Looking back, 2025 was a great year for endurance bikes, with Cannondale’s Bike of the Year-winning Synapse and its beguiling mix of practicality, aero touches and fast, fun handling setting the standard for endurance bikes to follow.
The modern endurance bike needs to keep the smooth ride and comfort that defines the genre, while embracing modern touches such as increased tyre clearance, and of course real aerodynamic development.
Our 2026 Endurance Bike of the Year winner, the Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8.0 Di2, achieves this, narrowly beating Ribble’s aero-optimised Ultra-Road and Vielo’s 1x special the R+1 Campagnolo Record in this year's test.
From a shortlist of five, I selected these three bikes for our final showdown and, in a very close-fought competition, the Canyon’s blend of aero chops, smooth ride, practical design and great value for money saw it beat two brilliant rivals for the top spot.
Read more on Bike of the Year 2026
- Revealed: our Bike of the Year 2026 winners
- Why the Ridley Kanzo Fast 2.0 won our gravel category (and overall title)
- Why the Eddy Merckx 525R won our race category
- What is Bike of the Year?
- 2026 Race Bike of the Year shortlist
- 2026 Endurance Bike of the Year shortlist
- 2026 Gravel Bike of the Year shortlist
What we've tested – the full 2026 Endurance Bike of the Year shortlist
- Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8 Di2 review – £4,299 / $5,999 / €4,499
- Cervélo Caledonia Force AXS (review coming soon) – £5,250 / $6,500 / €6,499
- Fairlight Strael 4.0 review (custom build) – £3,909 / $N/A / €N/A
- Ribble Ultra-Road 105 Di2 Aero review – £3,799 / $5,215 / €4,880
- Vielo R+1 Campagnolo Record review – £7,999 / $N/A / €N/A
In third place: Vielo R+1 Campagnolo Record
Vielo’s commitment to being a 1x drivetrain bike brand is commendable; a decade ago when it started, the British brand had a tough job with often compromised gear considerations.
Now, with the advent of 13-speed drivetrain options from SRAM – and Campagnolo on our test bike, Vielo has all but proven that 1x for the road is a viable alternative to the traditional 2x setup, especially when it's optimised like this.
The Vielo stands out, too, as a very sporty take on endurance riding. With plentiful tyre clearances and wide-range gearing (that features a derailleur with a clutch), the R+1 is a classy endurance bike that can go beyond the road.
Vielo deserves extra credit for its buying model. The brand is happy to consult on builds, tune each element to suit your needs, provide fittings or work with your preferred fitter to make sure you get your ideal bike.
Only the relatively high price and the small matter of the omission of mudguard/fender eyelets prevented the R+1 from moving up the podium. Forward-thinking Vielo is certainly a brand to watch.
In second place: Ribble Ultra-Road 105 Di2 Aero
Ribble's mix of ambitious designs and grounded prices is a winning formula in my book.
The Ultra-Road is the final piece in the puzzle for Ribble’s premium performance line that started with the radically aerodynamic Ultra-Aero. It was followed by the all-round race bike the Ultra-Race, and then aero-gravel in the shape of the Ultra-Grit.
Finally, we have the Ultra-Road, Ribble's endurance offering. It manages to blend the aero design of the rest of the range, but with a practical edge that bring generous tyre clearances, mudguard provision, down-tube storage, lots of buyer options on components and a full range of custom colours.
This comes at a price few of the big international brands can get close to. If it weren’t for the Canyon’s marginally smoother ride and highlights in its specification, Ribble would have a champion on its hands.
Our Endurance Bike of the Year: Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8.0 Di2
The latest Endurace is Canyon’s best yet. It has aero chops that put it very close to the WorldTour-proven Endurace CFR, raced by Mathieu van der Poel, and isn't far from the Canyon Aeroad either.
It gains a more relaxed riding position, added comfort from some smart tech details and generous tyre sizing. That's not to mention practical details such as mudguard/fender provision and down-tube storage.
If that makes it sound like the sensible choice, this is tempered by the fact that it’s a seriously fun bike to ride.
On the sweeping switchback descents of the Cambrian mountains and ribbon-like roads that traverse the Elan Valley, the Endurace CF SLX was a joy to ride. It provides comfort and efficiency when it comes to the challenging climbs, matched with a relish for speed on descents and a vibration-nulling ride that encourages you to go that bit harder.
The Endurace CF SLX personifies the joy of a great road bike. It's equal parts smooth, stable, speedy and satisfying. It deserves its champion's accolade and will go down as one of the true greats of the endurance bike genre.
