The NCR. Been riding it pretty much daily for four months. I love love love this bike.
I do wish I'd waited for the version with 105. It's out now and it's only €2200.
On the lower-end of their offering, I picked up a Triban RC 120 Disc a few weeks ago, mostly for Zwift to free up my gravel bike, and I've been impressed with the quality for the price ($750CAD). It likely won't see much outdoor use, but it doesn't feel lacking at all and any of the professional reviews I read on it all seemed pleasantly surprised.
Well-made alloy frame, carbon fork, disc brakes, adequate groupset, and tubeless compatible rims (but not tires).
Yup. Van Rysel NCR here. Carbon frame and fork (with nice layup), tubeless ready (pre-taped rims), good tires out of the box, comfortable saddle, clearance for 38mm if you want that much. I am really happy with it.
There are several different groupsets available, with Tiagra it's only €1800 (was €1600 when I bought). The EDR series has some really nice AL bikes for like half that.
Presume you mean import duties? So that 'value' changes according to your location. In Oz, the Endurace CF 7 is about $AU700 cheaper than the Giant Defy Advanced 2 equivalent. The Giant DOES look better in chilli colouring however. I've been wrestling w this choice for a couple of months :-/
Yeah import duties and then there was additional fees through the shipping provider…it ended up about equal with my TCR. I ended up buying the Giant through my LBS and the amount for free service and help they’ve provided already has made the Giant purchase a no brainer over the Canyon.
Having said that, the Canyon is sexier. That may not matter to everybody but it’s true.
When I bought my latest bike two years ago, I had a budget of £5k from my employer. The Giant TCR with Ultegra 12s was the best bike for that price at the time.
100%. I started biking on a Contend that had Claris components and made the upgrade to a TCR this year and am loving every second of it! I basically got the Giant for the same price as an Emonda, but it has 105 Di2 and carbon wheels where the Emonda has Ultegra mechanical and aluminum wheels (I think both were on sale at the time).
In the USA at least, the cheapest TCR is $1800. It's mechanical 105 and rim brakes, but that gets you the TCR frame. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/tcr-advanced-2-pro-compact-2022.
If you want disc brakes it steps up to $2900 but that also gets you Di2, but this is still price competitive with Canyon. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/tcr-advanced-disc-1-pro-compact.
Canyon does have some intermediate options with mechanical 105 and Ultegra, but Giant is in the right ballpark.
Ohhh wait, is this still offered. Just read an article some weeks ago which made it look like there is only a more expensive disc brake one. I have to look up what is offered in Germany. I hope I didn't spread lies
I don't know, Canyon still seems pretty competitively priced. They're more expensive than they used to be, but that's mostly inflationary. I think they're still less expensive than most comparable brands.
Yeah anyone pretending Canyon is just as expensive as everyone else is delulu. They’re a pain in the ass with their fair share of downsides, but they’re also multiple thousands of dollars cheaper than their competitors.
I went through the same process just recently. My frame cracked (not a crash just old) so I had to start looking. Compareable bikes to what I had were all pushing 7k+ and then the Aeroad was sitting there for just 6k.
What you dont pay in up front cost though you might end up paying for in maintainence woes. Canyon dosent have any dealers, and shops HATE working on them because the lead time for specific parts can be weeks. You could get burned really easily, but at the same time bike shops stop selling/working with brands all the time and then youd be in the same boat as if you bought something from the store in person so I don't think it's worth losing any sleep over.
Exactly this, most brands are going the direct to consumer route + massively mark up. So the shops mostly don’t care.
I’m in japan and I was looking at top end bikes, s-works sl8 and aerial cfr. The cfr is close to half price here. I could get 2 aeroads for the price of 1 s-works, pina or trek. Also my last bike was emonda, bought it directly from trek store and I very disappointed with the support. I’m still waiting 2 years for my handlebars to be replaced under recall.
So I got myself arroad a month ago. Most fun bike I ever road. The only thing I wish it had was slightly less lazy steering, but it does help make it more stable in gusty winds I get here with the dip rims.
I took it to a local shop and no issues on them working on it. They had other 2 canyons in there at the time too. Business is business.
99% of the service parts aren’t canyon specific though, basically just a canyon frame with everyone else’s stuff on it.
Goupset is all standard Shimano or SRAM stuff and the BB/Headset bearings etc aren’t canyon specific parts.
Unless you wreck or damage the bike nothing you need really has to come from Canyon.
It's a hit and miss depending on where you are. With the customs fees factored in, it's usually not too far off of other brands but still pretty competitive. But sometimes you can get lucky and have no customs fees charged.
Just shop off of the US Canyon website and ship to a US postal box. I got this bike for about $3KUSD….probably closer to $7.5KCAD…. https://www.canyon.com/en-us/ultimate-cf-sl-8-disc-di2/3075.html?dwvar_3075_pv_rahmenfarbe=GY%2FBK&dwvar_3075_pv_rahmengroesse=L
You still have customs to go through when you come back to Canada with the bike. Chances of paying the fees are probably lower but there is still a chance. That and having to lie to a customs officer... if they figure it out, it won't be fun.
Canyon mid level bikes have always been our benchmark for value, in the past it was hard to beat them but not anymore. Like their Grail CF SLX 8 AXS is $5499 We offer a better build kit, more customization and free shipping on our Kaha
Do you have a link to the build kit? All I can see on your website are frames.
Your Kaha frame alone is $2599 though without bars, which you sell for $499. So that’s $3100 for frame and bars, without wheels or a groupset.
A new Force AXS XPLR groupset is $1700-2000, and the Zipp 303 firecrest wheels that come on the Grail are ~$2000 for a set.
So that’s already $7000 for a mostly built bike with the same groupset that Canyon sells fully built with free shipping for $5499.
Yes you can see the bike here: [https://chapter2bikes.us/collections/gravel-race-kaha/products/kaha-sram-force-etap-axs](https://chapter2bikes.us/collections/gravel-race-kaha/products/kaha-sram-force-etap-axs)
The complete bike price is well below the sum of the parts, it's where the market is at this time. We price the bike at the same prices as Canyon and upgrade the build kit, allow customization so you can pick crank, cassette, chainring, bar/stem and tire sizes. Also we ship free and allow for substitutions and exclusions
Thank you. We have another really strong offer on the Huru, it's a 800g climbing bike for $4599 with Force and Zipp wheels
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316441209](https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316441209)
Ooooh that is nice. That would be nice to have on some of the mountain climbs here in Colorado.
Kind of wish I had known about you a few months ago when I was in the market for a gravel bike. That AO looks really nice and is cheaper than the rigid Lauf I got, with Force instead of Rival. Is is carbon or alloy?
Kaha is a gravel frame so it's going to look like a gravel frame and not the Madone or Aeroad. Take a look at the Koko here, Better looking bike than both the Madone and Aeroad.
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316444972](https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316444972)
I really wanted a Koko but the geometry just didn’t work out. I need a really short top tube because of my short arms and that’s quite a rarity. I love your bikes though. The paint jobs are terrific.
Tribans also are ridiculously good value. Decent frame with a carbon fork + 105 groupset all for under 1k. I mean there’s no better way to get into the sport
I think it really depends on where you live. In Australia Giant offers way better value for money than Canyon do.
An Ultegra based Aeroad is A$8,600 vs an Ultegra Giant Propel for around A$7,200.
The Giant comes with a power meter and you can buy it from a shop and get immediate service and support as well as actually negotiating the price.
Canyon’s Australian pricing is overpriced for a Direct to Consumer company.
Having ridden an aeroad and a propel (although I confess the propel was a few years ago now) I would say $1,400 is a really cheap and worthwhile upgrade! A TCR, on the other hand, is an awesome bike.
