The best road bikes of 2024
In this Article
Published on April 19, 2024
The year 2024 looks promising for cycling enthusiasts, with a plethora of new models of road bikes promising to push the boundaries of performance, comfort, and innovation. Road bikes are perfectly suited for long distances on paved roads. They offer exceptional maneuverability and can tackle all types of terrain, whether uphill or downhill. However, there are many types of road bikes, each with its own characteristics: climbers, endurance, or aero, to name a few. With prices steadily increasing over the years, a road bike represents a significant purchase, with the most passionate among you even calling it an investment. Therefore, it's important not to rush your decision. Here's a selection from The Cyclist House of the best road bikes of 2024.
How to Choose Your Road Bike? Key Criteria to Consider
Criterion 1: Type of Riding
Are you torn between an aero road bike, a climber, or an endurance bike? Then we advise you to prioritize comfort and durability, especially if you're not a competitor. Endurance bikes, with their relaxed geometry and robust construction, should be your top choice, especially if you enjoy long rides or are just starting out. However, if you're considering racing, prefer shorter rides, or are comfortable with more aggressive positions, you'll have to choose between lightweight and aerodynamics. For winding roads, climbs, and moderate speeds, opt for the versatility of a lightweight road bike. Conversely, for cyclists who love flat terrain and speed, aerodynamics is undoubtedly the best option.
👉Guide to choosing the ideal road bike
Criterion 2: Budget
Road Bikes Under €1,000
If you're looking to buy a bike with a maximum budget of €1,000, go for a road model with a quality aluminum frame. The components will generally be entry-level, with mechanical transmission and mechanical disc brakes, but still effective. However, to improve comfort and performance, you'll likely need to consider replacing the wheels and tires, and sometimes even the saddle.
Aluminum Road Bike Frames
Aluminum frames are known for their lightweight, strength, and stiffness. They are commonly used on entry-level or mid-range road bikes. These frames offer efficient transmission of power from the pedals to the wheels. However, aluminum has some drawbacks: it's heavier than carbon and offers less shock absorption. To address this, many aluminum frames now incorporate a carbon fork and seatpost, improving ride comfort.
Road Bikes Between €1,000 and €3,500
For a budget ranging from €1,000 to €3,500, you'll have more options regarding the frame, with the possibility of accessing good quality carbon frames. The transmission will generally be mechanical, and you can find satisfactory quality aluminum wheels. So, you'll be investing in a reliable bike that you can potentially upgrade later on.
👉Cycling on a budget: our selection under €2,500
High-End Road Bikes
For a budget exceeding €6,000, you can afford a high-end bike offering excellent quality at all levels. You can enjoy electronic transmission, hydraulic disc brakes, and carbon wheels, meaning you won't need to upgrade components immediately unless you have specific preferences. You're investing in an optimized bike ready to ride right out of the box.
Carbon Road Bike Frames
Carbon fiber frames are famous for their extreme lightness compared to aluminum. Additionally, they offer better shock absorption. The result? Stiffer, more robust, and faster bikes with excellent power transmission and unmatched speed. Thanks to technological advancements, there are now various methods of manufacturing carbon frames, making them increasingly popular in the bike market.
👉Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum Frame: which one to choose?
Drivetrain
The leading brands of bike transmission systems globally recognized are Shimano, Sram, and Campagnolo. They offer a variety of ranges suitable for different levels of cyclists: high-end options for professionals and more affordable yet equally performant solutions for amateurs. It's important to note that the price of these systems is generally proportional to their quality. Additionally, some road bikes are equipped with electronic transmissions that allow for automatic gear shifting. Although these transmissions are more expensive, they offer superior efficiency.
👉SRAM vs Shimano Road Groups: which one to choose?
Best Road Bikes of 2024
BMC Teammachine R 01 Three
The Swiss brand promises a new bike model, described as a "thoroughbred," where every aspect has been meticulously studied to maximize aerodynamic performance.
Developed in partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, this €9,499 bike is designed to push boundaries and deliver exceptional performance to riders.
A Road Bike Designed for Aerodynamics
With an aerodynamic geometry that sets it apart from traditional racing bikes, the BMC Teammachine R 01 Three offers a more relaxed top tube height, allowing cyclists to adopt a very upright position. The design of this bike is impressive, particularly with a handlebar system designed to reduce the rider's frontal surface area while providing a comfortable grip for an aerodynamic position.
