NBD (bit late) and initial review of the Endurace CFR

Got the bike shortly after release and have 500km on it so far. These are my early thoughts.

Context:
– 85kg rider
– Ride 3-4 times a week, 6-12 hours total, only outside on weekend because I live in the city which makes weekday rides more difficult to fit in
– Usually 30-33 kph average for 4-6 hours on solo rides
– 85-95 rpm (relevant for gearing preference)
– Previous bike was a Venge. With 31 mm WAM tires, the Venge was pretty comfortable on 95% of the roads I ride, even on 8-10hr days. Fit was good for me with a slammed cockpit, as I have long arms and prefer a sporty position.
– Got the Endurace for extra comfort on long rides. There are some sections of cobble and gravel when I wished I had a bit more tire/comfort.

Assembly: Quick and easy. No rotor rub or any noises. Everything well adjusted and torqued to spec. Checked the included torque wrench against a calibrated Snap-On wrench using a 6mm allen bit, and it was bang on.

Paint: I’m a sucker for carbon, and you can see it under the top coat in the sun. I’m also a sucker for shiny decals like chrome, oil slick, metallic, etc. The green is iridescent in sunlight and barely visible in the shade. I really dig it.

What I changed right away:
– Saddle to what I already know works for me
– Cockpit fit (slam and narrow to 390mm)
– Crankset (50/34 non-PM R9200) and cut chain accordingly
– Convert to tubeless with Fillmore valves and Orange Seal
– Strip and wax chain with Silca

What I will change:
– Add bigger, faster, more supple tires next spring. Looking at 30mm Power Cup, 32mm Pro Corsa, and 30/32mm Comtura Prima (supposedly coming this winter)
– Deeper wheels (55mm+) with wide profile (32mm+)

Fit: Obviously far more relaxed fit relative to the Venge, so I spend most of the time with my wrists and forearms on the hoods. That puts me in roughly the same position as before.

Top tube storage: Not a game changer, nor a detractor. It does hold half of what was in my seat pack, so I might get the tiny saddle bag that Canyon has which fits under the saddle instead of behind it, to hold what’s left (TPU tube, levers, and patches). I rode through pouring rain for 4 hours, washed the bike, and sweat all over it, without any water getting in. I also don’t know how a reviewer got something to fall down the seat tube, since the back of the cavity is blocked. Maybe there was a redesign after that feedback, but even if it was open, the seat post would be in the way, so it makes little sense to me. The neoprene sleeve prevents any noise when riding over rough roads, so I’d say the system works as it should.

Spec: Can’t comment on saddle since I changed that before the first ride. Seatpost is awesome. For an endurance bike, I think 50/34 chain rings would be more appropriate, so that’s what I put on. Glad it comes with 11-34 instead of 11-30. 390-430mm bar width should cover 99% of riders. Components are top shelf, right down to the Aerothan tubes. Perhaps the only exception is the Pro One. There are better options for tires. Bar stem length choice would be good to have, at least for purchase separately.

Performance: Fork and head tube profiles look very similar to the Aeroad, so they should be aero. Cockpit is exactly the same and gets pretty narrow by OEM standards (390mm). If you believe Specialized and other “one bike to rule them all” brands, the front is where most aero gains are to be had. So in theory the Endurace should be fast. It certainly doesn’t seem slower than the Venge, at least that I can discern by feel. Maybe there’s a 0.5 kph difference that could be found if i dove into my data, but I’d attribute most of that to the Pro One tires (relative to Power Cup) and shallower wheels. Since I’m not racing, I’m happy with the difference being unnoticeable by feel. I was worried it would feel slow.

Ride: Super comfy. Tire size is within 1mm of what I had on the Venge, so it’s probably a combination of the seat post and seat tube kink. The Pro Ones aren’t as supple as some other tires, though, so there is potential to make it even more comfortable. I always use the Silca calculator for pressure.

Tire clearance: After 500km, the OE tires measure 31.6mm front and 33.0mm rear. Fork has 9.5mm clearance and chain stays 5.5mm. If you go by the industry standard 4mm minimum clearance, you could in theory fit 42-43mm tires in front and 36mm tires in the rear. If you’re fine with 3mm clearance, you’re up to 38mm in the back. Quite a lot for a road bike. I’ll probably aim for 34-36mm WAM on 23-25mm IW wheels when I replace them. Should make it ride like butter.

What I wish was different:
– Storage in the down tube so I could ditch the saddle bag completely, and lower the center-of-mass.
– Countersunk thru axle. It would just look cleaner.
– A BB standard that plays nice with 30mm axles.
– Cockpit availability in different sizes. I don’t really need it, but would be nice to have the option.

by ninja4tfw