The aluminium bikes available this year are better than they ever have been. After some key models saw reductions in weight this year, it's meant that what used to be the downside to aluminium is no longer all that bad. We have rounded up the aluminium road bikes which we think are the best options in 2024. They span all price points, spec levels, brands and riding styles. We have bikes from Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Canyon and Triban. Which would you pick?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Aluminium road bikes have never been better, and the bikes available to you represent some of the
00:05 best value options whether you're looking to buy your first bike, build up a racing machine,
00:09 or just tackle some long-distance epics. We've linked all of the bikes down in the description
00:14 below, so let's get into them. The Specialized Alley was refreshed earlier this year and is
00:25 arguably one of the best-known road bikes. It's been the gateway drug to road cycling for so many,
00:31 and after its recent overhaul, we think it will continue to chaperone more and more cyclists
00:36 into the sport. But the question is, what is it about the recent overhaul that will mean it
00:42 continues to serve the masses of new cyclists? Well, the bike has been kept up to date with
00:47 the adoption of disc brake only models. The frame has dropped a little weight, but more importantly,
00:52 has also taken on a new geometry to become slightly more comfortable. The Alley has retained
00:58 its ability to play host to a pannier rack and mug guards, while also featuring some drop seat
01:03 stays to help the Alley maintain a modern look. As mentioned, the Alley is now a disc brake only
01:08 bike, meaning the tyre clearance has expanded all the way out to 35mm. So, whether you're a weekend
01:14 warrior, a gravel path cruiser, a commuter, or just like to keep it simple and want a road bike
01:20 which can conquer both short and long rides, then we think this is arguably the most versatile
01:25 aluminium road bike that's out there. It's certainly not the best value. Prices start at
01:30 £1,000 here in the UK for a Claris-specced bike with mechanical disc brakes. The model we'd prefer
01:36 would be the Alley Sport version, which steps up to a Tiagra groupset and hydraulic disc brakes.
01:42 So, if you're happy to pay the price, you'll have a bike which can be used in so many different ways.
01:47 If you're after bang for buck, then it doesn't come much better than the Triban RC520. We say
02:00 this is the best value aluminium bike currently on the market, thanks to the semi-carbon fork,
02:05 Shimano 105 shifters and derailleurs, and frame which can accommodate tyres up to 36mm in size,
02:13 and play host to mudguards and a pannier rack. The impressive spec sheet doesn't stop there,
02:18 though. Despite the fact that the brakes are cable-actuated, the calipers are made by TRP
02:24 and house a mini hydraulic reservoir and hydraulic pistons. This means you get a better braking feel
02:31 and performance, something more in common with fully hydraulic disc brakes. Coming in just shy
02:36 of £900 here in the UK means the RC520 is not only more affordable than many other road bikes
02:43 available today, but thanks to the spec, it's also just incredibly good value. The 36c tyre
02:49 clearance means that this bike can be used in a variety of ways, and much like the Specialized
02:55 Allee, will likely suit a very large group of riders, especially those who do want to save a bit of money.
03:08 One of the most popular producers of aluminium bikes is Cannondale, and thanks to its vast range,
03:14 they do have something for everyone. The CAD Optimo is the brand's most entry-level aluminium
03:20 road bike, with the Optimo 4 coming in at just £900 here in the UK. This model comes with 8-speed
03:27 Shimano Clarisse shifting, rim brakes, a carbon fork, and as mentioned, an aluminium frame from
03:33 one of the best producers of them out there. Happily, the range does span multiple models,
03:38 with the range topping out at £1300 for the Optimo 1, which sees its shifting components
03:44 be upgraded to Shimano 105. The Optimo range is perfect for riders who want a more performance
03:50 focused road bike without the usual price tag. They are basic bikes, which makes them very easy
03:56 to work on yourself. The cost of maintenance is also pretty good, thanks to the really good
04:01 availability of spare parts, and should you want to make any upgrades to the Optimo,
04:05 then that's also easily done too. The only thing which may get trickier to
04:10 upgrade will be the wheels as more and more bikes become disc brake only.
04:14 As mentioned, Cannondale do create a whole range of fantastic aluminium bikes,
04:25 and for those who are a bit more endurance-minded, the Synapse AL could be the right choice.
04:31 The Synapse 2 sits in direct competition with the Specialized Alé Sport, thanks to its Shimano
04:37 Tiagra groupset and hydraulic disc brakes. However, the Synapse 2 takes things a little
04:42 further with the addition of a wheelset from DT Swiss, 30c tyres from Vittoria, and a saddle from
04:49 Fizik. It's not just about the specification though, as what's more important is the frame
04:54 itself. The Synapse name comes with a lot of weight, as the moniker has become synonymous
05:00 with long-distance performance, and arguably that's likely why you would be going for this bike.
05:06 The full carbon fork helps keep weight down, and increases the vibration dampening qualities.
05:12 The geometry matches that of the much-loved carbon Synapse, and the plump 30c tyres do a
05:17 good job of reducing road chatter and increasing grip without costing you too much in rolling
05:22 resistance losses. Some of the Synapse AL models also ship with a top tube bag that can be bolted
05:29 directly to the frame, which we think is a really classy touch from the American brand.
