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Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tyre

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There's an increasing choice in tyres designed for mixing it up on and off-road as the gravel and adventure market grows, and this new Pathfinder Pro from Specialized is a fast-rolling tyre that is good for tackling rough roads and dry hardpack gravel trails.

  • Pros: Fast on road and hardpack, easily tubeless
  • Cons: Not so good in muddy conditions

With its smooth centre section surrounded by tightly packed diamond-shaped blocks, it's obviously a good choice for lots of road riding.

> Find your nearest dealer here

When riding in a straight upright position, that smooth centre line is all that contacts the road, and as a result provides low rolling resistance, allowing you to zip along the road at a decent pace. It really feels little slower than a slick tyre of similar width.

Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tyres1.JPG

Feel adventurous and want to get off the road and onto some gravel and dirt, and the remainder of the tyre provides good grip. The diamond-shaped tread combined with bigger and spaced out shoulder blocks gives you the capability to let fire into loose gravel or dirty corners, knowing the compound and blocks will find grip. You won't be tackling any muddy bogs, it's not quite that capable, but for gravelly surfaced tracks, canal towpaths and dry bridleways, it offers more grip than a slick tyre.

Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tyres3.JPG

The tyre is constructed with a 120 TPI 'Endurant' casing intended to be rugged for dealing with off-road shenanigans, and a BlackBelt puncture protection layer minimises the risk of puncturing. The tread is made from the company's own Gripton compound which strikes a good balance of rolling resistance and traction.

Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready

Specialized's 2Bliss play on words indicates it's a tubeless-ready tyre. So I fitted them to a suitable tubeless-ready rim which proved painless, and enjoyed many happy rides of tubeless bliss. I suffered no flats, leaks or burps during that time. I've experienced good results with various Specialized tubeless tyres over the years and these did not buck the trend.

For where I live at this time of year, this is a good tyre for 80 per cent road and 20 per cent off-road exploring. But for areas with more gravel roads to explore, that ratio leans closer to 50/50. I can see this being a very rapid choice for an event like Dirty Reiver, which models itself on the famous Dirty Kanzas, an event incidentally which this tyre has apparently racked up victories at.

Specialized offers the Pathfinder in a choice of 38 and 42mm widths in 700C size or an on-trend 650B x 47mm option for those liking the small wheel movement. At £42 RRP it's reasonably priced. Not cheap, but you can easily pay a lot more for a similar tyre: the £73 Compass Switchback, for example.

> Buyer's Guide: 28 of the best road cycling tyres

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best gravel and adventure tyres

Whether it's the right one for you really comes down to the type of riding you're doing and how much road and hardpack gravel you're mixing together. It really excels on the road but there are better and more versatile do-everything tyres, like the Panaracer GravelKing SK which offers a bit more grip off the road. And there are better choices for really muddy conditions, but steer clear of the bogs and it's a decent tyre.

Overall, I like these tyres and for a lot of people they will be well suited. There's a lot of choice in this sector of the tyre market, you just need to decide what you want and need from yours.

Verdict

Fast on the road and hardpack and good cornering grip, with easy tubeless setup; not great in the slop though

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tyre

Size tested: 700x38C

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Specialized says, "Born in the American Midwest, gravel riding is one of the fastest–growing styles of cycling. The sense of adventure, conquering new challenges, and simply experiencing a new style of riding are some of its big selling points, but doing so without the proper tires makes the difference between having fun and cursing and hollering on the side of the road. The Pathfinder delivers the versatility that these adventure-laden rides deserve''fast rolling, lots of grip, and a whole lot of fun."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Specialized lists:

Casing: 120 TPI

Bead: Foldable

Butyl wrapped bead = 2Bliss Ready

Compound: GRIPTON®

Flat Protection: Endurant Casing and BlackBelt

650b x 47mm [1.75"], psi 35-65

700 x 38mm, psi 50-80

700 x 42mm, psi 50-80

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

For dry gravel trails and mostly road riding with a bit of occasional off-road, this is a suitable choice.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Thus far has been just fine on this front.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Wide tyres + low pressures = lots of comfort

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

It's not ridiculously priced compared to other tyres in this segment. The Compass Switchback is £73.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Good grip on a variety of surfaces and fast where conditions allow it.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Rolls fast.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not so good in the mud.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Panaracer Gravel King SK is £39.99, the Compass Switchback is £73.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Probably

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's a very good tyre for those mostly riding on roads and hardpack gravel trails and want a fast-rolling tyre, and it's reasonably priced.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking

Story weight: 
1
Price: 
£42.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
8
Weight: 
475g
Road.cc verdict: 

Fast on the road and hardpack and good cornering grip, with easy tubeless setup; not great in the slop though

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601

road.cc's Best Cycling Accessories of the Year 2018/19

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road.cc's Best Cycling Accessories of the Year 2018/19

The hottest aero road bikes of 2019, part 2

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Nearly every major bike brand now offers at least one aero road bike in various different builds, and here are some of the slipperiest contenders of 2019.

Also check out the The Hottest Aero Road Bikes of 2018, Part 1

Specialized Venge £6,500-£10,000 

97819-01_venge-sw-disc-di2-sagan-coll-dktl-char_hero.jpg

The all-new Venge is said to be lighter, faster and better handling than the previous version — of course. It's available only with disc brakes and electronic gears, so there's no such thing as a budget Venge.

Read about the 2019 Specialized Venge here
Find a Specialized dealer

Ridley Noah Fast — £5,459-£8,189

Ridley Noah Fast (1)

Ridley's top-level aero road bike features an integrated fork and seat clamp and F-Wings behind the fork dropouts that are designed to reduce turbulence and therefore minimise drag.

Find a Ridley dealer

Argon 18 Nitrogen Disc — £4,199.99-£4,999.99

Argon 18 Nitrogen Disc 2019.jpg

Canada's Argon 18 introduced the Nitrogen in 2014 but the Nitrogen Disc is brand new. The disc model is said to offer greater torsional rigidity as well as plenty of ergonomic adjustability and clearance for tyres up to 30mm wide.

Find out about the new Argon 18 Nitrogen Disc
Find an Argon 18 dealer

Wilier Cento10Pro — £4,399.99-£7,999.99

Wilier Cento 10 Pro (1).jpg

The new Cento10Pro is an evolution of the existing Cento10Air but with disc brake options as well as rim brakes and a 6% increase in torsional stiffness, according to Wilier. The frame and fork profiles are based to NACA airfoil shapes with truncated tails allowing Wilier to save weight and increase stiffness.

Read about the the Wilier Cento10Pro ​

Look 795 Blade RS — £TBC

Look 795 Blade RS 2019

Look says that its new aero bike, available in both rim brake and disc brake versions, offers a 5% aerodynamic advantage over its predecessor. Look also claims the fork, rear triangle and head tube have been made stiffer, and the new bridge-less 'Smooth Sword' seatstays are designed to bend slightly under compression, allowing the rear wheel to maintain consistent contact with the road.

Get the full story of the Look 795 Blade RS
Find a Look dealer

BMC Timemachine — £6,750-£10,000

2019 BMC Timemachine 01 Road TwoBMC was one of several big brands to reveal a new aero road bike back in July. The new version of the Timemachine is designed solely around disc brakes and features integrated storage and a water bottle design that minimises drag at wider yaw angles.

Read about the new BMC Timemachine here
Find a BMC dealer

3T Strada Due (frameset) — £3,699

3T Strada Due (1)_

The Strada aero road bike was initially designed for a single chainring drivetrain but 3T has now added the Strada Due to the lineup, giving you the option of fitting an electronic groupset with a double chainring.

Read our first ride report on the 3T Strada Due
Find a 3T dealer

Orbea Orca Aero Disc — £2,999-£7,199

Orbea Orca Aero Disc 2019 (1)

The Orca Aero Disc features a huge down tube with a double radius profile and flattened sides that Orbea says improves airflow at higher yaw angles, and there's a wide gap between the fork legs that’s said to reduce airflow pressure.

Find out about the new Orbea Orca Aero Disc
Find an Orbea dealer

Colnago Concept (frameset) — £3,499.95-£4,399.95

Colnago Concept 2019 - 1

The Colnago Concept frameset, available in both rim brake or disc brake versions, puts in superb performance out on the road, offering awesome speed, fine handling and real-world usability.

Read our review of the Colnago Concept
Find a Colnago dealer

Lapierre Aircode SL — £2,199-£6,199

Lapierre Aircode-SL-600-MC 2019

The Aircode SL, available only with rim brakes, has taken many of its design cues from Lapierre's Aerostorm time trial bike, using both NACA and Kamm Tail tube profiles to reduce drag. Lapierre has reduced the frontal area by integrating the fork crown into the down tube.

Find out all about the Lapierre Aircode SL
Read our Lapierre Aircode SL 900 Ultimate review
Find a Lapierre dealer

Felt AR 5 — £2,299

Felt AR 5 2019 (1)

Felt's AR bikes feature a rear brake that's mounted under the chainstays and a narrow 'Twin Tail' bridgeless seatstay design. You also get a reversible seatpost that allows you to steepen the seat angle for time trialling.

Read our review of the Felt AR4
Find a Felt dealer

Storck Aerfast — ~£2,200-£8,800

Storck Aerfast_Pro (1)

Storck's Aerfast is a truly awesome race bike. As well as having strong aero credentials, it's fast, light and stiff while offering comfort levels that challenge those of most endurance bikes.

Read our review of the Storck Aerfast Platinum
Buy a Storck

Kuota Kryon Race Evo (frameset) — £1,275

Kuota Kryon (1)

Italy's Kuota offers the Kryon in both rim brake and disc brake models. You get a “vibe damper system” incorporated into the seatpost area to smooth the ride; two separate dampers can be specced, depending on your weight.

Find a Kuota dealer

Tifosi Auriga — £1,999.99-£2,499.99

Tifosi Auriga 2019 (1).jpg

On the latest version of its Auriga aero road bike, Tifosi has moved the rear brake from behind the bottom bracket to the seatstays in order to avoid mud and water and maximise power. Whereas the rim brake model will accept tyres up to 25mm, the disc brake version can take 28s.

Find a Tifosi dealer

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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Super-fast bikes from Specialized, Colnago, BMC, Ridley, Argon 18, Wilier and more
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Should you buy an aero helmet?

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Should you buy an aero helmet?

Specialized Element 1.0 gloves

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Probably the most comfortable deep winter gloves that I've ever worn, Specialized's Element 1.0s are fully up to the task of keeping your hands warm and dry in winter, so long as it's not absolutely chucking it down.

  • Pros: Sumptuously comfortable, warm, water resistant, light and dextrous
  • Cons: Umm…

If you're after a pair of deep winter gloves to see you through the worst weather, seemingly without compromise, then Specialized has you covered with the Element 1.0s.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Let's start with the warmth, which comes via Primaloft insulation, sandwiched between a Gore Windstopper outer fabric shell and a super-soft thermal liner. It's brilliantly warm in everything touching freezing and a little beyond, while there's a fair amount of breathability maintained through the technical textiles.

Specialized Element 1.0 gloves - back.jpg

Unless the temperature started reaching about the 7-8°C, my hands stayed remarkably dry inside the glove, while at the same time keeping toasty warm too. The construction (the seams on the fingers and joins) is remarkably good too, with tight-knit seams allowing no unwanted air leakage.

That goes for waterproofness too. No, Gore's Windstopper isn't the hardiest when it comes to this, but as we see in countless jackets featuring the fabric, it can be a great performer in showery conditions. I'd be inclined to opt for a real heavyweight alternative that claims full waterproofness if I were to go out regularly in deluges, but for anything else I'm more than satisfied that the Element 1.0s can do the job.

Speaking of heavyweight... the Element 1.0s really aren't that at all. For an all-in-one winter glove with such insulation, they're impressively light at 134g, while the fabrics themselves are very flexible and mouldable to the hand. The result is a glove that provides a great deal of dexterity on the bars and when shifting.

Comfort is arguably the most surprising feature. Sure, other gloves aren't necessarily uncomfortable, but these are in a different league. The inner lining – 'brushed tricot', apparently – is so soft, while the glove cocoons your fingers and hand with some flexibility too. Even with hands that might be prone to web pressure, it's unlikely that you'll get any rubbing at all.

A large fits me perfectly – as it should – and there are two bigger sizes if you have big hands. You might want to size up if you intend to use them as an outer in tandem with a liner for pseudo-arctic conditions, but for the vast majority this won't be necessary.

Other features worth noting? There's an 'Ax' suede palm that sheds water to retain grip on the bar when it's raining – it's effective too – and Specialized has catered for touchscreen users with textured pads on the thumb and two main fingers, although despite the dexterity offered by the gloves, this is still only semi-useful at best if you want to text on your phone; the texture does add a bit of grip when pressing shift levers, though.

Specialized Element 1.0 gloves - palm.jpg

The backs of the thumbs feature a genuinely luxuriously soft nose wipe zone, and there are little reflective details in the S logo and Windstopper branding, plus a strategically placed thin strip on the outside edge of the hand, which is naturally directed back at other road users while indicating.

The cuff provides a low-profile seal against the wind, but it's stretchy enough to fit on the outside of thermal jerseys and even jackets if you like, plus there's a small clip interface to keep the gloves together.

The one downside to the high-vis yellow colourway is that it will inevitably attract dirt over time, but for those bothered by that there is a black version too.

> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves

I can't see why these won't last multiple winters if looked after properly (and perform to their best if washed using tech washes), plus you don't have to spend a massive amount to get a pair in the first place – £45 is a competitive price to pay for such well-rounded, well-made gloves. Mavic's Ksyrium Pro Thermo gloves are a hefty £25 more, and Endura's Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof gloves are £54.99, though they promise more rain protection.

Overall, I can't think of any I'd rather be wearing when heading out for a winter ride.

Verdict

Brilliant deep winter gloves, with precious few weaknesses

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Element 1.0 gloves

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

Specialized says: "Our Element collection of gloves is designed to keep you warm and protected from wind and water, all without adding any bulk or restricting movement. Starting with a Gore® WINDSTOPPER® waterproof and breathable laminate, we add 100g Primaloft® for insulation from the cold. The Element 1.0 gloves are the lightest softshell gloves we make, so you get excellent flexibility and handlebar feel. The Ax Suede palm, meanwhile, provides a sure grip, even when wet, in order to keep your hands where they need to be''in control. Lastly, the rib-knit cuff is the most accommodating cuff closure we make, and it's designed to go seamlessly under a jacket cuff."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Features:

- Gore® WINDSTOPPER® upper protects against wind and water, while letting perspiration escape.

- 100g Primaloft® insulates without adding bulk.

- Ax Suede palm material is tough, hydrophobic, and conforming.

- Brushed tricot interior provides a plush, comfortable feel against the hand.

- Windproof brushed Microwipe™ thumb wiper allows you to easily wipe away sweat.

- Reflective details enhance your visibility to motorists in low-light conditions.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

The gloves seem brilliantly put together with tightly-knitted seams.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Aside from constant deluge-type rain, they're nigh-on perfect in deep winter.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The softness and flexibility of the fabrics might mean a little more potential wear in time, but it's not a major concern.

Rate the product for fit:
 
10/10

The best fitting (and most comfortable – see below) deep winter glove that I've ever worn.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
10/10

Spot on, a comfortably form-fitting fit around the digits.

Rate the product for weight:
 
9/10

For the performance, the weight is very impressive indeed.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
10/10

Hands-down the best thing about the Element 1.0s, in my opinion. And they don't even have pressure-relief padding.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

£45 is very good value when you consider everything you're getting here in terms of performance and comfort.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easily enough, although the high-vis yellow can attract dirt. Specialist washes will likely maintain the excellent technical performance.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Exceptionally.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Sumptuous comfort, warm, water resistant, light and dextrous.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nowt.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Mavic's Ksyrium Pro Thermo gloves are a hefty £25 more, while Madison's Avalanche gloves are over a tenner cheaper – and a few grams lighter too.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

There's precious little to knock off here. Arguably the lack of pressure-relieving palm padding will put some off, and they're not quite ALL-weather deep winter gloves, given the Windstopper outer, so 9.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 188cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 SL (2016)  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Story weight: 
4
Price: 
£45.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
9
Weight: 
134g
Road.cc verdict: 

Brilliant deep winter gloves, with precious few weaknesses

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17 of the best and fastest 2019 aero road bikes — wind-cheating bikes with an extra turn of speed

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  • With elongated tube shapes and other wind-cheating features, aero road bikes provide a small but handy speed boost.

  • Sleek shapes make for a distinctive look.

  • Recent aero road bikes have alleviated the harsh ride that plagued some early models, thanks to improved use of materials.

  • Frame aerodynamics is still a marginal gain; if you're wearing flappy clothes an aero bike is a waste of money.

In just a few years aero road bikes have gone from The Next Big Thing to a mainstream bike option. The latest models have been tweaked to be faster than ever, according to the manufacturers, and to alleviate the harsh ride that characterised some early aero bikes.

Aero road bikes essentially draw aerodynamic features from time trial bikes into a road frame, and balance the demands of weight and stiffness into a package that, on paper, looks to be the ideal all-round choice.

At any decent speed, most of your effort goes into overcoming air resistance, so reducing a bike's drag means you'll go faster, or ride at any given speed with a lower power output. Who doesn't like the sound of that?

Most of your air resistance comes from your body rather than your bike. Wearing non-flappy clothing will help, as will losing weight. But the 20% or so of air resistance from your bike is enough for engineers and designers to focus on making road frames and products more slippery through the air. In the pro peloton aero road bikes have been quickly adopted, where the margins of victory are very slim and there has been a focus on gaining ever smaller performance gains over the years.

Merida Reacto 2017 seatstays.jpg

Weight, or the lack of it, used to be the main driving force of frame development. Along with stiffness, it was a cornerstones of bike design. These days most bikes are light, many well below the UCI’s 6.8kg weight limit (which doesn’t affect non-racers anyway), and come with more stiffness than is sometimes comfortable.

All that has made aerodynamics more important. Specialized has built its own wind tunnel, for example, and most manufacturers are testing in other facilities. Nevertheless, aero road bikes haven't converged on a perfect, slippery shape. Different engineers prioritise different ways of improving aerodynamics but there are shared design trends: skinny, aerofoil-shaped tubes, integrated brakes, and internal cable routing.

Let's take a look at the latest aero offerings.

Orbea Orca Aero 2019 — £2,699-£7,199

2019 Orbea ORCA AERO M20iTEAM D

The Orca Aero boasts lots of wind-cheating tweaks that Orbea says add up to a 27 watt advantage. Our tester David Arthur found the Orbea Orca Aero M20Team to be "a fast and great handling aerodynamic road bike with a surprising talent for smoothing out all but the roughest roads. But it is speed, not comfort, that is at the top of the list of requirements for an aero road bike, and that's an area where the Orca Aero feels very competent. It's right up there with the Trek Madone, Cervelo S3 and Canyon Aeroad, as super-quick aero race bikes.

"The handling is a highlight, and helps to set it apart from some aero bikes that can be exceedingly quick but a little lacking when it comes to the way they ride and translate your inputs into actions. The Orca Aero is fun and engaging, putting a smile on your face when you're descending or chasing a friend along an undulating ridge road."

You can customise the colour scheme and spec of your Orca Aero too, so if you want to upgrade the wheels, or have yours in pink and orange, fill your boots.

Read our review of the e Orbea Orca Aero M20Team
Find an Orbea dealer

Bianchi Aria Disc 2019 — £2,750-£3,200

Bianchi Aria Potenza Disc.jpg

The new Bianchi Aria Disc is an aero road bike that offers efficiency, sharp handling and a responsive character, now with the additional all-weather assurance of disc brakes – in this case from Campagnolo.

The Aria Disc responds keenly to increased effort. Our 59cm sample wasn't especially light at 8.5kg (18.7lb), but it felt direct when you put in the power, a meaty bottom bracket helping to keep everything solidly in place. The Aria Disc feels as manoeuvrable as the rim brake version, which isn't a surprise given that the geometry is virtually identical. Some bikes designed for aerodynamics offer plenty of straight-line speed but they're a little compromised when you want to flick around. The Aria Disc handles sharply, which gives you options when it comes to darting about a group or avoiding something in the road.

Read our review of the Bianchi Aria Disc
Find a Bianchi dealer

3T Strada — £3,600 (frame, fork, headset & seatpost)

3T Strada.jpg

The 3T Strada has blown us away. It's a truly stunning bike with breathtaking speed, impressive smoothness and fine handling balance. If this is the future, as some people have speculated, we're sold. Take our money, 3T. This is one of the most exciting road bikes available right now.

The Strada certainly won't be for everyone. And that's fine, there are plenty of fantastic performance road bikes currently available if the 1x11 gearing, disc brakes and tight clearances frighten you. None are as radical as the new 3T, though. What the Strada does with its unique design is offer another choice. It achieves the same aim – of being stupendously fast – but takes a different path to get there.

Read our review of the 3T Strada
Find a 3T stockist

Colnago Concept — £1,999 (frameset)

COLNAGO-CONCEPT (1).jpg

Colnago has joined the aerodynamic arms race with the Concept, a full blooded aero race bike that is a serious step forward from the Italian company's first aero road bike, the V1-r.

The Concept has all the capability to dice with the fastest in a race situation. Its stiff frame, deep-section wheels and lightweight give it an insatiable appetite for speed. It's quick in all circumstances: climbs, descents, flat and undulating roads – the bike shines everywhere. This is an exciting bike to ride fast, and like all good aero road bikes it encourages you to ride flat-out.

That firm ride, and frame and fork stiffness ensure the Concept accurately follows your inputs, whether through the handlebar or pedals. It reacts positively whether you're blasting an uphill sprint finish or bombing through a curving descent.

The Concept isn't just for racing. It provides adequate composure and comfort, allowing you to tackle long distance rides at a few notches below race pace and not be dealt a hammer-blow to the lower back the moment the tyres encounter anything but a super-smooth surface. The front end of an aero race bike can often be overwhelmingly harsh, but the special headset and fork steerer tube that Colnago has developed mean the Concept is smoother up front than would normally be expected on an aero road bike.

Read our review of the Colnago Concept
Find a Colnago dealer

Merida Reacto 2019 — £1,000-£8,250

2019 Merida Reacto Disc 7000-E

Merida has updated its Reacto to be, it says, lighter, more comfortable and more aerodynamically efficient than before. It has done this by slimming down the tube shapes and introducing a lower seatstay connection with the seat tube, among other things.

Merida – a Taiwanese brand although much of its engineering is undertaken in Germany – says that the new Reacto is more aerodynamically efficient than the previous version by about eight watts at 45km/h. That equates to around 5%.

Comfort has been increased through redesigning the seatstays and giving the S-Flex seatpost a slimmer cross section and a bigger ‘window’ – a notch that’s cutaway to allow more downward movement.

For 2018, Merida is offering disc brake versions of the Reacto for the first time.

Read more on the updated Merida Reacto here.
Find a Merida dealer

Boardman Air 9.X — £1,750-£6,000

Boardman Elite Air 9.2 - full bike.jpg

Boardman's Air 9.2 (£1,749) is just the ticket if you're looking for a fast bike with a good spec. It's a great package and the performance is impressive.

