2023s Best Road Bikes For Every Budget | Cycling Weekly
Road bikes come in all shapes and sizes but more importantly, all budgets too! This can mean choosing from the thousands available can be quite tricky. We're often left with the question, what's the best road bike for £1000? Or, best road bike for £2000. So, we've compiled our favourite road bikes for every price point to hopefully give you an idea of what you should be going for. What do you think of my selection?
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00:00 When wanting to purchase a new road bike, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options that you have available to you.
00:07 Sometimes it's easier to decide how much you want to spend and then find a bike that sits within that ballpark.
00:15 So what I've done is compiled all of my favourites to give you what I believe are the best road bikes for every budget.
00:29 If you're looking for a bike around £1000, you should be able to find an alloy-framed bike, usually with a carbon fork.
00:37 You should find one of Shimano's lower spec group sets, either 8-speed Claris, 9-speed Sora or 10-speed Tiagra.
00:45 Although the best budget road bikes may stretch to middle tier, Shimano 105.
00:51 Decathlon make some excellent value bikes with very well chosen components.
00:56 The Triban RC520 is a really good example of this.
01:01 At a price where you'd expect to find 8-speed Claris, you're actually getting 11-speed Shimano 105.
01:08 And that means that you have a really good gear range with its 50/34 chain set and 11/32 tooth cassette.
01:16 And that means that you have much smaller jumps between the gears than you would on Shimano Claris.
01:22 Not only that, but you get disc brakes in the form of the TRP HYRD calipers.
01:27 Now, these are cable operated, but have hydraulic actuation, so they have really good modulation and power.
01:35 To help keep the price in check, Decathlon does spec a lot of its own brand components, including the wheels, which are tubeless ready.
01:43 The bike comes stock with 28mm own brand tyres, but you can swap these out for tyres that go up to 36mm in size.
01:52 And that really would add an extra dimension to the plushness and the already comfortable and relaxed ride.
01:59 You can have mudguards for all-weather riding and a rack for all that load lugging capability.
02:05 As you'd expect at this price, the Triban RC520 isn't particularly light, but it is on par with the competition.
02:13 Spending twice as much cash as the Triban will get you some significant upgrades.
02:24 Usually a more sophisticated frame, often with hydraulic disc brakes and better components.
02:31 You'll still find an alloy frame, although carbon fibre will sometimes make an appearance.
02:36 But don't think that carbon is essential though, as quality alloy frames on the best budget bikes can be lighter and ride better than lower priced carbon options.
02:47 The Alley is a specialised entry-level road bike that comes with a rich history that stretches back for years.
02:54 And that does also mean that it gets a lot of trickle-down tech from the brand's high-end road bikes,
03:01 like an all-carbon fork and a frame with butted tubing to save weight.
03:06 There are also drop seat stays and internal cable routing, although we found that the bike's design and colourway was slightly uninspiring.
03:15 The Alley has had an upgrade for the 2024 model year and now includes disc brakes and enough space for 35mm wide tyres.
03:23 Or 32mm tyres when using mudguards.
03:27 We'd recommend the higher spec Alley with 10-speed Shimano Tiagra and hydraulic disc brakes.
03:33 But you can get the base model with Shimano Claris and mechanical disc brakes.
03:39 The range of specialised components is designed for comfort, like its body geometry bridge saddle and shallow drop bars.
03:47 Specialised also fits its own AXS Sport wheels with 30mm wide tyres.
03:52 There's lots of versatility built into the Alley with rack and mudguard mounts, so you can use it for the commute, light gravel riding, as well as fast recreational rides.
04:02 At what is an incredibly popular price point for new bike purchases, £3,000 will start to net you some of the features found on much more expensive bikes.
04:18 These being a carbon frame, electronic gears, all high-end mechanical gears and hydraulic disc brakes.
04:25 It's not impossible that you'll find a bike with carbon wheels, but it's more likely that you'll find some higher-end alloy wheels which will perform far better than those found in the lower echelons.
04:36 This is why the Giant Defy Advance Zero takes my pick.
04:40 The Defy is the brand's endurance road bike, and it's quite a popular one at that.
04:45 When paired with the SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset and Giant's own fairly lightweight wheels, it makes for a pretty complete package.
04:54 The carbon frame also allows Giant to fit a D-shaped carbon seatpost, which only furthers the bike's compliance.
05:01 Tubeless compatible 32c tyres are fitted from stock, and it's this mixture of features that make the Defy really difficult to fault.
05:09 Purely from an aesthetic point of view, the tall headtube means that you can run the stem nice and low without the associated back pain, and the drop seat stays do keep it looking nice and modern.