The fork of this bike has been specially developed to improve stability and rider confidence in changing conditions. Furthermore, to keep the bike's weight as light as possible, BMC has reduced the surface area of certain parts, including the top tube and seatpost. The lower part of the frame has been optimized for maximum aerodynamic performance. Equipped with Force eTap and weighing 7.4 kg, the BMC Teammachine R 01 Three accompanies you on all terrains, whether rolling or steep, like the stages of a Paris-Nice.
Discover also the 2023 model, the BMC Teammachine SLR01 Three which represents the affordable version of the bikes used by the Team Ag2R-Citroën. For €7,199 (refurbished version), this model offers a high-quality frame-fork assembly, providing remarkable versatility in terms of users and terrains.
Look 795 Blade RS
The 2024 version of the Look 795 Blade RS marks a radical change from its predecessors, both in terms of design and philosophy. This bike weighing only 7 kg, priced at €12,990, stands out for its ultra-high module carbon fiber structure, offering a chassis that is both lightweight and rigid. Its geometry and design elements have been meticulously optimized. The handlebar and stem, although distinct, seem to merge to form a single piece, optimizing aerodynamics and simplifying the visual aspect.
The Look 795 Blade RS will quickly impress you with its remarkable stiffness. The solidity of the bottom bracket and the head tube allows for lightning-fast accelerations on flat terrain and immediate responsiveness uphill. This characteristic truly emphasizes the competitive nature of the bike: each acceleration after a turn or an intersection is done with disconcerting ease, as if the bike anticipated and amplified the effort.
Look 795 Blade RS 2024: versatile and stable
It is in the descents that the bike truly shines. Not only is it very secure, but it also shows remarkable precision and stability. The confidence it inspires in corners is exceptional, allowing descents at high speeds without ever feeling any wobbling or instability. The CORIMA wheels, with their aerodynamic profile and well-dosed stiffness, greatly contribute to this stability, offering excellent grip and very precise feedback from the road surface.
In addition to its impressive performance in climbing and descending, the 795 Blade RS also stands out for its ability to handle transitions between different road surfaces. On slightly irregular or damaged roads, the low stays and frame geometry work together to filter vibrations, thus preserving comfort without compromising responsiveness. This ability to combine comfort and performance becomes a real asset during long rides, where fatigue is less noticeable thanks to well-thought-out ergonomics and a balanced weight distribution.
Also discover our 2022 model offered at a price of €10,500 or €6,499 for the refurbished version.
👉Look and The Cyclist House: a powerful partnership
Adris Performance
We had already mentioned the Breton brand Adris in our top 5 best Gravel bikes 2024. We mention it again with the Adris Performance road bike: a versatile, fast, and lightweight bike.
The Performance bike adopts slightly more conventional lines, but ultimately reminiscent of the Specialized Tarmac and Cannondale SuperSix, two references in the field. The shapes of the tubes are designed to reduce wind resistance while maintaining a competitive weight, with only 890 g announced in size M, including paint. The tube structure offers a balance between rigidity and dynamism, thus favoring the overall performance of the bike. As for the wheels, the choice leans towards versatility, with Mavic Cosmic SLR 45 for the high-end version of the Performance and Chinese Lun Road wheels for the version equipped with Ultegra Di2. This configuration allows for good aerodynamics without compromising weight during climbs, while ensuring optimal stability in crosswinds.
The Performance bike benefits from total integration of the brake hoses inside the cockpit, then into the head tube and the rest of the frame. This integration is clean, with no hoses protruding, thus offering a clean aesthetic. The aerodynamic seatpost is also specially produced for this bike.
Adris Performance: high-end French quality
On the road, the Adris Performance behaves like a modern high-end bike, offering efficiency and versatility on all terrains. Its weight is remarkable: with less than 6.9 kg (without pedals) in size S, it is comparable to a Tarmac S-Works SL7 equipped in the same way.
The Performance offers excellent efficiency, whether on flat or uphill terrain, and performs as well as the top models in terms of pure efficiency.
In the uphill sections, the bike offers an excellent compromise: the bottom bracket transmits the cyclist's power without loss, while the front part is slightly less rigid, making it easier to accelerate while standing and avoiding a feeling of excessive stiffness. The Performance is comfortable both when riding at a sustained pace with a large gear and when needing to accelerate abruptly. It allows for responsiveness and confirms its competitive DNA.