Some aero bikes can be a handful, but thankfully the Air 9.2 is a neutral ride most of the time. Considering the amount of side profile, it's really not that much of a handful in the wind. Okay, our reviewer had a couple of interesting moments getting hit by a 30mph sidewind on one ride, but it's generally pretty predictable.

It's fast, it's firm but not uncomfortable, and it responds well under power. There are a few minor niggles – the brakes aren't the best, and some of the components are worth an upgrade to get the best out of the frame – but if you're looking for a fast bike for racing, triathlon or even time trialling then it's very much one to consider.

Read our review of the Boardman Elite Air 9.2
Find a Boardman dealer

Storck Aerfast Platinum — from £6,149

Storck Aerfast Platinum

Buying the Storck Aerfast Platinum is a massive outlay, but boy, oh boy do you get one hell of a return on your investment. It's a sub-6.5kg race weapon, with aerodynamics that work in the real world, and it offers comfort levels to challenge most endurance bikes.

Taking plenty of things it has learnt from its astonishingly good Aernario, Storck has pushed the design even further down the aerodynamics route, and what it has created in the Aerfast is a bike that's not only unbelievably fast, but light and stiff too.

If you're in the market for an aero bike, speed is going to be topping your list of priorities, and that's where the Aerfast truly excels. At lower speeds the Storck feels like any other bike to ride, any other superlight bike that is, but as you ride faster it feels like a permanent tailwind is nudging you along, a friendly hand on your back as you watch the numbers climb on the Garmin – with little more effort required than there was 5mph ago. It's a wonderful feeling, and one of which you never tire.

Read our review of the Storck Aerfast Platinum
Find a Storck dealer

Cervelo S3 Disc Ultegra Di2 2019 — £5,699

2019 Cervelo S3 Disc Ultegra Di2

Cervélo has redesigned the S3 Disc to smooth out any penalties that might occur from adding disc brakes. The result is a frame that it claims is 9% stiffer, a touch more aerodynamically efficient, and lighter by 40g compared with the regular rim brake model.

There's a lot to like about the Cervélo S3 Disc. If you want pure speed with the reassurance of hydraulic disc brakes, it's a very good option: it's extremely fast and the handling is lively and direct – just what you want from a race bike – but its composure on rough roads falls some way short of its key rivals. If you're willing to overlook its lack of comfort, it's an explosive bike.

Read our review of the Cervelo S3 Disc Ultegra Di2
Find a Cervelo dealer

Ridley Noah Fast Ultegra Di2 Disc — £7,198

2019 Ridley Noah Fast Ultegra Di2 Disc

Aero and discs? It's getting more common as bike makers figure out how to mount disc callipers without adversely affecting aerodynamics.

Ridley calls its collection of speed-enhancing aerodynamic features FAST. It includes a tube shape that combines an aerofoil profile with a groove that helps keep the air flowing smoothly over the surface to reduce drag. For 2019 tube shapes have been further refined, there's a new integrated bar, stem and fork system that hides the cables completely, and the fork tips have sprouted 'F-Wings' to improve airflow over disc brakes.

As for the discs, Ridley believes they're simply a better way of stopping.

Read about Greg Henderson's Ridley Noah SL
Find a Ridley dealer

Pinarello Dogma F10 — £4,499 (frame & fork)

Pinarello Dogma F10 2017.jpeg

Developed in collaboration with Team Sky, the Dogma F10 is the bike upon which Chris Froome won the 2017 Tour de France. The F10 uses FlatBack tube profiles – a Kamm tail sort of shape with a rounded leading edge and chopped off tail, and Pinarello has shaped the down tube so that you can mount a water bottle without ruining the aerodynamic performance. Up front the fork is derived from the company’s Bolide time trial bike with aerodynamically shaped legs and a crown that's integrated into a recessed down tube.

Find a Pinarello dealer

Canyon Aeroad CF SLX — £3,899-£6,349

2018 Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 9.0 LTD

The second-generation Aeroad CF SLX has been inspired by the work that Canyon did on its futuristic Speedmax time trial bike, with razor sharp aero tube profiles and an optional one-piece handlebar and stem. Much of the company’s focus was on reducing the Aeroad's frontal surface area, so along with the new cockpit there’s a narrower hour-glass shaped head tube to help reduce drag. Other changes include a variant of the Trident tube shape used on the Speedmax, and a seat tube that hugs the leading edge of the rear wheel.

The Aeroad CF SLX is available in both rim brake and disc brake models.

Read our review of the Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 7.0 Di2
Read our review of the Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2
Check out our complete guide to Canyon's road bikes

Specialized S-Works Venge Disc Vias Di2 — £9,000

Specialized S-WORKS VENGE VIAS DISC DI2

If you're going to fly, you need to be able to rein in that speed. Disc brakes give finer modulation of speed with less effort at the lever so as you're whooping into Alpine hairpins you can brake later and waste less valuable speed.

As well as its aero frame, the Venge Vias has an aero handlebar and stem. The almost complete lack of external cables further reduces drag.

Read our review of the Specialized Venge Vias Expert Disc
Read about Mark Cavendish's Venge at the Tour de France
Find a Specialized dealer

Scott Foil 2019 — £2,499-£10,999

2019 Scott Foil Disc Premium

The Foil arguably kicked off the whole aero road bike trend, bringing aerodynamic design that was once the preserve of time trial bikes to regular road bikes. For 2018, Scott added disc brakes, arguing along with other manufacturers that you can go faster if you can slow down better. That's on top of the last series of updates to the Foil that saw the down tube lowered and wrapped around the fork crown, and a smaller rear triangle and internal seat clamp in the top tube.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this is an uncomfortable aero bike. Mathew Hayman rode over a few little bumps on his way to winning Paris-Roubaix in 2016.

Read our coverage of the 2016 Scott Foil launch
Find a Scott dealer

Trek Madone 2019 — £3,600-£10,000

2019 Trek Madone SLR 6 Disc

Once an all-round lightweight race bike, the Madone has had a complete aerodynamic makeover. It features a version of the Isospeed decoupler borrowed from the Domane to provide some comfort and it’s wrapped up in a frame with Kamm tail shaped tubes. Like Specialized, Trek has also developed its own brake callipers that are designed to integrate with the fork and seatstays. The head tube features flaps that open and close to accommodate the movement of the brake when the fork is turned.

For 2019 has a hugely updated Madone road bike with adjustable IsoSpeed (a shock damper at the top tube/seat tube junction), a new geometry and disc brake models. The rim brake version is lighter while the disc brake version has no aerodynamic penalty, according to Trek..

Read our coverage of the 2019 Trek Madone launch
Find a Trek dealer

Giant Propel Advanced SL 0 Disc 2019 — £8,999

2019 Giant Propel Advanced Disc SL 0

Giant has added disc brakes to the Propel Advanced lineup for 2018, claiming that the flagship model, the Propel Advanced SL Disc, has the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any bike in its class and a lower drag coefficient at a wider range of yaw angles than the rim brake version.

“One of the key breakthroughs is a new truncated ellipse airfoil shape – a design that lowers drag at a wider range of wind angles than traditional teardrop frame tubing,” says Giant. “Engineers also found that, with proper integration, a disc-brake design can actually improve aero performance compared to rim-brake configurations.”

As well as a stunning paint job, the top of the range Propel Advanced SL 0 Disc has a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Giant's own SLR 0 Aero Disc wheels with a 42mm deep front rim and 65mm rear.

The Propel disc range starts at £2,999 with the Propel Advanced 1 Disc.

Read our review of the Giant Propel Advanced Disc
Read our review of the Giant Propel Advanced 1
Read our coverage of the original Giant Propel launch
Find a Giant dealer

Lapierre Aircode SL 2019 – £2,899-£6,999

2019 Lapierre AIRCODE SL 700 MC GROUPAMA:FDJ

French brand Lapierre gave its Aircode bikes a major update for 2018. The frame profiles were refined, and are now shaped using a combination of NACA and Kamm tail profiles. The down tube, for example, transitions from one to the other to keep drag low while increasing lateral stiffness at the bottom bracket. Other changes include a revised geometry, shorter chainstays and fork rake that has been reduced to bring it closer to the Xelius SL. There's also a new aero seatpost, direct mount brakes and 'TrapDoor technology' whereby the Di2 battery is housed in the down tube for better weight distribution.

Lapierre has integrated the fork crown into the down tube to bring the front wheel closer to the frame. It’s also using a direct mount brake calliper which allows the fork crown height to be lower than with a standard brake.

Read our review of the Lapierre Aircode SL 900 Ultimate​
Read our coverage of the launch of the Lapierre Aircode SL
Find a Lapierre dealer

Bianchi Oltre XR3 2019 – £2,805-£4,699

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - riding 1.jpg

Bianchi took the Oltre XR2 as its starting point for the XR3's design and then altered many of the tubes and features, resulting in a very different bike. The head tube is new, for example, the aero design fairly similar to that of the XR4, and the seat tube is new too, although it is still cut away around the leading edge of the rear wheel.

The Oltre XR3 features Bianchi's Countervail technology, Countervail being "a patented viscoelastic carbon material with a unique fibre architecture that cancels up to 80% of vibrations while increasing the stiffness and strength of carbon frames and forks", according to Bianchi.

The Oltre XR3 is nimble and sharp handling, and it offers a ride that's smooth by aero road bike standards.

Read our Bianchi Oltre XR3 review
Read our Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc review

Find a Bianchi dealer

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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13 of the best high-performance saddles — improve comfort & save weight in one upgrade

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Your saddle is one of the easiest things to upgrade to save weight and improve comfort.

Few component changes constitute a genuine upgrade as much as a new saddle. The right seat can lop a substantial amount of weight off your bike, and make for a more comfortable ride at the same time.

In the last few years saddle designers have become very adept at blending features that both reduce weight and improve comfort. Most of the improvements have come from composite materials that allow carefully tuned flex in a very light hull so the saddle better absorbs shock and moves with you as you pedal.

On top of a lightweight hull, you'll usually find a thin layer of very dense foam and/or gel. This helps spread your weight over the hull, but with modern flexible hulls it's less important than it used to be. Some very light saddles do without it altogether, and even manage to be fairly comfortable anyway.

Fizik Kurve Snake Aluminium saddle - underside

The search for better foams and gels has even led to saddle makers branching out into other fields. A few years ago, Selle Royal, owner of Fizik, span off a subsidiary company to make memory foam pillows and mattresses incorporating the Technogel material it originally developed for saddles.

Lighter rail materials make a big difference to saddle performance too. The slight flex of titanium rails helps absorb shock, while carbon fibre rails save save a lot of weight.

Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle - underside

You’ve never had a wider choice of saddle shapes and widths. Companies like Specialized and Bontrager make their performance saddles in a range of widths, Fizik tailors its designs to a rider’s flexibility and Charge offers saddles in three width classes and each model in three different shapes.

To help navigate this thicket of choices and find the right saddle for you, you’ll probably want to quite literally get your bum into a bike shop and get fitted for your saddle with one of the measuring devices many saddle makers now supply their dealers. This will tell you the spacing of your sit bones, the first thing you need to know to get a saddle that fits and will therefore be comfortable.

If it’s on offer, take up any chance to test-ride a saddle. The only way to be sure a saddle is right for you is to ride it for long enough for your bum to get used to it.

A typical stock saddle on a £1000 bike weighs about 300g, so for each of the saddles below we’ve calculated the Hairsine ratio – the grams saved per pound cost. This gives an indication of value for money, at least from the ‘lighten your bike’ perspective.

13 great performance saddles

Astute Star Lite VT — £144.99

Weight: 220g Hairsine ratio: 0.55

The Astute Star Lite is a superbly made saddle that offers a high level of comfort, especially when you're in a low and aggressive riding position.

The build quality here is exceptional. Even when viewed from underneath (granted, you're unlikely to do that often) the Star Lite looks superb with no ragged edges, staples or stray adhesive to spoil the appearance.

The carbon fibre-reinforced nylon shell has a cutaway centre to reduce pressure on the perineum – as you'll find on many other saddles – and on top of that you get tri-density memory foam padding.

Read our review of the Astute Star Lite VT
Find an Astute dealer

Repente Aleena 4.0 — ~£295

Weight: 130g Hairsine ratio: 0.58

repente_aleena_saddle_-1.jpg

The Repente Aleena 4.0 is an innovative design that backs up its unique functionality with a beautiful design. It's very light and comfy in a race-saddle way, and the interchangeable covers allow you to modify the feel of your saddle without changing its position.

The main news here is the Repente Locking System. Repente saddles are modular, with a separate base and cover. The base is made in an autoclave (a pressurised oven) and it's almost entirely T700 carbon fibre; it has carbon rails and a wide central channel, connected at the nose and the tail. The only bits of the base that aren't carbon are the three alloy mounting points for the cover, which has three corresponding alloy pins. You poke the pins through and secure in place with a small clip. There's a rubber O-ring between the base and the cover for a bit of extra cushioning over and above what the base and cover provide.

Talk of the Aleena's clever details would be moot if the Repente didn't work as a saddle, but it works very well.

The base has been designed to offer a bit of flex, controlled by the bridge at the rear, and when you concentrate on your sit bones you can feel a little of that mobility when you're riding along. Most of the time you won't be concentrating on your sit bones though, unless your sit bones are hurting. And that wasn't the case for me here: even though the padding on the Aleena (and the Comptus, which I also rode) is pretty thin the Repente didn't ever feel uncomfortable.

Read our review of the Repente Aleena 4.0

Selle San Marco Concor Racing — £39.99

Weight: 200g Hairsine ratio: 2.50

Selle San Marco Concor Racing Fluoro Flash Edition 2.jpg

The rebirth of a classic design from the late 1970s, the Selle San Marco Concor Racing Fluoro Flash Edition is a firm, light, racing-orientated saddle.

It's firm enough to provide a solid power base but offers enough flex to provide stability even on the longest of rides. It's a well made, supportive ride at a reasonable price.

Read our review of the Selle San Marco Concor Racing
Find a Selle San Marco dealer

Prime Race Carbon — £59.99

Weight: 200g Hairsine ratio: 1.67

prime_race_saddle_carbon_rails.jpg

The top of Wiggle/CRC's range of own-brand saddles, this is an amazing deal for a saddle with carbon fibre rails. We haven't tested this particular model, but we liked its cheaper kid brother, the titanium-railed Cosine Sprint.

With its central cutaway, and rails Wiggle describes as having "calibrated stiffness for vibration damping", this should be a shade more suitable for endurance riding than the Sprint Titanium, but it's still very much a saddle for going fast.

Bontrager Serano RL — £89.99

Weight: 225g Hairsine ratio: 0.83

Bontrager Serano RL saddle

Bontrager's Serano saddle draws on a design that has been around for many years, which is why they call it a 'classic shape'.

We clocked several hundred kilometres and didn't think twice about the Serano, and our tester felt no need to rush back to his old saddle. We're willing to bet this saddle shape will work for a lot of people; it simply supports the bottom so well and provides adequate padding in the key areas.

It's available in three widths: 128, 138 and 144mm. A Bontrager dealer will be able to help you find the right one for your sit bones.

Read our review of the Bontrager Serano RL
Find a Bontrager dealer

Specialized Women’s Ruby Expert — £70

Weight: 205g Hairsine ratio: 1.36

Specialized Ruby Expert saddle

There aren't many performance saddles aimed at women. Saddle makers tend to go for width and padding when making women's saddles, which doesn't make for low weight.

In a small field, this is an excellent saddle. It's available in a choice of widths including a properly narrow 130mm to suit your style of riding and just as importantly your sit bones too. It's a firm saddle, but very light. In comparison with most female specific saddles, it's a pared down seat, ideally suited to aggressive road riding and racing.

With the trademark BG cut-out, it's designed to relieve pressure where it's needed without sacrificing ride efficiency. Hollow titanium rails help keep the weight down, and at just 205g for the 143mm size that we tested, it's definitely one of the lightest women's saddles on the market. The cushioning is placed exactly where you need it to support your sit bones, alleviating any discomfort or feeling of pressure.

This saddle is at its most comfortable when riding in a stretched forward position, but still gives all-round day long comfort too. There was little feeling of loss of power, with the saddle remaining a background feature of the ride, rather than making its presence actively known. Given the choice of widths, this is a good option for any female road rider looking for a comfortable performance saddle.

Read our review of the Specialized Women’s Ruby Expert
Find a Specialized dealer

Fizik Luce R1 Carbon — ~£105

Weight: 175g Hairsine ratio: 1.19

Fizik-Luce-R1-Saddle-Performance-Saddles-Black-2018-70B3SWSA39E12

At 175g, this is the lightest women's saddle we're aware of thanks to its carbon fibre-reinforced shell and carbon rails. When she tested the regular Luce R5, tester Sarah found it very rideable and definitely worth a try for a regular rider if you want something not too squashy.

The Luce has a little give but is pretty firm, which could be a turn-off, but don't be too hasty: Fizik looks to have put a lot of work into this saddle for women.

The Regular-width Luce has a sitting area shape measuring 144mm wide from wing to wing, and narrowing down to the nose. The nose is a little narrower than the Selle Italia Diva – 5mm in fact – meaning less friction on the thighs. This narrower nose will definitely appeal to some.

It quickly it felt comfortable and not too firm. Sarah found she didn't have to shuffle around to find a good position, so the profile of the saddle worked well for her, giving the impression that her sit bones were comfortably supported. Yes, it's a firm ride, but the cushioning is where you need it.

Read our review of the Fizik Luce R5 saddle
Find a Fizik dealer

Fizik Antares R5 with K:ium rails — £89.99

Weight: 175g Hairsine ratio: 1.39

Fizik Antares Saddle

For riders with intermediate flexibility, the Antares is a light, comfortable road saddle with a good depth of padding. The K:ium rails — Fizik's hollow titanium alloy — help keep the weight down while it's comfortable thans to the Wingflex feature it shares with other saddles in the family.

Your weight is carried primarily on your sit bones which are easily supported by the wide rear section, but the dense foam and flex in the shell do a good job of cushioning the road shocks and vibrations. The padding remains thick all the way up the nose, allowing you to move forward for those long turns in the drops or big climbs in comfort, a welcome change for a lightweight saddle.

Read our review of the Fizik Antares R5 with K:ium rails
Find a Fizik dealer

Fabric Scoop Flat Pro — £116.99

Weight: 190g Hairsine ratio: 0.94

Fabric Scoop Flat Pro saddle.jpg

Fabric offers three versions of the 143mm wide Scoop: flat, shallow and radius. If you want something wider, there’s the 155mm Cell, while the 134mm ALM is your choice if you want something narrower. There isn't much padding, but there is loads of flex in the one-piece base and it's this flex that really provides the core of its magnificent comfort. The carbon rails provide a surprising amount of flex too.

The real beauty of the Fabric Scoop is the construction. The waterproof microfibre cover isn't stitched or stapled into place, it's moulded to a one-piece nylon base. It's really very impressive and if you get the chance to fondle one in your bike shop you really should, it's a marvellous bit of design.

Read our review of the Fabric Scoop Flat Pro
Find a Fabric dealer

Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow — £154.99

Weight: 120g Hairsine ratio: 1.16

selle-italia-slr-carbonio-flow-black-top

The value for money winner of the three Selle Italia saddles we've included, this carbon-railed saddle is feathery 120g but still boasts a layer of padding, albeit a thin, firm layer.

Find a Selle Italia dealer

Selle Italia SLR Tekno — £299.99

Weight: 96g Hairsine ratio: 0.68

Selle Italia SLR Tekno saddle

The Selle Italia SLR Tekno is an extremely lightweight saddle although its lack of padding makes it feel firmer than most so it has to fit you very well if you're going to stay comfortable on longer rides.

The SLR Tekno's main selling point is its weight. Ours hit the scales at just 96g (Selle Italia claim 90g). You could reasonably say that anything under 200g falls into the lightweight category, sub-150g is superlight, and below 100g is nuts.

We can't say this is among the most comfortable saddles we've ever used but it's far from the least. It feels firm but we could live with it easily enough, especially when used on a bike with a fairly flexible 27.2mm diameter seatpost. We know of people who rack up 100-milers on this saddle and think nothing of it. We'd save it for race day. I'd certainly use it for a crit or a short road race where weight is a more important factor than long-ride comfort. You might be saving just 100g or so over a regular lightweight saddle, but if you're a weight weenie focusing on marginal gains it all counts.

Read our review of the Selle Italia SLR Tekno
Find a Selle Italia dealer

Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow — £254.99

Weight: 137g Hairsine ratio: 0.64

Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle

The Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle is an updated classic that's lost weight and some of the usual depth of cushioning, and gained a slightly flatter and wider shape. It’s a lightweight saddle with a fairly shallow amount of padding, but the flex in the shell, especially through the central section, means it feels firm rather than harsh.

At its £344.99 RRP this is the most expensive saddle we’ve ever tested, but it can sometimes be found a lot cheaper than that eye-watering figure.

Read our review of the Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow
Find a Selle Italia dealer

Prologo Zero C3 Nack — £239.90

Weight: 164g Hairsine ratio: 0.57

Prologo Zero C3 Nack

The Prologo Zero C3 Nack is a light, thinly cushioned and beautifully finished saddle, although it's an expensive one. The fairly shallow cushioning means that the it’s quite a firm saddle, although flex in the base – not loads, but some – helps smooth over road vibration and takes the edge off bigger hits.

We didn't find its firmness to be a problem, though. It was perfectly comfortable for both short and long rides, although it's safe to say that if you're after a soft, deeply cushioned saddle, this isn't the one for you.

Read our review of the Prologo Zero C3 Nack
Find a Prologo dealer

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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15 of the best 2019 disc brake endurance road bikes

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Although there are ever more disc brake-equipped race bikes out there in the shops, most disc brake road bikes produced at the moment are endurance/sportive bikes or all-rounders that are bought by people who simply want the reassurance of all-weather stopping power. The bikes below are a mixture of styles, frame materials and prices so check through and find out what takes your interest.

Check out the hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

The lines between bike categories have never been more blurred, but we've tried to keep this selection to bikes that are intended entirely or primarily for use on Tarmac. Of course where you ride has as much to do with rider skill as with how fat a tyre your frame will take, but these are bikes for long days in the lanes in sportives, Audaxes, and big rides with friends rather than for exploring dirt roads and trails.

If you want something more versatile, take a look at our guide to the best gravel & adventure bikes, which covers this super-versatile and still-developing category.

Triban RC 520 Disc — £729

Triban RC 520.jpg

Ever since John took the B'Twin Triban 520 Disc road bike for a first ride in London in early October, we've been keen to see if it could stand up to his first impressions, as well as the great value legacy of previous Triban road bikes we've tested. It really does, although riders used to or wanting a racier geometry should look elsewhere.

The geometry thing is a really important point here. With the Triban 520, it's all about a functional position aimed right at tourers and regular commuters at one end of the spectrum, and endurance roadies at the other.

