The Breed is Felt’s dedicated gravel bike for 2021 and the £2,159 / €2,399 / $2,899 Breed 20 is the more expensive of two available builds.

Somewhat confusingly, Felt sells the Breed range alongside its Broam adventure road bike. Both bikes use aluminium frames and are geared up to go off-road.

The way we’ve interpreted the lineup is Felt’s Breed is more of a gravel race bike while the Broam is more of an explorer with less of an emphasis on speed. The Broam is also significantly cheaper, with complete builds starting from just £1,249 / €999 / $1,299.

As you’d expect for the price, the Breed frame is aluminium rather than carbon, but it’s a fully-featured chassis with everything you’d want from a modern gravel bike. It’s a sharp looker too, thanks to dropped chainstays, smooth welds and a classy ‘satin velvet’ paint finish.

Felt claims this bike delivers “classic road bike manners”, but delving into the spec sheets it’s interesting to see how this bike’s geometry differs from some competitors.

Compared to Canyon’s aluminium Grail, for example, the Breed has a shorter wheelbase and reach figures for each given size but a significantly slacker head angle.

To complement the slack head angle, the Breed’s carbon fork has a longer than usual offset figure of 50mm. It’s the opposite of what Canyon is doing with the Grail’s steeper head angle and shorter fork offset.

There are three bottle cage mounts within the front triangle and a fourth on the top tube for a bento box storage bag.

The frame will accept either 650b or 700c wheels, but comes fitted with 700c Devox branded alloy rims with an internal diameter of 21mm.

The rims are fitted with tubeless-ready Vittoria Terreno Dry TNT 40mm tyres. There’s clearance for up to 45mm tyres if you stick with 700c or the frame will officially accept up to 2.1in with 650b wheels fitted.

The bike is sold with the hardware to fit full-length mudguards and is fully compatible with panniers thanks to concealed luggage mounts, including one particularly smart one that integrates with the rear seat clamp.

The Breed 20 is dressed in SRAM’s Force 1 groupset – meaning taut, proven 1×11 shifting and excellent control from flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes. Rather than run the standard SRAM Force chainset, Felt has upgraded the Breed 20 with a Praxis Works Zayante Carbon-S 40t chainset. This spins in a T47 bottom bracket shell.

The build is completed with a lot of parts from in-house brand Devox, but also includes a Prologo Dimension saddle. Our size 56(L) test bike tipped the scales at a respectable 9.36kg (without pedals).

You only have to head across to our list of the best gravel bikes to realise this area of the marketplace is somewhat saturated. Still, the Breed 20 looks likely to be another great choice thanks to its considered specification, keen pricing and practical features. You’ll have to stay tuned to BikeRadar to find out whether or not this bike lives up to the hype.

Following on from BiviBikes’ debut offering, the genre-blurring Malvern, the Graveller is a similarly adventurous drop-bar steel gravel bike.

Covered in mounts for bikepacking luggage and other accessories, the sturdy Graveller definitely falls at the mountain bike-adjacent end of the gravel spectrum.

Its frame is built from skinny steel tubes and it’s matched to a simple rigid steel fork. Like the Malvern, the Graveller’s design blends gravel and mountain bike features.

The Graveller comes in just one size at the moment, corresponding roughly to a 55cm, which Bivi reckons is suitable for riders from 5ft 5in (165cm) to 6ft 1in (185cm).

The bike has drop bars but adopts more progressive geometry than many gravel bikes, taking a mountain bike-esque approach that should translate into more forgiving manners on technical terrain.

This entails a fairly short stack of 558mm, but a long reach (for a drop bar bike) of 409mm that pairs naturally with shorter stems.

The Graveller’s head angle is fairly slack at 70 degrees and, in combination with the fork offset of 51mm, this produces a trail figure of 77mm, which is at the upper end of what’s typical and should produce very stable handling.

Add in a moderately wide bar and you’ve got a recipe for good times in the rough – we’ve seen similar geometry work really well on bikes like the Canyon Grail 6.

For truly rowdy adventures, Bivi offers the Bunker+, which adds an additional bracing tube to the frame between the down tube and the top tube (just in front of the seat tube).

This produces a stiffer frame for carrying heavy loads, and nets you an extra set of cage or accessory mounts inside the frame.

Bivi offers the Graveller in two standard builds of which this is the slightly cheaper option. Look out for a full review in the near future.

As we’re constantly telling you, gravel and adventure bikes are all the rage at the moment. It seems like every bike brand wants to have multiple horses in the race, and Vitus – a direct to consumer brand now sold exclusively by online behemoths Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles – is no different.

We’ve already reviewed the Vitus Substance CRX, a racy full carbon gravel bike, but the Substance SRS 1 caters for those who are less focused on competition and more interested in cruising and adventure.

Priced keenly at just £1,599.99, the heart of the bike is the Reynolds 725 double-butted steel frame.

Yes, bikes with steel frames like this are generally a little heavier than their carbon or aluminium peers (Vitus claims 10.61kg for a size medium), but there are plenty of positives too.

Beyond the much talked about differences in ride quality – steel is real, in case you hadn’t heard – you also get a frame that can take more abuse and keep on trucking.

On top of that, steel framed bikes and their elegant, svelte tubes stand out in a sea of black carbon bikes with oversized tubes. This makes them incredibly instagram-friendly, which is likely to be a crucial deciding factor for any wannabe gravelista.

Likewise, the BSA threaded bottom bracket and fully external cable routing won’t win any prizes for innovation, but both are wonderfully simple and should make maintenance a breeze.

As you’d hope, the Substance SRS1 is fitted with a full complement of rack mounts, mudguard mounts and bottle mounts too.

The Prime Kanza wheels (named after one of the most famous gravel cycling locations) have 650b alloy rims that are 30mm deep, 25mm wide and have a healthy 21mm internal width. They’re tubeless ready and claimed to weigh just 1,550g for a set, which would be impressive.

The wheels are shod with chunky WTB Venture TCS 650b x 47 tubeless-ready tyres. We’re generally big fans of WTB’s gravel tyres here at BikeRadar, so this wheel and tyre combo bodes well for the Substance SRS1.

The drivetrain is made up of SRAM’s 11-speed Apex 1x groupset, with a KMC chain and 11-42 tooth SunTour cassette substituted in.

The SRAM Apex X-Sync 1x chainset is fitted with a 40t chainring, giving a decent spread of gears for general on- and off-road riding, and the rear derailleur has a clutch mechanism to help keep the chain in check.

• Gravel bike setup: how to choose the right gearing, wheel size, tyres and more

The handlebar is notably progressive too, with flattened tops to improve comfort and flared drops for improved control off-road.

The geometry is fairly relaxed, with a size medium frame having a stack and reach of 567.5mm and 381.9mm, respectively. The 73.5-degree seat-tube angle and a slack 71.5-degree head-tube angle, paired with a 90mm stem (smaller and larger sizes get correspondingly shorter and longer stems), should provide a calm and confident steering response.

Vitus says “the Substance is the bike that will go anywhere you point it; on whatever surface you choose”, and we’re very much looking forward to putting that claim to the test.

Though UK-based Ragley Bikes is better known for its high-scoring hardtail mountain bikes, the brand says its Trig gravel bike has been a “firm favourite for a massively diverse group of riders” since it was first introduced in 2019.

Alongside the rest of the Ragley range, the Trig has been updated for 2021 and takes pride of place as this week’s Bike of the Week.

The mountain bike influence can be clearly seen throughout the Trig.

To start, the bike’s low-slung 4130 Chromoly steel frameset rolls on 650b wheels, which are fitted with – in the context of gravel bikes – seriously chunky 47mm-wide WTB Sendero tyres.

These are the most aggressive gravel tyres in the brand’s range, giving the bike a very mountain bike-like silhouette.

If that isn’t quite enough for you, the bike will also accommodate tyres up to 2.1in wide (~54mm) on 650b wheels or 40mm wide on 700c wheels.

As well as generous tyre clearance, the Trig also features routing for a dropper post, with the cable entering at the base of the seat tube.

The 27.2mm diameter seat tube will limit choice a little, but the number of short-travel gravel/XC dropper posts in this size is increasing.

The bike is available in one complete build. This is based around a Shimano GRX 600 groupset set up in a 1× configuration. This sees a 42t chainring paired with an 11-42t cassette, giving ample climb-friendly range.

The bike uses bolt-on cable guides, which run along the underside of the down tube. Providing you aren’t using a dropper post, we reckon it would be possible to fit a 2× drivetrain with full-length housing should you wish.

The finishing kit comes from Ragley. The build as pictured will set you back £1,699.99.

• Gravel bike setup: how to choose the right gearing, wheel size, tyres and more

Looking at the geometry, the headline figure is the slack 70-degree head angle across all sizes, except the smallest, which slackens out to 69.5 degrees (presumably to increase front-centre, and thus reduce the risk of toe overlap).

As we’ve remarked many times before, a 70-degree head angle wouldn’t have been unusual on a XC mountain bike a few short years ago. This is matched with a 74-degree seat angle.

On our size 58cm test bike, the reach is stretched out to 401mm.

The logic of extending reach on a mountain bike carries over to a shred-ready gravel bike – by increasing the reach while shortening the stem, your weight is more biased to the rear of the bike. This improves handling in steep terrain, where you are less pitched over the front wheel.

The 401mm figure isn’t the longest out there – for example, the size-large (56cm) Focus Atlas we tested a few weeks ago stretches things out to 410mm – but the Trig definitely sits in the progressive end of the gravel geometry spectrum.

Though it’s primarily designed as a trail-biased gravel bike, the Trig also has mounts for mudguards, as well as a rear pannier rack. There are also triple-boss cage mounts on the fork legs.

In the words of Ragley, the brand has “seen them fully loaded for multi-day adventures, shod with slicks as an urban commuter, or just ridden stock for local lockdown sanity missions”. With a few choice swaps, you could turn the Trig to most tasks.

With that in mind, if you prefer the idea of building up your own bike, the Trig – as with all of Ragley’s bikes – is available as a bare frameset for £649.99.

First launched in 2014, the 2021 Aircode DRS is the third version of the French brand’s aero road bike.

Claimed to be stiffer, more aerodynamic and more comfortable than its predecessor, the Aircode DRS is disc brake-only and features levels of integration typical of the latest generation of race bikes.

