Endurance road bikes share many of the attributes of race bikes, but focus more on comfort. If you’re new to road riding, an endurance road bike is probably the right choice for you.
It’s almost 20 years now since the Specialized Roubaix kicked off the endurance road bike revolution. Its fancy Zertz gel inserts were designed to reduce road buzz and its upright geometry placed the rider in a comparatively relaxed position.
Although pitched at the amateur rider, the original Roubaix notched up some notable pro wins, particularly under Tom Boonen in the early season Classics.
Endurance road bikes have come a long way since then, but many of the bikes today share some key design principles and core technologies. Keep reading to the end for full details of every bike listed below plus a guide to the features we look for in an endurance road bike.
Reviews of the best endurance road bikes
- Ribble Endurance AL Disc 105: RRP from £1,274 – Read our full review
- Specialized Allez Sport: RRP £1,600 – Read our full review
- Canyon Endurace CF 7 eTap: RRP £2,899 – Read our full review
- Mason Resolution: RRP £3,740 – Read our full review
- Lauf Úthald Race Wireless: RRP $5,080 – Read our full review
- Enve Fray: RRP £5,500 (frameset) – Read our full review
- Specialized Roubaix SL8: RRP £6,000 – Read our full review
- BMC Roadmachine 01 Three: RRP £6,900 – Read our full review
- J.Laverack J.Ack III Di2: RRP £8,385 – Read our full review
- Open Min.D: RRP £8,450 – Read our full review
- Cannondale Synapse Carbon 1 RLE: RRP £9,000 – Read our full review
- Trek Domane SLR: RRP £9,500 – Read our full review
- Giant Defy Advanced SL 0: RRP £11,499 – Read our full review
Related questions you can explore with Ask Cyclist, our new AI search engine.
Why trust Cyclist’s reviews?
At Cyclist, we’ve been bringing you our pick of the best road bikes since 2012, with our print and online reviews covering everything from the budget to the money-no-object.
The Cyclist team led by tech editor Sam Challis have thousands of miles under their belts riding and writing about bikes and can spot what makes a great endurance bike.
We’ve ridden every bike in this guide and our detailed reviews behind each will tell you what marks each out as an enjoyable long distance ride. If it’s in here, you can be confident that it’s worthy of your attention.
Best endurance road bikes 2025 as reviewed by Cyclist's experts
Ribble Endurance AL Disc 105
£1,274 as tested | View offer
- Good spec that's upgradeable via the Ribble bike builder
- Lively ride with plenty of gear range
The Ribble Endurance AL got a comprehensive overhaul in 2020, which added disc brakes, a carbon fork, internal cabling, a lighter frame and 28mm tyre clearance. As with all Ribble’s bikes, you can alter the spec; we reckon a carbon seatpost in place of the standard alloy would be high on our list.
It’s a lively bike, helped by the specced Shimano 105 groupset, which gives smooth shifting and plenty of range for hillier rides.
Again, it’s an option you can swap out for something higher up the groupset food chain or with different gear ratios if you want. The Ribble still offers excellent value, even if the price has increased since we reviewed it.
- Read our full Ribble Endurance AL Disc 105 review
- Check out the Endurance AL Disc range at Ribble (from £1,299)
Specialized Allez Sport
£1,600 | View offer
- Wide tyre clearance and hydraulic disc brakes
- Grippy, comfortable ride
Specialized's 2023 upgrade of the Allez saw it replace rim brakes with disc brakes, with the Allez Sport getting the hydraulic braking that come with Shimano's Tiagra 10-speed groupset. The base model Allez is equipped with 8-speed Shimano Claris and mechanical disc brakes.
The swap to disc brakes allowed Specialized to increase the tyre clearance to 35mm, which gives a lot more rubber on the road for increased grip and comfort. This leads to assured handling, although the wheels and/or tyres would merit an upgrade to bring out more of the frame's potential.
- Read our full Specialized Allez Sport review
Canyon Endurace CF 7 eTap
£2,899 (£2,849 as tested) | View offer
- Full carbon frame offers a comfortable, lively ride
- SRAM Rival eTap groupset gives plenty of gear range
The Canyon Endurace CF frame is the third tier of the German brand's carbon Endurace framesets, which are made to be comfortable, with a lively ride quality.
