Top Endurance Road Bikes of the Year (So Far) 2024

[@HeadPack]

One can tell you have worked on this video for many months. The different seasons are recognizable. Quite a feat to make it appear so seamless.

[@philipwiersma5100]

Just bought an defy adv 2 with slr2..based on your reviews and the comments here..I am totally blown away by how it rides..love it!!!..thx

[@ericdano]

Love my giant defy

[@eziyac393]

bought the domane sl6 early this year. very happy with it as a non racer but enthusiastic daily rider.

[@kestralrider313]

Great video David, and nice line-up of endurace bikes. I've owned my Fray for 3-4 months and I absolutely love it. It looks so clean without a seat bag, rides buttery smooth, even through the roughese chop. The Endurace and Defy might offer better value, but ignoring price, I'd still put the Fray at the top of this list of great bikes. I also agree with your comment's regarding Canyon's attempt for internal storage, it it ugly on the top tube and they should have gone for the downtube for greater volume and ability to hide door behind the bottle cage like ENVE, Specialized and other's have done wth better results.

[@kiralymate3d]

Someone from Merida should send some bikes to David to test/review them. In my country, perhaps in others as well, Merida bikes are (one of the) the best priced bikes, better than Giant as well.

[@Usenowgamer]

Yep. In the UK you can get a Endurance 6000 for just £2250 with 105 Di2 and a carbon frame. Great deal

[@Scott-ee9nz]

I’d love to see more coverage on Merida too. Cost wise they are unmatched. How can they offer carbon frames with 105 Di2 for less than £3k? £5999 for a midrange Giant seems excessive, even with the bottle cages 😂

[@JustBrowsing777]

Same in Sweden, lot's of Merida bikes on offer at very competitive prices. The one's I see most often in shops here are the ones with very relaxed geometry, which put these towards the more extreme end of comfort (vs speed/sporty feel).

[@phillipgriffiths6905]

​@@Scott-ee9nz the Giant Defy Advanced 1 is £3,199 with Di2. Similar price to the Merida 6000 without any offers.

[@phillipgriffiths6905]

I agree I'd like to see a review of Merida as well. As the Defy is hard to get.

[@comtruise9779]

Good list, but I would also probably throw the aluminum Trek Domane on there as a budget option. It's by far and away the smoothest aluminum bike I've ever owned, the semi integrated cables are not terrible to work on, and it doesn't have the isospeed faff from the carbon model. Pretty straightforward endurance bike that just works, handles and rides well, and is very versatile.

[@dalailager]

Excellent vid, really entertaining, useful & informative

[@JuanLopez-de7yw]

Scott addict 20 really nice ride I love it

[@stevengrimwood-m3n]

I think you are a giant brand man ,other makes out there ,kep up the good reviews.

[@joinride_cc]

You should try getting your hands on a Cube Agree Pro or Race. They are easily beating all of these bikes in terms of value for money.

[@KevinAdams06]

Dig that shirt. Russ is the bomb.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

For those on a smaller budget, the Orbea Avant is still a good choice.

[@love2wheels748]

There was a Defy SL with a ISP Over a Decade ago, it was a fantastic bike

[@dalailager]

Great vid 👍

[@johngillis7625]

Trek Domane!! Should be included in any discussion.

[@LaRuta-sk8rr]

The line that divides endurance and gravel is almos invisible to me.

[@nacnud2323]

Gravel bikes should have a slacker head angle and have a longer front centre with shorter stems. If they don't you may be looking at a race gravel bike, or maybe not a gravel bike at all.

[@eziyac393]

the line is that most endurance can go gravel but not vice versa

[@ShawnIsBatman]

Any list of endurance bikes without the Pinarello X is certainly not a complete list.

[@Derian132]

Pinnarello is dieing... Sorry.

[@JJ-yh1iw]

You gotta get some other brands like Argon 18, Merida, Norco, Focus. Love your content!!!

[@davidarthur]

Working on it ! :)

[@JJ-yh1iw]

@davidarthur great to hear! Content is always 👌 💯

[@HeadPack]

@@davidarthur would you also consider the Pinarello X line?

[@davidarthur]

@@HeadPack if I could persuade Pinarello to lend me a bike, definitely...

