​[This article was last updated on November 24, 2017]

Previously we’ve looked at the best bikes costing under £500, now it is time to have a close look at the bikes you can buy for between £500 and £750, and see what spending a couple of hundred pounds more really gets you. You can generally expect lighter frames, carbon fibre forks and higher quality components. 

At this price range you an expect lighter aluminium frames with double and triple butted tubes -  saving weight and offering improved ride performance - and carbon fibre forks (but with aluminium steerer tubes) again to save a bit of weight. Many of these frames feature a geometry that places the handlebars a little higher than a race bike along with a shorter top tube which can make them more comfortable, especially if you’re new to road cycling.

Shimano is the predominant groupset brand with Claris and Sora common on bikes costing between £500 and £750.  Most bikes will feature compact chainsets - that's two chainrings in 50 and 34-tooth ratios - that should make spinning up even the steepest hills a little easier. Some bikes even have triple chainsets - three chainrings between the pedals - that will make climbing anything much easier. Shimano's excellent Tiagra groupset starts to get a look in the closer you nudge to £750 and you might just find .

Expect own-brand wheels, tyres, handlebars, stem and saddles on most of these bikes as manufacturers aim to keep the bikes within budget. Most own-brand components are of an excellent quality these days as most brands have really raised the standard over the past 10 years. That means you’re getting really well finished bikes ready to ride and race from the shop.

If this is your first road bike and you want some more useful advice for buying your first road bike, then make sure you have a read of the road.cc Buying Basics: Buying your first road bike guide. It’ll arm you with all the important advice you need to know before making a decision.

At the time of writing (mid-August 2017) 2018 bikes are arriving in the shops, and there are plenty of great deals around on 2017 bikes, so our selection contains both.

Trek Domane AL 3 2018 — £750

2018 Trek Domane AL 3

One of the first of 2018's bike crop, this is the top model of three entry-level Domane bikes that share the spendier bikes' all-day geometry, clearance for 28mm tyres and eyelets for rack and mudguards, but lack the shock-absorbing IsoSpeed decoupler in the rear. 

Find a Trek dealer

Specialized Dolce 2018 — £599

2018 Specialized Dolce

There aren't many women-specific bikes for much less than a grand, but Specialized and Trek both offer them at these sensible price points. The Dolce has an aluminium frame with endurance geometry tailored for women and tweaked details like a woman's saddle and the right bar, stem and crank dimensions for a female rider.

Read our review of the Specialized Dolce Sport
Find a Specialized dealer

Pinnacle Dolomite 3 — £720

2017 Pinnacle Dolomite 3

If you want to head off the Tarmac and explore dirt roads and easier trails, then a bikelike the Pinnacle is what you need, and a recent price drop brings it just into our price range. The Pinnacle 3 boasts lots of clearance so you can fit fat tyres for off-road grip, and disc brakes for the necessary stopping power and control.

Read our review of the Pinnacle Dolomite 5

Liv Avail 1 2018 — £748.99

2018 Giant Avail 1 White.jpg

The Avail 1 is second up in Giant women's range, known as Liv. It uses Giant’s ALUXX aluminium with a shape and size designed to be comfortable to ride whether it’s for longer adventures, sportives or commuting to the office. It’s available in four sizes down to XS. It’s equipped with a Shimano Sora 18-speed groupset and Tektro brakes.

Find a Liv dealer

Specialized Allez E5 2018 — £599

2018 specialized allez e5.jpg

Drawing on frame design features from the more expensive Allez models in the range, the Allez Sport is built around an E5 Premium aluminium frame with smooth welds and carbon fibre fork with a Shimano Claris groupset. Comfort is taken care of with 25mm Specialized Espoir Sport tyres with a double BlackBelt puncture protection, which should help ward off flat tyres. There are mounts for mudguards so it would make an ideal weekday commuter, and strip them off for the Sunday morning ride.

Find a Specialized dealer

Ribble 7005 Winter Audax — £699

Ribble Winter Tiagra.jpg

Ribble always gets a good mention in any buyer's guide about affordable road bikes, so here's the 7005 Winter. The Ribble website features a bike builder that lets you specify your own build, from the groupset and wheels down to details like the handlebar and even the headset spacers; this is the deservedly popular base spec and price of the 7005 Winter.

The 7005 aluminium race frame comes with a carbon fiber fork and is hung with a Shimano Tiagra 10-speed groupset. The wheels are Shimano RS010 with Continental tyres, and there's an Deda bar and stem and Selle Italia X1 Flow saddle.

