Gotta say I have been super impressed by Joe as a presenter. I love that he's regularly throwing in tasty details and specs that have been harder to track down on my own. I also appreciate his insights on the geometry of the bikes and how it relates to the experience. Very knowledgeable and well articulated. I really enjoyed his review of the new SRAM Red groupset as well. Nice details that I'm not seeing other places.
Because there are much better value bikes they write off for "ride feel".... Despite the massive performance, spec and value advantages vs. the Merida which is still "name brand" price without really offering anything more objectively. It isn't just Van Rysel/Decathlon, you also have the likes of Ribble, Cube or even the Boardman bikes.
I'm not even going to read the other comments... I can only imagine. I agonized for weeks over a Tarmac SL8 and an S-Works Aethos. Ultimately it came down to me being a 60 year old and not a racer, so the Aethos was my choice. No regrets . Many people will be dismissive of the Spesh, but they make an absolutely GREAT bike. I agree with the choice and the hot take at the end.
Love that comment. I had just upgraded and went to local bike shop -- they recommended TCR but just aftere purchasing - found out about the Canyon Ultimate --- not sure the difference between climbing vs aero and slope top tube vs horizontal
Can we have a correction please. The tcr geometry wasn’t brought over from MTB, it was a design and developed by the late great Mike Burrows. Who also designed the iconic Lotus bike that Chris Boardman rode to Olympic glory in 92. Apologies if someone else has already mentioned this.
I’ve ridden the SL8 for 6 months now, and the stiffness matches the frame weight. By which I mean, it’s far too flexible. Carbon is not a magic material: less weight means less carbon. It’s really not stiff enough. I reckon the pros MUST use the Specialized version.
For most of the population a Gusto Evo Cobra which was recently raced in Tour of Slovenia would be enough and in 105 only cost around 1600$US or 2500$ with DI2
I really like these two presenters. Keep up the video's guys. I think a large miss on this video is not stating in the intro the bikes that were tested. Peeps are looking to you as an expert outlet for bike test info. Not hearing the bikes on test leaves some credibility at risk. Another consideration would be to rank 1-3 the bikes for each category. Keep up the efforts.
I ride the '23 Rose xlite 06 di2 on enve SES 4.5. I'd love to see the bike included in a test like this one. I understand, however that it doesn't make sense for UK or US outlets to include bikes that are not available in their regions.
The Best Road Bike in 2024 is a Vintage Steel Reynolds 531c for 1/10 the price. Weighing under 10kg. This is why vintage road bikes are coming back, easy to service, easy to repair yourself, decent set of carbon wheels your just as fast as 11k Grand Bike.
Bought 2024 Scultura 4000 and super happy with it. Best bike for money, spec wise, look wise. Money which i saved by not going for DI2 version gonna go for carbon wheelset in future and its gonna be perfect.
I can’t get any bike off the showroom to work with my fit coordinates. Maybe the ENVE would work, but I think I am best off building my bikes from a bare frame.
Joe is a fantastic analyst. Great job. Your reasoning and parameters used in assessing the positive and negative characteristics of each bike was extremely compelling.
@@petersouthernboy6327 I'd rather have a genuine hi fi system and a decent m/bike for your 'value' r/bike. Not much call for 'em for a once a year mountain holiday. Once steel, always steel
Are we not confusing pure aero bikes with all-rounders by mentioning how well they climb? In my case, I use my aero bike for the flats for maximum speed. Or is that just where we are now with the new designs? Hmmm
Haven’t repeated tests of £1,000 bikes v £10,000 bikes, new bikes vs 20 year old bikes and weight tests etc proven that for most mere mortals the categories are just for pure marketing?
What are the testing results and stats of Cervelo, Orbea, Canyon, Colnago, Pinarello etc.? I can't find them on your site. It looks more like a commercial for your bike selection....
I agree with Joe the kid is a legend. IMHO the S-Works SL8 is the best road bike ever made. Especially in that red color it really shines when the sun is out.
Love the video. Would love your thoughts on a few bikes you’d recommend for a weekend warrior. I started riding a few years ago on a Trek Domane. I’m 55 years old and really enjoy riding. I’m thinking of upgrading to new Trek Domane (SLR 7). What other bikes might you suggest with a 10k budget? Appreciate the thoughts!
A top level racing in the early 90’s was easily £1k plus does compound interest at 3% since then get you near 6k?. Don’t know just asking the question?
I have ridden looks, BMC teammachine, giant tcr SLR01, and pinarello for 19+ years (race and now just for fun). I only ride pinarello F12 and F and I wouldn’t ride anything else (well now I ride Santa Cruz mtbs). I have never ridden Specialized bikes. I live here in Northern California where I ride and I would like to ride one to see if the specialized s works tarmat is that good.