[@davidarthur]

@@JJ-yh1iw 🙏

[@ViktorNavotny]

Merida scultura endurance shall be tested

[@BrianRussell]

Bianchi Infinito (not the flash CV one) opinions?

[@PaulJennings123]

Is the Merida Scultura Endurance CF3 frame as good as Giant Defy Advanced Pro?

[@MutiaOlimpic-ej5qf]

🔥🔥🔥👍

[@nanubhana]

Great video David - what size Roubaix did you go for on your test?

[@graemeross1998]

What about the new Time Alp Dehuez x

[@andrewlin8323]

wondering if you could also add caledonia from cervelo to the list to compare Also heard very good things about merida, wondering if it could be reviewed as well

[@Monty41-f6h]

Can you review the Colnago c68 all road and the pinarello dogma x

[@larsson1899]

👍👍👍💥💥. What is the Winner of the Bikes for you ?

[@kezdotudatospista]

Why do you not consider testing Merida Road bikes during these comparisons?

[@carlcole9026]

My current stable includes 6 bikes. Never have regrets....

[@origamidoc]

Would love to see a review of the Lauf Uthald

[@davidarthur]

me too! I've asked but they don't seem too bothered about letting me test one

[@spdaltid]

These little built in stash boxes look handy, but how does cutting a hole in a structural component gel with manufacturer claims of lighter/stronger/stiffer/ linear compliance etc? In the end I'd take the Giant, and no fully integrated headset faff.

[@conalodonoghue7147]

Hi David, will you retest the BMC Roadmachine 01 across various road types any time soon?

[@danielakerman8241]

I’ve been asking for the same. He hasn’t replied but I’m guessing he can’t get his hands on one from BMC.

[@stuarthawkins4482]

Great reviews but I can’t agree with your comment about the entry level Defy that the £2300 asking price is accessible.

[@Usenowgamer]

No where near accessible. Most people only have the budget for bikes around £1500 and even that's pushing it. Bike prices are ridiculous these days!

[@davidarthur]

@stuarthawkins4482 When I said accessible it was in the context of the Giant Defy carbon fibre bike range and compared to other bikes in this category - The Giant Contend starts from £700 and that is a lot cheaper

[@WoodworkingCyclist]

​@@Usenowgamer the same bike he rode in the video is 3200€ in Slovenia, merida reacto 6000 di2 is 2700€, so what to choose now? Which one have more + then other?

[@johnpollard6442]

Really useful video. About the only other frame I would have wanted to know about was the Pinarello X. I am interested what it takes to go from the standard build to a dialed in bike. Is the power meter already there? Are the bars too wide, does the press fit BB require an aftermarket remediation? (looking at you, Cervelo). The Enve is probably $11k as a bike, but it would be exactly what you want. Giant appears to be incredible value, if you can really trust the BB. I’ve been burned before, and have a bias for English threads or T47. I may be building an Enve this winter.

[@davidchivers2762]

Great work David! Any chance of a Trek Domane review?

[@darylcherry5505]

Trek Domane SL6 Gen4. 105 Di2 with a Dura Ace Rear Cassette, Chain, and Dura Ace Rotors. Hunt Carbon 40mm wheels and 30C Pirelli PZero Race TLR tyres. Bontrager Pro Saddle as its half the weight of the standard one. Comfy, fast, and a lot cheaper than these options.

[@Silidons91]

hunt wheels are gross

[@darylcherry5505]

​@Silidons91 Ah more rubbish talk. You must spend £1000+ on wheels and pretend to compete professionally.

[@Dannyboi669]

Do you mind me asking about the choice of DA cassette chain and rotors why did you make those choices??

[@darylcherry5505]

​@Dannyboi669 I changed to the Dura Cassette and Chain for Hyperglide+ and the 100g+ saving on rotating mass. The rear shifting is apparently 1/3 quicker with this setup. It does feel much slicker and quieter in action. The Rotors again are lighter and seem to perform more consistently compared to the 105 ones - I also liked the look of them 😂

[@AaronSmith758]

Thanks for the feedback on the Giant Defy - I'm looking at the ML size as well - How tall are your David?