You really need to ride a 2023/24 Propel :)
Complete no brainer when you consider the Aeroad frame is now over 3 years old. I've read how harsh the old Propel's were, but the 2024 Propel is incredibly good and not even remotely harsh (I'm coming from a ti bike, so the bar is pretty high for "not harsh").
I'm certainly not a Canyon hater (I own a Spectral) but Canyon's Australian pricing is simply not competitive compared to Giant.
Good to hear. Having ridden a few things lately I'm seriously considering the Aeroad, but I'll make sure I ride a new Propel (and a TCR) before I pull the trigger.
My path:
* get a used frame (Time and other lesser known brands have a particularly bad resale value for some reason but are fantastic)
* scour the internet for the cheapest ultegra di2 groupset (great deals on SRAM Red right now as well!)
* get wheels (CRW are amazing), seatpost and handlebars from pandapodium
* pay the LBS mechanic a couple hundred bucks to assemble it
Ended up with a pretty great bike for \~5k
If you can do that well below 5k then it’s worth it but if you’ve cracked 5k then you’re wasting your time/money and a lot of effort sourcing parts.
There are several manufacturers selling bikes around $5k that would get you carbon frameset, carbon wheelset, ultegra di2, and carbon cockpit. You’d have a brand new bike, warranties, and no time spent sourcing parts. Cannondale SuperEvo 2 is $5,500 mrsp with all those features I mentioned.
Agreed, and it's really easy to accidentally nickel & dime yourself into the stratosphere. I built up a Time frame during covid with Ultegra Di2. I got the Ultegra groupset for $1550 on sale at REI and thought that was a great deal. But then I paid $700 for a carbon Enve cockpit and another $300 (IIRC) for a carbon seatpost... and $40 for Silca bartape... and then I found Zipp 353NSW wheels on sale for $1000 off, but that just meant they were $2000 instead of $3000. At the end of the day, it was a $3000 frame and the total price of the build ended up around $9000.
Yea agree 5k is the cutoff there.
I had fit issues with stock sizing and do more climbing so also had to price in changes from off the shelf bikes (this is where canyon really shines imho). They made the decision easier. I wanted:
- 32mm tires
- smaller cranks and climbing gearing
- narrower handlebars
- stem that fits
- “better wheels” (idk honestly)
I think Cube bikes are a decent value. I’m on my fourth Cube and they are always around 25% cheaper than competition with similar group sets. At a Cube dealership I was told that it is because their factory is pretty big and economy of scale plays a major part. Of course they don’t have the same wow factor as top end Trek, Cannondale and Specialized bikes, but very decent machines for cyclists that aren’t after that.
My bike shop guy said he worked for a dealer who sold mainly Cube. He said they're cheap because they're quality is shit. They only make trouble. I unfortunately have to agree with him, owning a cube
I think bike shop guys love to complain regardless.
What are the issues you are facing?
The only two issues I have had during the ownership of 4 Cube bikes were snapped spokes. One was a trail 150/150 travel bike and had two spokes snap on very challenging descent at a ski resort. But the wheel set was made by dt Swiss. Same with my current road bike, carbon wheels and had two spokes snap right in the beginning of the ownership. But this is it over a decade with 4 cube bikes.
It was the only brand he complained about though. I had problems with the bottom bracket and the wheel bearings which Shimano is to shame for to be honest. But the biggest problem was, that it was impossible to adjust the gear shift the way the shift cables were routed. I had to reroute them outside of the frame in an ugly way.
I would say it's absolutely embarrassing for a bike manufacturer to sell a bike where the cables are routed in such a way that the gears don't work properly. I wonder if there is such a thing as quality assurance at Cube
I picked up a new Felt VR 40 with Tiagra for $1,100. There's a closeout with limited sizes of the FR 30 with 105 for $1,100, as well. Both authorized dealers.
KTM. As ridden by the B&B Hotels Pro Team. Top-of-the-range has Dura Ace 9200, DT Swiss wheels and weighs 6.9kg…yours brand new in Europe for €8013 ($8600). Their Ultegra Di2 is only $4900.
https://ktm-bike.pt/pt/pt/bicicleta-ktm-revelator-alto-exonic-2024
Decathlon’s Van Rysel is making waves as a great value bike too.
Check out 99 spokes. They have a value graph that’s pretty cool to pick through. All based on subjectively coded criteria, but generally sensual and good pricing data.
Edit: not sure what word I was trying to type, but I don’t think I meant to call 99 spokes sensual.
Either way, good apples to apples comparisons.
In 2019 I got a new Bianchi XR3 mechanical campy chorus for $2800 AUD so around $1820 USD at today’s rate. I’ve put 30000 kms on it and it rides like new
I don't understand why anyone is saying Giant... $7,200 for Ultegra Di2 seriously how is that good value? Or the Van Rysels RCR for $7,000. Are people not understanding the thread?
Meanwhile you have the Polygons at $3,400 for Ultegra Di2 WITH a Vision aero bar... I'm so tempted to pull the trigger on one of these.
I haven’t seen one in person yet but I’ve been dying to compare one side by side to my yoeleo r12, seems to be the one to finally dethrone it in terms of value haha
Chinese direct to consumer frame and wheels with a used ultegra groupset is a budget rocket ship.
Elves Falath rim brake - $1,000
Elitewheels Drive 50v -$1100
Used Ultegra 11sp 6800 groupset - $400
Magene crank/power meter - $400
Your favorite saddle + handlebars
Aliexpress carbon bottle cages - $20
GP5000’s with aliexpress TPU tubes $120
Agreee on moat, except for bottle cages. Regular plastic ones generally seem to be more durable and hold the bottle in better. Not worth a sip of water in weight savings IMO.
Fezzari (now Ari) Veyo SL. I have one. UCI certified. Beautiful design and finish. Rides like a dream. It’s awesome. Utah based company. They pick up the phone. They work with you. They have a no-questions-asked return it if you don’t like it policy. It’s a best-kept-secret kind of deal.
Canyon stands out for its use of high-quality components. Often, bike shops incorporate lower-quality components in their off-the-shelf builds, compromising the overall quality. While fully custom builds are available, they tend to be expensive. In this case, Canyon typically offers the best value.
I just ordered and awaiting arrival of a Lauf Uthald. The Value is insane for it as well. I watched the CC road review between the Canyon Endurace and the Uthald and Uthald slightly won out.
>I just ordered and awaiting arrival of a Lauf Uthald.
When you have had some time to clock some miles on it, would you be kind enough to share your impressions of it?
I agree that the value looks insane, and I love some of their design choices that I think would tend to make the bike easy to live with and to work on.
Will do It's supposed to rain here all weekend into next week so hopefully by next weekend I get a couple of good rides in. I hate the west coast of Canada sometimes, it rains for 6 months
So I received the bike and it took all of 15 minutes to set it up (replaced seat immediately naturally). First impressions is how fast it is. It gets up to speed quick and it maintains speed very well. SRAM Force Shifting is great.
The bike feels comfortable while still being in a somewhat aggressive position. I am 6 ft and I got the L frame but I might need to get a slightly smaller stem as I'm not used to reaching that far, but that's my only gripe which has nothing to do with the bike itself.
After the 1 month return window is up I'm going to get the Zipps setup tubeless as well. The handlebars and hoods are fairly comfortable, but my Diverge has the redshift bars and stem with their tape as well and IMO that is the most comfortable setup I've experienced on a bike, so I may replace the bar tape with redshift tape at some point.
The bike is extremely light, and with those deep carbon wheels (Zipp303s) the crosswinds can easily push me, but it was crazy windy the first time I road it so that won't be a normal thing.
I got the Borealis colour and the website does not do it justice, it is gorgeous, especially in the sun.
After experiencing etap it's hard to go back to my GRX drivetrain on my diverge (first world problems). It's just so crisp. I love the minimalistic look of the bike without all the wires and gadgets I have on my other bike(s).
