Quick list
1. Best race bike feel
2. Best suspension system
3. Best accessory integration
4. Best budget endurance bike
5. Best female-specific bike
6. Best on and off-road capability
7. Also tested
How to choose
The best endurance road bikes will help you go far and fast in comfort. That's thanks to engaging and sprightly geometry that just isn't as aggressive as a full-blown race bike. And also thanks to things like ever-wider tyre clearances and sensible gearing which helps to smooth road vibrations and minimise fatigue over time.
Many of the best endurance bikes also include some form of active comfort systems, such as Trek's IsoSpeed or Specialized's Future Shock. Again, this helps smooth things out and reduce rider fatigue, often without an undue increase in weight which means some of the tech is shared with the best road bikes available.
Endurance road bikes usually allow you to take on some light gravel riding as well, although this is terrain that a newer bike category is also designed for - the all-road bike.
All-road bikes offer wide tyre clearance and stability, without unduly affecting your ability to cover ground on tarmac or gravel. They're proving increasingly popular; as well as the bikes below that we've reviewed, other all-road bikes recently launched include the Colnago C68 Allroad and the Look 765 Optimum.
Although endurance and all-road bikes often don't have the off-road capability of the best gravel bikes or even the best gravel race bikes, you still have the clearance to fit the best gravel bike tyres in narrower widths for faster off-road excursions without being slowed down on the tarmac.
But it's longer road rides where the best endurance bikes excel, so if you're looking for an endurance bike for added comfort on your next epic, take a look at our picks below. If you still want your road bike to feel like a race bike, worry not, some faster endurance bikes still retain racey DNA but without the aggressive, pro-specific geometry so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Quick list
The Pinarello Dogma X shares the same DNA as the race-winning Dogma F but brings more comfortable geometry and larger tyre clearances for all-day comfort
The latest iteration of the Specialized Roubaix is lighter, more aero, has more tyre clearance and - for the first time- mudguard mounts. The new bike also has an upgraded FutureShock stem suspension system.
The Cannondale Synapse offers a comfortable, endurance platform with the option of integrated lights and radar, powered by a single central battery.
The Fuji Sportif 1.3 represents a nice starter or budget endurance bike. It features a sturdy aluminium frame, Shimano groupset and mechanical disc brakes
Liv's women's endurance bike has the same features as the Giant Defy Advanced but is female-specific.
The Grifn from Belgian brand Ridley feels fast on the road but the ample 40mm tyre clearance and overall spec mean the bike is capable off-road as well
Best endurance road bikes and all-road bikes
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Best race bike feel
The Dogma X borrows many of the design cues of the Dogma F, including its asymmetry and aero design, but with a more relaxed geometry. Its signature feature is the X-shaped cross-braces between the seat stays, which Pinarello says have allowed it to fine-tune the ride for more comfort. There's room for 35mm tyres and Pinarello sells the Dogma X in 12 sizes.
The Dogma X shares its fork with the Dogma F12 and is equipped with a Most Talon one-piece bar/stem, again with a wide range of dimensions available. It offers top-spec groupsets from all three major brands as well as some top-end wheelset options.
We rated the stiff, racy ride and the bike's handling, while Pinarello reckons that the geometry should be a better match for many riders than the Dogma F. On lumpier gravel, there's not as much damping as with some allroad-style bikes though.
As with all Dogmas, the Dogma X is an expensive proposition too.
Read our Pinarello Dogma X first ride review for more.
Best suspension system
The Specialized Roubaix was one of the first endurance bikes and retains its comfortable edge, with front-end compliance coming from the Future Shock 3.0 suspension steerer insert, now in its third iteration. There are three levels of this, with increasing features and adjustability as you head up the model range.
The frame has also shed around 50g in weight and its aerodynamics have improved, according to Specialized, although the overall silhouette remains similar. The Hover bar, which rises from the stem, adds to the stack for a more relaxed, upright ride position.
The Future Shock headset necessitates non-integrated cabling, not something that we were too concerned about. Specialized reckons that a swap to its more aero Roval Rapide handlebars can save you 10 watts if you want to improve aerodynamics.
There's now clearance for tyres up to 40mm wide, allowing you to increase off-road potential over the fitted 32mm S-Works Mondo tyres. In the Roubaix SL8, Specialized has for the first time included mudguard mounts to extend the year-round usability on the tarmac as well.
Read our Specialized Roubaix SL8 Expert first ride review for more.