Giant Contend 2 2018 — £575

2018 Giant Contend 2 Black.jpg

Giant do a large range of bikes for men and women. In the men’s range the Contend 2 is the  most affordable model. It has an aluminium frame with a carbon fibre fork, a Shimano Claris 16-speed drivetrain and comfortable 25mm tyres. There are also mounts for mudguards if you want to add some rain protection for winter riding.

Find a Giant dealer​

Kona Rove 2018 — £699

2018 kona rove.jpg

If you want one bike to do everything from commuting to clubruns to exploring dirt roads, then a gravel/adventure bike with fat tyres like the Kona Rove is the way to go. It's still fairly unusual to see disc brakes on a bike in this price range, but they're worth having for their more-consistent stopping in the wet and the fact that they're unfazed by dinged or dented rims.

Find a Kona dealer

Boardman CX Comp — £650

Boardman CX Comp.jpeg

If you've been thinking about dabbling in cyclo-cross, or just getting a cyclo-cross bike for its ability to take fatter tyres and so ward off the depredations of potholed roads, here's a great chance. Chris Boardman says the cyclo-cross bikes are his favourites from his range and with Shimano Sora components and Tektro Lyra disc brakes the CX Comp is well priced.

Find a Boardman dealer

Merlin AXE7 — £649.99

Merlin AXE7

Bike shop own brands are a great source of amazingly well-equipped bikes that don't cost much money. The wizards at Merlin Cycles have come up with this great-value combination of a triple butted aluminium frame and Shimano Tiagra 10-speed gears, rolling on Mavic wheels, and with the stopping power of disc brakes. For the price, it's magic. [That's enough bad gags riffing on 'Merlin'— Ed.]

B’Twin Triban 540 — £679

B'Twin Triban 540.jpg

Decathlon’s B’Twin line of road bikes receive much attention at the budget end, with the cheaper Triban a hugely popular model, but if you have a budget of £650, the Triban 540 is a very good proposition. With an aluminium frame and carbon fibre fork and largely 11-speed Shimano 105 specification, it’s a bit of a bargain. The frame features triple butted tubes, to save weight, and a relaxed geometry that places the handlebars a bit higher and closer to you so it’s more comfortable, ideal for riding to work or embarking on some sportives. It's a really good bike,one of the best specced in this guide, for not a lot of money.

Read our ride report on the Triban 540's predecessor, the B’Twin Alur 700

Verenti Technique Tiagra — £599.99

Verenti Technique Tiagra 2017

The 2017 Verenti Technique Tiagra has a sharper look than the 2016 version thanks to a new paint job, and the spec list is very good for the money with a hydroformed alloy frameset, tapered headtube, full carbon fibre fork and Shimano's Tiagra 4700 groupset. You can even bung full guards on it, so you won't get as wet when it rains.

Read our review of the Verenti Technique Tiagra

[This article was last updated on November 28, 2017]

• The most common credit limit on Cycle To Work Scheme purchases makes this a very popular and competitive price point

• You've a big variety of bike styles to chose from, ranging from entry-level race bikes to gravel bikes, touring bikes and high-end hybrids; we're looking at drop-bar bikes here

• Narrow your options by coming up with a list of features you want: mudguard clearance, disc brakes, rack mounts and so on.

• Women are well-served too; there are some excellent women-specific bikes at this price

So you’ve got around £1,000 to spend on a road bike, but not sure what to look for? We’ve rounded up a selection of interesting road bikes for you at a range of prices from £680 up to £1,000 to give you an idea of what you can expect for your money.

Just because you've got a thousand pounds to spend that doesn't mean you have to spend it all on the bike go a bit lower and you can get still get a bike and one that will help you stretch your budget to some choice upgrades or some extra kit. It's all about finding the right bike for your riding needs and your riding budget.

triban 540.jpg

If your budget won't stretch this high, then have a look at our best bikes at £500 roundup or our guide to bikes costing under £750. Want to spend a bit more? We've got that covered too, with our guide to road bikes under £1500.

Women's bikes

Some manufacturers are starting to shy away from the idea of separate men's and women's road bikes and simply offer a standard model. All of the bikes in our round-up will work for women riders, perhaps with a change of saddle, but where a manufacturer does offer a female specific alternative we've included that too.

What can you expect for your money?

In this price range you get a very capable, lightweight and potentially very fast road bike. Whether it’s for getting into road racing, diving in to the world of sportives, riding to work or college, or simply for getting fit at the weekends, these road bikes all offer a high level of performance and should deliver years of cycling enjoyment.

Hoy Sa Calobra - seat tube junction

Traditionally bike makers choose one of two tactics when building a bike for a particular price point. Some use a cheaper frame with better components, which should deliver a good bike at an eye-catching price, but limits upgrade potential. Others go for a better quality frame, but down-spec some of the components to bring the complete package in under the desired price point on the basis that the buyer can replace parts as they wear out with better quality ones more in keeping with the frame.

