Roadbiketrackworld - advice?

I think I have ridden my road bike once since I got a gravel bike 18 months ago. If comfort is your biggest priority then bigger tyres are where it is at, with very little downside.

If comfort is your biggest priority then bigger tyres are where it is at, with very little downside.

I spent a long time on 25c tyres. They are the max size for my old commuter.

My new road bike takes 30c and is much better for it. I'm not racing or competing. The negligible extra weight makes quite the difference.

don’t want anything too harsh but something that I can ride for a day without feeling beaten about.

Spesh Roubaix

I think you have answered your own question!

I tried a BMC race bike, took it round the block from a shop, hit a tiny pot hole and took the harsh thing back immediately. I'm sure it is faster than my bike, I'm sure I couldn't tolerate the harsh ride.

Your requirements look like a sportive bike, the Roubaix is specialized sportive bike.

I have a Future shock on my Diverge. It works really well. Mine needed to be replaced after 6 years hard graft as a gravel bike and winter road bike. Cost £140 as original owner.

The Tarmac is a race orientated frame, longer with a lower stack. Or course you can ride it all day, but it’s light, nimble and twitchy – intended that way.

I have an SL6, and as much as I love it for a fast ride group ride, I'd be more suited to an endurance geo for most of my rides. Which is what I'm building next.

I don’t want anything too harsh but something that I can ride for a day without feeling beaten about.

If this is the question I am not sure these would be the answer

Spesh Tarmac SL6 or a BMC Roadmachine 5.

Never ridden any of them but all day comfort for person with back problems would point me to them.

Roubaix with the widest tyres that’ll fit (I think they come with 28s). The futureshock is great, but make sure it comes with one of the (three different weight) springs fitted, as two of my friends bikes didn’t! <br />Spesh don’t supply the odd shaped carbon seatpost (cobble-gobbler?) nowadays, which I have on my pre-futureshock Roubaix, but you do get a carbon seatpost at least. <br /><br />

Try them all if you can - road bikes seem much more quirky for sizing and comfort.

Bigger tyres mean more comfort - I now run 30 and 32mm tyres, was 23mm when I started out 20 years ago.

Just to throw in a curve ball, when I last looked at a "mainstream" road bike I found Scott offered better value for money than Spesh, Trek etc. My Addict is relatively upright and more comfy because of it.

Any reason to discount the new Giant Defy?

Cheers guys, really helpful.

In regards to the Scott and Giant, the Scott bikes just look a bit dull? Giant with their warranty shenanigans would not get a penny out of me I'm afraid.

I went from a Roubaix to a tarmac with 28mm tubeless. I found the tarmac so much more fun to ride and regularly rode 60m on it with no issues, sold it after 20K miles. I've got a defy now which sits towards the sporty end of endurance bikes,  giants seem to be so much better value than specialized

I had a similar brief to yours - bulged discs in my lower back and I was struggling slightly on my caad12. Mainly the harsh front end and position on the bike. I’m less sure having flex in the rear of the frame is an issue.

Decided I wanted a higher stack, a frame that’s more forgiving and to run bigger tyres.

The 2 racey bikes in your list do not do that. So Roubaix out of that list.

I actually bought a gravel frame and built it up for road. Dolan GXC with 30c Conti gp5000s on it. In hindsight I should have gone 32c in the same tyres for even more comfort.

Riding it twangs less off broken road and is generally more settled. Yet it’s still stiff and gets power down well / feels fast / still turns and handles well.

The spec on mine is Hunt 4seasons road wheels, Dolan GXC 54cm, Ultegra di2 11 speed, Ultegra cranks and cassette, Hope RX4 brake callipers, USE carbon post, Fabric Scoop radius gel elite saddle (now an all black one rather then the one pictured), Cannondale handlebar, KMC X11el chain cheapie stem.

I have got a carbon aero style bar and bar end junction box to go on, but I haven’t got the patience to fit it at the moment as it means disconnecting the brakes to route hoses through the new bar and it took me ages to get a half decent bleed on the Hope brakes.

This is an excellent tool, to compare bikes side by side. Reach and stack

bikeinsights.com

That Dolan is wonderfully purple!

In regards to the Scott and Giant, the Scott bikes just look a bit dull?

I'm not exactly Jason Mamoa myself, to be fair. My 2020 Addict has a quirky matt/sparkly paint combo, looks much better in tbe flesh. Iirc it was a few hundred pounds less than the equivalent Spesh.

The Dolan looks great! Love the colour

I think I have ridden my road bike once since I got a gravel bike 18 months ago. If comfort is your biggest priority then bigger tyres are where it is at, with very little downside.

