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Many of us want the very best kit in the land, which often means buying the same bike and gear as the pros. Perhaps one of the most appealing things about professional cycling is that you can do just that, in that you can walk into a bike shop and ride away on a road bike pretty much identical to one ridden to victory by Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert or Tadej Pogačar… but, these bikes often come with very lofty price tags. Let’s have a look at some more obtainable versions of these top-end road bikes.
In the late 90s, there were loads of team replicas around, such as the Bianchi Mercatone Uno, MBK Cofidis and Trek for USPS which many amateur cyclists at the time wanted to get their hands on. However, team replicas aren’t as much of a thing anymore, and many team paint jobs aren’t quite as distinctive.
The question of whether pro bikes are the same as ones that you or I can buy in the shops is, broadly speaking, a simple one to answer. More or less, barring individual modifications that some riders might request, pro bikes are these days the same as those that you can buy in a bike shop. All you have to do is hand over around £10,000 (sometimes more) and you’ll be presented with something that is much the same as the bikes that you’ll see being raced towards Paris.
> 10 things you (mostly) only see on pro race bikes
Happily, however, it is possible to get bikes that are very similar to the ones the stars of cycling ride, but at cheaper prices. Okay, these bikes aren’t cheap, but they are cheaper. It’s all relative, isn’t it?
We’ve had a look at what various manufacturers are offering to show that you can realistically get a bike that’s a lot like the pros are using for considerably less money. We’ve focused on bikes that share the same frame design – or a similar one made with less expensive carbon fibre – and keep the cost a little more obtainable with less posh components.
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 – £4,500
EF Education EasyPost / EF Education-Oatly team riders use Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 bikes equipped with SRAM groupsets.
The SuperSix Evo range starts with the Evo 3 at £3,500, built up with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset, but the least expensive SRAM-equipped model is the Evo 4 at £4,500. You get a SRAM Rival AXS groupset and DT Swiss ERC LOG 45 carbon wheels, whereas the pros use Visions.
The frame might not be as lightweight as the Lab71 version the pros use, but it’s the latest fifth-generation design.
Buy the Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 for £4,945 from Westbrook Cycles
Giant Propel Advanced 2 – £2,499
> Check out the “lightest Giant Propel ever”
Team Jayco AlUla use Giant bikes – the Propel Advanced SL and TCR Advanced SL for road stages.
The top-of-the-line Propel Advanced SL 0 is available in both SRAM Red AXS (£10,499) and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (£9,999) builds, but you might well want to save yourself a whole lot of money by dropping down to the Propel Advanced 2 with mechanical Shimano 105 instead. The frame is a little heavier and you lose the electronic shifting, but this is still an excellent bike. If you do want to stick with electronic shifting, the Shimano 105 Di2-equipped Propel Advanced 1 is £3,499.
Buy the Giant Propel Advanced 2 for £2,499 from Giant
Pinarello F3 105 Di2- £4,000
You desperately want a Pinarello Dogma F so you can race like one of the Netcompany Ineos riders, but the budget won’t stretch that far? Instead, you can get your hands on a Pinarello F3, which borrows much from the top-end Dogma F, at less than half the price.
It shares a similar frame profile, but it’s made from a different blend of carbon fibre and has a lower spec with Shimano 105 Di2 rather than the top-end Dura-Ace Di2.
Ineos riders usually use wheels from Scope, but this Pinarello F3 is equipped with 30mm deep DT Swiss A 1800s instead.
Buy a Pinarello F3 105 Di2 for £4,000 from Sigma Sports
Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2 – £4,499
The weapon of choice for the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Premier Tech is the Canyon Aeroad CFR, which will costs over eight grand when equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut wheels (the team primarily uses Shimano Dura-Ace).
The Canyon Aeroad CF SLX and Aeroad CFR have the same frame design and feature an integrated cockpit and aero seatpost, but different carbon layups mean the CF SLX frame is slightly heavier.
You still get Di2 electronic gearing – mid-level 105 rather than top-level Dura-Ace – and the build includes 65mm deep carbon rims from DT Swiss and high-quality Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyres.
Buy the Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2 for £4,499 from Canyon
Canyon Ultimate CF 7 AXS – £3,349
2026 Canyon Ultimate CF 7 AXS (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
As well as the Aeroad (above), the Canyon-sponsored WorldTeams also have the option of the Ultimate road bike. It’s Movistar’s choice for climbing stages. The pros ride the top-level Ultimate CFR, but the CF SLX and CF are more accessible platforms.
Unlike Alpecin-Premier Tech, Movistar Team uses SRAM groupsets. The least expensive Canyon Ultimate that’s equipped with SRAM is the £3,349 CF 7 AXS. This one comes with SRAM Rival AXS electronic shifting and Newmen Advanced A.50 wheels, whereas the pros use SRAM Red AXS groupsets and Zipp wheels.
Buy the Canyon Ultimate CF 7 AXS for £3,349 from Canyon
Bianchi Oltre Comp 105 Di2 – £4,350
Team Bahrain Victorious riders have been on the new Bianchi Specialissima RC at the 2026 Tour de France, but the Oltre RC remains an option for them.
The Oltre Comp is derived from the higher-level Oltre RC and Oltre Pro, the Team Replica version of the top-end Oltre RC costing an eye-watering €14,500 (around £12,500).
