There seems to be a torrent of new high end road bikes coming through from the big brands, all of them promising the latest and greatest developments in speed, compliance and weight but also each claims to have its own special way of getting a one up on its opponents. However, when you take a closer look at the top end road bikes that are being released and their associated price tags, you have to wonder if you actually need what's being put on offer and if really, the best road bikes can actually be found for a fraction of the price.
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00:00Before I explain my thinking, I think it's important to make sure that we're on the same
00:03page about what a superbike really is. For me, it has to be something at the cutting edge of
00:09technology, something that's been recently released and is possibly being raced by professionals.
00:15So, think specialised tarmacs, Giant Propels and Colnago V4 RSs. You get the saw. Usually,
00:22they have a pretty hefty price tag attached to them and these days, sadly, that tends to be
00:28a five-figure number. Now, they've been created with the intention of being the fastest thing on
00:34the road to save as many watts as possible and to turn your spinning legs into KOMs.
00:39The hallmarks of a superbike will usually be deeply sculpted high-grade carbon frames with
00:45deep-section wheels and a range-topping groupset like Shimano Dura-Ace, SRAM Red or a Campagnolo
00:51Super Record. You may also spot what-saving gadgets like oversized pulley wheels, integrated cockpits
00:57and ceramic bearings. It's, of course, these things which differentiate a bike from being
01:02just a really good bike to being a superbike.
01:11There's no denying that if you really want to be as fast as possible out on the road,
01:15then a superbike will make up one part of the puzzle in getting you there. However,
01:20if you look at the entire range of bikes that's offered from a brand, you can always find models
01:24with a lower specification but with many of the same features. For example, look at my Canyon
01:30Ultimate here. You can go and buy the top-end Ultimate CFR for nearly £11,000 here in the UK
01:36or you could get this Ultimate SLX for nearly £6,500. That's 40% cheaper but the difference in real
01:44world speed won't be that large. This is because the bike enjoys exactly the same frame shape,
01:50the same handlebars and still features deep section wheels. Now, while I'm not trying to fool anyone
01:55into thinking that £6,500 is a small amount of money, it is, however, a vast reduction from the
02:02range topping offering. Sure, the carbon layup is different. The SLX is about 480 grams heavier
02:08and the wheels are a bit more standard compared to the Zip 353 NSWs found on the CFR. But when you
02:16consider you'll be enjoying all the benefits of a power meter, a second-tier electronic 12-speed
02:20groupset and the latest design cues found on the bike's bigger brother, you really have to wonder
02:25why coughing up that extra money is worth it when you consider real world speed.
02:35There's one thing that I absolutely love about superbikes and that is the way that they look.
02:40I've always been a big fan of the imaginative shapes, the constant pursuit to make them look cleaner,
02:45faster and more slippery in the wind than ever before. But much like my last point,
02:50these design cues can be found on other bikes, you just have to look lower down in the range.
02:55Sure, they may not be as uncompromising and the lack of top-end components may soften their impact
03:00a little, but the frame shapes themselves won't change. A lot of superbikes feature drop seat stays
03:06and this is because it helps improve comfort and aerodynamics. It's now not uncommon to see them
03:11on bikes costing around £1,000. This is a clear example of how design innovation really does make
03:17its way down to those lower echelons. Back in 2022, when I reviewed Shimano's third-tier 105
03:23Di2 group sets, one of my key takeaways was how good it looked. I fully believe that if you had an
03:29unmarked 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace groupset side-by-side, you'd struggle to figure out which was
03:35which really, in some instances, the more affordable tech really does hold a candle to the best.
03:48When top-end bikes are being designed and tested in the wind tunnel, they're done so in the most
03:53aerodynamic position, which is also the most aggressive position. Obviously, this is because
03:59it's the fastest. Of course, for professionals who spend a lot of time training their flexibility
04:03and core strength, this isn't a problem because they can hold that position for hour after hour.
04:10However, for us mere mortals, it's more than likely that we don't possess the same abilities
04:14as our heroes and this results in us riding in a more upright position and then you have to wonder
04:20how much of a benefit are you actually getting if you aren't riding the bike as it was originally
04:26designed? It's not just about the aerodynamic benefits, but also how the bike feels underneath you.
