Francis, dunno if you're reading this, but I really appreciate all the content with James. As someone who got into cycling only a year ago, your videos with him have been a great help for me. It's refreshing to see someone cut through all the bullshit in this industry. Cheers.

Thank you James for speaking on these terrible womens bikes. Just make bikes in smaller sizes. I'm 4'11 and small bikes are so hard to get. Short people rarely sell their bikes b/c of this, and brands seem to only make a handful. Its so frustrating b/c the bikes are always sold out in my size.Currently I'm sitting at 10 bikes. Yes I am hoarding bikes, and yes I have a problem. Good day

"it looks like a Fokker triplane" Oh man I love James' analogies 😂

Honourable mention to my own bike, the Canyon Grizl: a gravel bike designed for long bikepacking trips and ripping it on rough trails, yet they gave it the same geometry as the Ultimate, their traditional race bike, rather than the Endurace, their all day road bike. I'm lucky because the Grizl fits me wonderfully and as such I love it to bits, but it really doesn't make any sense to have given it race bike geometry given its stated purpose, and I can imagine that it's much too long and low for a significant portion of its riders.

These videos are as funny as they are informative. I love this format, with both James and Nic! More of this please. It makes me happy.

Appreciate your commentary on women's bikes, especially helpful to us small riders! Never letting go of my 3XS Canyon, I think I won't find a better fit out of the box

Great to see you both in action again

I have experienced the rim brake in a dirty area effect on a folding bike, Riese & Mueller Birdy with 18" wheels. The brakes were naturally close to the ground. I rode it a couple of Km per week on some city gravel paths and dirty farm roads and it was amazing how filthy the V-Brakes braking mechanism got, and how quickly it got that way, and how much if affected the performance. I got so sick of cleaning and greasing them, that I had replaced the Vs with a set of Magura HS 33s which had the moving parts of the brakes relatively protected. It made a world of difference.

Jame's is brutal. He's also needed. The brand of bike not yet on the market, but should be: The Hype.

Canyon Grail owner here, another kind of self defeating thing about the hover bar system is; In any situation where you'd want to take advantage of the "vibration dampening" intended by the hover bar design is also probably a time when you want to have your hands on the brake levers and positioned a bit wider apart. You end up never using the tops for their intended design purpose. I also hate that there is no way to adjust stem length without buying a whole new integrated bar/stem. And there is only like 15mm of stack adjustment. AND when rewrapping the bars, you have to use an extra long bar tape because there is more surface area to cover, and that limits your options considerably. All that said, when in the drops you are able to get a really strong positive grip by looping your thumb over the lower structural bar. They are really quite comfy in the drops. I generally love how the bike rides, but I'll not be going with a Grail for my next bike.

4:20 In regards to Liv sizing, Giant makes an XXS size EnviLiv but with Giant, it all depends on the distributor(Giant UK). For example, in Poland, we have an XXS size available and if needed you can get a model from a different area like Germany or France.

I love that you have given James a platform to rant - its endlessly entertaining. Plus he has great points! Thanks again 😊

I had those brakes on my defy. They weren't that bad. That said I have good luck with cobbled together stuff. As was mentioned they were a work around to get a cheap group on a disk bike. The main problems I had was finding compatible gps mount and the massive weight. Dining a mix of 105 and tiagra now.

James´ loud and provocative as always. Canyon Grail handlebar: You hate it or love it. design wise. Me and my Double Decker Fokker Aeroplane Grail CF SLX fit fine together. Have no wobbly steering issues in steep descents at 60-70km/h or imprecise cornering, no inconvenience on technical terrains and gravel. Kudos, Fred.

I love listening to criticism more than positive reviews on bicycles. Keep these series going, please!

The Ribble Endurance used to have endurance geometry and the R872 (R for race) used to have race geometry, then for some reason they swapped them round. TBF i’m in my 40s and slightly overweight and I much prefer my old R872 with the race geometry to my bikes that are more upright.

#10 my 2018 giant propel, suffers from the worst speed wobble when descending so much so I have to descend at half the pace of everyone else. Done it from the beginning, tried changing stem length, seat set back to shift my weight about even balancing the wheels. Still inspires as much confidence as Russel Brand at a womens institute meeting.

A fine bank holiday weekend watch.....I'm not surprised at all James having a proper rant! 😩 I think we have our own rants about our own previous & current bikes, component's and accessories!! Too many to mention here! 😅 great video 👏

I absolutely agree with James @1:29. The industry doesn't make it easy or comfortable for the average consumer.