With a super-tall head tube and compact top tube, the bike sits you upright relative to your general entry-level race bike, or even a fair chunk of the endurance-specific market too. It fully justifies its do-it-all tag for everyone except budding racers.

What surprises most about the Triban 520 is just how accessible the ride is; how easy it is to pedal the bike at moderate speeds and feel like you're just cruising along. Cornering in any situation is confidence-inspiring, and it rolls incredibly smoothly too. It takes poor road surfaces in its stride, with a good amount of all-round compliance keeping things comfortable, and as long as you stay in the saddle it climbs moderately well too.

Read our review of the Triban RC 520 Disc

Boardman ASR 8.9 —£1,300

Boardman ASR 8.9.jpg

The Boardman ASR, or "all season road", is a really good value package that offers a relaxed ride with the classic looks and feel of steel, the modern convenience of hydraulic discs brakes, and clearance for wide tyres. It does fine duty as an all-weather commuter or as a bike for long day rides. Eating up long, steady miles in comfort is what the ASR does best.

The 8.9 arrives ready for winter, with mudguards fitted to the Reynolds 725 steel frame, 28mm Vittoria tyres, plus reflective frame details ticking all the boxes for commuting through the rough British weather. Remove the mudguards and the bike easily has clearance for wider tyres, so it also fits the bill for summer towpath pootling and brief gravel forays. There's a full Shimano 105 groupset here with hydraulic disc brakes, and Boardman's own bar and tubeless-ready wheels, so with, say, 28mm road tyres like Schwalbe Ones it's as capable an Audax or club-run bike as it is a commuter.

Read our review of the Boardman ASR 8.9
Find a Boardman dealer

Canyon Endurace — £1,349-£5,899

2019 canyon endurace cf slx disc 9 di2

Canyon's wildly popular Endurace bikes went disc-equipped a couple of years ago, and are all the better for it. The models span one the biggest price ranges here, from £1,169 for the Shimano Tiagra-equipped Endurace Wmn 7.0 AL Disc up to the £6,249 Endurace CF SLX Disc 9.0 Ltd with SRAM eTap wireless shifting and DT Swiss carbon fibre wheels.

Read our review of the Canyon Endurace CF SLX 9.0

BMC Roadmachine — £1,700-£9,900

2019 BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE

BMC’s Roadmachines are disc-braked fast endurance machines with room for at least 28mm tyres. The range includes aluminium and carbon fibre frames, with a range of equipment from Shimano Tiagra to SRAM Red eTap. The arrival of 2019 bikes such as the new top-model Roadmachine 01 ONE means there are some good deals available on 2018 bikes at the moment.

Find out more about BMC’s Roadmachine range here
Find a BMC dealer

Focus Paralane 2019 — £1,659-£4,099

2019 Focus Paralane 9.8

​The six-bike Paralane range starts with the £1,659 aluminium-framed Paralane 6.9 with Shimano 105 components and goes up to the £4,099 carbon-framed Paralane 9.9 with Shimano Ultegra Di2. Long-ride features include comfort-enhancing tube profiles and carbon layup, a skinny seatpost and 28mm tyres, that together provide a smooth ride that is up there with the best in this category. It isolates you from the worst road buzz but without completely detaching you from the road entirely. It's a really good balance for those who want some feedback from the surface without being shaken to pieces.

Read our review of the Focus Paralane Ultegra
Find a Focus dealer

Whyte Wessex — £1,999-£4,499

2018 Whyte Wessex.jpg

Fast and sporty, with all the practicality and dependability of hydraulic disc brakes, wide tyres and space for full-length mudguards, the Whyte Wessex is a bike that is up to the task of taking on the roughest roads and toughest weather.

If you put racing to one side, it's all the bike you really need for year-round riding in the UK, fast enough for sportives and pacy training runs, comfortable and reliable for grinding out winter miles, and at home on longer commutes. Only a British company could design a bike that is absolutely, perfectly, 100 per cent suited to the demands of year-round UK road cycling.

Read our review of the Whyte Wessex
Find a Whyte dealer

Giant Contend SL Disc — £999-£1,249

2019 Giant Contend SL 1 Disc

The Giant Contend SL Disc bikes feature an Aluxx SL frameset, D-Fuse seatpost that’s designed to add comfort and Giant Conduct hydraulic disc brakes. You get mechanical shifters with a cable to hydraulic converter at the front of the stem. It's a nifty solution to avoiding the (more expensive) Shimano shifters but the jury's out on the aesthetics of the converter.

Check out our first look at the Giant Contend SL range
Read our guide to Giant’s 2019 range
Find a Giant dealer

Wilier Cento10NDR 2019 — £7,999

2019 Wilier Cento 10 NDR

Wilier’s Cento10NDR endurance road bike is designed to take either rim brakes or disc brakes – you get mount points for both. It also features what’s called an ‘Actiflex’ system on the rear triangle with stays that flex, a pivot at the top of the seatstays and an elastomer shock damper, the idea being to provide a few millimetres of rear wheel travel in order to isolate the rider from the ground and add comfort.

The chainstays are bonded to the bottom bracket shell in the usual way, the Actiflex system relying, as the name suggests, on flex in the stays in order to work.

The dropouts of both the frame and fork are replaceable so you can run the bike with standard quick release skewers or 142 x 12mm thru axles.

Find out more about the Wilier Cento10NDR here
Find a Wilier dealer

Trek Domane Disc — £1,120-£8,750

2019 Trek Domane SLR 8 Disc

Trek’s Domane range includes different framesets in aluminium and carbon fibre, and all of the disc-equipped models feature an IsoSpeed decoupler that allows the seat tube to move relative to the top tube and seatstays, so the saddle can move downwards (and a little backwards), providing more give and adding comfort to the ride.

More expensive models get a front IsoSpeed system designed to increase comfort and control, along with adjustment to the rear IsoSpeed decoupler. A lot of technology goes into keeping you comfortable!

Read our guide to Trek’s 2018 road bike range here
Have a look at the Trek Domane here
Find a Trek dealer

Specialized Roubaix £2,100-£9,100

2019 Specialized Roubaix

Specialized’s carbon-fibre Roubaix bikes feature a suspension damper housed in the top of the head tube that aims to isolate the handlebar from bumps and cobbles. It's called Future Shock, provides up to 20mm of suspension travel and can be adjusted to suit different rider weights.

The Roubaix is a disc-only bike these days, uses thru-axles front and rear, and has space for 32mm tyres.

Check out Specialized’s 2019 road bike range here
Find a Specialized dealer

Cannondale Synapse Disc — £800-£7,800

2019 Cannondale Synapse Carbon Disc Ultegra Di2

Cannondale offers both aluminium and carbon-fibre versions of its Synapse endurance bike. The cheapest of the aluminium models is just £849.99, built up with Shimano’s dependable Sora groupset and Promax mechanical disc brakes.

At the other end of the range, the Synapse Hi-Mod Disc with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components is priced at £7,799.99.

Read our coverage of the Cannondale Synapse Disc launch
Read our review of the £2,699 2016 Cannondale Synapse Ultegra Disc
Find a Cannondale dealer

Scott Addict Disc — £1,649-£3,599

2019 Scott Addict SE

Scott’s carbon fibre Addict Disc bikes are built to an endurance geometry and they’re said to be both lighter and stiffer than the Solace models that they replace. They come with 32mm wide tyres for plenty of comfort. All six models — three men's and three women's — use Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

Find a Scott dealer

Rose Team GF 4 Disc — from £1,995.74-£2,812.56

Rose Team GF 4 Disc.jpg

The Team GF 4 Disc takes over from the Xeon CDX in Rose’s lineup and is designed for long distances rides like sportives. The carbon frame comes with a claimed weight of just 990g, which is very light for a bike of this kind. You get to choose from four different Shimano and SRAM builds.

Lapierre Sensium Disc— £1,799-£2,749

Lapierre SENSIUM_600_DISC 2018 (1).jpg

The Sensium, available in both disc and rim brake models, comes with a carbon-fibre frame that’s built to an endurance geometry designed to be comfortable throughout long days in the saddle.

The more affordable of the two disc models, the Senium 500 Disc, features a Shimano 105 groupset while the Sensium 600 Disc makes the step up to Ultegra.

Find a Lapierre dealer

J. Laverack J.ACK Disc £3,650-£6,950

J Laverack J.Ack New-Ultegra-Di2 (1).jpg

Yeah, you could have carbon, but in some people's eyes, it will never look as good as titanium.

There is also something fantastic about having a bike built just for you, your riding style and what you intend to use the bike for. With custom head badge options, eyelets and shot blasted graphics on top of that, the J.ACK becomes part bike, part work of art.

J.Laverack also works with the likes of Hope, Hunt and Brooks to make the bike brilliantly British.

Check out our review of the J.Laverack R J.ACK III

Check out 12 of 2018’s hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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Specialized Turbo Cotton tyre

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Specialized's Turbo Cotton clinchers are some of the best tyres that I've ever had the pleasure of riding. The supple casing and Gripton rubber compound combine to give a fast and smooth ride that is perfect for racing.

  • Pros: Super supple casing, great grip in the wet, easy-to-clean sidewalls, fast
  • Cons: Bit pricey

As a bit of a tyre nerd, I do love getting fresh rubber to test. Tyres are the finishing touch to the bike and they can really change the feel on the road, especially through and out of corners. A bad set will impair even a top-end bike so this is one component that I am happy to invest in.

> Find your nearest dealer here

People usually cite rolling speed and resistance in watts when they're challenging me as to why I still use classic-looking tyres like these. They'll tell me just how much faster tubeless is, but the Turbo Cotton is no slouch. For those who like the numbers, the Turbo Cotton scored a resistance of 10.1w when tested by bicyclerollingresistance.com. Compare that to the new Continental GP5000 TL at 8.3w and the Vittoria Corsa Speed LTR, currently the fastest measured by BRR at 7.7w. Put simply, you won't be losing tangible speed by using these tyres.

I set these up with Continental's Race inner tubes. Despite the flat shape, they mounted really easily, with the supple casing helping the final section of the bead to pop over the rim without the use of a lever. I popped mine up to 80psi and headed out on the local B roads to test the suppleness of that cotton casing. The lack of road buzz is enough to suggest that the 320tpi casing works very well.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Cotton.jpg

The softer casing might be more comfortable but the trade-off is usually puncture protection. I've not punctured these, and as they're more of a summer tyre you'd hope there's even less likelihood of finding yourself deflated, plus they do have some protection in the form of Specialized's BlackBelt technology. I've been using Challenge's Strada tyres which have a similar cotton casing so far this winter and the only thing to puncture them was a stray nail.

As this is a race tyre, I took them up to the closed circuit at Odd Down. The tarmac here is smooth and I know it well, having raced far too many laps during evening crits. It's also the perfect place to test the cornering ability of tyres as a slight downhill straight leads into a tight left-hand hairpin. Taking the speed up gradually, I soon felt comfortable cornering at race speeds on slightly damp tarmac. The Gripton compound provides plenty of grip and it hasn't been wearing out like my old Vittoria Corsa SC tyres used to.

The sidewalls are also holding up very well, despite having been used in the rain. Tan sidewalls can easily stain but the Turbo Cotton seems to have been treated with something that is repelling the water. They're probably still best saved for racing and summer use, but you don't need to spare them from occasional exposure to wet weather. It's nice to see that these beautiful sidewalls will stay perfect for many miles.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Cotton mounted.JPG

Weight is pretty decent at 240g (26mm). That's 20g more than the Continental GP5000 and the same weight at the Vittoria Corsa G+. I doubt I could feel a 20g difference, and it's certainly not holding the tyres back out of those Odd Down hairpins.

The width is true to the stated measurement on my Fulcrum Racing Speed 40C wheels. They have an internal width of 17mm but the tyre width may well change on different wheels.

> Buyer's Guide: 28 of the best road cycling tyres

The big issue for many will be the price: £61 per tyre is a lot of money for a component that will likely only last one season. At RRP, these are not much more expensive than a similar Vittoria Corsa G+ clincher (£56.99) or Continental's new GP5000 (£59.99). The drawback is that although you can currently get them a bit cheaper online (£55, if you follow the link below), they're nowhere near the discounted price of those Vittorias, which you can find for £34.99.

That said, I'm more than happy to highly recommend these tyres. They're up there with the old Vittoria Corsa SC as the nicest clincher that I've ever ridden, and they seem to be better at resisting wear. If you've got a top-end bike then these will complement it beautifully.

Verdict

Fast, grippy and oh so beautiful – the perfect race tyre, bar the cost

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Turbo Cotton tyre

Size tested: 26mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Specialized says, "We're not afraid to say that our GRIPTON® compound is the best out there. And when combined with an ultra-supple 320 TPI cotton casing, you get a tire that's very special''you get the Turbo Cotton tire. Both materials stand for master craftsmanship, and they work in harmony to reflect our dedication to building the world's fastest tires. By bringing both of these materials together, we've created the best clincher tire out there. It provides a clear-cut performance advantage."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Specialized lists these features:

Casing: 320 TPI Polycotton

Bead: Foldable

Compound: GRIPTON®

Flat Protection: BlackBelt

700 x 24mm, psi 115-125, approximate weight 220g

700 x 26mm, psi 95-115, approximate weight 240g

700 x 28mm, psi 85-95, approximate weight 260g

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

These are really well made. The casing has been treated to protect it against water ingress and the tread lines up perfectly.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

Fast in a straight line and through the corners.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

These aren't going to last you the huge number of miles that a harder tyre will, but they're wearing well for what they are.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10

240g is pretty good, especially given the more classic construction.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Not bad for a top-end clincher and the resistance to wear is better than some that I've used.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Perfectly. These are a fast, grippy and light race tyre.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Cornering grip is really very good.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

About the same RRP as other high-end clinchers.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Absolutely perfect performance with that classic look. If they were a bit cheaper than the Vittoria Corsa G+ then they'd get a perfect 10.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 24  Height: 177cm  Weight: 62kg

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

Story weight: 
1
Price: 
£61.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
9
Weight: 
240g
Road.cc verdict: 

Fast, grippy and oh so beautiful – the perfect race tyre, bar the cost

18 of the best high-performance helmets that combine light weight, aerodynamics and comfort

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What do you get if you pay £100 or more for a helmet? As this selection of high-performance lids shows, you get a hard-to-achieve combination of low weight, ventilation, comfort and, in the latest models, aerodynamics.

You can get a fairly decent helmet for £30, but if you want a helmet that’s so light and comfortable you’ll forget it’s there, or you want the latest aerodynamic designs, then you’ll have to pay a bit more. What do you get for your money?

Weight

The lightest modern helmets come in around 200g which is light enough that you really do barely notice they’re there. Achieving very low weights while still meeting standards isn’t easy, though, and involves the use of high-tech materials and very careful design. Specialized’s 185g Prevail S-Works, for example, is internally reinforced with an aramid skeleton. Other super-light helmets have minimal, pared-down adjustment systems, necessitating the use of light but strong plastics, and featherweight webbing straps, none of which comes cheap.

Ventilation

Specialized Prevail front

The materials that allow a helmet to be light also allow better ventilation because they make it possible to increase the size of the vents and internal channels. Quite simply, there’s less helmet there, so there’s more room for air to flow.

In some helmets the cradle that fits around your head lifts the body of the helmet away from your scalp, further improving ventilation. That has been an important feature of the latest generation of aerodynamic helmets.

Comfort

Giro Synthe helmet - tensioner

The days of foam pads resting on your head and making it sweaty are long gone. Many modern performance helmets have cradles that lightly wrap your whole head, spreading the already-low weight over a large area and leaving plenty of bare scalp for sweat.

Helmet shapes have improved too, and the almost-universal use of some sort of dial adjuster to fine-tune the fit means these helmets can be easily tweaked; a lot less hassle than picking the right thickness of pads out of the box.

Aerodynamics

Giro Synthe helmet - side - crop.jpg

As in almost every other aspect of cycling, aerodynamics is the latest big thing. Aero road bikes and aero wheels have been joined by helmets claimed to be wind-tunnel-tested to provide an aero advantage.

It started with simple plastic shells to cover the vents for situations like a finishing sprint where every fraction of a second counts, followed by helmets with fewer vents and smooth outer shells. Not having a wind tunnel, we can’t verify the aero claims, but this crop of helmets does have the advantage of being warmer in winter. The previous generation of high-end helmets are so airy your gets distinctly chilly without a skull cap.

Read more: Should you buy an aero helmet?

Read more: Everything you need to know about helmets

Read more: The best cheap helmets

Read more: All road.cc helmet reviews

Giro Aether MIPS — £195

Giro Aether helmet - side.jpg

Giro's Aether is a fabulous helmet that offers an excellent level of ventilation, plenty of comfort and new MIPS Spherical technology.

The MIPS Spherical tech is its most important feature. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. According to the company behind it, MIPS is "scientifically proven to reduce rotational motion by absorbing and redirecting rotational energies and forces transferred to the brain from angled impacts to the head."

MIPS usually comes in the shape of an internal liner – a polycarbonate plastic layer that sits between your head and the expanded polystyrene (EPS). Here, though, rather than being added after the event, the MIPS Spherical technology is an integral part of the Aether's construction.

Read our review of the Giro Aether MIPS
Find a Giro dealer

Bell Stratus MIPS — £97.99-£129.99

Bell Stratus Mips Helmet.jpg

The Bell Stratus MIPS Helmet is quality, comfortable with a great fit, and comes in a wide range of colours. The Stratus MIPS is Bell's latest second-rung helmet, below the Zephyr, and shares many of its features, the main differences being a single polycarbonate shell instead of the dual-density laminate and a significant saving. If you can't stretch to the Zephyr, look here.

Read our review of the Bell Stratus MIPS
Find a Bell dealer

MET Trenta 3K Carbon — £238.50

MET Trenta 3K Carbon Helmet - glasses.jpg

The Met Trenta 3K Carbon helmet is lightweight, it feels cool in use and, if you accept Met's claims, it offers an aero advantage over a traditional lid, but you're going to have to dig deep for this one.

Our medium sized Met Trenta 3K Carbon helmet was 220g on our scales. The weight saving over most other helmets will have a negligible effect on your speed but you might find it more comfortable than one that's even 50g heavier.

Met has keptr the weight down by using EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam that's 20% less dense than normal, it says, without affecting the helmet's capacity to absorb energy in the case of impact. How come? It's down to the elastic modulus of the carbon cage that's embedded into it, says Met. You can see the black woven carbon beneath the white in-moulded polycarbonate shell. Met insists that this carbon is structural rather than cosmetic. It's the addition of the carbon, which you don't get on the standard Trenta, that allows the use of the lighter EPS.

Read our review of the Met Trenta 3K Carbon helmet
Find a Met dealer

Met Strale — £39-£79.99

Weight: 241g

Met Strale Helmet - side.jpg

Met's Strale helmet strikes a balance between aerodynamics, cooling and comfort that makes you wonder whether you really need to spend any more on a polystyrene lid.

The Strale is half the price of the Met Manta Aero, below, but offers nearly the same performance. No doubt there'll be some data out there to say it doesn't save as many watts at a given speed, but for the majority of your riding that probably doesn't matter.

With eight vents up front, the Strale has a lot fewer than most traditional helmets but you certainly don't overheat when you're wearing it. A few weeks ago the temperature in this part of the country was nudging 30°C and I spent the week riding in the Met without issue.

Read our review of the Met Strale
Find a Met dealer

Met Manta aero — £99.95

Weight: 215g

met-manta-helmet-side.jpg

Aerodynamics are important in a bike race and we're seeing the pros concentrating on cheating the wind from every direction, head to toe. 'The fastest closed aero helmet' claims Met about its brand new Manta; a big claim but this helmet is about more than just going fast.

Met claims the Manta saves 10 watts at 50km/h compared to its rivals and although that is hard to test in the real world even half of that isn't to be sniffed at for free. That'll be at an optimal position too, most likely the handlebar-staring, stem-chomping head angle employed by the world's best sprinters but hey, when you're really going for it in the drops the Manta does actually make you feel quick – nothing wrong with a placebo effect.

Bargain hunters with small heads can grab a Manta for just £64.99.

Read our review of the Met Manta
Find a Met helmets dealer

BBB Tithon — £49.49

Weight: 280g

BBB Tithon Helmet- side.jpg

If you want top aero performance for that final burst to the line at the end of a race, coupled with reasonable ventilation, the BBB Tithon is a great option.

Let's start with that ventilation, which you'd be right in thinking isn't spectacular. Of course it isn't: there are only two holes at the front and three at the rear. However, the way they work in practice by pulling air through from a high pressure to low pressure area means you do still get a surprisingly good level of airflow in spite of appearances.

t's one of those helmets where, if all you're interested in is saving the odd watt here or there at the end of a race, then it's going to appeal; if not, then it's likely you'd be better suited to one with more ventilation.

Read our review of the BBB Tithon
Find a BBB dealer

Cannondale Cypher Aero — ~£110

Weight: 285g

Cannondale Cypher Aero Helmet - worn.jpg

Cannondale's Cypher Aero is essentially its Cypher race helmet with an aero shell. It's a sleek and well-ventilated design that is light – and now aerodynamic too. Cannondale has stuck with its traditional look, a plus point in my book, rather than following the current trend of weird and wonderful aero designs.

Weighing in at just 240g without the aero shell, its light weight is probably the first thing you notice. Cannondale has used its 'Peak Protection technology', with dual-density EPS foam reducing weight while keeping rigidity high. Combine that with the wide distribution of internal padding, and it's easy to forget you have it on. Even with the shell on, 285g isn't exactly heavy.

Read our review of the Cannondale Cypher Aero
Find a Cannondale dealer

Kask Mojito — £99-£119

Weight: 251g

kask-mojito-helmet.jpg

Italian helmet-maker Kask has a gem of a helmet in the Mojito, a lightweight and relatively inexpensive design that fits brilliantly – to my head anyway.

Thanks in part to its sponsorship with Team Sky, Kask is now widely recognised as a leader in the lid market. The Mojito is now its mid-range helmet after being used by the pro team up until 2014, so still carries a lot of the ventilation tech and lightweight construction you'd hope for from a pro-level model.

Read our review of the Kask Mojito
Find a Kask dealer

Lazer Genesis — £54.08-£74.35

Weight: 275g

Lazer Genesis matt black medium helmet.jpg

With its sleek design and 19 vents, the Lazer Genesis is a great helmet, especially considering the price. The optional aeroshell (£14.99) means this can handle the fastest races and coldest training rides equally well.

​ Read our review of the Lazer Genesis
​Find a Lazer dealer

Bell Zephyr MIPS — £88.10

Weight: 288g

bell-zephyr-front.jpg

The Bell Zephyr MIPS helmet might be one of the more expensive options out there but it's well ventilated, fairly low profile, and it boasts an excellent new MIPS-integrated fit system.

Just to get you up to speed on MIPS – or Multi-directional Impact Protection System for long – it's 'a revolutionary technology that lets the helmet slide relative to the brain, adding more protection against rotational violence to the brain caused by angled impacts', according to the team behind it.