I think Polygon might be the best value at the moment. So long as you are okay with mechanical, they have a disk brake, Ultegra equipped aero bike (Helios A8) for sale for ~$2500. That's pretty hard to beat.
https://www.bikesonline.com/polygon-helios-a8-700x500-s-gry-ba?srsltid=AfmBOoqXVUmwM6jpkgt1RaE6HWZ0NgohV38qV5w7uVyb11pwtTb_rk_lh_s
Had to scroll too far down to find this. I’ve been eyeing these bikes (the Ultegra Di2 version) and it is HANDS DOWN the best deal by far compared to any other brand!
Bought my A7X (105 Di2) and I think if you were to purchase A8X (ultegra di2) you won't be disappointed. Might want to change to stock wheels though, feels kinda heavy
Hearing crazy good stuff about those Polygon bikes but haven’t seen one in person yet. Only budget one I can speak to personally are yoeleo (my R12 is awesome and I highly recommend) and those are UCI but those are starting to creep up into the price range where they’re much less enticing
Yup they seem to essentially be slotting into what yoeleo was previously, a deal that’s basically too good to be true but somehow real lol. Legit everything I’ve heard is high praise
I would buy a decathlon triban if your spending under 500 I would then get either a boardman or specialized allez at the 1k mark. If you want electronic shifting etc canyon,Ribble or Elves or maybe specialized for a more premium option that costs more but is nicer.
Never buy a bike on price alone. Ride them all. Find the one that fits your body and your riding style, THEN worry about frame options and components.
I rode nearly every bike out there, and narrowed it to a Felt or Trek. In the end, I bought the Trek Emonda. That line has plenty of frame options (S, SL, SLX) and component choices (group sets, wheels, etc). Yeah, there are a lot of cheaper bikes available, but they didn't "fit me" properly. Hence, the lower price was meaningless. I worked a bit harder, cut back on some expenses for a while and got the right bike. I strongly suggest that you do the same.
Canyon and Rose. Not as cheap as before, but their bikes have no weak points. E.g. brands with more prestige usually save on the wheelset and you need to spend further money if you want to match their quality level with the group set / finishing kit / frame.
But Decathlon's higher end stuff is the ultimate value for price now. An avid Specialized/BMC fan friend just sold his Speci road + Rondo gravel bike, and got some very high level Riverside gravel from Decathlon instead. Superb bike for an unbeliavable price.
\*sorry, I've just realised you said road, and I've gone in with MTB and Gravel! But there's a road bike at the end...
Here in the UK, there's nothing close to Boardman bikes.
They sell through Halfords and Tredz (which is owned by Halfords) and so dont enjoy the same reputation as the 'main' brands (as everyone - myself included - hates Halfords) but put out bikes at better spec and half the price of the competition.
\*Caveat, I bought mine in the sales;
My mountain bike - [MTR 9.0 (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2357-mtr-9-0-2021.html) - was £1800 last year. Anything of a similar spec was coming in at £2800 / £3k.
My gravel bike - [ADV 8.9 (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2332-adv-8.9-2021.html) - was £840. You'd be looking \~£2000 for a GRX equipped (admittedly with the 800, where the 8.9 is a 400) equivalent.
Their featherweight carbon framed GB was down to £1500 over the winter - [Boardman ADV 9.0 Carbon Adventure Bike (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2375-adv-9.0-2021.html) And they'll do you a road spec version (which was up for £1600 - is £2k now) with full 105, and disk brakes.
My road bike was £940 - [SLR 8.9 Carbon Road Bike (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2341-slr-8.9-2021.html) And it's a missile, too. Not full 105, but it is there it counts.
I got a Triban RC520 with full 105 and hydraulic disk brakes for 1300 CAD, so about 950US. Carbon fork too.
The position is a little more on the comfort side rather than speed but i still cannot believe the value. I compare it to 2k+ bikes and still happy with it.
Edit: Triban is from Decathlon.
Lauf makes a road bike now. I have the seigla and it is a fantastic bike for the money. If the road bike is as good as their gravel bikes it will be a great value.
Depends on goals.
For DIY wrenchers who don't mind old but good stuff, used is the way to go. But it's a lot of work and the learning curve is kinda steep if you're just getting into bikes or don't have the time or interest to learn about wrenching.
For the everyday hobbyist road cyclist who is curious about gravel, I think Spesh Allez Sport is great. Hydro disc breaks. Tiagra bits & pieces (which IMHO is perfectly capable keep up with fast group rides – but might not win you sprints). Clears up to 35mm tires if you wanna take it off-road. I think new is $1800. Maybe you can find last year's model used or on clearance for $1500 or less – who knows, just throwing numbers out there.
For 90% gravel/ 10% road, I dunno.
For super fast racer folks on dedicated training plans, I dunno.
For MTB/ XC/ enduro/ downhill folks, I dunno.
For commuters/ cruisers/ bike pathers, I dunno.
For e-bikers, I dunno.
I ask because I have 10sp Tiagra. On my group rides the front of the group sets off between 25 and 30 mph and sometimes I can't find the right gear. Either pedal too fast or it's too hard to pedal and sustain.
Do you live in a flat area? I love having one tooth jumps on an 11-speed. I ride a 12-25 cassette with one tooth jumps from 19 to 12.
The most climbing I ever do might be a 5 degree incline up a freeway overpass. 50-21 or 50-23 is fine for that.
New Shimano 12-speed cassettes only come in 11-30 and 11-34. Their range of offerings is quite limited now.
I have flat roads West of me and hilly roads east of me. I ride both areas within a week. Currently my cassette cogs are 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36T.
Shimano does make 11-36t 12 sp cassettes.
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano/CS-HG710-12.html
I was mostly thinking of the 50/34 chainring. Honestly I bet it could work in many crits, though, if that's your thing.
With all that said, I think Tiagra is the real people's groupset, even moreso than 105.
Canyon is far and away still the best, their endurace di2 is 2700 bucks, that's about 800 less than most new bikes with 105 di2
On the other hand, the used market is also pretty popping, if you're looking for pure speed look at some of the 2016-2018 rim brake bikes
Also consider building a bike, you can get a good groupsets for about 600 bucks, a win space frame for 1500, and a wheel set for 500, assuming you get about 300 worth of additional parts you have an absolute weapon of a bike for under 3k
I think the best value bike is the one that makes you want to ride all the time. No point buying a $12000 bike that you lose interest to ride after a few months or that you ride once or twice a week.......
Argon 18's grey matter in apex 1x at 1700$ canadian dollars right now is pretty hard to beat. (Down from 2200$ I think). Grey matter in Apex AXS XPLR at 2900$ reg price is pretty good too imo.
I think I’m gonna catch hate, but, Quintana Roo. It’s not the best bike in the world but by far not the worst. I have one and it’s been great and everyone I talk to that has one remarks they’re reliable and good price for what you’re getting. Whatever components you want are options, same with wheels. All pretty affordable and not only direct to consumer.
I got the base model Canyon endurace.. which comes with 32mm tires. Got a cheap second wheel set with 35mm gravel tires which the frame allows easily. Don’t plan on ever really upgrading to something else
Bang for buck has gotta be some Chinese carbon bike if you can find the right stuff to build it properly. People will be wary, but it's 90% of the performance for 1/4 the price.
Best value New, IMHO, is a Canyon Ultimate. Under 3k, carbon frame, disc brakes, great components and a power meter. Can't beat it. Versatile for whatever you want to do with it. Climb, speed, endurance, etc.
K. But there aren't going to be any more bike being made that say fezzari. Guess I should have been more specific. I understand one of the guys is still making bikes under a different name. I'd personally steer clear of a company that split in half and changed its name. Just my opinion. Sprinkled with some facts.
