Quality bicycle parts online supplier Lafayette: To make sure that your bike is set up correctly and to avoid the risk of injury from incorrect fit, it’s well worth getting a professional bike fit. A bike fit will cost some money, although sometimes a bike shop will offer one at a discount or free when you buy a bike. A bike fit will ensure that your saddle and bars are optimally placed for efficient riding. Consider a good fit an investment. Bike makers push their bikes’ aero credentials, especially on more expensive machines, with claims of wind tunnel testing and time saved. Time was, an aero frameset was significantly heavier than one with the traditional round tubes, but the best aero bikes can now be as light as a non-aero one. See extra details on bicycle shop.
Perfect for the rider who doesn’t want to get regularly scheduled tune-ups and doesn’t have the time to clean up the bike post-every single ride, this bike is the answer to your commuting prayers. “No pesky chain or derailleur with an internally geared belt drive system, externally routed cables, fender and rack mounts — what more could a commuter ask for?” says Pastore. Our answer: Not much. This bike is quick, lightweight, low-maintenance, and versatile enough for all types of terrain. The key feature of this bike is the belt drive system. Chains need constant cleaning and lubrication, but a belt drive is a game-changer. Not only does a belt drive last much longer than chains, but it also keeps things running smoothly without the hassle (and without the greasy hands or stained clothes to boot). The trade-off is cost, but on the upside, a belt-driven bike is designed to last longer than a bike with a chain.
This fourth generation of the Cannondale SuperSix has received some subtle updates from its predecessor, which nevertheless make it more aero and lighter – and replace the Pressfit bottom bracket with a threaded design – with a claimed 770g frame weight the lightest in our Race Bike of the Year awards. Acceleration is lightening fast and it holds speed well thanks to the 50mm deep aero wheelset. It’s a great climber’s bike as well, with low weight and great geometry for out-of-saddle efforts. Descending is equally magical, although its not as fast or as comfortable as the Cervelo S5. There’s a good range of models and prices on offer. Read our review of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi Mod 2 in our Race Bike of the Year 2023 coverage.
Trek designed the Domane+ to mimic the ride feel of a regular road bike—and we think they nailed it. The TQ motor doles out power with subtle refinement, as if we were always riding with a tailwind. It gave us a glimpse of how professional cyclists must feel when attacking mountain climbs on a solo breakaway. Orbea launched the first generation Gain e-road bike back in 2019—and we voted it our road bike (e-assist or not) of the year. Four years later, the Basque brand is launching its third generation of the platform. This time around, Orbea opted for the recently released Mahle X20 hub drive motor. The unit itself is one of the lightest on the market, but Orbea says reducing weight wasn’t the main goal. Case in point: instead of picking the lightest possible set-up and the smallest capacity battery, the Gain is equipped with Mahle’s larger 353 watt-hour battery to give riders more range and a maximum assist of 250 watts. The Gain has a maximum tire width of 35 millimeters, putting it squarely in the all-road category.
Sharing features of Giant’s more expensive bikes, the Contend has a compact alloy frame with a sloping top tube. The D-Fuse seatpost and carbon fork are designed to add compliance at the rear and the front end respectively. Along with the endurance frame geometry this gives great comfort and handling, letting you ride for longer and inspiring confidence. There’s bags of low gearing, down to 1:1, to tackle uphills and Shimano 105 gives you quality shifting, although the rather heavy weight doesn’t make for sprightly performance. It’s a good value proposition for its price though. Read additional details on https://www.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.