All of the major brands have announced new road bikes for 2019 and here are 10 of the most eye-catching.
Loads of the new road bikes that have been revealed over the past few months are equipped with disc brakes and that's reflected here. There are certainly new rim brake designs being released, and we've included several, but big brands are concentrating their research and development on disc brake bikes because that's the way they believe the market is heading.
Most of the new bikes we've included here are pretty expensive. That's because new releases tend to be pricey before the technology gradually trickles down the range over time.
Don't worry if your favourite new bike isn't included; we'll have more 2019 bike roundups on road.cc over the next few weeks.
Check out all of our road bike reviews
Cannondale SystemSix £3,499.99-£8,499.99
Cannondale claims that its new SystemSix, available only with disc brakes, is “the world’s fastest UCI-legal road bike”, largely thanks to an aerodynamic performance that has been honed in CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and the wind tunnel.
Cannondale says that it has tailored the airfoil profiles of the various parts of the frame “with differing degrees of truncation designed to maintain flow attachment across important yaw angles to minimise drag”.
The £3,499.99 SystemSix Carbon Ultegra comes with Fulcrum Racing 400 DB wheels and a Shimano Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes.
Get all the tech details on the Cannondale SystemSix
Read about our first ride aboard the Cannondale SystemSix
Specialized Venge £6,250-£10,000
Specialized has radically redesigned its Venge aero road bike for 2019, giving it an all-new frame and fork that's compatible only with disc brakes and electronic gears – meaning that there are no complete bikes available for less than £6,250. Gulp!
The new Venge is lighter and faster than the previous version but we found that it's the much-improved handling and stiffness that most sets it apart.
Get all the tech details on the Specialized Venge
Check out our Specialized Venge first ride report
Look 795 Blade RS £TBC
The new Look 795 Blade RS aero road bike features truncated aero section tubes, an invisible seatpost clamp and an integrated aero cockpit. The seatstays are long and curved and there's no brake bridge between them. The design is intended to allow some vertical movement for increased comfort and traction. The bike is available in both rim brake and disc brake versions.
Get the full story of the Look 795 Blade RS
Giant Defy £1,999-£4,499
The latest version of Giant’s hugely popular endurance road bike has wider tyre clearance than previously (up to 32mm), tubeless tyres and D-Fuse handlebars that are designed to provide extra compliance. The Defy Advanced Pro 0 also comes with Giant’s new Power Pro dual-sided power meter, which looks like a great deal for £4,499.
Get all the tech details on the new Giant Defy
Read about our first ride on the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0
3T Strada Due (frameset) £3,699
The Strada aero road bike was initially designed with a single chainring transmission in mind but 3T has now added the Strada Due to the lineup, giving you the option of fitting an electronic groupset with a double chainring. The seat tube has also been beefed up a little to support the use of the front mech, but that change aside it's the same as the original Strada.
Read our report on the launch of the 3T Strada Due
Check out our first ride on the 3T Strada Due
Trek Madone SLR £5,500-£10,550
Trek's new Madone road bike comes with adjustable IsoSpeed (a system that decouples the seat tube from the top tube to smooth the ride) and an updated geometry.
Read our guide to Trek's 2019 road bike range
The rim brake bikes are slightly lighter than the newly introduced disc brake models, but Trek says there's no aerodynamic penalty in going for discs.
The Madone SLR is a high-end option, even the most affordable rim brake option, the SLR 6 P1, is £5,500.
Read our report on the new Trek Madone here
Check out our guide to Trek's 2019 range
Triban RC 500 & RC 520 £529-£729
A cheap entry on a list of the hottest bikes? Why not? Decathlon has added two new disc-braked models in the popular Triban range and they look like exceptional value for money. The £530 Triban RC 500 and £730 Triban RC 520 share the new Evo 18 6061 aluminium frame, with a tall head tube, steeply sloping top tube, fittings for racks and mudguards and clearance for tyres up to 40mm wide.
These are deeply practical bikes, but they’re not unexciting. It might take a little while to wind them up to speed but once there they boom along very nicely!
Get all the details of the new Triban RC 500 and RC 520
Genesis Zero SL Disc £2,699.99
Genesis has added disc brake versions of its Zero SL carbon fibre race bike for 2019, with 12mm thru-axles and flat mount disc brakes. The aggressive geometry is unaltered.
You can buy the frameset for £1,699.99 or pay £2,699.99 for the complete bike with Shimano's second-tier Ultegra groupset, including hydraulic disc brakes.
Check out our first look at the Genesis Zero SL Disc
Colnago C64 £4,099.95-£4,599 (frameset)
The updated Colnago C64 builds on the success of its predecessor with a raft of refinements that bring enhanced stiffness, comfort and clearance for wider tyres. It isn't so much a revolution as an evolution, and it's the best C series yet, and one of a handful of bikes still made in Italy.
"Smooth, fast, light, surefooted, fun... the C64 is one of the nicest bikes I've had the pleasure to review," said our David Arthur, and he's a man with exacting standards!
Read our review of the Colnago C64 frameset
Ridley Noah Fast £5,459-£8,189
Ridley has redesigned its top-level aero road bike with channels towards the front edge of the tubing that are designed to act as vortex generators to reduce drag. The fork integrates with the frame, the seatpost clamp is hidden from the airflow and an integrated handlebar/stem is fitted up front. The cabling is internally routed through the bar/stem and Ridley claims a weight saving of about 250g over the previous Noah. Both rim brake and disc brake versions are available.