Canyon Endurace AllRoad

For the last few years, we’ve been mourning the near-extinction of the affordable sub-£1,000 road/gravel bike, but the new Canyon Endurace AllRoad shows it’s still alive and kicking. Canyon has delivered a bike that sticks to the basic principles that any entry-level machine should – a good quality frameset, a reliable and easy to use groupset, including powerful hydraulic disc brakes, dependable wheels, and tyres that aren’t screaming for an upgrade straight out of the box.

> Order now: Canyon Endurace AllRoad for £949 from Canyon

Okay, I might be being a little dramatic. Of course, the sub-grand road bike hasn’t completely disappeared – there’s Decathlon’s Triban range, for instance, and Boardman’s ADVs – but quality ones (and I’d include those two here), that you’d actually enjoy riding and want to continue doing so, rather than the heavy drop-barred bicycle-shaped objects found online, seem to be few and far between.

This Endurance AllRoad pushes the price up enough that it doesn’t really have to compromise anywhere, but without breaking the bank. It’s a quality bit of kit with geometry that works, a comfortable ride, and components that do their job really well and don’t scare you half to death whenever a descent appears.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Ride

Straight out of the box the AllRoad is a belter. The geometry, with its tallish endurance bias merged with a slackish head angle, creates a confidence-inspiring front end, whether on the road or looser surfaces, and meant I felt instantly at home.

It’s a very easy bike to ride, regardless of whether you are whipping along at a decent pace or slowly meandering through the back lanes. I found it highlighted just how enjoyably simplistic a bike can be, something that is easily lost these days with electronic this, compliance that, and every other new gadget that’s been designed to make our rides easier.

If this is your first road bike then you’ll have made a very good choice. Everything about the way it behaves is unflustered; it takes it all in its stride. I pushed things a bit through the twisty, technical section of my test descent and overcooked the entry to the chicane. A dab of the front brake got me back on the right line and I was impressed with how little drama was involved – no twitchiness at the front end and the fork showed good lateral stiffness as I banked the bike over to make the corner.

It’s not a light bike at 10.79kg (size large), but that weight adds some security when descending and gives a surefooted feel everywhere else. The AllRoad isn’t a full gravel bike, but a quick blast on my local trails saw it easy to handle on loose aggregate, which makes it a lot of fun to ride.

The weight doesn’t stop the Endurace from having a nimble feel to it. Negotiating some very dry singletrack through the woods for a giggle, I had no issues hopping the Canyon over the exposed tree roots and a shift of bodyweight was all it took to guide it through the narrow sections.

On the road the tyres are a bit on the sluggish side, which hampers progress but not by a huge amount. If you are going to spend a lot of time on the asphalt then I’d recommend upgrading to something faster rolling, but if you want the option to switch between surfaces then they suffice.

The frame offers a good ride feel. It’s nowhere near as advanced as the top aluminium alloy frames on the market, but for the money I can’t fault it. It’s stiff, with some of that translating to a firm ride at times, but it’s not harsh. Aluminium tubing has come a long way since its heyday, and that includes the improved ride quality even at this price point.

That’s backed up by the components fitted, which I found worked well generally.

The geometry is well suited to those who aren’t that flexible, or don’t want the nose-down, arse-up position of a racer. I could still run plenty of drop from the saddle to the bar for an efficient position, but the tall front end took the pressure off my lower back and shoulders, especially noticeable on longer rides.

If you are going to use the bike for commuting, the higher position than most road bikes gives you greater vision ahead even when surrounded by cars.

Overall, ride-wise, it’s a capable road bike for the beginner or if you want a commuter or winter trainer without feeling like you’re ‘under biking’ yourself. For the budget it’s a really good bike with loads of versatility.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Frame & fork

This is the only AllRoad model Canyon offers, and it comes with an aluminium alloy frame and full carbon fibre fork. Canyon doesn’t go into exact details of the grade used, but most bike frames are manufactured from the 6000 or 7000 series – 6061 for instance, or 7005.

Canyon gives a claimed weight of 1,543g for the frame (without specifying what size) and 487g for the fork.

It doesn’t look anything too groundbreaking or flash, and nor would I expect it to at this price point, but there has been plenty of tube shaping employed in the frame, with the majority being angular rather than round in a bid to improve ride quality, comfort and stiffness.