Read our review of the Bell Zephyr MIPS
​Find a Bell dealer

Catlike Mixino — £105.99-£199.99

Weight: 227g

catlike-mixino-helmet-2016-front.jpg

Without a doubt, the most recognisable helmet in the professional peloton. With its distinctive Gaudi-esque vents and slightly bulbous shape, the Catlike Mixino looks like an object made by nature. It's superbly ventilated, fits well and few helmets weigh less.

The reason the helmet has this unique shape is thanks to its aramid skeleton, which sits underneath the 'foam' of the helmet. It's reinforced with graphene to enable it to have a significant number of vents (39 in total) and a very light weight (227g) without impacting on safety in the event of a crash.

Read our review of the Catlike Mixino
​Find a Catlike dealer

Kask Rapido — £49.24-£58.65

Weight: 215g

Kask Rapido.jpg

The Kask Rapido is a rather excellent helmet.

The understated looks, fantastic ventilation and low price make this a really good deal. They are robust and come in a variety of colours, which due to a full plastic shell, wipe clean.

The low profile suits many head shapes and the retention system provides a very wide range of adjustment.

POC Octal — £119.99-£180.00

Weight: 204g

Poc Octal helmet

​So the first thing to say about this lid is that it'll turn heads. It polarises opinion.

It's a very well vented helmet that is backed up with a nice fit and impressive lightness.

Dave had it on test and said "you're either going to like this helmet's appearance or you're not; I'm not going to try and convince you otherwise. What I would say is that you should withhold your opinion until you've actually seen the helmet with your own eyes rather than just the photo up top".

Read our review of the POC Octal

Lazer Z1 — £149.99

Weight: 238g

Lazer Z1 Helmet - shee;

The element of the Lazer Z1 that stands out most is that it has been designed with ventilation in mind, with 30 vents throughout the body. The airflow is about as good as you will find and certainly among the best we have used. It has great word-of-mouth too; this is one of the best liked helmets around for its ventilation and fit.

The strong fit is achieved through Lazer's Rollsys system, which maintains pressure around the entire head rather than placing it on the rear like most other helmet adjustment systems. This means there are no hot spots of pressure, making it comfortable to wear for long periods of time. In terms of fitting the helmet, it is effortless as it just has a wheel on the top of the helmet that you twist to either tighten or loosen.

The Z1 also comes with an aeroshell, which covers the top to improve the aerodynamics or keep you warm in cold weather, depending on how you look at it.

Read our review of the Lazer Z1

Find a Lazer dealer

Bontrager Ballista MIPS — £125

Weight: 266g

Bontrager Ballista helmet

The Bontrager Ballista is an aero road helmet with very good ventilation that keeps your head cool and comfortable as you ride.

Bontrager says the Ballista has less drag than any other aero road helmet out there. The company says that the Ballista outperforms the Specialized Evade, Louis Garneau Course and Giro Air Attack, according to measurements in the wind tunnel. The other brands might well contest that of course.

What we can tell you for sure is that the Ballista feels very cool in use. You get three very large vents up front and two more on the top of the helmet. These lead into deep channels in the EPS (expanded polystyrene) that run right over the top of your head and on to a series of exit ports at the back.

Read our review of the Bontrager Ballista

Find a Bontrager dealer

Giro Synthe — £118.99-£175

Weight: 223g

Giro Synthe helmet

The Giro Synthe is an aero road helmet that's lightweight, comfortable and very well ventilated.

Giro call it the Synthe because they reckon it synthesises all the features you'd want in a high-performance road helmet: low weight, plenty of ventilation, a good fit and aerodynamic efficiency.

They certainly nailed the weight. Our medium sized test model hit the scales at 223g. It fits comfortably, thanks to Giro's Roc Loc Air system lifting the helmet body slightly off your head. It's also one of the best-ventilated helmets we've ever used. Giro reckon that using a heat-sensing headform reveals the Synthe to be cooler than the existing Aeon and nearly as cool as a bare head.

We can't verify Giro's aero claims, but they claim it's superior to their Air Attack lid, which isn't as well ventilated.

Read our review of the Giro Synthe

Find a Giro dealer

Specialized Prevail II — £130

Weight: 201g

Specialized Prevail II.jpg

If ‘performance’ means ‘low weight’ then this is the helmet you want. The Specialized Prevail II is the pinnacle of Specialized's vented helmet design: the lightest and best ventilated helmet they've ever put on sale. And in use it is indeed, cool, light and very comfortable.

The Prevail helmet has long been a popular helmet with performance-focused cyclists because it's comfortable, well ventilated and seriously lightweight. This version retains everything that was good about original but has a much lower profile. It not only looks better but offers better ventilation and sweat management as well as reducing the wind noise of the original.

The only criticism it was possible to level at the original Prevail was its very wide profile that looked a bit bulbous on many heads. That has been addressed with the Prevail II. It's a much sleeker and lower profile helmet, sits lower on the head and doesn't protrude at the sides as much as before. Good job, Specialized.

That reduction in bulk hasn't reduced the weight, as you might expect. The Prevail II weighs 201g on our scales, compared to 190g for the original Prevail, both in a size medium. Still, it's one of the lightest helmets on the market. You might think there's little point in a lightweight helmet. And then you try one and it's hard to go back to a heavier helmet. Specialized also says the lower profile offers a small aerodynamic improvement as well.

Read our review of the Specialized Prevail II

Find a Specialized dealer

KASK Protone — £154.99

Weight: 250g

Kask Protone helmet

Kask's Protone helmet, developed in collaboration with Team Sky, is a highly adjustable, cool and comfortable lid, although it comes at a premium price. If Kask's claims are to be believed, it boasts impressive aerodynamics for a well-vented helmet too.

You know how some helmets feel like they perch on top of your head a bit like a flat cap? The Protone is the exact opposite. It feels like it fully encompasses your head, more like a beanie, say, reaching low at both the front and, especially, the back.

Testing the Protone involved a lot of climbing in high temperatures and we found the venting to be very effective. Our tester didn't get a noticeably hot, sweaty head, or anything close to that, despite relatively little venting towards the rear of the helmet. There's good airflow right across the top of your head that keeps the humidity down.

Read our review of the KASK Protone

Find a KASK dealer

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

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Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport

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As the most affordable carbon fibre Tarmac with disc brakes, there's a lot riding on the Tarmac Disc Sport being a good bike because it's likely that it will sell in much greater numbers than the stunningly good S-Works Tarmac I reviewed in 2017. Thankfully, although not as light and flighty as that bike, the Tarmac Disc Sport is really good, offering great handling and brisk performance. Perhaps the only wrinkle is that some brands will sell you an Ultegra groupset on a carbon frame for about the same money. That aside, you're getting probably one of the best carbon race frames currently available at this price, with great upgrade potential.

  • Pros: Great handling, fast, fun, comfortable
  • Cons: Weight, lower spec than some rivals

If the S-Works Tarmac is the GTI of the range, the Tarmac Disc Sport is the humble 1.0 litre. Same fundamental design but with fewer frills. On the road, that means a very impressive performance with similar handing – no surprise given the identical geometry.

> Find your nearest dealer here

If you ride both bikes back-to-back you'll notice a difference, but most of that is down to the lower weight and the aero wheels of the S-Works bike. Tested in isolation and without the lucky opportunity to sample the S-Works, you certainly won't feel shortchanged. It is fast and highly capable with all the handling hallmarks of the more expensive bike.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - riding 2.jpg

On every ride I took the Tarmac Disc Sport on over my local Cotswolds roads, the quality and performance of the frame shone through. It gathers speed nicely and the hydraulic disc brakes scrub speed easily.

The frame and fork are stiff and responsive; it's as comfortable as you want a race bike to be, the handling making it easy to live with, being docile at slow speeds but sharp and focused when you're sailing along.

The steering instils confidence to sling the bike merrily through turns at any speed. There's no hint of nervousness or twitchiness, and I wasn't able to upset the controlled ride in any situation I put it in.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - riding 3.jpg

It has the handling you expect and want of a race bike for quickly changing direction, yet it's calm enough that I wouldn't hesitate to use it for a longer distance ride or sportive. The company's Roubaix might be the more natural choice for the sportive customer, but if you want a speedy and responsive ride then the Tarmac has a lot going for it. It's easy to live with if you want one bike that can throw its hand equally to racing and sportive duties.

The comfort of the latest generation race bikes has really improved, and despite wearing only 26mm wide tyres, the Tarmac is adept at dealing with poorly surfaced roads and isolating you from all but the biggest vibrations. The slight change to the seat tube and seatpost do mean a small loss of compliance compared with the S-Works model, but the difference is thankfully small enough that for the most part it doesn't negatively impact the quality of the ride.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - rear.jpg

There is space for up to 30mm tyres, too, so you could easily pop on some wider rubber if you wanted to up the comfort factor.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - clearance.jpg

Frame

Visually, the Tarmac Disc Sport is almost identical to the range-topping S-Works, and indeed it shares a lot of key features such as the shape of the main tubes, the slightly aero down tube and the dropped seatstays, but there are some key differences.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport.jpg

Firstly, the difference you can't see is the carbon fibre. Instead of the FACT 12r of the S-Works, this frame is constructed from FACT 9r, essentially a lower grade of carbon fibre that keeps the cost down but does raise the weight. You're looking at about 950g for the frame, which is still pretty damn light.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - frame detail.jpg

Differences you can see include a straight seat tube with no aero cutout for the rear wheel and it's topped off with a round seatpost rather than the D-shaped seatpost of the S-Works. As well as that, the seat clamp is external (which is no bad thing as it's easier to access) and, joy of joys, there's a threaded bottom bracket. Specialized has been leaning towards threaded BBs on its lower-priced bikes for ease of maintenance, but is sticking to press-fit at the high end where performance is everything. For a bike that is more likely to be serviced at home than by a pro mechanic or bike shop, that's no bad thing.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - bottom bracket.jpg

Cables and hoses are still routed internally via a small port in the top of the down tube and inside the fork blade, providing a nice clean appearance to the bike.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - cable route 2.jpg

The disc brakes are of the flat mount variety with a 160/140mm rotor combination, and 12mm thru-axles keep the hubs in place. Don't forget your multi-tool when going for a ride as the thru-axles are of the leverless variety.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - front disc brake.jpg

The same Rider-First Engineered approach still applies, which is Specialized's name for size-specific frame design and construction to ensure every height rider has the optimised performance. There's also now the same geometry for men and women, with only the key touch points changing.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - rear.jpg

Build and equipment

Something Specialized has always done well is to nail the contact points. The Toupe Sport Body Geometry saddle is a thing of supreme comfort with generous padding and a shape that suited me perfectly. Specialized offers a wide range of saddles and your local Specialized dealer would be able to assist in choosing the right saddle for you; that's the sort of extra service you get compared to buying a bike over the internet.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - saddle.jpg

Also comfortably shaped is the aluminium Shallow Drop handlebar. It has a short reach to the hoods and the drops aren't so low that you can never conceive using them. The S-Wrap Roubaix bar tape is lovely too, with a very cushy feel that enhances the quality of the ride. It's a funny thing, but cheap rubbish bar tape can really ruin the ride experience for me, especially when riding without gloves.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - bar and shifter.jpg

The carbon fibre seatpost shares the same saddle clamp and slight bend that is designed to improve saddle deflection over bumpy roads, but it's a round shape rather than the D-shape of the range-topping S-Works. It's tricky to asses how much difference it makes in comfort terms without removing the other variables between the two different bikes.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - saddle and post.jpg

Shimano's latest 105 groupset, here in 50/34 and 11-30t configuration, is an excellent setup. At this price, it really has no rival, with features and technology trickled down from Dura-Ace. It's mechanical only, but the gear shifts are feathery light and it never missed a gear change once. The range is ample for dealing with any hilly sportive but you've got enough high-end for dispatching fast roads.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - cassette.jpg

The hydraulic disc brakes, with 160/140mm rotors, provide pin-sharp stopping with plenty of modulation for controlling the power. The levers and hoods are ergonomic and whether riding in the hoods or drops, controlling the disc brake power is a doddle. There's never a risk of locking a wheel in the wet, and there's no annoying rubbing even when honking out of the saddle up a grunty climb or sprinting for the town sign finish line.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - rear disc brake.jpg

The DT R470 Disc wheels are a familiar sight on lower-priced Specialized bikes and every time I've ridden them I've had no issues. They aren't the flashiest, lightest or most aero wheels, but they are dependable with the sealed cartridge bearing hubs being reliable and the 24 spokes staying well tensioned despite a hammering.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - front hub.jpg

The shallow aluminium rims are tubeless-ready and going tubeless is as easy as it gets, though first you'll need to buy some new tyres, tubeless valves and sealant because the Turbo Pro tyres aren't tubeless. They do offer low rolling resistance and good grip in the dry and wet, and the BlackBelt puncture protection duly provides decent resistance against flats.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport - rim and tyre.jpg

Rivals

The Tarmac has always been a very comprehensively capable bike, and the changes made to this sixth generation version have made it even better. The all-new frame offers improved performance and ride quality over its predecessor, which goes some way to offset the fact that the Tarmac Disc Sport just can't compete with some rivals when it comes to value for money.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best Shimano Ultegra-equipped road bikes

The Shimano 105 groupset is excellent, but Canyon will sell you an Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 with an Ultegra groupset for £2,349, with a claimed weight of 7.6kg.

Verdict

Race-ready performance with great handling and decent comfort, the Tarmac Disc Sport shines everywhere bar value

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Tarmac Disc Sport

Size tested: 56cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

FRAME: Specialized Tarmac SL6, FACT 9r carbon, Rider-First Engineered™, threaded BB, clean routing, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

FORK: Specialized FACT 10r carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

FRONT WHEEL: DT R470 Disc, sealed cartridge hubs, 14g spokes, 24h

REAR WHEEL: DT R470 Disc, sealed cartridge hubs, 14g spokes, 24h

INNER TUBES: Presta, 48mm valve

FRONT TYRE: Specialized Turbo Pro, 60 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm

REAR TYRE: Specialized Turbo Pro, 60 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm

CRANKSET: Shimano 105 R7000

CHAINRINGS: 50/34T

BOTTOM BRACKET: Shimano threaded

SHIFT LEVERS: Shimano 105 Disc R7020

FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano 105 R7000, braze-on

REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano 105 R7000-GS, medium cage

CASSETTE: Shimano 105 R7000, 11-speed, 11-30t

CHAIN: KMC X11 EL, 11-speed w/ Missing Link™

FRONT BRAKE: Shimano 105 R7070, hydraulic disc

REAR BRAKE: Shimano 105 R7070, hydraulic disc

HANDLEBARS: Specialized Shallow Drop, 6061, 70x125mm, 31.8mm clamp

TAPE: S-Wrap Roubaix with sticky gel

STEM: Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise

SADDLE: Body Geometry Toupé Sport, steel rails, 143mm

SEATPOST: S-Works FACT carbon 27.2mm, 20mm offset

SEAT BINDER: Alloy 31.2mm

PEDALS: Nylon, 105x78x28mm, loose ball with reflectors

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Specialized says, "The Tarmac Disc Sport is the perfect entry-level, high-performance road bike. With a full carbon fiber frame, a list of reliable components, and many of the features found in way more expensive models, it's sure to get you out on the road riding with an ear-to-ear smile.

In order cut some grams from the Tarmac, but to also ensure that it's stiff and compliant in exactly the right places, we took major steps to improving our Rider-First Engineered™ technology. From different layup schedules and materials, to visibly different forks, we scrutinized every single aspect of the Tarmac to ensure you're getting the perfect ride. With this revamp, we also updated the geometry, basing it on countless Retül data points and professional rider input. This enabled us to develop a Performance Road Geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase, which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer.

And while stiffness aids in the aforementioned, compliance must also be utilized for an optimal ride quality. That's why we dropped the seatstays, and altered the seat tube shape. We also added tire clearance up to 30mm. This allows lower pressures for decreased rolling resistance, increased traction, and more comfort. Altogether, these additions still have the Tarmac riding like a true race-machine, but it also takes a bit of the sting out of road imperfections. You'll thank us on your next long ride.

But why disc brakes? The real question is "why not?" They offer superior braking power and modulation, work exceptionally well in wet weather, and offer a very, very minor weight addition. All this means that you have more control and can go faster with more confidence.

We also know, however, that aerodynamic improvements are the most important thing we can do to make you faster. Our Bora-Hansgrohe and Quick-Step Floors Pro Tour riders, after all, are demanding aero improvements on every bike. With this, the aero goal was to discover where we could essentially "add aero for free," by not taking anything away from the hallmarks of the Tarmac design. During the six-month iterative process, three areas were discovered where we could do this - a new fork shape and dropped seatstays with aero tubes.

This Tarmac comes with a reliable spec that includes Shimano 105 mechanical shifting, quick-stopping hydraulic disc brakes, durable DT R470 Disc wheels."

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

It's the entry-level Tarmac.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
8/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

High quality.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Full FACT 9r carbon fibre frame and FACT 10r carbon fork.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Developed using the latest Retul fit data with the same geometry for men and women, it's perfect for racing and fast riding.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The fit and reach was good with only a stem change needed.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

For a race bike it's very comfortable indeed.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

When you plant the power it responds very well.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

For sprinting and climbing the stiffness is apparent in the frame and fork.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

None.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? Lively.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

The handling of this sixth generation Tarmac really is very good.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

The wheels aren't the fastest or most aero.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

A carbon fibre handlebar might get you a bit more front end smoothness, not that it particularly lacks it.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

A wheel upgrade would unleash more performance.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
7/10

The highish weight does hold it back a little.

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
8/10

Hard to fault Shimano 105.

Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
8/10

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for weight:
 
6/10
Rate the wheels for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for value:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for value:
 
7/10

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
8/10

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's possible to get a better specification for less money, but the quality, performance and handling of the brand new Tarmac frame shouldn't be discounted when assessing the value for money.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
7/10

Use this box to explain your overall score

Although it's not as good value as some rivals, there's a lot to love here, with great handling, speedy performance and comfort key attributes that make the Tarmac shine in a competitive market.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking

Story weight: 
1
Price: 
£2,350.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
8
Weight: 
8,370g
Road.cc verdict: 

Race-ready performance with great handling and decent comfort, the Tarmac Disc Sport shines everywhere bar value

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238 tubeless wheelsets — the most complete listing anywhere of your choices in new technology hoops

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Since the first edition of this guide a couple of years ago the range of tubeless-ready wheels available to you has doubled, to the point where this guide is becoming obsolete; you now have to make an effort to avoid tubeless-compatible wheels rather than having to hunt them down. We found over 200 different models listed by manufacturers, though they’re not all available in the UK yet. Let’s take a look.

What almost all tubeless-ready wheels now have in common is a shoulder in the rim well for the tyre bead to sit on, with a lip on the inside edge to keep it there. Subtle changes to the shapes of rims and the profiles of tyres over the last couple of years have made mounting tubeless tyres easier while simultaneously improving the security of their fit.

Acros

Acros Road-DISC C wheels.jpg

This German partsmeister has a range of four tubeless wheels, three with carbon rims and one in aluminium.

ModelWeightPrice
Road Disc Carbon SLS1,295g£1,549.99
Road Disc Carbon (Read review)1,451g£1,448.99
Road Carbon1,434 g£1,448.99
Road DiscNA£878.99

Aera

aera_ar_55_tubeless_wheelset_-_rim.jpg

Aera Components offers a choice of 36mm, 46mm and 56mm-deep rims, on hubs from Hope, Tune and Chris King, and you can opt for a Son Schmidt dynamo with a Hope or Chris King rear hub. The weight you get therefore depends on which components you choose, but we were impressed with our rim-braked AR56 wheels which came in at 1,270g.

ModelWeightPrice
All Road (Read review)NANA
All Road DiscNA£1,570.00-£2,160.00

Alex Rims

Alex Rims Alex CXD4 Road Disc Wheelset.jpg

Known for rims, Alex also produces a significant range of wheels, though few models are available in the UK. We hope that will change as we've been impressed by the performance and value of the Alex wheels we've tested

ModelWeightPrice
Boondocs 5 Disc1,910gNA
CXD6 Disc1,842gNA
CXD4 Disc1,560g£339.99
Boondocks 3 Disc1,714gNA
RXD3 Disc1,550gNA
ALX2101,922gNA
ALX2651,832g£199.99
ALX4731,460gNA

American Classic

American Classic Sprint 350 Tubeless wheelset.jpg

American Classic has a substantial range of tubeless wheels, including some up-to-the-minute wide-rim designs, and some of the lightest aluminium-rimmed wheels around.

American Classic recently shut down its Taiwanese factory, but some of its wheels are still available through dealers.

Read our review of the American Classic Sprint 350 Tubeless wheels
Read our review of the American Classic Argent Tubeless wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Argent1,392g£759.98
Sprint 350 Disc1,570g£690.00
Victory 301,547g£379.79
Victory 30 Disc1,722g£452.99

Bontrager

Bontrager Affinity Elite Road Disc wheelset

Trek’s wheel and component brand was early to get on board with tubeless mountain bike tyres, so it’s no surprise there’s a wide range of Bontrager tubeless-ready wheels, from the entry level Affinity Comp right up to the all-carbon Aeolus range of racing wheels.

Bontrager has recently introduced two new lines of carbon-rimmed tubeless wheels, the Aeolus XXX and Aeolus Pro series.

Read our review of the Bontrager Aura 5
Read our review of the Bontrager Affinity Elite Disc wheels
Find a Bontrager dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Paradigm Comp TLR1,585g£549.98
Paradigm Comp TLR Disc1,675g£549.98
Aeolus Comp 5 TLR1,860g£699.00
Paradigm Elite TLR1,464g£749.98
Aeolus Pro 3 TLR1,506g£1,041.20
Aeolus 3 TLR D3 Clincher1,348g£1,998.00
Aeolus 3 TLR Disc D3 Clincher1,454g£1,999.98
Aeolus 5 TLR D3 Clincher1,440g£1,999.98
Aeolus XXX 2 TLR1,305g£1,999.98
Aeolus XXX 2 TLR Disc1,380g£1,999.98
Aeolus XXX 4 TLR1,400g£1,999.98
Aeolus XXX 4 TLR Disc1,455g£1,999.98
Aeolus XXX 6 TLR1,530g£1,998.00
Aeolus XXX 6 TLR Disc1,575g£1,999.98
Aeolus Pro 5 TLR1,605g£1,198.00
Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Disc1,720g£1,198.00

Borg

borg_50c_carbon_clinchers_tubeless_ready_-_rim_and_tyre.jpg

The Cycle Clinic's Malcolm Borg builds his wheels in Suffolk, with great attention to detail and quality that comes through in any conversation. The warranty is rather special: Borg promises to replace anything that's failed – rim, spoke or hub – due to a manufacturing defect, for the entire life of the wheelset. If you crash them, Borg will repair for the cost of parts only – the labour's free.

Borg favours Miche and Carbon Ti hubs, and offers a huge range of options in rims, spokes and build details.

