Best all-round road race bikes 2025 reviewed

The best all-round road race bikes need to be good at everything. Low weight is critical for fast climbing, but a modern road race bike also needs to be aerodynamic so you can ride fast on the flat and descents. That makes them among the best road bikes you can buy if you are looking for a fast ride and are comfortable with the performance on offer and the often uncompromised approach to geometry, position and ride comfort.

While previously, many brands sold separate aero bikes and lightweight bikes, it’s increasingly common for the best race bikes to cover both bases, although there are still exceptions. The Pinarello Dogma always fulfilled both roles, but brands including Giant and Scott retain separate aero and lightweight alternatives. The science proves however that for mountain stages the best solution is an all round bike rather than a pure lightweight bike or an aero bike.

To that end many brands that did have two bikes have merged them, as aero bikes have become increasingly less beefy and lighter and lightweight bikes more aero – Specialized was an early merger, while Trek is a recent convert. There are also increasing examples of brands having both an aero bike and an all-round road race bike, including Colnago and Van Rysel, so teams can use the all-out aero bike for the flat stages.

Below are our picks of the best all-round road race bikes that we’ve reviewed, while further down the page we have buying advice for would-be buyers.

Reviews of the best all-round road race bikes

1. Pinarello Dogma F – Read our full review
2. Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 – Read our full review
3. Trek Madone Gen 8 – Read our full review
4. Cannondale SuperSix Evo – Read our full review
5. Enve Melee – Read our full review
6. Giant TCR – Read our full review
7. Van Rysel RCR – Read our full review
8. Factor Ostro VAM – Read our full review

Why trust Cyclist‘s advice?

Here at Cyclist, we review the cream of the crop of the best road and gravel bikes available, so you can be pretty sure that if a bike is a contender in the best race bikes stakes, we’ve ridden and rated it. All our reviewers have many years’ experience and have ridden a huge range of different bikes.

We’re not paid by cycle brands, so you can trust us to give you an unbiased opinion of a bike’s strengths and weaknesses in our comprehensive reviews.

The best all round road race bikes 2025

Pinarello Dogma F

£12,600 | View offer

• Even more aero refinement
• Still a comfortable all-day ride

Pinarello's small changes to the Dogma F in 2024 made for 'is it a new bike?' headlines when spotted in races pre-launch. But although the shape looks almost the same, Pinarello has reduced the frame's weight and made the front of the frame narrower, with a new steerer that slims down the head tube. It has also beefed up the down tube still further and redesigned the Most Talon Ultra Fast bar/stem with lower weight and angled levers as well as narrower widths available.

Now grazing the UCI weight limit, the Dogma F climbs as well as you'd expect. The ride is no-compromise stiff too, but with tyre clearance now 32mm, the opportunity is there to increase its comfort levels.

• Read our full Pinarello Dogma F review

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

£12,000 | View offer

• Improved aerodynamics and comfort and lower weight than the Tarmac SL7
• Fast, direct ride, but ride quality might be improved by wider tyres

Although the looks are superficially similar, the Tarmac SL8 is lighter and a claimed 'five watts more aero' than the SL7. Specialized has slimmed down the rear of the bike, where aero benefits are less, so it's more comfortable too. At the front, the longer head tube, with its slightly bulbous Speed Sniffer nose, along with the one-piece Roval bar/stem make compensating aero gains.

In top S-Works spec, the Tarmac SL8 hits 6.6kg, which makes it a solid climber too. The ride is direct, but once again we'd counsel non-racers to increase tyre width from the 26mm S-Works Turbos fitted, taking advantage of the 32mm clearance. We'd also like to see the option to change bar/stem dimensions when purchasing.

• Read our full Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 review

Trek Madone Gen 8

£12,000 | View offer

• Lower weight but just as aero as the seventh generation Madone
• More compliant at the saddle, but stiff at the bars and bottom bracket, for handling and power delivery

Combining the aerodynamics of its predecessor with the low weight of the Émonda, the Generation 8 Trek Madone is also more compliant, at least at the saddle. The IsoFlow seat tube design continues, although it's slimmed down. The front of the bike is a different story, with race bike stiffness and power delivery.

At the front, the new handlebars are less blade-like than the Gen 7's, so they're easier to grip, but still deliver aero gains thanks to their ability to split the airflow over the rider's legs. They're still flared too, for added aero on the hoods. And make sure you don't ditch your water bottles in the finale, as they make the bike more aero.

• Read our full Trek Madone Gen 8 review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo

£10,500 | View offer

• Narrowed down frame offers aero gains over previous SuperSix
• Intuitive, balanced ride feel

Cannondale has made small modifications from the last SuperSix Evo with the current fourth generation bike. It's narrower and more aero, while still offering Cannondale's well-regarded ride qualities, with the Di2 battery now placed in the bottom of the down tube as there's not the space in the aero-profiled seat tube. Top spec bikes are built on the Lab71 frameset, dropping their weight even lower than our 7.2kg review bike's.

We remarked on the intuitive ride, balance and stiffness and the ride confidence that they engender. The SuperSix Evo doesn't beat you up in delivering its performance ride either, thanks to the lower seat tube's ability to flex under load, along with a notch in the seatpost. We'd have liked to see tyres wider than the fitted 25s though, taking advantage of the 34mm clearance.

