Spring took a long time to arrive this year. But when the thermometer finally climbed to 20 degrees in some regions - at least for two days - on the last weekend in March, there was no stopping legions of racing cyclists. "Get on your bike" was the motto for these lucky people. Only those who didn't yet own a racing bike were out of luck. If you belong to this unfortunate group: Take a look around this small, fine test field. You are sure to find a suitable partner among the 14 candidates that will not only accompany you wonderfully on your first spring tours, but far beyond.
We chose the price window of 1,100 to 1,300 euros for a reason. It opens up in the specialised trade for racing bikes with modern braking and shifting technology that weigh less than nine kilos; a racing bike should no longer be heavier today. Some manufacturers already fit complete mid-range groupsets in this price category, such as Shimano's perennial bestseller Ultegra or the now almost equivalent 105 combo. Occasionally, you can even find really high-end components that you would expect to find on bikes twice as expensive
SHORT AND SHORT
The gap between the winners and runners-up in a test field has rarely been smaller. There is not even half a mark between the best - Ghost and Müsing - and Carver and Felt at the bottom of the competition. There is therefore no real failure in the test - apart from the Focus bike, which is not rated due to a safety-related defect. Nevertheless, it is worth taking a closer look. Where differences are small, details can make the difference. For example, the harmonious design of the Cube; or the top tyres of the Hai and KTM.
You can find these models in the PDF download:
Bergamont Dolce 6.8
Carver Evolution Two
Cube Streamer
Felt F75
Focus Variado Expert
Ghost Race 6500 C
Shark Q Race 105
Koga Team Edition
KTM Strada 2000
Merida Road Race 905-Com
Müsing Lite Onroad
Quantec Basic
Trenga De SLR 105
Univega Via Modena Pro
NOTE: Please also read the article "Focus on impellers", which contains Shimano's statement on the Focus Variado Expert test bike.
Downloads:
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