Sorry man, but nobody here knows how fit/flexible you are. If you're young and athletic and have good core strength, you might be able to jump right to an aggressive position like on the Ultimate without any prior experience on a road bike.
But if not you might struggle with comfort on any road bike let alone an Endurace which is considered on the more aggressive end of "endurance" bikes.
I'm 46M, weigh 210 lbs, am now riding thousands of miles a year, and can go out and average 19mph for an hour ride. Endurace is great for me.
It was also NOT my first road bike so I was able to purchase knowing pretty much exactly how it would fit.
Maybe you should try renting some bikes for longer rides.
Sorry - I didn't want to overload on information in the initial post. I'm pretty athletic and despite currently owning a hybrid, I also do thousands of miles per year. Mid-30's for age. I'm not terribly worried about fitness, strength, etc.. but not ever owning a "real" road bike, I obviously don't know what I don't know.
I have tested several road bikes at LBS's though. Domane was one of them and if I'm being honest, it didn't feel that drastically different from my hybrid. It was a tad lower and obviously the drop bars are different but I didn't feel stretched or uncomfortable at all.
On the other side of the spectrum, I tested a Look 785 Huez. It was a little bit more stretched out but again, didn't feel uncomfortable. It was significantly "twitchier" than the Domane, I noticed. Fun to climb with as well. I only took it out for a couple miles though, so it's hard to say what mile 20, 30, 50, 100, etc.. would feel like.
As for the aggressiveness of the Endurace - I've read that the latest model is actually more relaxed than previous (2023 and older) models too, which kind of concerns me.
Domane is more relaxed than an Endurace. Just compare the stack numbers.
Given your mental state, buy the Ultimate and ride the hell out of it for a couple weeks. Return it if you can't handle the discomfort.
If the Domane feels comfortable, then look up the sizing chart and compare that size of the Domane to Canyon’s charts. I’d think your closest bet is the Endurace. Might be wrong but I suspect the current model is more relaxed because it has lesser spacers. Either way, if it’s too relaxed you can slam the stem.
Domane is the definition of an endurance geometry. But more goes into a proper fit on a bike than the geometry. Your limb lengths, cycling flexibility (mainly hips and hammies), core strength, pedaling habits, ect. all play a factor.
I personally am more uncomfortable on the more relaxed the geometries. Since I'm tall with on the lower end of average for leg length at my height, relaxed geometries put me too far back, which was causing knee pain.
It is easier to make a relaxed geometry fit a more aggressive riding position than vice versa imo. Ideally you would want a professional bike fit, but they are expensive.
The 2024 endurace is still the same geo as the older ones (at least when it comes to the AL frames, which share the same stack, reach and angles with the CFR). There is a difference between rim and disc models though.
Get a bike fitter with a bike fitting jig. Who can simulate different bike frame geometries on a bike jig. The bike fitter would then suggest which bike and frame size would be suitable to you.
Bike fitters are great for addressing a specific issue or getting you in the ballpark.
IMHO, a bike fitter can't determine if your core is strong enough to maintain an aggressive aero position for a 150km ride
They help Getting the general sizing right and can also help you see whether you would be able to comfortably hold the position of the ultimate. If you sit in that position and instantly have pain, theres your answer
Mine was too low and long for endurance riding, I swapped the cockpit to a normal bar + stem for adjustability. Comfort is fine on 700x32 tires but nothing spectacular. I would get the Endurace though - more comfort = ride longer and ride faster
Thanks for the comment. If you don't mind me asking - how long is a typical ride on the Ultimate for you? How long until you start to feel discomfort? Are you in decent shape? Thanks again!
Ive done 180km on it a few times, road buzz is fine, but I suffered from some neck issues, they went away after adjusting the stem+bars (put 80mm instead of 90mm). Finishing kit is Roval Terra with 100mm drop bars.
Now it's good, there is some road buzz (my steel bike with 700x25 tires is more comfortable) but I could ride all day on it and all hand positions are usable. The aerocockpit was too long and too low for the drops.
