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If you like the look of the high-end superbikes at the Tour de France, how about a similar one but at a much lower price? To offer a helping hand, we’ve rounded up some suggestions and current deals on more obtainable versions of these top-end road bikes.
One of the most appealing things about professional cycling is that you can buy pretty much the same bikes and gear as the pros use. It’s right there in the UCI Technical Regulations: “Article 1.3.006: Equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practising cycling as a sport.”
Prototypes not yet available must be authorised in advance and become available within a year.
This means that pro bikes are essentially the same as those you can buy in a bike shop or put together from parts… if you can afford them. That’s a big if because the bikes you see raced in the Tour de France aren’t cheap.
Fortunately, you can find lower-priced bikes that are similar – not just in appearance, but also in construction – to those ridden by cycling stars, and that’s what we’re focusing on here. Bike brands occasionally slap team colours on an entry-level drop-barred bike that has virtually nothing in common with a top-end race machine, but we’re avoiding those, preferring to concentrate on bikes that incorporate some of the same tech.
We’ve searched for the best deals we can find at the moment. We’re not saying that any of these bikes are cheap, but they are certainly a lot less expensive than the top-end models.
Get the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Expert for £4,499
The Specialized Tarmac SL8 is the weapon of choice for the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal Quick-Step teams, but the pro set-up, complete with either a SRAM Red AXS or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Roval Rapide CLX II wheels, will set you back £12,000.
The Tarmac SL8 Expert uses the same frame design as the professionals’ bikes, but with a different grade of carbon composite. The Specialized Tarmac SL8 Expert frameset is a FACT 10r carbon layup rather than the S-Works bike’s FACT 12r carbon.
The SL8 Expert still features an electronic groupset (Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Rival eTap AXS) and Roval wheels (C38), albeit at a lower spec than the pros use..
Buy the Specialized Tarmac SL8 Expert 2025 from Sigma Sports for £4,499
Buy Van Rysel’s RCR-F road bike with Shimano 105 Di2 for £4,799
The Van Rysel RCR-F Pro ridden by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, with Shimano’s top-level Dura-Ace groupset, is £10,000 while the RCR-F Pro equipped with a mid-level Shimano 105 Di2 groupset is half that price. You still get electronic shifting and wheels from Swiss Side, the aero-focused brand that helped in the bike’s design.
> Check out our first ride review of the Van Rysel RCR-F
A quick glance at the RCR-F’s deep-section frame tubes tells you that this is a bike that’s designed with aerodynamics in mind, Van Rysel saying that it’s designed to excel on rolling terrain where the total amount of climbing is under 1,500m (4,920ft) over 100km (62 miles).
The Swiss Side Hadron2 625 Classic wheels use identical rims to the Hadron2 625 wheels on the £10,000 model, it’s just that they’re made with more affordable DT Swiss hubs and spokes.
Buy the Van Rysel RCR-F from Decathlon for £4,799
Bag a Giant Propel Advanced 2 for £2,549
Team Jayco Alula switched to Giant bikes in 2022, opting for the Propel Advanced SL, TCR Advanced SL and Trinity TT bike.
The top-of-the-line Propel Advanced SL 0 Dura-Ace will set you back a whopping £11,499. That’s inline with other pro-level bikes, but you might well decide to save yourself nearly nine grand by dropping down in frame and components spec to the Propel Advanced 2 with mechanical Shimano 105 instead. You lose the electronic shifting but still get a pretty light carbon fibre frame with very similar aero credentials.
Buy the Giant Propel Advanced 2 from Balfe’s Bikes for £2,549
Check out the Trek Madone SL 5 Gen 8 road bike for £2,398.99
Trek effectively merged its two top-end road platforms with the release of its Madone Gen 8 road bike last year, which is said to be as aerodynamically efficient as the previous Madone and as light as the Émonda SLR.
Trek also says that its updated IsoFlow technology – with a hole in the seat tube and a cantilevered seat mast – is 80% more vertically compliant than before to smooth the ride… and everyone loves a bit of vertical compliance talk, don’t they?
The Lidl-Trek professionals ride the top-end Trek Madone SLR decked out with a SRAM Red AXS E1 groupset and Bontrager Aeolus RSL wheels. A Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 8 in a Team Replica finish will set you back £12,500, or you can pay more for the Project One Icon Couler paint job showcased by Lidl-Trek in the Tour de France.
The eighth-generation Madone SL shares the top-level SLR’s frame design, but it’s made with a lower grade of carbon and the handlebar and stem are separate units rather than the integrated Aero RSL Road handlebar/stem you’ll find higher up the range.