Both approaches have their merits; it's up to you to decide which one works best for you. Just to complicate things further this isn't a rigid rule, some manufacturers are able to deliver the best of both worlds. Purely on-line operations and retailer own brands have the advantage of of saving on distribution costs and they often pass that saving on to the customer. Some other big manufacturers also have the benefit of economies of scale when buying components and again will sometimes pass that saving on to make their products more price competitive.

It's all in the frame

As this round-up shows, most — but not all — bikes at this price feature aluminium frames. The latest generation of aluminium bikes offer a fantastic combination of performance and value. It's a cliché because it's true that when it comes to bangs per buck performance you can't beat an aluminium bike. It's a very good material for bike frames, both light and stiff, two very desirable features in a bike frame. Modern aluminium frames are also comfortable too — gone are the days when you would expect a harsh ride from an aluminium bike.

Look for a frame with double, or triple, butted tubes, as these are lighter and offer slightly better ride performance than non-butted plain gauge tubes. Most bikes here feature weight saving and vibration-reducing carbon fibre forks.

It is possible to get carbon fibre at this money. Carbon costs more than aluminium so you will typically sacrifice the quality of the components, with a lower tier groupset, wheels and finishing kit common. A carbon frame is likely to be lighter and stiffer than aluminium though, and does offer good upgrade potential so you could replace parts as they wear out.

Another point to consider is will you want to to fit mudguards to your bike? Some bikes here will feature concealed mudguard eyelets so you can easily add mudguards, which can be invaluable for winter riding and daily commuting.

Groupset and parts

All the bikes here use groupsets — the collective term for a bike's gears, brakes and controls — mainly or entirely based on components from Japanese company Shimano. Most feature either the cheaper Tiagra or more expensive 105 or a combination of the two.

cannondale supersix evo 105 5-002

Shimano 105 is a bit lighter and offers slightly better performance, but Tiagra has been upgraded recently and is very good for the money. However, 105 has become quite rare on bikes designated model year 2017 because the pound has dropped against the US dollar since the EU referendum vote, and bikes are paid for in dollars.

You should also expect to see a smattering of parts from Italian/Taiwanese component maker FSA. Instead of speccing their bikes entirely from Shimano parts many bike manufacturers will look to save a bit of money by fitting a different crankset, usually an FSA one. That isn't necessarily a negative — FSA components have a very good reputation for quality and performance.

One difference between Tiagra and 105 is that Tiagra is 10-speed, 105 11-speed. That means you get one more rear sprocket with 105, giving you closer gaps between gears for more consistent pedalling.

Most bikes here use a compact (50/34) double ring chainset providing 20 gears with Tiagra, 22 with 105. A triple chainset is an option on some bikes and provides more low and high gears, useful for climbing.

Disc brakes are now very common in this price range. They provide better stopping in the wet, and make it much easier for a frame to accommodate tyres fatter than 25mm. They also mean the braking is unaffected by the rim being a bit out of true, and you never need worry about your rims wearing out.

Hoy Sa Calobra - bars 2

You can also expect to see some own brand components in this price range. Again that isn't necessarily a negative. Bike manufacturers fit own brand components to their bikes right the way through their price ranges and they're often just as good as name-brand parts from third-party manufacturers.

Own brand wheels and components give way to branded parts the more you spend. As wheels and tyres have a big impact on a bike's performance, look for a bike that doesn’t skimp on these parts.

If you value comfort, then look for a bike with 25mm tyres, or even bigger, rather than 23mm, as they offer a bit more cushioning and are no slower than narrower tyres anyway.

At this time of year dealers often dramatically reduce prices on 'current' models to make way for the following year's bikes, and those bikes start to creep into the shops. We've identified a couple of bikes we think are major bargains and picked out some of the most interesting bikes of the 2018 model year.

Recommended bikes

Vitus Bikes Zenium SL Disc 105 2017 — £1,000

Vitus Zenium SL Disc.jpg

Vitus Bikes has kicked another goal with the Zenium SL, a fast endurance bike with the superior stopping power of disc brakes, a fun and fast frame and an excellent-value spec.

The Zenium's ride will make you smile. It's a big orange bundle of fun that's quick on the flat, grin-inducingly swoopy on twisty descents, and civilised on climbs. You don't expect an almost-9kg bike to fly up hills, but the Zenium doesn't feel sluggish climbing, just calm and measured, and it's plenty stiff too.

It's quick without being harsh or hairy, and rolls beautifully on its Michelin Pro 4 Service Course tyres. Until they were replaced by the Power Competition model, these were Michelin's top high-performance tyres. They provide excellent grip and roll quickly and smoothly thanks to their supple casing.