It’s a smart-looking frame overall, and while the welding is chunky it’s a look that suits the rough and tumble nature of the AllRoad. I’m always happy to see a weld left natural rather than sanded and filled to create a smooth finish, anyway.

Two paint colours are on offer, the Silver Mercury you see here and a rather fetching Metal Berry purple. The gloss finish gives a higher end look, making the bike look more expensive than it is.

Canyon has gone for internal gear cable/brake hose routing through the down tube before they exit at the bottom bracket area to continue their path externally towards the derailleurs and rear brake. Everything is kept external at the front end too, which not only keeps costs down but also makes the Endurace relatively simple to work on. Ideal if you’re new to cycling and want to be able to service and repair your own bike.

With that in mind, it’s a bit of a shame to see a press-fit PF86 bottom bracket standard used. Not so much because of the creaking and premature wear of early press-fit setups, as this has largely been eradicated, but for the ease of maintenance of a threaded BSA system. If I were to buy one of these bikes for myself, I’d be looking to use it as a winter trainer or wet weather commuter. A BSA bottom bracket is easy for anyone to change with minimal technical nous and a couple of cheap tools, unlike a press-fit option.

Other than that little niggle, the versatility of the frame and fork covers many bases. There are two water bottle cage positions, plus a couple more points on the top tube to securely attach a bento box or frame bag.

You also get mounting points for a rear rack and full mudguards. The guard mounts aren’t exactly in what is considered a traditional position, but with a small amount of stay fettling you should be able to get any full mudguard to fit.

Tyre clearance is a generous 40mm, which puts the AllRoad very much into the ‘light gravel’ category. Many gravel bikes are now accepting 45mm tyres (700C) minimum, but it wasn’t so long ago that 40mm was the go-to option, which means there’s plenty of quality choice out there that’ll fit the Canyon.

Also, we are seeing fast road tyres getting wider and wider, such as the Pirelli P Zero Race TLR which I recently reviewed in a 40mm width. Panaracer’s GravelKing Slick TLR is now available in a 40mm width too, having recently topped out at 38mm, so you are going to be able to build this AllRoad up in many guises.

The AllRoad is available in seven sizes, from 2XS to 2XL. Top tubes range in length from 534mm to 633m, with stack/reach figures of 552/371mm on the smallest frames and 660/438mm on the 2XL.

I’m riding the large model, which has a 589mm top tube length, way longer than I’d normally ride (555mm +/-10mm) but offset by the use of an 80mm stem, compared with the 110mm I’d normally use on a road bike. With a 189mm head tube, the stack and reach figures are 616mm and 407mm respectively.

Canyon also lists effective stack and reach figures, with the former being measured vertically from the centre of the bottom bracket (BB) to the point where you’d grip the hoods, while the effective reach is measured horizontally from the BB to the same point. This takes into account that shorter stem length and the shape of the handlebar. For this large on test we’re talking 716mm for the stack and 563mm for the reach.

The standover height is 842mm while the bottom bracket offset (the distance between the centre point of the BB in relation to the dropouts) measures 74mm.

As for angles, this AllRoad’s head tube sits at 72 degrees while the seat tube is 73.5 degrees. The wheelbase is 1,057mm, with 425mm chainstays.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Groupset

The Endurace AllRoad comes in just one build currently, and it uses Shimano’s latest Cues groupset. This is the first bike I’ve ridden with it, and there will be a full review up on the site soon.

Cues is available in either flat or drop bar component configurations and replaces, or rather blends, Shimano’s entry-level Claris, Sora and Tiagra into one groupset covering 9, 10 and 11-speed gearing in 1x and 2x options, with either mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes. If you want a bit more of an overview, you can head over to our story about the official launch. 

The AllRoad uses the 10-speed version with hydraulic brake callipers.

The gear shifters are exactly the same shape as those found on Tiagra, so not only are the ergonomics familiar if you’ve ridden any Shimano groupset over the last 10 years, but comfortable and easy to use as well.

Specifically, the gearing is a combination of an 11-39-tooth cassette and a 50/34-tooth chainset, so a wide-ish range that suits road riding with the larger cassette sprockets giving lower ratios for loose gravel climbs.