While value is purely subjective, a value bike should cost at most half of the price of the value bike you selected. A value bike in my opinion is the same as an entry level bike. After that you should just be waiting on a sale for your next bike. Just picked up a new Ultegra spec BMC Roadmachine Five that was on sale for $2500 CAD. That's value, but no way to know when a sale like that will come up.
Great vid, thanks! I'm looking at the Melee, Tarmac and maybe Colnago V3 (Colnago is rare in USA but we have a shop where I live in Seattle that is an official dealer). ALL of the guys in this same shop referenced above are riding the Melee with a variety of 1x and 2x setups. I did a parking lot ride on a 1x with Classified internal hub electronic shifting (giving a 2x range) which was pretty cool. I rented a Colnago V3 in Girona, Spain and it was lovely, prob my favorite of the three I rented, the other two were gravel bikes (Enve MOG and 3T Exploro). Hmmm, decisions and bucks, decisions and bucks. One confusing thing is that there are at least three tarmac sl8 configs: expert, pro and s-works. I've been told the s-works uses a different carbon layup than the expert and pro? The other differences are group-set and cockpit.
Remember people your dream bike is whichever bike you have when you are Healthy enough to go out for a ride, I spent 10years injured not able to ride, just did my 3rd olympic distance triathlon with a trek domane al3 worth $1k
Im a merida fan, have a reacto 4000 and been loving it! Id love to see a video directly comparing aero and endurance/climbing bikes from the same brand, i was really toen between scultura and reacto, and in the end jusy thought the reacto looked a bit better
Again, if you’re looking for a deal. You can get a Cannondale Evo 2 (same dimensions as the Lab 71) with Ultegra Di2 45mm depth carbon wheels for LESS THAN HALF the price of many top end bikes at $5,500 USD.
funny. Yesterday I wrote a post on this. And today I did watch the danish nationals. Rasmus Søbjerg Pedersen beat Kasper Asgreen (Tarmac SL8), Mads Pedersen (Trek Madone), Michael Walgreen (Supersix) on a Van Ryssel bike and became champion on a bike costing 1/3 of the Tarmac SL8. He is a development rider beating Pro who has been world champions, Tour of Flanders winner and more. He is a development rider at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team. So the SL8 bike as of the Year in the right perspective. How does an overpriced bike get the title? Paid marketing comes to mind...
I’ve not ridden the Tarmac, but I do know of at least one elite level racer who has been dissatisfied for the reason you mentioned: a lack of stiffness. With that in mind, and given that the shorter wheelbase is a must-have for me, I’d personally have a hard time choosing between the Tarmac and the TCR (or indeed the 2023 Propel).
believe me i have an sl8 and unless you produce 1500 or more watts in a sprint, you want feel any lack of stifness. although i own an sworks sl8, i always use my sworks sl7 on flat terrain, it always gives me more fun then the sl8, but when i go to the mountains the sl8 really shines for me
@@davidverbeeck9066 Alex Richardson said some different about holding and maintain speed on the flats by SL7 drive.google.com/file/d/1NoKaQzUAL4CqR_u2ldwQNTu9KpkWYgtg/view
OK we are back to single individual person and coming up witb a few querks because its not a group ruling .... An aero bike is meant to go fast with least effort its not something built for sprinters so dont under your critera ? All riders pick aero for speed and low resistance not just sprinters. Sprinters only use aeto bike to get them to the finish its not soley for a sprint. Secondly value budget bike may be you should. Be looking sub £5k and top tear gearing available like 105 or Ultegra level😁
That makes no sense. Aero bikes tube shapes make them incredibly stiff. They have the stiffest bottom bracket shells and the thickest chainstays. And aerodynamics trumps weight in accelerations as well. What else would they choose?
I feel like somehow in all of these tests people never mention the Aethos but riders who want to ride the best feeling bike own one. It really was a game changer but probably doesn't get enough credit.
The aethos isn't even used by the pros. It isn't a true race bike it's just super light and comfortable. Stiffness and aerodynamics are why its not viewed as a race bike
I was underwhelmed by the Aethos. I expected far more comfort than it actually delivered. It’s just a less aero tarmac for the retrogrouch that doesn’t want to admit that there might actually be something to new tech.
@@josephreilman8527 If you look at the design notes for the SL8 they took the BB from the Aethos because it was MORE stiff than the SL7.The only reason the Aethos is more comfortable is because people are more likely to run bigger tires...it has same geo as tarmac. I bet if it only had an integrated cockpit for at least that much aero savings pros would ride it in grand tour.
Great to hear the roundup.not the usual drivel you hear 90 % presenters talk about on other sites .Still keeping to my top rim brake bikes of past cannot justify the cost of bikes at age 59
Cannondale stopped non domestic advertising and as such have suddenly disappeared from all reviews….. shock… whereas both Look and Specialized have made a huge push towards a domestic advertising model and as such are featuring everywhere. These reviews are nothing but paid advertising anymore. Buy the bike you like the colour of.
