road.cc Recommends Bikes of the Year 2025/26: the best all-road bikes

It’s time for the grand unveiling of the very best all-road bikes we’ve ridden and reviewed over the last 12 months.

All-road bikes, you say? A slippery little category, this one, but you can think of an all-road bike as occupying that space between a standard road bike and a gravel bike: fast enough to keep up on the road, tough enough to laugh off potholes, and versatile enough to sneak down that enticing bridleway you definitely weren’t planning to ride.

Canyon describes all-road bikes as “drop-bar bikes that are fast and capable on any kind of road surface from smooth asphalt all the way to light gravel tracks.” Other people might have different interpretations and that’s fine, but we like this explanation.

In practice, you’re looking at frames/forks with space for wider tyres than a standard road bike, geometry that favours stability, gearing that won’t have you begging for mercy on steep or rough climbs, and storage options. All-road bikes thrive on crumbling lanes, they don’t mind the odd shortcut along a farm track, and there’s certainly some crossover with gravel bikes.

> What is an all-road bike? A guide to this emerging road bike category plus a selection of the best

Because of all that blurring around the edges, you’ll spot a few familiar faces here from elsewhere in our annual awards. We’ve cherry-picked contenders that fit the all-road definition from our reviews of road and gravel/adventure bikes. A couple of touring bikes that wander close enough to the all-road camp deserve an invitation too. Why? Because not all bikes fit neatly into a single category.

Rather than worrying too much about definitions, just have a look around and see if any of these bikes take your fancy.

How do the road.cc Recommends awards work?

Every year we test hundreds of bikes, components, accessories and items of clothing on road.cc and our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips. Only the best of them make it into road.cc Recommends, our curated temple of cycling excellence. From that selection, we’ve chosen the true standouts for our annual awards.

Every bike you’ll see below has been thoroughly reviewed in 2025. No review, no entry; that’s our law. If a brand didn’t send it in, it can’t win. We only recommend stuff we’ve ridden and rated.

Bikes don’t have to be newly launched to get a mention here. If it’s an existing bike that’s still on sale, it’s eligible. A great bike is a great bike, whether it launched yesterday or three years ago.

We certainly consider price. A budget bike probably won’t be specced as highly as a more expensive alternative, but if it offers high value for money, we recognise that. On the other hand, a costly machine needs to justify its price. Value matters at every level, and we’ve included bikes priced from under a grand up to over £8,000.

One final note: all of the prices quoted here refer to the full RRP at the time we initially published our reviews. Some may have gone up since then, and if you’re lucky, some may have dropped –  but we’re sticking with the figures we based our verdicts on.

Right then, let’s dive in.

10. Temple Cycles Adventure Disc 3 £1,985

We’re kicking off with the Temple Cycles Adventure Disc 3, which is a difficult bike to categorise – we reviewed it as a tourer and Temple lists it (without mudguards and rack) as a gravel/adventure bike. We’re including it here because it would also make a fine all-road bike, even though, made from Reynolds 725 steel, it’ll never be especially light. It’s comfortable, though, can take tyres up to 45mm on 700c wheels, and can cope with a wide variety of surfaces.

The Adventure Disc 3 might look traditional in many ways, but throw in thru-axles, disc brakes and some thoroughly up-to-date geometry and you’ve got a machine with proper 21st-century manners.

Out on the road (and towpath, and light grave) the Adventure Disc 3 is a quietly impressive mile-muncher. Its steel frame and generous tyres dish out plenty of comfort, while its short back end and low-ish stack give it a surprising liveliness.

With mudguards and a rear rack fitted, our review model hit the scales at over 13kg, so you’re never going to be flying up hills, but most of the time that weight fades into the background.

Temple’s kit choices ooze charm: shiny cockpit components, Temple’s handsome Bristol saddle and a flared bar that adds control over dodgy surfaces. Cable-actuated TRP Spyre disc brakes might lack the light action of a hydraulic setup, but they’re powerful, predictable, and easy enough to maintain.

The Shimano RS171 wheels and Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tyres lean towards the bombproof end of the spectrum, and the bike bristles with mounts for racks, bottles and bikepacking gear.

The Adventure Disc 3 we reviewed was fitted with a triple chainset and priced at £1,985, but it’s now available with a 2x gravel chainset and mainly Shimano Sora 3000 groupset components for £1,695. That’s a cracking deal. Comfortable, capable, quietly stylish and practical, the Adventure Disc 3 is a wonderful proposition.

Why it’s here Very well-thought-out machine with an excellent gear range, good components and finishing kit and a lovely, comfy ride
Read the review

9. Genesis Croix de Fer 30 £2,299.99

The Genesis Croix de Fer is an elder statesman of the gravel genre (it started out as ‘a cyclocross bike with added versatility’ in 2009), but you can also see it as a versatile, go-anywhere bike for those who like exploring on and off-road. It’s just as happy blitzing poorly surfaced tarmac as it is clattering down chalky byways.