The cassette is a little gappy as it only has 10 sprockets to cover the range from 11 to 39-tooth sprockets, and occasionally I found myself between gears, spinning slightly too fast or not fast enough, but then I ride within quite a narrow cadence range. On the whole it wasn’t enough of an issue to bother me, and having the wide-ranging cassette is worth the compromise. The gear shifts are crisp and precise, even when you’re asking the chain to skip between sprockets under heavy load, and the black coating looks to be highly durable.

The AllRoad is specced with 160mm rotors front and rear, which along with the Cues callipers gives powerful braking and decent modulation, especially for this price point.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Finishing kit

Moving to the cockpit, you’ll find that all of the components are Canyon branded and look great for a bike on a budget.

The stem is a simple aluminium affair, as is the handlebar, the latter having a shallow drop, making it relatively easy for anyone to make use of the drops, not just those with good back flexibility.

Stem length is dependent on the frame size, with the smallest frames getting a 60mm stem and the largest a 90mm. It’s the same for the handlebar: 40cm for the 2XS and XS, 42cm for the S and M, with the L, XL and 2XL getting 44cm.

That slightly wider bar width than is currently fashionable works well. Wider bars give slightly slower steering, which is easier for beginners, and it definitely makes the front end more stable when you are riding on a loose surface.

I have reasonably wide shoulders, so when road bikes came with 42cm as standard for my size I found them comfortable; now the latest builds are coming with 38cm or so, which I find too narrow.

One thing I would like to see fitted as standard is a handlebar with a flare at the drops. Most gravel bikes do, as it gives more stability when in the drops while maintaining a narrower, more aero position on the hoods. With the versatility of this bike being key, I’d say Canyon has missed a trick here – it wouldn’t need anything too dramatic, just a 6-degree flare either side would be fine.

The seatpost is aluminium too, and it’s called Iridium. It does the job required of a seatpost and is easily fit and forget. It’s a standard 27.2mm diameter round post so can easily be upgraded should you wish.

The saddle is a Selle Royal SRX which is a unisex model. Again, nothing flash, and I found it relatively comfortable for most rides. It has ample padding for all terrain stuff and its length allows a bit of fore and aft movement.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Wheels & tyres

Canyon has used Alexrims’ GX26P rims for the wheel build, which are aluminium and have a 23mm internal width that’ll easily suit any tyre sizes you can fit on the AllRoad. Paired up with some Shimano TC500 hubs, they are decent wheels for the money. They dealt with potholed canal paths and hardpacked gravel byways without fuss, and remained true throughout the review period.

They are tubeless compatible, accept Center Lock brake rotors, and take 12mm thru-axles.

The tyres are Schwalbe G-One Comp K-Guards, which are at the entry point of Schwalbe’s gravel line-up. This means they are heavy – 525g according to Canyon’s website for the 35mm fitted – are non-folding (not that it really matters when they are fitted), and tube-type clincher only, so they’ll work with inner tubes and not tubeless setups.

They seemed to stand up well to various conditions, with no punctures during testing, and they roll well enough off-road, but do feel sluggish on it.

The minimal depth tread worked fine throughout the dry, dusty summer, but as things have started to turn soft, thanks to the rain, you’ll need something a bit more meaty if you want to ride on light gravel tracks or, as we call them in typical UK conditions, muddy paths.

The Endurace is an allroad bike, though, and as a crossover tyre the Schwalbes work well enough for the budget.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Value

Priced at £949, the Endurace AllRoad represents good value for money in my eyes, with the budget spread out in a balanced way throughout the bike. It even comes with a set of flat pedals – and there aren’t many road bikes you can say that about.

Canyon sells its bikes direct to the consumer, so buying one in the UK is always going to incur a shipping cost (£59.99), plus it charges £18.99 for its Bike Guard box. In total that pushes the price up to £1,027.98.

As many of us buy our bikes online, though, delivery charges will be an added extra for many brands.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best endurance road bikes

Last year Ribble launched its Allroad range, with the AL being the closest comparison to the Canyon (I reviewed the SL Enthusiast in September). The entry-level model uses a Tiagra 10-speed groupset, has an aluminium frame and carbon fork, with fully integrated cable/hosing runs. For the £1,429 asking price you do get a decent set of DT Swiss G 1800 wheels and Pirelli P7 tyres, but clearance is limited to 35mm, so it’s not as versatile as the Endurace.

