All of the major brands have announced new road bikes for 2019 and here are 10 of the most eye-catching.

Loads of the new road bikes that have been revealed over the past few months are equipped with disc brakes and that's reflected here. There are certainly new rim brake designs being released, and we've included several, but big brands are concentrating their research and development on disc brake bikes because that's the way they believe the market is heading.

Most of the new bikes we've included here are pretty expensive. That's because new releases tend to be pricey before the technology gradually trickles down the range over time.

Don't worry if your favourite new bike isn't included; we'll have more 2019 bike roundups on road.cc over the next few weeks.

Check out all of our road bike reviews

Cannondale SystemSix £3,499.99-£8,499.99

Cannondale claims that its new SystemSix, available only with disc brakes, is “the world’s fastest UCI-legal road bike”, largely thanks to an aerodynamic performance that has been honed in CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and the wind tunnel.

Cannondale says that it has tailored the airfoil profiles of the various parts of the frame “with differing degrees of truncation designed to maintain flow attachment across important yaw angles to minimise drag”.

The £3,499.99 SystemSix Carbon Ultegra comes with Fulcrum Racing 400 DB wheels and a Shimano Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes.

Get all the tech details on the Cannondale SystemSix

Read about our first ride aboard the Cannondale SystemSix

Find a Cannondale dealer

Specialized Venge £6,250-£10,000

Specialized has radically redesigned its Venge aero road bike for 2019, giving it an all-new frame and fork that's compatible only with disc brakes and electronic gears – meaning that there are no complete bikes available for less than £6,250. Gulp!

The new Venge is lighter and faster than the previous version but we found that it's the much-improved handling and stiffness that most sets it apart.

Get all the tech details on the Specialized Venge

Check out our Specialized Venge first ride report

Find a Specialized dealer

Look 795 Blade RS £TBC

The new Look 795 Blade RS aero road bike features truncated aero section tubes, an invisible seatpost clamp and an integrated aero cockpit. The seatstays are long and curved and there's no brake bridge between them. The design is intended to allow some vertical movement for increased comfort and traction. The bike is available in both rim brake and disc brake versions.

Get the full story of the Look 795 Blade RS

Find a Look dealer

Giant Defy £1,999-£4,499

The latest version of Giant’s hugely popular endurance road bike has wider tyre clearance than previously (up to 32mm), tubeless tyres and D-Fuse handlebars that are designed to provide extra compliance. The Defy Advanced Pro 0 also comes with Giant’s new Power Pro dual-sided power meter, which looks like a great deal for £4,499.

Get all the tech details on the new Giant Defy

Read about our first ride on the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0

Find a Giant dealer

3T Strada Due (frameset) £3,699

The Strada aero road bike was initially designed with a single chainring transmission in mind but 3T has now added the Strada Due to the lineup, giving you the option of fitting an electronic groupset with a double chainring. The seat tube has also been beefed up a little to support the use of the front mech, but that change aside it's the same as the original Strada.

Read our report on the launch of the 3T Strada Due

Check out our first ride on the 3T Strada Due

Find a 3T dealer

Trek Madone SLR £5,500-£10,550

Trek's new Madone road bike comes with adjustable IsoSpeed (a system that decouples the seat tube from the top tube to smooth the ride) and an updated geometry.

Read our guide to Trek's 2019 road bike range

The rim brake bikes are slightly lighter than the newly introduced disc brake models, but Trek says there's no aerodynamic penalty in going for discs.

The Madone SLR is a high-end option, even the most affordable rim brake option, the SLR 6 P1, is £5,500.

Read our report on the new Trek Madone here

Check out our guide to Trek's 2019 range

Find a Trek dealer

Triban RC 500 & RC 520 £529-£729

A cheap entry on a list of the hottest bikes? Why not? Decathlon has added two new disc-braked models in the popular Triban range and they look like exceptional value for money. The £530 Triban RC 500 and £730 Triban RC 520 share the new Evo 18 6061 aluminium frame, with a tall head tube, steeply sloping top tube, fittings for racks and mudguards and clearance for tyres up to 40mm wide.

These are deeply practical bikes, but they’re not unexciting. It might take a little while to wind them up to speed but once there they boom along very nicely!

Get all the details of the new Triban RC 500 and RC 520

Find a Triban dealer

Genesis Zero SL Disc £2,699.99

Genesis has added disc brake versions of its Zero SL carbon fibre race bike for 2019, with 12mm thru-axles and flat mount disc brakes. The aggressive geometry is unaltered.

You can buy the frameset for £1,699.99 or pay £2,699.99 for the complete bike with Shimano's second-tier Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes.

Check out our first look at the Genesis Zero SL Disc

Find a Genesis dealer

Colnago C64 £4,099.95-£4,599 (frameset)

The updated Colnago C64 builds on the success of its predecessor with a raft of refinements that bring enhanced stiffness, comfort and clearance for wider tyres. It isn't so much a revolution as an evolution, and it's the best C series yet, and one of a handful of bikes still made in Italy.

"Smooth, fast, light, surefooted, fun... the C64 is one of the nicest bikes I've had the pleasure to review," said our David Arthur, and he's a man with exacting standards!

Read our review of the Colnago C64 frameset

Find a Colnago dealer

Ridley Noah Fast £5,459-£8,189

Ridley has redesigned its top-level aero road bike with channels towards the front edge of the tubing that are designed to act as vortex generators to reduce drag. The fork integrates with the frame, the seatpost clamp is hidden from the airflow and an integrated handlebar/stem is fitted up front. The cabling is internally routed through the bar/stem and Ridley claims a weight saving of about 250g over the previous Noah. Both rim brake and disc brake versions are available.

Find a Ridley dealer

Giant has a huge lineup of bikes and components covering all areas of cycling, and its road bikes range from £579 to £8,999 so there's something for pretty much every budget.

The vast number of models might seem daunting at first but the range is structured logically so it’s easy to work out the best choice for you.

One quick tip before we start is that the word 'Advanced' in a model name means that the frame is carbon-fibre.

All of Giant's road bikes feature groupsets from Shimano. The lower the number included in a bike name the higher the quality of the components. The TCR Advanced Pro 1 has a higher spec than the TCR Advanced Pro 2, for example, and the TCR Advanced Pro 0 has a higher level again.

Giant also has a women’s specific brand called Liv that offers an impressively large range.

TCR Advanced range

The TCR Advanced models are performance road bikes that are designed to be lightweight, stiff and agile, roughly the equivalent of a Trek Emonda or Specialized Tarmac.

All the TCR models are made from carbon-fibre of various grades, and they come in race geometries: low and stretched.

Giant updated the frames of all of the TCR models for the 2016 model year, the idea being to offer the best stiffness-to-weight possible, and added disc-braked models to the range. We wouldn't be surprised to see Giant reveal a revamped TCR some time in 2019.

TCR Advanced SL

Whereas brands like Trek, Merida and Bianchi have all introduced superlight race bikes to the market recently and other brands have concentrated on improving aerodynamic efficiency, Giant has gone after stiffness-to-weight as a means of offering efficiency.

The TCR Advanced SL is the flagship frameset in the range with a claimed frame weight of 856g and a claimed fork weight of 302g. It’s the brand’s lightest road frameset ever.

Giant says that the TCR Advanced SL comes out higher than any of its competitors in both a frameset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test and a frameset and wheelset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test, although other brands would doubtless dispute this.

When we got the chance to ride the TCR Advanced SL we described it as “an amazingly stiff race bike that’ll suit aggressive riders who prioritise all-out efficiency and super-sharp cornering in their efforts to get to the finish line first”.

Mixing seated riding with out of the saddle stuff for the steeper bits of our test rides, the bottom bracket was locked in place. It was the same deal in sprints: solid. If you’re a powerful rider who finds some bikes just a bit flexy when you get serious, give the TCR Advanced SL a go.

Read our First Ride report on the Giant TCR Advanced SL here.

It’s available as a rim brake frameset (£1,999), or in four complete bike builds: two with rim brakes and two with disc brakes. The disc brake frames use 12mm thru-axles front and rear.

The Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 (above, £3,499) is built up with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and Giant’s own SLR 1 wheels, while the Advanced SL 1 (£4,999) has the Di2 (electronic) version of Ultegra and SLR 1 wheels.

The Advanced SL1 Disc (£5,499) is the same but with the addition of Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes while the TCR Advanced SL 0 Dura-Ace (above, £7,999) comes with the Di2 (electronic) version of Shimano's top-level road groupset.

Buy if: You’re after a lightweight and stiff race bike and you’re willing to pay a significant amount of money.

TCR Advanced Pro

Although it’s made from a different grade of composite, many of the TCR Advanced SL’s features are carried over to the TCR Advanced Pro. Giant says that it trimmed weight from this bike in 2016 without sacrificing stiffness.

A wholesale slimming down took place. Giant reduced the profile size of the top tube, seatstays, chainstays, seatpost and fork legs, and made the walls a more consistent thickness than before to minimise excess weight. The lower headset bearing was shifted up slightly so that it’s more in line with the down tube.

The TCR Advanced Pro is available as a frameset (both rim brake and disc brake versions) and in seven different builds. The most accessible of these is the TCR Advanced Pro 2 (£2,399) that’s built up with a mid-level Shimano 105 groupset and Giant’s SLR 1 wheels. The TCR Advanced Pro 2 is available with disc brakes for £200 extra.

The TCR Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,799) is next up with a Shimano Ultegra group and SLR 1 wheels. This is available in a Team Sunweb finish as well as a standard paintjob, and with disc brakes — again for an additional £200.

At the top of the range you'll find the TCR Advanced Pro 0 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 components and SLR 1 wheels. The rim brake model is £4,299 while the disc brake version is £4,499.

Read more: Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 review

Buy if: You’re performance minded and prioritise frame stiffness.

TCR Advanced

The TCR Advanced (without an SL or Pro suffix) also got a lightened frameset for 2016 as well as a new Variant seatpost that’s designed to improve the ride quality and keep you feeling comfortable.

Like the other TCRs, the Advanced is built to Giant’s Compact Road Design. Essentially, this means that the top tube slopes downwards along its length and the frame triangles are smaller than usual. Giant says that this makes for a lighter, stiffer and smoother ride.

We wouldn’t say the Compact Road Design is inherently better than a traditional configuration, but some people do prefer it, especially because it gives you a lower standover height and a lot of exposed seatpost to soak up vibrations from the road.

The cheapest TCR Advanced is the Shimano Tiagra-equipped TCR Advanced 3 (above) which is available only with rim brakes (£1,299). The TCR Advanced 2, with Shimano 105 components, comes in rim brake (£1,499) and disc brake (£1,749) options, as does the TCR Advanced 1 (below, £1,799 and £1,999), with parts from Shimano's Ultegra range.