The top-of-the-range Aircode DRS 8.0 model we have here is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and DT Swiss carbon wheels, and costs £6,300 / €6,999.

Like most new high-end race bikes, the Aircode DRS features fully-internal cables, with routing via a proprietary stem.

Its frameset features aero cross-sections throughout and, in keeping with the trend towards larger tyres, the new Aircode ups clearances, although not by much compared to some brands – it accepts 28s where the previous model took 25s.

Claimed weight for the frame is a respectable 900g, a saving of over 80g compared to the old Aircode. This size large bike weighs 7.9kg complete, minus pedals.

Perhaps the bike’s most distinctive feature is the way the seatstays pass either side of the seat tube to meet the rear end of the top tube.

This lets the upper section of the seat tube flex more, and is a less extreme-looking version of a design Lapierre has been using for years on its lightweight Xelius race bike.

Lapierre claims the new Aircode is 12 per cent more vertically compliant than its predecessor, while more comfort is on offer courtesy of the tubeless DT Swiss wheels and Continental GP5000 TL tyres.

The Aircode DRS’s geometry is properly racy with reach and stack figures for this size large of 403mm and 557mm respectively.

The long front end is balanced by chainstays that are particularly short for a bike with disc brakes at 405mm (likely one reason the rear tyre clearance isn’t any larger), which Lapierre says helps the bike feel more responsive.

Both the Aircode DRS 8.0 and 7.0 come with Lapierre’s own carbon bars.

Unusually, these feature mounts on the tops to accept a set of carbon aero extensions, and Lapierre is kind enough to include these with the bike, a rare bonus that will appeal to roadies who dabble in triathlon or time trials.

For this week’s edition of Bike of the Week, we have a Pinarello Dyodo gravel ebike that is equipped with a production preview version of FSA’s System ebike motor. This is the first time the system has been allowed out in the wild by FSA’s engineers.

The Pinarello Dyodo gravel bike is the basis for this build, but its what’s inside that we’re interested in.

We first saw the FSA System ebike motor at Eurobike 2019 and it has been in development for more than 18 months.

It’s now on the brink of being released to manufacturers and is primarily aimed at those looking to build lightweight ebikes – think e-road and e-gravel bikes rather than load-hauling cargo mules.

FSA has been supplying component parts for plenty of ebikes in recent years (dedicated ebike system cranks, for example) to brands including Bianchi, Focus, Pinarello, Cube, KTM, Fantic and Scott. Nonetheless, it’s still a surprise to see the brand branch out into a full system.

The system bears many similarities to Mahle’s ever-popular eBikemotion system. Both use a rear hub-based 250w motor combined with an internal 250w/h battery. Like Mahle’s system, the FSA System is also controlled by a small button integrated into the top tube of the bike.

The FSA System weighs a claimed 3.98kg for the complete package. This compares to a claimed 3.5kg for the eBikemotion system.

FSA provides the FSA System on four accompanying wheelsets that have been developed to incorporate the hub – the Vision Metron 40 SL Disc, Trimax 30 Disc, Team 30 Disc and AGX gravel-specific wheelsets. Further wheelset options are already in development.

Unlike rival systems, FSA has integrated a torque and speed sensor into the hub. This means bikes equipped with the system don’t require a separate sensor on the non-drive chainstay.

The motor offers five assistance settings, including an ‘eco’ Green and ‘boost’ Red mode. The latter serves up to a maximum of 250w assistance and 42Nm of torque. The motor itself features two integrated speed sensors and a torque sensor.

When exceeding the EU limit of 25km/h (32km/h for the USA), the hub shuts down. FSA claims that, when disengaged, the system presents minimal friction and resistance, giving a natural pedalling feel.

Another not-often-mentioned benefit of hub systems is the low Q-factor (the horizontal distance between each crank arm) compared to a crank-based motor.

Crankset-based systems typically have a wider Q-factor to accommodate the motor casing. As the motor is based in the hub, it’s possible to use a standard crankset on the Dyodo.

A dedicated app for the FSA ebike system has also been developed. This is available for both iOS and Android devices.

The app allows riders to record ride and usage statistics, and display remaining battery life and charge status. It also includes full GPS turn-by-turn navigation.

The app also features a diagnostic centre for troubleshooting any issues with the system. This includes chatbot interaction to help diagnose any issues and the ability to communicate directly with FSA’s service centres worldwide.

Our test bike is built up with a selection of FSA’s gravel-specific AGX components, including its AGX alloy tubeless-ready wheels, which are fitted with Maxxis Mud Wrestler tyres in a 33mm width.

The cockpit is an FSA K-Wing AGX bar, which is paired with an FSA SL-K ACS stem.

With the exception of the FSA SL-K carbon chainset, the groupset is all from SRAM’s Force 1 range.

All in, our size 58cm bike weighs 13.5kg. This weight includes a pair of Shimano PDM530 pedals, two bottle cages, a standard Garmin mount and a bell.

We’ve already been out testing the new bike and found the system to be pretty punchy – it compares well to both eBikemotion and Fazua’s systems in that regard.

Range is also comparable – managing to eke out 72km on a ride with 438m in very cold temperatures, which significantly degrades the performance of any ebike motor system.

Boardman is a brand synonymous with good quality, well-specced bikes at affordable prices. The brand’s foray into gravel bikes should, then, prompt plenty of excitement.

The ADV 9.0 sits at the top of Boardman’s ADV gravel bike range and uses the brand’s all-new ADV C10 carbon frame.

The frame and fork are claimed to weigh a pretty reasonable 990g and 430g, respectively (painted, with a size medium frame), and have clearance for up to 42mm tyres on 700c wheels.

It also has hidden mudguard mounts (hallelujah!) and multiple mounting points for bottles and accessories, so you can load up and go on a lovely bikepacking adventure.

In terms of geometry, the Boardman ADV 9.0 is that heady mix between road and off-road which makes gravel bikes so versatile. In fact, Boardman says it “might be the only bike you’ll ever need”.

A slack 71.5-degree head-tube angle keeps things stable over rough terrain, while shorter stems across the size range keep handling from feeling too slow. The 73-degree seat-tube angle should put you in a good position over the bottom bracket for climbing.

The frameset is completed by a BB386 press-fit bottom bracket, fitted with an adaptor to make it play nice with a Shimano crankset.

This could be contentious because many value the easy serviceability of a threaded bottom-bracket system, especially on bikes designed for off-road use (where the wet and mucky conditions are typically harder on parts and bearings).

The BB386 standard does allow compatibility with the vast majority of cranksets and spindles currently on the market, though, which could be useful if you ever want to upgrade the cranks or use a crank-based power meter with a different spindle, for example.

The build features a mix of Shimano’s GRX RX600 and RX810 groupsets, with an 46/30t double chainset and an 11-32t cassette. Shimano GRX RX400 hydraulic brakes with Shimano RT-30 rotors (160mm front and rear) provide the stopping power.

The build is finished with a selection of Boardman branded parts and wheels, a Prologo saddle and 38mm Panaracer Gravel King SK tubeless-ready tyres. The total claimed weight for the bike is 9.2kg.

In a positive step, tubeless setup should be easy because the wheels ship with tubeless tape and valves pre-installed. All you’ll need to do is add sealant when you receive the bike.

If it performs as good as it looks on paper, this could be a real bargain, so look out for a full review coming soon.

Boardman ADV 9.0 specification

• Price: £1,700
• Weight: 9.2kg (claimed)
• Model year: 2021
• Brand: Boardman
• Sizes available: S, M, L, XL
• Frame: Boardman ADV C10 Carbon (142 x 12mm thru-axle)
• Fork: C10 Carbon with tapered steerer (100 x 12mm thru-axle)
• Bottom bracket: FSA BB386 press-fit with 24mm Shimano adaptor
• Headset: FSA Orbit C-40 ACB, 1 1/8in – 1.5in tapered, integrated
• Crankset: Shimano GRX RX600, 46/30t
• Derailleurs: Shimano GRX RX810
• Shifters: Shimano GRX RX600
• Brakes: Shimano GRX RX400 hydraulic brakes with 160mm Shimano RT-30 rotors
• Cassette: Shimano 105 R7000, 11-32t
• Chain: KMC X11
• Wheels: Boardman ADV tubeless ready
• Tyres: Panaracer Gravel King SK, 700 x 38mm tubeless ready
• Saddle: Prologo Akero AGX
• Finishing kit: Boardman alloy

Planet X is well-known for producing bikes that present astonishing value for money.

However, even to our jaded and deals-weary eyes, we’ve been left scratching our heads wondering how the brand can possibly be making any money on this bike.

For just £2,599.99, the Planet X Pro Carbon Disc Ultegra as pictured packs in a full Shimano Ultegra R8020 hydraulic disc groupset, a Fulcrum Airbeat 400 carbon wheelset and a suite of perfectly inoffensive alloy Controltech finishing kit.

If you forgo the upgrade to the carbon wheelset, the same package would set you back just £1,799.

Planet X pitches its latest version of the Pro Carbon – which has been in its lineup in one guise or another for just about forever – as an all-rounder, presenting a good balance between weight, stiffness and comfort.

Weighing a claimed 1,100g for the frame and 440g for the fork in an unspecified size, all hoses and cables are internally routed on the bike, entering the down tube just behind the head tube.

Fans of not being frustrated when maintaining their bike will be delighted to see the bike uses a standard threaded bottom-bracket shell and an external seat clamp. The latter is amusingly aero-profiled, with a strange extended rear portion – every watt truly is a prisoner in the cut and thrust of bicycle racing!

A notable spec highlight on our test bike is the Fulcrum Airbeat 400 carbon wheelset.

You’ll have to cough up £800 to upgrade to these from the stock build but, for the performance-minded among us, they present remarkably good value for money.

According to Planet X, the wheels are an OE version (original equipment, which is supplied direct to manufacturers) of Fulcrum’s well-liked Wind DB Wheels. These retail at £1,100 and as far as we can tell (name aside) they appear to be identical.

The wheels are built around 40mm-deep rims that are 21mm wide internally. With a 26.9mm external width, these will be aerodynamically optimised for 25mm tyres if you’re playing by the 105 per cent rule.

