I really like James' videos. As I'm getting older (47), I'd be really curious to see a video where he focuses on bikefit for older people, or people with herniated discs, a bit of a hunchback, etc. Typical slight deformations and the loss of the flexibility of the body. Yeah, and the upper body mass...

it's not a Tuesday, but i'll always welcome a video that has James talking about bike fits

As a Czech I am glad you mentioned Festka, though I personally am partial to custom titanium bikes.

I would love somebody to talk about touring bicycles. Bicycles that are meant to be comfortable for a long days ride while carrying panniers- ones that are good for a bit of crushed limestone or gravel, especially.

simple man of the internet knows if we see bike fit james we press like

Interesting stuff, I had a custom bike build back in the 90s and am not that convinced on custom builds. That said, I'm also happily ride my CX bike for 4hours on the road, on mtb trails and on what I assume are gravel routes. It's a bike, ride it.

Very clear descriptions, and the most valuable point he makes is how racing bikes are not suited to most people, since we are not young, light, or agile. Also, as we get older, our tolerance for bumps and vibration decreases.

I'll be riding my cyclocross bike tomorrow with cantilever brakes. Wish me luck! Gravel bikes weren't a thing when I brought it.

Always a fan of a video that James is in! Can you ask him to do a video about reading bike geometry tables? What the different aspects of the geometry table mean and how this affects this fit? Ie) based on the geometry table this bike is more race oriented type thing… sounds like it’ll be dull but I think a lot of people including myself don’t know how to read a geometry table so would be good to know what we’re looking at! Thanks and keep the vids coming!!

How many of us have £8000 for 1 summer custom bicycle? £2000😢 is closer to the mark 😂

I have a Basso Venta rim brake bike. Carbon wheels, bars,stem, seatpost, Ultegra groupset. 7.5kg. Rides brilliantly. Basso are the best kept secret in cycling.

Always good to hear James views on the bike industry.

I ride my KONA SUPERJAKE, pure Cx bike as a Gravel / Endurance Road Bike / Winter bike and I F*CKIN LOVE IT!!

Super informative as always with James. Love these videos. I know which one I’d rather have too 😀

I really like my Canyon Grizl. It’s a great adventure gravel bike and not too expensive.

James (and Francis by extension) makes me want to take my wife across the pond for a couples's bike fit and subsequent purchase. James, carry on mate. You're doing the lord's work.

As a future student that is trying to get and pay uni I suggest the triban rc500-520 and to buy some gravel tires if you want to. I have put at least 1000k on it in these 3 months and have been bikepacking it is nice and. The only problems I had were with the disk brake s being contaminated and with changing the handle bars to one's that are more comfortable.I have put ~620$ into it and the different accessories (bikepacking bags 80$). P.S.: The prices are translated from. The romanian RON, and yes, I got the bike on sale. I got it knowing that it will be on sale from a friend that works at Decathlon

I feel like this idea of race bikes being inappropriate for every single customer is way overblown. If anything, race bike geometry is very often compromised to make them more suitable for amateurs, and pros end up with -17 degree stems, and/or sizing down and using a very long stem. A dedicated amateur who is reasonably fit, trains regularly and wants to go fast (be it on actual races or just for fun) can definitely use a race bike without issues. And of course, a bike fitter doesn't see a representative sample of the cycling population. First of all, people who are uncomfortable are way more likely to visit them than people without any major issues, which just on its own invalidates the argument. And this also seems like a pretty high end shop, which will attract wealthy customers, who will likely be older than average more often than not. I don't mean to argue that racing bikes are ideal for everyone, but pretending they don't fit anyone is just absurd. I mean, pros are pros mostly because of their massive aerobic capacity, but that doesn't automatically give them extraordinary flexibility as well. Some have great mobility and are able to ride very extreme positions, and some just don't, and it's the same for amateurs (just a lot slower).

Yei!! more James please! James in the podcast too!

Question for James: Recently, I was watching a women's road race, and noticed that Gaia Realini (a tiny rider)'s handlebars were almost level with her seat, while I (an overweight, unfit and not flexible at all 201cm man) ride my addict RC with a good 10cm drop to mine. How does the rider size affect the final "appearance" of a bike fit, and how should the geometry of bikes have been scaled instead of what was done to keep the same experience for the whole scale of cyclists?