The disc brakes in question are Giant's Conduct hydraulic design. They're actually cable operated with a mechanical-to-hydraulic converter.

Find out more about the entire TCR Advanced range here.

Buy if: You’re looking for a high performance bike with reasonably accessible pricing.

Propel range

Whereas the TCR bikes are designed for stiffness-to-weight, the Propels are all about aerodynamics. In that sense, they’re competitors to the Trek Madone, for instance, the Merida Reacto and the Canyon Aeroad.

All Propels are built around carbon-fibre frames, although the grade of carbon varies across the range.

You'll notice that there's a large difference in price between a Propel with rim brakes and one with disc brakes and an otherwise similar spec. This is because Giant introduced a brand new disc brake Propel for model year 2018 whereas the rim brake Propels are built to an older design. It's not just the brakes that are different, it's the frameset technology. For that reason we'll divide them up here into rim brake and disc brake models.

Propel Advanced Pro

The Propel Advanced Pro's frame tubes have been designed with aerodynamics in mind, so you get a very deep down tube and a seat tube that’s cut away around the leading edge of the rear wheel – both features common to many other aero road bikes.

The Propel Advanced Pro is available in three different builds, The Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped Propel Advanced Pro 0 (£4,499) is the top of the line, but the Propel Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,999) looks the pick of the bunch in terms of value. It comes with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Giant’s own 55mm deep SLR 1 Aero wheels. The range is completed by the Propel Advanced Pro 2 (£2,799) with Shimano 105 components.

Buy if: You're looking for an aero road bike with a proven frame and rim brakes.

Propel Advanced

The Propel Advanced is made from same grade of carbon-fibre as the Propel Advanced Pro but the fork comes with an alloy steerer rather than being a full-carbon design. That really doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

The Propel Advanced 2 (above) is good value. This bike comes with Shimano’s mid-level 105 groupset and the price is the same as it was last year: £1,599.

If you want deep section wheels, though, you need to go up to the Propel Advanced 0 (£2,999). This comes with Giant’s SL 1 Aero wheels and a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset.

Buy if: You're after aerodynamic efficiency and want to stick with rim brakes.

Propel Advanced Disc

Giant added disc brakes to the Propel Advanced lineup in 2018, claiming that the flagship model, the Propel Advanced SL Disc, has the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any bike in its class and a lower drag coefficient at a wider range of yaw angles than the rim brake Propel.

“One of the key breakthroughs is a new truncated ellipse airfoil shape – a design that lowers drag at a wider range of wind angles than traditional teardrop frame tubing,” says Giant. “Engineers also found that, with proper integration, a disc-brake design can actually improve aero performance compared to rim-brake configurations.”

You also get a combined aero handlebar and stem with internal cable routing, and aero wheelsets with different rim depths front and rear, the idea being to reduce drag without compromising control or power transmission.

Two models are built around the top level Propel Advanced SL Disc frame, the less expensive of them (above), at £5,899, being equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2 components.

The Propel Advanced Pro Disc frame is made with a slightly lower grade of carbon and it has a seatpost that's separate to the frame as opposed to the Propel Advanced SL Disc's integrated seatpost design. It has the same Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, though, and is £1,000 cheaper at £4,899.

The Propel Advanced Disc uses the same grade of carbon as the Pro Disc but with an alloy steerer rather than a full carbon fork. Built up with a Shimano 105 groupset, the Propel Advanced 2 Disc (above) is priced £2,299 while £2,999 gets you the Propel Advanced 1 Disc with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset.

Read our review of the Giant Propel Advanced Disc.

Buy if: You want an aero road bike with even lower drag than its rim brake equivalent.

Defy range

The Defy is Giant’s carbon-fibre endurance/sportive road bike lineup, designed to be comfortable over long distances while still providing plenty of speed.

A Defy has a shorter top tube than an equivalent TCR, for example, and a taller head tube to put you into a ride position that’s a bit more relaxed and back-friendly. Specialized takes a similar approach with its Roubaix bikes, Cannondale offers its Synapse range, and many other brands have their equivalents. All Defy bikes have disc brakes.

Giant has redesigned its Defy bikes for 2019, the latest models coming with clearance for 32mm tyres, and tubeless tyres fitted as standard. The bikes also get D-Fuse handlebars that, like the existing D-Fuse seatposts, are designed to allow a small amount of movement to absorb shock and vibrations.

Find out more about the new Giant Defy design here.

Defy Advanced Pro

The Defy Advanced Pro bikes are built around frames and forks made of Giant's Advanced Grade carbon composite. The most affordable model is the Defy Advanced Pro 2 (£2,799). This one has Shimano’s highly rated 105 groupset and an aluminium Contact SL D-Fuse handlebar.

Pay £3,199 for the Defy Advanced Pro 1 (above) and you'll get an upgrade to Shimano Ultegra and a carbon Contact SLR D-Fuse handlebar, while the Defy Advanced Pro 0 (£4,499) jumps up to Shimano Ultegra Di2. The big news, though, is that this top-of-the-range model is fitted with a Giant Power Pro double sided power meter.

Read our first ride report on the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0.

Buy if: You prioritise comfort and want the assurance of hydraulic disc brakes.

Defy Advanced

The three Defy Advanced models are equipped with Giant's Conduct hydraulic disc brakes, cable operated with a converter attached to the stem.

The Defy Advanced 3 (£1,499) has Shimano’s fourth tier Tiagra components – great stuff that benefits from technology that has trickled down from higher level groupsets.

Check out our review of the 2017 Giant Defy Advanced 3.

We’d still be tempted to pay £200 extra and get the Defy Advanced 2 (above, £1,699) with Shimano 105, though.

The Defy Advanced 1 (£1,999) is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Read our Shimano Tiagra 4700 First Ride review here.

Buy if: You want a bike for comfortably racking up the miles.

Contend

The aluminium-framed Contend models are built to geometries that are similar to those of the carbon fibre Defy bikes (above) and they also come with tapered head tubes and steerers for accurate steering, and slim seatposts that are designed to damp vibration.

There are three flavours of Contend: Contend, Contend SL and Contend SL Disc.

If you're in the market for a bike at the typical Cycle To Work Scheme threshold of £1,000, the Contend SL 2 Disc (£999, above) is good value with Shimano Tiagra components and Giant's own Conduct disc brakes.

If you're a fan of lightweight aluminium-framed bikes, then the Contend SL models are well worth a look. When we reviewed the Contend SL1 (£999) we called it a "balanced and assured aluminium endurance bike equally suited to long rides at pace and commuter pothole-bashing".

"The Giant Contend SL 1 is an absolutely spot-on all-day ride," we said. "It's a comfortable and versatile sportive/endurance bike with a dependable feel that encourages you to keep going and just do those extra few miles."

The entry-level model in the range is the Contend 2 (£579, above) with components drawn largely from Shimano’s 8-speed Claris groupset.

Check out our guide to Shimano’s road bike groupsets here.

Read our review of the Giant Contend SL 1.

Buy if: You want the comfort of an endurance road bike and you don’t necessarily feel the need for discs.

Enviliv

The designed-for-women Enviliv (formerly called Envie) bikes are branded Liv rather than Giant, and they’re essentially women’s versions of Propels. Like the Propels, they’re divided up into different categories. There’s no SL version but there are Enviliv Advanced and Advanced Pro models.

The cheapest model is the £1,599 Enviliv Advanced 2 (above) with a Shimano 105 groupset, while the top-level rim brake model is the Enviliv Advanced Pro (£3,149) with Shimano Ultegra components.

The most affordable of the three disc brake models is the £3,499 Enviliv Advanced Pro 2 Disc with dependable Shimano 105 parts and Giant's SLR-1 Aero wheels.

Buy if: You want an aero road bike in a women’s-specific geometry.

Liv Langma

Langma is a range of women’s-specific carbon-framed road race bikes, designed to be lightweight and efficient.

The Shimano Tiagra-equipped Langma Advanced 3 (above) is available in a rim brake version only (£1,299) while the Langma Advanced 2, which steps up to Shimano 105 components, comes in both rim brake (£1,499) and disc brake (£1,749) models. The same is true of the Advanced 1 which is kitted out in Shimano Ultegra (£1,799 and £1,999).

The Langma Advanced Pro bikes use the same Advanced Grade composite but get a slightly different headset system and a full-carbon fork rather than a fork with an aluminium steerer. The more affordable of the rim brake models is Langma Advanced Pro 1 (above, £2,799) with a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

There are three Langma Advanced Pro Disc bikes this year, with thru axles and hydraulic disc brakes. The cheapest of these is the Liv Langma Advanced Pro 2 Disc (above, £2,599) which has Shimano 105 components. This bike isn't available in a rim brake format.

The top level Langma platform is the Advanced SL, made from a higher grade of carbon and available only with rim brakes. The Langma Advanced SL 1 (£4,999) has a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset while the £7,999 Langma Advanced SL 0 (above) is equipped with super-slick Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.

Buy if: You want a women’s-specific carbon-framed road race bike that's designed to be lightweight and efficient.

Liv Avail

The Liv Avail bikes are pretty much women’s versions of the Giant Defys and Contends. It’s a large range containing 10 different models, covering both carbon-fibre Advanced models and aluminium-framed bikes.

There are six aluminium Avails, four of them with rim brakes and the other two with discs. Both the Avail SL 2 Disc (above, £999) and the Avail SL 1 Disc (£1,249) are fitted with Giant's own Conduct hydraulic disc brakes.

The rim-braked aluminium Avails start with the Avail 2 (above, £599) — the women's equivalent of the Contend 2 — and go up to the Avail SL 1 (£999) with Shimano's 105 components.

Top of the carbon fibre Avails is the Avail Advanced Pro (above, £2,999) with a Shimano Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes. All of the other Avail Advanced bikes are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes too.

Buy if: You’re after an endurance road bike that’s made especially for women.

AnyRoad

​The AnyRoads are really interesting bikes that are designed for riding both on asphalt and on rougher roads – gravel, towpaths, forest tracks, that kind of thing. Many other manufacturers are producing bikes that are similarly versatile: GT makes the Grade, for example, and Jamis has the Renegade.

The AnyRoad is built with a tall head tube for a fairly upright riding position, and comes with 32mm tyres for grip and comfort on less than perfect road surfaces.

There are two aluminium-framed AnyRoads, the cheapest of which is the AnyRoad 2 (above, £899) with a Shimano Sora groupset and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes.

The AnyRoad Advanced (above, £1,799) has a full carbon frame. This one has a Shimano Tiagra groupset and Giant's Conduct cable operated hydraulic disc brakes (using a mechanical-to-hydraulic converter).

Buy if: You want a relaxed geometry bike that’s capable of riding on smooth and not-so-smooth roads.

The 2019 Giant and Liv range

All of the big brands have aero road bikes in the range these days, most in both rim brake and disc brake options. 

