Buying a new bike can be one of life’s bigger decisions. For many, it’s as large a commitment as getting a new car or going on a big holiday and you’ll hopefully have it for a long time. So it has to be right to be the best road bike for you.
And there are so many questions! How do I know what’s right for me? Do I need a carbon frame? Do I go aero? Do I go lightweight? Do I need disc brakes? Should I consider tubeless-ready wheels?
If you need some help with the basics, head to our beginner’s guide to road cycling and don’t miss our guide to the parts of a road bike to help get your head around any technical jargon.
To make it easier, you should break down this process into some simple steps. Firstly, how much money are you able or willing to spend on a new bike and secondly, what do you want from this bike?
Once you’ve decided on these criteria for a new road bike, you should be able to narrow down your options considerably. Then you will be left with smaller decisions like aesthetics and brand heritage to make your final decision.
In this guide we’ve rounded up the cream of the crop of the best road bikes we’ve reviewed over the last few years for Cyclist magazine. After something lower priced? Read our guide to the best budget road bikes for a dedicated look at budget bikes and the best gravel bikes if you fancy a bit of off-road riding, as well as our extensive library of bike reviews.
Reviews of the best road bikes
Best endurance road bikes and all-road bikes
Read our guides to the best endurance road bikes and best all-road bikes for more of our picks or read our Enve Fray vs Giant Defy vs FiftyOne Sika bike test
Best road race bikes
Read our guide to the best all-round road race bikes for more of our picks
Best aero bikes
Read our guide to the best aero bikes for more of our picks.
Best lightweight bikes
Read our guide to the best lightweight bikes for more of our picks.
Best metal bikes
Read our guides to the best titanium bikes, best aluminium bikes and best steel road bikes for more of our picks.
Best all-round road bikes
How we test and why you should trust our advice
We’re riders just like you who live and breathe bikes. Cyclist’s bike testing is overseen by tech editor Sam Challis, and our team of reviewers has an immense combined experience of everything from budget aluminium road bikes to the latest WorldTour-spec superbikes.
We test bikes by riding them – simple as that. We put in the miles on a variety of terrain, in all weather and we use our experience to pick apart what’s great and what’s not.
We’ve reviewed every bike in this guide. If it’s in here, you can be confident that it’s worthy of your attention.
Best endurance road bikes and all-road bikes reviewed
Enve Fray
From €9,949 | Buy here
- Aero optimised 900g frame with mounts for mudguards and more
- Confidence-inspiring ride in 35mm tyres, with room to go up to 40mm
Enve completed its range of road bikes with the Fray, an off-the-peg frame which fits into the endurance/all-road category. Its 40mm tyre clearance allows you to set it up for comfortable road riding or lighter off-road use, while its comfortable geometry helps you to go the distance. Other features to help you go long include internal frame storage and the extra mounts increasingly typical of frames designed for long distance rides, as well as mudguard fixing points.
Despite this, the Fray is fast, with aero tube profiles, a 900g claimed frame weight and a 7.5kg built weight, even with the fitted 35mm tyres. We found its handling exemplary and confidence-inspiring. The build options include the full range of Enve hardware, with internal cable routing to keep the lines clean.
Giant Defy Advanced SL
From £7,199 | Buy here
- Superb ride comfort, low weight and top-notch spec
- A little more racy than its predecessor
Giant has tightened up the Defy in its latest fifth generation and this new Advanced SL tier affords a UCI sticker, making it an endurance bike that can be raced. Frame weight has dropped by 195g and the slim tubes and concave D-Fuse seatpost help to increase ride comfort. At the same time, all the front end hoses have, for the first time, disappeared into the D-Fuse bars, stem and headset, which are the same as used on the latest Giant Propel aero bike.
Giant has altered the geometry, with a significantly lower stack and slightly longer reach, for a more performance-oriented ride position and there’s space for 38mm tyres. This top spec build gets lightweight Cadex wheels and 32mm tyres, resulting in an overall weight of under 7kg. It feels as if the Defy is squeezing out the TCR, with its increased emphasis on performance, without sacrificing comfort.