Similar experience here.

Disc brakes have opened up the possibility of bigger tyres on the more race-orientated road bikes now, and designs seem to have converged so that "endurance" bikes are less of a thing these days because "race" bikes are more comfy generally.

I like road bike geo on the more relaxed side of racey and my Boardman suits me really well from that POV.

Spesh make some of the best road bikes going, but their pricing has got very ambitious IMO.

If you've got the money then great, but there's much better VFM on similarly good bikes from other brands like Giant, Canyon, etc.

Image is a funny thing as well. I think the Tarmac looks cool AF, but the Roubaix always seems dorky and stupid to me 😀

I'm not riding my roadbikes much anymore.... nearly 100% mtb full sus but when I was I'd ride my Roubaix for longer days in the saddle and when I knew I'd be encountering pretty crappy road surfaces and my Wilier Cento Uno for for what I think of as faster/ more climbier sort of days.  The Wilier is very sprightly and light...  but the Roubaix is very comfortable.

Try them all if you can – road bikes seem much more quirky for sizing and comfort.

This.

I've had gravel bikes for a few years (previously only an MTBer) and the only thing that makes them poor for the road is the lack of high gearing, so I bought a s/h newish endurance road bike (unseen but cheap and immaculate).

Size-wise it's a 58/XL, the same as my gravel bike.

It's got so much of a lower stack than my gravel bike so I've had to play around a lot with it to give me back the comfort I need (also old).

I'm going to run it for the next year to get a better idea of whether I actually need/want a road bike, if I do then I'll have a better idea of what I actually want - but stack is a key measurement for me (+35" inseam).

If you've back problems then I would suggest the higher stack and shorter reach of an 'endurance' style road bike would be better than the race bikes that Tarmac annd Roadmachine are.

Modern endurance bikes will generally have room for ~35mm tyres because of disc brakes, as such might also be categorised as All-road as they are intended to do a bit of everything (eg Ribble CGR). As others have said, gravel bikes are the other option which will probably have similar fit and even more tyre clearance. Some gravel bikes might have less steep head tube angles and longer wheelbases which may make them more stable and perhaps feel less fast on the road as a result - if you think you're mostly going to use it as a road bike then might be worth just getting a road bike.

I'd have a look at a few best endurance bike articles on the likes of cycling news/weekly/road.cc/bike radar to get an idea of the options, bearing in mind some of those sites will be a bit prone to bias.

Could do worse than a Canyon Endurace AL with 10 speed shimano for £1300. Sure there are plenty of other good options you can try for size though. Merida are pretty good value, and the Decathlon Triban road bikes are well regarded too.

I would ride them all if you can. I wouldn't discount 'racey' bikes - my Giant TCR is super comfy over long distances, but also has sharp handling, and is stiff when you get out the saddle.

I would also argue that tyre size, decent wheels and carbon seatpost / bars affect the ride comfort perhaps even more so than the frame. So budget for some nice wheels 🙂

iirc Domanes have clearance for 38mm.

Giant with their warranty shenanigans would not get a penny out of me I’m afraid.

I have 3 giants and doubt I’d buy another for this reason. It’s a shame as all are excellent. I have a defy and it’s a great all day mile muncher

I also have a tarmac sl7, great bike, it’s on the racier end of spectrum but far from uncomfortable. Not a fan of the looks of the roubaix at all, and it’s far more expensive than other brands

Any Modern endurance bike should have room for large tyres which takes care of the comfort element. You could always add a redshift stem which is excellent, on par with the future shox imo, and saves on the spesh tax

I would ride them all if you can. I wouldn’t discount ‘racey’ bikes – my Giant TCR is super comfy over long distances, but also has sharp handling, and is stiff when you get out the saddle.
I would also argue that tyre size, decent wheels and carbon seatpost / bars affect the ride comfort perhaps even more so than the frame.

I agree with this, I'd say for comfort 'fit' is the big thing, if the bike is the right fit you can add more comfort with bigger (28-32) tyres, carbon bars/seatpost, bar tape on most modern road bikes.

I have an SL6, I bought the frame s/h without trying (I'd built a spreadsheet with my then current bike's geo and went from there), what I'd not looked at properly was the amount of steerer uncut which left me only with stem choice to adjust bar height which is a pain as I'd really like to experiment (and I am NOT flipping my stem!).  I do get some discomfort sometimes on longer rides, I put it down to a number of things including not a perfect fit, core strength etc, but not the 'stiffness' or the frame or the ride qualities (modern race bikes seem to be a convergence of aero bikes of a few years ago and 'endurance' bikes), the bike is a lovely thing to ride, sharp handling and stiffness when putting the power down are two things which for me a road bike needs (and I've ridden bikes without either and it's not fun).