On flat terrain, the bike allows for a sustained pace. The bike is playful, requiring good control in windy sections. However, it remains very precise in corners, allowing for quick and smooth changes of direction. Overall, the bike does not bounce and effectively absorbs road irregularities. It could even be improved by fitting wider tires, 28 or even 30 mm, for increased comfort.
In descents, the Performance is very precise in choosing the right trajectory, thus offering confident and enjoyable riding.
In conclusion, the Adris Performance equipped with Ultegra Di2 is a pleasant surprise: as light as many high-end references on the market, it is almost as performant. Moreover, this bike is offered at a very attractive price of €5,599, making it an interesting choice.
You have a preference for the Airline? Equipped with Shimano Tiagra, its completely invisible welds almost give the impression of riding a carbon bike. However, this is indeed an aluminum road bike, made up of perfectly crafted triangular tube shapes and fully integrated cables. At a weight of 8.5 kg, it's a road bike that delivers.
Comfort is not its strong point. However, its carbon fork and Vittoria tires help to mitigate road vibrations.
Ultra dynamic, the Adris Airline is designed for racing. It's a highly competitive bike, offering an excellent price-to-quality ratio of €1,299 (The Cyclist House preferential price).
Trek Emonda SLR 7
This model is emblematic of the American brand's road bike range, focused on racing and competition. Versatile, aerodynamic, it performs as well in sprints as it does in climbs. The Trek Emonda SLR7 has an aerodynamic feature that makes it ideal for flat roads, while being light and forgiving in the mountains or under challenging conditions. If you have power, it propels you vigorously, but as soon as you lack it, it supports you throughout the ride.
With its perfectly integrated cables, nothing protrudes. Furthermore, Trek has introduced a new carbon fiber, OCLV 800, to reconcile aerodynamic shapes with rigidity in the bike's design. Thanks to this fiber, the frame alone weighs less than 700 g and the fork 365 g.
Equipped with Shimano Ultegra transmission, the Emonda weighs only 7.1 kg.
From the first pedal strokes, you'll realize that this bike is incredibly fast and comfortable. As soon as you accelerate, you immediately feel its liveliness and responsiveness.
Also discover the 2022 model priced at €8,600 or €5,999 in its reconditioned version.
👉Choosing between Trek Emonda and Trek Domane
Specialized S-Works Aethos Campagnolo LTD
This is clearly an ultra high-end exceptional bike. Specialized unveils a special edition of the Aethos model equipped with the prestigious Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset and Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheels. This limited series will include only 300 units available worldwide.
The Aethos LTD priced at €15,500 is equipped with a 12-speed electronic transmission with gear ratios of 48-33 and 10-29. The Aethos S-Works frame with its round and sober tubes weighs only 585 g. The goal is to have an ultra-light bike, designed for riding in hilly and mountainous regions.
Specialized provided the frame, handlebar, and saddle, and Campagnolo provided everything else, including the wheels and the Super Record electronic groupset.
The Hyperon Ultra wheels with a 21 mm profile are very lightweight wheels made in Europe. They have perfect efficiency and stiffness, blending perfectly with the frame. As for the groupset, it's a 12-speed wireless system priced at €5,200 alone. Yes, at this price, you can get two bikes 😉.
This lightweight bike is stunning on the road. Comfortable, responsive, and lightweight, at the slightest pedal stroke, the bike takes off.
Discover the 2021 model priced at €12,200 new or €7,999 in its reconditioned version.
Discover our Specialized road bikes
| BMC Teammachine R01 Three | Look 795 Blade RS | Adris Performance | Trek Emonda SLR 7 | Specialized S-Works Aethos Campagnolo LTD | |
| Weight | + | + | + | + | + |
| Performance | + | + | + | + | + |
| Transmission | + | + | + | + | + |
| Comfort | + | + | - | - | + |
| Price | - | - | + | + | - |
In summary, the cycling world now offers a wide range of road bikes designed to meet the needs and requirements of the most demanding cyclists. With constant technological advancements, innovative materials, and a continuous commitment to performance, brands continue to push the boundaries of what's possible on two wheels. Whether you're looking for lightness, rigidity, comfort, or versatility, there's a bike perfectly suited to your needs and riding style. And if budget is one of your criteria, The Cyclist House reconditioned prices allow you to acquire the bike of your dreams without breaking the bank. A used bike in essence? Not really, no! Here are the differences between a used bike and a reconditioned bike.