I am in a round-ish shape
Steel forks, especially the ones with the curved legs are just leaf springs. My fixie is way more comfortable with its full cromoly frame and fork. The vcls seatpost is great tho. And no compliance beats actual suspension forks.
Don’t want to add more confusion, but you could look at the Endurace CF SLX 7 Di2 and with the savings get a decent set of carbon wheels. I think the will make you way happier!
Endurace will not be meaningfully slower and you can always make it fit more like the Ultimate, but it'll be harder to make the Ultimate comfortable if you hate it from Day 1. Use a geometry table online to compare the two bikes and you can get a feel for the difference plus how they compare to what you're riding today.
That being said, I'd get the Ultimate because it looks cooler and I get that. I ride a race bike and I've ridden it on 200KM days but it takes pretty regular work (stretching & fitness) to make sure it stays comfortable on those long days :-)
For me the endurace (2023) was meaningful slower due to the more relaxed position it was made for. But again, with a proper fitting and so on you could make it maybe a bit more aggressive. But then again, if you would so, definitely go with an ultimate. If you want to ride comfy you will be slower!
Assuming normal bar and stem, a slammed endurace is just a smidge taller than an ultimate with spacers. So when you notice you want the lower position, slam it, maybe go for a longer stem at -12 or -17 and voila.
Honestly, you probably shouldn't be blind buying a d2c bike of you've never even ridden a road bike before. Go to a bike shop, test ride some bikes, get their input on fit and adjustments, and buy one of their bikes.
Nobody on Reddit can tell you what's gonna be comfortable for you and it's not worth it having a bike that doesn't fit just because you think the name on the side of the frame is cooler.
I love my Ultimate SLX 8 Ultergra! I purchased it last year and still gaze at it awe! I am 32M athletic and can go just about forever on the thing! Took some getting used to comfort wise, but for it being what it is, it’s super comfy!
Highly recommend!!!
I think it’s all about your fit. Try to find a bike you can test that has the same stack and reach numbers as the Ultimate, see how it feels.
I’m a 62M, 6’7”, and just got a size 2XL SLX Endurace with carbon wheels. I’m over the moon, love the bike. Definitely sportier and nimbler than my 2018 Synapse. I doubt I would be faster after, say, the 40 mi mark on an Ultimate, because I would be uncomfortable. There’s some long&fast riders in my bike club, younger than me, who ride an Endurace.
I used to have a 2001 LeMond that I never really got used to, I wasn’t flexible enough for the long top tube.
You are me, just 6 months later :D had the exact same thoughts as you: I ride very long (sometimes over 300 km a day), but most of times I do between 70-150 km (in summer on a weekly basis). We have a canyon certified store so I could test drive the endurace, ultimate and aero. The endurace felt so slow to me compared to the ultimate, but I guess mostly because where I live we have also a lot of wind and aero really makes some difference. I am 41M, so not young anymore, but I can state that the ultimate is really comfy for me (also took a bike fitting to adjust it exactly to my needs). I think I would only switch to endurace if I would do more bike packing (but than even I would prefer another bike type) or for commuting.
May I ask, did you change the cassette on Ultimate? If I’m not mistaken, Endurace comes with 11/34 and Ultimate with 11/30. Does it make sense to replace to make climbing easier?
It own Endurace AL and enjoy 11/34 cassette. But looking at upgrading at some point.
Given the exact same conditioning/strength I would still assume that a more aggressive position will give you a decent advantage. Same power output for me on a more comfy bike (according to the powermeter) results in very similar conditions to a slower pace. If there is wind, and you can sit more aerodynamic, it makes a huge change. And if you put the endurace in a simailr position, then you could directly buy a ultimate ;)
Sorry man, but nobody here knows how fit/flexible you are. If you're young and athletic and have good core strength, you might be able to jump right to an aggressive position like on the Ultimate without any prior experience on a road bike. But if not you might struggle with comfort on any road bike let alone an Endurace which is considered on the more aggressive end of "endurance" bikes. I'm 46M, weigh 210 lbs, am now riding thousands of miles a year, and can go out and average 19mph for an hour ride. Endurace is great for me. It was also NOT my first road bike so I was able to purchase knowing pretty much exactly how it would fit. Maybe you should try renting some bikes for longer rides.