Of course, aerodynamics isn’t everything – squashy 28mm+ tyres can make a big difference to comfort and, thus, speed. Our test bike is fitted with a pair of 30mm-wide Jack Brown Mile Muncher tyres. These have a light checkerboard pattern, which is said to improve grip on greasy surfaces.

The wheels weigh a claimed 1,640g for the pair, which presents a 300g saving over the claimed weight of the standard Fulcrum Racing 800 wheelset.

As evidenced by its mucky appearance, our senior road tech editor Warren Rossiter is currently testing this bike with a full review to follow very soon. Stay tuned.

Planet-X Pro Carbon Ultegra with Fulcrum Air DB wheel upgrade specs

• Size tested: XL
• Weight: 8.37kg
• Groupset: Shimano Ultegra R8000, 50/34 crankset, 11-32 cassette
• Wheels: Fulcrum Airbeat 400 carbon disc
• Tyres: Jack Brown Mile Muncher 30c
• Stem: Controltech RAS-99 alloy, 100mm
• Handlebar: Controltech RA-540DB-6 alloy 44cm
• Saddle: San Marco Monza Start
• Seatpost: Controltech alloy 27.2mm

The Cento10 SL is the more affordable counterpart to Wilier’s flagship Cento10 Pro aero race bike.

With a frame that’s a claimed 200g heavier than the top-end bike and a more conventional cockpit setup, the Cento10 SL starts at £2,450 / €2,700 and costs £5,540 / €5,600 in the spec we have here, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Wilier’s own carbon clinchers.

Wilier Cento10 SL: racy, red and rim-optional

Although it’s the second-tier model, there’s nothing budget about this bike and the model we have here is sporting the most expensive build on offer.

The Cento10 SL’s frame weighs a claimed 1,190g for a medium, a penalty of 200g over the Pro flagship.

It’s available with rim brakes if you want them, but most riders will likely be opting for this disc version.

Outwardly, the SL and Pro are very, very similar, with truncated aerofoil tube profiles throughout.

Perhaps as a consequence of this, Wilier claims the SL’s torsional frame stiffness is actually slightly higher than that of the Pro, although the brand doesn’t divulge numbers on this.

The SL also gets a more conventional cockpit setup, with a Ritchey-made bar and stem in place of the Pro’s Alabarda one-piece carbon cockpit.

Despite this, the cable routing is almost fully integrated, disappearing into the headset beneath the stem.

There’s been a definite trend towards bigger tyre clearances on race bikes and the Wilier officially accepts 30mm rubber in its disc incarnation.

In a more conservative vein, the Wilier carbon clinchers are just 17mm-wide internally – comparatively narrow by current standards.

This XL bike weighs a hair over 8kg without pedals and its geometry is very much at the racy end of the spectrum, with 571mm of stack and 396mm of reach.

Look out for a full review on BikeRadar in the coming months.

This fourth-generation Troy is Devinci’s answer to a 140mm travel all-rounder. It’s an accomplished package that makes a lot of sense for a wide range of riders and terrain.

In its early days, the Devinci Troy was something of an outlier. Its 140mm of rear-wheel travel was considered a no-man’s-land that placed it awkwardly between more agile or more burly equipment.

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Since then, we’ve embraced a new generation of aggressive trail bikes that more often than not use 29in wheels. The Troy itself was first offered with 29in wheels a couple of years ago and has now matured to be exclusively a 29er for 2021.

The 140mm of suspension travel that once made the Troy so different is now very popular indeed.

To suit a range of budgets, the Troy frame is available in aluminium, aluminium/carbon and full carbon options. That means getting seated on a complete build Troy can cost as little as €2,799.

This €6,499/$6,199 Troy Carbon XT 12S LTD build is the flagship of the range, while ‘LTD’ also dictates this model gets a 160mm fork rather than the 150mm front suspension travel of the other Troys.

The all-carbon frame now has room for 2.6in tyres thanks to a redesigned rear shock mount and SuperBoost (157mm) rear axle spacing. Polyurethane material has been used at the down tube to minimise damage from rock strikes, while the chainstays are also protected from chainslap damage using the same material.

Devinci has introduced size-specific chainstays for consistency and balance across different front triangle sizes. Each frame also features a geometry flip chip at the lower shock mount — the two positions it offers change head tube and seat-tube angles by half a degree, and reach by 5mm as well as bottom bracket height.

Devinci has made sure you’ll get a full-size 500ml water bottle in the frame – even if you’ve got a piggyback shock like the Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shown here.

Talking suspension, the Troy uses Dave Weagle’s SplitPivot suspension system, which places the bike’s rear axle concentric to the chainstay/seatstay pivot. The idea here is to try and minimise the influences of braking, accelerating and pedalling forces for an altogether better suspension action.

The fork used on this model is the 160mm Performance Elite version of Fox’s Float 36, complete with the sophisticated Grip2 damper that provides independently adjustable high- and low-speed compression and high- and low-speed rebound adjustments.

The 12-speed drivetrain pairs a Shimano XT SuperBoost crankset with a 10-51t XT-level cassette, while an e*thirteen TRS Race SL Carbon chainguard keeps things secure. Stopping power also comes from Shimano in the form of its XT four-piston brakes.

Race Face ARC35 alloy wheels with 35mm inner rim widths arrive dressed in Maxxis Minion DHF/R (2.5in/2.4in) tyres. Better still, they’re the triple compound Maxx Grip variety complete with robust DoubleDown casings.

The 34.9mm seat tube is filled with SDG’s Tellis dropper post and topped with a Bel Air 3.0 saddle. Completing the build is a combination of RaceFace Turbine and Next 35mm steering components.

Our size large example totalled 14.46kg/32lbs without pedals.

Looking to buy one? Alex Evans has been putting this bike through its paces and has now published a full review.

The Canyon Precede:ON CF 9 is this week’s Bike of the Week and, with its impressive levels of integration and wildly angular Tron-like aesthetic, you could also feasibly call this a vision of the Bike of the Future.

The electric carbon hybrid is built around a Bosch Performance Line CX motor that boasts 85Nm of max torque. The 500Wh integrated battery gives the bike a claimed range of up to 65km, and all other metrics are accessible via Bosch’s latest Kiox display, which is neatly integrated into the one-piece cockpit.

The motor operates in conjunction with the Enviolo Automatic shifting system, which works by first setting your preferred cadence into the head unit. This will then control the motor, providing you with just the right amount of assistance to maintain a comfortable cadence within your pre-determined range.

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Out back, a Fizik Essenza saddle sits atop a Canton S25 VCLS seatpost. We have used this seatpost on a huge number of Canyon bikes now and are big fans.

The carbon leaf-spring design gives a genuinely impressive level of rear-end comfort, meaning you’ll hopefully arrive at work with a well-cushioned and un-stressed peachy bot.

Lights are taken care of by a Supernova Mini 2 Pro headlight, which sits beneath the head unit – again, this is shrouded by the cockpit – and a matching Supernova Universal rear light integrated into the rear mudguard.

On that note, no commuter bike worth its (road) salt is complete without mudguards, and the Precede:On CF 9 doesn’t disappoint in this department. The balloon-like 57mm-wide Schwalbe G-One tyres are shrouded by a pair of Wingee Ortlieb QL3.1 alloy mudguards, which look super sturdy and are sure to give years of trouble-free service.

Finally, the bike comes with a matching integrated kickstand, which, as a site run by die-hard kickstand evangelists, thrills us no end.

At £4,699 / €4,999, the Canyon Precede:ON CF 9 is definitely one that will only be of interest to the most dedicated of year-round super-duper commuters.

For the rest (some?) of us, the Precede:On CF 8, which shares the same carbon frameset as the top-end model but loses the neat Gates belt drivetrain and Enviolo Automatic shifting, comes in at £3,999 / €4,299.

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With the explosion of interest in all things gravel related, it’s no surprise the humble Croix de Fer is having somewhat of a renaissance right now.

Gravel, all the cool kids say, is more relaxed than road cycling. It’s about the experience, not about how fast you go.

And in a world of go-fast, lightweight bicycles with carbon everything, there’s something reassuring about heavy steel bikes with all types of mounting points for mudguards, luggage and other accessories.

Flat bars for the win

We know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t just a nineties mountain bike. As we commented when Specialized launched the flat-bar equipped Diverge Evo, while flat-bar gravel bikes undoubtedly share some similarities with their old-school off-road cousins, there are important differences.

In this case, the Croix de Fer 10 Flat Bar has more in common with a commuter-focused hybrid.

This 2020 build has road-friendly Maxxis Overdrive Excel 700 x 35c tyres and a 50-34-tooth compact chainset. Next year’s builds will be even more gravel focused, seeing 700 x 40c WTB Nano tyres and a super-compact 46-30 tooth chainset.

The rest of the build remains similar, with a reliable Shimano Sora 9-speed drivetrain, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and Genesis finishing kit. The RRP is a not unreasonable £999.99.

There’s also a slightly pricier version, the Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar, with Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX RX400 10-speed groupset, for 2021.

Cruising for a bruising

Essentially, Genesis has built a bike that can cruise the commute Monday to Friday, then shred gravel trails at the weekend.

You could do those things with a standard drop-bar equipped Croix de Fer, of course, but flat bars do have their advantages on bikes like this.

While drop bars are usually designed to offer multiple hand positions and aerodynamic benefits, flat bars bring increased control and leverage, as well as one-finger braking. The latter is what you want for commutes and gnarlier gravel blasts.

• This is why drop bars sometimes suck

It might not be quite as hipster friendly as a rim brake, fixed gear, safety-pizza toting gravel wagon, but pop a fancy handlebar bag on this and it will be instantly grammable too.

The Light Blue Newnham is a versatile steel bike aimed at “road and more”. Originally conceived as a more versatile disc counterpart to the brand’s Wolfson 853, the Newnham’s design has evolved over the last three years as the demands of the market have changed. 

As things stand, the Newnham is still a prototype, but it’s nearing its final form and is expected to be available to buy around early 2022, with framesets priced in the region of £1,400. 

The Light Blue sent us this pre-production bike to ogle, built up with Ultegra Di2 and Halo carbon wheels, a spec expected to come in around £4,700. When the Newnham goes into production, more affordable builds will also be available. 

The Light Blue Newnham: three years in the making

The Light Blue built its first Newnham prototypes in 2018 with slightly bigger clearances than the Wolfson, and ovalised tubing for stiffness. 