Read our review of the Vitus Bikes Zenium SL Disc 105

Specialized Diverge E5 Sport 2018 — £1,000

2018 Specialized Diverge E5 Sport.jpeg

At first glance, a thousand quid for a Shimano Sora-equipped bike is a bit steep. But when you look closer you see that your money goes into the frame and fork, so there's lots of scope for upgrades when this well-thought-out gravel bike tempts you to really broaden your horizons.

The frame is Spcialized's lightweight E5 aluminium, with a new version of Speccy's bump-absorbing Future Shock fork and clearance for 42mm tyres. The components are all reliable and the details sensible too, with a 32/32 low gear from the Praxis Alba chainset and wide-range cassette, and flat-mount disc brakes for easy upgrade to Shimano hydraulics ata later date.

Find a Specialised dealer

Cube Attain Race Disc 2017 — £823.99

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End-of-season sales are bringing some great bikes into the sub-£1,000 bracket, including this Tiagra-equipped ride from Cube. You don't see hydraulic disc brakes on many bikes at this price, so that feature makes this bike excellent value at this price.

Genesis Equilibrium 10 2018— £1,000

2018 Genesis Equilibrium 10.jpg

The Equilibrium range from British brand Genesis is deservedly popular with fans of steel-framed bikes. This is the least expensive of the collection with a frame in Genesis' own Mjölnir double-butted chromoly steel and Shimano's 2x10-speed Tiagra groupset.

Read our review of the original Genesis Equilibrium

Trek Émonda ALR 4 2017 — £900 (limited sizes)

Trek Emonda ALR 4 red

We were very impressed with the Émonda ALR 6 when we reviewed it; this Tiagra-equipped model has the same lightweight, hydroformed aluminium frame as the ALR 6 and so looks like a great deal for a grand (the 2017 model is currently reduced to £900) if you're looking for something distinctly racy. Features include an all-carbon fork, Bontrager tubeless-ready wheels and slot for Trek's DuoTrap S ANT+ sensor.

Find a Trek dealer

Canyon Endurace AL 7 2018 — £999

2018 Canyon Endurace Al 7.jpg

Canyon's Endurace follows the design of the carbon Endurace first introduced in 2014, but its aluminium frame is longer in the wheelbase and taller in the head tube, to create a more comfortable position.

The aluminium frame is partnered with a carbon fibre fork with a 27.2mm seatpost and a complete Shimano 105 groupset, with a compact 50/34 chainset. Mavic Aksium One wheels and Continental Grand Prix SL tyres, and claimed 8.4kg according to Canyon.

If your budget doesn't quite stretch to £1,000, Canyon also offers the Tiagra-equipped Endurace Al 5 for £799 and there are women's versions of both, the unsurprisingly named Endurace Wmn Al 7 and Endurace Wmn Al 6.

Giant Contend SL 2 Disc 2018 — £999

2018 Giant Contend SL 2 Disc Charcoal.jpg

Contend is Giant's new name for the aluminium-framed bikes previously known as Defy (that name is now reserved for carbon-fibre bikes). The Contend range has a disc option on several models and the Contend SL 2 Disc looks to be the sweet pick from the collection, with Giant's ALUXX SL aluminium frame in an endurance geometry, Shimano Tiagra transmission, Giant SR2 disc wheels and Giant Conduct hydraulic disc brakes.

Find a Giant dealer

Rose Pro SL 105 — around £953*

Rose Pro SL 105.jpg

By not selling bikes in shops in the traditional way, this German online retailer can pass on some pretty good savings to the customer if you’re prepared to shop online. This attractive £953 Pro SL 105 features a triple butted 7005 aluminium frame and carbon fibre fork with a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset, making it better appointed than many similarly priced bikes in this roundup. A Shimano 105 compact chainset provides a usable low range spread of gears, and the Mavic Aksium Elite wheels and tyres are fast and responsive.

Rose Pro SL 105 Lady — around £953*

Rose Pro SL 105 Lady.jpg

The Rose Pro SL 200 Lady is the women's version of the Pro SL. Again, although it's a women's specific bike it may well suit a lot of men. It comes in four sizes compared to the Pro SL 2000's eight, and there are some differences in the finishing kit — it has narrower handlebars, and a women's specific saddle.

*Rose prices are set in Euros so vary with the exchange rate.

GT Grade Alloy 105 2017 — £750 (limited sizes)

2017 GT Grade AL 105.jpg

BARGAIN KLAXON! Reduced from £1,149.99.