10:53 "Trek had the marvelous idea of putting the brake underneath the bike." That's how it used to be with some vintage bikes. AFAIK they moved the brakes up to seat stay bridge where they have stayed for that same reason: dirt and crud in the brakes = reduced stopping power. Funny how, even in the modern era, hi tech multinational companies need to learn these lessons for themselves.

Thanks Francis & James for this video! please make a video of 9 most LOVED Bikes! 😀Cheers

I owned a Merida with those rim brake callipers beneath the bb. As James said, the slightest bit of shite that got in there and they would stop working. Had a proper poo on chamois moment when descending and the week after I sold the bike 😂 great video though, good luck to the people that buy fully integrated cockpits!

Really good content - and often very funny -unlike most of the bullshit we hear. Your criticism of the Specialized future shock is probably right, for most people. It will go wrong at some point and need to be replaced at great expense. BUT for those of us with wrist problems, it's a game changer. It enabled me to keep cycling with no pain. So it's worth it for me. Redshift stem on my gravel bike - same logic.

Honourable mention to the previous generation Systemsix which when used by EF with the Vision Metron integrated handlebar and stem required at least one spacer underneath because otherwise the back of the stem fouls the frame and you can’t steer the bike… That and the big unfinished hole in the headtube for the hoses to dive into. I’ve noticed they have sorted this on the new models though!

Thank you for the great insights! Roubaix SL2 from 2010 is my nice bike, which has an old school long reach handlebar and too long stem. I really love this bike but I feel too stretched out, and this video confirms my suspicions that the fit is wrong for me. I'm planning a short stem and some newer, shorter reach handlebars, and bring the saddle back about 10 mm to relieve some stress on my hands and arms, and to move the c of g back a bit. The bike is really plush to ride even on 23s (want to go to 28s for some light gravel), a suspension handlebar would be superfluous. It'll be better when I'm scooted back a bit.

James hates Specialized. And Giant. And Cervelo. And Bianchi. And... everyone. Except Pinarello. Handbag bikes, with unnecessary bumps and kinks (and weight) in the tubes.

New cyclist and I’m really enjoying and learning from the James features. I wish he had an operation in NYC. Considering how informed, experienced and opinionated James is on the subject-when can we expect his first build to hit the market?

I have 2018 Cervelo S3 which I had a bit of problem find a proper ride position. When I did bought that bike I didn't pay enough attention a geometry. Afterwards I noticed the seat tube angle was much different than my previous bikes. On that bike was a seat post with 25mm setback which set the saddle way too back so I decided to buy a seat post with 0mm setback and now it's much better.

I'd like to suggest the Simplon Pride II to James. The brand did the "cervelo" handlebar before cervelo and you can actually take it appart and adjust it without the necessity to replace the whole thing. About the grail (I have one ^^): yes, this shock absorption stuff is marketing BS. And yes, replacing the handlebar tape is a nightmare (you can do it with one roll, but it needs practice and quite some force). But having the option between a very aggressive position in the drops and a quite relaxing position in the top is pretty awesome I have to say. Thats something a normal handlebar simply isnt able to combine. Also hooking your thumbs in feels nice and very secure. The looks though... I dont mind, but I understand if some people do ^^.

Yep. The Ribble Endurance SL isn't an endurance bike. A staff member at Ribble advised me not to buy it for endurance rides & recommended the CGR for a lot more relaxed geometry.

What woman really need in bike is the choice of handlebar width. My wife is pretty tall for a woman (169 cm) and she can use frame sizes 50-52, but she has very narrow shoulder width. She needs 36 cm handlebar, whereas the 40 cm that usually comes with frame size 50-52 is way too wide for her.

my first bike is the ribble and got sucked in with the endurance bike ! regret it as i get neck pain issues :(

The brake on trek Madones happened in 2013 and when in sunny weather & replaced with dura-ace are great!

Great videos as always! Thanks guys

I would love to see his opinions about the cheap decathlon bikes and which one he would recommend. I ride the triban gravel 120 and I am really happy with it

I think they could throw in the Giant TCR Advanced from 2016-2022. I have always ridden Giant because their XL frame fits nicely in terms of reach. Starting in 2016, Giant redesigned the frame. All seat tubes were shorter, the little extra tab of seat tube above the top tube was gone, and a proprietary seatpost and clamp system that has a tendency to crack seatpost. To add to this fun, the proprietary seatpost did not get longer to compensate for the shorter seat tube. I bought a frame. Built it up (it was amazing), but the seatpost was right at the minimum insertion line. Four seatposts late and Giant offered me an ISP frame at bike shop cost because they realized there was no fix to the problem of fit. So they redesigned the frame to be smaller, but still fit the same range of heights. Yeah...not the smartest. Oddly enough, the TCX (cyclocross frame) uses the Giant D-Fuse seatpost, but also has the option to run a 30.9 mm seatpost with an adaptor. If the TCR had this as an option it would have been a great bike.

