Best Road Bikes Of 2021

3T STRADA
FRAMESET: $1,999
$5,999 AS SHOWN WITH CAMPAGNOLO EKAR
Speed or comfort? How about both? Sure, most road bikes these days are built for at least 28mm tires, but not all those bikes are optimized to be fastest with them. The Strada features a curved seat tube shaped specifically to direct airflow around 28mm to 30mm rubber, meaning there’s no compromise on speed or comfort. Doing away with the front derailleur in this 1x-only frame furthers its aerodynamic chops, while also saving a few grams. Going 1x only isn’t for everyone, but with cassettes reaching 12 speeds, and now 13 with Campagnolo Ekar, it’s a viable option for many.

VENTUM NS1
$3,199 TO $10,549
$10,549 AS SHOWN WITH RED ETAP AXS
Ventum started as a triathlon bike brand, reimagining aero designs in a space already accustomed to cutting-edge tech. The brand’s road bike, the NS1, brings some of that aero know-how and packs it into a more familiar UCI-friendly form factor. And while it shares features with many all-around bikes, including tire clearance of up to 30mm, it separates itself with a silicon EPS manufacturing process that makes it light and durable.

COLNAGO V3RS
FRAMESET: $5,000
$11,099 AS SHOWN WITH RED ETAP AXS
Even old-guard Italian brands like Colnago have gotten in on the all-around race bike concept. The V3Rs has already had a successful tenure, riding to the top step of the Tour de France podium last year. The frame hides all cables internally and incorporates truncated aero tubing, for a sleek aero look, while squeezing in 30mm of rubber and weighing in at under 800 grams for some sizes. And thanks to high grade carbon fiber, the bike is also lighter and stiffer than before, delivering a supremely well balanced ride quality.

WILIER 0 SLR
$8,100 TO $11,912
$11,912 AS SHOWN WITH DURA-ACE DI2
There’s no better name possible than “zero” for this lightweight climber. That’s because it feels almost weightless in the mountains, packaging together a feathery frame, disc brakes with 28mm clearance, full internal cable routing, and an integrated cockpit in a package that can very easily go south of the UCI weight limit. The fact that it easily has the Italian brand’s highest stiffness-to-weight ratio ever helps with that amazing ride feel, too. And as always for Wilier, it’s available in gorgeous colors.

LIV LANGMA
$2,000 TO $5,800
$2,000 AS SHOWN: ADVANCED 2 WITH 105
As a women’s-specific brand, Liv does a lot more than just make frames for smaller riders. The Langma, an all-around race bike, has a female-specific carbon layup adapted for women’s anatomy to better deliver power and compliance. And it makes use of a proven compact geometry, which provides a better fit and handling. With an aerodynamic tubeset in a lightweight package, it’s built for the hills, sprints, and everything in between.

CANYON ENDURACE
$1,499 TO $7,499
$3,999 AS SHOWN: CF SL DISC 8.0 ULTEGRA DI2
Probably no bike is more aptly named than the Endurace (Endu-race, without an n). While ostensibly an endurance bike, its geometry leans more towards race bike, while aero elements in the tube shapes make it one of the fastest feeling comfort-oriented bikes available. Additional comfort comes courtesy of high volume tires, up to 33mm, and a flexible seat post. Plus, the Endurace delivers the typical direct-to-consumer value of Canyon, providing an Ultegra Di2 build for a price most other brands would be spec’ing Ultegra mechanical.

ORBEA ORCA
$2,399 TO $9,999
$9,999 AS SHOWN: M11ELTD WITH RED ETAP AXS
The Orca has long been the flagship model for Basque company Orbea, and these days it’s a more versatile, wellrounded machine than ever. Ample tire clearance of 32mm to 35mm, depending on the model, coupled with lowered seatstays and an optimized carbon blend with continuous fibers lets the Orca deliver a smooth ride, while making use of truncated airfoil tube shapes that reduce drag by 10 percent. The MyO customization program offers control of everything from frame color to component selection.

RIDLEY FENIX SLIC
$5,200 TO $7,500
$7,500 AS SHOWN WITH ULTEGRA DI2
The Fenix SLiC is Ridley’s response to the needs of the everyday all-around rider…which for a Belgian company means cobblestones even on coffee rides. Its diamond shape tubing results in reinforced carbon, bolstering impact-resistance and durability over harsh terrain. And even with an endurance-oriented geometry, and comfort-focused features like a curved toptube and thin seatstays, it makes use of every single watt thanks to a wide bottom bracket and substantial downtube.

PINARELLO DOGMA F12 DISK
FRAMESET: $6,500
$13,500 AS SHOWN WITH RED ETAP AXS
It’s hard not to be drawn in by a bike that collects grand tour victories like they’re free t-shirts at a conference. The latest model in the storied Dogma F series continues Pinarello’s trademark asymmetric frame design. Only now, this sough-after all-around race bike has room for 28mm tires, plus increased lateral stiffness, and a further 8-watt drag savings. And with 13 frame sizes, there’s a perfect fit for everyone.