ModelWeightPrice
Rim brake wheels (Read review)NAFrom £270.00
Disc brake wheelsNAFrom £300.00

Campagnolo & Fulcrum

Fulcrum-Racing-4-DB-2-Way-Fit-Disc-Center-Lock-Wheelset-2018-Model-black-28-set-front-12x100-rear-12x142-Shimano-59177-188315-1502371684.jpeg

Campagnolo and subsidiary wheel brand Fulcrum call their tubeless system 2-Way Fit — sometimes shortened to 2WF — as it works with both standard tyres and tubeless tyres. Campagnolo says this allows a rider to “test which of the two solutions suits them best or use the clincher for training and the tubeless tire for the day of the race”.

There are nine models in the two marques’ ranges from the Campagnolo Zondas to the Fulcrum Racing Zeros. Four new disc-brake tubeless models were recently announced under the Fulcrum marque, along with one new disc-brake tubeless Campagnolo wheel, all with 2-Way Fit rims.

Read our review of the Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way Fit wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Campagnolo Zonda 2-Way Fit1,619g£432.73
Campagnolo Eurus 2-Way Fit1,485g£735.99
Campagnolo Shamal Ultra 2-Way Fit1,479g£729.99
Campagnolo Shamal Ultra disc brake 2-Way Fit1,540g~£860.00
Fulcrum Racing 3 2-Way Fit1,595g£574.99
Fulcrum Racing Zero Competizione 2-Way Fit1,460g£840.50
Fulcrum Racing 4 disc brake 2-Way Fit1,690g£297.74
Fulcrum Racing 5 disc brake 2-Way Fit1,610g£299.00
Fulcrum Racing 6 disc brake 2-Way Fit1,690g£219.99
Fulcrum Racing 7 disc brake 2-Way Fit1,740g£202.49

Cero

Cero ARD23 Aluminium Disc Clincher Wheelset - rim bed.jpg

The wheel brand of Derbyshire cycle shop Cycle Division, Cero has a range of five tubeless-compatible wheels with aluminium or carbon rims that represent very good value for money for the weight and performance on offer.

Read our review of the Cero ARD23 Aluminium Disc wheels

ModelWeightPrice
AR24 Evo Aluminium1,499g£189.00
ARD23 Aluminium Disc1,495g£299.00
AR30 Evo Aluminium1,376g£299.00
RC35 Carbon Disc1,409g£899.00
RC35 Carbon1,293g£899.00
RC50 Carbon1,399g£749.00
RC45 Evo Carbon Chris KingNA£1,750.00

DT Swiss

DT Swiss R24 Spline wheelset - rim bed 2

All DT Swiss’ wheels appear to be tubeless-ready, a sensible move by the wheelmaker to broaden the appeal of its hoops. The range covers every imaginable road and cyclo-cross application and a huge price band from the budget R24 Splines at under £200 up to the ERC 1100 Dicut disc brake at £2,000 per pair.

Read our review of the DT Swiss R24 Spline disc brake wheels

ModelWeightPrice
ARC 1100 Dicut 801,708g~£1,685.00
ARC 1100 Dicut 80 disc brake1,708g~£1,685.00
ARC 1100 Dicut 621,597g~£1,660.00
ARC 1100 Dicut 62 disc brake1,609g£2,070.98
ARC 1100 Dicut 481,511g~£1,685.00
ARC 1100 Dicut 48 disc brake1,490g~£1,655.00
PRC 1400 Spline 351,486g~£1,350.00
PRC 1400 Spline 35 disc brake1,434g~£1,465.00
PRC 1400 Spline 651,669g~£1,400.00
PRC 1400 Spline 65 disc brake1,698g~£1,460.00
PR 1400 Dicut 21 disc brake1,443g~£590.00
PR 1400 Dicut 211,423g~£590.00
PR 1400 Dicut Oxic 211,435g£659.99
PR 1600 Spline 32 disc brake1,787g£379.90
PR 1600 Spline 321,737g~£400.00
PR 1600 Spline 23 disc brake1,658g~£390.00
PR 1600 Spline 231,591g~£410.00
PR 1600 Dicut 21 disc brake1,525g~£490.00
PR 1600 Dicut 211,489g~£460.00
P 1800 Spline 32 disc brake1,821g~£295.00
P 1800 Spline 23 disc brake1,675g~£260.00
P 1800 Spline 231,596g~£270.00
ERC 1400 Spline 47 disc brake1,538g£1,423.73
ER 1400 Spline 21 disc brake1,474g£616.24
ER 1600 Spline 32 disc brake1,767g~£420.00
ER 1600 Spline 23 disc brake1,638g~£420.00
E 1800 Spline 23 disc brake1,655g~£300.00
C 1800 Spline 23 disc brake1,745g~£300.00
CR 1600 Spline 23 disc brake1,728g~£415.00

Easton

EC90SL_Clincher_Wheelset.jpg

With a starting point at almost £700, Easton's tubeless offerings are very much pitched at the high end and racing, and include three models with carbon fibre rims for speed demons.

Find an Easton dealer

ModelWeightPrice
EA90 XD Disc1,620g£737.98
EA90 SL Disc 6-bolt1,560g£1,064.98
EA90 SLX1,400g£872.98
EC90 Aero 85 Disc1,827g£2,899.98
EC90 Aero 551,630g£2,064.98
EC90 SL1,473gNA
EC90 SL Disc1,674g£2,279.05
EA70 SL Disc1,590g£769.98
EA70 AX Disc1,760g£519.98

Edco

Edco Roches Tubeless Ready Wheelset

Edco has a large range of tubeless wheels, not all of which seem to be available in the UK, but which includes the startlingly light Supersport Neggias at a claimed weight of 1,179g.

Find an Edco dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Optima Roches1,586g£400.00
Optima Roches Disc1,724g£550.00
Aero Gesero 65mm1,693g£2,100.00
Aero Umbrial 45mm1,488g£2,100.00
Aero Fluela 85mm1,900g£2,100.00
Aero Umbrial Disc 45mm1,780g£2,100.00

Halo

Halo Evaura 6D 700c wheelset

Some of your best-value options in tubeless come from British brand Halo whose range includes the Evaura 6D wheels we reviewed recently and two Uni models that can be used with either discs or rim brakes.

Read our review of the Halo Evaura 6D wheels
Find a Halo dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Evaura 6D1,566g£300.00
Evaura Uni 6D1,597g£370.00
Devaura 6D1,625g£400.00
Devaura Uni 6D1,804g£459.00
Devaura Disc 6D1,804g£479.98

Hunt

Hunt Race Season Aero Wide wheelset

New British wheel contender Hunt specialises in tubeless — in fact, it doesn't make anything else, aside from a couple of models for tubular tyres. The range comprises twelve models at the time of writing, six for disc brakes and six for rim brakes. We've been very impressed by the performance and value of the wheels we've reviewed so far.

Read our review of the Hunt 4Season Dura Road wheels
Read our review of the Hunt Race Season Aero Wide wheels

ModelWeightPrice
50 Carbon Aero Disc1,487g£919.00
30 Carbon Aero Disc1,379g£899.00
30 Carbon Gravel Disc1,479g£899.00
Aero Light Disc1,498g£399.00
Mason Hunt 4 Season Disc1,585g£319.00
4 Season Gravel Disc1,629g£319.00
SuperDura Dynamo Disc1,939g£379.00 Fr/£539.00 Pr
Mason Hunt 650B AdventureSport Disc1,549g£319.00
50 Carbon Wide Aero1,537g£919.00
3650 Carbon Wide Aero1,477g£899.00
36 Carbon Wide Aero1,417g£899.00
Sprint Aero Wide1,497g£399.00
Race Aero Wide1,487g£379.00
Race Aero1,439g£339.00
4 Season Aero1,579g£319.00
Race Aero SuperDura1,595g£419.00

Just Riding Along

York-based handbuilt wheel company Just Riding Along has a small but tidy range of tubeless wheels, with plenty of options. You can choose CX-Ray spokes, for example, colour variants or nipple material.

Read our review of the Just Riding Along Lark Light Road wheels
Read our review of the Just Riding Along Gecko carbon wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Lark Standard1,539gFrom £360.00
Lark Light1,460gFrom £340.00
Gecko carbon1,274g£850.00
Map1,518gFrom £360.00

Kinesis

Kinesis Crosslight CX Disc

To go with its well-regarded road and cyclo-cross frames, Kinesis has a range of four tubeless-ready wheels, two for cyclo-cross use and two for road, with disc- and regular-braked versions of the latter.

Read our review of the Kinesis Crosslight CX Disc wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Racelight Disc1,550g£351.99
Racelight Disc v21,530g£400.00
Racelight v21,520g£300.00
CX Disc v51,720g£375.00
CX Disc HD v21,830g£375.00

Knight Composites

knight-composites-50-tubeless-carbon-clincher-dt-swiss-240-wheels.jpg

If these newly-released wheels from Knight Composites live up to their claims, the tubeless technology they embody could be a game-changer. Working with tyre maker Schwalbe, Knight has developed a hookless rim, drawing lessons from the design of automotive tyres and says fitting a Schwalbe tyre to a Knight tubeless rim is easier than Mavic's Road UST set-up.

Read more: Knight launch new TLA wheels, claimed to be the world's 'easiest and fastest'

ModelWeightPrice
35 Clincher TLA1,430g£2,000
35 Clincher TLA Disc1,465g£2,000
50 Clincher TLA1,510g£2,000
50 Clincher TLA Disc1,625g£2,000

Mavic

Mavic Ksyrium Elite Disc All Road.jpeg

Mavic was surprisingly late to the road tubeless party given its wide range of mountain bike tubeless wheels, but as in June 2017 has gone all in with a new line-up of wheels that use a road-specific version of the UST technology Mavic pioneered for mountain bikes back in the 1990s.

Mavic says its UST wheels work best with its own UST tyres because the manufacturing tolerances of tyres and rims are very tightly controlled, but other manufacturer's road tubeless tyres will work.

The line-up has since been expanded and it's clear that Mavic almost certainly intends to convert its whole range to Road UST.

Mavic Road UST cross-section
Mavic Road UST cross-section
ModelWeightPrice
Aksium Elite UST1,780g£215.76
Ksyrium UST1,650g~£346.00
Ksyrium UST Disc1,690g£405.00
Ksyrium Elite UST1,520g£469.00
Ksyrium Elite UST Disc1,670g£497.25
Ksyrium Pro UST1,410g£675.99
Ksyrium Pro UST Disc1,650g£699.99
Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL UST1,445g£1,709.10
Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL UST Disc1,475g£1,709.10
Allroad (Disc UST)1,890g£253.21
Allroad Elite UST1,590g£553.50
Allroad Elite Road+ Disc (UST 650B)1,740g£526.99
Allroad Elite UST Disc1,720g£549.95
Allroad Pro UST Disc1,610g£773.10
Cosmic Elite UST1,770g£279.00
Cosmic Elite UST Disc1,850g£305.00
Cosmic Pro Carbon UST Disc1,650g£1,215.00
Cosmic Pro Carbon UST Disc 650BNA£1,215.00
Cosmic Pro Carbon UST1,650g£1,199.00
Cosmic Pro Carbon UST TdF edition1,650g£1,299.00
Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST1,490g£1,229.53
Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST Disc1,570g£1,150.00
Cosmic Ultimate UST1,310gNA
Comete Pro Carbon SL UST1,635g£1,350.00
Comete Pro Carbon SL UST Disc1,755g£1,502.10

Novatec

Novatec 30 Alu Clincher wheelset - Main

We've liked the Novatec tubeless wheels we've reviewed. As well as tubeless compatibility they have lots of thoughtful features such as compatibility with both Shimano and Campagnolo cassettes and a steel strip in the aluminium freehub body that stops sprocket splines from digging into it.

Read our review of the Novatec CXD wheels
Read our review of the Novatec Thirty wheels
Find a Novatec dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Thirty1,900g£174.00
CXD1,470g£349.99
Jetfly HD1,435g£428.99
Impulse1,495g~£475.00
Jetfly Disc1,690g£429.00
Sprint1,355g£499.00
R9 Carbon1,971g£1,417.39
R5 Carbon Disc1,735g£1,133.73
R3 Carbon1,610g£1,062.81
R3 Carbon Disc1,630g£1,062.81

Pacenti

Pacenti wheels

Revitalised by new ownership, the brand that popularised 650B wheels has a new range of road and gravel wheels.

ModelWeightPrice
Brevet 700C rim brake1,665g£349.99
Brevet 650B rim brake1,540g£349.99
Forza 700C rim brake1,600g£350.00
Forza 700C disc brake1,710g£399.00
Forza 650B disc brakeNA£399.00
Forza-C 30mm 700C disc brake1,455g£899.99
Forza-C 30mm 700C disc brake dynamo1,570g£1,150.00
Carbon 50 700C rim brake1,570g£1,049.99
Carbon 30 700C rim brake1,390g£999.99

Parcours

Parcours Grimpeur wheelset.jpg

Parcours has a four-wheel range, tightly focused on going fast.

Read our review of the Parcours Grimpeur wheelset

ModelWeightPrice
Grimpeur1,465g£749.00
Passista1,650g£819.00
Chrono1,800g£889.00
Disc (rear only)1,350g£859.00

Prime

Prime Road Race alloy wheelset - decal.jpg

A component brand backed by the mighty buying power of Chain Reaction Cycles, Prime has a range of tubeless-compatible wheels ranging from workaday alloy wheels at £150/pair to aero carbon wheels at around £1,300. They've all come down in price since launch and some are now exceptionally good value; carbon wheels for around £500 is hard to beat.

Read our review of the Prime Race Road Alloy wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Peloton V2 Disc 20181,908g£134.99
Peloton V2 20181,721g£134.99
Race Disc1,640g£199.99
Race1,530g£174.99
Pro Disc1,450g£314.99
RR-28 Carbon Disc1,634g£402.49
RR-28 V2 Carbon1,477g£584.99
RR-28 V2 Carbon Disc1,648g£584.99
RR-38 V2 Carbon1,548g£504.99
RR-38 V2 Carbon Disc1,728g£607.49
RR-50 SE Carbon1,607gNA
RR-50 V2 Carbon1,607g£524.99
RR-50 V2 Carbon Disc1,808g£629.99
BlackEdition 28 Carbon1,395g£749.99
BlackEdition 28 Carbon Disc1,529g£749.99
BlackEdition 38 Carbon1,429gNA
BlackEdition 38 Carbon Disc1,563g£789.99
BlackEdition 50 Carbon1,580gNA
BlackEdition 50 Carbon Disc1,624g£824.99
BlackEdition 60 Carbon Disc Front807g£414.99
BlackEdition 60 Carbon Disc Rear950g£449.99
BlackEdition 60 Carbon Front744g£414.99
BlackEdition 60 Carbon Rear927g£449.99
BlackEdition 85 Carbon Disc Front885g£489.99
BlackEdition 85 Carbon Disc Rear1,060g£559.99
BlackEdition 85 Carbon Front861g£489.99
BlackEdition 85 Carbon Rear1,028g£599.99

Pro Lite

Pro-Lite Bortola A21 wheelset - rim

Pro Lite has a big range of tubeless wheels, with at least seven models, but we've only been able to find a UK source for one of them the light but sensibly priced Bortola A21W.

Read our review of the Pro-Lite Bortola A21 wheels
Find a Pro Lite dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Bortola A21W1,425g£272.99

Reynolds

ASSAULT_Disk.jpg

Acclaimed US carbon fibre specialist Reynolds has one of the larger ranges of tubeless-ready wheels, with an aluminium-rimmed wheelset kicking the range off.

ModelWeightPrice
Assault / Strike C1,475g£1,169.99
Assault Disc1,590g£999.00
ATR X 650B1,550g£1,105.00
ATR X1,620g£1,105.00
AR 291,455g£1,100.00
AR 29 Disc1,520g£1,100.00
AR 411,545g£1,100.00
AR 41 Disc1,525g£1,100.00
AR 581,525g£1,100.00
AR 58/62 Disc1,525g£1,100.00
Aero 46 Disc1,525g£1,350.00
Aero 801,797g£1,934.99
Aero 65 Disc1,600g£1,934.99
Aero 651,590g£1,934.99

Ritchey

Ritchey Classic Zeta wheelset.jpg

Ritchey has a six-wheel tubeless line-up, comprising three Zeta models with aluminium rims and three WCS Apex models with carbon fibre rims. The tyre mounting tech may be bang up to date, but Ritchey has emphasised old-school reliability and durability with features like J-bend spokes and brass nipples.

ModelWeightPrice
Classic Zeta1,444g£435.99
WCS Zeta Disc1,560g~£540.00
WCS Zeta1,444g~£520.00
WCS Apex 381,747g£1,307.00
WCS Apex 38 Disc1,735g£1,169.00
WCS Apex 501,520g£1,259.00

Roval

Specialized Roval CLX 50 DISC Wheelset.jpg

Part of the mighty Specialized empire, Roval offers a full range of tubeless-compatible wheels, or 2Bliss in Specialized-speak. Even the 321 disc wheel (that's disc as in aerodynamic rather than disc brake) takes tubeless tyres.

ModelWeightPrice
3211,005g£2,000.00
321 Disc Brake1,015g£2,000.00
CL 501,465g£1,550.00
CL 50 Disc Brake1,515g£1,550.00
CLX 50 Disc Brake (Read review)1,415g£1,848.00
CLX 641,545gR:£1,200.00 / F:£800.00
CLX 64 Disc Brake1,615gR:£1,200.00 / F:£800.00
CLX 321,280gR:£1,150.00 / F:£750.00
CLX 32 Disc Brake1,350gR:£1,150.00 / F:£750.00
SLX 241,495g£650.00
SLX 24 Disc Brake1,515g£650.00
CLX 32 Disc Brake 650B (Read review)1,290g£1,900.00
C381,560g£1,000.00

Shimano

Shimano WH-6800 wheelset.jpg

Despite partnering with tyre maker Hutchinson to develop tubeless tyres for the road in the early 2000s, Shimano hasn't gone all in, and just offers four models. They're good value, though with the Ultegra model wheels a particular bargain at the time of writing.

Read our review of the Shimano WH-6800 Ultegra wheels
Find a Shimano dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Ultegra RS5001,649g£342.99
RS610 Tubeless Road1,791gNA
Dura Ace R9170 C40 Carbon Road Disc1,320g£1,532.88
RX830 Road Disc1,860g£614.99

Stan's No Tubes

Stans NoTubes Alpha 340 Wheelset

Tubeless pioneer and sealant maker Stan's NoTubes was quick to get on board when tubeless tech crossed over from mountain bikes to the road. Stan's claims the Bead Socket Technology used in its rims gives a more secure seal between tire and rim and a proper tire profile for lower pressures, faster cornering and less rolling resistance.

Read our review of the Stan's NoTubes Alpha 340 wheels
Find a Stan's No Tubes dealer

ModelWeightPrice
Avion Team Disc G21,610g£1,550.00
Avion Pro Disc G21,520g£1,950.00

Token

token_2018_prime_ventous_disc_carbon_wheels_-_rim_detail_2.jpg

Token specialises in nicely-finished components at sensible prices and its range of tubeless-ready wheels keeps right on that track.

ModelWeightPrice
RoubX Prime Carbon All-Road1,494g£949.99
Ventous Prime Carbon Disc Road (Read review)1,404g£776.99
Konax Zenith Pro Carbon Road1,452g£1,399.99
Konax Pro Disc Road1,514g£1,199.99
Ventous Zenith Carbon Road 1,342g£1,299.99
Resolute C45R Carbon Road1,511g£569.99
G23AR1,506g£499.99

Velocite

Velocite RT50 tubeless carbon wheelset - rim

This Taiwanese carbon fibre specialist offers a range of keenly priced carbon wheels and an aluminium-rimmed model, all ready for tubeless tyres with the right rim strip and sealant.

Read our review of the Velocite RT50 wheels

ModelWeightPrice
Gram Aero alloy1,598g£527.75
Venn Rev 35 TCD1,460g£678.75
Venn Alter 44 TCD1,500g£716.50
RT50 Aero1,660g£829.75

Vision

vision_trimax_30_kb_wheelset.jpg

The wheels and triathlon arm of component maker FSA has been quietly introducing tubeless wheels to its range over the last year or so.

ModelWeightPrice
Trimax 25 KB1,420g~£540.00
Trimax 30 KB1,495g£569.46
Metron 3-spoke TLR1,800g£2,249.95
Metron 30 SL Disc1,510g£1,849.95
Team 30 Disc1,920g£269.95
Trimax 301,550g£326.80
Metron 30 SL1,400g£1,799.95
Metron 55 SL Disc1,690g£1,799.95

Zipp

Zipp 30 Course Disc-brake Clincher wheels tight.jpg

Famous for aero wheels, Zipp only recently made the leap into tubeless wheels with two models of aluminium-rimmed wheels, one for disc brakes, and one for rim brakes. It's bang up to date with a 25mm rim (external width) and there's an optional SRAM XD freehub body so you can fit a 10-42 cassette if you want to use a single-ring gear system.

In 2017 Zipp announced a tubeless, disc-compatible version of the 303 carbon clincher wheels.

Read our review of the Zipp 30 Course Disc wheels

ModelWeightPrice
30 Course Disc1,650g£680.00
30 Course1,570g£599.00
303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher Tubeless Disc1,645g£1,808.80
About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

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Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle

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The new Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle combines the increasingly popular stubby nosed saddle design with an all-new foam padding to create a super-comfortable seat for performance-minded and racing cyclists, but it commands a premium over the already very expensive regular Power Arc Pro it's based on.

  • Pros: Comfortable, looks good on a race bike, first class construction, light
  • Cons: Price premium over the regular version

Short is the new long in the saddle market at the moment, with a trend for short-nosed saddles aimed primarily at cyclists who like to ride in an aggressive position. Aggressive? If you're concerned with going fast, average speeds, aerodynamics and spend a lot of time on the rivet, that is aggressive. If it sounds like you, read on, this might be the saddle for you.

> Find your nearest dealer here

An aggressive riding position means rotating your body forward over the bike, placing more weight on the front of the saddle and potentially increasing pressure on the soft delicate tissue of your undercarriage. A short-nosed saddle, and the Specialized Power Arc Pro in particular, removes pressure from that area while the wide rear section provides support for the sit bones.

Specialized's take on the short-nosed saddle also includes a wider cutout area and its ratio with the overall width of the saddle. This helps to further increase the comfort by eliminating any pressure buildup. The extra hamstring and thigh clearance is also a noticeable benefit of this saddle design.

Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle - underside.jpg

Where this model differs is in the Elaston padding, an all-new type of foam padding we've not seen in a saddle before. But you might be more familiar with it if you've ever used Adidas Boost running trainers. It's the same foam technology, comprising a process that expands thousands of tiny beads into a foam. It gives a slightly bubbly texture, and its big USP is increased rebound which means it doesn't compress over time and springs back more readily. You're getting more cushioning with no increase in foam thickness.

Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle - detail.jpg

Is it like riding a 'cloud of 1,000 pillows', as Specialized says in its marketing material? I've no idea what that would be like, but it's certainly very comfortable. I've previously ridden the regular and original Specialized Power saddle, a fashionably stubby nosed saddle and swapped this new Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston onto the same bike. They have the same channel and length, but the Elaston padding improves seated comfort by a noticeable factor. Compared with other saddles from Fizik, Bontrager, Fabric and Rapha that I've been riding recently, it's just about got the edge.

