Competition road bikes on test: Ten models between 3000 and 5000 euros
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Competition road bikes on test - Short & sweet
Who should pay for it, who has that much money? This is the question facing more and more racing cyclists who are interested in an aerodynamically optimised competition racing bike. Unfortunately, five-figure prices have become a reality for the fastest models. But there are also cheaper options, as our comparison test of race models under 5000 euros shows.
ConspicuousThe road bikes differ greatly in terms of weight and aerodynamics, which leads to large gaps in the overall scores.
These competition road bikes were included in the test
>> Benotti Fuoco Aero
>> Cervélo Soloist 105
>> Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7 eTap
>> Cube Litening Aero: C:68X Race
>> Giant Propel Advanced 1
>> Lapierre Aircode DRS 5.0
>> Merida Reacto Rival Edition
>> Ridley Noah Disc 105
>> Rose XLite 04 105
>> Storck Aerfast.4 Comp Disc Ultegra
Competition road bikes: the best list
Competition road bikes in the TOUR test
On-site appointment, Immenstaad. Ten competition bikes are waiting to be measured in the GST wind tunnel. The special feature of this late autumn test day on Lake Constance: the bikes that are about to be put to the test are comparatively affordable. In contrast to their high-end counterparts, which now usually cost more than 10,000 euros, the prices of the test models are between 3000 and 5000 euros.
Real investment for the hobby
That's still a lot of money for a road bike - especially considering that the financial burdens of life will continue to increase in the coming months and a new purchase for the hobby needs to be well considered. In addition, the manufacturers also have cheaper models in their programme, which are associated with far less development effort and costs. In the competition racing bike segment, however, you can hardly get any cheaper. But are race models up to 5000 euros even worth recommending?
Or do you have to accept too many compromises and would be better off with a bike from another category for a comparable price? Our comparison provides the answers. Ten manufacturers were able to supply test bikes, with Rose entering the race with the XLite 04 105 as the cheapest model. Around half of the candidates, such as Benotti, Canyon and Storck, reached the upper limit of our price range.
Shimano and SRAM represented
In terms of equipment, Shimano and SRAM are represented, with half of the test bikes featuring mechanical (105 and Ultegra) and half electronic (Ultegra Di2 and Rival eTap) shifting. In terms of wheels, everything from flat aluminium to high carbon rims is represented, resulting in sometimes stark differences in weight and aerodynamics.
Just under 700 grams separate the lightest (Storck) from the heaviest wheelset (Merida), and the four racers with simple aluminium rims came last in the wind tunnel. This shows once again that even the most aerodynamic frameset cannot compensate for the disadvantage of slow wheels.
Extreme weight differences
In general, there are huge differences in the two most important criteria of a competition bike - weight and aerodynamics. In a comparison test like this one, we rarely see this. The lightest competition road bikes (Cube and Storck) weigh almost 1.5 kilograms less than the heaviest model (Merida), which we had hanging on the TOUR scales at just over nine kilos.
In addition to the wheels, these jumps can be explained by the weights of the framesets, which differ by up to 400 grams. In addition, inexpensive aluminium add-on parts such as handlebars or stems are usually heavy. In total, only three candidates - significantly, the most expensive bikes with the best equipment - remain under eight kilos.
A real surprise
The Benotti is remarkable: despite having the second heaviest frameset, the bike weighs in at 7970 grams thanks to very light carbon wheels from Engage. The Rose racer, whose frameset is the cheapest and lightest (1538 grams), is a surprise. The Lapierre has the heaviest chassis (1924 grams). Compared to the top competition bikes, you have to reckon with an additional weight of up to one kilogramme in this price category.
The large differences in weight in the test field are not only reflected in the figures, they are also noticeable in the saddle. While the lightest bikes accelerate relatively quickly and can be propelled over hilly terrain, the heavier models feel rather sluggish.
Storck impresses in the wind
But back to the GST wind tunnel, where we determine the second core criterion of competition bikes alongside weight: aerodynamics, expressed as the power in watts required to ride the bike at 45 km/h. Here, the differences are even more extreme than in the overall weight. Here the differences are even more extreme than with the total weight. There is a whopping 30 watts between the fastest and the slowest racer - that's worlds apart.
The Aerfast.4 Comp achieves the impressive best value with 202 watts. Like the more expensive Pro version (TOUR 2/2022), which was one watt faster with a single chainring and no front derailleur, the bike benefits from its bold fork design. Storck was one of the first manufacturers to consistently apply the new UCI regulations and put a model in the frame whose bars are almost 80 millimetres deep at the dropouts.
