Bicycle parts services right now: To make sure that your bike is set up correctly and to avoid the risk of injury from incorrect fit, it’s well worth getting a professional bike fit. A bike fit will cost some money, although sometimes a bike shop will offer one at a discount or free when you buy a bike. A bike fit will ensure that your saddle and bars are optimally placed for efficient riding. Consider a good fit an investment. Bike makers push their bikes’ aero credentials, especially on more expensive machines, with claims of wind tunnel testing and time saved. Time was, an aero frameset was significantly heavier than one with the traditional round tubes, but the best aero bikes can now be as light as a non-aero one. Find more details at bicycle parts.
Investing in a bike that you can grow and not outperform after your first year is something everyone should be conscious of regardless of level, explains Pastore. And for that, the Trek Domane AL 2 Disc is a great option. Thanks to a relaxed fit geometry, the capacity for higher volume tires, and the ability to have racks and fenders, this bike offers extreme versatility regardless of where cycling takes you. “Whether you’re looking to cruise the back roads or tackle a century, you also have name-brand Shimano and Bontrager reliability and comfort at your fingertips,” says Pastore. FYI, Shimano and Bontrager build premium bike components, including brakes, chains, wheels, and pedals — so you can trust that the Trek Domane AL 2 Disc is legit.
Another bike that’s shed weight, in its case 300g, by abandoning the IsoSpeed system in its predecessor, the Gen 7 Madone has also garnered some striking looks, with its hole under the saddle, which sits on a seatpost cantilevered over the rear of the frame. But that’s only half of the 20 watts saving over the older Madone. The other half comes from the bars, which position the hands 30mm closer together on the tops, for a more aero tuck. It’s incredibly fast handling as well as being a fast ride in a straight line. Trek even fits a wider saddle on the smaller frames, as it’s those that are most likely to be ridden by women, whom the width will suit better.
We found that the bike’s assistance felt far more natural than many of the other e-road bikes we tested this year. It’s as if you’ve got good legs—not the super legs of a pro, but just the fittest version of yourself. And it’s not just the smooth progression of assistance that made the ride seamless, it’s also the smooth cut-off in power. The Gain’s e-assist party shuts down at 20 miles per hour, leaving you to do all the work yourself. On some competitors’ bikes, this cutoff is jarring and draggy, but the Gain’s motor eases off gently. There were multiple times when we were riding along at 20 to 25 miles per hour in a group, and we didn’t even notice that the motor wasn’t working. That’s the best compliment we can give any e-bike.
Cannondale has long been a master of performance alloy frames and the CAAD13 follows in that vein. It’s got long and low geometry based on that of the pro-level carbon SuperSix, with aero tube profiles leading to handling which is second to none. Priced low enough to be a first bike it’s a frame that you won’t outgrow. At this price point, you get a Shimano 105 hydraulic groupset with a RS510 crank set. The wheels have had a slight upgrade, so you’re now getting DT Swiss R470 rims with the Formula hubs. The only thing that we found fault with was the rather high front end stack. It’s easy to rectify but means you’ll have to have your head tube cut down to avoid an ugly stack of spacers above the stem. Find extra info on https://www.capitolcyclery.com/.
Ridley’s Grifn is a jack-of-all-trades road bike for those who don’t want to invest in a fleet of bikes to ride roads—whether paved or not. Its relaxed geometry and stable yet responsive handling is in line with endurance road bikes, but it has enough gravel DNA to regularly hit some dirt roads. Tire clearance maxes out at 40 millimeters with a 1x drivetrain, or 38 millimeters with a 2x set-up. It’s suitable for many gravel jaunts, though the limited tire clearance means it’s not the best tool for the most grueling gravel events. Cyclists often joke about N+1 being the perfect number of bikes, where N is the number of bikes you currently own. During testing, we thought of all the ways this genre-defying bike could replace multiple bikes hanging in our garages. If you want a do-it-all machine, the Grifn is worth a look.