I've got an endurance Al - explains why I feel stretch out on it and too low (loads of spacers). Bought it because of the endurance label gits.

Still suuuper thankful about all the bike fitting videos regarding small riders and especially handle bar width. I would've fallen into all the usual gravel bike traps otherwise.

The Bontrager VR-C shape is 100mm reach / the VR-CF is 93mm reach. The VR-SF is 75mm, which is the only bar they make that is not excessively long. For the RSL Aero Road Handlebar on the new Madone, I believe that the narrower hood to wider drop width throws off the labeled reach measurement.

I haven't heard a good rant from James in a long time, puts a little grin on my silly face every time! Thanks!

Scott Addict has to be here with respect to being too long for an Endurance bike.

completely agree, long reach leads to discomfort. I have no problem with the handlebars being quite low, though (is that just me or is that normal?). Question: Wouldn't it make sense to choose a frame size that's relatively small? That brings the handlebars closer to me (and allowes me to push the saddle back to take some weight off my hands) and by pulling the seatpost out I maintain my saddle hight and get into a low position.

I always love listening to James. You can tell he is very passionate about his line of work! I noticed there weren't any scott bikes in the list...

I own the aethos, and you are right. Could have been better in tearms off geometry. Kudos

Thank you so much for this video! I hope more cyclists see this and just not go out and buy a fancy brand bike rather than buy what's right for them.

I have the canyon grail and the bike doesn’t wobble and doesn’t require extra bar tape. The bearing top race is rubber and will fail in two weeks, but the bike doesn’t wobble and the bars are fine.

Totally agree about Ribble, I looked at their bikes when shopping for an endurance bike and was really confused when I looked at the geometry. Their range is very cluttered and the website doesn’t help either, need some serious work to sort it out.

Actually love my Grail biplane and James is not wrong about length and and stack heights for 50 year olds

James should checkout Time bicycles. Geometry wise, they are shorter reach and higher stack. + the production quality is far superior to all other manufacturers and manufactured in Slovakia. They also ride like a dream

So question is, which ones did you like? My personal favourite is the Specialized Roubaix SL4 and Fax=ct 10R from 2015 with the zertz inserts

Great info on all your vids . I can’t get comfortable on my 2015 s3 at all. Mid 40s ex road and track as a teen and bmx before that. Just can’t get around mid sole shoe placement. Seat as far forward as it goes cleats forward as they go and I still find can’t get comfortable. Unless on the trainer I pull my feet out at the ankle as if I’m getting out of them. Any ideas? No power output unless I’m on my toes on the pedal. Shoes are sidi ergo mega.

Old Trek Madone, uh oh. My 2014 Scott Solace also has rear brake under the dropouts. Haven't worried about it since not much braking happens at the back of the bike and I am mighty slow. Next bike will be disc equipped.

My 2019 Giant Defy Advanced had the Conduct braking system. I hated the look of it from the start but I got such a good deal on the bike so I lived with it. A couple months ago I bought the SRAM Rival AXS e-tap groupset and it’s been amazing. I do not miss having that big ugly manifold on my bars!

Great information about the Liv Enviliv bikes. I am a shorter dude and need XS size bikes. Liv race bikes fulfills my needs. Lol

Do you have a video recommending frame sizes for heights? I had several bike fittings when I was younger and fitter, but now in my late 50s after 2!level spine fusions, I need a more upright bike for a 5'7" height. Great video.

Ridden my Roubaix for the last 5 years, sublimely comfortable and no issue whatsoever with the Future Shock - guess it works for me and appear to be well built (won Bike of the Year in Cycling Plus, can't be all that bad then I guess)

Next video: what are James' favorite bikes and why?

Had a 2011 Roubaix 58cm and found the reach a real issue even with a basic 110mm stem, kind of weird geometry on those bikes that are meant to be for endurance. Moved onto a 2011 Tarmac with 100mm stem and it has been magic, that is until the steerer failed. Currently building a 2021 Giant TCR Pro 0

A bike light, stiff, comfortble, fun to ride, but also fits well - so we are talking about Giant TCR

I like how calm you are😊

I was wondering about the Aethos, too. Being a Roubaix rider, I would have seriously considered buying an Aethos, given how it uses all the compliant parts, had it been given the same geometry as the Roubaix. Oh BTW, Bike Sauce sells a kit that replaces the future shock cartridge. :)