Built from Reynolds 725 steel, the Croix de Fer isn’t pretending to be a race bike, and that’s part of its secret. At over 11kg, it’s not likely to win the town-sign sprint, but once it’s rolling this bike feels reassuringly planted, turning descents into an exercise in calm, controlled fun rather than clenched-teeth survival.

The handling is relaxed without being sluggish, thanks to a 71° head angle and generous fork offset, and the whole package encourages you to push your luck on rougher lines. Tree roots, rocks, lumps and bumps… the Croix de Fer shrugs them off with a steel springiness. Swap the stock 45mm Maxxis Rambler tyres for something more road-orientated and it morphs into a smooth-running tourer that happily links tarmac, towpath, and everything in between.

Comfort is the Croix de Fer’s party trick: a semi-upright position, compliant frame, and predictable manners make long days feel easier. Add in masses of mounts, a tough chromoly fork, sensible Shimano GRX gearing, and the practicality of a threaded BB, and the Croix de Fer is the kind of bike that might conceivably replace two or three others in your garage.

The ride quality is brilliant, and as a dependable, versatile, genuinely go-anywhere all-roader, the Croix de Fer 30 is a gem.

Why it’s here Versatile and capable adventure gravel machine that’s still nimble enough for some fun
Read the review

8. Merida Silex 400 £1,650

The Silex platform sits in Merida’s gravel and adventure lineup, but this 2x Shimano GRX-equipped version with multiple mounting points makes a lot of sense for roadies too. That’s why it gets a place here with the all-road bikes, as well as in our gravel/adventure category.

Reviewer Stu Kerton said, “It’s a do-it-all all-road machine, commuter, light tourer, winter trainer and anything else you want to ask it to do.”

With its mountain bike-inspired geometry, the Silex is tall and long, the relaxed front end delivering a supremely calm, confidence-boosting ride. Point it down a fast descent and the handling stays smooth and predictable; take it off-road and the stability is even more valuable. It’s the sort of bike that lets you switch your brain off just a touch and enjoy the scenery.

The riding position is upright enough for comfort on long days but never so high that it feels inefficient. Fit a set of slick 38mm tyres and the Silex behaves like a touring bike that’s had a double espresso: not light at 10.69kg, but nippy and eager. The steep seat angle helps you tap out power on long road climbs, while the aluminium frame remains reassuringly stiff even when loaded with luggage.

As you’d expect, the Silex is best suited to gravel and off-road stuff, the generous 45mm tyre clearance and mellow geometry giving it a drop-bar XC vibe. Yet its real talent is versatility. This is a quality all-rounder.

Why it’s here Very capable machine blending mountain bike geometry with drop bars and a rigid setup; an all-road bike on steroids
Read the review

7. Merida Mission 9000 £5,000

The Mission 9000 is part of Merida’s new range of gravel racer/all-road bikes that blur the lines between where current gravel bikes are heading and high-speed endurance road bikes. It’s fast enough to satisfy roadies, but versatile enough to tempt you off the smooth stuff. It feels like a modern reinterpretation of early gravel bikes, before tyre clearances ballooned and suspension joined the scene. The result is a sleek, purposeful bike that prioritises speed, feedback and fun.

At 8.4kg, the Mission 9000 is respectably light, but more important is how sharp it feels. The geometry isn’t too far off that of an endurance road bike, with a lower front end and longer reach than Merida’s Scultura Endurance. Stiffness is excellent around the bottom bracket and at the front end, giving the bike a reassuringly race-ready feel. That translates into an efficient ride, whether you’re sprinting out of the saddle or carving through fast descents.

Fit it with road tyres and the Mission 9000 could easily pass for an aero endurance bike. It’s quick, responsive and hugely engaging on tarmac. Swap to wider tyres and head onto gravel and it remains planted and confident, with masses of feedback and none of the vague handling of some gravel rigs.

The SRAM Force XPLR AXS (1x) groupset, Zipp 303 XPLR wheels and integrated cockpit underline the bike’s high-quality, performance-first intent, while details like internal frame storage and mudguard compatibility add real-world practicality.

If you’re a roadie who wants a road DNA in your gravel bike, then the Merida Mission 9000 could be the bike for you. It maintains the efficiency and ride style of a road racer, but with the versatility and poise needed for looser surfaces. It is also well-made, well-specced and well-designed, and comes in at a good price. Fast, focused and hugely enjoyable, the Mission 9000 hits its mark.

Why it’s here A road racer’s gravel machine – versatile, fun and extremely capable
Read the review

6. Marin Four Corners 1 Sword £949

The Marin Four Corners 1 is another bike that’s difficult to categorise.