Colnago C68 Allroad
From £5,999 (frameset) | Buy here
- Hand-built in Italy with 35mm tyre clearance and a slightly more relaxed geometry than the C68 Road
- All-road orientation works well on UK tarmac and lighter off-road rides
The C68 Allroad increases tyre clearance to 35mm from the 32mm of the C68 Road, without going as far as the 42mm of the C68 Gravel. It shares those bikes’ hand built in Italy frameset, as well as internal cable routing and electronic-only shifting. Its geometry is close to the C68 Road too, with the same frame angles although the ride position is less aggressive.
Colnago points the Allroad at light dirt roads and we reckon that’s where it’s best, as the ride is firm for bumpier off-road. Fitted with 30mm tyres, it’s also maybe a better choice for UK road riding than the C68 Road, while the more relaxed position is likely to be more comfortable for many riders.
FiftyOne Sika
From £3,899 (frameset) | Buy here
- Low weight, fits 40mm tyres, comfortable geometry
- Waiting list, few matching wheel choices for now
We said in our review that the FiftyOne Sika is where road bikes are heading. That’s thanks to a more comfortable geometry and really wide 40mm tyre clearance, while the 7.28kg weight and frame stiffness, along with the sharp handling, are as good as many race bikes. It disguises its higher stack with a high fork crown, so you’re not left with a super-long head tube or a stack of spacers.
It’s Dublin-based FiftyOne Bikes’ first non-custom frameset, but its geometry is based on around 500 bike fits for its custom machines. We rated the cruisy feel on the hoods and the easy reach to the drops, while the short trail makes for sharp handling. We reckon the Sika is ahead of the game and now just needs wheel and tyre tech to catch up.
Best racing bikes reviewed
Pinarello Dogma F
From £12,600 | Buy here
- Even more aero refinement, plus lower weight
- Increased tyre clearance and beefed up down tube
Subtle changes to the Dogma F, including a new carbon fibre grade, make for a lower weight and aero gains over the previous generation bike. The front end is narrower and the steeper down tube makes the frame stiffer too. Tyre clearance is now 30mm and the handlebars are lighter and include the now-obligatory for racers flared option.
In our riding we appreciated the low mass, which scrapes the UCI limit, and it’s no-compromises race stiff. On the whole the latest update added polish to the Dogma F as it continues to be one of the undisputed kings of the all-round race bike category.
Specialized Tarmac SL8
From £3,500 | Buy here
- More aero and lighter than its predecessor
- The spec to back up the frame’s credentials
The latest Specialized Tarmac SL8 has lost some weight from the previous generation SL7, so that race-ready top specs are now below the 6.8kg UCI weight limit, but bang on it once you add pedals and bottle cages.
Specialized has focussed its aerodynamics on the front of the bike, with the latest ‘Speed Sniffer’ bulbous nose said to save watts. It reckons that there’s not much to be gained from aerodynamics at the rear, so this has become skinnier and lighter. The Di2 battery on Shimano builds has to sit below the seatpost rather than in it, as there’s not enough width inside.
Most aero benefits come from the Roval Rapide one-piece cockpit, although this is only fitted to top spec bikes and you get the bar width and stem length combo that Specialized has chosen for your frame size. There’s a relatively shallow range for the Tarmac SL8, although the Shimano 105 Di2 equipped Comp spec offers a more affordable entry point than the top dollar S-Works bike we reviewed.
Trek Madone Gen 8
From £7,250 | Buy here
- 320g lighter than the Gen 7 Madone
- Still as aero as its predecessor
The Gen 8 Madone chops 320g off the weight of its predecessor’s frame while retaining its aerodynamics and a slimmed down IsoFlow design, rendering the Emonda lightweight bike obsolete and following the now well-trodden lightweight/aero race bike route. The frame looks less hulky than Madones gone by and Trek’s water bottles make the bike more aero with than without refreshments. The flared bars have been reworked to be more comfortable to hold, but still provide an aero position when riding on the hoods.
The slimmer rear of the bike has added to its comfort too, although at the front it’s still race bike stiff. It’s a fast bike both on the flat and when you hit a hill.
