Endurance Road Bikes: 2017 Buyer’s Guide & Top 5 Reviews
With the arrival of the New Year came an influx of new and better road bikes, also known as race bikes. From adventure bikes made for charging out there into the unknown to aerodynamic race bikes designed for speed, right now there seems to be so many options out there that there is literally something for everyone. With an array of features to look for, such as carbon frames and carbon forks, drivetrains, and stronger wheels, as well as added stiffness and improved road vibration for the perfect endurance race even on a rough road. Here's a list of the top 5 road bike reviews for this year:
5. Canyon Endurace CF SLX
Canyon makes some of the fastest road bikes available and sells them at amazingly low prices. A German brand, their bikes have come to the U.S. at long last. The 2017 Endurance CF SLX is the first disc brake road bike that Canyon has built. It features a carbon fiber frame and has been created for utmost control, ease, and effectiveness. Here you have a bike that climbs, gears up for sprints, and acts like a racing bike in every way, but still provides the ease and tire clearance you'd expect from an endurance bike.
Some of the positive points of the Canyon Endurance CF SLX are as follows:
- The seatpost is a leaf spring design which provides lots more flexibility than other seatposts giving the bike a remarkably smooth ride.
- With a frame weighing 820g the rider is guaranteed a responsive ride.
It's really difficult to find any flaws with this bike, but here a couple anyhow:
- It's definitely not meant to be an aero machine like the Aeroad, which might disappoint some, but it does what it needs too quite well.
- It might further disappoint some people that the Endurance isn't meant to be as sharp as Canyon's Ultimate bike either.
4. Cervelo S3 Disc
With the affixing of disc brakes on the Cervelo S3 Disc, the engineers at Cervelo's were able to redesign the old fork, lifting the crotch area up and widening the legs in order to lessen drag by 19 grams. Improved cable routing and adding an internal battery mount for Shimano Di2 battery serves to make it less difficult to reach the cables when the battery needs to be recharged. Also redesigned were the seatstays and chainstays in order to achieve ultimate handling and control. But what's truly amazing is that Cervelo managed to accomplish all of this and still eliminate 40 grams covering the S3's frame and fork.
Some of the finer qualities of the Cervelo S3 Disc are:
- Shimano's Ultegra Di2 is practically without a flaw and the flat-mount hydraulic discs just serve to improve it.
- Geometry that gives the bike its racy feeling.
Two of the only negatives of the Cervelo S3 Disc are:
- At $7,400 it is rather expensive, but the excellent quality makes up for it.
- The aero handlebars aren't all they're cracked up to be. The flat tops are difficult to hold onto and at least one rider complained they were too wide at the hoods.
3. Eddy Merckx Strasbourg 71
In case you don't know who Eddy Merckx is, he might very well be the greatest racer that has ever graced the sport. The Strasbourg 71 is the company's first venture into the endurance/gravel bike arena. The frame set of this bike comes in both aluminium and carbon fiber and is designed specifically for long lasting rides off the beaten path with comfortable endurance geometry, disc brakes, and room for wider tires.
Two of the pluses in favor of the Eddy Merckx Strasbourg 71 are:
- Lots of clearance in both the front and rear, this despite the rack and fender mounts.
- The crown of the fork provides you with two options for mounting for fenders and racks.
One big negative about this bike:
- While the quality is superb, it is a little pricey at $4,999. But if you don't mind putting in the cash, the bike doesn't disappoint.
2. Focus Paralane
Designed for ease, adaptability, and great performance, the Focus Paralane fits neatly into the endurance/gravel road bike category. With a carbon fiber frame set that is also compatible with disk brakes and which has been built using endurance geometry, resulting in a longer head tube and lower bottom bracket. Made for exploring on gravel and other rugged roads it provides clearance for 35 mm tires and even has a set of fenders that are simple to install and work well on muddy, wet roads. And yet, Focus has kept the bike incredibly light weighing in at 907 grams with a 54 cm frame set.
Some of the great aspects of the Focus Para lane:
- The tapered head tube makes the headset stiffer and lowers the steering weight.
- All of the cables and hydraulic lines are routed inside the frame which serves to give them protection, plus giving the bike a clean look and giving the lines a longer service life.
About the only negative that was given for this bike is that it is not entirely a racing bike, but made more for riding.
1. Specialized Roubaix
The Specialized Roubaix issued a new type of road bike back in 2003, created specifically for riders who want comfort that lasts all day, but does not want to give up anything pertaining to performance. This led to the emergence of the "endurance bike" category, and now practically every brand out there is at least remotely connected to the Roubaix. Now the speed of the Roubaix has been increased, but the all day comfort that made it so amazing remains intact. This updated model sports an integrated front suspension system called Future Shock which provides three adjustable spring rates. Furthermore, there's the new CG-R seatpost and a "Drop Clamp" that supplies 20 mm of rear end compliance resulting in better traction and ease.
One of the best things about the Specialized Roubaix is:
- It possesses comfort that provides both control and handling ease equally.
One of the complaints about the Specialized Roubaix is:
- The saddle was too soft and the tires weren't as sharp as they should be.
Essentially these are all good bikes that provide speed, comfort, and performance. Also, there are many good endurance road bikes out there—it really comes down to your personal likes and dislikes.