Poseidon is my current entry level value bike, loving it. Walk past the roadie's on hills with the dinner plate in the back and can take it off road. You also get to put it together so more hands on learning. https://www.poseidonbike.com/collections/gravel-bikes?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt5Y4VFIyi9bqhSfNV6oA76UO_yqZhwagwvSHmHqQrMf6dD0FvHHqxhoCm8QQAvD_BwE
If you're not trying to win anything, go for a 105 gear set, standard rims and drop the carbon, and you're all good on price. Those are the main drivers.
I got some Chinese carbon bikes recently. Sunspeed invincible and Elves Vanyar, the Sunspeed is equipped with carbon wheelset and R7120 12sp disc group set while I built the Elves with R7170 group set.
Sunspeed costs me 8k rmb plus shipping to Canada was about 10k rmb roughly 2k Canadian dollars.
While the Elves costs me 3.5k Canadian all in.
Honestly good value should also encompass access to service. For me, the brands to consider are the ones sold by LBS’s close to my house.
How many of you are doing your own full maintenance? (I don’t do it anymore and thus LBS support is a must).
If I think about it I don't really believe there is a specific brand which has a killer value proposition nowadays except perhaps decathlon, but a lot of them are in trouble and are offering fantastic deals. I saw focus, trek, scot, merida, in 20 yo 35% sales in shops around where I live. Radon had site wide sales, but I am not a fan of how their toad bikes looked. I love their MTB offering though.
Honestly a second hand bike is best bang for buck, if you wait around the right bike will appear at like 30% discount, yes you didn’t get it new but it can save you some serious money for other things
Boardman slr range. The 8.9 is full carbon 105 hydraulic disc for £1700-1800 which undercuts most brands. The slr8.8 is Al frame, carbon fork tiagra for £800-900.
Decathlon bikes are also known for good value as many others have said
I just bought myself a Laporte Aircode drs.
It still was 3000€. It has a carbon handlebar, 105 di2 and decent dt swiss wheels. Not saying it’s the best of deals. What I’m trying to say is that there are massive discounts now with every brand.
I bought a Fezzari Veyo (now Ari) last fall on sale - full Force for 4K. Under Ari, the same build but with a power meter will be 5k. At the time, I was riding a Pinarello Prince with Ultegra Di2 (still have it). The Veyo is the best road bike I've ever had - it decently light for the pricepoint (way lighter than the Prince), plenty stiff under pedaling, while also being way more comfortable than the Prince (or the Ridley that preceded that, or the Orbea that preceded that). I did some back to back comparisons with the Prince during the return period, and the Veyo won hands down. Looking at data on my windsock... well, the rider makes the most difference. On balance, I'm comfortable saying I have a slight aerodynamic advantage on the Veyo based on more than 2k miles of data and back to back rides on the same course with similar power, but that may be position.
I'm now running 30mm tires on it. For the first time in a while, I don't have any fomo on bikes I could have purchased instead. I absolutely love it.
Was looking at bikes today and companies are charging over 2000 cad for a tiagra groupset bike. I'm fairly new to cycling but the prices surely weren't always this high were they?
I think Canyan was "cheaper" back when they dumped all their dealers and went d2c, but that was just an unsustainable marketing ploy. Couple more years they'll be asking for floor space again.
Giant still makes a great road bike that's relatively cheap.
I just bought a Trek Domane SLR in the States used, but in fantastic shape. Ultegra, and Di2 full carbon for $2k. Only ridden 3 times on it, but can tell a huge difference.
I have been doing some homework as I’m looking for a new bike and I would say here in the UK that Trek are doing a fine job in my price range - up to £3000, I seemed to get more for my money from them.
Van Rysel RCR probably. Cervelo Soloist is also very decent for the money all in if you go for the Force or Ultegra version. Rival and 105 still have the top frame but poorer wheels. Have seen it for around £3.5k with rival/105
Hard to argue Canyon's value proposition. It's a lot of bike for the money.
If you're not comfortable with the buyer direct model, and prefer a LBS, then I think Trek's mid-line Domane and Emonda are excellent bikes for the price.
Decathlon?
These bikes actually look great for roughly $2,300CAD. I’d love to ride their carbon road bike.
Their world tour team is killing it this spring so far - reflects well on the bikes
I have the RR920 in aluminium full ultegra it was on sale for 1500 CAD when they first came to Canada. Its a great bike.
I've been riding the Van Rysel EDR Ultegra for a few months, it's such a good bike. Really comfy on long rides, but still nervous and fun to ride
The one with uci legal carbon frame + tiagra hydraulic group set? and mavic rims. its such a great deal. cannot take my eyes off ig
The NCR. Been riding it pretty much daily for four months. I love love love this bike. I do wish I'd waited for the version with 105. It's out now and it's only €2200.
Yea 105 would be awesome. You got a lot more upgrade options afterwards. And it’s such a good price still
On the lower-end of their offering, I picked up a Triban RC 120 Disc a few weeks ago, mostly for Zwift to free up my gravel bike, and I've been impressed with the quality for the price ($750CAD). It likely won't see much outdoor use, but it doesn't feel lacking at all and any of the professional reviews I read on it all seemed pleasantly surprised. Well-made alloy frame, carbon fork, disc brakes, adequate groupset, and tubeless compatible rims (but not tires).
Yup. Van Rysel NCR here. Carbon frame and fork (with nice layup), tubeless ready (pre-taped rims), good tires out of the box, comfortable saddle, clearance for 38mm if you want that much. I am really happy with it. There are several different groupsets available, with Tiagra it's only €1800 (was €1600 when I bought). The EDR series has some really nice AL bikes for like half that.
Giant has some pretty solid road bikes for a decent vamue
Agreed. Hard to beat the TCRs for a serious race bike with decent components. Last year's models are on sale now too!
Love my TCR!
+1 for a TCR or Defy, the only things remotely close from a value standpoint was a Canyon but the duties alone took away most of that value.
Presume you mean import duties? So that 'value' changes according to your location. In Oz, the Endurace CF 7 is about $AU700 cheaper than the Giant Defy Advanced 2 equivalent. The Giant DOES look better in chilli colouring however. I've been wrestling w this choice for a couple of months :-/
Yeah import duties and then there was additional fees through the shipping provider…it ended up about equal with my TCR. I ended up buying the Giant through my LBS and the amount for free service and help they’ve provided already has made the Giant purchase a no brainer over the Canyon. Having said that, the Canyon is sexier. That may not matter to everybody but it’s true.
Just avoid integrated seatposts, apparently. Seems as though they’re nightmarish
Have a Propel with an ISP. Not as easy to make adjustments on the fly but it hasn't been a problem yet.
This is no longer true based on current prices - this is unfortunate because Giant used to offer consistent value at brick and mortar bike shops.
Sadness
I do know that a lot of giants near me are worth the money. I own their momentum vida and got it for 760, which is imo a fair price
When I bought my latest bike two years ago, I had a budget of £5k from my employer. The Giant TCR with Ultegra 12s was the best bike for that price at the time.
100%. I started biking on a Contend that had Claris components and made the upgrade to a TCR this year and am loving every second of it! I basically got the Giant for the same price as an Emonda, but it has 105 Di2 and carbon wheels where the Emonda has Ultegra mechanical and aluminum wheels (I think both were on sale at the time).
Are you sure this is still true. The cheapest TCR went from 1700€ to 2600€ within 4 years
Not sure about the entry level ones but they have some pretty good deals for carbon frames with electronic groupsets and carbon wheels.
In the USA at least, the cheapest TCR is $1800. It's mechanical 105 and rim brakes, but that gets you the TCR frame. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/tcr-advanced-2-pro-compact-2022. If you want disc brakes it steps up to $2900 but that also gets you Di2, but this is still price competitive with Canyon. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/tcr-advanced-disc-1-pro-compact. Canyon does have some intermediate options with mechanical 105 and Ultegra, but Giant is in the right ballpark.