In combination with the extremely flat aero cockpit, the Aerfast.4 literally cuts through the wind and catapults itself to third place among the fastest production bikes in the TOUR test. Once again, it doesn't break the sound barrier of 200 watts - Storck had determined this value for the Pro model according to its own calculations. Nevertheless, the result is impressive, as there is currently no faster road bike in the class up to 5000 euros.
Canyon follows the Storck
Close behind is Canyon's Aeroad, an old acquaintance when it comes to the list of the fastest production bikes in the world. The CF SLX 7 eTap requires a pedalling power of 206 watts for 45 km/h. The Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race completes the top trio in the price range up to 5000 euros with 207 watts.
In addition to the aerodynamically optimised tube shapes, three benefit from fast carbon wheels with 50 to 65 millimetre high rims, which perform almost identically to the reference wheelset Zipp 404 (see table below).
The Benotti Fuoco Aero (213 watts) and Giant Propel Advanced 1 (216 watts) are already one class worse than Storck, Canyon and Cube. However, the Benotti surprises once again, as it is four watts faster with the standard wheelset than with the Zipp 404. In the long history of TOUR tests in the GST wind tunnel, only a few models have managed this so far.
The other competition road bikes, i.e. half of the test field, achieve results between 220 and 232 watts. The measurements with the reference wheels show that the frames certainly have aerodynamic quality, but that the overall system with the flat wheels does not work particularly well. The Soloist 105 from Cervélo is the best example of how much can be achieved by changing the wheels.
With the Zipp 404, it improves by ten watts and thus advances into the midfield. Lapierre Aircode DRS 5.0, Merida Reacto Rival-Edition (eight watts each) and Rose XLite 04 105 (seven watts) also make a leap forward with the faster set-up - although the top ten of the fastest production bikes are still a long way off.
Competition racing bikes increasingly comfortable
In terms of ride comfort - competition road bikes are catching up more and more in this criterion compared to marathon bikes thanks to specially designed seat posts - the candidates deliver the expected and are at a similar level. The outlier at the top is the Rose, which irons out bumps in the style of a marathon bike. The Merida and Ridley also absorb bumps very well.
The outlier at the bottom is the Storck, which is tuned extremely hard and transmits vibrations to the rider relatively unfiltered. The bikes hardly differ in terms of handling either, offering a successful mix of directional stability and agility. In terms of stiffness, Benotti, Canyon, Cervélo and Storck have slight weaknesses in the fork, but these are not noticeable during the ride.
Cube scratches at the top club
After our tests in the wind tunnel, laboratory and practice, the verdict is mixed. Overall, only very few bikes offer a convincing all-round package as competition equipment. In terms of aerodynamics, some fall short of the current state of the art, although all of them are touted for their aero qualities. Only Canyon, Cube and Storck can really score points in this criterion and thus earn the best marks.
Nevertheless, there are some positive surprises. On the one hand, the Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race takes the test victory. With an overall score of 1.5, it is only just behind the elite club of the best bikes in the TOUR test history, which currently consists of the four top models from Canyon, Giant, Scott and Specialized. On the other: The Storck Aerfast.4 Comp is the only road bike for less than 5000 euros that can break into the top three of the fastest production road bikes in the world.
And last but not least: The Rose XLite 04 105 performs very respectably as the cheapest bike in the test - with a little wheel tuning, it becomes a serious racing machine. All in all, faster wheels would be a recommendation for most models - if it weren't for the price: fast carbon wheels are now hardly available for less than 1000 euros. Unfortunately, the dream of a fast and inexpensive competition road bike is soon over.
Competition road bikes: advantage through wheel tuning?
In order to exclude the influence of the wheels and to be able to categorise the performance of the frameset, we measure the aerodynamics of each test bike with a reference wheelset in addition to the standard equipment. Since the switch to disc brakes, this is a Zipp 404 Firecrest (model year 2018), fitted with Continental tyres (Grand Prix 5000) with a width of 25 millimetres.
The wheels are already a few years old, but aerodynamically still at the top level: Cervélo, Lapierre and Merida benefit considerably.
NeverthelessTwo competition road bikes - the Storck and the Benotti - work so harmoniously in their standard set-up that they don't get any faster with the reference wheelset.
Julian Schultz
Editor
