Best of Test 2025: The most comfortable road bikes of the year - Cannondale, Canyon & Scott
Jens Klötzer
· 14.01.2026
There are few inventions in the world of road bikes that are as simple and yet as effective - and durable - as the leaf spring seatpost from Canyon. It was presented for the first time at Eurobike 2011, when the endurance road bike segment was still in its infancy.
Since then, the component has hardly changed and is a guarantee for the best comfort values in the TOUR test. The Canyon Endurace, whose model family only saw the light of day years after the invention of the dropper post, proves this again in 2025. Although the discrepancy in suspension performance compared to other manufacturers' designs has narrowed, no road bike seatpost still offers the same level of suspension.
We find the development in the racing sector exciting, where lightweight models in particular are becoming increasingly flexible. One example is the Scott Addict RC competition racing bike. It is incredibly expensive, incredibly fast and, with a weight of less than 6.0 kilograms (in size L), the lightest racing bike of 2025, but at the same time can compete with the most comfortable endurance models.
3rd place: Scott Addict RC Ultimate
The Scott Addict RC showed that comfort is not only an issue for long-distance racers: with 87 N/mm on the TOUR test bench, it outperformed several endurance models. The handlebars also offer comparatively good suspension. This means that Scott not only delivered the lightest, but also one of the most comfortable road bikes this year.
- Weight: 5.98 kilogrammes (in size L)
- Rear comfort: 114 N/mm | Grade: 1.7
- Comfort front: 87 N/mm | Grade: 2.3
- TOUR overall grade: 1,5
- Peis: 12,999 Euro
2nd place: Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3
The biggest leap was made by the new Synapse from Cannondale. While the previous version of the endurance racer was still at the bottom of the comfort rankings compared to the competition, the new model presented in 2025 is emphatically suitable for long distances. The special seatpost catapults the Synapse into the circle of the most comfortable road racing bikes on the market; this year, with 85 N/mm of suspension, it comes in second place behind Canyon.
- Weight: 9.3 kilogrammes
- Rear comfort: 85 N/mm | Note: 1,3
- Comfort front: 86 N/mm | Note: 2,3
- TOUR overall grade: 2,2
- Price: 5299 Euro
1st place: Canyon Endurace CF SLX 7
With its leaf spring support, the Canyon Endurace has been leading the comfort rankings for road bikes since 2017. Few bikes handle bumpy roads with similar ease. The frame has changed in the meantime, but the seatpost has not. In 2025, it still sets the benchmark with 77 N/mm, most recently in the Canyon Endurance. Comparison with eleven competitor racing bikes for around 4000 euros. Because tyres up to 35 millimetres wide fit, the bike can be set up for even more off-road capability.
- Weight: 8.1 kilogramme
- Rear comfort: 77 N/mm | Grade: 1.0 (20 % share of the overall grade)
- Comfort front: 75 N/mm | Grade: 2.0 (10 % share of the overall grade)
- TOUR overall grade: 1,8
- Price: 4499 Euro
Jens Klötzer
Editor
