Canyon, Cannondale or Specialzied?

roubaixtom

Hi,

Im currently riding a 2011 Specialized roubaix that this year has got me fit and wanting an upgrade.

My three options would be:

1. Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 6 .... http://www.cannondale.com/nam_en/2015/b ... rbon-6-105
(very good looking bike and 105 5800 group set)
£1499

2. Canyon Endurance CF 8.0
https://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3501
(downside is i can't try the bike, but it is also a good looking bike with 5800 and good reviews)

3. Specialized Roubaix
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bikes/ ... -sl4-elite
( I know the 54cm is good fit and can test ride)

So.. Out of the three which one should i go for?

I often do 100mile+ sportives and next year The Haute Route in the Alps along with a few more challenges so i need something comfortable but efficient and upgradable.

Thanks

Tom

ai_1

Plenty people will probably disagree but IMO the ability to test ride is irrelevant.
I came to this conclusion after being in your position, trying to decide between a few options and after a couple of test rides I realised that how I felt on the day and how the shop had set up a bike had far more influence on how I enjoyed riding the bike than the quality or suitability of the frame or components themselves. We're too subjective to judge bikes this way. You can use it to fool yourself into thinking you went through an exhaustive selection process but I don't believe there's any point if we're honest with ourselves. Maybe a very experienced rider, given the opportunity to set up multiple bikes identically and ride them back to back would gain some insight from test rides but I don't think most of us do.

The real question when you can't go see a bike and get advice in person is whether you know which size to get and whether the geometry will suit you. You should be able to figure this out from looking at the geometry charts though and by comparison with other bikes you've ridden or been fitter for.

On that basis, I would go for the Canyon, assuming you decide the geometry will suit you.

diamonddog

^^This, sometimes the advice given in store is only to get a sale and not in your best interests unfortunately.

carrock

Roubaix Comp with Ultegra is available for £2000 and gets a great review

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/ ... -road-bike

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/pro ... 2014-54cm/

ai_1

carrock wrote:

Roubaix Comp with Ultegra is available for £2000 and gets a great review

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/ ... -road-bike

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/pro ... 2014-54cm/

It looks like a very decent bike but I would still go for the Canyon Endurace CF 9.0 as it's significantly cheaper and comes with better groupset and wheels. The Roubaix comes with some Ultegra components (STI levers and de-railleurs) but makes substitutions in place of the excellent Ultegra brakes and chainset. The Endurace also comes with the excellent VCLS 2.0 seatpost although I'd hesitate to recommend this if you weigh over 80kg. I used one initially on my Ultimate CF 9.0 and loved the comfort but it was impossible to prevent it slipping. Canyon confirmed this was a problem for riders weighing over 80kg (I'm ~86kg) and they switched it for the standard VCLS post which is less luxurious but still an excellent seatpost.

The Endurace is a very new frame and I haven't seen much in the way of reviews yet but it's closely based on the excellent Ultimate CF frame, being esentially a slightly higher and shorter version of that frame to suit the "endurance" market. Given Canyon's track record it would be very surprising if this doesn't get great reviews in due time.

roubaixtom

I am very keen on the endurance cf. However I'm struggling to compare my current roubaix and the canyon geometry. What would be the closest size to my 54cm roubaix?

diamonddog

All the geometry is on the web site. You can use the Canyon fit calculator by putting in various sizes like inseam etc, it's very easy to use. I knew which size I needed but used it to test it out and it gave the same size. If you are still unsure give them a call.

carrock

7.50kg is very, very light indeed for a bike fitted with a 105 group and modest wheels.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest the claimed weight is optimistic but the total weight is suspiciously light for that price point.

charlie_potatoes

carrock wrote:

7.50kg is very, very light indeed for a bike fitted with a 105 group and modest wheels.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest the claimed weight is optimistic but the total weight is suspiciously light for that price point.

Both of my Canyon's (medium) are under their claimed weight.

Gaz777

If you wanted a Roubaix, might it not be worth looking at a 2015 one now like this? http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Rou ... _73451.htm

I think all the 2015's come with the CG-R seat post... I've run one for a while and think it's excellent, plus there are no issues with weight limits. Also, I think the bike I linked is full 105 apart from having Praxis cranks. I've got these on one of my bikes and think they're great, really smooth shifting!

ai_1

carrock wrote:

7.50kg is very, very light indeed for a bike fitted with a 105 group and modest wheels.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest the claimed weight is optimistic but the total weight is suspiciously light for that price point.

Sounds like you're suggesting it's optimistic to me!

The Canyons are typically among the lightest bikes you'll find for a given price. My Ultimate SL CF 9.0 has a claimed weight of 6.95kg. I threw it on the (relatively inaccurate) bathroom scales when I got it and if i remember correctly it said 7.1kg (medium size). The scales is probably only precise to about 0.2kg so admittedly it could be anywhere from 6.9kg to 7.3kg but it's certainly not hugely off target.

A few "expert" reviewers have weighed various Canyon bikes and as far as I can remember they've always been pretty close to the claimed weight.

vermin

Ai_1 wrote:

Plenty people will probably disagree but IMO the ability to test ride is irrelevant.

I'll bite. I couldn't diagree more.

Touch, feel and smell them. Arrange long test rides - measured in days if possible, hours if not. Use your own saddle if possible. Quite apart from the fact that all bikes have their own ride characteristics, which you may or may not like, if you just buy an appliance off the internet, you'll never go through the emotional process of finding a bike you really love. That emotional draw is what will get you out of bed and onto the road on a cold, wet winter morning.

Headline numbers are great, an emotional attachment is better.

thecm

Got my Canyon frame in 2011 and worried initially about buying over the internet but it was fine. You can't beat them for value (and weight) and they make great bikes. Their online sizing guide and a check with the set up on my Roubaix helped confirm the sizing.

Was keen to see what the Endurace looked like as a replacement for my 2007 Roubaix but really wanted Di2 which I'm sure is coming but not yet available and ended up with a Felt Z2 which I'm really enjoying.

rane

Hi there

Before deciding on one of the three bikes you have posted, i would definitely consider the new 2015 Trek Émonda!
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/ro ... ce/emonda/

It's the best bike i've ever riden and also by far the lightest!

I own the Émonda SL6 and theres no doubt in my mind that it could be one of the best bikes around...

Trek made the top model at 4,65kg ( SLR 10 )

Mine is about 7,35kg ( SL 6 )
it comes with the Ultegra 6800 group

ai_1

vermin wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

Plenty people will probably disagree but IMO the ability to test ride is irrelevant.

I'll bite. I couldn't diagree more.

Touch, feel and smell them. Arrange long test rides - measured in days if possible, hours if not. Use your own saddle if possible. Quite apart from the fact that all bikes have their own ride characteristics, which you may or may not like, if you just buy an appliance off the internet, you'll never go through the emotional process of finding a bike you really love. That emotional draw is what will get you out of bed and onto the road on a cold, wet winter morning.

Headline numbers are great, an emotional attachment is better.

It's a bike. A pretty simple machine. I know lot's of cyclists like to romanticise it and so on but this is going a little far! In general I don't worry much about emotional attachment for non sentient objects or stuff I designed or made myself. But that's just me.