04:33Again, as I say, bikes are designed with the stem slammed to the head tube. This also means that
04:38the way the bike handles and responds has been fine-tuned from this position. Now, if you start
04:43sliding headset spacers onto the steerer tube and altering the geometry of the bike, then it's not
04:48going to feel as good. My recommendation is to always get a bike fit before you purchase a bike. This means
04:55that whatever you end up buying will fit you and you can look for a bike which most closely matches the limits
05:00of your flexibility and body size. Ideally, you want to go as close to the position that the bike was
05:06originally designed for to get the most out of it rather than buying a bike and then trying to make
05:11it fit retrospectively which will then ultimately end up in a great bike not feeling as good. This is
05:17why endurance bikes generally have much taller head tubes with slacker angles as it reduces the need
05:22for headset spaces and stem length reductions.
05:31One thing we all know about superbikes and something you've heard me bang on about this
05:35entire video is the unrelenting desire for superbikes to be fast. It's in their very nature. However,
05:41that speed isn't exclusively down to wind sculpted carbon but instead the quest for save watts infiltrates
05:48every single part of the bike. Components can be manufactured to be lighter, stiffer, more aero
05:54and more efficient. Take the latter for example, efficiency. One option manufacturers have is to employ
06:00the use of ceramic bearings. Now, while a set of these bearings in your wheels can make them spin
06:05seemingly forever, they also don't quite have the same longevity to them. Not forgetting that these
06:11bearings are best used in the most optimal of conditions. Think dry roads and warm sunshine.
06:17Another prime example of this are the tires you find on range topping bikes. Obviously,
06:22they'll be equipped with range topping rubber but while they may be incredibly fast,
06:26they'll be prone to punctures and of course just won't last that long. The point here is that there's
06:31a plethora of products out there to help you save as many watts as possible but it's always worth
06:36considering what the cost of that is and it usually tends to be longevity.
06:47In a similar vein to my last point, when these components do give up the ghost and need replacing,
06:52it can be a pretty uncomfortable experience for your bank balance. Superbikes are incredibly
06:58expensive to purchase. There's no escaping that but never forget or overlook the cost involved with
07:04servicing. While it shouldn't be a surprise that replacing parts like for like will be expensive,
07:10the labour cost involved can be a fair bit higher than a normal bike too. For example,
07:16superbikes can have more intricate routing for hosing which can take time to navigate. However,
07:21once a bike is set up and rolling on the road, you just want to be careful not to damage any of the
07:27bike's more delicate parts. In the instance that you damaged and needed to replace your Dura-Ace rear
07:33derailleur, which isn't uncommon, then one of those will set you back £700 here in the UK.
07:39And even if you are careful with the components, the wearable parts also aren't cheap. For example,
07:45a new Dura-Ace chain and cassette could cost you near £400. Sure, you could replace it with a cheaper
07:51alternative like Ultegra, but doesn't that slightly defeat the point of having a superbike in the first
07:57place? If you'd be happy to replace it with Ultegra, why not just have it from the get-go
08:02and save yourself from that initial cost? While I'm not trying to tell anyone how to spend their
08:08own money, everyone of course has their own view on what constitutes good value. Just be aware of the
08:13environment in which that bike will be operating. If you're looking for speed, ask yourself, have you
08:19nailed your kit choice, your nutrition, your training plan? There are a lot of things that you can
08:23control via good consistency and discipline which will reap greater rewards than what a superbike
08:29can deliver. Perhaps a superbike should be seen as a last-ditch secret weapon which helps unlock any
08:34potential remaining speed. The options available to us for half the price or even less are still going
08:41to propel you down the road at a rate of knots. What do you think about this though? Do you think
08:47that superbikes are at risk of rendering themselves pointless when there's so many great options out there
08:52which don't sacrifice real-world speed and still maintain a good level of longevity? Let me know
08:58down in the comments below. If you enjoyed the video then please do drop it a like,
09:02subscribe to the channel for more content and I'll see you again very soon.