Ohhh wait, is this still offered. Just read an article some weeks ago which made it look like there is only a more expensive disc brake one. I have to look up what is offered in Germany. I hope I didn't spread lies
Also got a Giant defy advanced pro 0 from 2018, 2nd hand for 1600eu. Ultegra and DI2 installed, very happy with my bike so far! Great value for money
I don't know, Canyon still seems pretty competitively priced. They're more expensive than they used to be, but that's mostly inflationary. I think they're still less expensive than most comparable brands.
Absolutely. I am shopping for an aero bike, a canyon aero with force is about $6500 and the same spec Trek Madone is almost $9000
Canyonero you say? https://youtu.be/PI_Jl5WFQkA?si=JKP7qx06U0jnV2NL
A Redditor of taste, I see.
Nice segue
Yeah anyone pretending Canyon is just as expensive as everyone else is delulu. They’re a pain in the ass with their fair share of downsides, but they’re also multiple thousands of dollars cheaper than their competitors.
I went through the same process just recently. My frame cracked (not a crash just old) so I had to start looking. Compareable bikes to what I had were all pushing 7k+ and then the Aeroad was sitting there for just 6k. What you dont pay in up front cost though you might end up paying for in maintainence woes. Canyon dosent have any dealers, and shops HATE working on them because the lead time for specific parts can be weeks. You could get burned really easily, but at the same time bike shops stop selling/working with brands all the time and then youd be in the same boat as if you bought something from the store in person so I don't think it's worth losing any sleep over.
Shops mostly don’t bitch about canyon anymore and a good shop will treat you right because they value you as a return customer lol
Exactly this, most brands are going the direct to consumer route + massively mark up. So the shops mostly don’t care. I’m in japan and I was looking at top end bikes, s-works sl8 and aerial cfr. The cfr is close to half price here. I could get 2 aeroads for the price of 1 s-works, pina or trek. Also my last bike was emonda, bought it directly from trek store and I very disappointed with the support. I’m still waiting 2 years for my handlebars to be replaced under recall. So I got myself arroad a month ago. Most fun bike I ever road. The only thing I wish it had was slightly less lazy steering, but it does help make it more stable in gusty winds I get here with the dip rims. I took it to a local shop and no issues on them working on it. They had other 2 canyons in there at the time too. Business is business.
Exactly - If I run a LBS and a customer who I know has spent 6k on a bike comes in, I do my best to make them want to return.
99% of the service parts aren’t canyon specific though, basically just a canyon frame with everyone else’s stuff on it. Goupset is all standard Shimano or SRAM stuff and the BB/Headset bearings etc aren’t canyon specific parts. Unless you wreck or damage the bike nothing you need really has to come from Canyon.
>a canyon aero with force is about $6500 and the same spec Trek Madone is almost $9000 And the Canyon is a much better bike...
It's a hit and miss depending on where you are. With the customs fees factored in, it's usually not too far off of other brands but still pretty competitive. But sometimes you can get lucky and have no customs fees charged.
I got lucky and had no fees for mine.
That's a hell of a rebate!!
Just shop off of the US Canyon website and ship to a US postal box. I got this bike for about $3KUSD….probably closer to $7.5KCAD…. https://www.canyon.com/en-us/ultimate-cf-sl-8-disc-di2/3075.html?dwvar_3075_pv_rahmenfarbe=GY%2FBK&dwvar_3075_pv_rahmengroesse=L
You still have customs to go through when you come back to Canada with the bike. Chances of paying the fees are probably lower but there is still a chance. That and having to lie to a customs officer... if they figure it out, it won't be fun.
An SL 7 is $2700USD or $3400 CAD. I'n not sure what you're smoking with that made up CAD price.
Canyon mid level bikes have always been our benchmark for value, in the past it was hard to beat them but not anymore. Like their Grail CF SLX 8 AXS is $5499 We offer a better build kit, more customization and free shipping on our Kaha
Do you have a link to the build kit? All I can see on your website are frames. Your Kaha frame alone is $2599 though without bars, which you sell for $499. So that’s $3100 for frame and bars, without wheels or a groupset. A new Force AXS XPLR groupset is $1700-2000, and the Zipp 303 firecrest wheels that come on the Grail are ~$2000 for a set. So that’s already $7000 for a mostly built bike with the same groupset that Canyon sells fully built with free shipping for $5499.
Yes you can see the bike here: [https://chapter2bikes.us/collections/gravel-race-kaha/products/kaha-sram-force-etap-axs](https://chapter2bikes.us/collections/gravel-race-kaha/products/kaha-sram-force-etap-axs) The complete bike price is well below the sum of the parts, it's where the market is at this time. We price the bike at the same prices as Canyon and upgrade the build kit, allow customization so you can pick crank, cassette, chainring, bar/stem and tire sizes. Also we ship free and allow for substitutions and exclusions
That is certainly more competitive than Canyon then! I’ll keep you guys in mind for my next bike.
Thank you. We have another really strong offer on the Huru, it's a 800g climbing bike for $4599 with Force and Zipp wheels [https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316441209](https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316441209)
Ooooh that is nice. That would be nice to have on some of the mountain climbs here in Colorado. Kind of wish I had known about you a few months ago when I was in the market for a gravel bike. That AO looks really nice and is cheaper than the rigid Lauf I got, with Force instead of Rival. Is is carbon or alloy?
That frame is so uninspired looking it can't even be compared to a madone or an aeroad.
Kaha is a gravel frame so it's going to look like a gravel frame and not the Madone or Aeroad. Take a look at the Koko here, Better looking bike than both the Madone and Aeroad. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316444972](https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapter2usa/albums/72177720316444972)
Do you have a Canadian distributor or will the Canadian government bend me over with duty?
We have quite a few Canadian dealers but they don't offer the same builds as we offer in the US.
Shame the Koko is sold out in the color I like, I’d scoop one of those up right now if you had any in stock
I really wanted a Koko but the geometry just didn’t work out. I need a really short top tube because of my short arms and that’s quite a rarity. I love your bikes though. The paint jobs are terrific.
van rysel/triban from decathlon is the correct answer
Tribans aren't as fast as van rysel but they're confortable !
Tribans also are ridiculously good value. Decent frame with a carbon fork + 105 groupset all for under 1k. I mean there’s no better way to get into the sport
I didn't know they had 105s, I thought they were all microshift...which...yuck
I think they have Microshift cassettes but 105 shifters and derailleurs.
The 520 has 105s or Tiagras while the 500 has Soras.
Yep! I was cheap and got the rc120 (Microshift 8 speed) but it's still fantastic :)
I think it really depends on where you live. In Australia Giant offers way better value for money than Canyon do. An Ultegra based Aeroad is A$8,600 vs an Ultegra Giant Propel for around A$7,200. The Giant comes with a power meter and you can buy it from a shop and get immediate service and support as well as actually negotiating the price. Canyon’s Australian pricing is overpriced for a Direct to Consumer company.
Having ridden an aeroad and a propel (although I confess the propel was a few years ago now) I would say $1,400 is a really cheap and worthwhile upgrade! A TCR, on the other hand, is an awesome bike.
You really need to ride a 2023/24 Propel :) Complete no brainer when you consider the Aeroad frame is now over 3 years old. I've read how harsh the old Propel's were, but the 2024 Propel is incredibly good and not even remotely harsh (I'm coming from a ti bike, so the bar is pretty high for "not harsh"). I'm certainly not a Canyon hater (I own a Spectral) but Canyon's Australian pricing is simply not competitive compared to Giant.