The Madone SL is available in several builds, the Madone SL 5 Gen 8 being the most affordable, equipped with a Shimano 105 R7100 mechanical groupset and fairly basic Bontrager Paradigm SL wheels. This model is £3,250 at full RRP, although you might find it cheaper if you’re lucky.
Get Trek’s Madone SL 5 Gen 8 road bike for £2,398.99 from Bicycle Chain
Get yourself a Merida Reacto 6000 for £3,399
Team Bahrain Victorious ride bikes from Merida, deciding between the lightweight and stiff Scultura and the aero-optimised Reacto for road stages, and using the Time Warp for the time trials.
Bahrain Victorious use Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets, like most teams in the pro peloton, while the wheels are from Vision.
A Merida Reacto Team, equipped with a Dura-Ace groupset and Vision’s Metron 60 SL Clincher/TL wheels, plus other sponsor-correct components from FSA, Prologo and Continental, is £8,500. Okay, that’s hardly cheap, but it’s less than many other team replica bikes out there.
The Merida Reacto 6000 is made from a lower grade of carbon, meaning that the frame weight is 1,150g rather than 950g (size medium), but it comes out of the same mould. You can get it in a Bahrain Victorious finish if you like.
Like Dura-Ace, the Shimano 105 groupset is Di2 (electronic) and 12-speed. You can choose between a bike fitted with 55mm-deep Vision SC55 carbon clinchers (£3,800) or one equipped with Merida’s own wheels (£3,400).
The Reacto 4000, with the mechanical version of 105, is about £1,000 cheaper.
Buy a Merida Reacto 6000 from J’s Cycles for £3,399
Canyon’s Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2 is down to £3,949
Both Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar Team use Canyon bikes, with riders choosing between the new Aeroad CFR and the lightweight Ultimate CFR for mass start stages.
There are big differences in the components, though, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s bikes being equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets and wheels, and Movistar’s featuring SRAM Red AXS groupsets and wheels from SRAM-owned Zipp.
A Canyon Aeroad CFR Tensor, with a Dura-Ace Di2 groupset (including a power meter) and Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels is £9,749, while the Aeroad CFR AXS, with SRAM Red AXS an Zipp 454 NSW wheels, is the same price.
> Read our review of the Canyon Aeroad CFR AXS 2024
If you want to save some cash, the least expensive Canyon Aeroad currently available is the Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2 C46, currently reduced to £3,949 (Canyon dropped the CF SL tier with its latest update), although stock was low at the time of writing.
This CF SLX carbon frame is a little heavier than the pro-level CFR one (1,101g versus 995g), and the fork is a smidge more too (407g versus 396g), but this is still an excellent bike, the Shimano 105 Di2 groupset putting in an outstanding performance.
If your size isn’t available, the Canyon Aeroad CF SLX comes in various other builds.
Buy Canyon’s Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2 C46 for £3,949
Buy a Wilier Filante SL Ultegra Di2 for £5,999
Now that Astana has jumped to XDS X-Lab bikes, it’s just the Groupama-FDJ riders that still race aboard Wiliers in the WorldTour peloton.
If you can’t run to a Wilier Filante SLR road bike – one of the absolutely gorgeous aero machines raced by Groupama-FDJ – you could take a slight step down to the Filante SL, which comes out of the same mould but is made from less expensive material. You’re still looking at £5,999.99, so this is no bargain basement option, but that’s a reasonable price for what you get here.
Wilier says that a different carbon fibre lamination makes the SL more comfortable than the SLR version, with a weight gain of just under 150g for the same size frame.
When he reviewed it for road.cc recently, Aaron Borrill said, “The Wilier Filante SL Ultegra Di2 is an impressive racing bike that will excel on any terrain, regardless of whether competitive road racing or long solo miles in the saddle is your thing. As an SL model, it’s the more affordable option in Wilier’s Filante portfolio, sitting just below the range-topping SLR offering. Despite this, it still delivers impeccable handling manners and all-round performance thanks to its well-sorted geometry and handsomely appointed specification list.”
> Read our Wilier Filante SL Ultegra Di2 review
Believe us, it’s a lovely, lovely bike.
Buy the Wilier Filante SL Ultegra Di2 for £5,999 from Cycles UK
Check out Cannondale’s £3,000 SuperSix Evo 4
The EF Education-EasyPost riders race on LAB71 versions of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo – LAB71 being the name that Cannondale gives to its lightest, poshest, most exclusive bikes.
A SuperSix Evo LAB71 Team with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic groupset, Vision Metron 60 SL carbon wheels, and Cannondale’s own low drag SystemBar R-One carbon integrated handlebar stem – in a team replica finish – will set you back a handsome £12,500.
Bikes built around Cannondale’s slightly heavier SuperSix Evo Hi-MOD frame are a little less expensive, and the most affordable SuperSix Evo, the SuperSix EVO 4 with a standard carbon frame, is £3,000.