[@davidarthur]

I'm 181cm and the ML fits me perfectly

[@user-cu7cn1km7i]

My vote is the Colnago C68 Allroad. Best ride i’ve ever been on in 33 years cycling.

[@holdencaulfied7492]

David, why didn't you include your Fairlight in the comparison? I would have liked to see how a steel bike compares with the generic carbon bikes.

[@ReneArtoisMr]

I hesitate buying a carbon bike. I currently own a 14 year old aluminum Koga using 32mm tires (with inner tubes). I consider my bike pretty rigid. So I wonder how comfortable titanium bikes (like the van Moots) or steel bikes (like Eddy Merckx) compare to a Canyon Endurace or Specialized Roubaix. In the Netherlands custom titanium or steel bikes sell from around €4000,- equipped with Shimano 105 - 12sp.

[@lokho4588]

Would you consider the winspace SLC 3.0 in this category?

[@davidarthur]

Great to hear you're enjoying the Fray, really enjoyed my time with it

[@stephlulu11]

I do not understand not consider CUBE. With the Agree SLT, you got Endurance confort, stiff and efficience, aero features, Dura Ace DI2 … best value to long time ride and everything to have fun.

[@streitkrafte]

where in Portugal were you?

[@clew4349]

How about a review of the Look 765 Optimum...

[@T.Mitcbree]

What about the bargain priced Twitter V1 Gravel with Sram 1*11?

[@Amso4]

How about the Argon 18 Krypton Pro. I never see any mention of this bike. A guy I ride with loves his.

[@defiancecycling]

The Fifty One Sika and Enve Fray are bikes that most of us should be riding.

[@gabrielsteck3199]

David, If you had to choose one bike solution, which one would it be? Defy, Fray or Sika 51? Tks a million.

[@davidarthur]

Tricky one. My wallet would steer me towards the Defy and I'd be very happy with that, if I had more money the Sika is an awesome ride but I'd miss the mudguard mounts of the Fray and I kinda like the downtube storage and LOVE the colour of the green Fray I rode. I also prefer the geometry of the Sika to the Fray for my personal preference. So I'm torn is the honest answer.

[@michaellepie5571]

@@davidarthur what makes you say that about the geometry of the Sika? I am seriously considering both the Fray and the Sika based on your reviews. Looking for the bike that feels closest to a standard road bike (I'm 50, former racer, still like a fast club ride now and then but no plans to race) but has the higher stack and capacity for bigger tires. Don't plan on taking it off road. Have a gravel bike for that.

[@davidarthur]

@@michaellepie5571 sika has a lower front end, the fray stack is quite high

[@bo4koff]

No Van Rysel here ohhhhhhh :(

[@boseabhi2]

I would love to see a comparison between giant defy advanced pro 2 and Trek Domane SL5 gen 4. Their price is in same ballpark.

[@Usenowgamer]

Cervelo Caledonia not on the list? I hope it's good because I just bought one for £3300 (The Ultegra Di2 model) 😬

[@davidarthur]

Sadly not had the chance to ride it yet. Hopefully make that happen before the end of the year - and that's a very good deal you go yourself there

[@Usenowgamer]

@@davidarthur I see! Got a deal on the WheelBase website as it is currently 40% off! Shame there aren't many videos of it on KZbin

[@Usenowgamer]

@@davidarthur If only the Canyon Endurace was actually in stock I would have gone for that but XS is always out of stock so I had to compromise although the deal I got off of WheelBase for the cervelo with 40% off was quite good!

[@pouzivatellinuxu9262]

The cheaper segment is also represented by the CUBE brand.

[@mareczuczek]

I bought an Attain SL yesterday. I hope that it will be comfy

[@nicolaspetitmengin1931]

should add Trek Domane to the list

[@axum.gebreyohanes]

I like the new Roadmachine (I have the previous version as my main bike), but, as you say, it really is naff to only have a run time of 3hrs for the rear light on a so-called endurance bike.

[@deadlift8551]

I have the 2017 Canyon Endurace SLX 8.0di2 - I paid £3500 during a TDF promotion which meant a whopping 1k discount. Although I’ve had issues particularly with the manufacturer defect making it very easy to crush the steerer even when under torqued I still love this bike. I’ve done road racing, CG, group rides and long endurance rides on it. Would I buy the new model - I’m not so sure, I don’t like the tv remote door like top tube storage thingy, but the wider tyre clearance is great.