It shares its geometry with the higher spec carbon models, just made with slightly lower grade carbon fibre, which adds a little weight to the frame.
Canyon includes bosses for a top tube bag, although no mudguard mounts. Smaller sizes get 650b wheels for consistent geometry and handling.
Wide range 12-speed wireless shifting comes from SRAM Rival eTap and there’s 35mm tyre clearance to take you off-road if you want. Look out for Canyon’s sizing, with its bikes larger than most brands for an equivalent frame size, but with quite a short stem for a rather upright ride.
- Read our full Canyon Endurace CF 7 eTap review
- Buy the Canyon Endurace CF 7 AXS from Canyon (£2,999)
Mason Resolution
£3,740 | View offer
- Modern steel frame is well balanced
- Option to spec as you please
Mason Cycles mixes a bespoke approach with enough availability that you don’t have to wait years for its bikes.
It was at the forefront of the all-road revolution with its Columbus steel Resolution, which we found to be agile and well-balanced. On the specced 32mm tyres, there’s plenty of road feel.
The Resolution is a great package if you want classic looks in a forward-thinking bike design. You get your choice of spec, but we went for Campagnolo Ekar, rating its gear range and simplicity for road riding despite it being pitched by Campagnolo as a gravel groupset.
We’ve also reviewed the Mason Definition, the Resolution’s alloy sister bike.
- Read our full Mason Resolution review
- Buy the Mason Resolution from Mason Cycles
Lauf Úthald Race Wireless
$5,080 (approx £4,000) | View offer
- Fast ride feel, but with endurance stability
- High quality spec for the price with SRAM Force AXS and Zipp 303S wheels
The Úthald takes Icelandic bike brand Lauf from its gravel specialism into road bike territory. It's somewhere between a race bike and an endurance bike, offering race-like ride feel - what Lauf calls a fast fit - but with endurance bike stability, so that the handling isn't nervous and a rider feels that they can test their pedalling limits, not their handling ability.
Lauf has also chosen carbon that's not too high-end and brittle, but still light enough for a size S Úthald to weigh 7.9kg, with enough compliance built into the frame for long distance comfort. The bike is equipped with 32mm tyres but there's room for 35mm measured width.
The test bike came well equipped with a 48/35t, 10-36t SRAM Force AXS 2x groupset, Zipp 303S wheels and Lauf Smoothie Road vibration-absorbing carbon handlebars, but without the price tag of many similarly specced bikes. There's a new top spec equipped with SRAM Red AXS.
We enjoyed the wide tyres' ability to cushion everything including gravel tracks and the wide-range gearing which made Dartmoor climbs easy work. We'd have loved mudguard mounts though.
- Read our full Lauf Úthald review
- Buy the Lauf Úthald from Lauf ($5,080)
Enve Fray
£5,500 (Frameset) | View offer
- Aero optimised 900g frame with full range of mounting points and internal storage
- Superb handling and ride confidence from the fitted 35mm Enve tyres and 40mm tyre clearance
The Enve Fray frameset weighs a claimed 900g and is aero optimised with Enve's internal cable routing, while designed for an endurance ride position. There's a UDH derailleur interface, internal frame storage and top tube and third bottle cage mounts, for more long ride versatility; you can also fit mudguards.
Tyre clearance is 40mm and we found the 35mm Enve tyres on SES 3.4 carbon wheels led to a really smooth ride, with grip and handling for confident descending. The Fray is quick though, weighs 7.5kg as built and is only marginally less efficient than the Melee, a bike raced at pro level We reckon it's a great choice for the way many cyclists like to ride, if you can stomach the five-figure price tag for a complete bike.
- Read our full Enve Fray review
- Buy now from Saddleback (frameset £5,500)
Specialized Roubaix SL8 Expert
£6,000 | View offer
- Great ride comfort built in
- Tuneable front end damping
Specialized's seventh generation of its long-running Roubaix builds on the previous models' exceptional road-smoothing ability. There's a new Future Shock 3.0 implementation, which adds damping at the headset, while the previous model's AfterShock rear end road damping is continued.