GT’s Grade is a gravel/adventure bike, or as GT has it an EnduRoad bike, with the capability to tackle more than just smooth roads. With its relaxed geometry and bigger tyres, the Grade is as happy hurtling through the woods on a thin slither of singletrack as it is chasing wheels on the Sunday club run. Fit some mudguards and it can be pressed into service as a daily commuter.

If you don't race and want a bike that's a more versatile all-rounder than most regular race-inspired road bikes, the Grade might just be for you. This 105 and TRP HY/RD disc brake-equipped model provides a lot of fun for not a lot of outlay, and really impressed us.

We really liked the 2015 version of this bike; this version has the 105 groupset with gear cables tidily under the bar tape, but there are no other major differences.

Read our review of the GT Grade Alloy Tiagra

Find a GT dealer

Cannondale Synapse Alloy Tiagra Disc 2018 — £1,000

2018 cannondale synapse disc tiagra.jpg

We think the colour scheme of this disc-braked endurance bike is going to be a bit Marmite; you'll either think it's handsome and understated or find it boring. Under the paint, the Synapse is the US company's endurance bike, designed primarily to be comfortable, so making it ideal for sportives, riding to work and club runs.

The frame's highly-manipulated aluminium tubes are a mix of 6061 and 6069 alloys and shares many of the styling cues of the more expensive carbon fibre Synapses. It's built up with a Shimano Tiagra transmission, FSA Gossamer chainset and Promax Render R mechanical disc brakes. You can fit bigger tyres in the Synapse than most regular race bikes, up to 28mm, and this model takes advantage of that with Vittoria Zaffiro 28mm tyres.

Find a Cannondale dealer

Raleigh Mustang Sport 2018 — £800

Raleigh Mustang Sport.jpg

We really liked the Raleigh Mustang Elite when we tested it; this is the less-spendy version of the same idea. It does everything a regular road bike does, but it does it with the added comfort of the big tyres. It's part of Raleigh's three-bike range of gravel/adventure bikes and a great example of the booming category. Its 6061 double butted aluminium frame is designed for both on and off road riding so if you're getting tempted by your local dirt roads and trails, or a canal towpath commute, it'll take it in its stride.

Along with a off-road-specific and Promax disc brakes, it has Shimano's Claris transmission with a twist: instead of the usual 50/34 compact double chainset there's an FSA Tempo chainset with 46/30 chainrings to provide lower gears for winching up steep dirt roads.

Read our review of the Raleigh Mustang Elite
Find a Raleigh dealer

Specialized Dolce Elite 2018 — £999

specialized-dolce-elite-e5-2017-womens-road-bike-black-EV279884-8500-1.jpg

The Dolce Elite is Specialized's female equivalent of the Allez Elite, although it doesn't map directly across. The Dolce is designed as a more of an all rounder, similar to the Trek Domane or Specialized's own Roubaix, whereas the Allez definitely has racing in its DNA.

The Dolce has an aluminium frame and FACT carbon fork with Zertz inserts in the fork and rear stays, intended to provide more comfort. You get a Body Geometry Women's Riva Sport Plus saddle and Specialized Roubaix gel bar tape to add further comfort. The parts list includes a 10-speed Shimano Tiagra drivetrain with a wide range 11-32 cassette, and Specialized Espoir Sport 25mm tyres.

Find a Specialized dealer.

Boardman Road Team Carbon — £900

Boardman Team carbon.jpeg

When it comes to bang per buck, it definitely pays to see what former Olympic champions have in their bike ranges at this price. Boardman offer exceptional value for money in the shape of the Road Team Carbon, featuring a full carbon fibre frame and fork. The main benefit of the carbon frame over aluminium alternatives here is the lower weight, and that’s something you’ll notice on the hills.

You get Shimano Tiagra shifting, with an FSA chainset. 25mm Vittoria tyres are fitted to Mavic CXP22 wheels, brake calipers are Tektro R540 with Boardman’s own brand E4P bars, stem, post and saddle. While there are some obvious downgrades to account for the more expensive carbon frame, it still stacks up well on paper, and offers good upgrade potential.

Some Halfords branches still have the 2016 model for £800, but you'll have to collect it.

Whyte Dorset 2018 — £999

2018 Whyte Dorset.jpg

This is truly a performance road bike with disc brakes rather than a re-engineered hybrid or cyclocross bike. If you want a bike for getting from A to B quickly all year round, and that can cope with whatever the British roads and weather can throw at it this could be for you. We were very impressed when we reviewed the 2014 version.

At its heart is a well designed, well put together aluminium frame with lots of nicely detailed touches. You can easily fit mudguards (always a plus) and the ride and handling is right up there with the best of the new breed of aluminium road bikes. There are 28mm Maxxis Rouleur tyres and the Shimano Sora groupset with TRP Hy/Rd mechanical disc brakes.