I was about to press the button on a 56cm Aethos !! Now I’m in a quandary. I ride a 55cm Reilly Spectre with a 100mm stem which I love. I’m replacing a 54cm long n low Whyte Wessex with 100mm stem which gives me shoulder pain but other than that it’s a good bike. I fancied a change and Aethos I thought was the one ticking all of the boxes - I’m in a right quandary now - I’m 56 pretty fit but not 25 and riding every day. Help ! I’m 6ft 33cm inside leg and shortish torso so the late Mark Reilly said. He nonchalantly measured me on a simple jig and said you are a medium. I hire a 56cm Synapse in Mallorca and that always feels great…

on the roubaix I'd add in the fact that the future shock cartridge is not serviceable so you have to buy a new future shock cartridge from spesh... The madone SLR prior to the newest one had issues with the iso speed mast developing lateral play and the bb90 system is a terrible idea. "lets put a bearing straight into a carbon shell"... good one One that missed the list is the new cannondale syanpse. on paper a great bike.... threaded bb, 27.2 seat post, no cables/hoses through the headtube... but then it all falls on its face. Its got a load of lights and batteries bolted to it that you cant remove and have to pay extra for. the light isnt even bright enough to ride at night and the battery isnt powerfull enough to rubn the front light, rear light and radar for a reasonable length of time.

So, what are nine bikes that JAMES LOVES??? Particularly for taller riders, or at least AN OPTION?

i bought some VR-C handlebars for my winter/turbo bike. Luckily i had a shorter stem to fix the reach, the next day i saw your video about how the reach measurement is wrong. I even checked the reach measurement before based on these videos, but wasn't expecting it to be a straight up lie. Luckily they were only £40 and 90% of the time on the turbo so having a short stem doesn't matter

What is your take on the new allez? Does it address the shortcomings of the roubaix?

I have an aethos (sorry James) and I ride it with no spacers and a normal size stem. But until recently I had no idea it was considered long and low until I tried my mates BMC roadmachine. Still wouldn’t trade it for anything else though

I love how passionate you are about getting women bikes with proper fit. Good on you!

I started with Giant Revolt size S and in order to get the fit right I had to put 50 mm stem (clown emoji). Then I switched to Liv Devote and size S was almost as close to perfect as I could get where I live - I just had to change handlebars to 380 mm from 400 mm. But many female cyclists I know are shorter and more petite than me and it is so stupid that brand that builds their image around being "women-specific" is not an option for them. More honest line would be "tall women specific".

175cm, tarmac Sl6 size54. My BikeFitter said it was one size to big. He upped one spacer and fitted an 80mm stem and I already had a short reach specialized handlebar. I don't really like the twitchyness of the short stem. So I bought a 0mm offset seatpost (now 20mm) and will if a 100mm stem will work now.

The next video could be about his most liked bikes. As always, great content!

I can't believe the Cannondale SuperSix Evo didn't get a mention; silly pin in the headtube waiting to write-off your frame? Seat-clamp mechanism that slips (can be fixed with tape and thread locker). Speed-release (put it on a wheel-off roof carrier and watch your fork flex like mad), why oh why? Oh, and of course, a press-fit BB, which has now been ditched in the latest model. In defence of Liv, my wife has a Langma Advanced and it's great. Things like using the Shimano levers that are designed to suit to people with tiny hands is better than most manufactures.

Trek wasn't alone in putting a rim brake under the bottom bracket. I had a Kestrel Talon with the same design, and I still have a Specialized Shiv with the same design. A friend of mine has a Giant Trinity with the same design. That gunk collects on the brake cable and gums up the system is one criticism, but another is that the cable routing is so awkward that the friction is too high even when the cable is clean.

So glad he said that about the Ribble. I fell for their trap of "Endurance" bike. Much happier with my Trek

Question: for You, normal Orbea Orca is endurance or Racing geometry?

Thankful for James's diatribe against 'endurance' bikes that are only slightly slacker race bikes. In 2016, I bought a Felt Z100, thinking it was a nice, entry-level relaxed road bike. After watching all these bike fit videos, I now discover, seven years later, that I need a 36 cm handlebar with a shorter reach, and the size 51 (smallest size enduro Felt offered) bike I bought came with a 40 cm handlebar. Why does their 'enduro' bike have only 6 mm less reach and 17 mm more stack than their equivalent size race bike? The head tube is only 20 mmm longer on the enduro bike. I rolled the handlebars back maybe 20 degrees like you have suggested in other videos and I still think the front end of the bike is 3-5 cm too long and low. And the stem is already only 80 mm. I'm apparently one of those long leg, short torso, men who can't get a proper fitting bike.

Couldn't agree more on the Aethos - so frustrating!! - Wanted one so bad until I saw the geometry numbers.