I've always found Specialized Body Geometry saddles to be comfortable. To be honest, I get on well with most saddles, with only a few exceptions that just don't agree with me. The Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston was immediately comfortable, with no breaking in or adjustment period needed. The only thing to be aware of is that you have to set it up a little differently because of its shortness, but Specialized provides a handy guide which removes the confusion. You basically set it 3cm further back from your current saddle position.

> 9 ways to make your bike more comfortable

From short blasts to long rides, the Power Arc Pro Elaston has been a really comfortable saddle to sit on. You might think it's only suited to short rides and races, but I've carried out several rides in excess of four and five hours and not found myself squirming uncomfortably, so I wouldn't discount it for long distance riding if that is more your focus. It does make riding in an aggressive position for longer periods easier and more comfortable.

You feel really planted and secure on the saddle. There's no slippage on the synthetic cover material and you feel locked to it when doing intervals or hill repeats. There's a degree of flex in the base which contributes to the comfort, especially on really rough roads.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 of the best high-performance saddles

The shape works for me better than the original Power, but the padding also contributes to that feeling of wearing a really high-end bib short with a posh padded insert.

It's very nicely made, too, as you'd hope for the money. The foam is bonded to a FACT carbon fibre base with very smooth joins and no nasty glue residue or staples – all very clean. The rails on this model are hollow titanium – there's currently no carbon rail version with the new Elaston padding – but round rails are generally easier to fit to seatposts as you don't need any changes to the cradle to accommodate oval carbon rails. A pair of threaded inserts at the back are designed to work with Specialized's range of SWAT accessories.

Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle - underside detail.jpg

Value-wise, the Power Arc Pro Elaston is cheaper than the regular S-Works Power, with titanium rather than carbon rails, but £200 is a lot of cash for a saddle and there's no shortage of decently comfortable saddles for much less of your wedge. At RRP it's £20 more than the Scicon Elan Power Ergo and £25 more than the Prologo Dimension Nack (previously £199.99), both of which offer a similar design and set of features, and both have carbon fibre rails. The new padding isn't a gimmick, though, and provides really good comfort so could well be worth paying the extra for.

Everyone is different when it comes to saddles, but if you're a performance-minded or racing cyclist I'm willing to bet the new Power Arc Pro Elaston will be a good choice. The shape is a little different to the original Power saddle, a bit more generous, and works in a wider range of riding positions, and the foam padding boosts comfort.

I did set out thinking it would be just for races and short rides, and no good on long distance rides with a far wider range of seated positions, but I was surprised to find it comfortable enough to replace my current fave trio of Fabric, Fizik and Bontrager saddles.

It's available in 143mm (tested) and 155mm widths, and colours include the distinctive chameleon (tested) or boring black.

Verdict

Really comfortable saddle for short and long rides

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston saddle

Size tested: 143mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Specialized says, "The new Power Arc Pro expands on the success of our original Power saddle. It features the same channel and length as the original and S-Works Arc, but where it differs is in its titanium rails versus the carbon fibre found on the S-Works. But this means that it still features a stiff, FACT carbon fibre shell and lightweight EVA padding. The shape of the saddle is also designed to provide ample sit bone support, and this has been coupled with a shorter-than-usual nose section to keep pressure off of soft tissue while riding in aggressive positions. We even took this ideology a step further via an extra wide and elongated Body Geometry channel that's been proven through blood flow testing and pressure mapping to reduce unwanted numbness and pressure.

"And while this all seems familiar if you're already a Power loyalist, this iteration features a curved Body Geometry shape that better contours to your body. What does this mean for your ride? It means that you'll feel as if you're 'in the saddle" and not on it. And ultimately, this equates to greater comfort and superior performance in all seated positions, whether you're a man or woman.

"We've also replaced the traditional PU padding for an Elaston foam construction that's made up of small beads that are expanded into the foam. The result? The feeling off sitting on 1,000 miniature pillows rather than one piece of foam. And to keep the comfort coming, we rely on our extra-wide, elongated Body Geometry channel and short nose to provide you with proper sit bone support."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Specialized lists these features:

Patented Body Geometry design is lab-tested for both men and women to ensure blood flow to sensitive arteries.

Stiff FACT carbon fibre shell is tuned for support and ride compliance.

Elaston foam provides unrivalled comfort and support on longer rides.

Lightweight, durable, and hollow titanium rails.

Level II padding: Medium density foam for bike feel with additional cushioning.

SWAT™-compatible mounts moulded into the saddle base allow for sleek and integrated storage solutions.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

It's reassuringly well made with a clean construction.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

I found it really comfortable for all sorts of riding, from short blasts to leisurely long rides.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Not had any problems after several months of testing.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

It's a competitive weight in this category of high-end saddle.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Saddles are very much a personal thing but as someone who tests a lot of saddles, I found it really comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tricky one this; it's a premium over the regular version of this saddle but it does include some fancy foam padding that certainly does contribute to the comfort factor.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Provides really good comfort with no downsides.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfortable and looks good on a race bike.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Potentially trickier to fit than a regular saddle.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The S-Works Power is more expensive, at £230. It's £20 more than the Scicon Elan Power Ergo saddle and £25 more than the Prologo Dimension Nack.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A surprisingly comfortable saddle that is a good alternative to traditional long designs, especially if you enjoy riding fast and racing. But £200 is a lot of cash for a saddle, and there's no shortage of decently comfortable designs for much less of your wedge.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking

Story weight: 
1
Price: 
£200.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
7
Weight: 
248g
Road.cc verdict: 

Really comfortable saddle for short and long rides

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Specialized S-Works Exos shoes - First Ride Impressions

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Specialized S-Works Exos shoes - First Ride Impressions

Specialized S-Works Exos and Exos 99 shoes are lightest and most expensive ever produced by the company + first look video

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Specialized S-Works Exos and Exos 99 shoes are lightest and most expensive ever produced by the company + first look video


Specialized S-Works 7 Road Shoes

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Specialized's latest flagship S-Works 7 road shoe offers outstanding performance with superb comfort, fit, foot retention and power transfer. Yes, they are spendy, but they're about the same as other top-end shoes and are easily a match for the best shoes in this class.

  • Pros: Comfort, fit, Boa dials, stiff, BG tech, custom insoles
  • Cons: Custom insoles are a bit heavy

If you're interested in the lightest shoes Specialized makes, check out our first look at the recently launched S-Works Exos and Exos 99. Unless you're a weight weenie, for all-round performance, outright stiffness demands and durability, the S-Works 7 is the shoe to plump for.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Fit happiness

You don't need me to tell you just how important fit is to cycling happiness and performance, whether it's the bike or shoes. You can have the spangliest shoes but if the fit is wrong, you're not going to extract your best performance and you risk injury. Specialized has always focused on fit and its Body Geometry tech, developed over a decade ago, has seen its shoes become incredibly popular even with brand conscious types.

I found the fit of the new S-Works 7 shoes excellent, the best it has ever offered. Specialized has harnessed thousands of Retul bike fits to hone the shape and design of the shoe, increasing the volume in the midsection and around the front of the shoe, developing brand new Boa dials, reducing the stitching in the construction of the upper, using tough non-stretch Dyneema and angling the new Boa dials and cutout to improve the spread of pressure across the top of the foot.

specialized-s-works-7-shoes-2.jpg

They offer a slightly more relaxed fit than the previous S-Works 6 shoe. The toe box volume has been increased – it's a little boxier than before – and the new PadLock heel cup has been dialled back, yet it's still very good at preventing heel lift when stamping on the pedals.

Part of the excellent fit is due to the Dyneema material used in the upper. It's a lightweight, very strong and non-stretch fabric and it contributes to excellent foothold around the midsection of the upper. Specialized has worked on reducing the amount of stitching inside the shoe to minimise potential discomfort points; the attention to detail really is very impressive.

specialized-s-works-7-shoes-7.jpg

New CNC-machined metal Boa dials, developed exclusively for these new shoes, are just lovely to use. It's like the difference between operating a high-end stereo and a cheap plastic radio. They provide micro-adjustment for increasing and decreasing tension which you can do easily on the move, but their barnacle-esque appearance is distinctive. I've managed not to crash but the durability of the dials has been just fine in a year of use, and they've survived some really grotty weather and being hosed down after muddy rides.

A short Velcro strap at the front of the shoe helps to adjust the volume of the toe box and it's a set-and-forget thing. It doesn't massively influence the fit all that much really, but is a useful micro-adjustment option.

Stiff as carbon

Turn the shoe over and you find a full FACT carbon fibre sole with a stiffness rating index of 15, an increase over the 13 of the previous generation S-Works shoe. In use, that means they are damn stiff; I tried as hard as I could to elicit some flex from the carbon soles but I failed. Whether you're sprinting against mates, clobbering along in a chain gang or stamping up steep gradients, the shoes do not waste your power at all.

specialized-s-works-7-shoes-11.jpg

They are easily as stiff as the stiffest race shoes I've tested from the likes of Sidi, Fizik, Giro or Bont. What's impressive is that the extra stiffness isn't down to more carbon and therefore increased weight. Specialized has moved carbon from where it's not needed to where it is, so it's using the same amount but it's used strategically. And how did Specialized know where to shuffle the carbon? Pressure mapping studies, that's how. So, same weight (224g 1/2 pair, size 42, claimed – 536g for pair of size 45s on the road.cc Scales of Truth) but more stiffness.

There's the same three-bolt cleat drilling as before, with titanium inserts, lots of fore-aft adjustment, and handy alignment markings. There's a slim rubber padding at the front and a replaceable heel tread for slightly easier walking.

Going custom

All the tried-and-tested Body Geometry tech lives on in these new S-Works 7 shoes, first developed over a decade ago and a reason why Specialized shoes are so popular with all sorts of cyclists. To recap, BG involves specially shaped insoles that provide longitudinal arch support, a varus wedge for the forefoot and a metatarsal button, with various degrees of support depending on your personal requirements.

What is new is custom-mouldable insoles, a £110 option that takes about 30 minutes of measuring, prodding and stroking of your feet, as part of Retul Match. Retul was bought by Specialized a few years ago and Match is a new service intended to offer a lower cost, more accessible and quicker fitting solution for people who might not want or need a full bike fit.

Watch the video below to see what's involved as I go through the process.

I went through the process to get the right size S-Works 7 shoes. You start off by prodding a large touchscreen television housed inside a kiosk, answering a few simple questions to determine the sort of cyclist you are (gender, the frequency of rides and so on) before the fitter uses the Retul Zin Wand to take key measurements, in my case my feet using the Digital Foot Device. This data is gathered by Retul Match and is used to suggest the shoe size and arch support you need.

It's simple and quick and helps to take away some of the confusion and mystery about getting the right size shoes and insole fit, using data to determine the right product rather than guesswork. For the majority of people, I can see that it's going to be a big help.

When it comes to inner soles, most people will be well served by the wide range of insoles the company offers that cater to different arch heights. And if you have specific requirements, Specialized is now offering custom mouldable insoles. There are a few companies that have been doing custom insoles for a few years now and it's interesting to see Specialized getting involved. As I said above, the soles add an extra £110 and the whole process takes about 30 minutes and essentially involves taking a cast of your foot using a special machine and heating up special inner soles to mould using this cast.

specialized-s-works-7-shoes-14.jpg

I've always got on well with Specialized's Body Geometry insoles – in fact, I actually fit them to most other brand shoes to ensure maximum comfort. Upgrading to the custom insoles took a little getting used to, because of much more arch support, but the level of support feels far superior and my feet feel more planted in the shoes than with regular insoles. I've had not a jot of knee pain since I've been using them, and the insoles have kept their shape. The only negative is that they are quite a bit heavier than stock insoles.

A year of wear

I've been wearing these shoes regularly for the past year to really put them through their paces, and they've done nothing but impress me. I'll admit to always getting on well with Specialized shoes and these are easily the best S-Works level shoe yet, with some appreciable improvements over the previous shoe. The more generous toe box is a big plus, and the heel cup prevents heel lift while being more comfortable. The new Boa dials are simply a delight to use and raise the bar for retention systems.

specialized-s-works-7-shoes-5.jpg

The durability of the dials after nearly a year of use has been excellent. They've not once failed on me and I've ridden through plenty of disgusting weather, and it's not like I've gone out of my way to maintain them. The white upper is the least practical of the colours available, and mine are showing a few marks and scrapes. They do clean up pretty well, though.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best performance road shoes

The custom insoles have raised the comfort and performance but they are a pricey upgrade on an already expensive shoe. Considering how important shoes are to ensuring efficient and effective pedalling, though, it's easy to make an argument to spend money here rather than on some flashy new carbon bar or a lighter saddle, say, if you really care about performance.

It's clear Specialized has put a lot of effort into these shoes and it really shows. They are, without a doubt, one of the benchmark shoes in this category.

Verdict

Top-level performance, fit and comfort

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized S-Works 7 Road Shoes

Size tested: 45

Tell us what the product is for

Specialized says, "What makes the perfect cycling shoe? Is it exceptional power transfer? Superior Comfort? Undeniable style? The simple answer is "yes" to all of the above. With the S-Works 7 Road, you get shoes with no compromises.

We took a no-holds-barred approach to transferring every bit of your power to the pedals. The lighter and stiffer Powerline™ carbon sole is new and brought to you by the same team that developed Rider-First Engineering. Why's this special? Because it led to our lightest and stiffest carbon outsole to date. A completely refined Padlock™ Heel, meanwhile, packs in more comfort with the same exceptional heel hold that you found in the previous iteration. And finally, the space-grade Dyneema™ material used in the upper doesn't stretch when pulled on, making sure that your foot stays where it's supposed to. With these all features combined, you can be sure that we've kept in line with the motto 'every watt is sacred.'

In the comfort arena, we kept all of the Body Geometry features you know and love, like the Longitudinal Arch, Varus Wedge, and Metatarsal Button. Each one of these features have been ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to not only boost power, but also to increase efficiency and reduce the risk of injury. We also took luxury into account by designing the S-Works 7 to have form that complements its function, so you'll find seams that are bonded together, rather than sewn, cleaning up the lines and contouring to your foot with slipper-like comfort. The custom CNC'd alloy Boa® dials also add some panache, but they also feature durable spring clutch internals and precise, one-millimeter micro-adjustments that let you perfectly dial in your fit.

The S-Works 7 embodies everything we know about footwear, compacted into one shoe with no compromises and no shortcuts''just explosive speed and superior comfort."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Specialized lists these features:

Body Geometry sole and footbed are ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to boost power, increase efficiency, and reduce the chance of injury by optimizing hip, knee, and foot alignment.

Our stiffest and lightest FACT Powerline™ carbon plate maximizes power transfer: Stiffness Index 15.0

Dyneema® Mesh is trapped between layers of four-way stretch mesh and TPU to create no-stretch zones for the ultimate connection and comfort.

Independent alloy BOA® S3-Snap dials for on-the-fly micro-adjustment, backed by the BOA® Lifetime Guarantee.

PadLock™ heel construction cradles the heel and is proven to improve acceleration

Titanium alloy cleat nuts can rotate to position pedal/cleats 5mm rearward.

Non-slip, replaceable heel tread with internally recessed screws for security.

Form Fit last with a roomy toe box for the ultimate in connectivity and comfort.

Three-bolt cleat pattern fits all major road pedals.

Approximate weight: 224g (1/2 pair, Size 42)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

First class build quality.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Superb performance in every aspect.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

White isn't the most practical colour but they do clean up well. The Boa dials have proven to be very hardy.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10

I found the fit an improvement on previous S-Works shoes with more generous space in the toe box.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

The sizing was spot on and Specialized offers half sizes.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10

They're light compared to other top-end shoes but nothing compared to the new Exos.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

Comfort is really good; they are my go-to shoes for all sorts of cycling.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

They are top-end money but no more spendy than other top-end performance road cycling shoes, and considering all the features I feel they do justify their price.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy to care for, and the white upper does clean up well.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

For fast riding and performance-focused cycling they are ideal. They're good for less intensive cycling too – I used them for a 300km audax with no issues.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great fit and comfort, and the Boa dials are lovely to use.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Keeping the white upper clean!

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They're a similar price to other rivals like Sidi, Giro and Fizik.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

There's a lot of performance on offer here, all wrapped up with superb comfort, and the BG tech (custom or stock insoles) improves comfort and pedalling efficiency over other shoes.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking

Story weight: 
1
Price: 
£340.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
9
Weight: 
536g
Road.cc verdict: 

Top-level performance, fit and comfort

Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump

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Specialized's Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II floor pump is a generally decent pump with a couple of thoughtful touches that make it friendlier and easier to use. It's a solid entry in a very crowded market; well worth considering but without anything that makes it utterly compelling.

  • Pros: Comfy handle, easy-to-use smart chuck
  • Cons: Not really "all-metal"

The SwitchHitter II part of the Air Tool Sport's name comes from the 'smart' chuck, which easily accommodates both Presta and Schrader valves. The lever then closes it firmly around either type, and it releases easily too. With some floor pumps, you need to really yank the chuck to get it off the valve when you're finished. That's not the case here, all you need is a gentle tug, so you're less likely to damage the tube, and the washer that seals the valve should last well.

Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump-4.jpg

> Find your nearest dealer here

With the chuck firmly clamped round the valve, it's time to start pumping. The handle is really nicely shaped, with a cross-section that almost looks like an aerofoil. No, Specialized hasn't taken to designing pump handles in the wind tunnel. That would be silly. Rather, the shape provides a flat section to press against and a round area for your fingers to curl around. It's a nice touch.

Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump-2.jpg

It took 30 strokes to get a 28mm tyre up to 90psi with the Air Tool Sport, compared to 29 with my old faithful SKS Rennkompressor. There are faster track pumps out there, but they tend to have other problems, like difficulty getting to high pressures for light users or mechanical complexity. Zefal used to make a floor pump, the Double Shot, that pushed air into your tyres on both the up and down strokes. It got tyres – even fat tyres – up to pressure in a dozen strokes, but its fiendishly clever concentric shafts and all-plastic construction made it more than a little fragile.

The Air Tool Sport doesn't feel fragile at all and I got a tyre to the maximum 160psi fairly easily, though the last couple of strokes did need quite a bit of oomph with most of my 95kg behind it to shove the air in. If you want to pair the Air Tool Sport with a separate tank to blow tubeless tyres into place it'll do the job, but there will be tubeless tyre and rim combinations where it won't work on its own.

Getting that 28mm tyre up to 90psi was easy for me, but my partner's 55kg daughter struggled. This is a perennial problem with floor pumps. Petite or svelte riders just don't have the mass to shove the plunger all the way down at higher pressures. Switchable pumps like the Ravx Dual Phase or Bontrager Dual Charger can help, and light riders would be better off with a pump like that than with the Air Tool Sport.

There are three places a floor pump maker can put the gauge: right at the top of the shaft; by the foot; and somewhere in the middle. Specialized has put the gauge down low where it won't get damaged if the pump falls over, but the downside is that it's not as easy to read when it's all the way down there. A movable arrow on the outside of the dial provides a more-visible indicator of your desired pressure.

Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump-3.jpg

Nicely executed as the SwitchHitter II chuck is, its plastic construction is a slight cause for concern. A recent user report on Specialized's own website mentions the head coming away from the hose at high pressure, though I had no such problem. The body of the chuck is attached to the hose with a plastic nut and while it's all acceptably thick and dense, I'd really like to see more pump makers offering a metal smart chuck for improved longevity and general robustness. Topeak has one on the Joe Blow Ace Dx, but that's a £140 pump.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best pumps and CO2 inflators

Browse any of the big online retailers and you quickly realise you're spoiled for choice when it comes to mid-range floor pumps. For about the same money as the Air Tool Sport, the Crank Brothers Gem quickly inflates fat tyres too, while the slightly pricier Bontrager Dual Charger boasts a bigger gauge as well.

Compared with those pumps, the Air Tool Sport has a nice, solid feel, even though it lacks some features. If you want an unfussy pump that just gets on with the job, it's well worth a look.

Verdict

Solid, easy-to-use pump that does the job without being especially exciting

road.cc test report

Make and model: Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump

Size tested: One

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

It's a floor pump, for everyone who needs to get air into high pressure tyres.

Specialized says:

"This economical, all-metal Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II Floor Pump comes with all of the essentials for easy inflation and an accurate reading."

Can't argue with most of that, but "all-metal" is a stretch. There are plastic components holding the shaft to the base, conveying the air under the base and holding the hose in place.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Specialized lists:

2" (50mm) oversized gauge is easy to read with excellent accuracy.

New ergonomic Wing handle.

All-steel construction on base and barrel.

42" (110cm) hose length makes the pump easy to use.

Auto selecting SwitchHitter II technology.

Max pressure: 160 PSI (11bar)

Volume-per-stroke: 326cc

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Everything is tidily finished and feels solid.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Gets your tyres to pressure with acceptable speed, and the SwitchHitter II chuck is very easy to use.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

There's too much plastic here to expect it to survive being kicked around a professional workshop the way an SKS Rennkompressor does, but for a home user it's plenty robust enough.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

The Wing handle is really rather nice.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

The construction quality and smart chuck are pretty much exactly what you'd expect for £37, so it's neither unusually expensive nor unusually cheap.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It works well. Air goes in your tyres, and the two main features, the Switchhitter II chuck and that shaped handle, do their jobs really well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Faff-free Switchhitter II chuck means I can inflate the Schrader and Presta-equipped bikes in my family's fleet without hassle.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A bigger gauge would be nice, but that's nit-picking.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For the features on offer, and particularly the well-executed and very effective smart chuck, the price is right in the ballpark. It's a bit pricier than the Fabric Stratosphere, but it's more solidly constructed, and it's cheaper than the Crankbrothers Gem, compared to which it lacks the dual-action feature but has a tidier smart chuck.

Did you enjoy using the product? Insofar as pumping up tyres is ever something to get excited about, yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is a good floor pump, hence the score of 7/10. It's not shiny and exciting and it doesn't have any fun gimmicks like a bleed valve or a digital display, but it inflates tyres easily and is overall simply nice to use. It's a proper reliable tradesman of a floor pump.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 5ft 11in  Weight: 85kg

I usually ride: Scapin Style  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, mountain biking

Story weight: 
4
Price: 
£37.00
Product Type: 
Road.cc rating: 
7
Weight: 
1,430g
Road.cc verdict: 

Solid, easy-to-use pump that does the job without being especially exciting

14 of the best cyclocross bikes — drop-bar dirt bikes for racing and playing in the mud

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What cyclocross bike should I buy? That's a very good question - one I hear a lot - and there's plenty of choice, from race-ready options to bikes that come with rack and mudguard mounts for a bit more versatility.

The cyclocross bikes on this page offer just a selection of the available choice. We've tried to pick bikes that will cater for all tastes, from those specifically looking to buy a bike with a view to getting into racing, to those that are interested in the versatility and ruggedness for a winter training and commuting bike. And, no, we didn't mean to pick all disc-equipped bikes, that's just the way cyclocross bikes have developed.