The Bianchi Oltre Comp is available in several builds, including one with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset (although Ultegra Di2 is shown in the picture above) with in-house Velomann components for £4,350.
Buy the Bianchi Oltre Comp 105 Di2 for £4,350 from Thame Cycles
Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race – £4,999
The French TotalEnergies team rides Cube bikes with Shimano groupsets and Newmen wheels, and this Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race bike gets you pretty much all of the way there.
It’s equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Newmen Streem A.49/A.54 carbon wheels for £4,999. Yes, five grand is still a lot of money, but for a bike with a spec of this level, it’s great value in today’s market.
Buy the Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race for £4,999 from Sigma Sports
Trek Madone SL 6 AXS Gen 8 – £4,000
Lidl-Trek pro riders spend most of their time aboard Trek’s Madone SLR equipped with SRAM Red AXS groupsets and other components from the in-house Bontrager brand.
The Madone SL shares the same aerodynamic frameset shaping, geometry, and key features, but it uses a different tier of carbon fibre so it’s a little heavier.
If you’d like to follow Lidl-Trek’s lead and go with SRAM components, the least expensive model is the Madone SL6 AXS Gen 8. This option comes with SRAM Rival AXS E1 shifting and Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50 wheels.
Buy the Trek Madone SL6 AXS Gen 8 for £4,000 from Tredz
Van Rysel RCR-F Pro Shimano 105 Di2 – £5,000
Decathlon CMA CGM ride Van Rysel RCR bikes in various forms, including the RCR-F Pro equipped with SRAM groupsets and Swiss Side wheels (and there’s a new model on the way).
The RCR-F Pro is only publicly available with Shimano groupsets, which is the brand the professional riders had on their bikes last year. You’re looking at £10,000 for the model specced with top-level Dura-Ace Di2. The Shimano 105 Di2 model – with Swiss Side Hadron Classic 470 wheels and Continental GP 5000 S TLR tyres – is half the price.
Buy the Van Rysel RCR-F Pro Shimano 105 Di2 for £4,499.99 from Decathlon
Lapierre Xelius DRS 6.0 – £3,399
Picnic PostNL ride Lapierre Xelius DRS bikes equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, Ursus wheels, and Michelin tyres. A Xelius DRS Team Replica will set you back £11,299.
The Xelius DRS 6.0 uses a different carbon layup, so the frame is a little heavier (908g for an unpainted size M), but the geometry is the same. It’s built up with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset – which performs similarly to Dura-Ace at a significantly more affordable price – and DT Swiss E1800 Spline 30.
Buy the Lapierre Xelius DRS 6.0 for £3,149 from Winstanleys Bikes
Orbea Orca Aero M30LTD £3,799
You can buy an Orbea Orca Aero M10i LTD PWR in a Lotto replica edition for £9.999, but you could save a lot of money going for the Orca Aero M30LTD instead.
Both bikes use Orbea’s top-tier OMX Orca Aero frame, but instead of Shimano’s top-level Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and 57mm deep OQUO RP57LTD wheels, the Orca Aero M30LTD is fitted with Shimano 105 (mechanical) and 35mm deep OQUO Road Performance RP35PRO wheels. You can step up to Shimano 105 Di2 components with the £4,499 Orca Aero M30iLTD.
Buy the Orbea Orca Aero M30LTD for £3,799 from Orbea
Ridley Noah Fast 3.0 Rival AXS £4,949
Uno-X Mobility race aboard the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0 with SRAM Red AXS groupsets and DT Swiss wheels.
The Noah 3.0 frame uses the same design and geometry – so the same aero performance – but with a less expensive carbon layup and without an integrated cockpit. Prices start at £4,299.
Uno-X Mobility bikes feature SRAM Red AXS groupsets. If you want to stick with SRAM, you can get a Rival AXS build for £4,949.
Buy the Ridley Noah Fast 3.0 Rival AXS for £4,949 through a Ridley dealer
Wilier Filante SL £4,799
The Groupama FDJ United riders race on the Wilier Filante SLR ID2 – a superb bike with prices starting at £8,750.
> Read our review of the Wilier Filante SLR ID2 SRAM Red AXS
If you’ve not got that much to spend, the previous-generation Wilier Filante SLR is still available at prices from £7,400.
The Filante also comes in a slightly heavier, less expensive version: the Filante SL. This one is available in various builds, including one that’s built up with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and Miche Syntium Aero wheels.
Buy the Wilier Filante SL 105 Di2 for £4,399 from Chicken Cyclekit
Specialized Tarmac SL8 Comp £3,599
Specialized has just unveiled the Tarmac SL9, which is being raced in the Tour de France, but it only comes built around a high-level S-Works frameset… at least for the time being. We’d be massively surprised if that remains the case for long, but who knows?
The previous-generation Tarmac SL8 is still available in several builds, the least expensive option being the Tarmac SL8 Comp with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset.
Assuming Specialized does roll out the Tarmac SL9 to lower levels, keep your eyes peeled for bargain prices on the SL8.
Buy the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Comp for £3,383 from JE James Cycles
* Relative to the actual bikes the pros race, that is. We know that these still aren’t cheap!
Which of these (almost) pro team bikes would you choose? Let us know in the comments section below…