All good and appropriate observations! I've been looking at both the Aethos and Roubaix. Totally agree the Aethos geometry is too aggressive...it is a racing geometry for someone who doesn't use it for racing (otherwise he/she would get a Tarmac!). I really like the geometry of the Roubaix, but with todays wide rims and tubeless tires, the spring in the head tube is redundant. Keep it simple! if Specialized created an Aethos with the Roubaix endurance geometry that would be a winner and I would line up to buy it! All the fancy integrated bar/stems, etc...only accomplishes to create frustration and aches/pains for the rider, and more profit for the bike shop (to change it for the customer). Hopefully someone at Specialized is listening...

Thank you for all the amazing and helpful videos.

I actually find the grails handelbar quite interesting. I guess it gives you a lot of comfort while on the middle of the bars.

Any suggestions for models of gravel bikes (I want possibility of wider tyres) which fit well to people with longer legs and shorter torso?

JAMES! AETHOS HAS DIFFERENT GEO THAN TARMAC..Please check again

Thoughts on the Basso in the background, any good? Thanks

James - The Bike Curmudgeon! Tell us what you really think! This rant was 100% spot-on as well as funny. He touched on something I've wondered about. Back-in-the-day handlebars had grooves in them for brake and shift cables so once installed you could wrap 'em with tape and everything was good. WTF doesn't the industry do the same with all these (silly) one-piece "aero" shaped things? Is it too hard/expensive, like putting a hook on a wheel rim to keep the tire on? Even if they insist on running all the stuff through the headtube/frame this could at least make swapping-out a bar/stem or one-piece "cockpit" (Oh, how I hate that word!) not an all-day, expensive, complicated project. But does the industry care if the bike fits anyway? T-shirt sizes. Just buy one and ride it...or better yet, don't ride it, just buy it. Less warranty claims that way!

Never heard or experienced creeking on My 2017 Roubaix's F shock. The thing just works😊

I disagree with the Roubaix in Idahowe have huge cracks in the roads and the headshock really takes the edge off the bumps. I love it

Good thing I watched this video, the Ribble Endurance SL was my first pick for my next bike lol

I have a specialized divergence with the future shock stem, and it does help a lot on gravel and single track. I am dreading when it needs service, however, and I can't find any documentation on what that looks like.

Wow. This guy actually knows what he's talking about! Excessive reach is an affliction of almost every gym-bike out there as well as most of the 'endurance' bikes.

For anyone else who just wants to see the list before going through the whole video: * Specialized Aethos * Ribble Endurance SL * Liv bikes * Bianchi Oltre * Giant Conduct * Specialized Roubaix * Canyon Grail * Trek Madone * Orbea Orca Aero

@James: Do you know a good bike fitter in Switzerland/could you recommend one? I would love to visit one, but going by homepages is kind of a guessing game… thx!

Love my Aethos but... Spesh said I needed an XL, I wanted an L, since changed to 38cm bars and 80mm stem.. still using every spacer. Feels great now though 😀

Is James’ shirt available to buy? I checked the Bicycle website but did not see it.

I’ll see your Trek Madone with the brake calliper under the bottom bracket and raise you my Specialized Stumpjumper from 1988 with it’s similarly placed U-brake. Think it’s a d*g sh*t idea on a road bike? Try racing it just outside Edinburgh after a particularly wet winter or in the Grundig World Cup at Aviemore the year after. Amazing how useful small sticks are as scrapers…

You missed my first bike - Specialized Sequoia from 2017. Overpriced with a pair of basic wheels that weighed 4kg. Steel frame with all the contact points for long distance travel and gravel handlebars. I think the maker was a bit confused when designing it.

I have no knowledge of the bikes in the video but watching James rant about stuff is very cleansing for the soul.

FTR Madone first featured chainstay brake in 2013 model which was first sold worldwide in August 2012. The 2012 Madone was the LAST true race Madone Trek sold. IYKYK. Those bontrager cork pads are pretty laughable! Ive still got them on one of my bikes and laugh how crap they are and how bad they give rim brakes to some.

Ribble Ultra SL R. I guess this is my fault. But I was looking at upgrading to some sort of aero frame because, fast and realized that they don’t offer stems / handlebars in different sizes. As in if you want a 42/100 you are up a creek. You can get a 36/100, way too narrow for me or a 42/120, way too long for me. Just saying, I want aero but does it really have to be this way?

It seems the various bicycle brands would do well to hire or contract with a professional bike fitter as they conceive, develop and market their bikes to, at least, get their input.

The first aero Madone was in 2013. The one thing Trek did get right was H1.5. they were just 14 years too late with it.