Best accessory integration
The Cannondale Synapse was already an iconic endurance road bike. Cannondale has always positioned the Synapse not as a second-tier option but rather as a premier bike with a different focus. In 2022 they went all in with a complete, and radical, redesign.
Cannondale Smartsense is a complete smart bike system. Instead of needing to source your own front light, rear light, and radar, everything comes as part of the bike. There's one central battery to power everything and an app that controls the system and even allows you to set the lights to react to braking or the radar.
Along with the smart systems, there's plenty to love about the standard bike as well. The 3L model comes with a Shimano 105 groupset that features hydraulic brakes and low climbing gears. For those looking to ride through the winter, there are fender mounts and for those looking to carry more, there are rack mounts. There's also tyre clearance up to 35mm for those looking to head off the paved path. The Synapse is also available in both carbon and more budget-friendly aluminium options
Best budget endurance bike
Fuji is one of those brands that continually flies under the radar. It makes excellent bikes that come attached to value pricing and the Fuji Sportif is yet another in this line-up. It's not a fast bike but it is a comfortable bike design for more people.
The frame is aluminium but it does benefit from a carbon fork. More importantly, the geometry has comfort front and centre. There's a nice tall headtube and a long wheelbase to make sure you are sitting comfortably and feeling stable. When it's time to start climbing the gearing will keep you just as comfortable. The Shimano Tiagra groupset is a 2x10 option but Fuji has been smart to spec a setup that makes sure you have at least a 1:1 option with a 34T inner chainring paired with a 34T largest cassette sprocket, so when there's one more hill at the end of a long day, you should have the gears to keep moving forward.
The one downside to the Fuji Sportif is the choice of brakes. Most bikes on this list come with hydraulic disc brakes, whereas the Sportif 1.3 comes with cable-actuated disc brakes. That means an excellent price but it also means more ongoing maintenance and slightly less power. Some appreciate the simplicity of a cable-driven system but they can be prone to brake drag and the need for adjustments. If you've got to go with cable-driven brakes though, TRP is the best in the business so at least you are getting quality parts.
Best female specific bike
The Liv Avail Advanced is the women's version of the Giant Defy above and, as you'd expect, the two bikes share the same tech, although the Avail is available in a range of smaller sizes than the Defy.
The latest generation Avail was launched at the same time as the Defy and, as with that bike, sheds weight and increases tyre clearance to the same 38mm, although Giant fits its 32mm tubeless tyres. There are mudguard fittings too so you can add extra protection in poorer weather.
There are also the same Giant D-Fuse seatpost and bars fitted. While the men's Defy has an SL tier frameset available, the women's Avail sticks with the Pro as the highest spec carbon though.
Best on and off road capability
Billed by Ridley as an all-road bike, it claims that the Grifn can do it all. The geometry is racy for an endurance bike but still allows you to fit 40mm tyres with a 1x groupset, and 38mm rubber with a double chainset setup.
The Grifn comes equipped with mounts for bags, and mudguards and even includes fork leg dynamo cable routing. A one-piece cockpit with hidden cabling on higher specs helps to fit a bar bag more easily.
Our first ride showed that the Grifn was fast on the road and confidence-inspiring on fast descents and bends. When we turned onto a gravel path, it handled even slippery roots, although the 38mm Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres weren't a match for autumn woods.
Spec options include mechanical and electronic shifting in a more road-going 105 set-up as well as GRX if you value a clutch for off-road use. You can choose a Classified rear hub spec with 1x GRX Di2 if you want gear range without the front mech.
Read our Ridley Grifn first ride review for more.
Also tested
Canyon's 2023 update to the Endurace feels sporty, while still providing plenty of comfort, even off-road. This CFR variant is a new top-spec for Canyon's endurance road bike and offers 32mm tyre clearance, as well as shaving around 100g off the frame weight of the CF SLX spec.
The Endurace CFR shares the adjustable width handlebars with hidden hose routing of the Aeroad and Ultimate, allowing you to alter bar width by 40mm. Also new is the tool roll packed into a cavity in the top tube, so you don't have to fill your jersey pockets with gear to fix a flat or mechanical.
As with all Canyon bikes, you can expect a top-spec across the range, with the CFR Di2 equipped with the Dura-Ace variant of Shimano's electronic shifting with a power meter. Wheels are DT Swiss ERC 1100, fitted with 30/32mm Schwalbe tyres.