@@joeblack7469 I didn’t know they had winded down they presence in UK ads. I have a Supersix evo and can’t be happier, I think it’s a superb bike so I was surprised it wasn’t even mentioned
@@socopower Agreed. I haven't ridden the SL8, but I love the heck out of my supersix evo. Super fast (faster than the SL8, according to Tour magazine), comfortable, great handling - just a joy to ride.
Pros don't chose anything they use, it's all sponsor based. Bike, shoes, helmet, group set, even lube used on the chain, unless they have no sponsor in that particular area, then they can go their personal route. So that's just silly as a yard stick to go by.
Would love to see this video do the same testing with the lowest level of these bikes and the mid tier. Top level spec frames and builds will get the glory and be race ready but not everyone will race a top level bike
Before watching the video I just knew that the sl8 would take the win. Why? Because specialized has a very big marketing budget, and able to pay for the service of cycling weekly. The SL8 is build by Merida, and not better than most bikes half the price. I have tested the sl7 and sl8 and there are better bikes around. The prices are insane, and the business model is to make Merida build the bikes cheap, ask premium prices from the customers and give dealers and media a little bit of the margin, to manipulate customers. Before buying a specialized bike I would advise to try other brands. You can get better bikes and save money, what is not to like? PS! I you watch the pro's you can often see budget bikes beat specialized bikes. That would not be possible if specialized were better bike. You also have to consider that specialized try to hire the best pro riders to ride their bikes, but even that can't make the brand stand out compared to ex. van ryssel and so. PS! One last thing is that the SL7 looks good but the SL8 does not. The Sl8 is a ugly bike, and it is not like the bike has been designed in one process. It is like it is parts form SL7, parts from Athos parts from supersix and it looks odd and ugly. So bike of the year? I think not...
I have a Colnago C60 and absolutely love it. I'm surprised there is no mention of a Colnago bike (C64 or v4rs) in this review, especially after winning the Tour de France.
Apparently the Look 795 Blade RS was actually the least aero in a recent test with about 10 bikes from Cycling News. Not saying that Joe's feedback isn't correct, if it felt good to him then fair play but apparently in a wind tunnel it was quite slow. Interesting.
Always seeing s-works being put on the top but on the pro level it's colnago, van rysel and pinarellos this year..... while specialized is all the way at the back amongst top brand sponsored teams excluding cervelo to be fair due to accidents. Making me felt kind of skeptical on its performance to be honest.
My 2017 Giant Tcr Advanced 1 with Campag Zonda wheels (7kg) £1500 all in. Thats what i call a "value" bike 😂 If i was looking for value these days i would probably go for a Canyon, Elves or a Winspace 👍🏻
With the upmost respect, Joe needs to work on his spring - too much frame rock, put more weight over/toward the bars, and push all the way through the bottom of the pedal stroke. Cheers
Typically TH-cam, we need to spend €7.000 ~ €15.000 on a bike. 99.99% of the owners of €15.000 bike are unable to win the Tour de France. The ones who can win the Tour de France can do it on virtually ‘any’ bike. TH-cam is about gear freaks not about cycling.
Why tf are Specialized still pushing 26c tires & 42cm handlebars for a size 54?! That’s ridiculous… my 2019 VENGE has 30c tires & 38cm bars and it’s perfect
@@Penalist it far exceeds the 105% rule since the Roval Rapide front wheel is 32mm wide. Plus it is irrelevant for the Rear wheel, so at least put a 28c in the back, a 30c even
What’s he on about with pricing. That van rysel in the spec they rode and show in the video is £5500. That’s half the other peloton bikes and over £1k less than the Merida with better spec components
This video should probably be called: "Joe's Favorite Bikes of 2024". He appears to be the only reviewer, if there was a small group of reviewers with differing levels of experience, height, riding styles, etc... I'd give this more credence. And where are the gravel bikes, city bikes, cruisers, etc... I've been connected to this business for years and I can tell you that most shops only stay open because they can sell a beach bike or something similar. Also, let's be real. The pricing is outrageous. Even if cycling is your life, £5,000 plus for a value bike is silly at best.
I have to say, 42cm width bars for a medium frame on a bike that costs eye watering amounts of cash is unacceptable. Most people today would benefit with a narrower bar for comfort, let alone aerodynamics, as position accounts for much more watt savings than tube profiles. Choice for narrow bars and wide tires please
........Great Video/Review. Glad That SPECIALIZED Won The Race Bike Of The Year 2024. If There's A Thing That SPECIALIZED BIKES Need To Be Changed Is The BOLD LETTERS On The Bike Frame Like: The Word S WORKS. The BOLD Letter SPECIALIZED On The Frame However Can Be A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing. I Like It Because It Can Be Identified Right away As A SPECIALIZED Bike But Also Kind Of A BAD Thing As It Is Kind Of The Old Way Of Designing Things. Maybe A Smaller Letter Of SPECIALIZED W/ The Model On The Top Frame Will Be More Modern. They Will Need To Focus Though On The Cool Colors Or Color Combinations And Great Quality Parts. SPECIALIZED Bikes Are Great Bikes.......
