The start of the season could be a veritable land of milk and honey for road cyclists looking for a new bike: A number of last year's models from a completely rainy 2013 season are still available in bike shops at bargain prices and are competing with the new arrivals from 2014. And let's get this straight: The newbies are really hitting the mark - components, equipment, frames and designs are high-quality, functional and attractive across all price categories. If you know that TOUR readers spent an average of around € 2,500 on their last bike and want to invest around € 3,100 in their next new racer*, our current test offers the ultimate guide through the maze of spokes in bike shops and mail-order shops. We looked at nine bikes from the 2014 season in three price ranges: around €1,000, €2,000 and €3,000.
THE TEST FIELDS
In the entry-level class up to 1,000 euros, there is little that is spectacular: simple aluminium frames with Shimano 105 are standard, and reliable everyday material is available for the add-on parts. Thanks to better frames and lighter components, however, most of them break the nine-kilo barrier and can be recommended without reservation as sports equipment for leisure cyclists. From € 2,000 upwards, carbon frames are in the majority, and occasionally there are even technical or visual highlights. The groupsets are a whole class better, which does not apply across the board to the other components. The bikes for around 3,000 euros offer good racing material suitable for everyday use with first-class carbon frames and weights of around seven kilos, but there is still no thoroughbred professional material.
The test results of these models can be found below as a PDF download:
Wheels up to 1,000 euros
- Bergamont Prime 6.4
- Bulls Harrier
- Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0
- Carver Evolution 110
- Fuji Roubaix 1.3
- Müsing Onroad Comp
- Poison Opiate XN
- Radon R1 4.0
- Rose Pro SL-2000
Wheels up to 2,000 euros
- Giant TCR Composite 1
- KTM Revelator 4000
- Merida Scultura CF 905
- Principia Evolution Team
- Radon Vaillant
- Rose Xeon CRS-3000
- Stevens Izoard
- Storck Visioner C
- Verenti Revelation SR0.3
Bikes for around 3,000 euros
- Axus Strada Evo
- Cannondale CAAD10 Black Inc.
- Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 7.0
- Focus Izalco Team SL 4.0
- Koga Kimera Road Premium
- Lapierre Xelius EFI 400 CP
- Ridley Helium
- Scott Addict 10
- Stevens Xenon Di2
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