Aero road bikes essentially draw aerodynamic features from time trial bikes into a road frame, and balance the demands of weight and stiffness into a package that, on paper, looks to be the ideal all-round choice.

You're always working against air resistance when you ride your bike; the higher the speed the more significant it gets. Although most of that air resistance results from you — your body and what you're wearing — a significant chunk is acting against your bike, hence the development of aero road bikes that are designed to produce the minimum of drag.

Here are some of the best aero road bikes of 2019. We'll run part 2 — featuring the likes of Specialized, Colnago, BMC, Ridley and 3T — next week.

Find out which is more important, aerodynamics or a light weight

Cannondale SystemSix £3,499.99-£8,499.99 

Cannondale described the disc brake-only SystemSix as the "fastest bike in the world" when it was revealed in July 2018. It also said that the SystemSix is more than an aero bike, although there's certainly a massive focus on aero efficiency here.

Read about our first ride on the Cannondale SystemSix 
Find a Cannondale dealer 

Cervelo S5 Disc £4,899-£9,699 

The updated Cervelo S5 features a V-shaped stem integrated into a new fork that's fully external. According to Cervelo, the stem reduces drag by allowing unimpeded airflow along the top tube. The aero-shaped down tube has a cutaway leading edge to allow it to sit close to the front wheel in order to manage the airflow in that area.

Get all the details on the Cervelo S5 Disc here 
Find a Cervelo dealer 

Bianchi Aria £2,300-£4,200

Bianchi's Aria, available with either rim brakes or disc brakes, is an efficient aero road bike that handles sharply. Although hardly a budget option, it comes in a variety of builds and is a more accessible than any of the brand's Oltres.

Check out our Bianchi Aria review 
Read our review of the Bianchi Aria Disc 
Find a Bianchi dealer 

Giant Propel £1,599-£8,999

You can still buy a Propel with rim brakes but the latest update is a disc-brake only design that Giant says is more aerodynamically efficient than any of its predecessors. It's stiff and efficient and available in a wide variety of builds to suit different budgets.

See our review of the Giant Propel Advanced Disc
Read our guide to Giant's 2019 range 
Find a Giant dealer 

Orro Venturi £2,199.99-£3,299.99

The Venturi is a disc brake-only design with 12mm thru axles front and rear. The frame is optimised for 28mm-wide tyres and uses spread tow carbon from Sigmatex — flat and wide unidirectional tapes that are designed to reduce weight and increase stiffness.

Find an Orro dealer 

Vitus ZX1 Disc £1,999.99-£4,199.99 

The ZX1, available only with disc brakes, is a fast and smooth carbon bike that handles superbly. You get Kammtail shaped tube profiles, a fork crown that's recessed into the frame, an aero seatpost and internal cable routing to reduce drag. It offers good value for money in a race-ready package.

Read our review of the Vitus ZX1 CRi Aero Disc Ultegra Di2 
Buy a Vitus 

Pinarello Dogma F10 £4,499-£4,699 (frameset)

The Dogma F10 — both rim brake and disc brake models are available — might not be a full-on aero road bike like some here but it certainly has aero features such as a flatback down tube profile that's designed to smooth the airflow over the water bottle, and fins behind the fork dropouts to reduce drag around the quick release lever.

Read all about the Pinarello Dogma F10 here
Find a Pinarello dealer

Merida Reacto £1,000-£8,250

Merida's Reacto aero road bikes have slim tube shapes, a low seatstay connection and, in some cases, a one-piece cockpit. They're available in two different geometries and in both disc brake and rim brake models. Merida claims the difference in aero efficiency between rim brake and disc models is less than one watt at 45km/h (28mph).

Find out all about the Merida Reacto here 
Read our review of the Merida Reacto Disc Team-E
Find a Merida dealer 

Rose Xeon CW £2,132-£4,809 

You tend to get a lot for your money by buying direct from Rose, the rim brake version of the Xeon CW aero bike coming with Shimano's second tier Ultegra groupset for £2,132. The disc brake model is just over £300 more expensive.

Buy a Rose 

Ribble Aero 883 £1,399-£6,761 

One of the best things about buying from Ribble is that you can use its online Bike Builder system to select the parts you want based on your preferences and budget. You can go all the way up to a Sram Red eTap groupset, a Quarq DZero power meter and Zipp 404 wheels if you have the cash.

Buy a Ribble 

Scott Foil £2,499-£10,999

The Scott Foil has been known for its versatility over the past few years and these days it's available in both rim brake and disc brake guises. The most affordable rim brake option, with Shimano 105 components, is £2,499 while disc brake models start at £3,199.

Find a Scott dealer 

Boardman Air £1,750-£6,000 

The Air bikes feature truncated airfoil tube profiles that are deeper and narrower than those that you’ll find on most other aero road bikes, while the cutaway section of the seat tube is designed to work best with 25mm-wide tyres although there’s space for 28s if you prefer.

Read our review of the Boardman Elite Air 9.2 
Find a Boardman dealer 

Canyon Aeroad £2,449-£6,349

With its Trident 2.0 tube profiles (essentially a cut-off aerofoil, Kamm tail shape) and skinny head tube and fork blades, the Aeroad has been one of the benchmark aero road bikes of the past few years. You also get predictable handling and plenty of comfort thrown in.

Read our Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2 review
Buy a Canyon 

Trek Madone SLR £5,500-£10,550 

Trek's 2019 Madones are hugely updated with a new geometry. The SLR range comes with adjustable IsoSpeed and the option of disc brakes. The rim brake version is lighter but there's no aerodynamic penalty in opting for discs, according to Trek.

Read our story on the new Trek Madone range here
Check out our guide to Trek's 2019 road bike range 
Find a Trek dealer

Although there are ever more disc brake-equipped race bikes out there in the shops, most disc brake road bikes produced at the moment are endurance/sportive bikes or all-rounders that are bought by people who simply want the reassurance of all-weather stopping power. The bikes below are a mixture of styles, frame materials and prices so check through and find out what takes your interest.

Check out 12 of 2018’s hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

The lines between bike categories have never been more blurred, but we've tried to keep this selection to bikes that are intended entirely or primarily for use on Tarmac. Of course where you ride has as much to do with rider skill as with how fat a tyre your frame will take, but these are bikes for long days in the lanes in sportives, Audaxes, and big rides with friends rather than for exploring dirt roads and trails.

If you want something more versatile, take a look at our guide to the best 2018 gravel & adventure bikes, which covers this super-versatile and still-developing category.

Boardman ASR 8.9 —£1,300

The Boardman ASR, or "all season road", is a really good value package that offers a relaxed ride with the classic looks and feel of steel, the modern convenience of hydraulic discs brakes, and clearance for wide tyres. It does fine duty as an all-weather commuter or as a bike for long day rides. Eating up long, steady miles in comfort is what the ASR does best.

The 8.9 arrives ready for winter, with mudguards fitted to the Reynolds 725 steel frame, 28mm Vittoria tyres, plus reflective frame details ticking all the boxes for commuting through the rough British weather. Remove the mudguards and the bike easily has clearance for wider tyres, so it also fits the bill for summer towpath pootling and brief gravel forays. There's a full Shimano 105 groupset here with hydraulic disc brakes, and Boardman's own bar and tubeless-ready wheels, so with, say, 28mm road tyres like Schwalbe Ones it's as capable an Audax or club-run bike as it is a commuter.

Read our review of the Boardman ASR 8.9
Find a Boardman dealer

Canyon Endurace — £1,349-£5,899

Canyon's wildly popular Endurace bikes went disc-equipped a couple of years ago, and are all the better for it. The models span one the biggest price ranges here, from £1,169 for the Shimano Tiagra-equipped Endurace Wmn 7.0 AL Disc up to the £6,249 Endurace CF SLX Disc 9.0 Ltd with SRAM eTap wireless shifting and DT Swiss carbon fibre wheels.

Read our review of the Canyon Endurace CF SLX 9.0

BMC Roadmachine — £1,700-£9,900

BMC’s Roadmachines are disc-braked fast endurance machines with room for at least 28mm tyres. The range includes aluminium and carbon fibre frames, with a range of equipment from Shimano Tiagra to SRAM Red eTap. The arrival of 2019 bikes such as the new top-model Roadmachine 01 ONE means there are some good deals available on 2018 bikes at the moment.

Find out more about BMC’s Roadmachine range here
Find a BMC dealer

Focus Paralane 2019 — £1,659-£4,099

​The six-bike Paralane range starts with the £1,659 aluminium-framed Paralane 6.9 with Shimano 105 components and goes up to the £4,099 carbon-framed Paralane 9.9 with Shimano Ultegra Di2. Long-ride features include comfort-enhancing tube profiles and carbon layup, a skinny seatpost and 28mm tyres, that together provide a smooth ride that is up there with the best in this category. It isolates you from the worst road buzz but without completely detaching you from the road entirely. It's a really good balance for those who want some feedback from the surface without being shaken to pieces.

Read our review of the Focus Paralane Ultegra
Find a Focus dealer

Whyte Wessex — £2,199-£3,799

Fast and sporty, with all the practicality and dependability of hydraulic disc brakes, wide tyres and space for full-length mudguards, the Whyte Wessex is a bike that is up to the task of taking on the roughest roads and toughest weather.

If you put racing to one side, it's all the bike you really need for year-round riding in the UK, fast enough for sportives and pacy training runs, comfortable and reliable for grinding out winter miles, and at home on longer commutes. Only a British company could design a bike that is absolutely, perfectly, 100 per cent suited to the demands of year-round UK road cycling.

Read our review of the Whyte Wessex
Find a Whyte dealer

Giant Contend SL Disc — £999-£1,249

The Giant Contend SL Disc bikes feature an Aluxx SL frameset, D-Fuse seatpost that’s designed to add comfort and Giant Conduct hydraulic disc brakes. You get mechanical shifters with a cable to hydraulic converter at the front of the stem. It's a nifty solution to avoiding the (more expensive) Shimano shifters but the jury's out on the aesthetics of the converter.

Check out our first look at the Giant Contend SL range
Read our guide to Giant’s 2019 range
Find a Giant dealer

Vitus Zenium — £719.99-£1,279.99

Vitus’s four Zenium bikes are all disc-equipped and you get to choose between frames made from 6061 and 7046 aluminium alloy.

The £1,299.99 (now £949.99) Zenium SL VR Disc comes with a Shimano 105 groupset, Shimano RS-505 hydraulic disc brakes and DT Swiss E1800 Spline 23 wheels, while the Tiagra-equipped base model, imaginatively called the Zenium Disc Tiagra has just been reduced to £630, which makes it a bit of a bargain.