Lloyd Townsend of The Light Blue says the original design rode well, but that testers found they wanted more comfort for long-distance rides and the market was also demanding ever-greater tyre clearances as gravel and ‘all-road’ riding exploded in popularity.

The 2022 incarnation of the Newnham takes tyres up to 38mm wide without mudguards or 32mm with, and features hidden mounts if you do wish to fender up.

It’s designed to be a do-it-all road bike that’s ready to dabble in gravel if the fancy takes you.

The Light Blue matches the frame to a tapered steerer Columbus carbon fork, with both taking now-standard 12mm thru-axles. 

Much like the new Fairlight Faran 2.0, the Newnham has removable external cable stops, meaning no redundant hardware if you opt for an electronic drivetrain. 

It also takes a band-on front derailleur, making clean 1× setups a possibility. Another detail that will please home mechanics is the standard threaded bottom bracket.

The cockpit and seatpost are from Genetic, and the bars deserve a particular mention. These are Driser 4-10s, a neat drop bar with 10mm of rise. We’ve see a few bikes hit the market with riser drops – the Specialized Roubaix is one – but they remain a relative rarity. 

This prototype bike is built up with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Halo Carbaura RCD 35 wheels for a total weight of 9.1kg (size 62). 

The Newnham’s geometry is still being finalised across the sizes, but it looks to fall somewhere towards the racier end of endurance road.

Do you fancy some handsome steel built with British riding in mind? You’ve got plenty of time to save up…

Scottish brand Shand bills its new Leveret as a commuter bike, but we reckon it’ll handle much more as winter sets in. Its combination of belt drive, 8-speed hub gear, wide tyres and mudguards mark it out for winter rides, and possibly a bit of off-road action too.

The Leveret starts off with Shand’s triple-butted steel frameset, with steel itself being the classic option for a winter bike and hard-core commuting duties. There’s also internal cable routing, with the brake hose running through the top tube, then externally down the left seatstay, tied into guides brazed to the frame. The front brake hose is routed internally through the left leg of the carbon forks.

The Gates belt drive should help not just to keep your commuting trousers clean, but cut down on winter maintenance – no oil, no rust! – plus, putting all the mechanical gubbins inside the hub should reduce post-ride clean up.

Stopping power comes from TRP Hylex hydraulic disc brakes, which again look like a good option for dodgy road conditions.

The TRP brakes with their razor-thin levers and single Microshift bar end shifter for the Alfine gears along with the loops of cables and hoses give the Leveret a bit of a retro feel that we’re quite fond of.

There are enough bosses and mounts on the Leveret’s frame not just for the mudguards, but also for racks and bottles, and there’s even a redundant derailleur hanger, in case you miss having a rear mech.

To up your night-time visibility, Shand’s logos on the down tube are reflective. There are reflective elements on the wheel rims too and Shand wraps the bars in reflective tape.

The Leveret rolls on 35mm Schwalbe G-One All Round tyres, which should cope well with wet conditions, as well as a bit of off-road action. Their tan sidewalls also add a touch of class and their low profile round knob tread and the wide section should give plenty of grip without too much road noise as they roll.

They’re tubeless-ready, as are Shand’s own 32 spoke alloy wheels, so there’s the option to up your puncture protection on the way to work.

Finishing kit is Shand’s own brand, including the bar, stem, seatpost and saddle. There’s a flat-bar option available at the same price.

The Leveret is sold by Shand direct from its site and both the drop-bar bike and the flat-bar version are priced at £1,995, with Shand promising delivery in seven days.

There are four sizes available from 51cm up to 58cm. Until end-November, Shand is adding a free set of Cateye Sync lights to the mix, including a wearable rear light, so you’ll be set up for the winter commuter.

The Super Acciaio Disc is Condor’s take on the classic steel road racing bike, updated for the modern world with the addition of hydraulic disc brakes and 12mm thru-axles.

An evolution of the rim-brake Super Acciaio – which was developed with pro riders from the Rapha Condor team back in 2012 – this latest model is handmade in Italy and uses triple butted, Columbus Spirit HSS steel tubes and a full carbon fork.

Claimed frame weight is 1,950g, which is undeniably heavy compared to modern carbon race bikes, but it’s probably not worth getting hung up on that too much. Though it’s certainly possible to build ultra-lightweight steel bikes, that’s not what Condor is aiming for here.

Instead, the focus is on more experiential characteristics such as ride quality, responsiveness and liveability. That figure also includes the rather luxurious paint job – the frame could likely be a few grams lighter in bare steel, but would that be worth the sacrifice? I don’t think so.

Those interested in a bike like this aren’t likely to be chasing every last gram of weight or aerodynamic drag, after all.

• Best road bikes: How to choose the right one for you

• The complete guide to bottom bracket standards

The frameset has clearance for up to 28mm tyres, which isn’t massively progressive, but should be enough to satisfy most dedicated road riders.

Rather than optimising around one type of drivetrain, the Super Acciaio Disc is built with Condor’s Smart Cabling system. This allows the use of both mechanical and electronic drivetrains via interchangeable cable plates, meaning you don’t have to stick to one kind of groupset forever.

• Road bike groupsets: everything you need to know

That paint job then. Condor simply refers to it as Teal/Gold, but the reality is much more intricate than that. It’s very pretty indeed, as you can see.

The head tube is adorned with Condor’s badge. Condor has a rich history of making bicycles, dating back to 1948, and this is partly what you’re buying into when you choose a bike like this.

Should you be the kind of cyclist who enjoys pinning on a dossard occasionally, the frame is also UCI-approved.

Available in six sizes from 49cm to 61 cm, the Super Acciaio Disc can be purchased in a few ways. There’s a simple frameset option for £1,899.99 or an online bike-builder tool that allows almost total control over the spec.

Decked out with 12-speed Campagnolo Chorus, Deda finishing kit and Campagnolo Shamal Ultra DB wheels, this build costs around £5,475 / $7,150 / €6,035.

Alternatively, if you have a Condor retailer near you, you can also get a free bike fit as part of the custom build process, alongside the option to choose components that suit your needs and budget.

This electrified hybrid from Ribble, with its neatly integrated battery and impressively low weight figure, is a shining example of just how far ebikes have come over the last few years. Add the impressive spec that Ribble’s buying power affords and it’s clear this bike of the week stands as an interesting alternative to what’s on offer from big name brands.

• Electric bike FAQs: your top ebike questions answered
• Best commuter bike: what’s the best bike for commuting

It wasn’t long ago that electric hybrids were mostly cumbersome and heavy adaptations of regular bikes. Big external battery packs let everyone know you weren’t doing all the pedalling and 25kg plus weight figures meant moving them about was no fun, even for those with a gym membership. Then there was the prospect of riding one without a charged battery, which was a truly masochistic affair.

Enter the Hybrid AL e from Ribble, a bike that even trained eyes would have to study to confirm as an ebike and – at a claimed 14.5kg /32lbs for a size medium – the Hybrid AL e is almost as light as many unmotorised hybrids too.

Take Ribble’s own Hybrid Al commuter, which totals close to a claimed 13kg and that’s without a motor.

The aluminium frame of the Ribble casts a distinctive shadow thanks to its kinked seat tube, dropped seatstays and asymmetric chainstays.

The front triangle of the frame is more conventional and hides a 250Wh battery in its down tube. To keep weight down, Ribble has specced a carbon thru-axle fork too.

But is keeping the weight low really that important for a bike that has a motor? Well, it depends what’s important to you.

A light bike will always be easier to move around; to load into and out of cars, up staircases and through areas with restricted space. Then there’s the ride quality.

Lighter ebikes are also capable of delivering a ride feel that’s a lot more natural than the almost motorcycle-like ride quality of their heavier counterparts.

The idea of using an electric bike such as this one for fitness purposes is one that’s been exploited by the likes of Canyon with its Roadlite:ON series and Specialized’s excellent Turbo Vado SL.

Compared to equivalent models from the ranges named above, the Ribble is more affordable and lighter, though its hub-based Mahle Ebikemotion X35 motor is a major difference from the mid-drive motors used by Canyon and Specialized.

The X35 from Mahle is a proven system though, and one we’ve enjoyed on some of our favourite electric bikes.

In this application, with the motor set on its lowest (20%) power setting, Ribble claims a range of 60 miles is achievable from the 250Wh Panasonic battery concealed within the Hybrid AL e frame. Although that’s not a class-leading range, it’s one that is certainly ample for most commuters.

The specification of this bike looks particularly well thought out as it is, but prospective buyers also get the choice of using Ribble’s bike builder to upgrade individual components, from tyres and saddles right the way through to custom headset caps.

If you aren’t taken by this brave copper shade, there’s a much more subtle blue option or custom colours are available from £299, too.

SRAM’s NX transmission brings secure 11-speed shifting with the spread of an 11-42t cassette, while the SRAM S350 chainset includes a guard to stop clothing from contacting the chain.

Mavic Aksium Elite Evo wheels are paired to Schwalbe’s somewhat legendary Marathon tyres in a generous 35mm width. The wheels are also tubeless-ready for an easy upgrade when you eventually wear out those original Marathons.

Shimano flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes (not pictured on this pre-production sample) are paired to 160mm Tektro disc rotors.

This particular model is Ribble’s ‘Fully Loaded Edition’, which holds a £100 premium over the regular Hybrid AL e but gains a colour-coded pannier rack, SKS mudguards, a Ribble USB light set and a Knog Oi Classic bell.

That’s a lot of useful equipment for the cash and thus it seems a no-brainer for anyone who is looking to use this bike all year round.

If those extras aren’t for you then you’ll not only save money but also save an impressive amount of weight too – a size medium Hybrid AL e standard edition comes in at a claimed 13.1kg / 29lb (compared to this 14.5kg /32lb model).

One other unlikely upgrade that comes with the higher spec build is Ribble’s own integrated cockpit. It’s something a little different and helps to tie up the clean colour-coded look that this bike carries from front to back.

Last week’s stunning Trek Madone SLR was a bike singularly focused on speed, with a stunning paintjob and a slightly alarming price tag. 

This week’s offering from Cube couldn’t be more different. The 20″ Compact Hybrid is an ultra-practical electric bike with fun-sized 20in wheels, built for everyday utility. 