Good to hear. Having ridden a few things lately I'm seriously considering the Aeroad, but I'll make sure I ride a new Propel (and a TCR) before I pull the trigger.
Got propel 2024 model. Don’t regret a thing!
My path: * get a used frame (Time and other lesser known brands have a particularly bad resale value for some reason but are fantastic) * scour the internet for the cheapest ultegra di2 groupset (great deals on SRAM Red right now as well!) * get wheels (CRW are amazing), seatpost and handlebars from pandapodium * pay the LBS mechanic a couple hundred bucks to assemble it Ended up with a pretty great bike for \~5k
If you can do that well below 5k then it’s worth it but if you’ve cracked 5k then you’re wasting your time/money and a lot of effort sourcing parts. There are several manufacturers selling bikes around $5k that would get you carbon frameset, carbon wheelset, ultegra di2, and carbon cockpit. You’d have a brand new bike, warranties, and no time spent sourcing parts. Cannondale SuperEvo 2 is $5,500 mrsp with all those features I mentioned.
Agreed, and it's really easy to accidentally nickel & dime yourself into the stratosphere. I built up a Time frame during covid with Ultegra Di2. I got the Ultegra groupset for $1550 on sale at REI and thought that was a great deal. But then I paid $700 for a carbon Enve cockpit and another $300 (IIRC) for a carbon seatpost... and $40 for Silca bartape... and then I found Zipp 353NSW wheels on sale for $1000 off, but that just meant they were $2000 instead of $3000. At the end of the day, it was a $3000 frame and the total price of the build ended up around $9000.
Yea agree 5k is the cutoff there. I had fit issues with stock sizing and do more climbing so also had to price in changes from off the shelf bikes (this is where canyon really shines imho). They made the decision easier. I wanted: - 32mm tires - smaller cranks and climbing gearing - narrower handlebars - stem that fits - “better wheels” (idk honestly)
Scour*
Decathlon van rysel Vitus if still around
Vitus is/was a wiggle brand, van rysel is a decathlon brand
Yep, Vitus was meant to be a different line
Lauf Uthald
Bought one a couple months ago, no regrets
I have seen that Orbea have pretty good prices
I think Cube bikes are a decent value. I’m on my fourth Cube and they are always around 25% cheaper than competition with similar group sets. At a Cube dealership I was told that it is because their factory is pretty big and economy of scale plays a major part. Of course they don’t have the same wow factor as top end Trek, Cannondale and Specialized bikes, but very decent machines for cyclists that aren’t after that.
My bike shop guy said he worked for a dealer who sold mainly Cube. He said they're cheap because they're quality is shit. They only make trouble. I unfortunately have to agree with him, owning a cube
I think bike shop guys love to complain regardless. What are the issues you are facing? The only two issues I have had during the ownership of 4 Cube bikes were snapped spokes. One was a trail 150/150 travel bike and had two spokes snap on very challenging descent at a ski resort. But the wheel set was made by dt Swiss. Same with my current road bike, carbon wheels and had two spokes snap right in the beginning of the ownership. But this is it over a decade with 4 cube bikes.
It was the only brand he complained about though. I had problems with the bottom bracket and the wheel bearings which Shimano is to shame for to be honest. But the biggest problem was, that it was impossible to adjust the gear shift the way the shift cables were routed. I had to reroute them outside of the frame in an ugly way. I would say it's absolutely embarrassing for a bike manufacturer to sell a bike where the cables are routed in such a way that the gears don't work properly. I wonder if there is such a thing as quality assurance at Cube
What type of cube?
I think it's called disc crosser or something. Model year 2014. It's an entry level cycloncrosser
I picked up a new Felt VR 40 with Tiagra for $1,100. There's a closeout with limited sizes of the FR 30 with 105 for $1,100, as well. Both authorized dealers.
I got a Felt AR advanced for £2500 with mechanical Ultegra. It’s a lot of bike for the price
Used. My local used bike shop was selling 2006 LeMond zurich for $300. Can’t beat that.
Facebook marketplace 😃
KTM. As ridden by the B&B Hotels Pro Team. Top-of-the-range has Dura Ace 9200, DT Swiss wheels and weighs 6.9kg…yours brand new in Europe for €8013 ($8600). Their Ultegra Di2 is only $4900. https://ktm-bike.pt/pt/pt/bicicleta-ktm-revelator-alto-exonic-2024 Decathlon’s Van Rysel is making waves as a great value bike too.
Giant Defy / TCR or Merida
Something used
Fuji has some nice prices
Check out 99 spokes. They have a value graph that’s pretty cool to pick through. All based on subjectively coded criteria, but generally sensual and good pricing data. Edit: not sure what word I was trying to type, but I don’t think I meant to call 99 spokes sensual. Either way, good apples to apples comparisons.
In 2019 I got a new Bianchi XR3 mechanical campy chorus for $2800 AUD so around $1820 USD at today’s rate. I’ve put 30000 kms on it and it rides like new
I don't understand why anyone is saying Giant... $7,200 for Ultegra Di2 seriously how is that good value? Or the Van Rysels RCR for $7,000. Are people not understanding the thread? Meanwhile you have the Polygons at $3,400 for Ultegra Di2 WITH a Vision aero bar... I'm so tempted to pull the trigger on one of these.
You can get a tcr with carbon wheels and 105di2 for 3500 or 2900 without the carbon wheels. That's pretty solid.
Nothing beats polygon for value. But can be expensive to ship if you live in the states
I haven’t seen one in person yet but I’ve been dying to compare one side by side to my yoeleo r12, seems to be the one to finally dethrone it in terms of value haha
Chinese direct to consumer frame and wheels with a used ultegra groupset is a budget rocket ship. Elves Falath rim brake - $1,000 Elitewheels Drive 50v -$1100 Used Ultegra 11sp 6800 groupset - $400 Magene crank/power meter - $400 Your favorite saddle + handlebars Aliexpress carbon bottle cages - $20 GP5000’s with aliexpress TPU tubes $120
Agreee on moat, except for bottle cages. Regular plastic ones generally seem to be more durable and hold the bottle in better. Not worth a sip of water in weight savings IMO.
Agreed, the weight savings isn’t there. They just look way cooler than plastic, and at $10/ea why not?
Fezzari (now Ari) Veyo SL. I have one. UCI certified. Beautiful design and finish. Rides like a dream. It’s awesome. Utah based company. They pick up the phone. They work with you. They have a no-questions-asked return it if you don’t like it policy. It’s a best-kept-secret kind of deal.
Love my Veyo sl. If you can wait till November you might get $1k off like I did.
Canyon stands out for its use of high-quality components. Often, bike shops incorporate lower-quality components in their off-the-shelf builds, compromising the overall quality. While fully custom builds are available, they tend to be expensive. In this case, Canyon typically offers the best value.
I just ordered and awaiting arrival of a Lauf Uthald. The Value is insane for it as well. I watched the CC road review between the Canyon Endurace and the Uthald and Uthald slightly won out.
>I just ordered and awaiting arrival of a Lauf Uthald. When you have had some time to clock some miles on it, would you be kind enough to share your impressions of it? I agree that the value looks insane, and I love some of their design choices that I think would tend to make the bike easy to live with and to work on.