Cannondale SuperSix Evo
From £4,495 | Buy here
- Faster, lighter but still with great ride feel
- Now with a threaded bottom bracket
The fourth generation of the SuperSix Evo sheds weight and adds an extra dose of aero, while being as stiff and comfortable as its predecessor, retaining that bike’s geometry and 34mm tyre clearance untouched. High spec builds get an integrated bar and stem, while lower specs get separate items, in both cases with hidden cable runs. We’d like to see 28mm tyres in place of the 25s specced though.
We’ve reviewed the 7.2kg SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod 1. The frame is a notch down from the lightest LAB71, which should bring the weight down below 7kg. Even the Hi-Mod spec is around a kilogram lighter than the SystemSIx though and Cannondale claims that it’s just as aero. Will Cannondale do as Specialized did with the Venge/Tarmac and abandon its SystemSix aero bike offering?
Best aero bikes reviewed
Cervélo S5
From £9,450 | Buy here
- Fast ride from new, even more aero frameset
- Aero optimised for 29mm tyres, but 34mm tyre clearance
Subtle updates to frame shapes have made the 2025 Cervélo S5 faster than its predecessor and the new one-piece bar/stem is 100g lighter. That contributes to a small weight reduction, although the new S5’s 7.6kg weight even in top spec Dura-Ace build will still not trouble the UCI’s bike police.
That weight does buy speed though and the S5 felt fast wherever we rode. Cervélo reckons that there’s a 6.4-watt saving over the old model. Some of that’s claimed to be down to the new Reserve wheels, as used by the Visma-Lease a Bike pro team. The frame is built to take 34mm wide tyres while its aerodynamics are honed for 29mm tyres. The bike avoids the difficult handling of some aero bikes; we found it direct, predictable and balanced.
Canyon Aeroad
From £4,199 | Buy here
- Good value for a pro-level bike, adaptable handlebar system
- Aero drops are added cost, can’t spec stem and bar sizes at order
Canyon has made modest changes to the latest Aeroad, the most significant of which are an increase in tyre clearance to 32mm, a re-engineered seatpost cluster and redesigned head tube area. All the major bolts now use Torx T25 heads and can be fettled using the thru-axle lever. You can also now purchase aero bar ends, which offer a flare for the pros’ favourite narrow position when on the hoods. The bar/stem also now includes Canyon’s gear groove for bar extensions or a computer mount.
Canyon claims to have made the Aeroad less comfortable, to satisfy the pros, with the wider tyres taking up the slack. It says it’s up to 3 watts more aero. At 7.15kg for the top spec the Aeroad is competitively lightweight too.
Scott Foil RC Pro
From £4,899 | Buy here
- Chunky aero profile saves 16 watts from its predecessor
- Added comfort features at the seatpost and cockpit
Scott has made big changes to the latest Scott Foil RC, with a seat tube that hugs the rear wheel and deeper section tubing, taking advantage of the recent changes to the UCI’s regulations. It looks more upright than its predecessor, but in fact the geometry is similar to the aero/lightweight Addict RC. The new bike is lighter and a claimed 16 watts faster than the old Foil and the Pro is also over £5,000 less expensive than the top Ultimate spec, making its price not out of range with its competitors.
The Foil RC has a seatpost design with a large cut-out at the rear that adds comfort and the cockpit is designed to flex under lighter loads to help absorb road chatter. Clearance for 30mm tyres means that you can go further to smooth the ride, although the stock bike comes with 25mm front and 28mm rear tyres. At 7.4kg for a size large, the Foil RC doesn’t quite have the snap of some lighter competitors though.
Van Rysel RCR-F
From £5,000 | Buy here
- Faster than the RCR and among the fastest testing aero bikes
- Great bar design and competitive pricing for a pro-level frameset
Alongside its lightweight/aero RCR, Decathlon’s Van Rysel sells the all-in aero RCR-F, the preferred ride of its pro team. Independent testing shows that its aero credentials are up there with the best, while Van Rysel says it’s 13.6 watts faster than the RCR thanks to the exaggerated aero profiles, tuned to work with the deep section Swiss Side wheels.
The mid-spec review bike weighed a competitive 8.2kg. We reckon the 26mm Conti Aero 111 front tyre is a little narrow, although that’s paired with a 28mm rear. The geometry and the flared bars help you get long and low to harvest aero benefits in a bike that likes to be ridden fast. And we loved the shape of the handlebar drops, which we rated the most comfortable we’ve used.