Marin says, “The butted 4130 CroMo steel frame and fork are designed to be comfortable on rough roads but to also handle fully loaded touring and bike packing.”

It’s designed for versatility on and off-road, so we’ve thrown it in with the all-road bikes. Controversial! Feel free to disagree. Whatever you call it, the Marin Four Corners 1 delivers a level of comfort and capability that belies the price tag.

The secret sauce? A skinny 4130 chromoly frameset paired with plush 45mm tyres that actually measure 47mm on Marin’s aluminium rims. On anything from cratered backroads to canal towpaths to light gravel, the Four Corners floats along. Yes, those tyres carry a bit of rotational heft but the payoff in all-day comfort is enormous. Swap to 35-40mm tyres and you could easily tip the balance toward livelier all-road handling without losing the cush.

Geometry is long, stable, upright, and surprisingly confidence-boosting on mixed surfaces. The tall front end and flared handlebar lend a gravel-bike vibe, allowing you to muscle through rougher stretches without drama. The Marin Four Corners 1 won’t sprint like a carbon road bike, but sit back, spin the broad 21–117in microSHIFT gearing, and the miles roll by effortlessly.

The spec is quietly impressive: TRP Spyre C cable-actuated disc brakes (one of the top cable choices around), a comfy Marin MTB saddle, and finishing kit that punches well above own-brand expectations.

As a pure tourer, the Marin Four Corners 1 is excellent. It also makes a great day-to-day machine that will tackle poor surfaces and unsurfaced routes with aplomb. Marin has created a star here.

Why it’s here Great gearing, good brakes, exceptional long-distance comfort and a sub-grand price – Marin has created a winner
Read the review

5. Pearson On & On Race £6,100

With a lightweight and very stiff frameset that offers a roadie-esque geometry and some aero attributes, Pearson’s On & On Race is a gravel bike that focuses on speed. In a market where some gravel bikes are ballooning almost into drop-bar mountain bikes, the On & On Race is refreshingly lean. Like a performance-focused road bike, it responds well to out-of-the-saddle efforts and a lot of power through the pedals, and has a very all-road bike feel to it.

At just under 8.5kg fitted with a Shimano GRX Di2 groupset, the On & On Race feels lively and eager. The bottom bracket area feels tight and efficient, while the steering is calm and predictable at speed. Long tarmac drags, twisty descents and even silly speeds north of 70km/h feel composed rather than sketchy. Stick 40mm tyres on it, as on our review bike, and it genuinely works as a fast all-road bike – one that wouldn’t feel out of place on an endurance road ride or a winter training loop.

The On & On Race also delivers off-road. The handling remains direct and confidence-inspiring on hardpack and dry gravel, and its low weight makes it easy to flick through tighter sections. It climbs well too, helped by the wide-range 1x mullet gearing – a 42T chainring paired to a 12-speed 10-51T cassette. Despite the stiffness, it’s never harsh, with just enough compliance to keep things comfortable.

The On & On Race is a gravel bike with a properly racy edge – quick, precise and hugely enjoyable to ride fast. If you want a gravel racer that can comfortably double as an all-road bike, it absolutely fits the bill.

Why it’s here Sweet handling gravel racer with loads of feedback and versatility.
Read the review

4. Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 £3,995

The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 wears an endurance road bike badge, but it can easily become an all-road machine for adventures off the beaten path. Cannondale says this new Synapse combines WorldTour-level aerodynamics and stiffness with generous tyre clearance, compliance and features that appeal to the general rider, and while that sounds like marketing bravado, the ride backs it up.

From the first pedal stroke, it feels far livelier than an 8.95kg bike should, the frame delivering a sprightly snap that echoes Cannondale’s SuperSix Evo while smoothing out rough surfaces with hints of the brand’s gravel-racing SuperX.

Increased stiffness at the head tube and bottom bracket gives it proper punch, yet the amount of compliance on offer means that broken lanes and scabby B-roads aren’t an issue.

And then there’s the tyre clearance: 42mm at the rear, 48mm up front. That’s an invitation. Fit some bigger tyres, use the StashPort down tube storage to free your pockets, and you’ve got an all-road adventurer hiding here.

As it is, the stock 32mm Vittoria Rubino Pro IV tyres and DT Swiss 470 rims provide reliability, and Shimano’s 105 Di2 components perform flawlessly. Sure, the wheelset adds weight, but it also adds value – and upgrading later will unlock even more of the Synapse’s potential.

At £3,995, the Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 undercuts rivals while offering true do-it-all versatility. It’s an endurance bike that moonlights brilliantly as an all-road explorer – and one of the most surprising, grin-inducing bikes of the year.

