SOME OF THE BEST 2016 ENDURANCE ROAD BIKES WITH DISC BRAKES

If you are looking to buy a new road bike in 2016 for endurance riding and events, I strongly encourage you to buy one with hydraulic controlled disc brakes rather than traditional cable controlled rim brakes.  These ‘road disc bikes’ offer enthusiast level roadies superior speed, braking and versatility when compared to rim brake bikes and the range of road disc endurance bikes available this year from the leading brands gives you as much choice, and in some cases more, as those in their rim brake lines.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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Road disc bikes are the present as well as the future of road cycling for performance reasons

More and lower priced enthusiast-level road disc endurance bikes are available in 2016

Choose first among bikes whose stack and reach measurements are close to yours

Depending on your fit and riding preference, I recommend the Bianchi Infinito Ultegra Disc Focus Cayo Disc Ultegra Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 The Specialized Ruby Comp Disc and Liv Avail Advanced Pro are good choices designed for women 

WHY TRUST THIS SITE AND MY RECOMMENDATIONS

In The Know Cycling is for road cycling enthusiasts like you and me who want to know what gear we should get next and where we can get it at the best prices from good stores.  I do hours of research, testing and analysis for each review because I want to make an informed decision before I buy something myself.  I share what I learn with you in the same collaborative spirit we enthusiasts share when we’re out on the road.  To remove any potential conflicts of interests in these reviews, I buy or demo and return all the gear I test and don’t run ads or go on company-paid product review trips.  Because I’m passionate about finding the right cycling gear, I make the time to sort through the best stuff that’s out there and try to be both comprehensive and analytical in coming up with good choices.

If you like what you read here and want to save yourself serious money the next time you buy some cycling gear, you can do so in a way that also supports the costs of cranking out these reviews.  Simply click on and buy through the red links next to each product I’ve reviewed.  These will take you to the lowest price, in-stock listings at stores that sell online and have high customer satisfaction ratings.  I regularly update these links in each review by looking at over 90 stores.  Some pay this site a small commission when you buy through them and some don’t.  No matter, I pick the best stores either way, same as when I’m buying gear myself.  If you prefer, you can support the site by making a contribution here using your credit card or Paypal account or when you buy anything through these links to Amazon or eBay.  There’s more on all of this at the about and support pages.  Thanks.

WHO THIS REVIEW IS INTENDED FOR

For this review of road disc brake endurance bikes, I want to define two terms – road cycling enthusiasts and endurance and endurance event riders – who this review is intended for.

I described road cycling enthusiasts in the very first review I wrote as follows:

Road cycling enthusiasts are serious, committed and regular riders who rack up between 2,000 to 5,000 miles (3,000-7,000 kilometers) a year.  We ride on flat, rolling and mountainous terrain and do interval, strength and endurance training.  We will generally be on our bikes 4-6 days a week outdoors in decent weather.  In lousy weather, about half of us will ride on a trainer.  Some will still ride outside and the rest will sleep in.  We ride on our own, with regular partners, and in group rides.

During the year, we’ll normally ride for the pure love of it and for the way it energizes us (and reduces stress).  Some of us will also add in a few races, club rides, centuries, gran fondos, sportives or charity events to motivate our riding and measure ourselves.  As a road cycling enthusiast, we average speeds in the high teens to low twenties (mph) or 28 to 35kph over the course of a typical 35 to 50 mile or 50 to 80km ride, depending on terrain, conditions, fitness and training objectives.

About a third of us have been hit by a car and one in eight have broken a collarbone riding. (Yes and yes).  And, of course, we enjoy a beer or two every now and then.

Most cycling enthusiasts will have modern composite bikes or high-end alloy or titanium ones that cost us typically between $2500/£2000/€2500 and $5000/£4000/€5000 to buy or build.  Some of us spend more and some much more.  We use electronics and apps that allow us to track and analyze distance, speed, cadence, heart rate, and for many, power.

Most of us are men though a growing number are women.  We weigh between 150 and 200lbs (68 to 90kgs), are pretty fit and use cycling to help stay or get there.  Yes, we’re probably a little vain and selfish with the clothing we wear and the time (and money) we spend on cycling.

We’re also dedicated to our cycling to the point where most of our family and friends know that riding is something we do and for some, do a lot of.  When it comes to cycling and buying bike gear, many of us are analytical, often overly so and that’s part of the fun of it.