Choosing the right Endurance road bikes

Endurance road bikes have come a long way since then, but many of the bikes today share some key design principles and core technologies. The best endurance road bikes can let you cover long distances without sacrificing too much speed – here are our favourites.Endurance road bikes frames share many of the attributes of race bikes frames, but focus more on comfort. If you’re new to road riding, an endurance road bike is the obvious choice. So what are the main features you should be looking for in an endurance bike?

What is an endurance road bike key features?

Upright riding position

Key to riding any bike for a long time is a comfortable riding position and for most people that means a more upright riding position than can be found on the average race bike.

Endurance bikes will have a shorter reach and higher stack than more race-oriented machines, so you’re less stretched out, although there are gradations in just how upright an endurance bike will place you.

Stable geometry

Rather than being edgy like a bike tuned for the sharp end of racing, endurance bikes are designed for more predictable, stable handling. You don’t want a bike that’s a handful to pilot if you’re going long.

Typically, endurance bikes will have a longer wheelbase and slacker enduro frame and fork angles than a more race-oriented bike. They will also have longer chainstays for less snappy handling.

Increased tyre clearance

Longer chainstays also increase tyre clearance. Endurance road bike rims are still getting wider, but increased tyre clearance has been common on endurance bikes for years as an easy way to increase comfort and grip by increasing the volume of air under the rider, allowing lower tyre pressures.

28mm tyres are the minimum, but expect clearance to fit tyres up to 40mm on some models.

Lower gearing

To take steep climbs with ease and reduce fatigue on long, hilly rides, low gearing will let you spin up rather than engage in out-of-saddle grinding. It’s typical for endurance bikes to be fitted with a 50/34-tooth compact crankset.

Modern road groupsets will let you pair that with a cassette providing range up to 11-36, so you get some really low ratios. With the latest groupsets shifting to 12-speed cassettes, the wide range is often achieved with smallish differences between gear ratios mid-cassette, where the bulk of your riding is likely to be.

Disc brakes

Disc brakes endurance road bike frames are the norm for bike manufacturers these days, with hydraulic braking rather than cable-operated on mid-range models and up. They bring improved braking in all weathers while coming with only a minor weight penalty. They are also pivotal in allowing those bigger tyre clearances.

Fancy seatposts

A slim and flexible 27.2mm seatpost is typical for road bikes carbon seatposts are the most common material even on lower priced endurance bikes, for their increased vibration damping.

Beyond that, endurance bikes will often have seatposts with extra features to make your saddle time more enjoyable

Vibration damping

There have been many solutions to vibration damping over the years – some more gimmicky than others.Generally they involve adding an additional material to the frame to dissipate vibration,some design the rear triangle with flex zones or extra compliance or built-in flex features.

In other cases, vibration damping comes from the design and layup of carbon handlebars and fork blades.

Mudguard mounts

Mudguard fixing points used to be a rarity on any bike, but they’re pretty much standard on modern endurance bikes. If you’re going to be out on long rides in all weathers you want to be kept a bit drier; wheel spray wetting your seat pad is never comfortable.

We’d say proper mudguard mounts are essential if you plan on riding through winter.

Lighting

While still a bit of a novelty, it’s increasingly common to see lights built into endurance bikes. Many road bike designs, even performance race models, now allow you to add an integral rear light to your seatpost.

Electric assistance

Many brands now offer e-bike versions of their endurance bikes. It’s a useful option if you want to go long and value the extra assistance of a motor to help with climbs or if you get fatigued.

Often you’ll be riding at over the 25kmh at which assistance cuts out (in Europe), so the motor is only there for when things get harder.

The best electric road bikes are not much heavier than a normal endurance bike. The extra mass may not affect handling or ride feel on the flat, but the motor provides a get-out on the hills.

It may increase the distance that you feel confident riding or allow you to take on more difficult terrain.

What’s the difference between an endurance road bike and a gravel bike?

ncreasingly little. Although they started off as different bike categories, there are now plenty of bikes that blur the boundary. Some bike brands will offer gravel and endurance specs of the same bike, just altering tyre tread patterns and gearing between the two.

An endurance bike with wide tyre clearance and low gear ratios can easily be set up with gravel tyres for more grip, allowing you to head off tarmac and explore the less gnarly tracks and trails you find.

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