BIANCHI INFINITO CV
$4,600 TO $6,000
$6,000 AS SHOWN WITH ULTEGRA DI2
The secret sauce behind the Infinito CV’s endurance chops isn’t its longer chainstays or taller head tube, though those certainly help. No, the secret lies beneath the surface, woven into the carbon layup itself. The Bianchi CV vibration canceling system incorporates a viscoelastic material right into the carbon, reducing road vibrations by up to 80 percent. Add in clearance for 32mm tires and a healthy sprinkling of aero details and the result is a bike at home on the cobbles and beyond.

MOOTS VAMOOTS RCS
FRAMESET: $5,999
$13,123 AS SHOWN WITH RED ETAP AXS
The new Vamoots RCS (Routt County Special) brings allroad riding to the revered titanium frame builder’s catalog. Offering clearance of up to 35mm, the RCS performs at its best with 32mm tires, making it at home on mixed-surface routes. Double-butted tubes, newly designed fast back seatstays, and a 3D-printed dropout design come together to make a well-rounded experience that’s ready for any kind of road riding, especially the unpaved kind.

BMC ROADMACHINE
$2,799 TO $10,999
$6,999 AS SHOWN: 01 FOUR WITH ULTEGRA DI2
A comfort-oriented bike need not be a sluggish experience, compromising heavily on speed and handling. The Roadmachine delivers all the styling of a modern road racer — complete internal cable routing, a sleek integrated cockpit and aerodynamic features — and adds in a compliance-oriented carbon layup and room for 33mm tires. It’s not the most race-oriented bike in the BMC line, but for most riders, it delivers the right tradeoff of speed and comfort.

CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO
$2,200 TO $12,500
$12,500 AS SHOWN: SUPERSIX EVO
HI-MOD RED ETAP AXS
Go big on aero. Go big on climbing. Go big on everything, with the Cannondale SuperSix EVO. By using truncated aero tube shapes and routing all cables internally, the latest SuperSix Evo saves a whopping 30 watts over its predecessor, while remaining light enough for the pros to race it at the UCI weight limit. Max out the clearance with 30mm tires and it’s one of the best combinations of speed, weight, and comfort available.

GIANT TCR ADVANCED SL
$8,600 TO $11,300
$8,600 AS SHOWN WITH FORCE ETAP AXS
A perennially great all-around race bike, the TCR Advanced SL gets even better for 2021 with the model’s highest ever stiffness-to-weight ratio. And Giant accomplished that while incorporating new aero tube shapes, making it faster than ever on the flats, while a bumped up tire clearance of 32mm lets it adapt to any course. Factor in Giant’s two-year crash replacement program, and that’s an equation for miles of stress-free training and racing.

TREK DOMANE
$2,400 TO $12,000
$6,500 AS SHOWN: SL 7 WITH ULTEGRA DI2
Not many machines could plausibly take on the cobbles of the spring classics one weekend and then race a gravel grinder the next. But then again, not many machines are the Domane. This beast brings together vibration-eating IsoSpeed decouplers, proven with wins on the cobbles, and massive clearance of 38c. It sets the standard for versatility in road bikes.

SCOTT ADDICT
$2,000 TO $4,000
$3,000 AS SHOWN: ADDICT 10 WITH ULTEGRA
Once a super-aggressive racing machine, these days the Addict has mellowed out a bit, slotting into the Scott line as an endurance-focused ride. With stock 30c Schwalbe ONE tires and a relaxed geometry, it’s built for endless miles in the saddle. And thanks to wide gear ranges across the lineup of models, it’s ready to take on the steepest pitches and endure epic climbing days.

SPECIALIZED AETHOS
$5,500 TO $14,000
$13,000 AS SHOWN: S-WORKS WITH DURA-ACE DI2
Specialized’s bike of the future looks deceptively simple. At a glance, the Aethos delivers a classic silhouette, but subtle tapering of tube shapes and a complete shakeup of the carbon layup result in a bike with phenomenal power transfer and ride quality, in a frame that weighs a scant 585 grams, painted—and all without sacrificing durability to get there. Plus, it’s built for today’s riders, offering 32mm of clearance.

CERVÉLO CALEDONIA-5
$5,000 TO $11,000
$5,000 AS SHOWN WITH SHIMANO ULTEGRA Is it a race bike with comfort features or an endurance bike with aero characteristics? Yes. The Caledonia- 5 blends stable handling designed for racing Paris-Roubaix with a whopping 34mm tire clearance and integrated brake and cable lines for clean looks and minimal drag. The bike is also a fit chameleon; two cap options offer low and slammed or tall and comfortable positions without spacers.