Retailing at a more attainable £2,299, the Compact Hybrid is powered by a Bosch motor system and looks to be the perfect urban commuter and grocery-getter.

Small wheels and medium-sized ambitions

They also help keep overall dimensions compact and, along with a step-through frame and adjustable cockpit, the Cube should fit most riders despite coming in just one size.

The Compact Hybrid is very well-equipped out of the box, with a full complement of lights and mudguards, that all-important kickstand, and a bell.

Chunky 2.4in tyres should shrug off potholes, while the upright riding position invites you to look the world in the eye as you cruise about town cheerily.

Cube supplies a rear rack as standard, and the bike features a mount for a front rack too, as fitted to this test bike. 

Because the Compact Hybrid is an ebike, load lugging should be a breeze. Cube specs Bosch’s Active Line Plus drive unit, which is one tier above the entry-level Active Line and offers a nominal 50Nm of torque to shove you along. 

This is matched to a Shimano Nexus 5-speed internal gear hub for a very simple drivetrain that should need minimal maintenance.

At a claimed 23.7kg, the Cube is no lightweight, but with a charged battery it looks perfect for zipping about the city day-to-day. 

We’re big fans of small-wheeled utility bikes here at BikeRadar, having previously admired Velo Orange’s Neutrino and the similarly diminutive machines that keep Frankfurt airport moving. 

Their quirky looks and can-do personality are deeply appealing, so we’re looking forward to trying the Compact Hybrid out in its natural habitat. Do you fancy a bit of mini-wheeled fun?

The Madone SLR is Trek’s top-end all-out aero bike and, back in July, it received a quiet update, moving from the much-disliked BB90 bottom bracket standard in favour of T47, adopting the brand’s highest grade OCLV 800 carbon layup and moving to disc only.

The launch was also notable for the large price-tag of the highest spec bikes, with the Madone SLR 9 Disc eTap coming in at £11,950.

We’re delighted to bring you that very model for this week’s Bike of the Week with an added twist – Trek has taken things a step further, with this particular bike sporting a Project One (Trek’s in-house customisation programme) paint job, bringing the bike to a whopping £13,050.

That is, objectively, a great deal of money.

For that amount of cash you could actually buy three Trek Madone SL 6s – the cheapest version of the Madone and our 2020 aero road bike of the year – with £1,300 change left to upgrade the already good wheels on one of your clutch of aero wagons.

However, value is clearly not the point when you’re spending quite this much on a bike.

You are spending £13k on a bike simply because you can and nothing tastes better than those sweet, sweet gains – no matter how marginal they may be.

With that in mind, the build of the bike leaves absolutely nothing to be desired for the aspiring go-fast rider.

Built around a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset – including the matching Quarq power meter that is integrated into chainrings – the bike looks outrageously clean, with not a single cable or hose on show.

The chunky stem clamps the bar vertically in a clamshell-like arrangement. This setup means there is no faceplate facing the wind, smoothing airflow.

The bar itself features an ‘extension’ that sits proud of the front of the stem – again, this is done to smooth airflow over the cockpit.

Going for this two-piece design as opposed to a one-piece cockpit means the bar or stem can be swapped or the bar rotated without giving up much in terms of aero performance.

Other than the aforementioned move to a T47 threaded bottom bracket and the adoption of OCLV 800 – which is claimed to shed 80g compared to the previous generation – the overall shape and features of the frameset remain the same.

In any case, features be damned, we know it’s that incredible paint job you’re really interested in.

The deep purple-y kinda-peacock-like glittery-tastic iridescent-ish finish looks astonishingly good, shifting drastically as you view the bike from different angles. It really is quite unlike anything we’ve had at BikeRadar HQ and almost makes the £1,050 premium over the stock bike feel worth it… maybe.

The Fugio is Genesis’ all-out gravel bike and this – the new 2021 Genesis Fugio 30 – has to be one of the best-looking bikes to launch this year.

Based around a full Shimano GRX groupset, the bike sits at the top of the Fugio range.

Let’s get something out of the way – the Genesis Fugio 30’s paint job is incredible.

Last year’s Fugio sported a similarly resplendent blue-fade paint job but we’ve been won over by this year’s colour scheme.

The eighties-ish-throwback pink to purple fade looks so good and we will always celebrate something this jazzy – it truly stands out in a world of boring and austere finishes.

The Fugio is based on a Reynolds 725 tubeset, which is matched with a full carbon fork.

725 is Reynolds’ third-tier steel tubeset and is mandrel butted and heat-treated so that thinner walls can be used. This brings weight down and contributes to the zingy and spritely ride feel associated with high-end steel bikes.

The build for the top-end bike has also been updated for 2021, moving away from SRAM’s Apex groupset in favour of a full Shimano GRX build.

Set up in a 1x arrangement, an 11-42t cassette is paired with a 40t chainring, giving ample range for all but the very steepest luggage-laden climbs.

The bike will play nicely with either 650b or 700c wheels, but in its stock spec, the bike ships with 47mm-wide WTB Venture gravel tyres in the smaller diameter.

In a similarly shred-friendly move, the bike is also fitted with a dropper seatpost.

Shimano’s GRX groupset includes a non-indexed left-hand lever option (ST-RX810-LA) that gives you the neatest-possible dropper post control on drop bars. This is used on the Fugio 30 and controls an X-Fusion Manic post, which offers 50mm of drop.

The bike veritably bristles with mounting options, including front and rear pannier rack mounting options, triple-bolt Anything-style mounts on the fork, three water bottle mounts, and the now de-rigueur top-tube mount just behind the head tube.

Should you prefer to ride with a dry bum, the bike will also accommodate full-cover mudguards.

A forward-facing mount on the crown of the fork will also make mounting a dynamo light a breeze.

As pictured, the bike will set you back £2,999.99. The more modestly priced Fugio 20 (£2,299.99) uses Genesis’ in-house Mjolnir steel tubeset for the frame and a cheaper overall build. The entry-level Fugio 10 (£1,599.99) gets a cheaper build again and also moves to an alloy frame.

Which of the three bikes would you opt for? Do you love or loathe that wild paint job? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

2021 Genesis Fugio 30 specs

• Frameset: Genesis Fugio 30, Reynolds 725 tubing, full carbon fork
• Groupset: Shimano GRX, 40t chainring, 11-42t cassette
• Tyres: WTB Venture, 650 x 47mm
• Handlebar: Genesis alloy gravel, 16-degree flare
• Seatpost: X-Fusion Manic dropper seatpost
• Stem: Genesis alloy
• Wheelset: WTB i25 rims, Jalco hubs

If you’re from the UK, chances are you have an affinity with Pace Cycles, especially if you’re rich enough in years to have seen the small brand make its mark on the sport of mountain biking from the very start, in the eighties, right through to the current day.

• Pace RC127+ first-ride review
• Hope HB130 long-term review

The new RC295, the company’s first full-suspension bike in years (decades, in fact), is eye-catching and causing a stir — it’s quite some bike.

First for a recap on Pace’s history, just in case you are unreasonably young. Back in the early days of the sport, Pace produced the somewhat ground-breaking RC100, an unforgettable square-tubed aluminium frame, straight out of Yorkshire.

Along the timeline of mountain biking, the brand has popped up now and then with an innovation (such as its carbon fibre downhill forks) or simply a beautiful product (its hardtail frames are worth checking out). To this day, the founder and designer, Adrian Carter, is still at the helm of the family-run company.

What is the Pace RC295 Ultimate GX?

The RC295 is causing a stir for its good looks and progressive numbers, and it really does push the boundaries. The bottom bracket height sits at 327mm (46mm drop), which is almost astonishingly low for a bike of this suspension travel, and Pace has equipped this Ultimate GX model with short 165mm SRAM GX cranks to minimise pedal hits.

Likewise, a 64.5-degree head angle is relaxed for a relatively short-travel bike, but it makes perfect sense on a bike Pace says is made to be a “fun, engaging machine”.

Combine this with a short chainstay (436mm) and long reach (484mm on a size Large), and you have a bike that should be snappy and fast-accelerating while remaining stable and confidence-inspiring.

Smart decision making has gone into the RC295 Ultimate GX full build, which costs a snip under £4,000.

Reliable products from fellow British companies include Hope Technology (headset, seat clamp), Burgtec (handlebars), DMR (grips) and Hunt (Trail wheelset), none of which we can fault as components choices.

The three sizes (Medium, Large and X-Large) come with a RockShox Reverb dropper post with 150mm travel (sizes M and L) or 170mm (XL) – perhaps one area of oversight because most riders would probably prefer more travel.

You know a company has its customers in mind when it supplies a bike with inner tubes fitted but tubeless kits supplied too.

Plus, it comes with a spare derailleur hanger, Rockguardz under-frame protection and a 10-year warranty on its Enduro Max frame bearings. That’s commitment.

Pace Cycles RC295 Ultimate GX

• Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate 150mm travel fork with Charger RC2 damper. 42mm offset, black
• Dropper:  RockShox C1 Reverb Stealth 150mm drop, plunger lever
• Headset: Hope, Integral, black
• Wheelset: Hunt Trail wide 29in, 30mm rim width
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHR2 front and rear, 29in x 2.4, EXO/TR
• Saddle: Charge Spoon Saddle, black
• Groupset: SRAM GX Eagle 1×12, 165 crank arm, DUB BB
• Stem: Pace RC46 35mm clamp with 32mm reach, black
• Handlebar: Burgtec Ridewide Alloy Enduro. 800 wide with 30mm rise / Renthal Fatbar, alloy, 35mm, 800 wide with a 30mm rise, black
• Grips: Deathgrips, black
• Brakes: SRAM Guide RS
• Rotors: 203 front and 180 rear
• Price: £3,999
• Availability: Bike must be pre-ordered and will be delivered (£38 for a UK delivery) 6 to 8 weeks after ordering if they are in stock (Pace says they are selling incredibly quickly)

A full review of the Pace RC295 is in the works, so stay tuned to see how we get on.

Ridley made headlines earlier this month with the launch of the Kanzo Fast, an aero gravel bike that, in its top spec, features an extraordinary drivetrain that combines conventional 1× components with a unique 2-speed rear hub from new brand Classified. 

We covered the Kanzo Fast range in detail in our original news story, so here we’re going to focus on the test bike Ridley has sent us.

