think a Specialized Roubaix would be even better. So that's what I'm looking at if I get another bike. I don't think any of the other endurance bikes on the market really offer any significant advantage over the Defy. Maybe the Trek Domane with its Iso-Speed tech. The main reason I chose the Defy was because it was easily the best value for money including pretty decent carbon wheels. I paid just £2k for it in the pre-covid end of season sales.

Hiro11

Preface: you will not be able to buy anything unless you find a shop that has something you want in stock.

I'll set aside the obvious Domane and Roubaix, although both a great bikes. Also, I have a 2020 Defy Advanced Pro 0. It's a terrific bike and right around your budget. I think a new Defy is coming soon though. You might want to hold off.

Other endurance road to consider:
Cervelo Caledonia 5
Willier Cento 10 NDR
Cannondale Synapse HI-MOD
Canyon Endurace CF

Fast riding gravel race bikes to consider:
3T Exploro Racemax
Ridley Kanzo Fast
Open U.P.
Santa Cruz Stigmata

Also, don't forget about cross bikes. They are racier than both of the above and can handle pretty much anything. I particularly like the new Giant TCX and the Specialized Crux.

PeteHski

As you mentioned the Open UP, how about the more road focused Open MIN.D?

Jburrow

its funny you mentioned the Wilier: I have a major soft spot for them. I think they are gorgeous compared to the Giants and Specialized models. I just wonder how they’re carbon fiber layup and quality compared amongst them all.

PeteHski

I would imagine their carbon frames are outsourced to an Asian factory. Not saying that's a bad thing, but I doubt the quality would be any better than Giant or Specialized. Giant actually make frames for several of the smaller brands, but I don't know about Willier.

Jburrow

true. I know Giant makes frames for Trek and others. I know Merida makes most of the frames for Specialized. Is Merida comparable to the quality of Giant? I know Giant weaves their own carbon prepreg sheets and they are supposedly high quality.

Hiro11

Giant makes frames for the bigger brands too. Trek, Scott and Colnago for example. Specialized doesn't make any of their own frames, as far as I know.

One of the reasons I bought a Giant is because of their excellent reputation for carbon construction, bottom brackets, dropouts, internal cabling etc. Giants are known to be no-nonsense bikes with excellent engineering.

Jburrow

thats why I have considered them. Also my LBs is a giant carrier. My wife has a Liv that has been excellent. They have an odd image of being the affordable brand of bike here in the US. But, that may be a marketing thing.

WorldIRC

In Canada, Scott, while less popular, is often more affordable than the other big players, including Giant.

PeteHski

Well all I can say is having owned both Giant and Specialized carbon frames, both seem to be of good quality. I get the feeling there is very little in it in terms of carbon frame quality between all the well known big brands. I would be more wary of buying a carbon frame from one of the smaller boutique brands, who may have little control over the manufacturing process and probably little experience anyway of carbon design/production. There are exceptions of course. For example Factor bikes in the UK, who gained their carbon experience directly from the motorsport industry.

sean.hwy

Mine creaks after only a month ( Revolt Advanced 2 ) :/ The store I bought from went out of business. I took to the store that I bought my gf Liv Devote Advanced 2 they said bottom 9 of 10 it just needs to be repacked and since I did not buy from them I had to pay them. This for a bike that's only a few months old. I can't imagine buying a toyota in NY and then trying to get it warranty in CA and them giving me the run around like that.

Two different friends bought Liv Devote Advanced 2 ( ladies giant ) both of them after a month had the shifting cable splinter.

PeteHski

I wouldn’t be very happy with that! The cable guides on my Defy head tube look different to those and haven’t had that issue. On mine the cables are fixed where they enter the frame so they don’t fret like those in your photos appear to have done.

basscadet

Also looking for the very best endurance bike and not sure which way to go. LBS push Trek, Giant, and Specialized's offerings but I've owned higher-end Trek and Specialized bikes and found them overwrought, heavy, poor values. Bought a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9, makes the Treks/Specialized feel like junk in comparison and hoped to make it as comfy as possible with a raised stem and fatter tires but it is just so skittish and not confidence-inspiring.

Keep coming back to my OPEN UP which I think is just about the best bike in the world but want a backup bike, an endurance bike with slightly narrower tires for when I get the itch to crush some miles on tarmac. Obviously I'm considering the Endurace from Canyon as I'm sold on their build quality but would really like to step up into the ultra premium range. Considering BMC and Scott's endurance bikes.

Symox

With that budget I’d look into custom frame builders. Frame likely made out of steel but that is not a bad thing. I happen to believe fit and geometry Trump material when it comes to frames.

I own and love a carbon bike btw, but if I could afford it, I wouldn’t hesitate for a custom steel bike

WhyFi

Unless you're at the extremes of the bell curve, desired/needed fit and geometry isn't too hard to come by, IMO.