My BMC SLR02 feels rapid.
No problems keeping up with the SWorks Tarmac crew.
Also, comfyAF for >200km rides.
I’ve got the stem slammed, too.
Great on downhills (now I’ve remembered how to do that!)
Thoroughly recommended
I was gonna get the disc brake version, but it was a £1500 delta, so canned that idea!
@Chriswim - if you go for an Orro, try one. The headtube is HUGE on my gravel bike. Feels really slow and unresponsive … But weirdly like it handles well. Although I’d not buy again, or recommend one.
My Ribble SL725 steel is great. Absolutely solid bike. Would easily have another. Fantastic machine.
Best bike I’ve got is the Pearson Touche. Bomb proof riding. One gear. Used to ride 30kmh for 100km on it back when I was fit and didn’t have a winter bike
NONE OF WHICH helps you, but buy a Giant.
They look mint. They sound mint. They’re fast. They’re cheap for what you get. Blah blah blah.
That’s partly why I’ve narrowed to those options (along with sales), but also might be confusing myself and is my fear of buying a bike online.
I was happy on old bike with 568/394 stack/reach but decided I wanted something a touch more relaxed for enjoyment riding. Most of those bikes have reaches ~394 but with a stack around 580mm, exception is the Canyon with a much reduced S/R ratio.
Too many options already, plus the Merida. Trek got culled for no real good reason, VFM seems ok. One of the only older frame on second hand market with >30mm clearance too
And will be a lot easier to try in person, compared to orro/Vitus etc.
Want to keep looking second hand, but seems a small market for the tyre clearance on a road bike that isn’t sit up and beg.
Wanted to look for a BMC road machine after your reviews elsewhere, some brilliant sales on 54 and 58cm models but nothing 56
Scott Addict was a really good bike when I had one but had a very traditional frame geometry and riding position. I doubt you’d go far wrong and if you can pick up a pair of summer wheels you’ll notice the difference.
Would probably recommend the Giant as well, you ain’t going to win the cool bike category but they’re solid and excellent value most of the time.
I liked the relaxed geometry of the TCR, and again adding some summer wheels and a pair of clipons turned it into a better bike.
It’s what I’m coming from, a 2014 frame. The newer addicts are an “endurance bike”, with the addict RC being the race version.
Talk on wheels is why I’m tempted to plump for one of the options with 105 that come with better wheels. Otherwise a true upgrade requires quite a bit to get towards something like 303s, and I’m not that fussed tbh for everyday riding especially in a NE winter
The same happened to me and I also went for M after talking to someone from Canyon.
Definitely the right choice for me - I nearly added 1cm to the stem but decided to stick with the slightly more upright position and it’s been fine.
I moved from a Trek 5500 to the Endurace and it’s a very different bike, the Trek was definitely faster for me as I could get lower at the front.
But the Trek is a proper racing bike, the Endurace is not.
My general point still stands, for a sportif geometry to be not much slower than a full TT set-up is pretty good IMHO.
The modern Endurace is heavier by nearly 1kg than my 8yo version - I guess that’s a combination of disc brakes and electronic shifting?
I’ll leave the issue of why you’d buy a £2K+ bike for commuting for another time
I think they were a £1000 bike just a few years ago with tiagra. Appear to have lost some value compared to competitors.
Doesn’t sound like Fruity wanted to fit in with some money orientated compatriots.
Mine has 105 and rim brakes. Got it because Canyon were offering free delivery to Qatar. Think it was around £1200. It’s Ok but I just don’t like it very much . Will sell it here when we leave and probably get something a little punchier (or maybe a set of golf clubs)
What is this sportif of which you speak btw? 1 hour is a long ride for me
This is how my main bike works and I manage with just two wheelsets because (a) I’m slow anyway, and (b) have a TT bike if I want to go a bit less slow. But to really make it work you need 650b, bombproof 700c, and light/fast road wheels, and you will be lucky if you don’t have to adjust both brakes and gears when you change wheels, which is slightly irritating.
I’m 178 and also was confused by coming out with a small. All my other bikes are 54 and termed M. Contacted them, and they were adamant. Definitely would not want larger.
My main comment on your criticisms of the Endurace is that it’s of the position. Yet isn’t that the exact point of the Endurace over the Ultimate or Aeroad?! The sat-up style you’re critical of is exactly what it’s there for? If you wanted a half way house for comfort and a bit of speed, then go Ultimate (which is what I did).
It’s a bit like someone saying “I bought a Land Rover, but feels like you’re sat a bit high up compared to my old Ferrari” *
*someone, in this example, has a lot of money, but you get the point!
Agree with you 100%, I just didn’t do the homework before buying it as would never have deliberately chosen a sportif bike. I guess the clue’s in the name
Interesting. Both my Scott bikes (Speedster 20 and Plasma 3 Premium TT) are 54s. I think the TT is OK, as I’ve had a number of progressive fits on it and I’m already quite a long way over the front hub.
But I now use the Speedster as my commuter and it definitely feels a bit stretched out in the arms compared to my Canyon. I definitely prefer the smaller size in a road bike. I have done the Etape on the Speedster, so it didn’t fit “badly”.
Just to give an alternative view, I’ve always ridden a bigger frame size than other people of my height ((185cm or 6’1).
I usually ride a 58cm frame.
I’ve got quite a long body, so I guess that’s why the bigger size frame works for me . I did try a 56cm frame for a Cervelo R3 after two years of riding 58cm R5s and it just didn’t ever feel right.
When I bought my SL8 I ordered it online from Sigma and collected it from the shop. I could tell from the reaction of the guy doing the handover that he was expecting someone taller to turn up, but he set the saddle height and I tried it on a turbo and he said it looked perfect without adjusting anything else. I think he was a bit surprised .
One of the guys at Specialized reckoned that most manufacturers designed their frames around their most common size (56cm?) and then just made the tubes longer or shorter to make bigger and smaller frames.
Consequently, smaller frames tended to have a harsher ride while bigger frames were more flexible than you’d want.
Their S-Works frames were designed individually for each frame size, so they were more expensive to make, but each size rode as well as the others
I had been riding a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX size medium. Im 178cm (5ft10) which is right at the bottom of a medium (56) Ive often thought maybe I should have been on a small but Id then have been right at the top end.
Bike geometry bores me to tears so thats part of the reason I’ve never really understood it properly.
Not had a bike fit for years and no idea where the measurements are.
What are the most important / critical dimentions and how much adjustment does there tend to be if I did go a size down… longer stem etc.
There’s a couple of Cervelos S3, S5 local and a Venge but they are all a 54cm frame. I’m guessing they have the added fact that they are naturally going to be a lower stack than the Ultimate (more like the Aeroroad.) All have 172.5 cranks which is the same as the Ultimate and I rode 170 before and cant say I really notice a difference.
Bit of an open question any thoughs, advice, help, information. I stuck with direction.
. Will sell it here when we leave and probably get something a little punchier (or maybe a set of golf clubs)
. I did try a 56cm frame for a Cervelo R3 after two years of riding 58cm R5s and it just didn’t ever feel right.
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