Read our review of the 2017 Vitus Zenium SL Disc
Vitus bikes are available through Chain Reaction Cycles

Wilier Cento10NDR 2019 — £7,999

Wilier’s Cento10NDR endurance road bike is designed to take either rim brakes or disc brakes – you get mount points for both. It also features what’s called an ‘Actiflex’ system on the rear triangle with stays that flex, a pivot at the top of the seatstays and an elastomer shock damper, the idea being to provide a few millimetres of rear wheel travel in order to isolate the rider from the ground and add comfort.

The chainstays are bonded to the bottom bracket shell in the usual way, the Actiflex system relying, as the name suggests, on flex in the stays in order to work.

The dropouts of both the frame and fork are replaceable so you can run the bike with standard quick release skewers or 142 x 12mm thru axles.

Find out more about the Wilier Cento10NDR here
Find a Wilier dealer

Trek Domane Disc — £1,260-£8,750

Trek’s Domane range includes different framesets in aluminium and carbon fibre, and all of the disc-equipped models feature an IsoSpeed decoupler that allows the seat tube to move relative to the top tube and seatstays, so the saddle can move downwards (and a little backwards), providing more give and adding comfort to the ride.

More expensive models get a front IsoSpeed system designed to increase comfort and control, along with adjustment to the rear IsoSpeed decoupler. A lot of technology goes into keeping you comfortable!

Read our guide to Trek’s 2018 road bike range here
Have a look at the Trek Domane here
Find a Trek dealer

Specialized Roubaix £1,499-£8,750

Specialized’s carbon-fibre Roubaix bikes feature a suspension damper housed in the top of the head tube that aims to isolate the handlebar from bumps and cobbles. It's called Future Shock, provides up to 20mm of suspension travel and can be adjusted to suit different rider weights.

The Roubaix is a disc-only bike these days, uses thru-axles front and rear, and has space for 32mm tyres.

Check out Specialized’s 2019 road bike range here
Find a Specialized dealer

Cannondale Synapse Disc — £850-£7,800

Cannondale offers both aluminium and carbon-fibre versions of its Synapse endurance bike. The cheapest of the aluminium models is just £849.99, built up with Shimano’s dependable Sora groupset and Promax mechanical disc brakes.

At the other end of the range, the Synapse Hi-Mod Disc with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components is priced at £7,799.99.

Read our coverage of the Cannondale Synapse Disc launch
Read our review of the £2,699 2016 Cannondale Synapse Ultegra Disc
Find a Cannondale dealer

Scott Addict Disc — £1,649-£3,599

Scott’s carbon fibre Addict Disc bikes are built to an endurance geometry and they’re said to be both lighter and stiffer than the Solace models that they replace. They come with 32mm wide tyres for plenty of comfort. All six models — three men's and three women's — use Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

Find a Scott dealer

Rose Team GF 4 Disc — from £1,995.74-£2,812.56

The Team GF 4 Disc takes over from the Xeon CDX in Rose’s lineup and is designed for long distances rides like sportives. The carbon frame comes with a claimed weight of just 990g, which is very light for a bike of this kind. You get to choose from four different Shimano and SRAM builds.

Lapierre Sensium Disc— £2,299-£2,749

The Sensium, available in both disc and rim brake models, comes with a carbon-fibre frame that’s built to an endurance geometry designed to be comfortable throughout long days in the saddle.

The more affordable of the two disc models, the Senium 500 Disc, features a Shimano 105 groupset while the Sensium 600 Disc makes the step up to Ultegra.

Find a Lapierre dealer

J. Laverack J.ACK Disc £3,650-£6,950

Yeah, you could have carbon, but in some people's eyes, it will never look as good as titanium.

There is also something fantastic about having a bike built just for you, your riding style and what you intend to use the bike for. With custom head badge options, eyelets and shot blasted graphics on top of that, the J.ACK becomes part bike, part work of art.

J.Laverack also works with the likes of Hope, Hunt and Brooks to make the bike brilliantly British.

Check out our review of the J.Laverack R J.ACK III

Check out 12 of 2018’s hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

With the Surge Pro, Giant has gone for the ultimate in performance and stiffness in its top flight road shoe and it delivers, without immensely sacrificing comfort – well, once you bed them in anyway.

• Pros: Insane stiffness levels, lightweight
• Cons: Take a couple of hundred miles to bed in, white marks easily

Instead of covering the entire bottom of your foot, the full carbon fibre ExoBeam sole has the usual forefront section but with a narrow beam running under the centre of your arch before widening out for the heel piece.

> Find your nearest Giant store here

Giant says this allows it to exceed industry standards in terms of heel-to-toe stiffness while letting the lower leg and heel move independently of the forefoot and pedal, which reduces strain on the knee and ankle joints from the pedal stroke.

On my first 50-mile ride in them, all I really wanted to know was why my bloody feet hurt so much.

I thought at first it was maybe because of the lack of sole material around the sides of the feet at the arch, but it turns out it was the stiffness of the upper material as it wrapped itself around my foot. Normally, with a full sole you wouldn't have such a figure-hugging radius, but here the material needs to be taut enough.

Now, though, after about 250 miles, things have softened enough that they are pretty comfortable. If you buy a pair of these then don't make your mind up on the first ride – things will get better.

> Buyer's Guide: Choosing the right cycling shoes for you

These shoes are being worn by the members of Team Sunweb in the pro peloton, so you can imagine that stiffness is very high on the list of priorities. Sprinting, climbing or just smashing a big gear round won't find any flex at all through the sole, and it's absolutely great. Whether the ExoBeam allows parts of your foot and leg to move independently of others is hard to gauge, but it certainly doesn't make wearing them any worse.

The sole itself is compatible with all three-bolt cleat systems and there are markings in both directions for cleat alignment.

Front and rear it's protected from scuffs and scrapes by rubber guards, and you can replace the one at the back should it wear out.

There is a single vent at the front to allow some cool air to enter and in the warm weather I never felt the shoes get too hot.

The upper is made from reinforced high-density PU which, now bedded in, has become quite supple to help the fit from the Boa lacing system.

The section on the inside of the foot which the lower Boa loop is attached to sits free from the rest of the upper (only being stitched near the sole), which means that when the laces are tightened it wraps around the shape of your foot better. It's a nice touch for an improved fit.

There are plenty of ventilation holes too, but if you like the white option here bear in mind they are going to get marked quickly, although most of it does wash off. If you want them to staying looking fresh, black is probably the better choice.

The tongue is a good shape, with a cutout in the top centre to remove any pressure points as your foot passes through the angles of the pedal rotation.

It's good to see the inclusion of SharkSkin lining at the heel – a grippy, Velcro-like fabric that keeps your foot in position as you pull up on the pedals.

I got on fine with the shape of the standard sole, but you can increase the arch by way of inserts should you need to.

Sizes can fluctuate quite a bit between various shoe brands, especially if you go by the EUR sizing. I'm a UK10 which sees me as a 44/45 depending on the shoes. The Giants are EUR45 but say UK11 and I found them a great fit; I wouldn't want to go any smaller, so bear in mind they come up a little small in UK sizing.

Width-wise they are pretty standard, so that taut material might make them even more uncomfortable to start with for people with wide feet.

Value

In pretty every aspect of life, £275 for a pair of shoes is pretty mental, but the Surge Pros aren't anywhere near the most expensive. The Scott Road UC Ultimate are £349.99, for example.

Fizik offers its Aria R3 shoes for £264.99, while the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Leader VRs are the same as the Giants bar a penny.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 of the best performance cycling shoes

These are all very good shoes, and the Surge Pros sit there alongside them easily in terms of performance, and they're light, too, at just 566g per pair.

Verdict

Pro-level shoes at a pro-level price, arguably worth it for the stiffness and performance...

The Giant Recon HL900 is compact, bright and has some neat smart features that make it a good deal at £79.99. Its only real problem is that for just £20 more, you can get its 1600-lumen big brother.

• Pros: Bright, auto-adjusting output, decent battery life
• Cons: Value compared to the HL1600

Giant has its fingers in many pies in the bike industry. It makes far more than just bikes these days, and this stretches to lights, with the Recon 900 and its soon-to-be-available big brother, the Recon HL1600.

> Find your nearest dealer here

What sets the Recon family apart is the smart setting. It's easy to miss it as you scroll through the settings, mistaking it for a simply brighter flash mode, but the normally green indicator around the function button flashes blue to indicate that the ANT+ chip inside is looking for a speed sensor to connect to.

Why? Well, it comes down to something called 'SpeedBeam' technology which receives data from a connected sensor and auto adjusts brightness according to the speed that you're riding. You do need a sensor unit itself – it won't pair to a Garmin or other head unit for example – but it's definitely a handy little feature that has the potential to save battery life automatically.

That smart mode works by cycling through the modes until the indicator flashes blue, in which time it'll pick up a fitted ANT+ speed sensor and change its static brightness according to the speed you're travelling; faster equals brighter, and slower equals dimmer to save battery life. That indicator also runs in a traffic light system to indicate the status of battery.

If you don't connect it to a sensor, then the smart setting starts basing its choice of mode on ambient light conditions using an in-built light sensor. During the day, for example, it can sit on an 800lm flash mode, while at night it keeps the beam on with a flash in the background.

You also get standard settings at 900lm, 450lm, and 150lm, plus a 100lm simple flash mode too.

Burn-time for the highest 900lm setting was recorded at 1:46hrs, which is quite good.

> Buyer's Guide: The best front lights for cycling

Initially, I was slightly perturbed after noticing it flicking between the full 900lm output and a slightly lower output – not when out on the bike, but when the light was shining on my white walls at home. A fault? Nope. The reason I couldn't see it while riding is because it only occurs when the light is stationary: it's designed to lower output to prevent overheating of the bulb when it's not being air-cooled.

The Recon produces a nice, even, round beam that fills the periphery very well given the single-LED squared nature of the light. I reviewed the (slightly) updated Cateye Volt 800 recently too, and it's fair to say that they're fairly similar in the ultimate brightness given – supported by our beam testing – even if the Giant light clearly bleeds out to the edges more.

The Recon is a tenner cheaper than the Cateye, though, and that can't match the adaptive smart mode of Giant's light. Plus, you get a slat on either side for some side visibility too.

The bracket is secure and allows for up-and-down adjustability, while the light slides in and out easily. I'm also impressed by the build quality too – Giant doesn't seem to do anything by halves in anything it makes – an alloy body with a good quality rubber cover on the underside for the USB charger, and it achieves an IPX6 waterproofness rating.

The function button is also easy to use. No touch sensor here (as you'll find on the 1600); it's a proper button, clickable, which makes working it easier on the move.

That said, the price is a slight problem when you consider that the 1600 is only £20 more, and on paper offers a serious chunk more power to go with it (demonstrated in our beam testing). Yes, it's heavier (the Recon HL900 is only 120g including the bracket), but if you need the way lit for commuting or night riding then the double LED array is likely going to benefit you too... and the near-double battery capacity will see you through longer stints if you run that light on its medium 800lm setting, which should near-enough match the 900 lumen offering here with a single array.