[@tk5422]

Thx, makes my decsision easy: Take the canyon endurace over all…

[@JustBrowsing777]

If you know you're going to be happy with not being able to choose handlebar width and crank length for instance

[@tk5422]

@@JustBrowsing777 no problem, I can always upgrade it.

[@JamesContratto]

I've been watching your reviews with great interest because I've decided to upgrade from my 1997 Bianchi Campione D'Italia to a modern endurance bike. I was originally drawn to the Roubaix but after seeing the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 in a local shop I was changing my mind. Now I see the 2024 Roubaix SL8 Comp is on sale $3,999.99 Both have 0% financing for 12 mos! I know both will be better than what I'm riding. I mostly ride long distance tours and local stuff with some hills in Los Angeles so both would work. Help??

[@TopM48]

I picked up the giant defy advanced pro 1 a few months back, it's my first road bike so nothing to compare it to but I love it

[@cliffy232323]

I like your content, but I worry you are contributing to the N+1 model in each of your videos. Would recommend more content on how to get to N=1 which is inline with your content on less expensive bikes, which are appreciated. Thanks for what you do!

[@cliffspencer]

Why no Caledonia?

[@davidarthur]

Simply because I haven't ridden one yet

[@cliffspencer]

@@davidarthur I bought one in the spring and I’m crazy about it. I really like the geometry, the bike tracks like anybody’s business! it’s definitely a personal preference thing, but it convinced me to buy this bike in particular.

Why nobody talk about Scott Addict?

[@davidarthur]

I reviewed the previous addict race bike but it’s just down to getting Scott to send one for me to ride and review

[@ketle369]

11:15 The hookeless rims is a no-go for me. You loose a lot of options for tires and at no benefits.

[@salsalawyer]

No Trek Domane?

[@davidarthur]

Sadly not ridden the new model yet, hopefully I'll get the chance soon

[@NoStarCyclist]

Bought a bike - regret it - will probably make a video out of it. I pushed the record button, people are scared!

[@Scott-ee9nz]

You’re taller than me, riding an M/L? Giant’s fit calculator puts me on an L even for more sportive riding, at 186cm. What’s your inseam?

[@rickmoses5081]

Hi David, hope you are “ JUST RIDING BIKES “😃😃😃😃 The Roubaix SL8 featured is what EXACT MODEL! Is it the EXPERT MODEL? Thanks. 🥁🚴🏻‍♂️🥁🚴🏻‍♂️🥁🚴🏻‍♂️

[@derekjameson4226]

you did not add bianchi infinito xr - disappointed

[@BrianRussell]

What's it with manufacturers building lights into bikes? Its just unwelcome, especially with short run times like 3h. The Canyon's handlebar design looks to be for easier shipping not ergonomics.

[@glaplayer627]

Why trek never makes to this type of lists?

[@davidarthur]

Because Trek don't make a habit of letting me test their bikes. I do keep asking though...

[@glaplayer627]

@davidarthur 1st if all thanks for replying! Second I know you've not test driven some trek bikes but maybe your friends or colleagues have. In their opinion trek are good bikes? Good quality components confort, speed and stiffness. I'm thinking of getting a madone slr9/s-works sl8. I also think I would be willing to sacrifice speed 😕 for comfort so I was looking at a domane slr9. I like going on 10 +miles

[@slowcyclist4324]

I think the aethos is a very underrated endurance bike. Superbly comfortable, yet fast enough to get the ride over and done with quickly so you can get back to actually enjoying life chilling on the couch. What more could you ask for?

[@nickbu]

Only that the geometry is identical to the Tarmac. I don't think it counts as an eudurance bike.

[@Andy_ATB]

It isn't an Endurance bike......the Roubaix is Specialized's Endurance bike.

[@robpierce58]

Look 765 optimum

[@sherlockholmes2591]

It's 2025 and your 2024 bike is already outdated. I'm holding out for the 13 speed bike coming out any day now.

[@davidarthur]

13 speed bikes came out in 2020 ;)

[@ThomasJorge1991]

Felt VR