Ribble has also recently launched updated versions of its CGR (Commute, Gravel, Road) range, which are designed to be a jack of all trades. I haven’t ridden one yet, but previous models have always impressed me. The aluminium version of the CGR starts at £1,649 with a similar build to its Allroad AL, but with Schwalbe G-One tyres in a 40mm width. (I reviewed the CGR SL Sport in 2023.)

A company expert at delivering high-quality bikes at competitive prices is Boardman Bikes, with its closest rival to the Canyon being the ADV 8.8. ADV stands for adventure, and while it’s generally aimed at gravel, its roadie-like geometry means it’s well suited as an allroad machine – something I found when I reviewed the carbon-framed ADV 9.2 at the tail end of last year.

The 8.8 has a 7005-grade aluminium alloy frame, full carbon fork, and Microshift’s 10-speed 1x groupset, for £950. However, the brakes are mechanical (cable operated) rather than hydraulic. If you want a 2x groupset and hydraulic brakes, then a step up to the ADV 8.9 will get you Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX groupset, with a 36/40T chainset and 10-speed 11-36T cassette giving a wide range of gears for both on and off the road – for £1,200.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best bikes for commuting

Giant’s entry-level road bike range is the Contend, with the AR 3 kicking things off at £1,199. It has an aluminium frame with full carbon fork and will take up to 38mm tyres, plus a 9-speed Shimano Sora groupset.

We reviewed the Contend SL 1 Disc in 2021. It’s a little less versatile than the Canyon, with more road-like geometry, so if you wanted something that can do some off-roading then the Revolt 2 would be a better bet, for £1,299, also with Shimano Sora 9-speed. The Revolt has similar geometry to the Canyon, but it can also be tweaked by use of the ‘flip-chip’ which can extend or shorten the wheelbase by 10mm. Tyre clearance is large at 45mm, or 53mm if you have the wheelbase extended. (Our sister site off.road.cc reviewed the Revolt 0 in 2020.)

I mentioned the Triban range from French sports retailer Decathlon because it offers some great value for money bikes. These have been superseded since Decathlon moved all of its bikes under the Van Rysel brand, but there are still some available, albeit in limited sizes.

The Triban RC 520 is a road bike that will take 36mm tyres and comes with a 2x 11-speed predominantly Shimano 105 mechanical grouspet and TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic/mechanical brake callipers. Again, it’s not quite as versatile as the Endurace Allroad, but it is cheaper at £899.

From Van Rysel, there’s the NCR-AF endurance road bike which accepts 38mm tyres and has a Tiagra grouspet. It has an RRP of £1,200 but at the time of writing is reduced to £999. I reviewed the more expensive NCR CF last year and was very impressed.

Van Rysel’s GRVL AF would be more suitable if you were after that allroad versatility, but you’ll sacrifice a 2x groupset for the road as it comes with 1x. The aluminum frame looks smart, though, and the bike comes with 40mm tyres. Plus there are loads of mounting points including for a rack and mudguards. It costs £899.99, and for that you are getting a 10-speed MicroShift Sword groupset and mechanical brakes.

Canyon Endurace AllRoad: Conclusion

So, after researching that last section it turns out there are quite a few good quality bikes available for around £1,000. But when you look at every detail, the spec, tyre clearance and so on, the Canyon is probably the best when it comes to spanning road and light gravel genres out of the box.

The tyre sizing and gearing ratios mean the Canyon is pretty much ready to go, whether you want to ride on the road or away from it, without having to change anything. Having fully hydraulic brakes at this price is a massive bonus too. Cable-operated brakes work well enough, but not with the consistency and power of hydraulic setups; I’d happily sacrifice a groupset tier for good quality stopping power.

Canyon has hit the nail on the head with this one, and whether you are a new rider looking for your first road bike, or a seasoned rider looking for something to commute or train on, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the Endurace AllRoad – especially at this price.

> Order now: Canyon Endurace AllRoad for £949 from Canyon

Verdict

A proper all-rounder with a great spec and rideability for not a lot of cash

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