• Read our full Cannondale SuperSix Evo review

Enve Melee

£5,500 (frameset) | View offer

• Frame and components work brilliantly together
• Extra practicality from 35mm tyre clearance and mudguard mounts

The Enve Melee must be the only bike raced at pro level that has mudguard mounting points. It also has 35mm tyre clearance, adding a dose of versatility to an aero all-round race bike with a 7.2kg weight in the spec tested, which included a fair number of Enve components. Enve says it has tuned the aerodynamics for speeds of 32kmh to 40kmh.

We remarked on the Melee's all-round race performance, with fast acceleration and handling. That's not at the expense of ease of use or an enjoyable ride though, with Enve's components helping to increase ride comfort, despite the stiff frameset.

• Read our full Enve Melee review
• Buy now from Sigma Sports (£5,500)

Giant TCR Advanced Pro

£6,699 | View offer

• Long-running frame is now lighter and more aero, with increased clearance
• Climbs and takes bends on rails, but wider tyres would improve ride quality

Now in its tenth generation, the Giant TCR has been a feature of top level racing since 1997. The new model ups the aero with internal cables and tube profiles that match the Giant Propel aero bike. It also loses weight, adds compliance and (of course) increases the tyre clearance, which is now 33mm. There are three frame grades, with the Pro sitting in the middle.

It's a stiff bike, designed to be raced and even in this middling spec weighs 7.3kg, with the weight low down, which helps out-of-saddle climbing and fast cornering. The geometry, with a short wheelbase and chainstays add to the racy feel. The spec is competitive, with SRAM Force AXS and Giant wheels, although wider tyres would help improve comfort on UK roads.

• Read our full Giant TCR Advanced Pro review

Van Rysel RCR

£5,000 | View offer

• Lightweight aero road bike with performance fit and ride
• Premium spec at an affordable price

Decathlon made quite the splash when it unveiled the Van Rysel RCR Pro, a high spec 6.8kg, aero, pro-level performance race bike with a pricetag thousands of pounds lower than its competitors. The (non-Pro) RCR has the same geometry and a similarly impressive spec for its price, with a SRAM Force groupset with power meter and Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels married to a slightly lower grade frameset that sees a size large bike weighing 7.8kg.

It's a race stiff, speed-focussed bike that transmits your power to the road, although with some road buzz despite the 28mm tyres. We didn't feel that it excelled in any one area, but the Van Rysel RCR is a fast, light and affordable all-around race bike.

• Read our full Van Rysel RCR review

Factor Ostro VAM

£10,799 | View offer

• Stiff race bike with real-world usability
• Cheaper than rivals, although still expensive

The Factor Ostro VAM looks and feels fast, begging to be ridden all-in. With the second generation bike, Factor has aimed to improve the aerodynamics without sacrificing ride quality or adding weight. It claims a 7 watt aero advantage at 48km/h and a 270g weight loss from the new 1,290g Black Inc wheels.

We reckon the ride is best enjoyed at speed and on smoother roads, as the Ostro VAM is race bike stiff, but in those conditions, it's a bike that is lightweight, satisfying and confidence-inspiring to ride. Real-world usability is enhanced by sensible spec choices and 28mm tyres. The Ostro VAM's price tag is also a little lower less than its pro-level rivals.

• Read our full Factor Ostro VAM review
• Buy now from Vires Velo (from £8,999)

How to choose the best road race bike for you

Spec and price

At Cyclist, we often review a bike in its premium spec. That means a big pricetag, that can be hard to swallow. Almost every road race bike is available with lower specs too. Often, the frame grade is lower than the top spec bikes, but don't let that put you off. A lower spec frame may only be a couple of hundred grams heavier than the premium frame, with the bits bolted to it accounting for the bulk of any additional weight.

Buy a lower spec bike and the frame may be ripe for upgrades, which may cost less than the price difference between it and the top spec bike but deliver similar performance.

Price of ownership

It's not just the purchase price that can be daunting for a premium road race bike. Consumables and parts replacement will in general be high as well. The price of a top spec cassette and accompanying chain will run into the hundreds of pounds.

If you intend to use your bike for racing, there's always the risk of crashes. Your rear derailleur is in a prime position to be taken out and again a top spec model will cost hundreds of pounds to replace. Unless you're an elite racer, a lower spec may be a better, less expensive choice.

Comfort and performance

There's the tendency to want to emulate the pros and buy a bike that matches theirs. If you're a racer, we get it. But for general road riders who don't race, a road race bike may not be the best option. Most will have an aggressive ride position, which puts pressure on your back, neck, shoulders and hands. Not everyone can get comfortable and longer rides can become painful. You'll ride your bike more and further if it feels less of an ordeal.

Just as lightweight bikes are increasingly aero, so bikes labelled endurance are no longer sedate. Endurance bikes such as the Giant Defy include aero and racy features and may not cede much in weight, particularly for premium specs.

Don't discount one of the best endurance bikes, such as the FiftyOne Sika, if it's better suited to the riding you do. You might want to look at the best all-road bikes too, if you're looking for versatility.