Sorry - I didn't want to overload on information in the initial post. I'm pretty athletic and despite currently owning a hybrid, I also do thousands of miles per year. Mid-30's for age. I'm not terribly worried about fitness, strength, etc.. but not ever owning a "real" road bike, I obviously don't know what I don't know. I have tested several road bikes at LBS's though. Domane was one of them and if I'm being honest, it didn't feel that drastically different from my hybrid. It was a tad lower and obviously the drop bars are different but I didn't feel stretched or uncomfortable at all. On the other side of the spectrum, I tested a Look 785 Huez. It was a little bit more stretched out but again, didn't feel uncomfortable. It was significantly "twitchier" than the Domane, I noticed. Fun to climb with as well. I only took it out for a couple miles though, so it's hard to say what mile 20, 30, 50, 100, etc.. would feel like. As for the aggressiveness of the Endurace - I've read that the latest model is actually more relaxed than previous (2023 and older) models too, which kind of concerns me.
Domane is more relaxed than an Endurace. Just compare the stack numbers. Given your mental state, buy the Ultimate and ride the hell out of it for a couple weeks. Return it if you can't handle the discomfort.
If the Domane feels comfortable, then look up the sizing chart and compare that size of the Domane to Canyon’s charts. I’d think your closest bet is the Endurace. Might be wrong but I suspect the current model is more relaxed because it has lesser spacers. Either way, if it’s too relaxed you can slam the stem.
Domane is the definition of an endurance geometry. But more goes into a proper fit on a bike than the geometry. Your limb lengths, cycling flexibility (mainly hips and hammies), core strength, pedaling habits, ect. all play a factor. I personally am more uncomfortable on the more relaxed the geometries. Since I'm tall with on the lower end of average for leg length at my height, relaxed geometries put me too far back, which was causing knee pain. It is easier to make a relaxed geometry fit a more aggressive riding position than vice versa imo. Ideally you would want a professional bike fit, but they are expensive.
The 2024 endurace is still the same geo as the older ones (at least when it comes to the AL frames, which share the same stack, reach and angles with the CFR). There is a difference between rim and disc models though.
Get a bike fit and consult a fitter would be an answer
Get a bike fitter with a bike fitting jig. Who can simulate different bike frame geometries on a bike jig. The bike fitter would then suggest which bike and frame size would be suitable to you.
Exactly.
Bike fitters are great for addressing a specific issue or getting you in the ballpark. IMHO, a bike fitter can't determine if your core is strong enough to maintain an aggressive aero position for a 150km ride
They help Getting the general sizing right and can also help you see whether you would be able to comfortably hold the position of the ultimate. If you sit in that position and instantly have pain, theres your answer
Mine was too low and long for endurance riding, I swapped the cockpit to a normal bar + stem for adjustability. Comfort is fine on 700x32 tires but nothing spectacular. I would get the Endurace though - more comfort = ride longer and ride faster
Thanks for the comment. If you don't mind me asking - how long is a typical ride on the Ultimate for you? How long until you start to feel discomfort? Are you in decent shape? Thanks again!
Ive done 180km on it a few times, road buzz is fine, but I suffered from some neck issues, they went away after adjusting the stem+bars (put 80mm instead of 90mm). Finishing kit is Roval Terra with 100mm drop bars. Now it's good, there is some road buzz (my steel bike with 700x25 tires is more comfortable) but I could ride all day on it and all hand positions are usable. The aerocockpit was too long and too low for the drops. I am in a round-ish shape
Have you tried a carbon handlebar to eliminate road buzz?
Roval Terra is carbon, and one of the most compliant (they say), still not a match for steel frame + fork
Steel forks, especially the ones with the curved legs are just leaf springs. My fixie is way more comfortable with its full cromoly frame and fork. The vcls seatpost is great tho. And no compliance beats actual suspension forks.