However, in terms of value the Recon HL900 marries up well to the comparable Volt 800, and although it's undercut by the Lezyne Lite Drive 800XL by £23, we know from our beam testing that the Recon's is significantly superior.

Verdict

Its big brother might prove better value, but the Recon HL900 still packs a punch for its weight

Giant's ARX 24 is a new addition to its children's bike range and it really is rather good for the aspiring junior cyclist. A great quality frame and fork matched to a well-chosen spec list make it an easy and fun bike to ride, and it doesn't cost the earth either. It's also available in four other colours, if yellow doesn't do it for your young 'un.

• Pros: Impressive quality alloy frame and fork, well chosen kit for small hands
• Cons: Not as light as some of the competition

More and more brands are starting to realise that a lot of parents are willing to invest in quality bikes for their children, especially if it makes the riding experience as addictive and fun as we find it ourselves when we go out for a spin.

> Find your nearest Giant store here

First up, it needs to be light.

For the ARX Giant has used its Aluxx grade aluminium alloy, not just for the frame but also the fork, and that means the whole bike comes in at a pretty impressive 9.02kg (19.88lb) on the road.cc scales. It's not the lightest out there, with Hoy's Bonaly 24 having a claimed weight of 8.6kg which sounds perfectly feasible as the 20in Bonaly we tested weighed just 7.8kg.

As we often say, though, weight on paper really isn't everything, and according to our 10-year-old tester Libby, the ARX feels much lighter than it is. She had no issues lifting the front wheel to hop up kerbs, and when we were out and about on the trails, ruts and tree roots weren't an issue either.

The lack of weight also helps when it comes to climbing, and thanks to the all-round stability of the Giant, Libby found climbing while both in and out of the saddle plenty of fun.

Libby isn't the most confident of descenders, tending to overthink things at times, but she certainly seemed pretty happy with how the ARX handled. The Giant has a wheelbase of 929mm, which when paired with a top tube with an effective length of 500mm and head tube of 120mm allowed her to position herself perfectly on the bike, spreading out her bodyweight.

The head angle of 70 degrees and trail of 73mm means that the steering is nicely balanced and neutral; the wide 500mm handlebar helps too.

> Bike speak: road.cc A-Z of cycling jargon

The gravel track in the local park that we used for testing has plenty of swooping bends and short, sharp climbs, and as Libby continued to do lap after lap I could see her confidence grow as she started to take the bends without using the brakes.

Braking and gearing

When she did need it, the braking was good, courtesy of alloy V-brakes mated to CNC machined braking surfaces on the rims.

Gearing is another important criteria when it comes to children's bikes, especially when the rider gets to a level where they actually start using them efficiently. Rather than Gripshift or the thumb lever like that used on the Hoy Bonaly, mentioned above, the ARX uses a Shimano SL-M310 Rapidfire-style shifter, controlled by both the thumb and finger. Even for small hands this is easy to reach and use while riding.

The lever skips the chain across the eight sprockets with relative ease, delivering a crisp shift each time from the Altus rear derailleur. Ratio-wise, the cassette covers 12-32 teeth with the largest one there offering a decent climbing gear when paired with the 32t single chainring.

Finishing kit

The rest of the kit is all Giant branded, with the stem, handlebar and seatpost all coming from its Youth range, the stem measuring a diddy 60mm in length. It's all alloy, as you'd expect, and does the job.

Giant provides the Youth saddle as well, which Libby said she got on with and found totally comfortable on rides up to a couple of hours on the road.

With kids' bikes their sizing is determined by their wheel size; here they are 24in, built using Giant's own alloy rims and stainless spokes. There are 28 spokes front and rear, and the wheels took plenty of abuse on the trails and local byways. There is an ARX 16 and an ARX 20 available in the range, too, for smaller kids.

The Innova tyres are 1.5in wide with a minimal knobbly tread, which means they work in most conditions without sacrificing too much in terms of grip and rolling resistance. Again, just like the wheels, they are durable and robust with no issues from punctures or damage.

Value

Value-wise, for what you are getting the Giant sits well against the opposition. When you look at the package you are getting for £325, I'd say it is well priced. The frame and fork are quality pieces of kit, neatly welded and finished off with a very hardwearing paint job. You get a set of water bottle cage bosses plus all of the cable routing has been well thought out.

In comparison, the Hoy Bonaly 24 will set you back £360, though it is a little lighter. Islabikes has the Beinn 24 which has an alloy frame and steel fork, but one of those will cost £439.99 – although they do hold on very well to their value, for selling on secondhand. (We tested the Beinn 26 in 2016 and the Beinn 24 back in 2013.)

> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best kids' bikes

On the whole, I'd say the Giant ARX is a very good package: a mixture of a lightweight setup that is also hardwearing and durable in the hands of fearless youngsters.

Verdict

Well-made, smart-looking bike that's fun to ride across a range of terrains thanks to kid-friendly finishing kit

The Giant Recon HL1600 is an excellent value headlight and packs some smart thinking alongside its superbright output. It's not perfect, but it's pretty damn good.

• Pros: Bright, auto-adjusting output, decent battery life
• Cons: Annoying button, plasticky feel

If you're in the market for a bright front light, we've tested a couple of models that can punch up to a hefty 1,600 lumens: Blackburn's very good Countdown 1600, and this Recon 1600.

> Find your nearest Giant dealer here

A quick check of the beam test above shows the differences in the two lights' beam profiles, where the Recon has a wider distribution of its 1,600 potential lumen output but a less focused central portion than its rival, while out on the road it shines a little more downwards towards the road than the more high-beam-like Countdown.

In reality, I found the Countdown gave marginally more clarity when looking 20m-plus down the road, while the Recon gave slightly better peripheral vision across the width of the road closer to me.

In the 1,600-lumen top modes, the Recon outstrips the Countdown by a few minutes in burn-time (1:35hrs versus 1:20hrs), and it seems able to stick to that top mode for longer too. The body naturally gets incredibly hot – too hot to hold for any length of time and it will burn you if you try – but it doesn't power down quite as readily, if at all if it's getting enough cooling in winter air.

That top setting is underpinned by 800lm and 300lm static modes, as well as a 100lm standard flash mode. It's not particularly disruptive, but it does the 'please notice me' job well and will do so for up to 100 hours, according to Giant.

What sets the Recon apart, however, is the smart setting (shared by its lower-powered sibling, the HL900). It's easy to miss it as you scroll through the settings, mistaking it for a simply brighter flash mode, but the normally green indicator around the function button flashes blue to indicate that the ANT+ chip inside is looking for a speed sensor to connect to.

Why? Well, it comes down to something called 'SpeedBeam' technology which receives data from a connected sensor and auto adjusts brightness according to the speed that you're riding. You do need a sensor unit itself – it won't pair to a Garmin or other head unit, for example – but it's definitely a handy little feature that has the potential to save battery life automatically.

If you don't connect it to a sensor, then the smart setting starts basing its choice of mode on ambient light modes. During the day, it sits on an 800lm flash mode, while at night it keeps the beam on with a flash in the background.

> Buyer's Guide: The best front lights for cycling

Burn-time from the 6000mAh battery is difficult to quantify when modes are automatically changeable, but Giant claims that the 'day flash' will run for up to 50hrs, and the 'night combo' will expire after 4:30hrs. Respectable in anyone's book, given the output.

So it's feature-packed, ticks the major boxes of battery life and has a decent beam to go with the output. Even the bracket is easy to fit and operate, and the overall weight is comparable with its Countdown competitor. So, are there any downsides?

Yes, but nothing that should really put you off. Firstly, the build quality isn't quite at the same level as the Countdown, which is a really nice product to have – and you don't get a screen and three-button operation system.

The Recon operates using a single button on the top of the unit, and that's fine in itself, but it's a cross between a touch panel and a clickable button. That is, you need to press down on it like a button, but it doesn't depress into the unit or feed back at all. It works, even with gloves on, which tells me that it responds to pressure rather than touch, but it really is quite annoying when you press it and nothing happens.

These flaws are minor, though, especially when you factor in the £40 saving over the Countdown. In fact, as far as I'm aware, 1,600 lumens isn't achievable for less, which should automatically mean that this light gets your strong consideration if you have £100 to spend on a heavy-duty front light without the extra gubbins of a power pack.

Verdict

Despite a couple of minor flaws, the Giant Recon 1600 really impresses with its brightness and competence at such a good price

Giant's Control Tower 0 is a sturdy, solid feeling, easy-to-use track pump – especially thanks to its digital display – and it's a pretty good deal too.

• Pros: Comfortable handle, leak free head
• Cons: Not the sturdiest base

The 2-inch digital display is positioned at the top of the pump, which makes it easy to read without having to stare down at the floor, and it displays the pressure in bar, PSI and kg/cm2. There is also a battery life indicator.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Tested against a dial pressure gauge I use on the car, the Giant is pretty much spot on, with about a couple of psi in it.

When attaching it to the valve there is no need to faff around with the head of the pump. It uses what Giant calls the AutoHead and it seamlessly switches between Presta and Schrader valves with ease.

Clamping onto the valve, it doesn't feel that firm a connection but it never leaked even when going from completely flat up to 100psi. (Under the screen it says that it'll cope with a max pressure of 180psi, should you ever need it.)

With a 1.2m hose it doesn't matter where the valve is sitting on the wheel, either.

The Control Tower 0 uses a steel barrel and base which creates a solid feel throughout the pumping action, although the feet could do with being a little wider in my view to really get a good purchase on with your shoes. It has a rubber section underneath the base which gives it extra grip and should stop it marking tiled or wooden flooring.

The handle has a grippy feel to it, and being flared backwards it's a comfortable shape to use. It's strong, too, so no flex issues.

It has little pockets at each end too, to hold some accessories like a ball/bladder adaptor and there is a valve core removal tool in the other.

The Giant delivers 355cc of air volume per stroke and pumped up a 25mm tyre from flat to 80psi in 19 strokes, and 100psi in 25 strokes, which isn't long at all.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best track pumps

Priced at £59.99, it's way cheaper than the last digital pump I tested, the Truflo Digitrack at £99.99. Mind you, that was three years ago and it's still in daily use.

When it comes to good value track pumps, I highly rate models from the Topeak Joe Blow range, and this Giant has the same quality feel as the Elite that I tested a little while back. That one uses a dial gauge rather than a digital one, for £49.99; Topeak doesn't use digital gauges on any of its pumps.

Overall, the Control Tower 0 is well made, feels sturdy and has a precise gauge for what isn't a huge outlay.