It features Shimano GRX Di2 components and that fascinating Classified hub, a build that costs £5,459 / €5,999.

Ridley’s sizing has always run a little bigger than most, and this size large bike has a towering 197mm head tube, giving a stack of 613mm, while the reach is 393mm.

However, at just 8.9kg the Kanzo Fast is reasonably light for an aero gravel bike, particularly given that it’s wearing 45mm deep carbon clinchers from Ridley house-brand Forza (or ‘4ZA’). 

These, incidentally, have a rather old-school inner width of just 17mm, a little surprising on a gravel that’s fitted with 40mm tyres, with clearance to go bigger. 

Shifting between the hub’s two ratios is controlled by the left GRX Di2 lever, which connects to the Classified control module mounted in place of the left bar end. The signal is picked up by the receiver contained in the rear thru-axle assembly. 

The axle also contains induction coils that cause the hub to shift, and its electronics are charged via a port hidden under a rubber cover on the lever body. 

Aside from the proprietary Classified 11-34 cassette, the rest of the componentry is conventional, with Shimano’s Ultegra-equivalent GRX Di2 rear derailleur taking care of shifting, and the matching GRX flat-mount brake calipers doing the stopping.

Ridley opts for a Rotor Aldhu crank fitted with a 48t chainring. In combination with the Classified hub’s 0.7:1 ratio in its lower gear, this is roughly equivalent to a 48/34 double crank.

Another notable component is the cockpit, a one-piece carbon unit that routes cables fully internally, and is gravel-specific by virtue of its flared drops. 

The headset preload and steerer clamp bolts are entirely hidden beneath aero covers, and the stem blends neatly with headset spacers that split in two to simplify fit adjustments.

An out-front computer mount attached to the underside of the bar helps on the aerodynamic and aesthetic front too. 

We’ll be bringing you a full review of the Kanzo Fast in the near future – what would you like to know about this delightfully unusual and original bike?

Though the eponymous race remains wonderfully anachronistic to this day, Specialized’s Roubaix can perhaps count itself among the most technologically advanced road bikes on the market in 2020, especially in this premium build.

Purists may scoff at the modern conveniences, such as suspension, wireless derailleurs, hydraulic disc brakes, aerodynamically optimised tube shaping and carbon wheels with fast, chunky tyres, but, like Specialized, we’re convinced most of these things are genuine advances.

Okay, so they won’t turn us in to Peter Sagan, but even our most discerning writers have been converted to the ‘smoother is faster’ mantra recently.

• Specialized Roubaix Expert long-term review

The geometry of this non-S-Works version is taller and shorter than that of the Tarmac, Specialized’s all-round road bike, but it’s no dutch-style town bike either. It’s plenty racy enough for the unmalleable majority of us who spend most of our days hunched over at a desk rather than honing our flexibility in the gym.

Shocking looks

The Future Shock suspension system is one feature that divides opinion.

Those that haven’t used it tend to decry its somewhat ungainly appearance. A #slamthatstem bike this will never be.

But those that have used it tend to almost universally praise the system for its effectiveness at reducing the kind vibrations that cause morale-sapping hand and shoulder fatigue, especially over the course of long rides on rubbish roads.

New age gearing

On the face of it, a road bike with racy aspirations that comes with 46/33-tooth chainrings seems something of an oxymoron. These were the kind of ratios traditionally reserved for cyclocross.

• The best cyclocross bikes | Rated and reviewed by BikeRadar’s experts

However, the addition of a 10-tooth cog to the cassette has enabled SRAM to be more progressive with its drivetrain offerings, and it’s hard to deny that most people likely stand to benefit from it.

After all, as noted when we reviewed SRAM Force AXS, the 46×10 top gear is slightly bigger than the 50×11 you’d get with a standard compact chainset, but you also get an easier gear at the other end and a smaller jump in teeth between the two chainrings.

Whatever you think about the implications for drivetrain friction, the benefits of the increased range probably outweigh the negatives for most riders.

• SRAM Force eTap AXS vs. Shimano Ultegra Di2

Premium build, premium price

So, the price. At £6,400 / $7,000 / AU$10,000, it’s not cheap. But, it does come with a selection of high quality parts, including Roval CL 32 Disc carbon wheels, Specialized’s own Turbo Pro 28mm clincher tyres and its ever popular Power saddle.

There’s not much you could wish to upgrade.

• Best road bike saddles

What’s more, the gloss teal, charcoal and blue paint job is very elegant. Kudos to Specialized for offering more choice than simply black on carbon on its recently released bikes.

Yes, it adds a little weight (because paint weighs more than a simple clear coat), but when you spend this much money on a bike you should expect it to look as good as it rides.

Gravel bikes have largely stolen cyclocrossers’ thunder, but we still have an affection for curly-barred barrier-hopping antics, which is exactly what the All-City Macho King A.C.E. is designed for. 

Sold as a frameset or a complete bike with SRAM Rival 1× gearing, the Macho King is built from All-City’s proprietary A.C.E. steel tubing, which the brand says allows its engineers to customise the tubing for each bike’s needs.

We’ve got the frameset here, and it’s pretty stunning thanks to that glorious splatter paintjob.

While you could certainly build the Macho King into a capable gravel bike, there are key spec details that betray its racy ‘cross intentions. 

The top tube is ovalised for easy shouldering and, unlike the gravel and adventure bikes All-City also makes, there isn’t a mudguard or luggage mount in sight on the frame. 

The geometry is reasonably racy too. This 52cm frame (medium-ish) has 382mm of reach and 566mm of stack. 

It’s the details that really give the Macho King its appeal. The logo seat clamp is delightful, as is the engraved head badge, and the bottle bosses feature subtle reinforcement. 

All-City is proud of its paint too. All the brand’s framesets get a phosphorous bath prior to painting, followed by an “electrophoretic deposition” (ED) coating, which uses the magic of electricity to stick an initial layer of paint to the frame and adds a base layer of rust protection. 

This is followed by layers of conventional wet paint and, finally, a UV-resistant clear coat. The end result is a finish that really shines.

Being steel, the All-City isn’t exactly super light. I can’t tell you exactly what this 52cm frameset weighs because it’s currently locked in BikeRadar’s Covid-shuttered office, but All-City says a 55cm frame weighs 1,745g, while a complete frameset with thru-axles comes in at 2,379g.

Would you fancy racing cyclocross on some stylish steel? How would you build yours?

Welcome to Bike of the Week – our weekly in-depth look at one of the most interesting, important or innovative bikes to land at BikeRadar.

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The fruits of an industry-wide push to focus bike design on geometry – and how everyone from beginner to expert riders can benefit from lower, slacker and longer figures — are now ripening, and this week’s bike, the 29in-wheeled Norco Torrent HT S2, is one of the finest examples of a geometry-first design.

The Torrent’s chromoly frame, hardcore geometry and no-nonsense design – externally-routed cables, no fancy frame shapes or anything that would prioritise form over function – is quite possibly the definition of a hardcore hardtail.

And while the Torrent S2 is the cheaper of the two-model range, foregoing luxuries such as RockShox’ Lyrik Ultimate RC2 fork and SRAM’s Code R brakes, it’s by no means a lame duck in the parts department. In fact, the Torrent S2 has a wealth of shred-ready parts bolted to its slim, steel frame.

• Norco Torrent HT S2: £1,845
• Nordo Torrent HT S1: £2,290

More on the parts later, but first, let’s check out what makes this bike quite the shredder.

The Torrent is equipped with fantastically long reach figures that span from 420mm for the small up to a whopping 510 for the extra-large, Seb Stott-sized bike.

Elsewhere, the head tube angle sits at a confidence-inspiring 64-degree angle. The effective seat tube angle – at 76 degrees across the size range – should have even the most fashion-conscious enduro rider whetting their whistle.

And, because it’s a hardtail with no rear suspension, the seat tube angle won’t get slacker as the bike sits into its sag, which is a problem normally associated with full bounce bikes.

Wheelbases span from a lengthy 1,173mm in the size small up to whopping 1,277mm for the XL. And thanks to the clever folk over at Norco, who’ve managed to keep the top tube low and seat tube short, more people should be able to comfortably fit on the larger sized frames without constantly getting a kick up the behind from the seat and rear wheel.

These figures all combine, Norco claims, to make more “powerful pedalling, increased climbing traction and added grip and control when descending.”

We’ve not ridden the bike yet to debunk or confirm these claims, but experience tells us that Norco isn’t going to go too far wrong with geometry figures such as those.

And the frame’s material is also tricky to ignore, especially in a sea of hydroformed alloy bikes with fancy, curved tubes.

The Torrent’s stoically straight tubes give the bike a purposeful but rather elegant silhouette, thanks to the thinner diameters afforded by their ferrous composition.

The bike’s cables are externally routed from front to back, excluding a small port at the base of the seat tube for stealth and internally-routed droppers.

Although the £1,845 price tag isn’t horrifyingly steep, Norco has been careful with how the bike is specced, cutting some corners here and there, although the parts look functionally spot-on they’re just heavier than pricer options.

For example, the RockShox 35 Gold fork, with 150mm of travel, uses the same chassis diameter as the more expensive Lyrik fork but weighs more and has the less sophisticated Motion Control damper.

Elsewhere, the bike’s decked out with SRAM’s cheapest 12-speed drivetrain, SX Eagle, compared to the pricier GX and above groupsets.

SX only has a 11-50-tooth range instead of the 10-tooth smallest cog.

Shifting is arguably less crisp, too.

There are some notable mentions, however. The X-Fusion Manic dropper has been critically acclaimed in our tests, plus TRP’s G-Spec Trail brakes feel sharp.

The Ergon GA30 lock-on grips are a nice touch, too, considering most brands spec hard-wearing in-house parts here.

Importantly, it’s also specced with Maxxis Assegai 3C compound tyres with the EXO+ casing. Tyres have the potential to make or break how a hardtail rides, so it’s good to see Norco taking traction seriously.

We’re excited to get out on the bike and put Norco’s claims to the test, so stay tuned for a full review soon.

You’re looking at the most useful bike in my life. Yes, this singlespeed town bike is surprisingly fun to ride and I guess it’s alright to look at, but it really is exceptional at… just being a bike – and that’s something I’ve really taken for granted at times.