Great video and loved the footage of Iz King and her awesome orange kit

Eye opening comment about custom bikes. Thanks for the information Gentlemen! (And I use that term very loosely)

Totally agree. I don’t understand why anyone would buy a mid-top end Trek or Giant now when a custom bike is actually CHEAPER. I’m doing exactly this at the moment.

Specialized Aethos with a bit shorter reach and bit taller headtube would be an absolutely awesome endurance bike and they would sell a ton (they already do, but I would guess even more)!

I love, how James just needed to be interrupted for the ad. This man really talks facts without a break. An I love it!

The Bike Doctor, love this guy! 😊👍🏼

You guys keep talking about comfort, endurance geometries which is a topic I’m very interested in. I have purchased late last year my very 1st endurance road bike, and after months of careful consideration, I opted for a lesser known brand that had an unbeatable price/quality ratio - the Czech brand Superior. Could you guys, one of these days, provide an overview of the options available outside the typical big seven brands (Giant, Cannondale, Trek, Pinarello, Scott, Canyon, Specialized)?? That would be awesome!

Pearson1860 Forge is sold as an aeroish 'race' bike with short reach and tall stack. I just looked at the geo chart, and it's 337 mm reach with 540 mm in size 1 (XS?) That's shorter and taller than the Pinarello X James recommended in the endurance bike video.

I love my SuperX for riding everything, super versatile

I've got a Giant Contend AR2! It's definitely an endurance bike but it rides really nice and responsive. Feels pretty quick when I put the power down too. Just wish it had a standard seatpost.

Spot on advice as usual. But there seems to be a plethora of videos on "nobody needs or should be riding a race bike unless you're in the world tour". As your typical middle aged bike fanatic with a garage full of bikes i've done some "science" to try an quantify/justrify owning a race bike. In the stable, i've got a TCR for fast group rides, hilly routes and racing. Also have a newer Domane which ive setup as my "fast gravel bike" with wider wheels and 38mm tires. Wanted to know if there really was a measureable difference between these bikes. I ditched the gravel wheel set on the domane and used the wheel set from the TCR on it to make sure it was apples to apples. Did the same short 35km loop with rolling hills (no big climbs more than a couple of minutes long to try minimize the weight difference) and averaged around 280 watts on both rides. Domane's time: 1:01:46..... TCR's time: 57:10. Same wheels , similar spec components, same kit and helmet both rides and the race bike was 4 minutes faster on an hour long ride. Did them back to back so conditions were similar in terms of wind speed/direction etc... We have a "wednesday worlds" local shop ride here and we'll bang out 100k rides after work and average 40ish km an hour usually. Choosing the endurance bike over the race bike for those rides would be the difference in being able to hold on for all of it or getting shelled out the back half way through. So coming from your typical/average middle aged man riding bikes, if you want to go fast, get the race bike.

doesnt the bassos astra have a longer effective reach than their racing bikes due to the longer stem? (384+100 vs 380+110 in size 53) or is this offset by the higher stack (560 vs 575)?

Nice review. You forgot to talk about drop bar mountain bikes like the classic Salsa cutthroat specifically made for bikepacking trail like the tour divide ! A Nice beefed up gravel bike

Currently been considering going with endurance and using it as a mixed gravel and road by having two sets of wheels.

Great info !

Thoughts on the Domane AL 3 gen 3? Upgrading from a Specialized Allez which is between 10-20 years old.

Question for James: Are gravel bike geometries generally more slack and tall vs endurance bikes? Or are they endurance bikes with bigger tire clearance?

Q for James - treks boone cx bike has nearly the exact geometry as my H2 fit emonda alr. Was thinking of getting the boone as my road and gravel bike as an upgrade. Am I missing something?

Doesn't the newest supersix evo also blur the lines? At least the geo looks bit more chill than your normal racebike as far as I see?

Love these bike fitter vids!

Surprised James did not mention the Look 765 optimum and Vanmoots 33 as bikes with more endurance geometries. Festka is a great bike though. Bought one from James some years ago now. I am tempted to have another.

Hello!! What do you think about the Ceepo Mamba R? It's supposed to be an all around bike (tt, aero, gravel). I'm thinking about getting one as an amateur triathlete.

I still have a CX bike because I used to race CX a lot, but now that I mostly ride mixed road/gravel the fit is kinda getting to me. I don't really want to replace this one, though.

I’m one of those long leg short torso riders you mentioned and the endurance bike is the only real bike of choice for me. That said I miss my TCR’s handling, just not the fit so a custom bike sounds quite appealing.