Verdict

A simple-to-use, leak-free pump with a precise gauge and quick inflation

The Giant Tool Capsule is a well-made and good looking way to store your tools if you don't want to/can't use a saddle bag and stuffing everything in a jersey pocket isn't practical. It works really well, but could do with being slightly larger.

• Pros: Waterproof, secure hold, good construction
• Cons: Difficult to fit all ride essentials in

One of the pains of cycling is that in order to repair anything you always need to carry the tools around with you. Typically, this means either using a saddle bag or stuffing everything into a jersey pocket. However, if you're happy to sacrifice a bidon, you can use storage options like Giant's Tool Capsule instead.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Tool Capsule is well made, with an 840D TPU (840-denier thermoplastic polyurethane) laminated nylon outer which keeps out the water, and what feels like a semi-shell which allows it to keep its shape. Around the outside there is a fully waterproof zip and it also has a zip garage which allows you to tuck the zip in to stop it rattling around while you're riding – a nice touch.

Inside, the capsule has two netted compartments, one with a full length zip, the other simply a pocket with an elasticated top coming up just over halfway. These keep everything secure within the capsule and help prevent unnecessary rattling and jangling while out on the road.

The laminated nylon outer and fully taped zip do their job well: the Tool Capsule kept all of my tools totally dry, even in particularly soaking conditions.

Fitting everything inside the capsule was a bit of a struggle compared to my saddle bag, for a couple of reasons. One is that it's simply slightly smaller, but another is that the rigidity is favourable to flatter objects and not really much else. So once I added my CO2 pump, regular mini pump, multi-tool, tyre levers, and patches, there was no room for an inner tube. If I removed my mini pump and added an additional canister I could include an inner tube after forcing it shut, but for me that wasn't ideal.

> Emergency essentials: 10 things you should take with you on every ride

RRP on the Tool Capsule is £16.99 which is a pretty good compared with a similar quality saddle bag, and on a par for similar tool 'bottles'. It's a lot cheaper than Topeak's £27.99 Cage Pack – but a lot more than more basic ones such as B'Twin's (which is also slightly bigger at 750ml) at £3.99 and Bontrager's at £8.99.

Overall, I liked the Tool Capsule for its solid construction, the attention to detail, and the fact that it looks much smarter than a saddle bag. However, for me the difficulty of fitting an inner tube inside with everything else is a bit of a pain.

Verdict

Durable, waterproof and practical way to store tools on the go – if you can fit in everything you need

Giant's Contact SLR Saddle has a carbon shell and carbon rails, and comes in three shape options to suit your riding style. For £129.99 it's not a bad deal, as long as you can put up with its firm ride.

• Pros: Decent price for full carbon saddle, light too
• Cons: Might be a little too firm for some

So, I've mentioned the firmness a couple of times already and we aren't even 100 words in yet... so safe to say it's one of the defining factors of the Contact. Giant says that it was in development with top pro road and off-road teams during its design stage, and that translates to the finished product.

> Find your nearest dealer here

My first ride on the Contact was a 90-minute blast between the rain showers and the pace was pretty high; the harder the ride, the less weight you are putting on the saddle, as most of it is on the pedals.

I got on with the Giant quite well, arriving home without any numbness or noticeable pain. I liked the shape – the slightly curved profile as it swoops down from the rear – and the way the nose drops ever so slightly for when you are crouched down on the bars.

> How to choose the right saddle: 20 of the best

The next day, though, when I climbed aboard I had quite a bit of tissue soreness from the previous day, made worse by having to set off a little more sedately (more weight on the saddle). Things settled down a bit after a few miles, helped by the fact that the shape of the Giant means you don't need to shift about much, but if I hit a bump in the road I sure knew about it.

The padding is firm and not exactly thick, but after about 300 miles of testing I've got used to it and things have settled down. While I definitely think the Contact SLR is aimed at those riders who travel at a quick pace, it didn't quite gel with me.

As I mentioned, Giant, like many others – Fizik and Fabric, for instance – offers slightly different saddles depending on how you ride and your position. The Contact SLR is available in Forward, Neutral and Upright, the Forward for those who have good flexibility and spend a lot of time in a race position, with the Upright being aimed at those who like a more endurance-based position.

Even though I don't hang around on the bike, I don't spend much time in the drops, preferring to crouch low on the hoods, so the Neutral that we were sent should be a pretty good fit for me.

The main difference between the three saddles is the length of the pressure-relief channel running down the saddle. The Forward has a much longer channel than the Upright, for example, taking into account the position of your pelvis and body in relation to the saddle.

When it comes to value, £129.99 isn't bad for a saddle with a carbon fibre shell and rails.

The Selle San Marco Mantra Full Fit Carbon FX saddle that I recently tested costs £179.99, and for that you only get a carbon composite shell, albeit with a little less weight. I was a massive fan of the shape and comfort, though.

For the same money you could go for the Syncros Tofino 10 Cut Out Saddle. Admittedly it's a short-nosed design, but it has the same level of firmness and a full carbon fibre build.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 of the best high-performance saddles

If you aren't too fussed about the whole carbon fibre thing then you could take a look at the Contact SL versions, which use a carbon composite base and metal rails. They'll set you back just £69.99.

On the whole, the Contact SLR isn't really for me – I can forgive its firmness but the shape didn't quite suit. We are all different, though, and when it comes to build and quality, for the money it can't really be faulted.

Verdict

A great saddle for those who like to ride hard, and decent value too

If you have £1,000 to £1,500 to spend on a road bike, you really do get a lot for you money. A benefit of spending this sort of money is that the bikes start to get much lighter than those costing half as much, which will have a significant impact on the ride quality and performance, and your times up your local hills.

Shimano 105 and Tiagra are the dominant groupsets in this price range. While there is a lot of own-brand kit for parts like wheels, handlebars and saddles, which is no bad thing (manufacturers have really raised their game with own label components), there is a lot more branded kit from the likes of Mavic and Fizik.

You'll typically find yourself making a decision between an aluminium frame (which range between very good and superb in this price range) with a groupset such as Shimano 105 or a carbon frame with Shimano Tiagra. Which you go for will depend, among other things, on whether you're a parts upgrader or a bike replacer when it comes to future developments.

We're also starting to see some intriguing, innovative thinking in this price range, like the fat-tyred, single chainring Road Plus Whyte Glencoe, if you fancy something more than a bit different.

Pinnacle Arkose R2 — £1,250

The Pinnacle Arkose R2 is a great option if you're looking for a versatile aluminium adventure, commuter or winter bike (or indeed all three at once) that is well specced for the price.

Pinnacle has been making the Arkose for a number of years. It was originally created off the back of a cyclo-cross design, and has become more of an adventure/gravel bike over time. It's an excellent all-rounder.

Read our review of the Pinnacle Arkose 3

Planet X Pro Carbon EVO Shimano 105 R7000 — £1,000

The Planet X Pro Carbon has always been a popular entry-level carbon fibre bike, but it was looking a bit dated. This new version corrects that with modern lines, a new lay-up, and tapered steerer, among other changes, and it's currently available with Shimano's 105 R7000 groupset for the frankly amazing price of a thousand quid.

B’Twin Ultra 900 CF 105 — £1,299

The Ultra CF 900 is further evidence, if any was needed, that B'Twin knows how to build awesome-riding race bikes which offer excellent stiffness, handling and speed while also managing to be unbelievably comfortable. Bung in a sub-£1.5k price tag for a full-carbon frame and fork, Shimano 105 groupset and Mavic wheels, and it really is an exciting package.

With its 'UCI approved for racing' logo on the top tube and its geometry, I was really expecting the Ultra CF 900 to be a no-nonsense speed machine, sacrificing comfort for performance, especially when you take into account those huge tube profiles. In use, though, it is completely the opposite.

The ride is sublime, absorbing pretty much everything the road surface can chuck at it, so you just waft along at a very impressive pace, smashing mile after mile without effort.

This bike is now also known as the Van Rysel RR 900 CF, with the latest Shimano 105 R7000 components and in a full range of sizes.

Read our review of the B’Twin Ultra 900 CF 105

Boardman ASR 8.9 — £1,300

The Boardman ASR, or "all season road", is a really good value package that offers a relaxed ride with the classic looks and feel of steel, the modern convenience of hydraulic disc brakes, and clearance for wide tyres.

The 8.9 arrives ready for winter, with mudguards fitted to the frame, 28mm Vittoria tyres, plus reflective frame details ticking all the boxes for commuting through the rough British weather. Remove the mudguards and the bike easily has clearance for wider tyres, so it also fits the bill for summer towpath pootling and brief gravel forays.

Riding over rough stuff on my cycle path commute was generally a breeze, and the only real 'problem' I had with it was manoeuvrability. While the stem is shortened in an attempt to make the steering springier, I did find the ASR a bit sluggish when trying to corner quickly, which I'll put down to the relaxed angles of the frame and longer top tube making the bike quite slow to respond.

It does make for really stable handling, though, and it's not really designed to be aggressively chucked around; it's more about finesse than fast and furious. Eating up long, steady miles in comfort is what the ASR does best, and as someone who's prone to head out for a run or carry on riding if the weather's okay when I get home, it was ideal for a period of building base fitness in early spring.

Read our review of the Boardman ASR 8.9

Whyte Glencoe — £1,299

Whyte's Glencoe is a 650B-wheeled Road Plus bike that brings together a lot of the emerging trends in the road bike market into a really compelling package that will appeal to anyone wanting a smooth, comfortable, stable and confidence-inspiring road bike.

The Glencoe combines an aluminium frame and fork rolling on wide profile WTB tubeless-ready rims and WTB Horizon 47mm tyres, and the stop and start are taken care of by an SRAM Apex 1x11 groupset, with an 11-42t cassette and 44T chainring, and TRP HyRd hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors. The finishing kit is all Whyte branded, including the 50cm wide handlebar that is unique to the Glencoe. Yes at 11.56kg (25.48lb) it’s heavy, but weight isn’t everything.

Read our review of the Whyte Glencoe
Find a Whyte dealer

Giant Contend SL Disc 1 2019 — £1,249

Giant has two families of endurance bikes, the Defy series with carbon fibre frames and disk brakes throughout the range, and the Contend bikes with aluminium frames and a choice of discs or rim brakes. This is the top model in the six-bike Contend family. It has Shimano's excellent-value Shimano 105 11-speed transmission, and Giant's own hydraulic disc brakes. We liked the rim-braked 2017 version, but thought it could use better brakes.

Read our review of the Giant Contend SL1
Find a Giant dealer

Ribble CGR — £1,399

Cross, Gravel, Road, that's what the CGR initials stand for on Ribble's latest all-rounder. A disc brake-equipped, mudguard-shod 'do a bit of everything' machine that makes a lot of sense for the rider who doesn't always want to stick to the tarmac. Thankfully, this jack of all trades is no master of none.