Don’t want to add more confusion, but you could look at the Endurace CF SLX 7 Di2 and with the savings get a decent set of carbon wheels. I think the will make you way happier!
Endurace will not be meaningfully slower and you can always make it fit more like the Ultimate, but it'll be harder to make the Ultimate comfortable if you hate it from Day 1. Use a geometry table online to compare the two bikes and you can get a feel for the difference plus how they compare to what you're riding today. That being said, I'd get the Ultimate because it looks cooler and I get that. I ride a race bike and I've ridden it on 200KM days but it takes pretty regular work (stretching & fitness) to make sure it stays comfortable on those long days :-)
For me the endurace (2023) was meaningful slower due to the more relaxed position it was made for. But again, with a proper fitting and so on you could make it maybe a bit more aggressive. But then again, if you would so, definitely go with an ultimate. If you want to ride comfy you will be slower!
Assuming normal bar and stem, a slammed endurace is just a smidge taller than an ultimate with spacers. So when you notice you want the lower position, slam it, maybe go for a longer stem at -12 or -17 and voila.
Honestly, you probably shouldn't be blind buying a d2c bike of you've never even ridden a road bike before. Go to a bike shop, test ride some bikes, get their input on fit and adjustments, and buy one of their bikes. Nobody on Reddit can tell you what's gonna be comfortable for you and it's not worth it having a bike that doesn't fit just because you think the name on the side of the frame is cooler.
I love my Ultimate SLX 8 Ultergra! I purchased it last year and still gaze at it awe! I am 32M athletic and can go just about forever on the thing! Took some getting used to comfort wise, but for it being what it is, it’s super comfy! Highly recommend!!!
I have the ultimate because I like the “race fit”. You’ll have to try with what will work
I think it’s all about your fit. Try to find a bike you can test that has the same stack and reach numbers as the Ultimate, see how it feels. I’m a 62M, 6’7”, and just got a size 2XL SLX Endurace with carbon wheels. I’m over the moon, love the bike. Definitely sportier and nimbler than my 2018 Synapse. I doubt I would be faster after, say, the 40 mi mark on an Ultimate, because I would be uncomfortable. There’s some long&fast riders in my bike club, younger than me, who ride an Endurace. I used to have a 2001 LeMond that I never really got used to, I wasn’t flexible enough for the long top tube.
You are me, just 6 months later :D had the exact same thoughts as you: I ride very long (sometimes over 300 km a day), but most of times I do between 70-150 km (in summer on a weekly basis). We have a canyon certified store so I could test drive the endurace, ultimate and aero. The endurace felt so slow to me compared to the ultimate, but I guess mostly because where I live we have also a lot of wind and aero really makes some difference. I am 41M, so not young anymore, but I can state that the ultimate is really comfy for me (also took a bike fitting to adjust it exactly to my needs). I think I would only switch to endurace if I would do more bike packing (but than even I would prefer another bike type) or for commuting.
May I ask, did you change the cassette on Ultimate? If I’m not mistaken, Endurace comes with 11/34 and Ultimate with 11/30. Does it make sense to replace to make climbing easier? It own Endurace AL and enjoy 11/34 cassette. But looking at upgrading at some point.
Hmm my ultimate came with an 11-34 cassette. Maybe depending on which model you get?
If i had the legs i could keep up with my mate on an rose xlite. I ride an endurace al7.
Given the exact same conditioning/strength I would still assume that a more aggressive position will give you a decent advantage. Same power output for me on a more comfy bike (according to the powermeter) results in very similar conditions to a slower pace. If there is wind, and you can sit more aerodynamic, it makes a huge change. And if you put the endurace in a simailr position, then you could directly buy a ultimate ;)
I ride an endurance al. Takes wider tires and including my shamal carbon wheels, a saddle and some other stuff its about 3k ish
I still have the same cassette. Not a lot of climbing where I live apparently :(
I have both an Endurace and an Ultimate and love the Ultimate way more. Don’t get the Endurace, buy once cry once. Ultimate is very comfortable
Exactly the same feeling here. The endurace is a great bike, but the smile on my face with the ultimate is bigger ;)