Best road bikes 2023 — find your perfect drop bar bike whatever your budget

The Ultimate has been designed as a race bike and, if you have the legs, Canyon’s absolutely correct – this is one fast bike. Upon this carbon beauty, you can sprint, climb and descend swiftly and with style. The test model came in at 7.27kg but if that’s not light enough for you, an even higher-spec model comes in at 6.8kg.

But what of the spec of the Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2? Well, as you can tell from the title, it’s equipped with Shimano’s electronic groupset, this time in the form of its 12-speed Ultegra. It works wonderfully and you’d have to be a real shifting pedant to look to upgrade to the more expensive and ever-so slightly lighter Dura-Ace Di2.

Wheels come in the form of DT Swiss’ ARC 1400s and they complement the bike nicely, though they will suit rolling roads a little more than properly hilly routes. The 50mm depth can be nudged slightly by sidewinds, but these are one of the easiest wheels to get along with in gusty conditions. Mounted onto these wheels are Schwalbe Pro One Skin tyres that perform well.

Rocketing bike prices mean Canyon isn’t the value-packed brand it once was. But with the Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2, that doesn’t matter. It’s comparable price-wise with its contemporaries (or better than) and it delivers a fantastic ride, one that’s fast and comfortable. If you have the money, you can’t go wrong.

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As prices continue to rise, Boardman has done a sterling job to keep a bike of this quality and componentry under the £1,000 mark. The SLR 8.8 delivers a fine ride via a no-nonsense frame and fork with well-balanced handling to suit beginners or those who want to exploit its all-weather capabilities.

The triple-butted 6061 alloy frame and slender tube profiles serve up a tasty ride, transferring power proficiently without feeling harsh. The SLR 8.8 primarily uses a Shimano Tiagra groupset that’s based around a 10-speed system. However, the chainset is FSA Vero Compact, while the brakes switch to Tektro. It’s a cornucopia of components but it does the job.

Boardman’s-branded SLR rims are laced to Formula DC-20 (front) and DC-22 (rear) hubs and are a solid set of wheels. They’re not light but they are dependable. Vittoria’s Rubino G2.0 28mm tyres are great for high-mileage riders who aren’t obsessed by top speed. Grip levels are reassuring, especially in the wet.

At £850, this bike is an absolute bargain.

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At around the £1,000 price point, the Scultura 300 goes to show you don’t need to remortgage your home to buy a new bike. It’s a capable and comfortable performance road bike that’ll give you many hours and miles of joy. Okay, it’s not the lightest out there, hitting the scales at 9.26kg when we reviewed the 2020 model, but that doesn’t hold the 300 back on anything but the steepest of climbs. It handles nicely, making this a strong contender for your first road bike or a quality upgrade from bikes at around the £500 mark.

It's constructed from tripled-butted 6066 grade aluminium alloy, which flows into a carbon fork that dampens down vibrations from turbulent UK terrain nicely. 

The finishing kit’s mainly Merida’s own brand including the Comp SL wheels. They’re solid and durable but do add weight, so you might want to treat yourself to some sprightlier hoops come the summer. Maxxis supply the tyres. This is one of the only let-downs as they’re not the most supple and mute the ride somewhat. Another upgrade would help here.

Still, despite those minor tweaks, there’s a lot to love about the Merida Scultura 300. It’s comfortable, stiff and will cope with the worst of the UK weather. If you want a bit more stopping power, there's also a hydraulic disc brake version, but you'll pay a little more. 

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Mason's Definition pushes the boundaries of what you think an aluminium frameset can be, and in terms of looks, ride quality and craftsmanship, it equals and even surpasses many carbon fibre bikes. 

Receiving high praise for many years on road.cc, our reviewer described the current version built with Campagnolo's Chorus groupset as "a jack of all trades, yet amazingly a master of all." As an all-round road bike it's one of the best out there full stop, not just among aluminium bikes, and the ride quality and geometry work both at speed or when cruising along – and that's whether you're crossing town, the county, or even the country. The build quality and finish are flawless too thanks to Mason's skilled Italian makers, putting many alloy bikes with their fugly welds in the shade. 

In the Chorus build our test bike weighed 8.6kg, and all the cables and wires are run internally using Mason's Multiport system. The build quality and paint finish is impeccable, and as we've already mentioned, the ride sublime.

The price we've quoted is for the build with the Chorus groupset and Mason x Hunt 4Season wheels, though you can pay between £3,045-£6,045 in numerous different builds. 

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The Scott Addict 10 is a well-priced endurance bike that delivers a high-performance ride. In fact, it’s one of the firmest rides of an endurance bike that we know of, but stops short of feeling harsh. Overall, it’s as close to a full-on race bike that the majority of us need.

The carbon-fibre frame is shown off in all its glory thanks to the lack of any external cables, hoses or wires. It looks slick and adds an aerodynamic edge. Scott utilises its Evo-Lap technology to maximise the lay-up of the carbon fibres and it seems to work, striking a good balance between stiffness and comfort.

The Addict 10 comes with SRAM’s entry-level wireless electronic-shifting 12-speed Rival AXS groupset. We’ve used this groupset several times before and it’s always impressed. You also have enough gears to cope with the steepest of climbs. SRAM’s hydraulic brakes scrub speed in a nice controlled manner and instil you with confidence.

Scott’s component brand, Syncros, supplies much of the finishing kit including the RP2.0 disc wheels. If you’re looking for all-out speed, look to a deep-rim model, but these perform well in  terms of acceleration and climbing. The impressive tyre clearance means it comes with 32mm  tyres as standard. They’re Schwalbe Ones that roll and grip well.

If you’re after a smooth-handling endurance bike with a racy edge and plenty of stiffness, this could be the bike for you.

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The Émonda is Trek's all-round race bike offering, and the higher end models are used by pros on the UCI World Tour. In this build it's solid with great handling, has a stiff platform for performance and a comfortable riding position. It's also clean with no visible cabling. 

Our reviewer described the ride as firm but balanced, and the makeover it had in 2021 has transformed it from a purely lightweight climbing machine to a bike with some aerodynamic credentials, making it more of an all-rounder. 

We couldn't fault the ride, finding it firm but not too harsh, and it looks great too with large tube junctions that flow smoothly, while the chunky down tube gives a hint at just how stiff the Émonda is.

At 9kg it's not exactly light, and the finishing kit isn't absolutely top-of-the-range at this price point; but this is a bike that will tackle any kind of topography or race and excel. The frameset is great and it can be upgraded over time too.

The 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint Disc is a very fast aluminium road bike that handles superbly. Specialized has used its D’Alusio Smart Weld technology to make the alloy tubes stronger and lighter. It’s certainly had an impact on the scales, though the whole package still comes in at 8.7kg. That’s noticeable on the hills compared to carbon bikes at this price point but fine on the flats. The only disappointment with those tubes is the welding, which is a touch too noticeable for our liking on a bike that price-wise, is in smooth carbon-bike territory.

The geometry’s evolved over previous editions and is a much more stable road racer than the twitchy model of the past. Shimano’s 105 R7020 model takes care of drivetrain duties and performs brilliantly, delivering solid, seamless shifting alongside excellent stopping and control from the hydraulic brakes.

DT Swiss’s R470 wheels are good – they’re tubeless ready and have a decently wide 21mm internal rim width – but a bike of this swift character is crying out for a set of deep-rim wheels. Specialized’s own Turbo Power tyres is fast while offering good levels of grip in all conditions.

The Allez Sprint is a fast bike with excellent handling but might suffer from its strong carbon competition at this price point.

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