Part of the reason I’ve not appreciated this bike perhaps as much as I should have is its absolute dependability. I’m not particularly proud to say it, but this is a bike that has lived outside for at least 18 months of its life.

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Once covered by a tarpaulin sheet at the rear of my previous residence, it was always denied the limited dry and secure bike storage of other bikes. Then, when the shed roof collapsed at my parent’s house, the tarpaulin was moved to a more urgent job, which left the Vitus out in the rain.

Most bikes that live outside quickly deteriorate, and I wasn’t expecting anything different from the Vitus, but it just didn’t happen. 

Whoever specced this bike originally did a great job of foreseeing the sort of abuse it might come to expect.

There are what I assume to be galvanised alloy bolts at the stem, which have shown no sign of corrosion. I’m convinced that the factory-fit KMC galvanised chain would also degrease back to looking almost brand new, and I’m still scratching my head as to why there aren’t more of these about.

That leads me to another big plus point on this bike. As much as there’s no doubt that the Vitus would have some appeal to thieves, I feel it generally manages to stay under the radar.

Mine is secured by the incredibly fancy – if slightly fiddly – Altor Apex Ti and so far it’s remained unchallenged by Bristol’s bike thieves, and long may that continue, too, because I’ve grown to really love this thing.

The Vee-1 undeniably has simplicity on its side; there’s no suspension fork, only one gear and v-brakes. It’s not an especially heavy bike either, coming in at approximately 11kg / 24lbs.

What I’ve failed to mention so far is just how much of a little weirdo this bike is. On the surface it kind of looks like a big wheel BMX, even in this larger 19in frame size, yet The Vee-1 has 29in/700c wheels.

Its geometry is somewhere between that of a hardtail mountain bike and a hybrid, so you get fast steering and real agility but a bike that still feels confident at speed.

The ride is definitely not as playful as you might expect though, with a front end that’s strangely difficult to pop and some of that early 29in awkwardness that’s not really encountered today.

Its v-brakes are plenty powerful enough, even in the wet, but they lack the feel required to give you total confidence when, say, misbehaving on the bike’s back wheel.

Still, point it at a tame mountain bike trail or gravel path and you can have the sort of fun that old school mountain bikes or today’s gravel bikes deliver.

It feels better to travel slowly on this bike than almost any other that I’ve had before it, and sometimes that’s exactly what I need.

It has cost very little indeed to keep this bike running over the years. The original Kenda tyres were rock hard by the time they were replaced, despite their tread still being very much intact. I’ve had to tighten the brakes a few times and have had the rear wheel rebuilt recently. That’s it. 

This very example was tested by the late, great Steve Worland back in 2012. Worland narrowly avoided giving it full marks in his review, citing excessively tall gearing and a lack of mudguard/rack compatibility as its only negatives.

He was totally right on both points, of course. The 39 x 11 gearing is okay on flats but a real chore to winch up steep sections, and it seems Vitus responded by dropping the chainring size to 38t on later bikes. I think I’d like to pop a 36t ring on myself.

Newer models also get rack and mudguard mountings as part of an updated alloy frame and fork.

Buying a cheap bike is easy, but finding a cheap bike that’s not going to fall apart or have you wishing you spent more…that’s a lot trickier and it’s something I think Vitus completely nailed here.

The Vee-1 29 lives on in the form of its spiritual successor, the Vitus Vee 29 City Bike SS. It’s a bike I’ve not personally ridden but will definitely have to do so.

Amazingly, the newer bike retails at only £299, which is £25 cheaper than this original bike’s RRP in 2012. No wonder there are none in stock right now.

Plusher versions of the same frame and fork are also dressed with disc brakes and hub/derailleur gears for a small premium in the form of the Vitus Dee range.

Vitus Vee-1 29 specification (2013)

• Frame: Aluminium
• Fork: Hi tensile steel
• Drivetrain: FSA Vero 39-tooth with guard, 11t rear sprocket
• Wheels: Unbranded 36 hole 700c
• Tyres: Schwalbe Century 2in (formerly Kenda Small Block Eight 2.1in)
• Weight: 11kg / 24lbs
• Price: £324.99 (in 2012)

Rejoice one and all – after a short unplanned hiatus due to a well-known global event, Bike of the Week is back once again, and we’re excited to share with you a roster of some of the hottest bikes to land at BikeRadar HQ.

We have a delectable line up of bikes to come over the new few weeks and, starting things off right is this handsome Mason Resolution steel endurance road bike.

Mason is based in Brighton on the south coast of the UK and is headed up by Dom Mason, who is approaching two decades of bike design after a long and successful stint at Kinesis Bikes.

As a brand, Mason lives by its #FastFar and four-season design philosophies – producing bikes focused on efficient long-distance riding that are suitable for all conditions.

To give some context, the Mason lineup shapes up as follows:

• InSearchOf – steel adventure bike
• Bokeh – alloy gravel bike
• Definition – alloy road bike
• Aspect – titanium road bike
• Resolution – steel road bike

As mentioned, the Resolution is the brand’s steel endurance road bike. The frame is constructed from a mix of Columbus Spirit and Life tubes and is welded by Mason’s contractors near Venice. Each bike is then assembled to spec at Mason’s base in the UK.

We ran a full in-depth look at the bike at the time, but, as a brief reminder, in 2018 the Resolution was brought up to date with 12mm thru-axles, flat-mount brakes and custom modular dropouts designed by Bear components.

The overall geometry of the Resolution sits firmly in the ‘endurance’ end of the road bike spectrum – on our 56cmm test bike, the position that isn’t racy-long (369.7mm reach) but, equally, isn’t overly lofty at the front end (532.1mm stack).

As is well-known at this stage, wide low-pressure tyres are key to ensuring a comfortable and efficient ride on imperfect surfaces. On the Resolution, tyre clearance is a generous 35mm, or 30mm with mudguards.

This is more than enough for all but the worst roads but also builds in a bit of gravel-friendly versatility that will be welcome if you like to indulge in the odd off-piste adventure.

As mentioned, the bike – and, in fact, all of Mason’s bikes – has mounts for full-cover mudguards.

Distressingly few road performance road bikes come with mudguard (or, yes – ‘fender’ if you must) mounts these days, so this is a very welcome move.

The bike will also take rear panniers if you prefer to eschew frame and bar bags in favour of a more traditional approach when carrying kit on long rides.

The fork also has provision to fit a dynamo light onto the crown of the fork. Newer versions of the bike also feature internal routing for the dynamo light cable.

With the Resolution, Mason strikes a neat balance between versatility and a classic silhouette that is unsullied by excessive mounts or gaping tyre clearances.

The Resolution is available in six different build options and two frameset options.

Resolution builds start at £3,140 for a 105-equipped bike, rising to £6,340 for a SRAM Red AXS build. A rolling chassis is also available at £1,855 and a plain frameset at £1,595.

The pictured SRAM Force eTap AXS build weighs 9.05kg on the nose without pedals. Our particular test bike has been upgraded to include a set of Hunt 34 Aero Wide Disc wheels and Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres set up tubeless. In this guise, the bike would set you back a cool £4,970.

No dodgy secret handshakes or initiation ceremonies are required to get into the Mason owner’s club – you can simply buy the Resolution directly from Mason, where you have the option to customise your build, including bar width and stem length.

It is also possible to contact Mason and go for an entirely custom build if the standard customisation won’t fulfil your requirements.

If our last Bike of the Week was a little lacking in wheels for your liking, this latest offering will put things right. 

The Spa Cycles Elan 725 is a stylish steel all-rounder from a brand that specialises in UK-friendly touring bikes replete with practical touches.

Spa has offered a titanium Elan for a while, but this steel version is more affordable, while occupying a similar niche.

Spa will build you a bike however you like, and this particular machine sports Shimano 105 disc components and some interesting aftermarket additions.

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The bottom bracket is threaded and, in the case of this bike, it’s a square taper cartridge unit of the kind that typically outlasts the rider.

The geometry is the same as that of the existing Ti version, with 384mm of reach and a towering 603mm of stack for this 54cm bike. 

It’s long and laid back, with 440mm chainstays contributing to its 1,047mm wheelbase, suggesting a stable, easygoing approach to riding

The Elan is more of an all-roader (or light tourer) than gravel grinder, but clearances are healthy and this particular bike is specced with 30mm tubeless Schwalbe G-One tyres that are equally at home on dry fireroad as they are on tarmac.

In a similarly adventurous vein, the bike is fitted with Spa’s own 46/30t cranks and these are matched to a huge 11-40t SunRace cassette.

But wait, I hear you cry, a regular Shimano 105 rear derailleur won’t like that, will it? 

You’re quite right, but Spa has also fitted a Wolftooth Goatlink hanger extender, which adds the necessary clearance to allow a standard road derailleur to work with a mountain bike cassette. 

A 30/40t low gear should be enough to climb just about anything short of a vertical wall, so loaded touring should present no obstacles.

You can’t miss the orange theme the Elan has going on, and much of the hue is supplied by cheerfully anodised Hope components, including the headset, skewers, seat clamp and hubs.

The appearance of quick-release skewers might raise an eyebrow incidentally, in a world now dominated by thru-axles, but they work just fine, as they have done for most of the last century. Spa does offer a thru-axle fork as an alternative, but naturally the frame is QR-only.

Those Hope hubs are laced to Kinlin tubeless alloy rims and yes, the nipples are orange too. It would be odd if they weren’t, frankly.

The Elan’s finishing kit is all FSA, with the brand’s Adventure bar offering subtly flared drops and slightly swept and flattened tops for comfort. All this makes for a bike weighing 10.4kg for a size 54 without pedals. 

As built, the Elan should set you back around two grand, but that’s an estimated figure because Spa Cycles hasn’t yet finalised pricing. 

The Elan 725 is expected to be available towards the end of May and, as mentioned previously, Spa will build it to your specification or you can roll your own with a frameset.

Welcome to Bike of the Week, our weekly in-depth first look at one of the most interesting bikes to land at BikeRadar HQ.

If you’re reading this in the future, well, we’re glad there’s a future! Also, you might notice that this bike, the Wahoo Kickr Bike hasn’t been beautifully shot out in the wild like our previous editions of Bike of the Week, but in one of our tech editor’s spare bedrooms.