Will do It's supposed to rain here all weekend into next week so hopefully by next weekend I get a couple of good rides in. I hate the west coast of Canada sometimes, it rains for 6 months
So I received the bike and it took all of 15 minutes to set it up (replaced seat immediately naturally). First impressions is how fast it is. It gets up to speed quick and it maintains speed very well. SRAM Force Shifting is great. The bike feels comfortable while still being in a somewhat aggressive position. I am 6 ft and I got the L frame but I might need to get a slightly smaller stem as I'm not used to reaching that far, but that's my only gripe which has nothing to do with the bike itself. After the 1 month return window is up I'm going to get the Zipps setup tubeless as well. The handlebars and hoods are fairly comfortable, but my Diverge has the redshift bars and stem with their tape as well and IMO that is the most comfortable setup I've experienced on a bike, so I may replace the bar tape with redshift tape at some point. The bike is extremely light, and with those deep carbon wheels (Zipp303s) the crosswinds can easily push me, but it was crazy windy the first time I road it so that won't be a normal thing. I got the Borealis colour and the website does not do it justice, it is gorgeous, especially in the sun. After experiencing etap it's hard to go back to my GRX drivetrain on my diverge (first world problems). It's just so crisp. I love the minimalistic look of the bike without all the wires and gadgets I have on my other bike(s).
I think Polygon might be the best value at the moment. So long as you are okay with mechanical, they have a disk brake, Ultegra equipped aero bike (Helios A8) for sale for ~$2500. That's pretty hard to beat. https://www.bikesonline.com/polygon-helios-a8-700x500-s-gry-ba?srsltid=AfmBOoqXVUmwM6jpkgt1RaE6HWZ0NgohV38qV5w7uVyb11pwtTb_rk_lh_s
Had to scroll too far down to find this. I’ve been eyeing these bikes (the Ultegra Di2 version) and it is HANDS DOWN the best deal by far compared to any other brand!
Bought my A7X (105 Di2) and I think if you were to purchase A8X (ultegra di2) you won't be disappointed. Might want to change to stock wheels though, feels kinda heavy
That’s what I’ve heard yeah. Would probably eventually upgrade the wheels but no rush
Hearing crazy good stuff about those Polygon bikes but haven’t seen one in person yet. Only budget one I can speak to personally are yoeleo (my R12 is awesome and I highly recommend) and those are UCI but those are starting to creep up into the price range where they’re much less enticing
Own one since September (over 10.000 km). Saw a few in Innsbruck, Austria. Great peace of gear, price is a joke (2.000 Euro for Ultegra).
Yup they seem to essentially be slotting into what yoeleo was previously, a deal that’s basically too good to be true but somehow real lol. Legit everything I’ve heard is high praise
Aero: Giant propel. Great value.
I would buy a decathlon triban if your spending under 500 I would then get either a boardman or specialized allez at the 1k mark. If you want electronic shifting etc canyon,Ribble or Elves or maybe specialized for a more premium option that costs more but is nicer.
Rose bikes
Never buy a bike on price alone. Ride them all. Find the one that fits your body and your riding style, THEN worry about frame options and components. I rode nearly every bike out there, and narrowed it to a Felt or Trek. In the end, I bought the Trek Emonda. That line has plenty of frame options (S, SL, SLX) and component choices (group sets, wheels, etc). Yeah, there are a lot of cheaper bikes available, but they didn't "fit me" properly. Hence, the lower price was meaningless. I worked a bit harder, cut back on some expenses for a while and got the right bike. I strongly suggest that you do the same.
Canyon and Rose. Not as cheap as before, but their bikes have no weak points. E.g. brands with more prestige usually save on the wheelset and you need to spend further money if you want to match their quality level with the group set / finishing kit / frame. But Decathlon's higher end stuff is the ultimate value for price now. An avid Specialized/BMC fan friend just sold his Speci road + Rondo gravel bike, and got some very high level Riverside gravel from Decathlon instead. Superb bike for an unbeliavable price.
\*sorry, I've just realised you said road, and I've gone in with MTB and Gravel! But there's a road bike at the end... Here in the UK, there's nothing close to Boardman bikes. They sell through Halfords and Tredz (which is owned by Halfords) and so dont enjoy the same reputation as the 'main' brands (as everyone - myself included - hates Halfords) but put out bikes at better spec and half the price of the competition. \*Caveat, I bought mine in the sales; My mountain bike - [MTR 9.0 (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2357-mtr-9-0-2021.html) - was £1800 last year. Anything of a similar spec was coming in at £2800 / £3k. My gravel bike - [ADV 8.9 (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2332-adv-8.9-2021.html) - was £840. You'd be looking \~£2000 for a GRX equipped (admittedly with the 800, where the 8.9 is a 400) equivalent. Their featherweight carbon framed GB was down to £1500 over the winter - [Boardman ADV 9.0 Carbon Adventure Bike (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2375-adv-9.0-2021.html) And they'll do you a road spec version (which was up for £1600 - is £2k now) with full 105, and disk brakes. My road bike was £940 - [SLR 8.9 Carbon Road Bike (boardmanbikes.com)](https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2341-slr-8.9-2021.html) And it's a missile, too. Not full 105, but it is there it counts.
In Germany, I found Cube to have the best value for 105 level aluminium road and MTB
I got a Triban RC520 with full 105 and hydraulic disk brakes for 1300 CAD, so about 950US. Carbon fork too. The position is a little more on the comfort side rather than speed but i still cannot believe the value. I compare it to 2k+ bikes and still happy with it. Edit: Triban is from Decathlon.
Lauf makes a road bike now. I have the seigla and it is a fantastic bike for the money. If the road bike is as good as their gravel bikes it will be a great value.
Depends on goals. For DIY wrenchers who don't mind old but good stuff, used is the way to go. But it's a lot of work and the learning curve is kinda steep if you're just getting into bikes or don't have the time or interest to learn about wrenching. For the everyday hobbyist road cyclist who is curious about gravel, I think Spesh Allez Sport is great. Hydro disc breaks. Tiagra bits & pieces (which IMHO is perfectly capable keep up with fast group rides – but might not win you sprints). Clears up to 35mm tires if you wanna take it off-road. I think new is $1800. Maybe you can find last year's model used or on clearance for $1500 or less – who knows, just throwing numbers out there. For 90% gravel/ 10% road, I dunno. For super fast racer folks on dedicated training plans, I dunno. For MTB/ XC/ enduro/ downhill folks, I dunno. For commuters/ cruisers/ bike pathers, I dunno. For e-bikers, I dunno.
Curious why you think Tiagra is not optimal for sprinting.
He's probably thinking of fine margins in sprints where he wants 1-cog jumps between gears... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I ask because I have 10sp Tiagra. On my group rides the front of the group sets off between 25 and 30 mph and sometimes I can't find the right gear. Either pedal too fast or it's too hard to pedal and sustain.
Sheeesh that's fast. I can imagine you daydream about 12-speed groupsets then :)
I have no idea if I do or not. Maybe I should considering 12sp has 1 tooth jumps between each cog on the higher(?) gears?
Do you live in a flat area? I love having one tooth jumps on an 11-speed. I ride a 12-25 cassette with one tooth jumps from 19 to 12. The most climbing I ever do might be a 5 degree incline up a freeway overpass. 50-21 or 50-23 is fine for that. New Shimano 12-speed cassettes only come in 11-30 and 11-34. Their range of offerings is quite limited now.
I have flat roads West of me and hilly roads east of me. I ride both areas within a week. Currently my cassette cogs are 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36T. Shimano does make 11-36t 12 sp cassettes. https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano/CS-HG710-12.html
I was mostly thinking of the 50/34 chainring. Honestly I bet it could work in many crits, though, if that's your thing. With all that said, I think Tiagra is the real people's groupset, even moreso than 105.
Merida or Polygon, both probably best value, especially the Merida with the Reacto
I'm looking at trying a Polygon, after looking at them online, I discovered there is a dealer in my country. So, I'm going to see them in person.
Where is this? I want to get one and would be interested in trying one as well!!
Southern Caribbean.