With more experience now (the SL6 is my second ever road bike), if/when I buy again I think I'll go for a bike fit and go from there.

Left-field suggestion, but also recommend what you have.

Sonder Colibri TI.

It’s replaced my gravel bike for audax-y rides and is completely comfortable for 10+ hours in the saddle (obviously with my favourite saddle and bars, I didn’t like the ones supplied)

and I am NOT flipping my stem

I did it with no qualms on my old winter road bike, but I know what you mean - it'd be a tougher decision on a Tarmac.

Would definitely recommend getting a ride on a few of them given the back problems. I'd be looking at something like a Mason Definition.

iirc Domanes have clearance for 38mm.

The current Gen4 Domanes will take 40mm, the Sram single ring gravelly spec actually has these fitted as standard, previous models maxed out at 35mm.
To the OP the Domane is well worth a look, the Isospeed and wide tyres along with the fit at the more relaxed end of the spectrum make it an ideal long distance cruiser - speaking with 6 years experience of of ownership

This is hardly my area of expertise but that’s never stopped anyone on here before.

I remember reading some good good advice on the website of a custom frame builder. Basically it said. “I’m not building you a frame until you know exactly where you need every contact point”. Seems like excellent advice to me. So get your position sorted on your current bike. Whether that envolves paying for a bike fit is your choice. Once that’s done you can identify which bikes will fit.

and I am NOT flipping my stem!

I've ended up doing this (with extreme reluctance) on most of my bikes, including my nicest road bike (a Basso Venta, worth a look for a relatively racey frame but still a tall headtube).

Anyway, you get used to it. When the alternative is another 20mm of spacers or headtube I'm not even sure if aesthetically it's any worse.

which left me only with stem choice to adjust bar height

Plenty of nice carbon drop bars out there now with 15/20mm rise built in. I use one on my CX bike which is basically a size too small.

Plenty of nice carbon drop bars out there now with 15/20mm rise built in. I use one on my CX bike which is basically a size too small.

I am keeping my eyes peeled for a well priced set of S Works Hover bars to try.

I now ride a gravel bike but with road wheels and still on 2x drivetrain. I also wanted comfort as a priority and road bikes just don't have the tyre clearance and increased stack height of a gravel bike. I've also got a Canyon vcls seat post, riser(road) bars and extra thick bar tape.

Would definitely recommend getting a ride on a few of them given the back problems. I’d be looking at something like a Mason Definition.

Mine's an original 2015 model and I still love it. Handles well, all day comfort, can take mudguards and a rack for light touring.

My ancient Thorn Audax, in 531c is even more comfortable but handling is very relaxed.

I was same, looking for a comfortable road bike as it’s my first one and I’m old and want comfort.
I went for a new Domane because my brother who road bikes a lot has one and told me to buy one. Also every bike shop I went in, the staff highly recommended it, even non Trek stockists. Also endurance geo, 32 tyres, iso flex at rear and mud guard fitting. Love it. Highly recommended.

I am keeping my eyes peeled for a well priced set of S Works Hover bars to try

Ug, hadn't checked the price of these, although the aluminium version is cheaper (bug only 10mm rise)

https://ritcheylogic.com/bike/handlebars/wcs-carbon-ergomax-handlebar

Now, I’m a bit old with a few back problems, so comfort is my biggest factor. I don’t want anything too harsh but something that I can ride for a day without feeling beaten about.

Spesh Roubaix, Spesh Tarmac SL6 or a BMC Roadmachine 5.

Of those three, only the Roubaix meets your spec...

My winter road bike is a Spesh Diverge with Future Shock. It works fine, but no better than a Redshift stem which you could add to any road bike (I have one on my Topstone Gravel bike).

I rented a Bmc road machine in Spain and whilst it was a fantastic responsive bike to ride on nice smooth roads, it was super stiff and I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much on uk's crap roads.

You should try and ride the Roubaix and Tarmac. Personally I’d go for the tarmac as it’s a nicer handling bike and the Roubaix has a sky high stack. Even for a bad back. But then I have two Giant Propels and two Defy’s. The older rim braked Defy is more race orientated than the Roubaix. TCR is half Defy and half Propel. But the Tarmac is a decent bike too if you must avoid Giant.

My Tarmac SL7 takes 32mm tyres - you don't need a futureshock when you have 32mm tyres at 45psi !

I know the Giant warranty thing has already been done and isn't the point of this thread but just for info they warranty-replaced my TCR frame about 2 months ago with zero questions asked and posted a new one to me in a week.