I disagree with custom frames. You just have to find an off the shelf frame that fits you. The issue seems to be that Bike Fit James doesn't sell a wide enough range of standard frames.

Hi james and francis, love the bike fit videos as always. question. After subsequent bikes and bike fits I've settled on the Canyon Endurace 7 and to date it is the best fitting bike I've owned. Problem I'm having now though is I've moved to a hilly area and on the descent I don't feel the bike is as stable as my previous bikes with a more race geometry (Allez Sprint and Merida Scultura) The front just feels a bit twitchy on the Canyon (stem is 80mm) Is there a any tweaks in geometry that are possible or is this a consequence of my position being more upright on an endurance frame?

While most racing bikes offer poor customization options, there are a couple of exceptions, Simplon with its Pride II being one of them. There are apparently several options for the stem and the handlebar width. Not sure how much that makes the bike more suitable for amateurs though.

I’m no spring chicken but have no issue fitting on to my Tarmac SL7. Just because you have made it past 40, doesn’t mean you have to ride in a sit up and beg position, it comes down to personal condition. The great thing about all these blurred lines bikes is that you are guaranteed to find something that is right for you, just do a bit of research as to what you want to achieve and go for it.

One thing I have always wondered when considering a custom bike is... it never seemed like a good idea for someone in my age group (45-55) whose position and riding will be going through changes as I naturally age to spend the money on a custom bike that may no longer work/fit a few years down the line... is it better to buy an off the shelf bike, ride it for a few years, get another fit, sell that bike and purchase another based on my fit... ride... repeat as I change? I can see a younger aged person being able to ride the same geometry for many years say from 25-40 or so... and possibly even an older aged person from 65-onwards whose position may have settled into what their body can do but working in a bike shop I see several people coming in with custom framesets being built that I wonder if they will still be enjoying the position in a few years... it seems like a bad age area to get it... but funnily enough it seems to be the most popular age for custom frames... because by that age people have the disposable income, the time and the love of cycling... (and also a lot of one-upmanship/bragging rights in local cycling clubs)

Question for James, what's your opinion on the Kinesis range? I've been riding the Kinesis rtd and find that seems to fit the bill nicely between comfort and still feeling fun to ride.

Thanks Francis and James....If I had the money , Moots ! Be well .

Bike sizing suggestions from generic road bike formulas for me: True Inseam Length - 56 cm Height - 59 cm Torso Length - 62.5 cm The generic programs on most manufacturer sites throw an error because I'm outside the 2.0 - 2.2:1 height to true inseam ratio range. A Cyclecross bike is the polar opposite of what I need. To many people pick a bike and then select a size based on just their height or inseam. It may be an awesome bike, but through no fault of it's on absolutely wrong to ever fit you.

Plenty of Williers, Pinarello and Basso's were plenty flexible back 10 years ago. Although the American brands like Lynskey and Allied build great bikes too. I just don't like Italian carbon and Campag. I see it too much in the workshop flexing all over the place and Campag changes like a proper chonk. Sram and Shimano are leagues ahead.

How much taller and closer is the headtube on an endurance bike than a race bike, on average? 1cm? 3-4cm? 6-8cm?

I'm building a Surly midnight special. Steel frame all road bike. Custom is best but unaffordable for the masses.

I bought an endurance bike (Scott addict 30) and as you said, it is a bit boring, what can I do to make it more exciting. I was thinking, TPU inner tubes and new and slimmer tires, what else?

does surly cornerbar worth spending money to transfer hybrid scott sub cross 50 in to more "road/gravel" bike with "drop bars"?

Cade found a way to outsource all his work😂

What about the Canyon endurace? It goes up to the CFR line with 7.3 kg and no savings in material compared to an ultimate cfr

What is James's opinion of the Vitus Venon Evo as it seems to be winning all the awards but was not mentioned in his Edurance video last week

Question for James: I had a bikefit a couple of years ago and my Canyon Ultimate is set up for me. So, definitely not a custom bike, but the bikefitter told me that this should be a nice fit for me. If I would buy a gravelbike in the future, are the measurements from my bikefit relevant? If I set it up to those measurements, will the geometry of the bike turn out to be the same as my racebike? Or do you advise separate bikefits for different types of bikes?

That was good vlog as far as it goes but mountain bikes, hybrid, touring...? Bikes that are flat bar? A follow-up vlog on these would be great and offer a more complete picture.

Luv James, he knows the 'deal 👍

Giant Defy used to be an endurance bike. As of 2024 it now seems to be a race bike. I will now buy something else to replace my old defy.