Lmao not putting the Van Rysel RCR Pro on the most value bike I dont get it... 5500€ for a world tour frame + tier 2 components... Better aero, better weight than the merida, better proven results....
God forbid someone in the comments section bring themselves to shop in $2K - $3.5K price range - where every OEM has a an entry level performance/race bike.
I find the Enve so boring looking not for me personally and does nothing for me.. great selections for me prefer SL8, Colnago, Giant TCR and supersix evo.. Pete 🚴🏻👍
*Correction - The Van Rysel which Joe had on test retails for £5,500.
Pretty good video. My only gripe would be the Best Value Category. $7k is not a value for 90% of riders, unless you're a racer with no sponsorship.
He laid out what his criteria for value was and it isn't "cheapest road bike to get you from A to B"
100 percent 😢
Gotta say I have been super impressed by Joe as a presenter. I love that he's regularly throwing in tasty details and specs that have been harder to track down on my own. I also appreciate his insights on the geometry of the bikes and how it relates to the experience. Very knowledgeable and well articulated. I really enjoyed his review of the new SRAM Red groupset as well. Nice details that I'm not seeing other places.
Why is the Merida such a big shock? The value for money over the past few years has been fantastic.
Because there are much better value bikes they write off for "ride feel".... Despite the massive performance, spec and value advantages vs. the Merida which is still "name brand" price without really offering anything more objectively.
It isn't just Van Rysel/Decathlon, you also have the likes of Ribble, Cube or even the Boardman bikes.
🥰
@@JimIBobIJones pretty sure they're comparable. merida has good value and you can get them in bike shops
The prices are insane
Wait 5 years, they will all be out of fashion and you can pick up the frames for £500 or the full bike for £1,500...
@@JimIBobIJones No. Prices will be much higher than now thanks to central banks.
This kid is quickly becoming one of my favorite presenters. 👍🏻
Eloquent and knowledgeable. Top marks
I'm not even going to read the other comments... I can only imagine. I agonized for weeks over a Tarmac SL8 and an S-Works Aethos. Ultimately it came down to me being a 60 year old and not a racer, so the Aethos was my choice. No regrets . Many people will be dismissive of the Spesh, but they make an absolutely GREAT bike. I agree with the choice and the hot take at the end.
Spesh is expensive for what it is, but everybody agrees they make good bikes.
The TCR is by far the best all round bike on the market
Love that comment. I had just upgraded and went to local bike shop -- they recommended TCR but just aftere purchasing - found out about the Canyon Ultimate --- not sure the difference between climbing vs aero and slope top tube vs horizontal
but in newest iteration TCR have D-shape steerer so its poor by design.
My S-Works SL8 thanks you for your service
Flimsy garbage
Can we have a correction please. The tcr geometry wasn’t brought over from MTB, it was a design and developed by the late great Mike Burrows. Who also designed the iconic Lotus bike that Chris Boardman rode to Olympic glory in 92. Apologies if someone else has already mentioned this.
I’ve ridden the SL8 for 6 months now, and the stiffness matches the frame weight. By which I mean, it’s far too flexible. Carbon is not a magic material: less weight means less carbon. It’s really not stiff enough. I reckon the pros MUST use the Specialized version.
maybe You have fake knock-off frame from unknown chinese manufacturer?
My vote for best climbing bike would be Trek's Émonda.
For most of the population a Gusto Evo Cobra which was recently raced in Tour of Slovenia would be enough and in 105 only cost around 1600$US or 2500$ with DI2
Cannondale Evo 2 at $5,500 is the best-value all-rounder race bike.
in europe it’s around 7k so not that much value
I really like these two presenters. Keep up the video's guys. I think a large miss on this video is not stating in the intro the bikes that were tested. Peeps are looking to you as an expert outlet for bike test info. Not hearing the bikes on test leaves some credibility at risk. Another consideration would be to rank 1-3 the bikes for each category.
Keep up the efforts.
£7k value bike, you guys are insane
what about brands like Cube or Rose? did you condider them? Cube hast the best climbing bike but everyone ignored it.
This is a UK magazine and Rose stopped selling to the UK 3 years ago or so. Shame, I got one while I could and it's great
I ride the '23 Rose xlite 06 di2 on enve SES 4.5. I'd love to see the bike included in a test like this one. I understand, however that it doesn't make sense for UK or US outlets to include bikes that are not available in their regions.
It's just a paid advertisement. Very subjective
The Best Road Bike in 2024 is a Vintage Steel Reynolds 531c for 1/10 the price.
Weighing under 10kg.