There are now almost no cyclocross bikes with rim brakes. Discs have taken over, a development many die-hard cross enthusiasts said would never happen when the UCI changed its rules to allow them in elite races in 2010.

>>Read more: Beginner's Guide to cyclocross essentials

Boardman CXR 8.9 — £1,000

Boardman CXR 8.9

With race-orientated handling, a single chainring for simplicity and hydraulic brakes for control, the Boardman CXR 8.9 is a bargain entry to the world of drop-bar dirt bikes. 

Find a Boardman dealer

Vitus Energie CRX — £1,609.99

Vitus Energie CRX.jpg

The Vitus Energie CRX cyclo-cross bike is an absolute blast to ride thanks to sharp, fun handling along the trails or around tight, technical muddy circuits. It's great for a day out on the gravel, and you can chuck mudguards on it too if you fancy a high-speed, year-round commuter.

If you want to ride fast off-road without the benefits of suspension then this Vitus is one of the best bikes to have a play on. The racy geometry and low-slung position mean you can really get down and drop that centre of gravity to benefit the handling when the terrain is tough, and the way it responds to the slightest shift in body weight is very impressive.

Read our review of the Vitus Energie CRX

Genesis Vapour 30 — £2,500

Genesis Vapour 30.jpg

The Genesis Vapour 30 offers a fun ride that feels at home in a race and on a trail. The build isn't that flashy, but the package works well and continues to do so in the worst conditions. You'll be wanting a wheel upgrade for more serious racing, though.

Get the Vapour 30 into technical conditions and it's a joy to ride. The planted feel of the bike combined with a front end that is direct means that muddy corners are easy to navigate. On corners where I'd usually lose the front end, I was able to get around easily on the Genesis. That means less running which is great because firstly, I hate running, and secondly, riding is nearly always faster.

The handling really helps you to keep speed through corners, and getting back up to speed again much easier. This doesn't just help in races. Take this out onto the trails or the road and the bike transfers that same cornering confidence across surfaces. Compared with my road race bike, it doesn't feel sluggish on the tarmac; it feels light underneath you but floats better over rough surfaces thanks, mostly, to the fatter tyres.

Read our review of the Genesis Vapour 30
Find a Genesis dealer

Canyon Inflite CF SLX 9.0 Race — £4,149

2019 Canyon Inflite CF SLX 9.0 Race

Canyon's DNA is pure racing, and the Inflite CF SLX frame is a clear statement of intent: a frame that builds into bikes fit for the toughest and most demanding cyclo-cross racers and budding amateurs alike. It's light – 940g for a frame – disc brake-only and 1x and 2x compatible, and features the most distinctive top tube we've ever seen.

The Inflite CF SLX might not be the prettiest cyclo-cross bike ever produced, but there's nowt ugly about its performance, which is nothing short of stellar. Over a couple of months, tester David Arthur rode it in loads of local races to really get its measure. The Canyon immediately impressed. It brings sheer speed and easy handling to the Sunday morning mud party, with a delightful nimbleness that makes it easy to steer the bike around often awkward and fiddly cyclo-cross courses.

Read our review of the Canyon Inflite CF SLX 8.0 Pro Race, which shares the same frame

Boardman Elite CXR 9.4 Ultegra Di2 2019 — £2,560

2019 Boardman Elite CXR 9.4 Ultegra Di2

The whole gravel/adventure thing may have softened some bikes a touch to make them more versatile but Boardman's CXR 9.4 is having none of it.

'Ready to race straight out of the box,' it says on Boardman's website and while it could do with a couple of minor tweaks the CXR 9.4 is one flickable, lightweight off-road rocket which is an absolute blast on the technical stuff.

This latest version has Shimano's Di2 electronic shifting for effortless gear changes and a single chainring to keep things as mechanically simple as possible.

Read our review of the Boardman CXR 9.4

The Light Blue Robinson Rival 1x — £1,700

The Light Blue Robinson 1x - riding 1.jpg

The Robinson, from British company The Light Blue, offers a really smooth ride, with steady handling and tyres that provide a good balance of fast road riding pace and off-road grip. In this SRAM Rival 1x build with cyclo-cross tyres it's an ideal all-terrain bike, at home on the road or tackling more challenging countryside terrain, or for just tackling rough roads in comfort.

Read our review of the Light Blue Robinson
Find a Light Blue dealer

Giant TCX SLR 2 2019 — £1,295

2019 Giant TCX SLR 2

We liked 2016's Giant TCX SLR 1, and this is the 2019 equivalent. It gets a brake upgrade to Giant's hydraulics, but retains the fast and nimble aluminium frame as the 2016 bike.

Read our review of the 2016 Giant TCX SLR 1
Find a Giant dealer

Merida Cyclo Cross 100 — £862.50

2019 Merida Cyclo Cross 100

The 2019 version of the Merida Cyclo Cross 100 has a lot in common with the 2015 Merida Cyclo Cross 500, which we really liked when we reviewed it. It's a very good all-rounder. It's light and responsive enough to chuck round a race, and versatile enough for more general purpose riding. It's fun to ride and easy to recommend

The Merida Cyclo Cross platform serves up good off-road handling. The bike has a generous wheelbase and the steering is predictable, if a bit slower than a fully-fledged race bike. The fork is excellent: the 15mm thru-axle stiffens up the front end noticeably, and tracking over rough ground is really good, with very little noticeable dive under heavy braking.

Read our review of the Merida Cyclo Cross 500

Canyon Inflite AL — from £1,249

2018 Canyon inflite al 9.jpg

The first cyclo-cross bike from German company Canyon impressed hugely when we reviewed it, with great handling and a very good parts package for the money. It boasts the sort of versatility that will ensure it appeals to those wanting a bike for more than just racing, but has all the credentials for taking to the start line.

Read our review of the Canyon Inflite AL SLX 6.0 Race

Specialized Crux — from £1,040

2019 Specialized Crux Expert

Specialized's Crux is a popular choice among amateur cyclocross racers. The four bikes in the 2018 UK range all have 1X transmissions, and the £4,000 Crux Expert above has SRAM's hydraulics and 1 x 11 transmission.

The impressive spec includes Roval C38 carbon wheels with 33mm Tracer Pro tyres. The range starts at £1,700 for the Crux E5 Sport, though there are still 2018 models around for £1,400 and you can pick up a base-model Crux E5 for £1,040.

Read our review of the Specialized Crux Elite
Read our review of the Specialized Crux Elite X1
Find a Specialized dealer

Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 V2 — £449 (frame)

Kinesis Racelight Pro6.jpg

This is your typical racing cyclocross bike. The Pro 6 is a perennial favourite with cyclocross racers and for many a Kinesis was probably their first cyclocross bike, bought as a frame and cobbled together from spare parts. You can buy the frame or this complete bike with a Shimano 105 groupset and TRP Spyre disc brakes, a combination that will usually run about £1400.

Read our first ride impressions on the Pro Crosslight Pro6
Read our review of the Kinesis Crosslight Pro6
Find a Kinesis dealer

On-One Pickenflick — from £1,299.99

On One Pickenflick

The On-One Pickenflick is a complete cyclo-cross bike with a titanium frame for a price only bit more than you'd usually pay for a titanium frame. Its handling and adaptability makes it at home on road, cyclo-cross circuit or trail.

Read our review of the On-One Pickenflick

Storck T.I.X. — from ~£2,100

Storck TIX

One of the newest carbon fibre cyclo-cross bikes on the market, this is actually the first 'cross bike from German company Storck. The company are advocates of disc brakes and the T.I.X. has been designed around disc brakes. The model we tested came with Shimano's hydraulic disc brakes providing excellent stopping power.

Read our first ride of the Storck T.I.X.

Ridley X-Bow — from £800

Ridley X-Bow Disc Tiagra 2017

Hailing from Belgium, Ridley has one of the biggest ranges of cyclocross bikes,which is hardly surprising given that it's Belgian cycling's winter religion. The X-Bow Disc Tiagra's aluminium frame is hung with Shimano Tiagra components with a proper cyclocross-style 46/36 double chainset. The rubber that hits the (dirt) road is from Challenge and it sits on Ridley's own 4ZA wheels with Shimano hubs.

Find a Ridley dealer

Want more cyclocross bike options? See the full road.cc archive of cyclo-cross bike reviews.
About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

Here's some more information on how road.cc makes money.

You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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19 of the best saddles — the seats that improve cycling comfort for men and women

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Your saddle is arguably the most important component on your bike. Like that other key to comfort, your shorts, if it's doing its job properly you'll never notice it, but if it isn't — ouch! It’s your main contact point with the bicycle, and for some of us even subtle variations between two similar saddle designs can lead to one of them crossing fine line between comfortable perch and instrument of torture.

For a lot of people the saddle they get with their bike works just fine. Every component on a complete bike has to contribute to meeting a price point, but bike manufacturers aren't stupid; they may spec a generic product but it is one designed to work for as many people as possible. And for a lot of us the saddle our bike was born with works just fine.

Raleigh Mustang Elite - saddle.jpg

However, if it doesn't or you want to drop some weight from your bike, or pep up its looks with a new saddle you'll need to find the right one. If it ain't broke though you may want to consider whether you really want to fix it before you start looking for another saddle. It's no surprise that pros, couriers, expedition riders — indeed anyone who spends a lot of time on a bike — takes the same favoured saddle from bike to bike. And you don't necessarily need the most high tech saddle to be comfortable or go fast — the Tour de France has been won on £25 saddles.

If you do need a different saddle though you are faced with a bewildering choice. Saddles come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes to suit every type of riding from racing, touring, commuting and leisure cycling.

While this huge choice means there’s a saddle to suit every bum, it does make knowing just where to start a touch tricky when you're faced with a choice of potentially hundreds of saddles. So you need to narrow down your choice to find the perfect saddle, and that's the aim of this guide.

Shape

The critical part of choosing the right saddle is finding a shape that fits your body and suits your riding style. Generally speaking, the more stretched out your riding position and the faster you ride, the narrower the saddle you need. And the more upright your position and the slower you ride, the wider the saddle needs to be. When you're stretched out, you place less weight on the saddle, but when you sit upright, the saddle has to support more of your weight. That's why race bikes have very thin saddles, and Boris bikes have extremely wide saddles.

Eastway Zener - saddle and post.jpg

Manufacturers are getting better at helping you to choose the right saddle. Most have their own system of narrowing the choice, either by deciding what type of cyclist you are — usually by your range of flexibility and your position on the bike — or using a fit system that measures the distance between your sit bones, to pair you with the saddle that best matches your anatomy.

A good saddle should support the sit bones, not the entire bum. It’s where your sit bones contact the saddle that is key, a saddle needs to provide adequate support in these two areas. That’s why many saddles are offered in different widths, reflecting the difference in people's anatomy. Some manufacturers offer up to three widths to suit the range of variance. The nose of the saddle supports some of the cyclist’s weight too. Oh, one thing to remember here is that just because you have a bigger bottom it doesn't necessarily follow that you have wider sit bones.

selle italia slr t1 saddle

Saddle shapes largely fall into several camps. Some are flat, some are rounded, some have scooped backs, some are narrow, others much wider. You can narrow down the choice by deciding what style of riding you do. A saddle that is too wide can lead to chafing, and one too narrow can feel like you’re sitting on a knife.

Generally, thinner saddles with minimal padding are more suited to racers with deep, stretched riding positions, down in the drops and crouched low over the handlebars. Such a position means you’re not sitting with all your weight on the saddle; you actually put very little load on the saddle when riding in such a position.

For touring cyclists saddles with a wider shape are favoured, as you don't adopt such an aggressive position when putting the miles in on tour as you do when racing. For long days in the saddle, and day after day, you need the highest level of comfort possible, and leather saddles are regularly the first choice. They're very durable too, and usually last years longer than saddles made from synthetic foam padding.

Fabric carbon rails

For more leisurely riding where an upright position is adopted, more of your weight will be concentrated through the saddle. A wider saddle with more support and extra padding will be the preferred choice here.

You can get saddles aimed at road racing, triathlon, touring, commuting, mountain biking, and they all take different approaches with shapes and padding. This does help narrow down the choice. There are some saddles that are favoured by different groups of cyclists, and there are some that seem to straddle the different camps. The Charge Spoon is one such saddle that leaps to mind as being particularly well suited to British bums, whether road racing, touring or mountain biking.

Material, rails and shell

The type of materials used to construct a saddle range from plastic bases and steel rails on entry-level models to entire moulded carbon fibre bases and rails on the very expensive models. The more you spend, the lighter the materials used, so if weight is a key priority for you, you need to start saving up. Lightweight saddles are those in the 200g region.

If comfort is important to you, then steer clear of carbon rails as hollow titanium rails can often provide additional flex to absorb some of the vibrations that pass through the frame into the seatpost. We’re even seeing many professional racers choose these saddles over the very top-end models.

The base of the saddle is an area where a manufacturer can design in extra flex, to allow the saddle to subtly deform upon impacts. Some have holes or different materials in key places that allow the foam to expand through the hole, or the base to flex in a controlled manner.

The saddle cover can be made from synthetic leather like Lorica or real leather, and there’s many other materials manufacturers might use. Some add perforations and Kevlar edges to prevent wear and tear taking its toll. Time trial saddles often have a grippy material along the nose to stop the cyclist slipping back and forth, and we’re starting to see such materials make a presence on road saddles, as with Prologo’s CPC saddle.

Leather saddles have a single piece of leather that is tensioned on a metal frame, so it’s essentially suspended like a hammock, and provides plenty of give that can prove very comfortable on longer rides. They need more looking after than regular saddles, and sometimes need breaking in. The leather needs proofing, and you need to be careful in wet weather, as they don’t much like the rain; that's why you most often find them on mudguard-equipped touring bicycles. Brooks is the name most associated with leather saddles but they aren't the only maker out there. Spa Cycles do a well regarded, and well priced, range of leather saddles that possibly require more breaking in than a Brooks, but not that much more.

A fascinating recent development is the Brooks Cambium range of saddles, which use similar construction techniques to Brooks' leather saddles, but with modern materials. Instead of a sheet of leather across the ends of the rails, Brooks has come up with a combination of vulcanised natural rubber, cotton canvas and structural textile for the top.

This top is inherently flexible, like a worn leather Brooks or a new one with the tension backed off slightly, and it moves slightly as you pedal. It's a design we like a lot.

Padding and cutouts

Most saddles use some form of foam padding, but the amount of padding used and the density can vary a lot. Racier saddles often have less padding, while saddles for commuting and leisure cyclists will have deeper and softer padding, to cushion the ride. However if you ride fast, or for long distances too much padding might not be your friend as it can move, pinch or chafe rather than supporting your sit bones.

It’s easy to think a saddle with very firm padding is going to be uncomfortable, but once you get used to them they can be a lot more comfortable than softly cushioned saddles for riding of the fast variety. Because you lean forward, you perch on the saddle rather than sit on it, so you can get away with less padding. Strategically placed gel inserts are another frequent solution to providing comfort.

Prologo Kappa DEA2 Saddle Detail

In 1997 a study by Dr. Irwin Goldstein put the cat among the pigeons, claiming reduced blood flow cause by saddle pressure could lead to erectile disfunction in men and cause permanent reproductive failure. A load of nonsense it may be, but the story produced a lot of concern, and the saddle with the hole in the middle suddenly became very popular. Step forward Specialized in 1998 who produced their first Body Geometry saddle, with a cutaway channel claimed to restore the blood flow and so prevent numbness.

In fact the idea is not new. The first saddle with a hole was actually born as early as 1903, and Georgena Terry produced the first modern example for women in 1992. It also has to be said that the claims for saddles with channels in them are hedged with all sorts of caveats.

For instance there is no agreement that decreased blood flow, or even numbness will cause erectile dysfunction in men or genital numbness in women. And even proponents of channels and holes agree that there is another simple cure: stand up and any decreased blood flow to your bits will immediately resolve itself.

Even if decreased blood flow does cause a problem depending how you are plumbed down there the amount of difference between a normal saddle and one with a channel may be minimal to non-existent. In the interests of science our editor Tony once had his organ wired up to measure the difference in blood flow between his usual saddle and one with a channel in it. For him at least it turned out there was no difference.

So cutaways and channels are not for everyone. You only need look at the bikes of the professionals to see that many quite happily cycle many thousands of kilometres a year with little side effect, so there’s a lot more to comfort than just adding the channel. They do work for some people though, indeed some swear by them. It’s a case of trying different saddles and seeing what works for you.

ISM PN 10.jpg

If you have particular urological or prostate problems it may well be worth looking at a saddle with a hole or channel or cutaway, and there are plenty to choose from. Or you might even take things a stage further and looking at something with a drop nose, like a Selle SMP or even a noseless saddle like the ISM Adamo Racing saddle pictured above,

Saddle padding doesn't last forever, particularly on performance saddles. After a while the padding isn't really doing any padding anymore because it has become permanently squashed by the millions of times your bottom has compressed it. The more performance-oriented a saddle and the less actual padding it has, the more time limited its lifespan. Many top end performance saddles have an expected lifespan of a couple of seasons if used the way they are intended.

Saddles for women

Most manufacturers now have a large choice of women-specific saddles to recognise the differences in anatomy. Many women do get on just fine with men's saddles, just as many women happily ride men's bikes, but generally women have wider sit bones so there’s a choice of suitable wider saddles to suit. That said, looking at some saddle ranges, there’s still a much smaller choice for women than men, something which needs addressing.

Georgena Terry developed a reputation for comfortable saddles aimed specifically at women, in doing so pioneering the first women’s specific designed products. She produced a saddle for women in 1992 with a cutaway section, a design she later expanded to men’s saddles.

Try before you buy

Ideally, you want to try a saddle on your bike before parting with your money, and a few saddle manufacturers recognise the problem of spending a lot of cash on an untested saddle. Some then offer try before you buy schemes, where you can run a saddle for a desired amount of time to decide if it’s right for you. That can save you collecting a large pile of saddles in your shed as you enter the quest for the ultimate saddle.

Saddle height and bike fit

As important as picking the right saddle, ensuring you have the saddle at the correct height and distance from the handlebars is also very important. Sometimes, you can have the right saddle, but you’re not sitting on it correctly, which can be a case of it being too far forward or backwards. If you find yourself wriggling about on your saddle a lot when riding, it could be a sign it’s not correctly positioned.

We’d recommend getting a professional bike fit, and there are many available these days. They’ll assess your level of flexibility, physical limitations and your cycling goals, and ensure you’re correctly fitted on the bike. The bike needs to fit you, not the body fitting the bike.

20 great saddle choices

Astute Star Lite VT — £127.98

Astute Star Lite saddle.jpg

The Astute Star Lite is a superbly made saddle that offers a high level of comfort, especially when you're in a low and aggressive riding position.

The carbon fibre-reinforced nylon shell has a cutaway centre to reduce pressure on the perineum – as you'll find on many other saddles – and on top of that you get tri-density memory foam padding.

The padding towards the back of the saddle is quite firm to support your sit bones, and more squashy at the front to cosset your soft tissue. It immediately moulds to your body shape to provide a load of comfort without any areas of high pressure. The cover is made from Italian microfibre that's easily wiped clean after a wet ride.

Read our review of the Astute Star Lite VT

Selle San Marco ShortFit-C Racing — £59.86

Selle San Marco ShortFit-C Dynamic Saddle.jpg

The Shortfit-C Racing saddle from Selle San Marco is an excellent all-round saddle that will suit those with medium to wide sit bones who want something pressure-relieving for training, sportives and even long tours. The weight is pretty good and construction quality is high for the price, meaning this should appeal to serious riders and weekenders alike.

It measures 144mm across, which isn't super-wide but enough that those with narrow sit bones might 'sink' a little into the large central cutout. For the rest of us, it feels great as soon as you take your place.

Read our review of the Selle San Marco ShortFit-C Racing
Find a Selle San Marco dealer

Fabric Scoop Gel — £49.99

Fabric Scoop Gel Saddle.jpg

Charge describes the Fabric Scoop Gel as a 'comfort' design, and it ticks all the boxes: it's comfortable, well made, attractive and a fair price.

It's aimed at leisure, commuter and off-road riders who adopt an upright position, so has large gel inserts covering the three pressure points – the nose and wings – plus a V-shaped central channel to alleviate pressure on your bits. It's a unisex design, as are all Fabric saddles, but is particularly suited to women with wider sit bones.

Bontrager Montrose Pro — £149

Bontrager Montrose Pro Saddle.jpg

The Bontrager Montrose Pro saddle looks great and is very well put together. It sits on the right side of the weight scale and it was very comfortable for me in its intended race-position use. Available in black or white, featuring a carbon reinforced shell and oversized full carbon 7x9mm rails it's offered in 128mm, 138mm and 148mm widths, all of which are 270mm long. Weights range from 160g to 172g.

Read our review of the Bontrager Montrose Pro
Find a Bontrager dealer

Fabric Line Titanium — £74.99

Fabric Line Elite Saddle.jpg

The titanium-railed version of the Fabric Line (see below) doesn't save a whole lot of weight over the chromoly-railed model (which doesn't really matter as that's pretty svelte anyway), but you do get a little more in the way of comfort, because the titanium tubes tend to flex a bit. You can notice it when riding the two side by side.

Read our review of the Fabric Line Titanium

Fizik Antares R5 Kium — ~£95

Fizik Antares R5 Kium Road Saddle.jpg

Fizik's Antares R5 Kium Road Saddle is surprisingly comfortable for speed-orientated road riding, and the build quality is top-notch.

The Antares R5 sits in Fizik's Chameleon family of contact points. This is the mid-point of a three-category range created according to different levels of rider flexibility, which also includes handlebars (the other two are Snake/flexible and Bull/rigid). It's 275mm long and 142mm wide and Fizik describes its shape as 'wide and slightly curved in profile, which is ideal for riders with medium spine flexibility'.

Read our review of the Fizik's Antares R5 Kium
Find a fizik dealer

Fabric ALM Ultimate — £140-£180

Fabric Alm Ultimate.jpg

Fabric's ALM Ultimate saddle is an extremely lightweight saddle that's beautifully made. It's best suited to those who like a firm feel and don't mind paying a premium price.

When your bum forst encounters the ALM it's a little surprising just how firm it feels. The 'ultra-light PU foam' padding is quite thin and there's not masses of give in the 'aerospace UD carbon fibre' base or the carbon-fibre rails. Don't get us wrong, it's not solid, but it isn't soft either.

Read our review of the Fabric ALM Ultimate
Find a Fabric dealer

Brooks Cambium C13 — £99.99-£124

Brooks Cambium C13 carbon saddle.jpg

The Brooks Cambium C13 is the latest model in the English brand's excursion into non-traditional materials for its saddles. There's no leather or chromed steel at all here, replaced by the vulcanised natural rubber and cotton top surface previously seen in the original Cambium models, and – what's this? – a full carbon fibre structure underneath. It's very well made (in Italy, not Birmingham, unlike the majority of the range) and there's no breaking-in period, unlike the leather models.

