Aero Bikes Review
2023 didn't see too many new aero road bikes, but despite that, the bikes we do have still represent what is undoubtedly at the very cutting edge of technology.
Cycling Weekly have put together 5 of the best aero road bikes which are currently on the market from the likes of Trek, Cervelo, Scott, Giant and Specialized.
Cycling Weekly have put together 5 of the best aero road bikes which are currently on the market from the likes of Trek, Cervelo, Scott, Giant and Specialized.
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SportTranscript
00:00 Aerobikes are all about raw speed, and they just keep getting faster.
00:05 Today we're going to have a look at the bikes that we think are going to be the ones
00:08 to beat in 2024, both in the WorldTour and the Townsend Sprint, and there are plenty
00:15 to choose from.
00:16 With the UCI removing the 3-to-1 regulation, which prevented tubes from being more than
00:21 three times deeper than their width, engineers have quite literally gone deeper in the pursuit
00:26 of speed, and that has resulted in some really exciting bikes.
00:30 While we might not have seen a huge number of new aero bikes in 2023, the bikes we do
00:35 have are still undeniably leading the cutting edge and should be the go-to choice for anyone
00:40 seeking pure speed.
00:42 But beware, speed doesn't come cheap.
00:48 We'll start with a bike that stirred up plenty of debate when it launched, and is
00:54 UCI legal, the latest version of the Trek Madone.
00:58 In the case of the Madone, the cam-tail tube shapes were overshadowed by the bike's eye-catching
01:03 Isoflow technology.
01:05 We think the majority of people are now pretty used to seeing the Isoflow hull out in the
01:09 wild, but what does it actually do?
01:12 Well, Trek claim that by removing the adjustable Isospeed system of the last Madone, the bike
01:18 became both simpler and lighter.
01:20 Combined with the use of 800-series OCLV carbon, the new frame weighs 300g less than
01:27 the previous model.
01:28 But of course, the cut-out section was also created with aerodynamics in mind.
01:33 Trek say it's a way to direct some high-energy flow into a low-energy region of the bike.
01:38 What that means is the seat tube area creates a disproportionate amount of drag, and the
01:43 hull helps dissipate this by adding what Trek call a jet of fast-moving air.
01:49 The new frame is claimed to be almost 20 watts faster than the last generation, which equates
01:54 to 60 seconds per hour when ridden at 45km/h.
01:57 And that's a lot.
02:01 When we tested the bike this year, we gave it our best aero bike award, thanks in large
02:05 part to the frame technology and how it rides, but also because of the thought and effort
02:11 that Trek put into making the handlebars work for every size of rider.
02:15 Meaning, whomever climbs aboard this bike has the opportunity to be the best they can
02:19 be.
02:26 The Cervelo S5 is the bike the all-conquering Jumbo-Visma have been racking up many of their
02:31 victories on, and when you look at the bike, you can see why the S5 may have helped.
02:36 The frame has typically deep aero profiles, a product of the relaxing of the UCI regulations.
02:42 This is most notable at the headtube and the bottom bracket area.
02:46 Elsewhere, the trailing edges of the tubes are aggressively shaped, while the rear dropouts
02:51 have been simplified a little due to the frame being only compatible with electronic groupsets.
02:57 It comes with new reserve wheels that have differential rim profiles and save over 5
03:01 watts compared to the wheels previously found on the old S5.
03:06 The front end has a funky handlebar that, despite the radical Y-shape without a conventional
03:10 stem, also has the benefit of reducing the system weight by a little over 50 grams.
03:17 When we tested the bike, we really liked it, which is why it rolled away with our overall
03:21 race bike of the year award.
03:23 We loved how the bike handled in the corners, the sheer smoothness in ride quality and the
03:28 undeniable straight line speed.
03:31 It all came together, resulting in a bike which can do everything, everywhere, and do
03:35 it fast.
03:42 Having been out for around two years, the Scott foil still boasts some pretty impressive
03:46 numbers.
03:48 Scott claims the foil is 20% faster, 10% more comfortable and 9% lighter than the outgoing
03:54 version.
03:55 Of course, like the other manufacturers, Scott took advantage of the UCI rule change and
04:00 redeveloped the new foil, pushing right up to what's legal.
04:04 That meant deeper cross sections for the tubes, as well as the fork crown being a little higher
04:08 up from the front wheel, and the oversized head tube acting as a fairing, according to
04:14 Scott.
04:15 The bottom bracket also has been beefed up, while the seat tube now follows the arc of
04:19 the tyre much more closely, before the seat post itself transitions to shoot straight
04:24 upwards.
04:25 The seat stays are designed to shelter the brake callipers, but they've also been angled
04:29 at 10 degrees to force the steady airflow into the spinning spokes.
04:34 While these changes and claimed improvements in speed, comfort and weight are all very
04:39 impressive, we care more about what the bike is actually like to ride.
04:43 Happily though, when we tested it, we found that the bike was incredibly fast, and held
04:48 its speed beautifully.
04:50 It handled incredibly well, and thanks to the seat post with the D-shaped cutout covered
04:54 by a fairing, comfort and road chatter was greatly reduced.
04:59 It may be slightly on the heavier side, but when considering that the foil was built to
05:03 shine on flat roads, the extra few grams won't weigh heavy on the rider's mind.
05:15 Like the new Czech Madone, and many other bikes on this list, the Giant Propel Advanced
05:19 SL is claimed to be both lighter and faster than ever before.
05:23 However, it's not the increased claims in performance which make the Propel shine, because
05:28 for us, it's the value of the bike that really makes it stand out.
05:32 Compared to all the other bikes on this list, the Propel can be obtained for thousands less,
05:38 but you still get to enjoy many of the same performance features across the entirety of
05:43 the range.
05:44 It's no surprise why the Propel went on to win our 'Best Value' category in Race
05:49 Bike of the Year, thanks to the bang for buck that this bike delivers.
05:53 But putting cost aside, the performance metrics of the bike alone are still worth paying attention
05:58 to.
05:59 The Giants say the Propel is 225g lighter than its predecessor, with the new Advanced
06:05 SL frame weighing 845g, with the complete frameset claimed to be almost 14% lighter
06:11 than the previous model.
06:13 To make the Propel faster, Giant used a combination of airflow simulation software, wind tunnel
06:18 testing and real-world application.
06:21 The resulting 'aero-system' shaping led to what Giant described as truncated ellipse
06:27 airfoil shapes across the downtube, seat tube and seat stays, as well as a redesigned frontal
06:32 area – an area, of course, which is crucial to the reduction of drag.
06:37 The result is a bike that Giants say is 27 seconds faster over 40km at 40km/h, thanks
06:45 to a reduction in drag by more than 6 watts.
06:48 But we think the cost savings this bike represents against its rivals might be even more impressive
06:54 to the masses.
06:58 Lastly, we want to give a special mention to the Specialized Tarmac SL8.
07:05 It's famously not an aero bike, but is an all-rounder, since Specialized decided that
07:12 separate aero and climbing bikes aren't necessary.
07:15 But when it was released, the SL8 was claimed to be faster than the brand's previous aero
07:20 bike, the Venge.
07:22 So it stands to claim that the SL8 could be seen as being a better version of an aero
07:27 bike.
07:28 If it really is as fast, or faster, while combining lightweight and performance features,
07:33 in theory, it should be providing everything the customer of an aero bike is actually after,
07:38 apart from maybe a really wacky looking and eye-catching frame.
07:45 Let us know down in the comments below.
07:46 Which of these bikes would you choose if money were no object?
07:50 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like.
07:52 Subscribe to the channel for more content, and we will see you again very soon.
07:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:00 (whooshing)