This is why vintage road bikes are coming back, easy to service, easy to repair yourself, decent set of carbon wheels your just as fast as 11k Grand Bike.
Bought 2024 Scultura 4000 and super happy with it. Best bike for money, spec wise, look wise. Money which i saved by not going for DI2 version gonna go for carbon wheelset in future and its gonna be perfect.
Can you list all the bikes you tested?
Hi Jason, the full list is in this article: www.cyclingweekly.com/products/we-rode-over-2000-kms-in-order-to-crown-our-race-bike-of-the-year
No cervelo, no trek, no BMC? Cmon bike brands submit for test.
Bueget? 7k?
@@cyclingweekly this one is a joke. where are the major brands and there models? Please go bankcrupt as GCN this is utterly BS
My local Specialized Dealer sold every S-Works SL-8 they’ve gotten in.
I’d be more surprised if they sold every Giant Tucson.
I can’t get any bike off the showroom to work with my fit coordinates. Maybe the ENVE would work, but I think I am best off building my bikes from a bare frame.
Joe is a fantastic analyst. Great job. Your reasoning and parameters used in assessing the positive and negative characteristics of each bike was extremely compelling.
A $7,000 bike is not a value bike.
It’s all relative. $7K is a value for a proper “race ready” competition bike.
@@petersouthernboy6327 I'd rather have a genuine hi fi system and a decent m/bike for your 'value' r/bike. Not much call for 'em for a once a year mountain holiday. Once steel, always steel
Some people buy an electric car for $70,000. My car is $3,000 and my bike $7,000 so I'm still saving $60,000 😊
@@sandydennylives1392 Now I’m sure that my “genuine hi fi” systems is on an entirely different plane than yours. My amplifier alone was more than $7K.
Over $12,000 is a proper bike so $7000 is very much value.
Couldn’t agree more about the Melee. That bike is a joy to ride. Best bike I’ve ever ridden.
Are we not confusing pure aero bikes with all-rounders by mentioning how well they climb? In my case, I use my aero bike for the flats for maximum speed. Or is that just where we are now with the new designs? Hmmm
Haven’t repeated tests of £1,000 bikes v £10,000 bikes, new bikes vs 20 year old bikes and weight tests etc proven that for most mere mortals the categories are just for pure marketing?
Does this channel make a profit on used bikes? Didn’t think so.
Aero is an absolute load of bollocks
@@Tarmaccyclocross at your own personal speeds, likely
These guys obviously do not know what makes a bike more or less aero.
What are the testing results and stats of Cervelo, Orbea, Canyon, Colnago, Pinarello etc.? I can't find them on your site. It looks more like a commercial for your bike selection....
I agree with Joe the kid is a legend. IMHO the S-Works SL8 is the best road bike ever made. Especially in that red color it really shines when the sun is out.
I have the Merida scultura 8000 - it is a bike that just makes me want to go. My only criticism is the geometry.
Love the video. Would love your thoughts on a few bikes you’d recommend for a weekend warrior. I started riding a few years ago on a Trek Domane. I’m 55 years old and really enjoy riding. I’m thinking of upgrading to new Trek Domane (SLR 7). What other bikes might you suggest with a 10k budget? Appreciate the thoughts!
sorry but when the best value bike is £6k plus I lose interest 😢
Best value for what you get as a racer and his or her requirements...
6k is relatively cheap for racing tbh, 12k plus bikes are common at mid to high level amateur races
A top level racing in the early 90’s was easily £1k plus does compound interest at 3% since then get you near 6k?. Don’t know just asking the question?
I agree. I suggested some cheaper options in a separate comment. Hope you like what I found.
I have ridden looks, BMC teammachine, giant tcr SLR01, and pinarello for 19+ years (race and now just for fun). I only ride pinarello F12 and F and I wouldn’t ride anything else (well now I ride Santa Cruz mtbs). I have never ridden Specialized bikes. I live here in Northern California where I ride and I would like to ride one to see if the specialized s works tarmat is that good.
I would pick my sl8 with sram force, enve wheels and handlebar size ordered for my size. Could not be more in love with this bike to be honest 😊
While value is purely subjective, a value bike should cost at most half of the price of the value bike you selected. A value bike in my opinion is the same as an entry level bike. After that you should just be waiting on a sale for your next bike. Just picked up a new Ultegra spec BMC Roadmachine Five that was on sale for $2500 CAD. That's value, but no way to know when a sale like that will come up.
Great vid, thanks!
I'm looking at the Melee, Tarmac and maybe Colnago V3 (Colnago is rare in USA but we have a shop where I live in Seattle that is an official dealer).
ALL of the guys in this same shop referenced above are riding the Melee with a variety of 1x and 2x setups. I did a parking lot ride on a 1x with Classified internal hub electronic shifting (giving a 2x range) which was pretty cool.