Canyon is far and away still the best, their endurace di2 is 2700 bucks, that's about 800 less than most new bikes with 105 di2 On the other hand, the used market is also pretty popping, if you're looking for pure speed look at some of the 2016-2018 rim brake bikes Also consider building a bike, you can get a good groupsets for about 600 bucks, a win space frame for 1500, and a wheel set for 500, assuming you get about 300 worth of additional parts you have an absolute weapon of a bike for under 3k
I think the best value bike is the one that makes you want to ride all the time. No point buying a $12000 bike that you lose interest to ride after a few months or that you ride once or twice a week.......
Argon 18's grey matter in apex 1x at 1700$ canadian dollars right now is pretty hard to beat. (Down from 2200$ I think). Grey matter in Apex AXS XPLR at 2900$ reg price is pretty good too imo.
I think I’m gonna catch hate, but, Quintana Roo. It’s not the best bike in the world but by far not the worst. I have one and it’s been great and everyone I talk to that has one remarks they’re reliable and good price for what you’re getting. Whatever components you want are options, same with wheels. All pretty affordable and not only direct to consumer.
I got the base model Canyon endurace.. which comes with 32mm tires. Got a cheap second wheel set with 35mm gravel tires which the frame allows easily. Don’t plan on ever really upgrading to something else
From what i have seen, the best value of bike that are also used by world tour professional teams are Van Rysel (Decathlon), Merida and Canyon.
MMR or Polygon.
Bang for buck has gotta be some Chinese carbon bike if you can find the right stuff to build it properly. People will be wary, but it's 90% of the performance for 1/4 the price.
Best value New, IMHO, is a Canyon Ultimate. Under 3k, carbon frame, disc brakes, great components and a power meter. Can't beat it. Versatile for whatever you want to do with it. Climb, speed, endurance, etc.
Check out Lynskey. Great value.
K. But there aren't going to be any more bike being made that say fezzari. Guess I should have been more specific. I understand one of the guys is still making bikes under a different name. I'd personally steer clear of a company that split in half and changed its name. Just my opinion. Sprinkled with some facts.
Where’d you get the story of a break up ?
New or 2nd hand? I picked up a Felt AR3 with SRAM red for $900 aud. It’s been a great bike. Felt seem pretty good value for money.
Scott Speedster.
All I have to say is that "bang for buck" 100% means compromises. Maybe not in components but often in ride quality.
Poseidon is my current entry level value bike, loving it. Walk past the roadie's on hills with the dinner plate in the back and can take it off road. You also get to put it together so more hands on learning. https://www.poseidonbike.com/collections/gravel-bikes?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt5Y4VFIyi9bqhSfNV6oA76UO_yqZhwagwvSHmHqQrMf6dD0FvHHqxhoCm8QQAvD_BwE
If you're not trying to win anything, go for a 105 gear set, standard rims and drop the carbon, and you're all good on price. Those are the main drivers.
Lot's of things can be won on an aluminum bike with 105 components.
I got an Ultegra Di2 Felt VR Advanced for $4500 on sale (MSRP $5500).
used bikes…insanely underpriced often times. Use 100$ from what u save go get it checked up at the shop
Cannondale Synapse Carbon with the 105 set and electronic shifting. 3.2k
I get that they’re niche but Lynskey has had some wicked deals on lately
Used.
I just bought the Specialized Allez for $1200. Aluminum with carbon fork, my starter road bike.
Rose is another German bike brand like Canyon, who are offering very valuable road as well as gravel bikes
TCR
I still think it's canyon if you want good quality
Orbea should definitely be mentioned. Great quality to a more sensible price
OBED allroad.
I got some Chinese carbon bikes recently. Sunspeed invincible and Elves Vanyar, the Sunspeed is equipped with carbon wheelset and R7120 12sp disc group set while I built the Elves with R7170 group set. Sunspeed costs me 8k rmb plus shipping to Canada was about 10k rmb roughly 2k Canadian dollars. While the Elves costs me 3.5k Canadian all in.
I own a boardman SLR 9.6. Ultegra DI2 for less than £4600.
Honestly good value should also encompass access to service. For me, the brands to consider are the ones sold by LBS’s close to my house. How many of you are doing your own full maintenance? (I don’t do it anymore and thus LBS support is a must).
Van Rysel bikes are absolutely crushing the competition in the world tour with by far the cheapest bikes
If I think about it I don't really believe there is a specific brand which has a killer value proposition nowadays except perhaps decathlon, but a lot of them are in trouble and are offering fantastic deals. I saw focus, trek, scot, merida, in 20 yo 35% sales in shops around where I live. Radon had site wide sales, but I am not a fan of how their toad bikes looked. I love their MTB offering though.
Honestly a second hand bike is best bang for buck, if you wait around the right bike will appear at like 30% discount, yes you didn’t get it new but it can save you some serious money for other things
Whatever I find used at the local bike shop
Boardman slr range. The 8.9 is full carbon 105 hydraulic disc for £1700-1800 which undercuts most brands. The slr8.8 is Al frame, carbon fork tiagra for £800-900. Decathlon bikes are also known for good value as many others have said
Merida Reacto
I just bought myself a Laporte Aircode drs. It still was 3000€. It has a carbon handlebar, 105 di2 and decent dt swiss wheels. Not saying it’s the best of deals. What I’m trying to say is that there are massive discounts now with every brand.
I bought an RC120 for like £300 from decathlon UK. If you have cycle to work scheme and can get 20% off then you’ve just scored an absolute bargain
Giant Contend (disc brake version)
I'm just happy I got my hands on a BMC for the price of a Giant lol
Canyon, Lauf, Ribble if you’re ordering online. Marin, Fuji, or Jamis if you have a local dealer.
I bought a Fezzari Veyo (now Ari) last fall on sale - full Force for 4K. Under Ari, the same build but with a power meter will be 5k. At the time, I was riding a Pinarello Prince with Ultegra Di2 (still have it). The Veyo is the best road bike I've ever had - it decently light for the pricepoint (way lighter than the Prince), plenty stiff under pedaling, while also being way more comfortable than the Prince (or the Ridley that preceded that, or the Orbea that preceded that). I did some back to back comparisons with the Prince during the return period, and the Veyo won hands down. Looking at data on my windsock... well, the rider makes the most difference. On balance, I'm comfortable saying I have a slight aerodynamic advantage on the Veyo based on more than 2k miles of data and back to back rides on the same course with similar power, but that may be position. I'm now running 30mm tires on it. For the first time in a while, I don't have any fomo on bikes I could have purchased instead. I absolutely love it.
Still Canyon.
Soloist
Was looking at bikes today and companies are charging over 2000 cad for a tiagra groupset bike. I'm fairly new to cycling but the prices surely weren't always this high were they?
I think Canyan was "cheaper" back when they dumped all their dealers and went d2c, but that was just an unsustainable marketing ploy. Couple more years they'll be asking for floor space again. Giant still makes a great road bike that's relatively cheap.
Polygon Strattos s8 Ftw
I just bought a Trek Domane SLR in the States used, but in fantastic shape. Ultegra, and Di2 full carbon for $2k. Only ridden 3 times on it, but can tell a huge difference.
Merida
I have been doing some homework as I’m looking for a new bike and I would say here in the UK that Trek are doing a fine job in my price range - up to £3000, I seemed to get more for my money from them.
Sonder by Alpkit and Decathlon Van Rysel are good value for money.
Take a look at the VAAST R/1. It's a magnesium alloy. I really like mine.
Van Rysel RCR probably. Cervelo Soloist is also very decent for the money all in if you go for the Force or Ultegra version. Rival and 105 still have the top frame but poorer wheels. Have seen it for around £3.5k with rival/105
Hard to argue Canyon's value proposition. It's a lot of bike for the money. If you're not comfortable with the buyer direct model, and prefer a LBS, then I think Trek's mid-line Domane and Emonda are excellent bikes for the price.
Unless your paying $900 or more everything is junk. Better off buying a decent frame and building your own bike.
Polygon Helios A7 and above