Thanks to Ribble's online bike builder, you can have any spec you like. The CGR starts from £799 with Shimano Sora; the price here is for the option with Shimano 105 and hydraulic brakes, which gives a good combination of slick shifting and powerful stopping.

Read our review of the Ribble CGR

Cannondale CAAD12 105 2019 — £1,400

When it was launched the CAAD12 set a new benchmark for all-aluminium frames; it still puts a lot of carbon bikes to shame. With a frame weight under 1,100g for the disc brake and regular versions, it's not much heavier than carbon either. Cannondale package the frame with a full Shimano 105 groupset, carbon fibre fork with tapered steerer tube, 52/36 crank, Mavic Aksium wheels and a Selle Royal Seta S1 saddle. You can also have it with disc brakes for an extra £300.

Read our report from the CAAD12 launch
Find a Cannondale dealer

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 7.0 — £1,449

German company Canyon has made quite an impression in the UK with its direct-to-consumer business model meaning big savings for those prepared to bypass the bike shop for their next bike purchase. The Ultimate CF SL is produced using the same mould as that the Ultimate CF SLX we tested a while ago, it's just using a cheaper carbon fibre. That keeps the price lower. Although the weight does go up a bit, it's still light at a claimed 940g. This is the entry-level model built with a full Shimano 105 groupset, Mavic Aksium wheels, Continental GP 4000 25mm tyres, Canyon's own bars and stem and a Fizik Antares saddle.

Trek Émonda ALR 5 2019 — £1,350

This bike has at its heart the aluminium version of Trek's lightweight Émonda platform, equipped with Shimano's new 105 R7000 groupset.

The Emonda line is Trek's take on making the lightest road bikes it can produce for a given price, which means the frame here is worth upgrading as the parts wear out; it wouldn't be shamed by a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Find a Trek dealer

Rose Pro SL Disc 105 — £1,405.82

German direct-sales operation Rose has some very keenly priced bikes, like this disc-braked sportive/endurance model that boasts an aluminium frame with room for 28mm tyres, and a full Shimano 105 groupset with hydraulic brakes. When he reviewed the next bike up in the range, the Ultegra-equipped Rose Pro SL Disc 3000, Stu Kerton said "Thanks to its neutral handling and impressive build spec, the Pro SL is the ideal steed for a day in the saddle with no surprises."

Read our review of the Rose Pro SL Disc 3000 Hydraulic

The Giant Quick Fix kit is a nicely thought out set of tools to get you going again on your road bike, neatly packaged in a case that'll fit in your jersey pocket. The only thing you really need to add is a spare tube, and maybe some patches.

• Pros: Has the basics you need, mini-ratchet is good with fiddly bolts
• Cons: You need to be careful not to lose bits

In the case you get a mini-ratchet tool with nine bits. There are 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hex keys, a flat head screwdriver and T10 and T25 Torx bits. That should cover most of your road bike needs, although a Phillips head bit would probably be a more useful inclusion than the T10 bit will be.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The benefits of a mini-ratchet are that it's a very compact way of carrying tools, and it can get to and tighten or loosen even really awkward bolts. Sometimes you struggle to fit a multi-tool into the gap you need to, or rotate it when it's in place. That's never really an issue with the mini-ratchet; the only time it struggles is when a bolt is recessed deeper than the length of the bit but I didn't have any bolts on any of my bikes that it couldn't get to.

The downside of the ratchet and bits is that they're a bit more of a fiddle out on the road. If you're wearing gloves then pulling a bit out and fitting it to the ratchet without taking them off is a tough ask. If you drop a multi-tool you just pick it up again, but my advice would be not to do a roadside tweak with this kit near an open drain or long grass. If you drop a bit, you're going to lose it. You need to be a touch more considered.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best multi-tools

The bits are a tight fit in the ratchet, so sometimes it's a struggle to remove them to fit them back in the holder. I'd expect them to loosen off a bit with use.

The kit comes with two tyre levers which are perfectly functional, if unexceptional, and a CO2 inflator with two 16g canisters. Giant hasn't included an inner tube as there's a range of sizes you might need to have with you, but there's room enough in the neat case for a single tube. I'd add at least some instant patches to the mix, so if you do puncture a second time you can actually use that second CO2 canister. The CO2 head is nicely made, with a good valve so you can regulate the flow to the tyre to help it seat.

For what you get, £34.99 is good value for the kit. Some ratchet multi-tools on their own cost more than that.

The case is small enough to fit in any jersey pocket I've tried, even on aero jerseys with little pockets.

> Emergency essentials: 10 things you should carry every ride

When I'm out on longer rides I tend to go a bit belt and braces, but for something like a sportive or the club ride, this kit has enough in it to fix the most common roadside issues quickly and efficiently, and it's compact enough to chuck in a pocket and forget about until you need it.

Verdict

Good, compact emergency road bike kit that has most of the basics for roadside repairs

The Giant Rev Comp is a very good entry-level helmet offering a comfortable fit, decent ventilation and plenty of adjustment for a very reasonable price.

• Pros: Vent position promotes good airflow, comfortable padding
• Cons: Looks a little cheap with so much exposed polystyrene

Some people just want a basic helmet that does the job while meeting the relevant safety standards – a simple click and go type of lid – and that is exactly what the Rev Comp is. There are no gimmicks or space age technology, just a polycarbonate cover bonded to an EPS (expanded polystyrene) shell.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Its design, though, has been pretty thorough when it comes to the vent position, often one of the failing points of many helmets below the 60 quid mark. You get 16 of them dotted all around, and I was surprised with how well they work – especially when you think that most pro-level helmets use well over 20.

Whether travelling at speed or hauling up a steep climb, I could still feel a cool breeze blowing through the helmet. The big plus part of this was that I never became massively hot, which kept down the levels of sweat running into my eyes as the pads don't get overwhelmed.

Those pads are not massively thick but they are comfortable against the skin. They are made from TransTextura Plus fabric which has anti-microbial properties to stop bacteria growth and associated smells from sweat.

Adjustment of the cradle is basic and simple, by way of a thumb wheel design that you can tweak on-the-fly to get the fit right. The Rev Comp comes in two sizes with a fair amount of overlap: small/medium (49-57cm) and medium/large (53-61cm).

Making it commuter friendly, you can remove that rear Giant-branded cover to expose the magnetic mount for Giant's Numen+ Link TL light (£24.99, sold separately), which is nicely positioned for getting you noticed amongst the urban traffic.

The Rev Comp feels decent quality, but with a lot of helmets now running their polycarbonate shell right under the lip of the bottom of the helmet, the Rev looks a little cheap with so much of the EPS exposed – especially on the white or yellow models. It can get damaged easily as well, when dropped or in storage.

It is just £49.99, though, which is a good price for this type of helmet. At 275g it weighs virtually the same as the Lem Volata and costs a tenner less. Ventilation is better too.

> Buyer's Guide: 9 of the best cheap cycling helmets

There are plenty of options out there, though, like the very good Specialized Align, which performed well with only its weight being a slight issue at 338g. It is only £30, mind.

On the whole, the Giant Rev Comp is a very good helmet for the money, covering all of the bases with ease.

Verdict

Entry-level helmet offering really good performance throughout and plenty of comfort

BikeLive is heading to Cannock Chase this Saturday, and we're pleased to announce the full list of bikes that will be on site for you to test out over the day! 

We're truly hoping that like last year the Weather Gods will be on our side, so fingers crossed for a sunny day of riding. For your £15 ticket price you'll also get a goodie bag packed with goodies from our partner brands. So without further ado, here are all the bikes (and sizes) that will be available to try out...

Road bikes

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8.0 disc - XS, S, M

Canyon Endurace CF SL disc - M, L, XL

Canyon Aeroad CF SL disc - S, M, L

Canyon Ultimate women's CF SL disc - XS, S

Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 - S, M

Cipollini Bond - L, XL 

Cipollini NK1K - M, L  

Cipollini MCM - M, L 

Forme Calver 105 - 54cm 

Forme Calver Ultegra - 58ccm 

Forme Monsal 1 - 55cm 

Forme Monsal 2 - 52cm ​

Forme Monyash 1 - 56cm 

Genesis Croix De Fer 30 - XS, S, M, XL

Genesis Equilibrium Disc - XS, L, XL

Genesis Fugio - XS, S, M, L, XL 

Genesis Datum 10 - S, L 

Genesis Datum 20 Women's - S, M 

Genesis Zero Disc - XS, S, XL 

Marin Gestalt X10 - 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm 

Saracen Levarg SL - S, M, L, XL 

Titici Road Bike Disc - XL 

Titici Road Integrated disc - M

Titici Gravel all-road - L 

Mountain bikes

Canyon Spectral AL 7.0 - S, M, L

Canyon Neuron AL 6.0 - M, L

Canyon Spectral CF 7.0 - M, L

Canyon Spectral CF 7.0 women's - XS, S

Canyon Strive CF 7.0 - M, L, XL

Canyon Neuron CF 8.0 - M, L 

Forme Curbar 1 - 17.5" 

Forme Curbar 2 - 17.5" 

Forme Curbar 3 - 19.5 "

Forme Curbar 4 - 14"

Forme Sterndale MX20 - 20" 

Forme Sterndale MX24 - 24" 

Forme Peaktrail 1 - 18" 

Genesis Tarn 20 - M, L

Genesis Mantle 20 - S, M, L 

Genesis Longitude - M 

Genesis Vagabond - M, L

Giant Trance 29er 2 - S, M, L, XL 

Giant Reign 2 - M, L 

GiantTrance 2 - S, M, L, XL

Giant Anthem 29er 2 - M, L, XL 

Liv Pique SX 2 - XS, S, M 

Marin Hawk Hill 3 - M, L, XL 

Marin Mount Vision 8 - M, L, XL 

Saracen Ariel Elite  - M, L 

Saracen Ariel LT - M, L  

Saracen Ariel LTX - L

Saracen Kili Flyer - M    

Saracen Traverse Elite - M, L 

Saracen Traverse Pro - XL 

Titici Full suspension mountain bike - XL 

Titici Front suspension Hardtail - L 

E-Bikes

Calibre Sentry - S, M, L, XL 

Calibre Triple B - L 

Calibre Bossnut Evo Ladies - M

CalibreBossnut Evo - L, XL 

Calibre Line 10 - L

Forme Peaktrail 2 E - 18" 

Forme Peaktrail Pro E - 18"

Giant Trance E+ 1 Pro - S, M, L

Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro - XL

Giant Fathom E+ 2 Pro - S, M, L, XL 

Liv Intrigue E+ 2 Pro - XS, S, M

Liv Vall-E+ 1 Pro - S, M 

Saracen Ariel E+ - S, M, L, XL    

Saracen Zen E - 17 inch, 19 inch, 21 inch

If there are any left (90% have sold out already!) you will still be able to book tickets right up until the day before, with the event kicking off at 9.30am on Saturday morning - click the link below to get your tickets for just £15 now. See you there! 

