The bike you want versus the bike you need

Superbikes are the stuff of dreams, dripping in the latest and greatest components, made of exotic materials and countless hours of refinement in the wind tunnel. The cost of a bike like this can be absolutely astronomical with prices well into five figures for the latest models. Although these bikes are enticing, are they really worth the price tag or would something at the other end of the spectrum be just what you need?

The two bikes we decided to compare are both offerings from Canyon, with the superbike of choice being the Aeroad CFR and the budget option being the Endurace AL, an aluminium frame endurance bike. The superbike costs 10 times more than the budget bike, but it certainly isn't 10 times better. So what are the differences, and do they matter to you?

Canyon’s Aeroad CFR is a WorldTour-proven aero race bike, with aero optimised frame shapes made out of super stiff and lightweight carbon fibre. It also features Shimano’s top spec 12-speed Di2 Dura-Ace groupset with hydraulic disc brakes and deep section carbon fibre wheels. The Aeroad was the bike of choice for Mathieu van der Poel at both the UCI World Championships and Paris-Roubaix where he claimed the top step of the podium at both.

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The bikes in question are from opposite ends of Canyon's product range with the Aeroad CFR and Endurace AL being used for this test

The more budget-friendly Endurace AL is based around a more traditional profile aluminium frame with standard round tubing. It also features a hybrid mix of Shimano’s lower end Sora and Tiagra groupsets that use cable actuated disc brakes as opposed to the hydraulic one found on the Aeroad, as well as some shallower carbon fibre wheels. This is a bike that has been built to a budget using a smart mix of components that offer the best package for the price point.

To really dive into differences between the two bikes, Alex Paton has put them up against each other on a 13km loop that has a good mix of terrain, whilst riding to a fixed power and trying to hold a comparable body position to see what the differences are out on the road.

It doesn't end there, because as much as the time trial will tell you about the bikes, out-and-out performance that isn’t the whole picture. How a bike feels to ride, the position it puts you in and comfort all factor into how well a bike suits your needs, so it is important to factor these in when drawing comparisons.

In terms of perceived comfort out on the road this mostly boils down to the tyres that are being used on the bike more so than the frame itself. A larger volume or more supple tyre will increase the comfort of the bike acting as suspension deforming to the contours of the surface and ironing them out for the rider on top. This is something that is relatively low in cost and can transform how a budget bike feels and closes the gap to the superbike just that little bit more.

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A good tyre is going to have the biggest impact on how comfortable a bike feels, with a wider or more supple tyre offering more comfort over a harder or narrower tyre

Something the budget bike cannot make up for over the superbike is the tune-ability of a carbon frame. Due to the restraints of aluminium as a material the stiffness of a tube is uniform and cannot be customised to the ideal requirements of each section of the frame. Carbon however can be tuned by using different weaves and layers of carbon to create a frame that is rigid in areas where there is a lot of force and power going through it, but allowing there to be compliance in other areas to aid comfort for the rider.

The argument for carbon being a ‘better’ material is solely dependent on the design process of the frame. A poorly designed carbon frame that has not had the correct tailoring of the material to make it stiff where it needs to be and compliant elsewhere will not be as good as a really well manufactured aluminium or titanium frame.

As far as usability is concerned, there is some difference between the top spec kit and the budget kit. Mechanical gears are never going to compete with the immediacy of Di2 nor will a set of cable disc brakes offer the same power as hydraulic brakes. The biggest difference in the kit however is more with how it feels, most specifically at the lever hoods. This contact point deals with both shifting and braking and as you go up the tiers of components they become more ergonomic and easier to use with a lighter action.

These ultimately feel nicer to use, however offer very little in regards to performance with the lower tier componentry still operating how you would expect.

If you want to see how both bikes fared in the time trial test Alex carried out,or want to find out some of the specifics of each other bikes in the test, head over to the GCN Tech youtube channel to watch the video in full.