The big news for an endurance bike is that you can now fit full mudguards for the first time, tyre clearance is now 40mm and you can bolt a bag onto the top tube. The new frame is a little more aero too.
Unlike many modern bikes, there's still external cable routing, even on the top spec S-Works version (which has seen a price drop from the previous model). That's because the Future Shock headset doesn't allow cables to be routed internally. We found the latest Roubaix among the most comfortable bikes we've ridden, though at 8.7kg the Expert spec is a little heavy.
- Read our full Specialized Roubaix SL8 Expert review
BMC Roadmachine 01 Three
£6,900 | View offer
- Frame features designed for comfort
- Quality spec with plenty of gear options
A combination of lowered seatstays and a D-shaped seatpost paired with a mid-mod carbon layup provide impressive compliance to the BMC Roadmachine.
There are hidden brake hose runs from the carbon handlebars into the frame for a clean cockpit. To up its endurance credentials and help you avoid the bonk, BMC includes mounts for a feed box on the front of the top tube.
Higher-spec bikes get SRAM groupsets that give loads of gear range with plenty of mid-range ratios and ample braking. The wide Zipp 303S carbon wheels and 28mm Vittoria Corsa Control tyres are quality items that up comfort.
We’ve also reviewed the Roadmachine 02 One, if you’re looking for a cheaper option and the Roadmachine X which is specced to take you into gravel territory.
- Read our full BMC Roadmachine 01 Three review
- Buy now Roadmachine 01 Four from Tredz (£4,760)
J.Laverack J.Ack III Di2
£8,385 | View offer
- Four seasons titanium frame
- First-rate buying experience
We were seriously impressed by the titanium J.Ack III, from its classy looks through to the boutique fitting and buying experience offered at the brand’s Rutland HQ.
Out riding, the class continues with the great comfort on offer, however pitted the roads.
We appreciated the bike’s light 8.2kg weight and quality contact points; 32mm tubeless tyres on carbon wheels with Chris King hubs add the finishing touch. There’s enough room for 38mm tyres or 35mm with mudguards if you want an even smoother ride.
- Read our full J.Laverack J.Ack III Di2 review
- Buy the J.Laverack J.Ack III Di2 from J.Laverack Bicycles
Open Min.D
$3,900 (frameset), £8,450 as tested | View offer
- Relaxed position, with great handling
- Seatmast adds saddle comfort
While Open is best known for its gravel bikes, the Min.D is a road bike with 32mm tyre clearance – quite radical when it was launched but fairly normal now. It carries over Open's gravel bike geometry though, providing a relaxed riding position while keeping the chainstays short at 405mm and the wheelbase at 998mm, for an intoxicating mix of agile handling with stability at speed.
The highish stack allowed us to slam the stem without breaking our back, while Open has used a 25mm diameter seatmast rather than a separate seatpost. There's a decent 35mm of vertical adjustment to saddle height and Open says that the seatmast allowed it to design additional flex over a seatpost for in-saddle comfort.
Open sells the Min.D as a frameset, with our 7.1kg test bike build costing around £8,450.
- Read our full Open Min.D review
- Buy now from Open (€3,900, frameset)
Cannondale Synapse Carbon 1 RLE
£9,000 | View offer
- Superb ride quality
- Integrated SmartSense lights and radar
The latest generation Cannondale Synapse offers confident handling and comfort in spades, with tyre clearance up to 35mm and carbon bars on an alloy stem. The Synapse Carbon 1 RLE spec reviewed has Cannondale’s HollowGram Knot SL45 wheels with 30mm Vittoria Corsa tyres.
Geometry hasn’t changed from previous models, with a short reach and high stack to place you quite upright on the bike. Geometry and frame stiffness are size-specific for consistent ride quality.
Many models of the Synapse now come equipped with SmartSense, which uses a down tube battery to power front and rear Lezyne-made lights and a Garmin-developed rear radar system to alert you to traffic behind.
The rear setup does stop you fitting a saddle pack though and the SmartSense system contributes 500g of the bike’s 8.2kg weight.
