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Specialized bikes shopping right now: Titanium is another material used in some more expensive bikes. It’s lightweight, strong and doesn’t rust or fatigue. And you can still find bikes made of steel tubing, which was the traditional framebuilding material. It’s not quite as light as other choices, but robust and gives a distinctive ride feel. You should also look at what the bike’s fork is made of. Many bikes will have an all-carbon fork or one with carbon fork blades and an alloy steerer. This tends to absorb road bumps well for a more comfortable ride, but you can find alloy or steel forks on some lower priced bikes. Read additional information on bicycle parts.

Equipped with internal cables (so that brake cables are hidden within the bike frame) and stock disc brakes (which offer the best stopping power), this bike offers an unbeatable price point at around $1,200 — especially if this is your entry-level bike! (However, pros have ridden this model to the top of the podium, too!) The relaxed frame geometry allows the rider to sit in a more upright position, placing less weight and stress on the arms, neck, and back. “This could be helpful for a first-time road bike owner or someone that is looking to begin riding longer distances,” says Joshua Metzl, orthopedic surgeon, Cat 4 bike racer, three-time Leadville 100 MTB Finisher, and five-time Ironman. “Plus, the lightweight frame and the 30-millimeter tires give the rider the ability to attack road and some gravel as well, if the conditions change.” The Allez is the lightest bike in its class without any bells and whistles, making it the perfect choice for those looking for all-day adventures on a race-proven platform, explains Pastore.

Another bike that’s shed weight, in its case 300g, by abandoning the IsoSpeed system in its predecessor, the Gen 7 Madone has also garnered some striking looks, with its hole under the saddle, which sits on a seatpost cantilevered over the rear of the frame. But that’s only half of the 20 watts saving over the older Madone. The other half comes from the bars, which position the hands 30mm closer together on the tops, for a more aero tuck. It’s incredibly fast handling as well as being a fast ride in a straight line. Trek even fits a wider saddle on the smaller frames, as it’s those that are most likely to be ridden by women, whom the width will suit better.

For 2023, Cervelo revived its game-changing Soloist franchise with an impressive list of updates and improvements that make for a compelling race bike at a fair price. The new Soloist is equipped with a completely redesigned frame, featuring a new carbon layup that has increased stiffness and reduced weight. The bike’s aerodynamics are also far better, with the incorporation of Cervelo’s latest Squoval Max tube shapes. The cockpit includes Cervelo’s “externally integrated” two-piece handlebar and stem system, which provides a clean and aerodynamic cockpit but still allows tinkering—the cables run underneath the stem and through the headset bearings. It’s not perfect, but the system allowed for easy fit adjustments, and the ergonomic design of the bars provided a comfortable grip.

The Vitus Venon Evo has a trick up its sleeve. With its wide tire clearance of 45mm it’s not glued to the road and you can buy the same frame specced out for gravel duties, with a series of models with a GR suffix; we’ve also reviewed the Vitus Venon Evo-GR gravel spec bike. The carbon frame weighs under 1kg and has plenty of compliance built in. The road-going specs are fitted with Michelin Power Cup 28mm tubeless tires on Prime Attaquer alloy wheels. We tested the 105 Di2 model of the Vitus Venon Evo, but there’s a whole range of electronic and mechanical groupset options from Shimano and SRAM. The ride on the road is well balanced and firm but comfortable and there’s plenty of room to fit mudguards on the hidden mounts, making the Venon Evo a good option for year-round use. It’s lightweight as well. Read more information at capitolcyclery.com.

There’s a smorgasbord of great choices in this category right now. If you’re after the ultimate aero gains, you’ll either have to head into a wind tunnel or do some instrumented on-road testing to find out which offers the most performance for your particular body. However, if you’re the type of roadie that wants to go fast without giving up much in the way of other performance aspects—such as comfort and handling—the Propel is an incredible machine. The fourth-generation Domane retains its signature vibration-damping IsoSpeed flex system built into the frame and receives a more aerodynamic carbon chassis. With these changes, this new Domane struck our testers as more balanced than before, easily absorbing road chatter and high-frequency vibrations. Credit goes to the high-volume, 32-millimeter tubeless tires and Bontrager’s Pro IsoCore carbon handlebar. The Domane is very stiff and efficient when you step on the gas, with nary a hint of bottom bracket flex. It’s a similar story up front with the huge head tube area confidently resisting undue twisting when you rise out of the saddle for a sprint or steep uphill pitch. This bike is one of only a few that confidently straddles the line between road and gravel: The handling is quick, like a traditional road machine, but with clearance for tires up to 40 millimeters wide, it’s well suited to light gravel duties.