Read our review of the Brooks Cambium C13

Morgaw Trian — ~£90

Morgaw Trian Saddle.jpg

A supremely comfortable saddle with innovative shock absorption built in, the Morgaw Trian is designed for comfort, and our tester thought it perhaps the most comfortable saddle he had ever used. It seems that the shock absorbers are what have really made it comfortable. Morgaw is a saddle company from Slovakia that began as a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo. The idea behind it came from Martin Moravcik and Slawek Gawlik, two ex-pro mountain bikers who wanted to make a new kind of saddle.

Rather than simply having the rails mounted onto the base of the saddle, they mount through shock absorbers in order to lessen the impact of bumps in the road. It is meant to protect your spine as this is naturally where the shocks radiate.

Read our review of the Morgaw Trian

Fabric Line Elite — £54.99

Fabric Line saddle - 4

Proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a comfortable saddle, for just £40 this is a super-comfortable performance saddle with pressure-relieving channel.

It's based on Charge's popular Scoop but the foam padding is partitioned down the middle. The unique construction method means Fabric has been able to retain a full base, so you're protected from road spray (many saddles have a hole) and no reinforcement is needed of the foam padding, which means it can be lighter.

Read our review of the Fabric Line Elite

Spa Cycles Aire — £48

Spa Cycles Aire Leather Saddle

If the three-figure price of a Brooks Swift is a bit rich for your blood, this very similar own-brand seat from Harrogate touring specialist Spa Cycles is a very acceptable substitute. It's made from thick Australian leather with shiny chromed steel rails; very handsome.

Our tester found it comfortable even for 15-hour rides. For hard-core randonneurs on a budget or leather saddle virgins who want to try one without breaking the bank the Aire is just about perfect.

Read our review of the Spa Cycles Aire

Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow — ~£68

Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow saddle

The Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow saddle is one of the most widely rider-recommended women's saddles and it's easy to see why. It's comfortable, flexible, light and it even looks good too.

This is a superior quality design offering superb comfort for all styles of bike and ride. An excellent women's saddle.

Read our review of the Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
Find a Selle Italia dealer

Rido R-Lt — £68.50

Rido R-Lt saddle

The Rido R-Lt saddle is a reasonably lightweight performance choice that's built specifically to avoid numbness. This is a brilliant saddle. It does what Rido claim with regards to comfort plus the shape and fit are spot on. It is low profile enough to be taken seriously as a race saddle and at only 230g it isn't going to add any unnecessary weight to your race bike.

Read our review of the Rido R-Lt
Find a Rido dealer

Genetic Bikes Monocoque Carbon — £88.99

Genetic Bikes Monocoque Carbon Saddle

The Monocoque Carbon saddle from Genetic is just that: a saddle made mainly from carbon. It's light and comfortable, and not cheap, but it compares well against similar saddles from other manufacturers.

For many road cyclists, especially those doing longer distances, it's not about just weight, nor just price. It's about the best combination of weight, price and (most important) comfort. And on that basis the Genetic Monocoque Carbon saddle is well worth considering.

Read our review of the Genetic Bikes Monocoque Carbon
Find a Genetic Bikes dealer

Specialized Ruby Expert women's — £85

Specialized Ruby Expert saddle.jpg

Specialized's Body Geometry Ruby Expert saddle is one of those rare beasts, a lightweight women's specific performance saddle that's available in a choice of widths including a properly narrow 130mm to suit your style of riding and just as importantly your sit bones too.

The cushioning is placed exactly where you need it to support your sit bones, effectively alleviating any discomfort or feeling of pressure. It's a super light, firm but comfortably supportive road saddle with width fittings to suit most riders.

Read our review of the Specialized Ruby Expert
Find a Specialized stockist

Brooks Cambium C17 — £79.99

Brooks Cambium C17 saddle

What do you get if you combine the classic Brooks 'hammock' saddle design with thoroughly modern materials? You get the supremely comfortable Cambium C17. It's not the lightest saddle around, but f you value comfort over weight, then the Brooks Cambium C17 should be on your list of saddles you must try, and soon.

Read our review of the Brooks Cambium C17
Find a Brooks dealer

Fabric Scoop Pro Flat — £129.99

Fabric Scoop Flat Pro saddle.jpg

Scoop saddles are is available in three shapes: flat, shallow and radius. Though there isn't much padding in the Fabric Scoop Pro Flat, there is loads of flex in the one-piece base and it's this flex that really provides the core of the comfort. The carbon rails do provide a surprising amount of flex, but their shape and size isn't compatible with a lot of seat post clamps, so the best advice is to check your seat post is compatible; you might need to change clamp or post.

The real beauty of the Fabric Scoop is the construction. The waterproof microfibre cover isn't stitched or stapled into place, it's moulded to a one-piece nylon base. It's really very impressive and if you get the chance to fondle one in your bike shop you really should, it's a marvellous bit of design.

Read our review of the Fabric Scoop Flat Pro Saddle
Find a Fabric dealer

Rivet Independence chromoly — £129.99

Rivet Independence cromoly saddle

On the surface the Rivet Independence is a traditional leather saddle, but it has a modern twist in the form of a composite resin frame. anyone who fancies trying a leather saddle would do well to try the Independence.

The Independence shares the quality construction and thick leather of Rivet's Pearl saddle, along with the all-important tension plate underneath, which prevent the saddle from splaying. Where it differs significantly from the other saddles in the range is the composite resin frame (complete with bag loops). This sturdy plastic helps to keep the weight down.

After a short acclimatisation period our tester's backside and the saddle were in complete harmony. Anyone who fancies trying a leather saddle would do well to try the Independence.

Read our review of the Rivet Independence chomoly saddle
Find a Rivet saddles stockist

Selle San Marco Mantra Superleggera Saddle — £289.99

San Marco Mantra Superleggera Saddle.jpg

The Selle San Marco Mantra Superleggera Saddle is an incredibly light and very stiff design that allows for a really strong transfer of power.

Weight is the biggest selling point of this saddle, and Selle San Marco has really pulled out all the stops in cutting down excess, it comes in at just 112.1g.

Read our review of the Selle San Mantra Superleggera saddle
Find a Selle San Marco dealer

For oodles of saddle reviews see the road.cc saddle review archive.

About road.cc Buyer's Guides

The aim of road.cc buyer's guides is to give you the most, authoritative, objective and up-to-date buying advice. We continuously update and republish our guides, checking prices, availability and looking for the best deals.

Our guides include links to websites where you can buy the featured products. Like most sites we make a small amount of money if you buy something after clicking on one of those links. We want you to be happy with what you buy, so we only include a product in a if we think it's one of the best of its kind.

As far as possible that means recommending equipment that we have actually reviewed, but we also include products that are popular, highly-regarded benchmarks in their categories.

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You can also find further guides on our sister sites off.road.cc and ebiketips.

Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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Buyer's guide to tubeless tyres — all your options in new technology rubber

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Want to go tubeless? Here are all your options in tyres.

Tubeless tyres are gradually gaining popularity as more riders become convinced that their improved ride and increased resistance to punctures are worth the cost of new wheels and tyres and the sometimes problematic fitting process. If you’re about to make the switch, here’s a look at your tyre options.

When tubeless tyres for road wheels first appeared you had very few choices. Hutchinson made tyres, Shimano and Stan’s NoTubes made wheels and conversion kits and, er, that was it. Now many tyre makers offer tubeless options, though Michelin and Continental are notable hold-outs.

Read more: How to fit a tubeless tyre
Read more: Road tubeless: everything you need to know — including how to convert

Bontrager

Bontrager R3.jpeg

Bontrager R3

Bontrager offers a range of three tyres badged Tubeless Ready, which means what you need to get them working is sealant and either Bontrager’s special rim strips if you have Bontrager wheels, or other tubeless compatible wheels and valves. In ascending order of raciness, they’re the AW2, R2 and R3. We’ve tested and liked the latter as part of the Bontrager Road TLR Upgrade Kit.

Read our review of the Bontrager R3 Tubeless Ready
Read our review of the Bontrager Road TLR Upgrade Kit
Read our review of the Bontrager CX3 Team Issue TLR Cyclocross Tyres

Find a Bontrager dealer


TyreClaimed weight Price
Bontrager R2 TLR235g (25mm)£29.95
Bontrager R3 TLR200g (25mm)£38.49
Bontrager CX0 TLR395g (33mm)£44.99
Bontrager CX3 TLR405g (33mm)£44.99
Bontrager AW2360g (26mm)£40.00

Compass

Compass Barlow Pass TC tyre.jpg

Compass Barlow Pass TC

Compass Cycles grew out of the magazine Bicycle Quarterly, founded in 2002 by Jan Heine, a Seattle-based long-distance cyclist and journalist. Heine contends that wide, supple tyres perform better in every respect than skinny tyres, and perform better than would be expected from rolling resistance twsts performed on smooth steel drums. And he's put his money on it with a line of tyres that includes tubeless models.

Read our review of Compass Cycles Barlow Pass tyres

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Snoqualmie Pass TC 44mm378g/329g£58/£70
Barlow Pass TC 38mm430g/380g£54/£68
Steilacoom TC 38mm423g/370g£56/£70
Bon Jon Pass TC 35mm355g/303g£54/£67
Switchback Hill TC 650B x 48mm478g/413g£58/£73
Babyshoe Pass TC 650B x 42mm410g/373g£56/£70
Pumpkin Ridge TC 650B x 42mm480g/418g£58/£72

Donnelly

Donnelly X'Plor MSO tyres 2.jpg

Donnelly is the new name for the tyres formerly known as Clement, after Clement brand owner Pirelli decided to return to the tyre sector. Donnelly specialises in cyclocross tyres—all the 33mm tyres in the range are for cyclocross—but has a decent selection of fat rubber for gravel and bad roads too.

TyreClaimed weightPrice
BOS 700C456g (33mm)£40.00
MXP 650B430g (33mm)£34.99
MXP 700C446g (33mm)£40.00
PDX 700C426g (33mm)£50.00
Strada USH 650B472g (36mm), 536g (42mm), 644g (50mm)£51.99-£65.00
Strada USH 700C338g (32mm), 562 (40mm)£51.99-£65.00
X'Plor MSO 650B532g (42mm), 670g (50mm)£65.00
X'Plor MSO 700C420g (30mm), 532g (40mm), 794g (50mm)£51.99-£65.00

Ere Research

ere_research_genus_tyre.jpg
Ere Research Genus

Ere research CEO Piet van der Velde has almost three decades in the bike industry, most recently as product director of saddle maker Selle Italia before founding Ere Research in 2017. The company launched with an extensive range of tyres, with tubeless versions of almost all models, and some — the Tempus tyres for time trials — only available in a tubeless format.

Read our review of the Ere Research Genus

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Genus235g (24mm) 242g (26mm) 268g (28mm)£66.99
Omnia248g (24mm) 255g (26mm) 283g (28mm) 308g (30mm)£66.99
Tenaci360g (30mm) 394g (32mm) 408g (36mm) n/a (40mm)£66.99
Pontus255g (24mm) 276g (26mm)£66.99
Tempus255g (26mm) 291g (28mm)£66.99

 

Giant

GIANT GAVIA SLR 1.jpg
Giant Gavia SLR 1

The world's biggest bike manufacturer has switched to tubeless tyres and wheels on large swathe of its 2018 models. Giant has come up with a ten-model range that covers a full range of applications from racing to messing about in the dirt.

Find a Giant dealer

TyreClaimed weight Price
Giant Gavia SL 1300g (25mm)£39.99
Giant Gavia SLR 1255g (25mm)£49.99
Giant Gavia Race 1255g (25mm)£39.99
Giant Gavia Race 0307g (25mm)£49.99
Giant Gavia AC 0278g (25mm), 302g (28mm)£49.99
Giant Gavia AC 1330g (25mm), 373g (28mm)£39.99
Giant Gavia AC 2411g (25mm), 441g (28mm)£29.99
Giant Crosscut Tour 2553g (30mm)£29.99
Giant Crosscut AT 2673g (38mm)£24.99
Giant Crosscut Gravel 2573g (40mm), 705g (45mm), 725g (50mm)£29.99

Goodyear

goodyear_eagle_all-season_tubeless_road_tyre_700x28.jpg

Goodyear announced a return to bicycle tyres in 2018 with a range that includes what the company describes as 'Tubeless Complete' tyres, which have "tubeless specific bead and casings, allowing for easy installation and superior air retention". With a tyre carcass that's impenetrable to sealant but not airtight, Tubeless Complete is a sort of halfway house between Road Tubeless, which has an air-retaining coat of butyl rubber on the inside of the tyre and Tubeless Ready, which has a standard tyre carcass. Goodyear recommends the use of sealant to make sure the bead is properly seals against the rim, and says sealant won't seep through the Tubeless Complete carcass so it will still all be there when you need it to fix a puncture.

TyreClaimed weight Price
Eagle All Season300g (25mm), 316g (28mm), 326g (30mm), 377g (32mm)£49.50-£60.00
Transit Speed565g (35mm), 626g (40mm), 769g (50mm)£50.00
Transit Tour722g (650B x 50mm), 565g (35mm), 626g (40mm), 769g (50mm)£37.99
County526g (Premium 35mm), 441g (Ultimate 35mm)~£42.00
Connector542g (Premium 40mm), 463g (Ultimate 40mm)~£40.00

Hutchinson

Hutchinson Sector 28 tubeless tyre

Hutchinson Sector 28

Hutchinson launched tubeless tyres for road bikes back in 2006, so it’s no surprise the French tyre maker has a fairly big range. While most tyre makers have gone down the Tubeless Ready route with lightweight tyres that need sealant to keep the air in, Hutchinson also makes tyres to the original Road Tubeless spec, sealed with a coating of rubber inside the tyre.

Hutchinson's flagship tubeless tyre is the Fusion 5, which is available in a number of variants. There are Tubeless Ready versions that need sealant, and Road Tubeless versions that, on paper, don't need sealant, but that everyone uses sealant with anyway just to be safe. Both Road Tubeless and Tubeless Ready versions are available in Galactik, Performance and All Season variants.

Galactik is the lightest version, intended for racing; Performance is the all-rounder with a slightly thicker tread and All Season is more durable, with a thicker tread and grooves to allegedly disperse water in wet conditions. Road Tubeless Fusion 5s come in 23mm and 25mm widths, Tubeless Ready in 25mm, plus 28mm in Performance and All Season.

All Fusion 5s use Hutchinson's ElevenStorm rubber which provides very low rolling resistance and buckets of grip. Tubeless Ready versions have Hutchinson's Hardskin bead-to-bead protection to reduce cuts and punctures. Galactik Road Tubeless tyres have a light reinforcement under the tread, while Performance and All Season Road Tubeless tyres get extra protection in the form of a Kevlar band.

Read our review of the Hutchinson Intensive Road Tubeless tyres
Read our review of the Hutchinson Fusion 2 tubeless tyres
Read our review of the Hutchinson Sector 28 tubeless tyres

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Tubeless Ready All Season260g (25mm)£34.00
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Tubeless Ready Performance255g (25mm)£39.95
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Tubeless Ready Galactik240g (25mm)£45.00
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Road Tubeless All Season325g (25mm)£29.99
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Road Tubeless Performance315g (25mm)£34.99
Hutchinson Fusion 5 Road Tubeless Galactik285g (25mm)£61.29
Hutchinson Fusion 3 Road Tubeless300g (25mm)£36.33
Hutchinson Intensive 2 Road Tubeless315g (25mm)£36.32
Hutchinson Sector 28 Tubeless Ready295g (28mm)£30.54

IRC

IRC Pro Tubeless.jpg

IRC Formula Pro Tubeless

IRC makes several tubeless or tubeless ready tyres, but they’re very rare in the UK; we’ve only been able to find one source. That’s a pity as IRC has been pushing road tubeless technology to make tyres lighter and faster. The Pro Tubeless tyres have internal coating based on latex rubber rather than synthetic butyl. That makes for lower rolling resistance, just as a regular clincher tyre is faster with a latex inner tube than a butyl one.

Read our review of the Formula Pro Tubeless RBCC
Read our review of the Formula Pro Tubeless X-Guard

TyreClaimed weightPrice
IRC Formula Pro Tubeless Light285g (25mm)£62.00
IRC Formula Pro Tubeless RBCC310g (25mm)£55.00
IRC Roadlite Tubeless340g (25mm)£45.00
IRC Formula Pro Fusion X-guard Tubeless300g/340g (25mm/28mm)£55.00

Kenda

Kenda Kommandox Pro Tubeless Ready Tyre.jpg

Kenda Kommando X Pro

Kenda's line of tubeless-ready tyres focuses on gravel and cyclocross tyres, with just one road tyre, the Valkyrie. They're designated KSCT, for Kenda Sealant-Compatible Tyre. Some models seem to be quite hard to find in the UK, but we've been bradly impressed by the Kenda gravel tyres we've tested.

Read our review of the Kenda Cholla Pro
Read our review of the Kenda Kommando X Pro
Read our review of the Kenda Flintridge Pro

Find a Kenda dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Flintridge Pro515g (40mm) 481 (35mm)£36.99
Cholla Pro428g (33mm)£33.42
Kommando X Pro364g (32mm)~£26.00
Happy Medium Pro435g (32mm) 496g (35mm) 556g (42mm)~£30.00
Small Block Eight Pro427g (37mm) 404g (32mm)~£15.00
Slant Six Pro522g (32mm) 591g (45mm)NA
Kommando Pro364g (32mm)NA
Valkyrie234g (23mm) 252g (25mm) 283g (28mm) 327g (30mm)£55.00

 

Maxxis

Maxxis Re-Fuse.jpg

Maxxis is known for mountain bike tyres, but also offers tubeless-ready tyres in a wide range of sizes and applications, plus a tubeless tyre that doesn't need sealant.

Find a Maxxis dealer

TyreClaimed weight Price
Padrone TR (ISO 622/700C)250g (23mm), 260g (25mm), 300g (28mm)£42.49
Radiale TL (ISO 622/700C)280g (22mm), 305g (24mm)~£56.00/£68.00
Re-Fuse TR (ISO 622/700C)  390g (32mm), 520g (40mm)£39.29
Re-Fuse TR (ISO 584/650B)610g (50mm)£34.39
Rambler TR (ISO 622/700C)380g (38mm/120tpi), 415g (38mm/60tpi), 375g (40mm/120tpi), 420g (40mm/60tpi)£39.99
Ravager (ISO 622/700C)485g (40mm/120tpi), 530g (40mm/60tpi)£47.99

Mavic

Mavic Yksion Pro UST Clincher Tyre

Mavic Yksion Pro UST

Mavic jumped into the road tubeless sector with both boots in summer 2017, announcing a new standard — Road UST — and a big range of wheels. The accompanying tyre offerings are a bit thin at the moment — the Yksion Pro UST in 25mm and 28mm widths — but Mavic clearly anticipates other manufacturers adopting the standard when it's been ratified by the relevant international bodies.

Mavic still offers its all-purpose/gravel tyre in the old Road Tubeless standard, the 30mm Yksion Elite Allroad.

Find a Mavic dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Mavic Yksion Elite AllRoad330g (30mm)£42.00
Yksion Pro USTNA£29.37

Panaracer

Panaracer Race A Evo 3 tubeless tyre.jpeg

Panaracer Race A Evo 3

Panaracer has joined the tubeless fray with the Race A Evo 3 Tubeless. The Japanese tyre maker has developed a brand new bead which it claims allows the tyre to be inflated using just a hand pump and claims this tyre increases puncture resistance by 24% compared to the previous Evo 2 tyre, thanks to a new Protite puncture proof material. The tread compound is also claimed to improve cornering performance.

Read our review of the Panaracer Race A Evo 3 tubeless

Find a Panaracer dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Panaracer Race A Evo 3280g (23mm)£55.00

Ritchey

ritchey_wcs_alpine_jb_120tpi_tlr_stronghold_tyre.jpg
Ritchey Alpine JB

Ritchey has just one model of tubeless tyre, the 35mm version of the Alpine JB. We liked the non-tubeless 30mm equivalent, so for dirt road riding, the Alpine JB is well worth a look.

Find a Ritchey dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
WCS Alpine JB Stronghold 35mm400g~£41.00

Find a Ritchey dealer

Schwalbe

ProOne_Close_up

Schwalbe ProOne

Schwalbe says “The future will be tubeless” in its latest blurb for the Schwalbe Pro One tyre, which it claims is its best tubeless tyre ever. We tested the slightly less advanced One Tubeless recently and found it rode brilliantly and, unlike many tubeless tyres, it was easy to get on the rim and to then pop into place on the bead seat.

Schwalbe offers a total of six ‘Tubeless Easy’ tyres, from the Pro One, which is being reliably reported as having a super-low rolling resistance, to the aptly named Big One, a 60mm tyre intended for mountain bike beach racing but which we’ve included in case anyone’s thinking of building up a ‘monster-cross’ bike.

Read our review of the Schwalbe One Tubeless
Read our review of the Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless
Read our review of the Schwalbe S-One Tubeless

Find a Schwalbe dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Schwalbe Pro One255g (25mm)£66.99
Schwalbe X-One370g (33mm)£52.49
Schwalbe G-One Allround400g (35mm)£37.99
Schwalbe Big One530g (60mm)£42.98
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme595g (40mm)£34.99
Schwalbe Marathon Almotion655g (40mm)~£31.00

Specialized

Specialized Roubaix Road Tubeless.jpg

Specialized Roubaix Road Tubeless

Until recently, Specialized has focused on endurance and cyclo-cross riding with its Tubeless Ready tyres, which it spells 2Bliss because — well, who knows. Californians, eh?

Specialized also makes a Road Tubeless version of its S-Works Turbo tyre. The 26mm version of this tyre recently won a rolling resistance test against a range of standard and tubeless tyres, and looks promising as a fast tyre for UK riding.

Read our review of the Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss Ready

Find a Specialized dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Specialized Roubaix Road Tubeless295g (25mm)£70.00
Specialized Terra Pro 2Bliss Ready370g (33mm)£40.00
Specialized Tracer Pro 2Bliss Ready365g (33mm)£40.00
Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss Ready490g (38mm)£42.00
Specialized S-Works Turbo Tubeless Ready240g (24mm)£60.00
Specialized Sawtooth 2Bliss Ready615g (42mm)£40.00

Vittoria

Vittoria Corsa Speed (Open TLR).jpg

Vittoria makes the big claim that this graphene technology tyre is the fastest ever independently measured, and the lightest tubeless-ready tyre too.

Find a Vittoria dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Corsa Speed (Open TLR)205g (23mm)£45.99

Zipp

Zipp Tangente Speed RT28 Tubeless Clincher.jpg

Wheel maker Zipp — part of the SRAM group — offers the Tangente Speed tubeless tyre in two sizes, 25mm and 28mm. We found them easy to install and fast-rolling, but they're expensive.

Read our review of the Zipp Tangente RT28

Find a Zipp dealer

TyreClaimed weightPrice
Tangente RT25292g£71.00
Tangente RT28302g£71.00
About road.cc Buyer's Guides

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Road.cc buyer's guides are maintained and updated by John Stevenson. Email John with comments, corrections or queries.

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