I rented a Colnago V3 in Girona, Spain and it was lovely, prob my favorite of the three I rented, the other two were gravel bikes (Enve MOG and 3T Exploro).
Hmmm, decisions and bucks, decisions and bucks. One confusing thing is that there are at least three tarmac sl8 configs: expert, pro and s-works. I've been told the s-works uses a different carbon layup than the expert and pro? The other differences are group-set and cockpit.
Remember people your dream bike is whichever bike you have when you are Healthy enough to go out for a ride, I spent 10years injured not able to ride, just did my 3rd olympic distance triathlon with a trek domane al3 worth $1k
Im a merida fan, have a reacto 4000 and been loving it! Id love to see a video directly comparing aero and endurance/climbing bikes from the same brand, i was really toen between scultura and reacto, and in the end jusy thought the reacto looked a bit better
I recently bought a 2024 scultura 8000 after using my 4000 for 11 years, they're excellent value along with the lifetime warranty
Again, if you’re looking for a deal. You can get a Cannondale Evo 2 (same dimensions as the Lab 71) with Ultegra Di2 45mm depth carbon wheels for LESS THAN HALF the price of many top end bikes at $5,500 USD.
funny. Yesterday I wrote a post on this. And today I did watch the danish nationals. Rasmus Søbjerg Pedersen beat Kasper Asgreen (Tarmac SL8), Mads Pedersen (Trek Madone), Michael Walgreen (Supersix) on a Van Ryssel bike and became champion on a bike costing 1/3 of the Tarmac SL8. He is a development rider beating Pro who has been world champions, Tour of Flanders winner and more. He is a development rider at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team. So the SL8 bike as of the Year in the right perspective. How does an overpriced bike get the title? Paid marketing comes to mind...
I’ve not ridden the Tarmac, but I do know of at least one elite level racer who has been dissatisfied for the reason you mentioned: a lack of stiffness.
With that in mind, and given that the shorter wheelbase is a must-have for me, I’d personally have a hard time choosing between the Tarmac and the TCR (or indeed the 2023 Propel).
believe me i have an sl8 and unless you produce 1500 or more watts in a sprint, you want feel any lack of stifness.
although i own an sworks sl8, i always use my sworks sl7 on flat terrain, it always gives me more fun then the sl8, but when i go to the mountains the sl8 really shines for me
@@davidverbeeck9066 why? because of weight differences?
@@Pablo_Coach indeed the sl8 is much more nimble on the climbs, and the sl7 keeps it's speed a little bit better on flat terrain
@@davidverbeeck9066 Alex Richardson said some different about holding and maintain speed on the flats by SL7
drive.google.com/file/d/1NoKaQzUAL4CqR_u2ldwQNTu9KpkWYgtg/view
@@maxaposteriori whitch bike did You choose? Tarmac, TCR or Propel 23’?
OK we are back to single individual person and coming up witb a few querks because its not a group ruling .... An aero bike is meant to go fast with least effort its not something built for sprinters so dont under your critera ? All riders pick aero for speed and low resistance not just sprinters. Sprinters only use aeto bike to get them to the finish its not soley for a sprint. Secondly value budget bike may be you should. Be looking sub £5k and top tear gearing available like 105 or Ultegra level😁
That makes no sense. Aero bikes tube shapes make them incredibly stiff. They have the stiffest bottom bracket shells and the thickest chainstays. And aerodynamics trumps weight in accelerations as well. What else would they choose?
I feel like somehow in all of these tests people never mention the Aethos but riders who want to ride the best feeling bike own one. It really was a game changer but probably doesn't get enough credit.
The aethos isn't even used by the pros. It isn't a true race bike it's just super light and comfortable. Stiffness and aerodynamics are why its not viewed as a race bike
I just put 30mm tyres on my Aethos and the ride is sublime.
I was underwhelmed by the Aethos. I expected far more comfort than it actually delivered. It’s just a less aero tarmac for the retrogrouch that doesn’t want to admit that there might actually be something to new tech.
@@josephreilman8527 If you look at the design notes for the SL8 they took the BB from the Aethos because it was MORE stiff than the SL7.The only reason the Aethos is more comfortable is because people are more likely to run bigger tires...it has same geo as tarmac. I bet if it only had an integrated cockpit for at least that much aero savings pros would ride it in grand tour.
@@RyonBeachner As was I underwhelmed with you reply.
Super lovely bikes, excellent breakdown and well presented but none I could actually afford just yet.
Great to hear the roundup.not the usual drivel you hear 90 % presenters talk about on other sites .Still keeping to my top rim brake bikes of past cannot justify the cost of bikes at age 59
Join the club
Nice video, very well explained. No testing of the Cannondale Supersix??
Cannondale stopped non domestic advertising and as such have suddenly disappeared from all reviews….. shock… whereas both Look and Specialized have made a huge push towards a domestic advertising model and as such are featuring everywhere. These reviews are nothing but paid advertising anymore. Buy the bike you like the colour of.