Find a Whyte dealer

Pinnacle Dolomite 3 2017 — £720

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The Pinnacle Dolomite 5 was something of a watershed in 2016. It's gone up in price — and out of the sub-£1,000 bracket — but the Dolomite 3 is still worth a look. With the same 6061 aluminium tubes and a carbon-bladed fork the ride should be virtually identical to the Dolomite 5, which we found to be a pretty likeable machine. The Dolomite 3 could certainly serve as a commuter or winter bike, and will ride well enough to be an enjoyable companion for all-day outings.

It's practical, too, with mudguard and rear rack compatibility, and also has some unexpected modern touches such as internal cable routing.

Read our review of the Pinnacle Dolomite 5

Find a Pinnacle dealer

B'Twin Triban 540 — £679

btwin-triban-540-riding-4.jpg

B'Twin's Triban 540 is a real joy to ride, with an incredible spec at a low price point.

The triple-butted aluminium frame feels fast, comfortable and responsive, without much of the buzzy feeling you sometimes get from aluminium. The carbon fork also effectively absorbs bumps in the road. There's little to complain about, comfort-wise. It has front and rear rack and mudguard mounts, so you can load it up for weekend tours or all-year-round commuting.

Despite being £350 under the price threshold, the Triban 540 is our 2016/7 sub-£1,000 bike of the year for its combination of excellent ride, practical features and superb value for money. If you have £1,000-worth of Cycle To Work voucher to spend, it gives you lots left over for clothing, mudguards, rack, panniers and so on.

Read our review of the B'Twin Triban Sport.

Buying your first road bike?

Our in-depth guide is packed with useful advice to steer you towards choosing the right bike for you, with information on frame materials, components, wheels, groupsets, sizing and fit. Read it here.

[This article was last updated on November 29, 2017]

"You can buy a car for that!" It’s a comment we hear a lot when the subject of expensive road bikes comes up.

You certainly can spend the price of a small hatchback on a bicycle these days. To see just what exotica is out there for a price of a new Peugeot 108 and just for a bit of fun, we’ve rounded up some of the most expensive road bikes currently available.

These aren’t crazy one-off bikes with expensive paint jobs, oh no, they're all standard production road bikes that you can buy online or from your local bike shop, though we doubt many shops will carry any of these bikes in stock.

Canyon Ultimate CF Evo 10.0 Ltd — £11,799

2018 Canyon Ultimate CF Evo 10.0 Ltd.jpg

Canyon is usually associated with value for money bikes, but with the Ultimate CF Evo 10.0 Ltd the German direct sales specialist has pulled out all the stops to create a stunning superbike. It has the same design and tube shaping as the regular Ultimate CF SLX, but a more advanced and costly carbon fibre layup. The result is a 665g frame and 270g fork.

There's a SRAM Red eTap transmission hung on that feathery frame with some of Germany's finest über-light components including Lightweight Meilenstein Clincher wheels and a THM Clavicula M3 SRM chainset. Yes, you can see just how much (or how little?) power it takes to propel the Ultimate CF Evo 10.0 Ltd, right out of the box.

BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc Team 2018 — £10,000

2018 BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc Team.jpg

Swiss manufacturer BMC has stepped up a notch with its top model for 2018, incorporating the brain for Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting into the frame and adding disc brakes and DT Swiss PRC 1100 DICUT carbon fibre wheels to the mix foe a thoroughly up-to-date race bike. It's dripping with clever details: BMC's own super-light through axles, the sleek Integrated Cockpit System bar and stem, brake hoses and gear  wires routed almost-invisibly through the frame, super-tidy Direct Frontal Flat Mount brake mounts.

Colnago C60 Ottanta5 85th Anniversary — £9,999.95 

Colnago C60 Ottanta5 85th Anniversary.jpg

You want a ten grand bike to be exclusive, and this version of Colnago's Italian-made flagship bike certainly is. Produced to celebrate Ernesto Colnago's 85th birthday, only 85 were made, and of those there are only 10 in the UK. The C60 is handmade in Colnago's workshop in Cambiago, and this version is fitted with Campagnolo's top groupset, Super record EPS.  

Enigma Exemplar — from £11,999

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To celebrate Engima’s 10th birthday, the British company has produced this extraordinarily beautiful limited edition anniversary bike. Crafted from 6AL-4V titanium and built with only the finest and most expensive components - including colour matched Super Record groupset, Enve rims and Chris King parts – it’s a beautiful bike to behold.

Trek Madone 9.9 — £9,500

2018 Trek Madone 9.9.jpeg

Want to race the same bike as the pros? Trek is one of a few companies that offers an identical replica of a team race bike, from the full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset right down to the paint job.