We rated the nimble handling and comfort on offer, without the ride position being overly upright, which makes for a fast ride which we put to good use on the local chain gang. Alongside the top fuel CFR are various other Endurace models in a range of specs and price points.
Read our Canyon Endurace CFR Di2 review for more.
Fara sells directly via its online bike builder and, like Canyon, offers a lot of bike for your money.
The F/All-Road has a similar geometry to more road-focused bikes such as the Specialized Roubaix SL8 or the Trek Domane but in the configuration we rode was more ready to tackle gravel straight away. That's tempered by curved seat stays, while the array of 27 mounts offers plenty of long-distance load-carrying capability. Fara also sells its own range of strap-free bags to match.
An advantage of Fara's build-to-order model is that you can choose your spec, so you can have an integrated or non-integrated front end, for example. Our test bike came with 35mm tyres, but again you can choose, with 38mm of available clearance. We swapped to road tyres and the F/All-Road was happy mile-munching on the tarmac.
Read our full Fara F/All-Road review for more details.
The Trek Domane SLR9 retains the huge 38mm tyre clearance and tool stowage in the down tube that were hallmarks of the previous model, but it now only has a non-adjustable IsoSpeed comfort system built into the seatpost junction.
The aerodynamics have been slightly refined as well and there's front-end integration that doesn't make adjustment difficult. You even get a third bottle cage mount under the down tube and top tube bag mounts to help you go long and the frame includes mudguard bosses, always a nice touch.
As you'd expect for a bike at this price, there's top spec finishing kit including a SRAM Red AXS groupset and Bontrager carbon wheels, although we'd have liked to see top-spec tyres to go with them rather than the 32mm Bontrager R3 Hardcase tyres fitted.
The ride is comfortable, but not quite as plush as the previous Domane model. We liked this and the simplified, lighter setup. The Domane SLR feels more lively and efficient to ride. Take advantage of the 38mm tyre clearance and you could add extra comfort with larger volume tyres if you wanted to.
Read our full Trek Domane SLR 9 review for more.
The Caledonia 5 is a jack of all trades. The tube shapes are aero optimised but Cervelo keeps the geometry suitable for one of the best endurance road bikes. Making it even more adaptable is the clearance for 34mm tyres and the ruggedness to handle gravel roads, making it a candidate for reclassification as an all-road bike.
The challenge with an all-around bike is that there's always the risk of being only okay at everything. There are more aerodynamic aero bikes, there are more comfortable endurance bikes, and there are more capable gravel bikes, but ask yourself if you really need the best in a particular category at the expense of versatility.
If you'd rather have one bike that can do a lot, the Caledonia 5 is a very capable bike in a variety of categories. There's very little it can't do and when we recently reviewed the Cervelo Caledonia 5 we were very impressed.
Read our full review of the Cervelo Caledonia 5 for more.
The Giant Defy has been around since 2009, but that doesn’t mean this bike is old. The Defy was the first disc-brake-only bike on the market and it's continued to see improvements over the years, many bordering on major.
The latest fifth-generation Giant Defy was launched in Autumn 2023. There's a new SL tier, with a claimed 785g frameset weight - 293g less than the previous top spec bike - but even the Pro frameset is 153g lighter than the previous generation.
Giant allows space for tyres up to 38mm wide and the Defy comes fitted with 32mm rubber. Giant delivers its bikes set up tubeless, with higher spec models getting Cadex or Giant carbon wheels. There are also removable mudguard fittings.
Giant has also updated its D-Fuse seatpost and handlebar, both claimed to increase compliance over the previous model Defy. Cables and hoses have gone internal.
The Cube Agree C:62 is one of the best-value endurance road bikes on the market. It's got a carbon-fibre frame, Shimano's renowned Ultegra groupset and Newmen carbon-fibre wheels. There's not much we'd upgrade. Fast, agile, and comfortable, the C:62 is a great endurance machine. It doesn’t even look like an endurance frame – outfitted with aerodynamic tube shapes and a tapered head tube. The C:62 is fast, too, but the downside is an aesthetic that you'll either love or hate.
A carbon seatpost will absorb road buzz like so many of the other frames on this list, and the price of the Cube Agree C:62 is quite reasonable. Cube designed the frame and handlebar setup to match an endurance road bike fit, but even so, it handles like a dream. If you were so inclined, you could happily race on the Agree C:62, or take it for a six-hour spin in the mountains. Either way, the Agree C:62 will be up to the task, and outperform other bikes at even higher price points.