My Tarmac SL7 takes 32mm tyres – you don’t need a futureshock when you have 32mm tyres at 45psi !

My Diverge has 32mm roadie tyres (in winter) and a Future shock, lovely and comfortable

I've also had good support from Giant. When I bought my Defy Advanced Pro ( at a great price ), they were happy to order in and send me 2 different  length stems to try out at no cost

I bought an Aethos of the start of summer, stuck a set of Alpinist wheels on it. It flies, its comfortable and handles well. I almost bought a Tarmac, but given the state of our roads in Warwickshire, having something with a bit more give made more sense. Chucked the 26mm tyres on ebay and have a set of 32mm mondos. Brother has a Venge, we've swapped bikes and the difference is night and day, granted he's on 25mm tyres, but it just feels like a board.

I've just recently picked up a Crux, it was half price and I can fit bigger tyres and guards. Its rolling on 38's at the moment and can churn out 18mph quite happily on it, granted minimal hills (maybe 1000ft an hour). If I had to have one road bike, would be the crux and couple of sets of wheels.

The Diverge and Roubaix make me vomit in my mouth, not a fan of the looks of either!

Whilst it’s not that trendy, if you get the chance, you should try and test ride a TCR as well. The geometry is absolutely classic road bike, it’s fabulously comfortable, and has a fine pedigree. Even for giant haters. If I had to shrink my fleet to just one road bike, I’d get a TCR Advanced SL to replace my fleet. And they still make one with rim brakes 😇

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcr-advanced-sl-frameset

Don't know if they have changed the Roubaix from the one I had in 2020 but it was the only road bike that gave me back ache after an hour of riding. Traded it for a Trek Domane and never regretted it.

The Domane is not a light frame but it is really comfy and currently running mine with 38mm Specialized Pathfinder Pro tyres and 1x GRX drivetrain. It spent most of the summer on the local bridleways as well as the road.

If you can get on with the Roubaix it was a good bike that was no slouch on the road but it just didn't suit me.

Fairlight Strael

TCR

Which is even lower stack than the Tarmac. In my size 58/L, it's 10mm lower

I've ridden quite a few of the bikes mentioned. 

Roubaix - I used the first iteration for a weekend in Mallorca and hated it, specifically the early FutureShock. Unless you're actually riding cobbles every weekend I can't see the point.

Diverge - my favourite bike ever, just brilliant and love the FutureShock 2.0. It has 45mm Maxxis Ramblers and is still only about 1.5mph slower than a road bike. But prob overkill for riding mostly on road.

Aethos - love mine. It has 30mm tyres, is extremely comfortable for long rides and very light. Brilliant road bike and makes much more sense than a Tarmac for an average non-racing rider. 

Brilliant road bike and makes much more sense than a Tarmac for an average non-racing rider. <br />

why does it make more sense than a tarmac? From what I can tell the geo is fairly similar. It might be fractionally lighter, but it’s not as quick 

some people may like the external cables but I far prefer them hidden. Plenty of space for big tyres on a tarmac for comfort. 

I still say the best endurance road bike out there is the defy, looks great, comfortable, value for money. If you can put up with it being a giant it’s a no brainer imo

I has Giant Defy & Trek Domane which were decent bikes but I never really enjoyed them. I then got a Specialized Roubaix (with 32mm Contis) and can honestly say it is the first time I have enjoyed road cycling. I now wouldn’t be without the FutureShock (in my opinion makes things so comfortable & secure with no perceived drawbacks). If I needed another road bike tomorrow I would no hesitation in getting another Roubaix.

Roubaix – I used the first iteration for a weekend in Mallorca and hated it, specifically the early FutureShock. Unless you’re actually riding cobbles every weekend I can’t see the point.

Mostt of the roads in Mallorca are as smooth as silk!!

So, spent the last few days doing a bit of research, ringing round shops etc. 

Roubaix is now a no. Not sure about the looks, and the future shock on the model I was looking at isn't able to be locked out. 

Giant. I just can't. Plus Im not a fan of press fit BB. 

Trek, the Domane would be the model I would look at but just don't like the looks.

Scott. None in my size or budget. Addict 20 was the model i was looking at. 

Orbea. The Orca, but struggling to find one in my size.

So, narrowed down to two. Merida Scultura and the BMC Roadmachine. I've seen both in budget and in my size. 

Roubaix is now a no. Not sure about the looks, and the future shock on the model I was looking at isn’t able to be locked out.

Looks are a fair point but in 6 years of having a bike with a future shock I have never felt the need to lock it out.