Scott Foil Premium Disc 2018 — £10,999

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Scott’s Foil was a cutting-edge aero road bike when first launched in 2011, and the latest version still commands your attention if you want to ride fast. This top-end model gets a no-expense-spared build kit including Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels and a one-piece carbon fibre Syncros aero handlebar and stem.

Cervelo P5X eTap — £13,499

Cervelo P5x.jpg

It may not be blessed with looks, but if you’re into pure speed, the triathlon-specific Cervelo P5X is probably as fast as it gets. This is not a bike for riding to the cafe on, that’s for sure! It's a full carbon fibre construction with SRAM Red eTap wireless gears and hydraulic disc brakes and ENVE wheels.

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6 Ultralight Di2 2018 — £9,500

2018 Specialized Tarmac S-Works Ultralight.jpeg

Specialized says it's shaved an impressive 200g off the frame of the Tarmac SL6 compared to the previous SL5; a 56cm Tarmac SL6 frame weighs just 733g, which is pretty staggering. The Tarmac's aerodynamics has also been tweaked so it's now claimed to be 45 seconds faster over 40km than similarly-feathery road bikes. 

Specialized has even used a lightweight paint finish that it says adds only 10g to the frame, and the S-Works Tarmac SL6 Ultralight incorporates Specialized's own carbon fibre cranks and eecycleworks lightweight direct mount brakes.

Bianchi Oltre XR4 Super Record EPS — £10,500

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If you want an Italian-bred performance bike the Oltre XR4 puts in a stunning performance, and this massive price tag gets you a frame equipped with Campagnolo Super Record EPS and Fulcrum Zero wheels.

Read our review here

Pinarello Dogma F10 — £9,250

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The Tour winning Dogma is a much sought after bike and this version comes with Shimano's latest Dura-Ace Di2 groupset. This Dogma is the best yet, providing exceptional performance and handling.

Storck Aerfast Platinum — £9,799

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No guide to the most expensive road bikes could be complete without a Storck. The German company has a reputation for producing some of the most well-engineered road bikes, and also for producing some of the priciest bikes we’ve ever reviewed (there are more affordable bikes in the range too).

Read our review

Wilier Cento10 Air eTap — £7,600

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Just how do you celebrate your 110th birthday if you’re a bike brand? Launch a brand new aero road bike and slap SRAM’s Red eTap wireless groupset on it and some fancy wheels, that’s how.

Read our first ride on the new Cento10 Air here.

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Black Inc 2018 — £10,999

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Cannondale has been doing a Black Inc. version of its top road bikes for a few years now, and the basic idea is to paint them in a stealth black paint finish and whack on some high-end components. In this case, it’s a Dura-Ace Di2 groupset with Cannondale’s own feathery chainset and some ENVE wheels.

Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 — £7,699

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This beauty is Giant’s most expensive offering but compared to some of the other bikes here it doesn't look too pricey at all! Giant’s TCR Advanced has long been a favourite with racers, and the latest model offers a better stiffness to weight ratio than before - it’s stiffer for the same weight, basically. It comes fully decked out with SRAM Red eTap wireless groupset including a Quark power meter and Giant’s own carbon fibre wheels and finishing kit.

British company Fairlight Cycles has just dropped news of its updated Strael 2.0, the successor to its debut steel disc-equipped road bike that we were so highly impressed with earlier this year. You can refresh yourself on that review here, before reading all about its replacement below. 

The Strael is pitched as an all season bike, one that is perfectly suited to UK cyclists and our typical riding conditions. It’s an elegant steel frame designed specifically around disc brakes, with clearance for wide tyres and mudguards, there are even rack mounts for a spot of touring or Audaxing if the idea of bikepacking is all a bit too hipster trendy for you.

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The Strael 2.0 keeps many of the solid foundations laid down by the original but brings forth a number of updates that will be appreciated by anyone looking for a new bike to kick off their 2018 cycling year. Starting with a new carbon fibre fork that is now 12mm thru-axle and flat mount compatible, bringing the bike into line with what is now commonly accepted as standard on all new disc brake road bikes. We've come a long way in a few short years...

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This new fork, called the Anraed, is based on the same mould as the original, but the steerer tube length has been increased by 40mm allowing the addition of a 61 Tall frame to be added to the range. Tall people rejoice. There’s still clearance for 28mm tyres with mudguards or 33mm without ‘guards. It retains the useful dynamo mount and proper mudguard eyelets, so no bending mudguard stays here. The fork weighs 415g without an axle and 330mm steeerer tube. 

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Moving onto the frame, Fairlight Cycles has kept the same Reynolds tubeset as the original except for a new headtube, which has been slimmed down. Each headtube is CNC machined from a solid lump of Reynolds steel, and every tube in the frame is made by Reynolds in Birmingham. 