05:34 If you're after one of the best aluminium endurance bikes, then this is probably it.
05:39 Not all aluminium bikes are created equally, and the Trek Emonda ALR is certainly one which sits
05:51 head and shoulders above the rest. It saw a huge overhaul in 2023, with changes to the aesthetic,
05:58 a more aggressive race-focused geometry, a switch from a press fit to a threaded bottom bracket,
06:03 a claimed 250g frameset weight saving, and new aero profiles to help minimise losses.
06:10 Two builds of the bike were created, one with a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset,
06:15 and the other with a 105 Di2 groupset. Happily, if neither of those were to your liking,
06:20 then Trek did also make the frameset available to buy separately for the custom build market.
06:26 We think this Emonda ALR is perfect for bike racers on a budget. Since you can build a
06:31 frameset up with whatever parts you may already own, and the new geometry matches that of the
06:36 carbon Emonda, it means you can get racing without having to risk something costing upwards of £6,000.
06:41 If you are unfortunate enough to have a crash, then you can be safe in the knowledge that the
06:47 frame won't shatter in the same way that carbon does, and you may have a better chance of a simple repair.
06:53 Great value comes in many forms, and for the time being, you can be assured of some fairly good value when shopping with a direct-to-consumer brand like Canyon.
07:08 It has a very popular endurance aluminium bike in the form of the Endurace AL.
07:14 Thanks to the unique sales model, the German brand is able to offer a Shimano Tiagra-specced bike
07:20 with hydraulic disc brakes and a full carbon fork for just shy of £1,400 here in the UK.
07:26 DT Swiss wheels are shod in 13mm Schwalbe One rubber, but most impressive is that the wheels
07:32 feature a 22mm internal rim width, ensuring you can make the most out of a big contact patch with the road,
07:39 aiding in both comfort and grip. Versatility is covered off too, with space for 35C tyres
07:45 and top tube bag mounting points. There is also a Shimano 12-speed mechanical 105 build option,
07:51 which comes in at £1,649, and it's this bike which we think gives the Specialized AL the biggest run for its money.
08:00 The marketplace for budget race bikes is hotting up, and as top-end bikes go stratospheric in price,
08:12 more and more people are looking towards top-end aluminium bikes to use in their local races.
08:18 It's no secret that for a long time now, the Specialized AL Sprint has had a cult following
08:23 among amateur racers. Thanks in large part to the funky frameset colourways, it slots in perfectly
08:29 with the rider who just wants to build up their own bike and have something cool to show for their effort.
08:34 After a refresh last year, the AL Sprint borrowed the same geometry from the Tarmac SL7,
08:40 and it swapped out the press-fit bottom bracket for a threaded unit.
08:44 This wasn't the biggest change to the bike though. The engineers over in Morgan Hill
08:49 cooked up a brand new downtube and headtube, which, thanks to a clever hydroforming process,
08:54 meant they could do away with one set of whirls at the bottom bracket, but also meant we were left
08:59 with some fairly unsightly ones at the headtube. Sadly, this fairly controversial decision marred
09:06 the bike's initial reception. But if you can look past the aesthetics, then you are left with a bike
09:11 which performs in a similar way to the much more costly Tarmac, but will not cost you nearly as much.
09:18 Some aluminium road bikes provide more value than others, and Trek does a fantastic job with
09:30 its Domane AL. Much like the carbon version of the Domane, its aluminium little brother is also
09:36 endurance orientated, but it's not the tried and tested geometry that we like so much about this
09:41 range of bikes. It's instead the different builds Trek has created and the associated price tags.
09:48 For example, the Domane AL2 Rim comes in at £750 and features two beautiful paint jobs and
09:56 a Shimano Clarisse groupset. Look further up the range and you'll find six more builds,
10:02 each upping the spec level progressively until you reach the top-end Gen 4 Domane AL5,
10:07 with a Shimano 12-speed 105 mechanical groupset. What's fantastic about the range of Gen 4 bikes
10:14 is the use of integrated cabling to achieve that popular clean, hoseless look, ensuring the Domane
10:20 AL stays up to date with modern aesthetics. Trek sits in a very small number of brands to offer
10:27 such a good range of builds, and for them all to be competitively priced. So, if you're looking for
10:33 a specific build and want to know you're not paying through the nose for it, the Domane AL range
10:38 could be worth checking out. We couldn't have a video about the best aluminium bikes on the market
10:48 without giving special mention to the Cannondale CAD13. However, we want to be clear, we are not
10:54 saying the CAD13 is one of the best aluminium bikes you can go and buy in 2024. Quite frankly,
11:00 the CAD13 has been superseded and has been left in the dust thanks to the sheer amount of effort
11:06 and innovation other brands have put into their own aluminium bikes. So, if there's a bike we
11:11 hope to see come out in 2024, it's a Cannondale CAD14. Hopefully, Cannondale has got an ace up
11:18 its sleeve and will launch something truly cutting edge, cementing itself once again as the kings and
11:23 queens of aluminium. Let us know down below, which aluminium bike would you pick? If you enjoyed the
11:31 video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content and we will see
11:35 you again very soon.