Best road bikes 2025 reviewed and rated

Buying a new road 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.

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

• Enve Fray – Read our full review
• Giant Defy – Read our full review
• Colnago C68 Allroad – Read our full review
• FiftyOne Sika – Read our full review

Read our guides to the best endurance road bikes and best all-road bikes for more of our picks.

Best road race bikes

• Pinarello Dogma F – Read our full review
• Specialized Tarmac SL8 – Read our full review
• Trek Madone Gen 8 – Read our full review
• Cannondale SuperSix Evo – Read our full review

Read our guide to the best all-round road race bikes for more of our picks

Best aero bikes

• Cervelo S5 – Read our full review
• Canyon Aeroad – Read our full review
• Giant Propel – Read our full review
• Scott Foil RC – Read our full review

Read our guide to the best aero bikes for more of our picks.

Best lightweight bikes

• Specialized Aethos – Read our full review
• Factor O2 VAM – Read our full review
• Wilier Verticale SLR – Read our full review
• Orbea Orca M10i – Read our full review

Read our guide to the best lightweight bikes for more of our picks.

Best metal bikes

• Moots Vamoots CRD — Read our full review
• Passoni Titanio Disco — Read our full review
• Mason Definition — Read our full review
• Seven Axiom XX — Read our full review
• Fairlight Strael – Read our full review

Read our guides to the best titanium bikes, best aluminium bikes and best steel road bikes for more of our picks.

Other great road bikes

• Argonaut RM3 – Read our full review
• Lauf Úthald – Read our full review

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 weathers 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

Enve Fray

£5,500 (frameset) | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Enve Fray review
• Buy now from Saddleback (frameset £5,500)

Giant Defy Advanced SL 0

£10,349 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 review

Colnago C68 Allroad

£5,999 frameset, £14,000 as tested | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Colnago C68 Allroad review

FiftyOne Sika

£4,499 frameset | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full FiftyOne Sika review
• Pre-order the FiftyOne Sika frameset now from FifityOne Bikes (€4,499.00, €250.00 deposit)

Best race bikes

Pinarello Dogma F (2024)

£10,999 (RRP £12,600) | View offer

• 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.

Sadly, the weather at the launch event was dire, so fingers were numb and descents careful rather than flowing. There were plenty of Dolomite climbs though, so we appreciated the low mass, which scrapes the UCI limit. The Dogma F is no-compromises race stiff though.

• Read our first ride Pinarello Dogma F review

Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

£12,000 | View offer

• 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.

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. So far, there's a relatively shallow range for the Tarmac SL8, with all bikes costing over £6,000, but at least the price of the flagship S-Works bikes has seen a reduction from the SL7.

• Read our full Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 review

Trek Madone Gen 8

£12,000 | View offer

• 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, 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.

• Read our full Trek Madone Gen 8 review

Cannondale SuperSix Evo

£8,999 (RRP £10,500) | View offer

• 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?

• Read our Cannondale SuperSix Evo review

Best aero bikes

Cervélo S5

£9,200 (RRP £9,600) | View offer

• Fast ride from new, more aero frameset
• 34mm tyre clearance for smoothness, comfort and grip

Subtle updates to frame shapes have made the Cervélo S5 faster than its predecessor and the V-Stem is also more user-friendly. It's lighter too, although the new S5's 8kg weight in SRAM Force 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 an 8.3-watt saving over the old model. Some of that's claimed to be down to the new Reserve wheels, as used by the Jumbo-Visma pro team. The frame is built to take 34mm wide tyres, up from 30mm in the old bike, which contributes cornering grip, comfort and smoothness to the ride.

• Read our full Cervélo S5 review

Canyon Aeroad

£9,749 | View offer

• 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 2024 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 7.15k for the top spec the Aeroad is competitively lightweight too.

