# Road bike vs. endurance bike



## dibble (30 Mar 2009)

Hello all. I'm having a hard time deciding between an entry level road bike or a Specialized Sequoia. I've given them all short test rides at the shop but don't necessarily feel a great difference. I'm not really looking to race but would like to join cycle clubs doing the 30-50 mile weekend rides.

Do you find that the endurance bikes, being more upright, offer a much more comfortable ride?

Any advice would be helpful, thanks!


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## Keith Oates (30 Mar 2009)

If you're prime objective is to go out on rides with a cycling club then I'd go for the roadie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (30 Mar 2009)

Most endurance/sportive/audax bikes when compared to a full on race bike will have a different set up over and above rider position.

Most riders will use a compact transmission on the endurance/sportive bikes (often a triple on Audax) plus it is quite common that most will have more spacers under the ahead stem, this is to give a relatively higher and more relaxed position than they would do if set up for racing. As Sportive style cycling has increased in popularity then so has the demand for a bike with a fast set up with an element of comfort, most bike brands have a bike set up to cater for the demand, all be it in slightly different ways.

The frames will also have a focus on comfort as well as performance, with a rear triangle where the stays are shaped and often slimmer than the versions they use as their full on race bike models 






Specialized Roubaix range, slightly lower gearing with higher front end when compared to the higher gearing of the Tarmac below






Specialized Tarmac range.


To an extent a bike is a bike, if you can cope with the riding position and find the gear ratios suitable then nothing wrong using the full race bike set up as a sportive bike. What you need to do is work out what gear ratios you like to use and then try and achieve them, making sure they are correctly positioned, no point if mathematically you can only get your most common used gear in largest ring largest sprocket. 

By way of an example that is all I have done on my current tour bike, I use a 13t-29t Campagnolo 10 speed cassette set up with a chainset that 26-36-46t chainrings to give the the gear ratios I am after 







I like gears of around 60”, you will see that I have got those on both middle and outer ring. I have done this essentially because this is a bike I use for two roles, solo rides of 15-20mph and touring rides of 12-15mph, to save repeated chain ring changes I can essentially use the big ring mainly for solo rides and the middle ring for more sociable rides. Even though it only has a 96" top gear I find that easily high enough for a mid 20-25 mph work out, for 15-20mph cruising I have ratios that I like available mid cassette on the 46 ring, this I find is the perfect set up for me. Of course everyone is different, some prefer a lower low gear and a higher high gear, horses for courses as they say

It does take a bit of thought as to what you need both in terms of ratios and then equipment choices to achieve them, but it can nearly always be done. In my case for example I did invest in a high quality chainset to get the ring combinations I wanted, as for me personally I find many road specific triples have ring choices too large yet the ATB chainsets too small for what I wanted.

Note I said 'wanted' not 'needed', my tour bike is used for tours, often I want to climb a long mountain pass with little effort to take in the scenery, so I chose lower gear ratios on that bike. Sportive bikes by comparison are normally ridden with no luggage, plus set up generally for riding at a higher speed than a touring bike, you can see from that gear chart above that a 34t inner chain ring with a 27t largest sprocket, a common combination on a sportive bike with compact transmission, will give a lowest gear ratio of approx' 34", on that style of bike that is low enough for most riders, even on a mountain pass.

To try and explain what a 34" gear ratio equates to you will see a red Audax bike in my tour write ups under my signature below, the 'Lejog' write up had a higher gear than that and I rode up every climb, in that specification I also toured the High Alps with two full panniers and again rode every climb.

However, I realised when I was riding in a group I had to keep the gear turning on the climbs and ride quicker than many of my new friends, who were using lower gear ratios than me and able to ride at a slower more socialble pace, that along with wanting to take in the scenery is why you will now see that bike had a triple in some of the later tour articles. As I said gear ratio choices can take some thought, the decision may not always be down to ability.

Note my bike is an Audax bike, I have mentioned it purely to illustrate the thought process that can go into deciding what gear ratios to go for. As an Audax bike like mine is often used potentially for slower tours, many spec' a triple over a double, where as some of the bikes you are considering are set up more as fast day ride/sportive bikes, as I said above normally used for a slightly faster style of riding, as such they will normally have higher gear ratios than my Audax bike as a result. 

Hope this helps

Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk


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## jimboalee (30 Mar 2009)

I have a Dawes Giro 500 and a Specialized SWorks.
The Dawes is 23.5lb and has a triple, used for 200 and 300 Audax.
The Spesh is 16.5lb and has a 53/39 double, used for club racing.

Both bikes are dimensionally 'set up' *EXACTLY* the same, as it should be.


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## Paul_Smith SRCC (30 Mar 2009)

jimboalee said:


> I have a Dawes Giro 500 and a Specialized SWorks.
> The Dawes is 23.5lb and has a triple, used for 200 and 300 Audax.
> The Spesh is 16.5lb and has a 53/39 double, used for club racing.
> 
> Both bikes are dimensionally 'set up' *EXACTLY* the same, as it should be.



Many do ride all their bikes with a near identical set up, although if they use different bikes for very different uses then it is also not unusual to have a more focused set up relevant to the style of riding the bike is to be used for.

Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk


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## ColinJ (16 Apr 2009)

It's probably a bit anal of me, but shouldn't sprocket number 5 be 17 teeth, not 18? :?:


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## Randochap (16 Apr 2009)

It really depends on what kind of rides -- terrain, weather, pace etc. -- you are planning.

I'd say that recreational rides would be pleasant on the Sequoia. It also has the advantage of having option to mount mudguards and rack, should you want to ride in inclement weather and carry anything with you.

The stock 30-39-50 triple is good, but I'd be inclined to switch out the 11-25 cassette for a 12-27.

Check out my VeloWeb site for more info on "endurance" bikes, under randonneuring bikes and in the My Bikes section


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## jimboalee (17 Apr 2009)

Just for interest.

I'm on the Castleton Classic - Sunday 19th.

I went to recce the revised route, which now includes a 20% and a 25% climb.

The previous route had a 14% but nothing worse, and that was fine on 30 x 23.

I'm fitting a 13 - 25 cassette for the revised route.


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## ColinJ (17 Apr 2009)

There are lots of steep hills on my regular routes round here so I have a triple chainset on my Basso - 52/39/30. I used to have a 9-speed 12-23 cassette on the bike, but I put on weight and changed to a 13-26, then I put more weight on and now use a 14-28. 14-28s are more expensive than the other cassettes and are hard to get hold of. I miss my 13 sprocket from time to time so I'll switch back to the 13-26 when I'm slimmer and fitter again. I'm not sure that I'll bother going back to 12-23 because I rarely used the 12 sprocket and the 26 would always comes in handy.

My Cannondale has 53/39 chainrings and a 10-speed 13-29 cassette. I haven't ridden it for 2 years because of crappy summers and feeling overgeared on the steep stuff. It was okay on 20% climbs when I was fit, but I'd really struggle on 39/29 now.


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