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The big update is in the new dropouts. To develop them, Fairlight partnered with Bentley Components to create brand new dropouts that are thru-axle and flat mount ready. It’s a design they have been developing since 2015, and uses laser cut steel plates with a CNC machined brake mount and turned stainless steel inserts. They look exceptionally well thought through. Is it possible to get excited about a dropout?

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Attempting to easily cater for the various groupsets on the market at the moment, Fairlight has opted for simple bolt-on plastic guides that use a single bottle boss and the Di2 hole for a mechanical groupset, while an electronic groupset leaves just a single bottle boss for a very clean appearance. Fairlight says the modular port approach favoured by some companies results in extra weight because of the braze-on reinforcements that are necessary.

The new Strael retains the proportional geometry of the original. It’s a concept that aims to address the fact that there are differences in body proportions, so it offers a regular and tall version of each frame size. Regular is lower and longer or people with short legs and long backs, while Tall is higher and shorter for people with longer legs and a shorter back. To help you decide on the correct size there’s a handy Fit Guide Tool on the company’s website.

There are new colour choices too. The putty colour remains, a popular one with road.cc readers, and it’ll be joined by a new colour that won’t be announced until later this month. Ooh, you tease Dom…

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Those are the new details covered, what’s it going to cost you to buy this new bike you might be wondering? Well, Fairlight is offering five Shimano builds from 105 to Dura-Ace Di2 and two SRAM 1x builds, Force and Rival. A Shimano 105 build will cost £1,999, Ultegra is £2,599, Ultegra Di2 is £3,399, Dura-Ace is £3,499 and Dura-Ace Di2 is TBC. Choose SRAM Force 1x for £2,599 and Rival 1x for £1,999.

Fairlight is offering early bird discounting which knocks £200-400 off the price.  Each build is also offered with a Hope headset and seatclamp upgrade for £40, as well as a host of other upgrades including various Hunt wheels and Conti and Vittoria tyres. You can also buy the frameset for £999, or an early bird price is £899.

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The new bike is a smidgen lighter, mainly due to the new dropouts and headtube. We're told the weight for a 54R Strael with Ultegra comes in at  8.97kg. 

The new bike is expected in mid-January and stock will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with a £500 deposit securing a bike. Check out the website for more info https://fairlightcycles.com. We've got one coming our way soon for a review, so be sure to stay tuned for that.

Hot damn, look at this thing! This thing is the brand new Aircode SL 900 Ultimate from French bike company Lapierre, and it looks extraordinarily fast just stood still. Okay, that’s a bit of a cliche, but it’s true. Disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

So this latest version of the Aircode was first spotted at last year’s Tour de France and moves on from the original Aircode quite substantially. It’s a lot more aerodynamic, for a start, owing to development on the company’s time trial bike.

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The frame profiles conform to the NACA and Kamm Tail design principles. The seat tube hugs the front wheel and the seatstays blend organically into the top tube. There’s a new aero seatpost slotting into the seatpost as well, but in order to prevent the seated comfort from being too harsh, there’s a small rubber insert so it should soak up some of the vibrations.

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The downtube has been lowered and wraps around the fork crown to reduce drag around the rear of the fork, and a recess in the top of the head tube allows the stem to sit lower for a more aggressive position and reduced frontal surface area.

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Direct mount brakes have been adopted as well, and the Di2 battery is concealed inside the bottom bracket shell using the company’s unique Trap Door that allows easy access. It's a shame Lapierre hasn't also packaged the Di2 junction box inside the frame as well, as we're starting to see from other bike brands.

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Aside from the obvious aerodynamic changes, Lapierre has also tweaked the geometry based on feedback from the FDJ team. Key changes are reduced fork rake and shorter chainstays (408 down to 405mm) in order to sharpen up the handling and move it closer to the Xelius SL in terms of handling characteristics.

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The new Aircode SL is available in a range of builds, but we’ve lucked out and have the top-of-the-range 900 Ultimate model and it’s decked out with the latest Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150 groupset. Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C wheels, Mavic Yksion Pro 25mm tyres, Fizik Arione R5 saddles, Zipp Service Course stem and Zipp SL 70 Aero carbon handlebar complete the package.

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On the scales, this size large bike weighs 7kg (15.43lb) on the nose. And the price? £6,999…

Stay tuned for a full review soon, Stu Kerton is currently blasting it around his local roads. In fact, here are his first impressions:

"It is a more capable ‘all rounder’ than a lot of other aero bikes on the market, it climbs really well and descending is an absolute hoot especially once you’ve got used to the unbelievably quick handling."

More info on Lapierre at www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk