Road bikes are always a popular purchase, but when it comes to investing in the best quality goods for your budget, it becomes a difficult task. Within this article we will explore a variety of bicycles that slot into price ranges such as under £1,000, £1,000 to £3,500 and over £3,500. Whether you are after an affordable or high-end style road bike, we have covered a range of equipment that have been launched recently by their manufacturers.
Under £1,000
Specialized Allez Elite - £999
https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/bikes/model/allez/
The Specialized Allez Elite comes in two colours which can be purchased from the manufacturer themselves or any respective re-distributor. Light Blue/Rocket Red is the prefect choice for those who want to stand out as the vibrant colouring is eye-catching. However, a more toned down look of Black/White Clean is available for a more sleek and classy look. At £903.36, this bike packs quite a punch when it comes to its specifications.
Enhancing the handling and responsiveness of the bike, the Shimano 1-5 STI shifters are present in the design of the bike, along with the full monocoque fork that has been made out Specialized’s FACT carbon. Teamed with this, the efficiency and sturdiness of this equipment has been improved thanks to the E5 premium aluminium frame which contains manipulated tubing that smooths the welding patches.
Trek Domane ALR 3 - £1,000
Priced at £1,000 this road bike just about fits into this category. Designed with a striking viper red base, this bicycle is made to stand out as well as serving a high level of performance for a lower price.
Trek has incorporated their 200 Series Alpha Aluminium alloy into the design of the road bike. Making sure that the bicycle maintains a lightweight feel for improved handling, they do not compromise on the strength of the tubing.
Produced using Trek’s endurance fit, this bike gives you a comfortable feeling when riding this bike. The styling of the frame has a higher head tube to provide an impressive level of stability throughout your biking trek.
Canyon Endurance AL 6.0 - £799
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/endurace/2018/endurace-al-6-0.html
This road bike sits on a Canyon Endurance AL frame that is made out of lightweight aluminium which provides you with a heightened level of comfort due to the higher stack and shorter reach of the framing.
The Canyon One One Eight SL carbon fibre fork used in the framework of this bicycle has been engineered for an outstanding level of steering precision. Teamed with this, the wheelset chosen for this bike is the Mavic Aksium which improves the stability of the tyres thanks to their straight spokes.
£1,000 to £4,00
Specialized Roubaix Expert - £3,800
https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/12204/2018-roubaix-expert/
For the Specialized Roubaix Expert, you are able to order this from the manufacturer’s website in a range of colours. The Carbon/Chameleon Purple/Metallic White Silver offers a classic appearance with a pop of blue along the edging on the metal for that stylish look. In contrast to this, the Flo Red/ Red Flake/Black Reflective Clean design boasts bright and colourful metal work with black accents. This mid-range road bike is currently retailing for £3,800.
The Specialized Roubaix Expert road bike has been produced to the highest quality. In order to enhance the experience and handling of this bicycle, it contains a number of high performance attributes.
FACT carbon can be found on the frameset of this equipment as well as on the Roubaix Disc fork. By adding this material to the base of the bike, it supplies a stiff and dependable framing and decreases the weight of the bike. This lightweight material improves your ride by making it appear more aerodynamic and reliable.
When taking to this bike you will notice the outstanding level of comfort along with the enhanced control while moving. This is thanks to the new Future Shock suspension that has been introduced to the design of the bike.
As well as this, maintaining a top quality styling, each bike has been manufactured using the same sized frame. Also known as Rider-First Engineered, this design improves the responsiveness and provides a smooth riding experience.
Trek Checkpoint SL 5 - £2,700
The Trek Checkpoint SL 5 road bike comes in a gravel grey and is priced at £2,700 on the manufacturers website. Providing you with fantastic performance and handling, this bicycle is a great investment for any biker.
An impressive combination of strength and stiffness while maintaining a lightweight feel, the 500 Series OCLV frame is an excellent addition to the bike’s styling. After researching what will benefit the rider most, Trek had decided to incorporate their IsoSpeed decoupler into the bicycle to improve your comfort no matter what track you were riding on.