05:20 The wireless groupset means that the only cables on display are the brake hoses, and despite not having an integrated bar and stem, it does mean that adjustments can be made really easily.
05:32 Certainly a great option at this price.
05:35 Spending around £5,000 on a road bike, and you can expect a high-quality performance machine.
05:47 You'll invariably get a carbon frame and fork, often with a higher grade carbon fibre to help keep the weight down.
05:54 Many bikes at this price will have a 12-speed electronic groupset, although don't discount mechanical options.
06:01 You should also find lightweight carbon wheels with tubeless ready rims and tyres.
06:06 Kitted out with Shimano's latest 12-speed Ultegra Di2 groupset, complete with a lightweight compact power metre from 4i, the Ultimate is Canyon's all-rounder lightweight performance bike.
06:19 The bike's frame is designed for aerodynamics, without the all-out aero design of the Canyon Aeroad.
06:25 The ride position is set for all-day comfort on longer rides, but is still aggressive enough for the higher spec Ultimates to be ridden by the WorldTour pros.
06:35 Canyon bikes usually have great specs for their price, and highlights here include Canyon's own width-adjustable CP18 Aero cockpit and a Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow S saddle.
06:48 The spec is then finished off with DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB wheels with Continental GP5000 tyres.
06:57 Again, quality options that usually exceed what you'd often get at bikes of this price.
07:08 For those wanting to spend in the region of £8,000, you can expect to either find the best frame paired with middleweight components, or vice versa.
07:18 If you opt to put your money into the best frame, then you'll likely find the highest tier carbon fibre being used, along with the latest frame technology and features.
07:28 In terms of the groupset, finding a second or third tier groupset is to be expected. However, the wheels and finishing kit will potentially match the calibre of the frame.
07:39 On the flip side, it is also possible to put your money into the components and get a range-topping groupset, along with the best wheels and the best finishing kit that's available on the market.
07:50 But it would mean settling for a frame which either utilises a lower grade of carbon fibre, or just isn't as technically advanced.
07:59 I believe that having a great frame is the best place to start. Components can always be upgraded, and they will also not be the thing that holds you back in terms of performance.
08:11 This is why I've chosen the Trek Madone SLR6. It features the same top-end frame as found for much more money, and it also uses the brand's own Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 wheels.
08:23 Again, the same wheels that are found on models costing thousands more.
08:28 The compromise here comes in the form of the Shimano 105 Di2 groupset. And yes, this is a third tier groupset.
08:36 However, it does perform incredibly well. The extra weight of the groupset may not sit well for some.
08:42 However, for what is an out-and-out aero bike, it's not the battle that the bike is trying to fight.
08:49 At a claimed 7.75 kilos, it's no slouch by any means. But the position the bike will hold you in, the top grade of carbon fibre that's used, and the cutting-edge frame tech means this is certainly a very good option.
09:04 Going for the high-end frame option also means that later down the line, if you want to swap out the groupset, then you can.
09:11 And that would mean that you can bring it up to the spec of a much more expensive model.
09:16 Finally, at £12,000, we have the best of the best. No compromises should be seen here.
09:30 This is the land of flagship road bikes. The best frames, paired with the range-topping groupsets and the cutting-edge components.
09:39 In reality, the bikes found within this category should leave very little to be desired.
09:44 Maybe only a tyre or saddle swap, based on personal preference.
09:49 Since the options in this price bracket range so widely from the fastest of aero bikes to the lightest of climbing bikes, I've selected one which sits as an option that should work for everyone.
10:01 The Cannondale Lab 71 Super 6 was launched earlier this year.
10:06 It features a higher grade carbon compared to the others in its family, meaning it shaves off 40 grams compared to the high-mod version of the bike.
10:15 It comes fitted with a full Shimano Dura-Ace groupset and features a brand new carbon integrated cockpit.
10:22 The bike is also fitted with the brand's RSL 50 wheels, to which Continental GP5000 tyres have been fitted.
10:30 The American brand has also gone to the lengths of fitting a ceramic speed bottom bracket and a carbon-railed Fizik saddle.
10:39 The attention to detail doesn't stop there though, as aero water bottles and cages were created specifically for this bike.
10:48 The Lab 71 really does represent itself as being an all-encompassing package for riders wanting to exploit it for as much speed as possible, be that on the climbs, descents or flats.
11:01 Of course, you may disagree with me on my selection, and that's okay. The market is full of fantastic options and these are just some of the bikes that I would select if I were choosing.
11:14 Let me know down below though, what price point would you go for and which bike would you choose?
11:20 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content and I will see you again very soon.
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