Why it’s here A belter of a bike with a price tag to match
Read the review

3. Canyon Endurace AllRoad £949

Into the top three, and things are hotting up… The sub-£1,000 road/gravel bike has been on the endangered species list for a while, but Canyon’s new Endurace AllRoad shows it hasn’t yet waddled off into extinction. This is a refreshingly simple all-road bike: a quality aluminium frame, a carbon fork, hydraulic disc brakes, wheels that won’t wilt at the first pothole, and tyres that aren’t crying out for an immediate upgrade. You’re getting a lot for your money here.

Get in the saddle and the Endurace AllRoad is an instant confidence generator. The geometry, with its tallish endurance bias merged with a slackish head angle, gives the bike a calm, planted feel whether you’re threading twisty descents or tiptoeing along gravel. It’s not light, but the 10.79kg weight brings a welcome solidity when gravity takes over. The Endurace AllRoad flicks through singletrack with surprising agility, happily popping over roots and scampering between trees.

The 10-speed version of Shimano’s CUES groupset is a quiet workhorse: familiar ergonomics (if you’ve ridden any Shimano road groupset over the last 10 years), crisp shifts, and enough gearing to get you up steep, sketchy climbs. The stock Schwalbe G-One tyres are fine for dry mixed riding – swap them if you’re living the winter-lanes life – and the generous 40mm clearance means you can tune this bike for anything from rapid tarmac to light gravel.

With mounts for guards, racks, and bags – plus a wider bar than is currently fashionable, providing beginner-friendly handling – the Endurace AllRoad is suitable for all kinds of scenarios. When you look at every detail, it is the most convincing all-road package you can buy for £1,000.

Why it’s here A proper all-rounder with a great spec and rideability for not a lot of cash
Read the review 

2. Giant Defy Advanced SL 1 £8,499

Our runner-up is the Giant Defy Advanced SL 1. If you’re after a bike that can handle rough roads while begging you to push it hard on tarmac, this model could be the one for you. Designed as an endurance road bike, it doesn’t just survive long rides; it thrives on them, with a carbon frame that manages to be both buttery compliant and impressively stiff. The result? A ride that’s engaging, lively, and far from the mushy compromise you might expect from a comfort-focused bike.

The Defy really scores in terms of its versatility. While the TCR is the nimble road race bike in Giant’s stable, the Defy borrows much of its DNA but with a slightly taller head tube, more relaxed geometry, and space for tyres up to 38mm wide. It’s a bike that blurs the line between road and all-road. It corners with authority, smooths out rough surfaces, and remains composed even when the road surface falls apart.

With a SRAM Force AXS groupset and Giant’s own carbon wheels, the Defy is as quick as it is comfortable. It offers a stunning ride, whether you want an efficient bike for a hard blast or something that won’t beat you up when you head out on rough roads for multiple hours. Comfortable, fast, and remarkably adaptable, it’s an all-road weapon disguised as an endurance road bike.

Why it’s here Stunning performance – a great blend of stiffness and comfort without compromising engagement between bike and rider
Read the review

1. Fairlight Strael 4.0 105 Di2, £3,369

And the winner is… the Fairlight Strael 4.0.

Senior product reviewer Stu Kerton described the Fairlight Strael 4.0 as “unbelievable and phenomenal” and gave it a seldom-seen 10/10 rating, although in true Spinal Tap fashion, it really cranks things up to 11. The key question: is this the all-road bike Fairlight claims it to be? In a word: yes. In two words: emphatically yes.

Fairlight’s new Reynolds 853 Road DZB tubeset sheds roughly 280g from the previous version, but weight loss isn’t the headline here. The true standout is the ride quality. Road buzz vanishes to give you get an almost sci-fi smoothness while feedback remains crystal clear. It feels like Fairlight has discovered a cheat code for steel.

Out on the road, the Strael 4.0 is impressively efficient. Our test bike, equipped with a Shimano 105 Di2 (electronic) groupset with deep-section wheels, hit the scales at 8.85kg and held its own against far racier carbon machines on Stu’s benchmark loops. Fairlight offers you a choice of five different sizes, each in a regular or tall geometry, allowing most people to achieve a precise fit, and the handling blends stability with just enough snap to keep you grinning on fast sweepers.

Being an all-road bike demands versatility, and the Strael certainly delivers here. With space for 700x39mm tyres (35mm with full-length mudguards), dynamo routing and bomb-proof practicality, it’s as ready for a filthy winter commute as it is for a 200km summer audax. It’s not a gravel bruiser – Fairlight has the Secan for that – but rough lanes, bridleways and broken tarmac are very much on the menu.

Beautifully finished, meticulously engineered, and outrageously comfortable, the Strael 4.0 isn’t just an all-road bike. It might be the all-road bike. It’s our well-deserved winner.

Why it wins The closest bike to perfection that our senior product reviewer has ever ridden
Read the review