The BMC Roadmachine enters our list as the best endurance road bike that doesn’t look like an endurance road bike. Some might mistake the Roadmachine for the race-ready Teammachine R that you'll see on the start line of pro races. But upon closer inspection, the Roadmachine has a shorter reach and a higher stack - meaning the handlebars are closer and higher up - and more tyre clearance compared to the BMC Teammachine. Put that all together, and you’ll have a much softer ride.
The Roadmachine might look like a race bike but it's got a variety of technologies to make it comfortable. TCC (Tuned Compliance Concept) Endurance lay-up material and Angle Compliance technology are the bases of this. You can feel the effects of flex built into the fork, seat stays, and seatpost. From the outside though the integrated cockpit makes the Roadmachine as ‘pro-looking’ as it gets, without the slammed stem and extended reach. There are also mounts for a top tube bag in case you need more supplies for long rides.
The downside of the racy focus is less off-road capability. The Roadmachine can only fit up to 33mm wide tyres, putting it on the lower end of the spectrum for an endurance road bike. It's worth noting that for years people did plenty of off-road riding with less than 33mm but in modern terms, it's on the low side for this category. If you're looking to push the envelope of off-road capability, the Roadmachine might come up short. But if you want a pro look and capable endurance bike that's ready to race, the pricey BMC Roadmachine One is a great option to have.
How to choose
While traditional road bikes and endurance road bikes look nearly identical, they are different. The endurance design features add up across a whole bike and the sum is a real difference. An endurance road bike is a more capable all-around machine that offers clear differences when riding compared to most race-focused machines available or the best aero road bikes which are often a lot more aggressive.
As we have seen throughout this list, endurance road bikes start with a more relaxed, and more user-friendly geometry. From there designers add endurance-focused details like wider tyre clearance. Also, while modern road bikes of all kinds have almost eliminated rim brakes, endurance road bikes were the first to start that trend. These are the bikes ready to take on long rides and even head well off the beaten path.
We've covered a wide range of options for everyone, but people are different. Everyone has different riding habits, tastes, budgets and requirements for their bike. The best endurance road bike for you is unlikely to be the same for the next person. Let's see if we can narrow down what is going to work best for you.
Do I need an endurance road bike?
This might seem like an odd question given how far we are into a guide to the best endurance road bikes. It's a valid question though. Maybe you read something somewhere that started you down the path but is it the right choice for you?
The answer will depend on you and your riding habits. There are bikes that are the right tool for the job covering whatever you want to do on two wheels. In most cases, there is more than one bike that would do the job but if you choose the specialised option it will excel in a particular way.
It's also worth adding that for a long time, consumer bikes and geometry were influenced by what pro riders were using who have different requirements to regular riders. This kind of bike can provide geometry and a ride experience that is closer to what we need in the real world.
For example, if your riding is 90 per cent off-road and you enjoy tackling rougher terrain, then you'll probably find a more suitable steed among the best gravel bikes. Similarly, if you're only ever going to ride on tarmac, and you can comfortably do so in a more aggressive position, then you might find the best aero road bikes offer a better match.
The place where the best endurance road bikes excel though is as all-around bikes. Specialising means that there are some things a bike just won't do. It can be limiting and if your preferences change down the road you might be shopping for a new bike. If you ride a mix of terrain, like to dabble in gravel, prefer a more relaxed position on the bike, or want a bike that can do a bit of everything, then the best endurance road bikes and best all-road bikes are a great option.
What's the difference between an endurance bike and an all-road bike?
There's a grey dividing line between road bikes and gravel bikes, where riders want to be able to ride fast on the road, but also want to be able to ride over unpaved surfaces, without the full-on off-road capability of a gravel bike.
Even gravel bikes have split into different camps, with gravel bikes for more gnarly conditions and gravel race bikes, as we have found during our testing.
An all-road bike shares many of the features of an endurance bike, but in general is designed to let you head further off-road. That means even greater tyre clearance and a geometry that's stable enough to be efficient off-road, without sacrificing on-road capability. There is a lot of crossover between these two categories, think fine lines rather than clear-cut categories here.
It's a fine distinction, with the best endurance bikes increasingly offering a spec and design that caters for the all-road rider. At the same time, more brands are launching bikes specifically labelled as all-road bikes.