Best lightweight bikes reviewed
Specialized Aethos 2
From £5,499 | Buy here
- 6kg weight with 35mm tyre clearance
- More relaxed geometry than V1
Specialized’s update to the Aethos sees it retain its ultra-low weight of around 6kg, but changes in the Aethos 2 include a new fully integrated front-end with hidden cables and tyre clearance increased to 35mm. The geometry is also more relaxed than the original, with a higher stack, longer wheelbase, lower bottom bracket and slacker head tube.
Despite the clearance, the Aethos 2 is fitted with 28mm tyres, with the S-Works model including 1,131g Roval Alpinist CLX III wheels with carbon spokes. Needless to say, the Aethos 2 climbs impressively, but there’s added comfort and stability on technical descents. The S-Works bike remains expensive, but there are lower specs that make the bike slightly more wallet-friendly while still keeping the weight in check.
Factor O2 VAM
£6,299 (frameset) | Buy here
- Low weight and aero tube profiles for a fast ride up hills as well as on the flat
- 32mm tyre clearance and top spec Black Inc finishing kit, including 1,146g wheelset
The Factor O2 VAM’s 730g frame weight offered a 6.5kg build once the Black Inc 1,146g wheelset and integrated cockpit, along with top-tier groupset were bolted on. Despite the low weight, Factor has worked on the O2 VAM’s aerodynamics, with a claimed 12 watts improvement on its predecessor. It’s also 35 percent stiffer, Factor says.
We reckoned the O2 VAM was the fastest bike we’ve ridden up hills, while Factor says that its aerodynamics lead to faster climbing on gradients up to eight percent. It’s ride-tuned, along with the wheels, for 28mm tyres, which help to take the edge off the ride, in partnership with the radically flattened top tube.
Wilier Verticale SLR
€5,800 (frameset) | Buy here
- Low weight despite 1,400g wheels and 30mm tyres
- Lively, engaging ride that’s fast up hills and down
Wilier has pared the Verticale SLR’s weight down to 6.6kg for the size large test bike, even with 30mm tyres and middleweight 1,400g Miche wheels. It’s shaved 150g off its predecessor’s frameset weight, although the compromise is roundish tube profiles, which don’t focus on aerodynamics. The ride position helps to counter this though, as Wilier has made this long and low and has incorporated the trendy flared bars.
We found the ride more lively than many aero road bikes we review, while the low weight isn’t bought at the expense of the harshness that can come from premium carbon fibre. It’s a bike that’s stiff and engaging to ride, both up hills and on the descents.
Orbea Orca
From £2,399 | Buy here
- Mix of ride comfort with race bike handling and climbing prowess
- Non-aero frameset and unfashionably wide bars
Another bike that has reverted to round tube profiles and a traditional frame shape in the pursuit of low mass, we weighed the Orbea Orca at 6.85kg in this top spec build. It’s fitted with 1,370g Oquo wheels, which aren’t the lightest, although the 25mm Vittoria Corsa Speed tyres fitted go some way to address that. The frame will accept 32mm tyres if you want a plusher ride.
We liked the separate bar and stem, which are more comfortable and more rigid than many one-piece designs, as well as more adjustable. The bars are unfashionably wide as well. And we loved the ride quality, even if the Orca is a bike aimed at climbs of a magnitude it would be hard to find in the UK.
Litespeed Coll Dels Reis
£4,818 (frameset) | Buy here
- Ultra-light titanium frame for a 7kg build
- Not lacking in pedalling efficiency, handling precision or ride comfort
Yes, it’s a titanium bike, but with a 948g claimed frame weight our premium build with the pick of Litespeed’s low weight component options weighed just 7kg. There’s an 85kg rider weight limit, but buyers can choose their own spec and stock or custom geometry, as well as frame detailing.
The low weight doesn’t equate to a flexy frame with a noodly ride though and the Litespeed takes full advantage of its lack of mass to deliver impressive climbing. It’s poised on the way back down too, tracking brilliantly through corners. Although we stuck with 28mm tyres, you can fit 35mm ones if you want extra road-smoothing and grip.