You’ve an abundance of riches in the £1,500 to £2,000 price band, with bikes that are light, well-equipped and great value for money.

You also have a big range of choices. Carbon fibre frame, or the latest ultra-sophisticated aluminium? Caliper brakes or discs? Racing geometry, more upright for comfort or something in between? How about taking the the byways and bridleways on a gravel bike? Whatever type of riding you have in mind, there’s a bike in this price range that’ll suit you perfectly.

Vitus Energie CRX — £1,609.99

The Vitus Energie CRX cyclo-cross bike is an absolute blast to ride thanks to sharp, fun handling along the trails or around tight, technical muddy circuits. It's great for a day out on the gravel, and you can chuck mudguards on it too if you fancy a high-speed, year-round commuter.

If you want to ride fast off-road without the benefits of suspension then this Vitus is one of the best bikes to have a play on. The racy geometry and low-slung position mean you can really get down and drop that centre of gravity to benefit the handling when the terrain is tough, and the way it responds to the slightest shift in body weight is very impressive.

Read our review of the Vitus Energie CRX

Cube Attain GTC SL Disc — £1,899

How does Cube manage to make a carbon fibre endurance bike with Ultegra equipment and hydraulic discs for under £2,000? Well, they've swapped out the Ultegra brakes and shifters for 105 R7000 units, which saves a bunch on the price tag without substantial detriment to performance.

The Attain GTC SL Disc is very much a mile-eating all-rounder, with clearance for mudguards so you can keep going through winter without getting drenched.

Find a Cube dealer

B’Twin Ultra 920 CF Ultegra — £1,999.99

You don't get many bikes in this price range with Shimano Ultegra R8000 components and with its superb frame and Mavic Cosmic carbon wheels that makes this eminently raceable speedster superb value for money.

When he tested the 105-equipped version, which has the same frame, Stu Kerton said it was "further evidence, if any was needed, that B'Twin knows how to build awesome-riding race bikes which offer excellent stiffness, handling and speed while also managing to be unbelievably comfortable."

Read our review of the B’Twin Ultra 900 CF

Cannondale CAAD12 105 Disc 2019 — £1,700

Proving that composites don't quite reign supreme, Cannondale's meticulously engineered CAAD12 frame wrings every last gram of performance potential out of aluminium. Cannondale combines that frame with Shimano 105 shifting, its own HollowGram Si chainset and Shimano 105 hydraulic disc brakes for a thoroughly modern fast road bike.

Find a Cannondale dealer

Giant Defy Advanced 2 2019 —  £1,699

Giant's Defy line is one of the most popular bikes in the endurance and sportive sector, and is the company's best-selling model, combining smart geometry with a full range of competitively priced builds. It's been revamped for 2019 with a frame that will take up to 32mm tyres, some tweaks to the cable routing, and the addition of Giant's new D-Fuse buzz-reducing handlebar.

The 2019 Defy bikes also get tubeless-ready wheels and 28mm tyres, and the Defy Advanced 2 has Shimano's new 105 R7000 shifting with an 11-34 cassette for a 1:1 low gear.

Read our review of the Giant Defy Advanced SL
Read our review of the Giant Defy Advanced 3
Find a Giant dealer

Trek Émonda SL5 2019 — £1,800

Part of Trek's line of Émonda lightweight race bikes, the SL5 demonstrates one of two approaches to speccing up a bike in this range. Trek takes the second-lightest of its Émonda frames and equips it with Shimano's midrange 105 group for a bike that doesn't cost the earth but has plenty of upgrade potential.

Read our review of the Trek Emonda SL5
Find a Trek dealer

Genesis Datum 10 — £1,999.99

The Genesis Datum 10 will take pretty much whatever you can throw at it, on or off-road. The spec represents excellent value and the ability to jump between town and country use positions it as a sound contender for an 'only bike' that you won't be sheepish about getting muddy on, while being worthy of a shine-up for the Sunday morning group ride.

At launch two years ago, Dave rated the Di2 11-speed Datum 30 at 4.5/5, finding it a 'hugely capable bike that is loads of fun over all sorts of terrain'. Later that year it won our Sportive Bike of The Year Award, with only the Shimano Di2-influenced price holding it back from taking overall honours. At £3,200 in 2015 money, the Di2 version was a hefty price to pay, so this time around it's the base model £1,899 10-speed Tiagra model on test. Again, for this spec it's not a class-leadingly cheap bike, but the overall package is worthy of inclusion on anyone's to-be-considered list.

Read our review of the Genesis Datum 10
Find a Genesis dealer

Canyon Endurace CF SL Disc 7.0 2019 — £1,699

It's always worth checking out what Canyon has to offer, and this combination of the light, quick but comfortable Endurace CF SL frame and Shimano 105 components is decent value, and — if the women's equivalent is any guide — a superb all-day mile-eater. And the 2019 model is £100 cheaper than last years!

Read our review of the Canyon Endurace WMN CF SL Disc 8.0

Merida Silex 600 2019 — £1,700

Merida's dramatic take on the gravel bike genre is as close as a bike gets to being a mountain bike without becoming the bailiwick of our sister site off.road.cc. It has the long head tube and top tube that's a feature of many contemporary mountain bikes, and single-chainring gearing. It keeps its feet on the Tarmac with 35mm tyres, but if you wanted to get adventurous there's room to go plenty bigger.

Read our review of the Silex 600's carbon fibre big brother, the Merida Silex 9000
Find a Merida dealer

Raleigh Mustang Comp — £1,500

With Raleigh's aluminium-framed Mustangs, carbon Rokers and steel Mavericks the Big Heron jumped into gravel bikes with both boots a couple of years ago. Raleigh's folks say they started revamping their endurance road range, then realised that for a lot of British riding a bike with a long wheelbase and fat tyres was better able to cope with back roads trashed by the combination of bad winters and hacked road maintenance budgets. The Mustang Comp has SRAM hydraulic brakes and 11 speed SRAM Apex 1 gears.

Find a Raleigh dealer

Boardman SLR 9.2 Ultegra — £2,000

If you want to put that race licence to good use, smash those Strava KOMs or just want a fast, comfortable, easy-to-ride road bike, then the Boardman SLR 9.2 needs to be on your shortlist. With a full-carbon frameset, Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset, and Boardman's own tubeless-compatible wheels, the SLR is a real contender even before you take the price into account – and that challenges even the direct-to-consumer specialists.

Read our review of the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR

Specialized Tarmac SL4 Elite 2018 — £1,600

Specialized's Tarmac Elite is a smart looking and well packaged bike that offers the sort of fast and engaging ride that will suit budding racers, along with sportive cyclists who favour a less upright position than is provided by the company's Roubaix model.

Read our review of the (very similar) Specialized Tarmac Comp
Find a Specialized dealer

Rose Team GF 4 Disc 105 — £1,995.74

Rose claims an impressive 7.9kg for the Team GF 4 Disc 105 and given that its predecessor the Xeon CDX-4400 comes in at 7.5kg (16.6lb), we believe it. The ride is quick, easy to live with and delivers a lot of fun miles. It's a cracker of a machine ready to be ridden flat out or cruising the lanes.

Read our review of the Rose Xeon CDX-4400

The Giant Pursuit MIPS Aero road helmet is its attempt to bring the wind-cheating effects of a time trial helmet to the road without sacrificing ventilation. It's an interesting shape and comfortable to wear, and you can feel the cold wind passing over your head once you're up to speed, but it is on the porky side.

• Pros: Good ventilation at speed, comfortable padding and cradle shape
• Cons: Heavy, slab sided shape can catch the wind

Giant hasn't made any massive claims about how many watts you'll save over a standard helmet but it says that its design 'minimises drag, producing maximum speed in real-world rider positions'.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Without a session in the wind tunnel it's hard to quantify just what difference it does make against a vented helmet, but I didn't really notice any gains, though that's not to say they aren't there.

I will say this about the shape, mind: with a blustery crosswind your head doesn't half get blown about.

The biggest issue with most aero helmets is venting, but the Giant does a pretty good job of getting the air through from the front to the back. The Pursuit has eight large vents at the front and another seven at the rear, and when you are travelling above 20mph you can really feel the cold air entering and removing the heat from your head.

Once you start to slow, though, it isn't all that effective, especially if your head is pointing slightly to the ground like when you are climbing up a steep hill or grovelling through a headwind on the flat.

Other aero helmets I've worn, like the Met Manta– one of my favourites – manage to feel much cooler throughout the ride.

> Should you buy an aero helmet?

Another problem with the Giant is its weight. This medium (55-59cm) tips the scales at 328g – that's 113g heavier than the Met and 74g more than the Specialized S-Works Evade II aero helmet. That's noticeable on your bonce, especially on a long ride of over four hours.

Giant has teamed up with MIPS to fit its safety system inside the Pursuit helmet. If you aren't already aware, MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System which uses slip-plane technology inside the helmet to reduce rotational forces from impacts. (Read more here.)

If you look at the pic above of the inside of the helmet you'll see the little yellow tabs. There are four of these flexible mounts, with one end mounted to the polystyrene shell and the other to the helmet cradle which allows it to float. The theory is that should the helmet suffer an impact, your head has a small amount of independence to move around and not be subjected to rotational forces as well as the linear ones.

There are various tests and results on the internet on the benefits of MIPS, but I haven't crashed while wearing one yet so I can't give any real hard evidence on the subject.

The cradle itself offers a comfortable fit and is easily adjusted by the thumb wheel at the rear. There is also up and down adjustment at the back of the helmet.

The padding isn't massively thick but it is comfortable against the skin and does a good job of soaking up any sweat; it's anti-microbial too, so that should stop any unwanted whiffs from bacteria growth.

The straps are easy to adjust and feel fine against the skin under your neck. Giant also says that these are hydrophobic, so they won't absorb sweat as you ride.

Stick the word 'aero' in the title of any cycling product and the price normally goes up, so it's no surprise to see a £189.99 price tag for the Pursuit. That isn't overly excessive for a top flight aero race lid – the Specialized Evade II mentioned above has an rrp of £200 and it doesn't come with the MIPS technology which will add to the price of the Giant.

Another similar but more expensive helmet is the Giro Vanquish MIPS Aero at £239 – and it's heavier, though that probably comes down to the included visor.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best high-performance helmets

Overall, the Giant has some good and some not so good traits. Aero helmets always have compromises for the majority of riding, ventilation being the top one. Here, that works at the speed the Pursuit is designed to be ridden at, so it's just a shame the helmet is so noticeably heavy.

The Pursuit helmet is available in three sizes and comes in black, white and black/cyan.

Verdict

A comfortable helmet that has okay venting but is a bit on the weighty side for long rides