Rather than a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset you get mid-level 105 mechanical, and you probably won’t get too excited about the Maddux/Formula wheels, but the frameset is exceptional for this kind of money
Buy a Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 for £3,000 from Biketart
Buy a Bianchi Oltre Comp 105 Di2 for £4,349
Bianchi provides Equipe Arkea – B&B Hotels with its Oltre RC and Specialissima RC race bikes. They’re decked out with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shifting, with FSA chainsets and Vision wheels.
Bianchi offers the aero-focused Oltre at several different levels. Top of the pile is the RC (Reparto Corse, which means ‘Racing Department’) platform, but you’ll need to pay £11,949 for an Arkea – B&B Hotels Replica model. Bianchi claims a frame weight of 915g (size 55).
The Oltre Comp bikes are heavier, but the frame shape is the same, and they’re less expensive. The version with Shimano 105 Di2 shifting and Velomann Carbon V50R wheels is priced at £4,349.
Oltre Race prices start at £2,599, but that’s a different frame design.
Buy a Bianchi Oltre Comp 105 Di2 for £4,349 from Sigma Sports
Get yourself a Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race road bike for £5,299
Intermarché-Wanty ride aboard the super-light Cube Litening Air C:68X and the aero-focused Litening C:68X Aero. The bikes are fitted with Newmen wheels, and this is yet another of the teams that runs Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets.
You can buy a Litening Aero C:68X SLT, with Dura-Ace (including a power meter) and Newmen Streem S.60/66 Vonoa Carbon wheels for £7,299. Okay, that’s still a lot of money but the value is high for a bike of this level.
> Read our review of the Cube Litening C:68X – SLX 2025
Cube doesn’t extend its Litening ranges particularly low, but it does offer the Litening C:68X at a Race level for £5,299.
You get the same 980g frame as the top-level models, but with second-tier Shimano Ultegra rather than Dura-Ace, and heavier Newmen wheels (1,490g versus 1355g).
Buy a Cube Litening Aero C:68X Race for £5,299 from Sigma Sports
Buy a Pinarello F1 road bike for £3,000
Ineos Grenadiers – formerly Team Ineos and Team Sky – has been riding Pinarello Dogmas in various incarnations since its formation back in 2010.
There’s no way of getting away from the fact that a top-end Pinarello Dogma F costs a lot of money – £12,600 for a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped model. Not many of us can run to that.
Pinarello recently launched a new model in its F Series of road race bikes, the F1 coming with Shimano’s 105 (mechanical) drivetrain and WH RS-171 wheelset. Okay, it’s not quite a Dogma, but it’s a lot cheaper at £3,000.
> Pinarello launches F1, the least expensive model in the F Series road bike range at £3,000
Pinarello has kept the price below that of the other models in the F Series by using a lower grade of carbon fibre: Toray’s T600 carbon. Plus, of course, the groupset is a lower tier; this is Shimano mid-range 105 in its mechanical version rather than the electronic Di2 components you’ll find higher up the range.
You still get features found on Pinarello’s more expensive bikes, including an asymmetric frame that’s designed to handle the differing forces applied to either side, a down tube that’s recessed to work aerodynamically with water bottles in place, and fully integrated cables.
Buy a Pinarello F1 road bike for £3,000 from Primera Sports
Lapierre’s Xelius DRS 6.0 is £3,699
Team Picnic PostNL races Xelius DRS road bikes from French brand Lapierre, with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets and wheels from Ursus.
The Xelius DRS was unveiled towards the end of last year, essentially a mashup of Lapierre’s previous Xelius SL and Aircode DRS models. The most affordable Lapierre Xelius DRS is the 6.0 model at £3,699.
The pros use a UD SLI Team frame that features higher modulus carbon fibre than is found in the more affordable UD SLI models for a lighter weight and increased performance. Lapierre says the Xelius DRS 6.0’s frame is 908g (size medium) compared with 790g for the one you’ll see raced in the Tour de France.
Like a lot of the bikes here, the Lapierre Xelius DRS 6.0 is equipped with a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset. It might not be quite as light as Dura-Ace, but it puts in an excellent performance.
Buy a Lapierre Xelius DRS 6.0 from for All Terrain Cycles for £3,699
Which of these (almost) pro team bikes would you choose? Let us know in the comments section below.
* To address the asterisk in the headline: the bikes included here are less expensive models that use many of the design and tech features of their Tour de France-level stablemates. If you want a bike that was actually raced in the pro ranks, many are sold off at the end of the season on auction sites like bikeroom.com.
1 thought on “Get yourself a half-price Tour de France bike*”
And if someone says “the Tour
And if someone says “the Tour de France, you know”, you have a ready-made reposte.