Moots Vamoots CRD
From $8,899 | Buy here
- Beautifully handmade titanium frame with modern features
- Superb ride quality and descending
Top of Colorado-based titanium bike builder Moots’ road bike tree, the Vamoots CRD has updates including 35mm tyre clearance and a T47 bottom bracket that allows space for internal cable routing. The full build is under 8kg – very impressive for a metal bike. Moots says that it sources the best materials and refuses to cut corners, which reflects in the price tag.
We were particularly impressed by the Moots’ descending, with the wider tyres adding grip. This translates into a comfortable, fast accelerating ride on the flat as well. Its performance, top drawer components from Chris King and Enve and sheer build quality help to justify that price.
Passoni Titanio Disco
From €10,790 | Buy here
- Stiff, beautifully finished made-to-measure titanium frameset
- Refined ride that still has a performance edge
The Titanio Disco was the former top spec, made-to-measure titanium bike from Passoni, although the brand has now introduced the OT-01, which lowers weight and improves stiffness. The invisible welds take 35 hours to smooth and polish, a fair proportion of the 50 hours total fabrication time which accounts for the frame’s premium price.
The Titanio Disco is stiff thanks to its extra-wide down tube and broad head tube and the rest of the spec majors on rigidity too. We found it firm but smooth, in part thanks to 28mm tyres, and refined but edgy. There’s hidden cable routing, although the Deda one-piece bar and stem look out of place alongside the clean, functional frame. Being built to order, that’s something you can choose to swap out though.
Mason Definition
From £2,900 | Buy here
- Quality Italian-built alloy frameset
- Hits the sweet spot between on-road speed and off-road capabilities
Mason Cycles was one of the pioneers of all-road bikes and the alloy Definition offers 35mm tyre clearance and a relaxed geometry for on/off road adventures. The made-in-Italy frame has smooth welds and other features include an oversized bottom bracket shell, which allows internal cable routing, while the Integrale frameset offers full front-end integration.
There’s good power transfer and responsiveness from the stiff frame, but any tendency to harshness is tempered by the wide tyres. We reckon that the geometry is spot-on for an all-road bike as well. The price now feels mid-range, particularly for a low production volume bike from a smaller brand.
Seven Axiom XX
£6,800 (frameset) | Buy here
- Beautifully finished, balanced geometry, low weight
- Pricey, potentially less resilient titanium tubing
Seven’s titanium specialisation reaches its zenith in the Axiom XX, which is made with wider tubes with thinner walls, for a 7.6kg weight and is custom built for the rider. Seven also tweaks its geometry with four different options to suit the kind of riding you want to do. The thinner tubes are more susceptible to dents than Seven Bikes’ other two tubing options, although you save 250g or 400g relative to these.
Seven points out that the Axiom XX is built for compliance rather than stiffness, which served us well on UK back roads. It’s great at going uphill too, with the front end stability to battle gravity and less tendency to skittishness than lightweight carbon frames. Seven will tune the ride to suit the buyer if you want stiffer.
Fairlight Strael
£1,499 (frameset) | Buy here
- Uber-comfortable and relatively lightweight steel bike with highly customisable spec
- Classic aesthetics with modern performance with combo of external cables, round tubes, disc brakes and electronic groupset
Fairlight’s latest update of its Strael road bike increases tyre clearance to 39mm and improves compliance while lowering weight. It’s still made of a mix of custom Reynolds steel tubing, but the 853 main triangle has been specially engineered for the Strael. The result is a claimed 280g reduction in frameset weight.
Other features that have made the Strael so desirable have been kept: external cables, a BSA bottom bracket, plentiful mounts and the option of dynamo routing. The Strael continues to be sold in a wide range of sizes too, with regular and tall framesets to increase fit options. You can customise your build, including the usual wheels, tyres, etc, but also handlebar width and stem length. Our £4,589 build included Shimano Ultegra and Hunt Carbon 50 wheels and weighed 9kg in size 58.
Ride-wise, the Strael 4.0 retains the previous model’s race bike-style handling, thanks to its tight geometry. AT the same time, the longer wheelbase improves stability when descending. We appreciated the added compliance, which allows you to point the Strael down farm tracks, not just stay on the road. That’s gained the Strael a hat-trick of listings in our best all-road bikes and best steel road bikes buyer’s guides, not just this pick of the best road bikes.