How much tyre clearance does my endurance road bike need?
The answer is always going to be "It depends" but there's a clear trend in modern bikes of all kinds. Larger tyres are generally a good idea. In the past, braking performance was dependent on a stiff rim brake calliper. The larger the wheels and tyres a bike used the less responsive the braking performance would be. This engineering reality, paired with a belief that narrower, harder, tyres were faster, meant that road bikes had very narrow tyres.
Modern road bikes have introduced disc brakes and research into tyres and aerodynamics has disproved the narrow is fast theory. Realistically a tyre in the 25-28mm range is plenty for pure road riding. Still, a 30mm or even a 32mm tyre means less pressure and a more comfortable ride on the road, so you can usually expect this range of widths on endurance and all-road bikes. Even bigger will add the capability for off-the-road and the option of more tread for greater grip.
Bigger tyres are heavier tyres and that can make for a sluggish feel if you don't need the width. If you've got the clearance and don't like high-volume tyres you can always switch to a narrower tyre. On the other hand, if you don't have the clearance then there's nothing you can do to add it.
It's also worth considering that the best road bike wheels now have increasingly wider rims. This means that a tyre nominally rated at 28mm, for example, is likely to measure around 30mm in width. That's a win-win, as you get the extra tyre width that allows you to lower tyre pressure and increase comfort, without a weight penalty.
So, to answer the original question, go for more clearance if there are two similar bikes. But it's not the only consideration. Look at the whole bike and make the choice that best fits you; if you can get extra clearance, it's a good thing.
My budget is limited, what should I not compromise on?
In this list alone, we’ve seen a huge range of prices. From afar, all of these endurance road bikes do basically the same thing. They have wide tyre clearance, disc brakes, and endurance-specific geometry. What you get on the more expensive options tends to come down to lighter-weight parts and more technology.
If, like most of us, you don't have unlimited pockets of cash to spend on an endurance road bike, you'll need to make compromises to save money. Knowing which compromises to make is always the trick. But don't despair; modern bikes of all kinds are incredibly capable. You probably aren't going to make a bad choice but we do have some suggestions.
Many people think about saving money in terms of what they can change later. That's a reasonable idea but make sure when you start riding your new bike you are happy with what you have. Later upgrades are a great way to continue enjoying your bike. We even have guides such as the best road bike wheels and the best road bike groupsets to help you make those upgrades. You want to make sure though that you are happy with what you have from the beginning.
With that out of the way, we tend to tackle this with a list of 'needs', 'wants', and 'nice-to-haves', and then check those off when shopping. For example, if you're looking to ride the bike off-road, your 'needs' column might include wide tyre clearance and bump-absorption technology. Conversely, if you're a cycle commuter, your 'needs' column will probably have mounts for mudguards and perhaps even a pannier rack.
A carbon frame, electronic shifting and carbon wheels will fit into the 'wants' column for most of us. However, also consider future upgrades and whether that's something you're likely going to want to do. It's much easier to upgrade to carbon wheels down the line than it is to swap out a groupset.
What size endurance road bike do I need?
With the different geometries and sizing cut-offs offered by each brand, it's not always as simple as needing the same size regardless of the marque. However, the manufacturers of all of the best endurance road bikes will offer some sort of size guide or geometry chart on their website. These guides will help you decide the best size for that specific bike for your body's proportions.
To help you make sense of the geometry charts, check out our handy explainer, aptly entitled 'What size bike do I need?'. From there, to dial in the bike's fit, you might need to make some adjustments such as saddle height, and perhaps even swap out components to adjust the fit. Our bike fit guide explains how to do this and what to expect.
It's also a great idea to test ride a bike you are interested in, see if a local shop has a model in stock and have a conversation about it. You may even want to have a bike fit pre-purchase to help you be sure about sizing and achieving maximum comfort.
How do we choose the best endurance road bikes?
To arrive at our selection of the best endurance road bikes, we mapped what we think the various use cases are for someone looking in this segment. For example, some are looking for the best of the best and don't care what it costs, while others are looking for something functional, well-speaced and affordable.
Armed with these different persona types, we hand-picked a selection of bikes that fitted into each and set to work comparing each bike against its peers, looking at specs, geometries, materials, build quality, brand reputation, warranties and more to arrive at what we decided were the best bikes within the endurance road category.
We are constantly monitoring the market for new additions, applying the same criteria to the new models to see if they fit the bill for inclusion.