- Read our full Cannondale Synapse Carbon 1 RLE review
Trek Domane SLR 7 Gen 4
£9.500 | View offer
- Great handling
- A smooth ride on its 32mm tyres
Trek has slimmed down the Domane in this latest version four of its endurance bike, shaving 300g off the frame weight. You still get rear IsoSpeed, but the front IsoSpeed has gone. The frame tubes are now aero and, as with the older model Domane, there’s a storage cubby in the down tube.
Our review bike was specced with 32mm tyres, but you can fit 38mm rubber. Along with IsoSpeed, that makes for a comfortable ride however bumpy the road surface.
The 80mm bottom bracket drop makes for a planted feel and great cornering. But we reckon that IsoSpeed is a bit overkill for UK road surfaces, even if great for the cobbles. It contributes to a significant 8.2kg weight for what’s an expensive bike.
- Read our full Trek Domane SLR review
- Buy now from Trek (£7,980)
Giant Defy Advanced SL 0
£11,499 | View offer
- Superb ride comfort, low weight and top-notch spec
- A little more racy than its predecessor
Giant's traditional endurance bike has become a little more racy in this fifth generation. Previously, Giant didn't offer an Advanced SL tier in the Defy, but the new bike has added one, plus a UCI sticker and at the same time has dropped 195g in weight from the new premium build and revised carbon layup. The geometry is slightly longer and lower too.
That doesn't detract from the comfort on offer, even on the 32mm Cadex tyres, which don't take full advantage of the 38mm frame clearance. They do help keep the weight down to 6.9kg though, making for a ride that's fast as well as comfortable. Giant's new update of the D-Fuse seatpost and bars help with comfort, while the fully enclosed hose routing and more aero tubes up the new Defy's aero quotient.
- Read our full Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 review
What is an endurance road bike? Key features to look for
1. 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.
2. 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 frame and fork angles than a more race-oriented bike. They will also have longer chainstays for less snappy handling.
3. Increased tyre clearance
Longer chainstays also increase tyre clearance. Tyres (and 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.
4. 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.
SRAM’s 12-speed AXS groupsets give you even wider gear ratios, with the option of a 10-36t cassette paired with either a 46/33 or 48/35 crankset.
That gives a similar top ratio to a conventional groupset that has an 11-tooth smallest sprocket, but a very low bottom gear.
5. Disc brakes
Disc brakes 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.
6. Fancy seatposts
A slim and flexible 27.2mm seatpost is typical for road bikes and carbon fibre is the most common material even on lower priced endurance bikes, for its increased vibration damping.
Beyond that, endurance bikes will often have seatposts with extra features to make your saddle time more enjoyable, like the Canyon/Ergon VCLS split shaft seatpost and BMC and Giant’s D-shaped posts.
7. 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, like Bianchi’s Countervail, designing the rear triangle with flex zones or extra compliance, as in the Cannondale Synapse or built-in flex features as in the Trek Domane and the Wilier Granturismo SLR.
Front end comfort may be catered for by features to add extra vertical travel like the Future Shock 2.0 found in the latest generation of the Specialized Roubaix or the pivoting stem found in the BMC Roadmachine X AMP (okay, that one’s an electric bike).
In other cases, vibration damping comes from the design and layup of carbon handlebars and fork blades.
8. 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.
9. Lighting
While still a bit of a novelty, it’s increasingly common to see lights built into endurance bikes. Cannondale’s SmartSense system uses a central battery to power front and rear lights.
Many road bike designs, even performance race models, now allow you to add an integral rear light to your seatpost.
10. 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.
For more about electric bikes, visit our sister site cyclingelectric.com.
Endurance road bike vs. gravel bike – what's the difference?
Increasingly 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, like the Wilier Rave SLR, 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.
Conversely, some gravel-light bikes like the aforementioned Wilier Rave SLR or the BMC Kaius are equally at home on the road.
There’s yet another category of bike (don’t bike makers love to define yet another genre?), the all-road bike, that looks to straddle the endurance/gravel gulf and which overlaps with both, being designed for light gravel alongside road riding.
Not sure if an endurance road bike is for you? Don't miss our full guide to the best road bikes and if you want something more versatile, read our guide to the best all-road bikes.