Best all-round road bikes reviewed
Argonaut RM3
$8,500 (frameset) | Buy here
- Customisable layup and geometry as well as stock geometry frames
- Stiff but extremely responsive
The previous Argonaut was good, but the new RM3 is even better, earning a glowing 5 stars in our review. The RM3’s key selling point is its customisation, with designer carbon lay up and geometry options calculated from the rider’s weight and power, although Argonaut also sells off-the-peg framesets in limited numbers.
This culminates in a bike that can truly fit like a glove – admittedly with a price tag that reflects this level of luxury – and the rest of the bike can be combined with an extensive range of components and finishing kits.
The RM3 is stiff but also incredibly responsive as a result of the frame customisations, and frame weight starts from around 750g. The setup shown here weighed in at 7.2kg.
While its price may exclude a large number of potential buyers, the Argonaut RM3 was a contender for ‘the best road bike you’ll ever ride’ in our review.
Basso SV
From £6,999 | Buy here
- 35mm clearance aero frameset with semi-relaxed geometry
- Two bar/stem choices to suit your preferred ride style
Designed to offer aero road bike performance and all-road versatility, the Basso SV offers 35mm tyre clearance in a bike that Basso has purposely differentiated from pro-oriented race bikes, with a more relaxed geometry and comfort built in. It’s also lightweight, with our review bike 7.3kg and 6.7kg builds possible, according to Basso.
Our review bike had Basso’s one-piece cockpit that’s 370mm across the tops – many riders will rejoice at the aero benefits, while others may find it a little cramped. There’s a less aero carbon bar/stem alternative which offers ten width/length options and may be a little less stiff.
We remarked on the refined, modern feel of the bike, its aero looks and climbing potential and the added comfort from the wider clearance and less aggressive geometry. The Viola Galaxy colour scheme looks great too.
Lauf Úthald Race Wireless
From $3,690 | Buy here
- Fast ride feel, but with endurance stability
- High quality spec for the price with SRAM Force AXS and Zipp 303S wheels
The Lauf Úthald is the Icelandic brand’s first road bike, but borrows much from its gravel bikes, including 35mm tyre clearance and a design that’s part road race bike and part endurance bike, pairing a race fit with stability and compliance. Lauf fits its own Smoothie Road bars to add comfort and the non-integrated cables make for easier maintenance, while the top spec Race Wireless build is well-priced for the spec.
We found the ride and the build ideal for the steep climbs of Dartmoor, with plenty of low range gearing from the SRAM Force groupset, which includes a power meter. The ride quality and handling are great for UK back roads too – just a pity there are no mudguard mounts.
What should I consider when buying a new bike?
How do I usually ride?
If you consider yourself an aggressive whippet who focusses on smashing out power hours on your lunch break, then you should go for an aero bike.
Are you a more relaxed rider who enjoys banking long, slow days in the saddle? An endurance road bike with relaxed geometry would likely be the ticket here.
Buy a bike that complements how you ride a bike, not how you think you should ride.
Where do I ride?
Where do I envisage riding my new bike? Am I buying this to venture into the world of gravel bikes? If so, you need to look for a bike with generous tyre clearance, maybe an all-road bike.
Are you buying this bike with the plan of multiple trips to the high mountains abroad? Then you might consider a lightweight climbing bike.
Pinpoint where you see yourself riding most, then buy a bike suited to that.
Am I looking to upgrade?
Going into a bike purchase, you will have a rough figure in your head of how much you want to spend. And within that, there will be many options fitting the bill.
If you have grand plans of wheel and groupset upgrades in the near future, opting for the best frame you can buy for your budget isn’t a bad idea.
But if you do not, you may find that the best option for you, in the long term, is not the most expensive bike you can afford.
Can I afford replacement parts?
It’s all well and good saving up to buy a sparkly new top-of-the-range bike but ask yourself, when something needs replacing, can you afford it?
We ask this question because bike parts do wear with time and it can cost a lot to replace things like-for-like. On the other hand, there’s a good chance you won’t notice the marginal difference if you, say, replace a Dura-Ace cassette with a 105 cassette or swap a Red chain to Rival.