• Read our full Canyon Aeroad CFR review
• Buy now from Canyon (from £3,949)

Giant Propel Advanced SL 0

£10,799 (RRP £12,000) | View offer

• Comfortable aero all-rounder
• High quality spec with Cadex aero wheels

The latest Propel has lost around 200g from its frame, so that this top spec aero bike weighs just 6.9kg. With a slimmed down rear half of the bike, it’s a comfortable ride too and Giant has tweaked the geometry to make it slightly less edgy.

The SL 0 is kitted out with technologically advanced Cadex 50 Ultra wheels and Aero tyres from Giant’s performance sub-brand, while its separate bar and stem are designed to be easy to maintain despite the hidden cabling. The spec includes Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed with a power meter, to round off the top drawer kit.

It’s a bike that feels as light as a climber’s bike, with the aero advantage to hold speed as well as the best aero bikes, but is still comfortable to ride even on its 25mm tyres.

• Read our full Giant Propel Advanced SL 0 review

Scott Foil RC Pro

£8,925 (RRP: £10,499) | View offer

• 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 latest 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.

• Read our full Scott Foil RC Pro review

Best lightweight bike

Specialized S-Works Aethos

£11,750 | View offer

• Very low weight for a disc brake bike
• Geometry matches the Tarmac SL7 race bike

Anything with the S-Works moniker is always going to be popular and the chances are it’s going to be good too, as is the case with the Aethos.

Upon release it was claimed to be the world’s lightest production disc brake bike, weighing just 6.23kg for a 56cm equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Roval Alpinist CLX wheels. Yes, that means that it’s not UCI legal so you can ride it but the pros can’t.

It has the geometry to match the Tarmac SL7 but with weight shed at every available opportunity without sacrificing on performance.

Those weight savings mean this is an absolute monster uphill. If that’s your thing, this is your bike.

• Read our full Specialized S-Works Aethos review

Factor O2 VAM

£9,999 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Factor O2 VAM review

Wilier Verticale SLR

£11,000 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Wilier Verticale SLR review

Orbea Orca M10i LTD

£11,999 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Orbea Orca M10i LTD review

Best metal road bikes

Moots Vamoot CRD

£13,249 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Moots Vamoot CRD review

Passoni Titanio Disco

€7,749 | View offer

• Stiff, beautifully finished made-to-measure titanium frameset
• Refined ride that still has a performance edge

The Titanio Disco is the top spec, made-to-measure titanium bike from Passoni. 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.

• Read our full Passoni Titanio Disco review

Mason Definition

£2,900 | View offer

• 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.

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.

• Read our full Mason Definition review

Seven Axiom XX

£14,300 | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Seven Axiom XX review

Fairlight Strael

From £2,549 | View offer

• 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

London-based company Fairlight's Strael road bike is in its third iteration, with all-season and all-distance qualities that has seen it ridden to two victories of the Transcontinental Race ultra.

It's made with custom-shaped Reynolds 853 and 725 steel tubing and Fairlight provides a wealth of spec options – including a dynamo option, as well as a more precise sizing system than you get with most stock frames.

Those tubes are ovalised, which helps with refining stiffness and compliance in the right areas as well as contributing to its weight, which is light for a frame of this material.

We tested a size 58R Strael with a full Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, Hunt 4 Season wheels, 28mm Continental GP5000 tyres and FSA finishing kit, and that weighed in at a touch over 9kg.

• Read our full Fairlight Strael review

Other great road bikes

Argonaut RM3

£13,500 | View offer

• Customisable layup and geometry
• 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.

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.

• Read our full Argonaut RM3 review
• Buy now from Argonaut (£5,500 frameset; £13,500 as tested)

Lauf Úthald Race Wireless

$5,080 (approx £4,000) | View offer

• 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.

• Read our full Lauf Úthald review
• Buy the Lauf Úthald from Lauf ($5,080)

What should I consider when buying a new bike?

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.

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.

Are you buying this bike with the plan of multiple trips to the high mountains abroad? Then you might consider a lightweight climbing bike.

• Related reading: Aero vs lightweight vs All-rounder: Which is the fastest road 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.

Not sure what type of bike you want to buy? Check out our road bike buying guide