Yes, we’re in the Covid-19 lockdown, and because of that, this week’s Bike of the Week is the Kickr Bike – Wahoo’s new smart bike.

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Understandably, indoor bikes and turbo trainers are in high-demand these days, with restrictions on movement in place, and training apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad and The Sufferfest are encouraging more riders to take indoor cycling seriously.

No longer is an hour’s slog on the turbo a solo-mission into the depths of one’s own pain cave – that misery can be shared with others, in a virtual world. Dedicated smart bikes like the Kickr Bike aim to take that immersive experience to the next level.

We’ve got the Kickr Bike in to test, so watch out for a full review on BikeRadar, but before we delve deep into the pain cave, let’s take a closer look at the Kickr Bike’s features and setup.

Wahoo Kickr Bike features

The Kickr Bike, which we first saw at Eurobike in 2019 and set to be available in the UK from May, is one of the more technologically advanced indoor bikes out there, with a raft of rather cool features.

The most noticeable has to be its grade simulation technology.

As you’d expect from any smart trainer or smart bike, the Kickr Bike is capable of automatically controlling resistance, whether that’s an interval during a training session or to replicate the difficultly of a climb when paired with a training app.

However, when you ride a virtual climb or descent using software such as Zwift (the Kickr Bike has Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity), the whole bike tips forwards or backwards in real-time to mimic the gradient of the road up to a 20-degree climb, or 15-degree descent.

Furthermore, the brake levers actually work – both in reality and in the software.

The flywheel also has a motor, to drive your speed on descents, but should you wish to stop, haul on the brake levers and the whole shebang decelerates to a standstill, and relatively realistically via a motorised brake.

The drivetrain itself is based around a belt-drive system, which Wahoo says is nice and quiet, and drives a 5.9kg (13lbs) electromagnetic flywheel.

As you might expect, the Kickr Bike comes with an integrated power-meter system, with a claimed accuracy of 1 per cent. The bike can provide up to 2,200 watts of resistance.

Wahoo Kickr Bike customisation

The levers include a number of shift buttons that can be customised from the Kickr Bike’s app during setup. There’s the option to fully customise how the gears work, so they match your regular ride.

These buttons allow the shifters to mimic Shimano (including Synchro Shift), SRAM (including eTap) and Campagnolo shifting, while the app allows full gear-ratio customisation too – from chainrings to cassettes.

Gear selection is displayed on a small control panel at the front of the top tube, where there’s also a USB charging port. Convenient if you’re using your smartphone or tablet to run a training app or stream a movie while using the bike.

Wahoo Kickr Bike fit

Wahoo says the Kickr Bike is suitable for riders from 5ft to 6ft 4in and the frame offers five main points of adjustment: standover height, saddle height, saddle setback, reach and stack height.

You can also adjust your crank length (165/167.5/170/172.5/175mm) by threading your pedals into the appropriate hole on the crank.

When it comes to making sure the Wahoo Kickr Bike fits you properly, there’s a very handy and, for a technophobe like me, simple app to help.

You can put your preferred ride position/style and body measurements into the app, which will then suggest your setup (each component has measurements marked on it for reference).

Alternatively, data from the most common bike-fit systems (Trek, GURU and Retül) can be uploaded to the app, which then tells you how to set up the bike.

The third way is super-smart, though. In the app you can take a picture of the bike you want to base the fit on and then, via a series of specific spots pinpointed on the picture, the app tells you the measurements needed on the Kickr Bike.

Very simple and, in my experience from setup, effective in providing a decent match to my regular fit.

Finishing off the bike are a standard Wahoo-branded saddle and handlebar, though you can fit your own if you wish.

Building the Kickr Bike out of the box has proven easy enough – though is it heavy (a claimed 42kg / 93lbs in total) – so now it’s time to ride it.

The Orbea Orca is one of the most familiar names out there when it comes to road bikes. The Basque brand’s flagship race bike was originally launched in 2003 and the Orca OMX is the latest evolution, launched in September, and our Bike of the Week.

Orbea started out in 1840 as a firearms manufacturer, but began producing bicycles in 1930, rising to prominence in the 1980s with Pedro Delgado and the Gin MG-Orbea / SEAT-Orbea teams.

Delgado won the 1985 Vuelta a España aboard an Orbea and finished second behind Stephen Roche in the 1987 Tour de France – a race characterised by the battle between the duo and won by Roche by only 40 seconds. (Delgado would go on to win the 1988 Tour de France having moved to the Reynolds team).

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After originally working with steel and then aluminium, Orbea launched the Orca as its first carbon fibre bike.

The Orca has remained a permanent fixture in Orbea’s line-up since then, though the company’s flagship race machine has been redesigned multiple times since we first reviewed an Orca on BikeRadar in 2006. 

The Orca name now best describes a family of bikes, with the Orca OMX – Orbea’s sixth-generation Orca, by our count – joining the Orca OMR and Orca Aero. 

Where the OMR, with its sub-800g frame, is aimed at lightweight climbers like the Delgado of yesterday, the Aero is, well, designed to maximise aerodynamic performance – a departure in itself for a brand better associated with riders who light up the toughest mountain stages of the world’s toughest bike races. 

Now the Orca OMX sits between the two in Orbea’s range. That’s a trend we’ve seen across the industry.

While dedicated bikes for climbers and all-out aero bikes for sprinters continue to have their place, there’s also been a convergence of the two in a bike designed to offer a little bit of everything. Machines such as our Bike of the Year for 2020, the Cannondale SuperSix EVO.

This is Orbea’s take on the theme.

For riders who still value low weight, the headline figures behind the OMX are impressive – a claimed 833g and 370g for the disc-specific frame and fork respectively.

And, if you place equal value in eking out a few extra watts in the town sign sprint, the OMX is said to offer an 8 watt advantage over the OMR at 40km/h.

You can thank the aero-influenced tube profiles, sculpted fork crown and neatly integrated seatpost and cockpit for that.

Like just about every other bike launched in the past year or two, including the Orca Aero (but excluding the new Giant TCR), the OMX has dropped seatstays. All things considered, the OMX casts a similar silhouette to the very competitors it’s looking to avert your gaze from, but that’s the price on progress, we suppose.

Where Orbea differs from most of its competitors, however, is in the personalisation available through the MyO custom programme.

You can choose from a wide range of colours for almost every part of the frame and fork, as well as six unique patterns for the fork – including the pattern featured on our test bike. You can upgrade components on the build, too.

Speaking of which, this is the Orbea Orca M10i LTD D with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST wheels (confusingly, OMX doesn’t appear anyway in the name of individual models, despite that being the name of the frame).

Still, it will set you back £7,899, but the range includes bikes from £4,199 with Shimano Ultegra all the way up to £8,299 with SRAM Red eTap.

Welcome to another edition of our weekly Bike of the Week (the clue is in the name!) first look.

This week we’ve got ourselves a Specialized Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon in for test, and although we can’t go out and get it all muddy right now, we have taken some pretty pictures to tell you all about it.

This is our first ebike to feature in Bike of the Week, and while they might split opinions, they’re an increasingly important part of the cycling market and aren’t going anywhere! We’re sure you’ll let us know in the comments what you think about that, though…

The Turbo SL family of bikes is part of a small, but growing sub-section of the eMTB market that have smaller batteries with a lower weight and capacity, along with a lighter, less powerful motor.

The idea is that the bike’s weight is closer to that of a ‘normal’ mountain bike, with all the handling and feel benefits that might bring, while still giving you that little push that makes ebikes a great way to explore the hills.

The other notable bike in this sub-section is the Lapierre eZesty, which uses the removable Fazua motor to give you two bikes in one.

The Turbo SL clearly draws its DNA from the Stumpjumper family of trail bikes, with the sidearm FSR frame design giving 150mm of travel to the rear-end of the bike. This is matched at the front with a 150mm Fox 34 fork.

It sits alongside the regular Turbo Levo (which is burlier, with a more powerful motor and bigger battery), and the Kenevo – an eMTB on steroids.

Sat in the belly of the bike is Specialized’s SL 1.1 motor, which is a smaller model than used in its Turbo Levo and Kenevo electric models, and weighs a claimed 1.9kg.

This puts out up to 240W of power and has been tuned down a little from its bigger siblings, which put out a nominal 250W (but have a higher peak power).

The motor’s power is supplied from the 320Wh battery that sits within the down tube. Having that smaller battery helps keep the weight a good few kilos less than a ‘normal’ eMTB, too, which often weigh in the region of 22 to 24kg.

With a smaller battery, though, comes the worry about what range it’ll manage, especially if you’re using it in the higher power modes.

Specialized has got around this by offering an aftermarket range booster for 50 per cent more range – it sits in the bike’s bottle cage and plugs straight in to the bike.

Specialized says it’s improved the efficiency of the motor too, which helps keep ranges a touch longer.

Those who can afford the S-Works model get the range booster included, otherwise it’s a £300/$450 add-on.

Get geeky

As with an increasing number of aspects of life, there’s an app for the Turbo Levo SL, and it looks to be one of the best ebike apps available.

As you’d expect, assistance levels of each of the three modes can be tuned to your heart’s content, while you can also tell the app how far you want to go and how much climbing you intend to do, allowing it to automatically adjust power delivery to help you get to the end.

If you want to use your Turbo Levo SL on a training ride you can even pair it with your heart rate monitor: input a target HR and if you go over it the assistance will grow; if you’re below the target it’ll get stingy with its power.

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon

This version of the bike sits in the middle of the range – there are pricier options, as well as an alloy model costing a little less. This bike is constructed from Specialized’s FACT 11m carbon fibre.

The fork is a 150mm Fox Rhythm 34, which gives a certain nod to the Turbo Levo SL’s ‘trail bike’ intentions. Controlling the rear is a Fox Float DPS Performance shock.

SRAM provides the stop-and-go gear with a pair of Guide R brakes and an NX Eagle drivetrain.

As you’d expect from a brand with a full line-up of wheels and tyres, there’s a set of Roval Traverse 29 wheels wrapped in Specialized’s Butcher (f) and Eliminator (r) tyres in the new, tougher Grid Trail casing.

Specialized also provides the bulk of the finishing kit, save for the X-Fusion dropper.

Specialized has stopped developing its Command Post line in recognition that it took a lot of resources, and there are plenty of brands producing great droppers aftermarket.