The SuperSix EVO has roughly the same geometry as a BMC Roadmachine

Which models of race bike have gotten more aggressive over the years? Trek abandoned its H1 geometry/fit. Cannondale's SuperSix has gotten progressively taller since 2010. The Cervelo range has never been aggressive.

Another cracking insight from James 👍 What would be a rough price for a custom titanium gravel bike please?

What will help me get my groceries faster? Currently on a 3x8 alu cannondale? No ebikes or flat bars.

I'll say... the newest cdale supersix is actually a surprisingly comfortable geometry for what the bike is. It is probably nowhere near what James is mentioning as good examples but compared to other racy bikes, it has a lot more stack and the reach isn't that insane.

Any throughts on gravel bikes like rose backroad that looks like a race bike, but with wide clearance?

Surprised that there was no mention of the Cervelo Caledonia which is quite a popular bike at the edge of the endurance range.

True word about prices especially specialized 😅

love this guy

I love my ultimate.

I got myself a Silex,Size S , I'm a massive 5'7,100kg, hopefully this daily commute and weekend Tour de France cosplaying will drop these kilo's over the coming months 😶‍🌫️

Can you do this kind of video for Mountain bikes?

Fianlly someone mentions the astra, its is a godly bike, its a perfect fit for me, it is sooo good

How come the GEL50 is not available on the Styrkr website?

What would you recommend for a 6'3" 120kg 60 year old who wants to start doing Audaxssss? And I'm skint...

I've learned SO MUCH by listening to James, BUT this is where I disagree on CX bikes... For example...when I compared the geometries of my 2018 Crockett to a 2018 Emonda H1, the geometries are very similar with the Emonda being obviously racier and more nervous, by the numbers. I get the same thing when I compare my 2019 Macho King Ace to a 2019 Zig Zag, and the numbers are even closer. I would say comparing "traditional" tall and short CX geometry, go with an endurance road or gravel bike, but with some of the more"modern" CX bikes geometries, the lines are blurred. For full transparency....this is something I've been kicking around in my head for quite some time. I'm not a roadie and don't, at the time, need a speed weapon "optimized" for road. Am I fooling myself here?

I'm pretty sure the Madone 2.1 (from 2015) was made as an endurance bike. And I don't care if someone thinks it's "boring".

James: what do you think about the new Giant Defy?

Drop bar touring bikes?

this has me thinking as I just purchases a canyon ultimate over and endurace, but I am 6-0 with a 6-4 swing span and figured the short and tall was not the right direction. yea I am an orangutan. Always end up on a 61cm in fits over the recommended 58.

Styrkr gel50'ies are not in the eshop just yet :(

Would love an answer on what gravel bike(s) would be suitable for different body shapes and sizes e.g. what to look for if you're a 175cm guy with short inseam (76cm) AKA avg height short legs. Please don't just say "bike fit"... would like to look at brands and options before really dialling it in.

Well... an interesting method to make look like £8k bike cheap :) :) I will personally would not have either of them. Is it too much to ask to be able to ride a good bike for £2k? (Which in my opinion is still plenty of money for a BIKE!)

I would like to find out, based on Reach and Stack, where is the boundary between a racing bike and a bike for endurance

My scott speedster was boring. Removed a spacer its fun again 😂

Whats your opinion of the Orbea Orca m30 2024 🙄?

Cyclocross bikes on single track are way more lively, snappy, maneuverable and fun than standard gravel geometry. All day rides, sure go gravel… but for quick, unplanned 60-90 minute rips on road, dirt, trails, etc… cyclocross geo is amazing.

Yeah its Tuesday on a Monday! :D

I still wish they just made the Specialized Aethos with Roubaix geometry. Would've been as close to a perfect bike as a consumer would want!

How about a poor person version of choosing the right type of bike? Haha I appreciate James explaining the custom bike bit, but many of us are buying used bikes and we're just trying to get the best kind of pre-made/pre-owned bike possible.

I have a very long torso, short legs, I have a Cipollini. It’s stiffer than a really stiff thing, beats me to death, but f**k it’s cool!!

How does the Vittoria Aggaro compare?

How about the BMC Roadmachine 01 for an Endurance ‚performance‘ bike, James?

Rizzo Cycles, custom bikes in Madrid, Spain

Very interesting to hear about bespoke carbon frames. So Italy still knows how to make these, it's not all gone to China? Would love to hear more

James needs to look into Bastion bikes