@@joeblack7469 I didn’t know they had winded down they presence in UK ads. I have a Supersix evo and can’t be happier, I think it’s a superb bike so I was surprised it wasn’t even mentioned
@@socopower Agreed. I haven't ridden the SL8, but I love the heck out of my supersix evo. Super fast (faster than the SL8, according to Tour magazine), comfortable, great handling - just a joy to ride.
Pros don't chose anything they use, it's all sponsor based. Bike, shoes, helmet, group set, even lube used on the chain, unless they have no sponsor in that particular area, then they can go their personal route. So that's just silly as a yard stick to go by.
That Wilier is an eye candy
Great Video. I’m tossing up the TCR SL0 or S-Works SL8 - but the price of the S-Works is almost 50% more where I live. Is it really that good?
Which bike brands and models did you test? Did you make any measurements like frame stiffness, air drag coefficient, etc?
It would be nice to see the full list of candidates with a comment or two on how they did in the test.
Would love to see this video do the same testing with the lowest level of these bikes and the mid tier. Top level spec frames and builds will get the glory and be race ready but not everyone will race a top level bike
Oh that's great I guess all I have to do is wait for 2027 and i will be able to afford the 2024 bike of the year
I own an SL8, fantastic bike!
Well done guys, great content - concise, knowledgeable and on-point. Great to see recognition for Merida, don't they construct the SL8 frames...?
a decade ago merida owned 49% of specialized, but now specialized is back on it's own
I'll pick the specialized S-works venge any time instead of any of those mentioned here.
Before watching the video I just knew that the sl8 would take the win. Why? Because specialized has a very big marketing budget, and able to pay for the service of cycling weekly. The SL8 is build by Merida, and not better than most bikes half the price. I have tested the sl7 and sl8 and there are better bikes around. The prices are insane, and the business model is to make Merida build the bikes cheap, ask premium prices from the customers and give dealers and media a little bit of the margin, to manipulate customers. Before buying a specialized bike I would advise to try other brands. You can get better bikes and save money, what is not to like? PS! I you watch the pro's you can often see budget bikes beat specialized bikes. That would not be possible if specialized were better bike. You also have to consider that specialized try to hire the best pro riders to ride their bikes, but even that can't make the brand stand out compared to ex. van ryssel and so. PS! One last thing is that the SL7 looks good but the SL8 does not. The Sl8 is a ugly bike, and it is not like the bike has been designed in one process. It is like it is parts form SL7, parts from Athos parts from supersix and it looks odd and ugly. So bike of the year? I think not...
What bikes in Your personal opinion are better than SL7/SL8 ? Giant TCR, Van Rysel RCR ?
still comes down to the rider!!! like your test person!! companies pais the best RIDERS to ride their bikes!!
Nice video guys
And great to see Specialized winning, and that red on the SL8 looks amazing
I have a Colnago C60 and absolutely love it. I'm surprised there is no mention of a Colnago bike (C64 or v4rs) in this review, especially after winning the Tour de France.
Poor geometry, no so exciting bikes
Apparently the Look 795 Blade RS was actually the least aero in a recent test with about 10 bikes from Cycling News. Not saying that Joe's feedback isn't correct, if it felt good to him then fair play but apparently in a wind tunnel it was quite slow. Interesting.
And heavy
Always seeing s-works being put on the top but on the pro level it's colnago, van rysel and pinarellos this year..... while specialized is all the way at the back amongst top brand sponsored teams excluding cervelo to be fair due to accidents. Making me felt kind of skeptical on its performance to be honest.
Flimsy frames to counteract the heavy disc brakes
Riders win races not bikes.
@@j3bu5dr1f7s if that's the case what makes the SL8 better than the V4RS? Also making this ranking totally pointless then?
@@bingbing3464 Do you think UAE would win less races with an SL8?
@@j3bu5dr1f7s or rather would they win more? because after all many claim it's the best bike of 2024.
You can still buy a colnago master x light w campagnolo chorus. Much cheaper.
My 2017 Giant Tcr Advanced 1 with Campag Zonda wheels (7kg) £1500 all in. Thats what i call a "value" bike 😂 If i was looking for value these days i would probably go for a Canyon, Elves or a Winspace 👍🏻
That Look bike looks like it's from the future
With the upmost respect, Joe needs to work on his spring - too much frame rock, put more weight over/toward the bars, and push all the way through the bottom of the pedal stroke. Cheers
I think this is the best video Cycling Weekly has made ... ever?
I still love my Beanci Infaneto CV .
Typically TH-cam, we need to spend €7.000 ~ €15.000 on a bike. 99.99% of the owners of €15.000 bike are unable to win the Tour de France. The ones who can win the Tour de France can do it on virtually ‘any’ bike. TH-cam is about gear freaks not about cycling.