The flat mount disc brakes on this Trek Checkpoint SL 5 greatly improve the stopping power along with the overall performance of the bike. By enhancing the power of the breaks on a variety of conditions, these discs are the ideal choice for the road bike. These discs also are much smaller and cleaner than your average breaking discs, on top of this they also are lightweight to help with the endurance and handling.
Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Aero - £3,249
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/ultimate-cf-sl-disc-8-0-aero.html
This Canyon Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 Aero is an excellent example of a mid-range priced road bike. Even down to the headset, the bicycle has been engineered to be a lightweight while still maintaining top quality fixtures.
For an aero dynamic styling, the cockpit of the bicycle has been designed using its transition free construction. By being integrated into the framing, the Canyon H36 Aerocockpit CF handlebars are fully integrated and produced in-house at the manufacturer’s warehouse.
Selected for this road bike are the Mavic Cosmo Pro Carbon C Disc which has a lower air resistance compared to other competitors which makes this bike a pleasure to ride in even the most intense side winds. This attribute makes this a top choice for all conditions outdoors due to its endurance and sustainable approach to styling.
£4,000+
Specialized Venge Pro Disc - £6,700
https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/12122/2018-venge-vias-pro-disc/
New on the market, this Specialized Venge Pro Disc road bike comes in one colouring which is a tarmac black fade basis with a rocket red detailing. Get your hands on this excellent top range bike through the manufacturer’s website or via a licensed bike specialist. Priced at £6,700, this bicycle has impressive attributes which provide a top quality product.
Making this bike the most aerodynamic styling from Specialized, the Rider-First Engineered FACT 11r framing improves its sturdiness. All aspects of this road bike have been manufactured to a highest level of quality in order to provide their customers with the fastest bike they have ever produced.
By designing the make-up of this bicycle in their Wind Tunnel, they have been able to take into consideration a range of weather conditions for this bike to withstand. The fork contains S-Works FACT carbon which is the highest performance metal work available which increases the speed greatly. Benefiting the rider whether they are travelling across inclines or flat tracks, the S-Works crankset is stiff enough to cope with different terrains.
Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 - £6,249
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/aeroad/2018/aeroad-cf-slx-disc-9-0-ltd.html
This Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 road bike has been manufactured to enhance a high performance feel and experience. The innovative and lightweight hydraulic disc brakes called SRAM eTap HRD contains 11 speeds to enable you to increase your level of riding greatly. Teamed with this, the shifting and handling of the bicycle is improved thanks to the wireless SRAM e-Tap.
Along with the well-equipped frame of the bike, they have also engineered the seatpost of the bicycle in order to create a smooth and comfortable experience. Providing you with a pleasant feeling, the seating has been designed with the Trident 2.0 shaping. This in turn absorbs the vibration of the wheels on the terrain by using the Canyon VCLS technology.
Trek Madone 9.9 - £9,500
You are able to purchase this Trek Madone 9.9 road bike directly from the respective manufacturer’s website. You can also consult your local bicycle specialist as they may be able to suggest where you can source one nearby.
Manufactured by Trek with a lightweight 600 Series OCLV Carbon frame, this bike has been designed to provide you with a smooth and enhanced riding experience. This Trek Madone 9.9 comes with Kammtail Virtual Foil tube shaping which improves the aerodynamic styling of the bike.
Along with these excellent features this high performance bicycle also has an IsoSpeed decoupler which is designed to allow the seat to rotate with ease. This attribute of the bike allows you to ride for longer periods of time at a harder intensity without compromising on your overall comfort levels.
What are Your Thoughts on These Bikes?
Now we have looked at a selection of road bikes that are new on the market, what are your opinions on the ones listed above? Would you consider purchasing any of them? You can let us know on our social media pages where you can chat to us about all things biking and fitness.
On our Sports-Fitness website you can also find a range of cycling accessories from helmets to clip-on water holders, we have got the essentials for you to assist on your biking treks.
This article was written for Sports Fitness by Loren Astbury.