CanyonEnduraceWMN CFSLDisc8.0SL
£2699-£8500
Trek has often led the way with regard to women’s specific design, and its approach has evolved. Now, it’s in favour of unisex frame design with women’s specific finishing kit; the Domane Women an example.
Specialized, on the surface at least, appears to adhere to the same philosophy; browse the Tarmac range and you’ll see women’s and men’s models listed based around the same frame but with genderspecific finishing kit and paintwork.
Canyon bucked the trend, and in 2017 unveiled new models of the Endurace WMN and the Ultimate WMN with brand-new women’s specific frame geometry.
So why the differences? How can Canyon and Specialized, who both analysed significant quantities of body dimension data from their own fit systems, come to vastly different conclusions? Is the data different? It may be that the data agrees, but what differs is the interpretation and implementation of it.
The data Specialized uses, of which a significant amount comes from the Retül bike fit system, and that Canyon has collected through its online sizing program customers use to purchase bikes, indicated distinct clusters around the average male and average female body shape. The information suggests that there are statistically significant differences.
In Specialized’s view, it’s possible to cater for male and female riders by shifting the geometry of its unisex frame design to incorporate its female body dimension data. Canyon has decided that bespoke women’s specific geometry provides the best fit and performance out of the box. This then begs the question – with both brands – was unisex design ever really unisex if it didn’t include fit data from women?
The bikes
The Trek Domane is the smoothest of
While the Canyon may be designed for comfort, dig deeper and you’ll discover it is racier than you might expect
rides; a bike that outperforms its purpose. It climbs more effectively than it has any right to given its 8.45kg weight and glides over the road surface. Trek has worked hard to develop and refine a raft of technologies designed to take the sting from the road, and in the latest iteration it more than pays off.
The Tarmac is one of the first in a new generation of bikes from Specialized to feature unisex geometry. It’s built for racing, and will be performing on the world stage in 2018 for the Boels-Dolmans pro women’s team.
The S-Works version we tested is a thing of beauty, which it should be considering its price. Featherlight, it weighs just 6.34kg (54cm), with a FACT 12r carbon frame, Shimano Di2 groupset and Roval CLX 50 wheels with CeramicSpeed bearings. Sleek lines, internal cable routing, stealth colours with a flash of magenta and orange; in our opinion, it’s not just the best looking women’s bike in our lineup, it’s the best looking bike out of the whole test fleet.
Canyon’s Endurace WMN is also a new kid on the block. While it may be ostensibly designed for comfort and distance, as the name suggests, dig deeper and you’ll discover it’s racier than you might expect. A split seatpost and innovative Ergo cockpit - an integrated stem and handlebar system - provides comfort and control. It’s a pleasure to ride, softening the road surface but not eliminating it completely, so those who like a little feedback will be satisfied without feeling fatigued by harsh knocks.
Of particular interest is the fact that Canyon has increased the size range down to a XXS, like the Ultimate, both the XXS and XS sizes featuring 650b wheels. The aim is to provide a uniform ride experience for women across the whole size range.
The kit
The S-Works Tarmac unsurprisingly comes with all the bells and whistles: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with 52/36 chainrings and an 11-30 cassette, carbon cranks, S-Works carbon seatpost, stem, shallow drop bar and an Oura Pro women’s specific saddle with carbon rails and base.
It’s light and fast, and while that lightness contributes to the speed it’s not the only factor. The inherent stiffness is excitingly direct: put down a pedal stroke and you fly forward. It’s like three-dimensional carbon EPO, with the upside that it’s entirely UCI-legal.
At the opposite end of the spectrum lies the Domane, offering the most comfortable ride by dint of Trek’s proprietary IsoSpeed decoupler built in to the OCLV carbon frame at the front and rear. These allow the handlebar and seatpost to flex independently, gently deforming to absorb road impacts.
Trek has worked hard to develop and re ne a raft of technologies designed to take the sting from the road
The full Shimano Ultegra groupset is a classic: efficient, smooth and with range aplenty for the longest and steepest of hills, plus quality Bontrager Paradigm Disc wheels to help keep weight low.
The Trek does leave you feeling a little disconnected from the road, so those riders who prefer a sense of connection but still want comfort should investigate the Endurace WMN. While it’s built for long distances and is wonderfully comfortable, the Endurace doesn’t lose its lively edge. It also offers exceptional value for money. For £2699 you’re getting a carbon frame and fork, Shimano Ultegra groupset, lightweight DT Swiss ER 1600 DB Spline wheels and highly-rated Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres.
There isn’t one thing we’d change in this setup, and it’s our choice for best all-rounder. While disc brakes are still contentious for some, they are undoubtedly more powerful and offer more subtle, modulated control than rim brakes, and both the Domane and Endurace WMN are all the better for them in terms of security on descents.
The trade-off is chunky hoods that most come with, which can be bulky and uncomfortable for smaller hands. Canyon has pre-adjusted the reach to accommodate this, but in the longer term an engineering fix from the industry is needed.
Are disc brakes missed on the Tarmac? Not particularly given the great direct-mount Shimano DuraAce brakes it features, but should you want your Tarmac with discs Specialized has just released an updated version that includes them.
We love… the Domane
Most bikes are about compromise. To excel at one element, others must be sacrificed, and the rider selects the right blend for their needs, wants and personal preferences. The best bikes find the perfect balance between performance and comfort, favouring one without losing the others to the detriment of the experience as a whole.
Our three finalists represent the spectrum of bikes on offer for women today. The supreme comfort of the Domane, the speed-demon Tarmac and the Endurace providing a lively and exciting take on the sportive bike.
We’d ride any of these three over and over, each encapsulating different elements of the pure joy of riding. But, there can be only one and while the contenders sit incredibly close, we’ve chosen the Trek Domane as the 2018 Women’s Bike Of The Year.
The ride is cushion-soft, but the Domane never loses that underlying speed that sits at the heart of its DNA, being the sibling of the race-focused Émonda and aero Madone. You’ll enjoy soaring along country roads, and may surprise yourself with the speed you achieve along the way...
The Tarmac is like threedimensional carbon EPO, with the upside that it’s entirely UCI-legal