Á FÍSICA SEMPRE AJUDANDO Á BIKE A CORTAR O VENTO.
💡
AS BIKES ESTÃO VIRANDO ESPADAS NINJAS, CADA VEZ MAIS AFIADAS.
look , best aero bike ,dont know if I would agree with that.
Value its Van Rysel or Cube. No matter more brands !
Nice review. Well done. I am curious if you are sponsored by any of the winning bike manufacturers?
I was looking for the "Value Bike" but then he mentioned the Top-End Merida at €7000,-
Yeah, right... value bike...
Why tf are Specialized still pushing 26c tires & 42cm handlebars for a size 54?! That’s ridiculous… my 2019 VENGE has 30c tires & 38cm bars and it’s perfect
26 mm for best aerodynamic combination with the Roval Rapide wheels.
@@Penalist it far exceeds the 105% rule since the Roval Rapide front wheel is 32mm wide. Plus it is irrelevant for the Rear wheel, so at least put a 28c in the back, a 30c even
@@SamuelBlackMetalRider The 105-rule is "at least 105%" and ask Specialized and their 'Wintunnel' for this outcome for their Roval wheels.
What’s he on about with pricing. That van rysel in the spec they rode and show in the video is £5500. That’s half the other peloton bikes and over £1k less than the Merida with better spec components
VR bike is £5,500 ... 🤔 £ for £ better value than the competition 🤷🏼
What about Cube? TREK? Boardman?Canyan?
Any review on the S-Works Aethos 25?
Ok so I just watched the aero bike winner, but what are you comparing it to, why don’t you tell us all the brands involved in all the tests?
can not agree with the most aero bike .. there is so much better option than 'look blade 795 rs' .. such as cannondale systemsix, cervelo s5, etc
Hi Joe. Can you please do a comparison test between e-road bikes.
Thanks buddy.
Did Factor not lend you an OSTRO VAM 2?
Can you do Top 5 BEST Road Bikes 2024 at 3000$ or less. We dont have the money for the bike you show in that video.
Great reviews
Two great presenters right here.
I do think it’s pretty disrespectful to ordinary folk to platform a ‘value’ bike that costs £7k
This video should probably be called: "Joe's Favorite Bikes of 2024". He appears to be the only reviewer, if there was a small group of reviewers with differing levels of experience, height, riding styles, etc... I'd give this more credence. And where are the gravel bikes, city bikes, cruisers, etc... I've been connected to this business for years and I can tell you that most shops only stay open because they can sell a beach bike or something similar. Also, let's be real. The pricing is outrageous. Even if cycling is your life, £5,000 plus for a value bike is silly at best.
I have to say, 42cm width bars for a medium frame on a bike that costs eye watering amounts of cash is unacceptable. Most people today would benefit with a narrower bar for comfort, let alone aerodynamics, as position accounts for much more watt savings than tube profiles. Choice for narrow bars and wide tires please
Video starts at 19:26
........Great Video/Review. Glad That SPECIALIZED Won The Race Bike Of The Year 2024. If There's A Thing That SPECIALIZED BIKES Need To Be Changed Is The BOLD LETTERS On The Bike Frame Like: The Word S WORKS. The BOLD Letter SPECIALIZED On The Frame However Can Be A Good Thing Or A Bad Thing. I Like It Because It Can Be Identified Right away As A SPECIALIZED Bike But Also Kind Of A BAD Thing As It Is Kind Of The Old Way Of Designing Things. Maybe A Smaller Letter Of SPECIALIZED W/ The Model On The Top Frame Will Be More Modern. They Will Need To Focus Though On The Cool Colors Or Color Combinations And Great Quality Parts. SPECIALIZED Bikes Are Great Bikes.......
Lmao not putting the Van Rysel RCR Pro on the most value bike I dont get it... 5500€ for a world tour frame + tier 2 components... Better aero, better weight than the merida, better proven results....
S-Works ❤
More B-roll clips of the rider awkwardly standing and pedaling, please 🙄
What's the model of sunglasses that Joe is wearing?
It's some of these in white: tinyurl.com/4874naw8
God forbid someone in the comments section bring themselves to shop in $2K - $3.5K price range - where every OEM has a an entry level performance/race bike.
I'll always pick Harley Davidson's 'Fat Boy'.
So any aero bike
😂A Milwaukee Vibrator isn't a bicycle, it's barely a motorbike
Didn’t get a chance to ride a Gen 8 Madone SLR 9 eTap, eh?
I’m glad you made your decisions regardless of the backlash you’re going to receive from Tarmac haters.
Am I just broke or what? Who buys these bikes at those prices? Like is it regular ppl or just rich ppl?😂
I find the Enve so boring looking not for me personally and does nothing for me.. great selections for me prefer SL8, Colnago, Giant TCR and supersix evo.. Pete 🚴🏻👍
Look came up with the most money to paid them off this year