Bespoke Cycling

We've never seen a week like this...

In the space of a few days Trek, Specialized and Cannondale have launched all-new aero road bikes that move this niche category forward a massive leap from the early days of heavy and compromised aero road bikes.

We've been taking an in-depth look at each bike as it was announced (links below), and here's an overview of this remarkable selection of flagship aero machines.

Early aero road bikes were fine for racers and sprinters, but everyone else, especially if there are any hills to contend with or poorly surface roads, favoured traditional road bikes. The Tarmac, Emonda and SuperSix Evo have all been popular over the last 5-10 years for that very reason.

But increased understanding of aerodynamics and greater investment is starting to change this, and the latest breed of aero bikes that have been launched this year look like making the next bike buying decision a bit tricker than before.

Even if you're not racing, and providing you're riding at speeds in excess of 15kph and gradients no steeper than 6-8%, everyone can benefit from an aero road bike. And no, you don't need to be riding fast to take advantage - a slower rider is going to spend more time on course and potentially benefit more.

More comfort, less weight - and yet with increased aerodynamic efficiency - these bikes are looking set to break out of their niche and become a much more mainstream choice.

Read on for our individual looks at these feature-packed new bikes, in order of appearance:

Cannondale SystemSix

Cannondale were first out of the blocks with the launch of the all new SystemSix.

It's fair to say Cannondale is late to the aero market, but it appears to have made up for its lateness by designing what it claims is the fastest aero road bike in the world. A heady claim indeed, but one that is backed up by lots of graphs and data.

It has been designed entirely around disc brakes, no rim brake version will be offered, with its own HED inspired Knot64 wheels designed to cut down drag, and a two-piece handlebar offering easy fit adjustment.

Read our detailed First Look report here

Specialized Venge

Few brands have committed to aero as much as Specialized - it's even built its own on-site wind tunnel! The third-generation Venge is its quickest yet, a full 8 seconds quicker than the previous Venge ViAS, and that bike was no slouch. Just like the SystemSix, the new Venge is 100% dedicated to disc brakes, but it goes a step forward in the pursuit of optimum aerodynamics by being designed entirely around electronic groupsets. There's no routing for a mechanical groupset at all. It's lighter as well, with the S-Works Dura-Ace bike coming in at 7.1kg, and that includes a power meter as well.

Take a closer look at the features and specs in our preview, here

Trek Madone

Friday saw the announcement of the completely new Madone.

The last generation Madone went all in with an aero design, and it has evolved with substantial changes this year. It's now available with disc brakes with a 7.5kg target weight, and the unique IsoSpeed decoupler has been totally revamped. It's now located in the top tube and offers a wide range of adjustability, so you can have it as smooth or firm as you like.

There's a new H1.5 geometry, there's a new two-piece handlebar and stem, and a choice of SLR and SL models (with the SLR available in Project One, for an added level of personalisation).

See full details of the new Madone in our First Look blog

We will of course be taking more in-depth looks at each of these bikes as they become available over the next few months. Look out for more articles on the Bespoke blog.

Which is right for you? Well, that depends a great deal on which fits the best, and that's where our expertise lies, correct fit is the foundation of everything we do. Whichever tempts you we'll start with a bike fit, at no extra cost, and from there we can establish which option will fit you best. Contact points; bars, stem, seatpost, saddle, can all be swapped like-for-like to achieve the perfect fit.

So get in touch and we can arrange a fitting session, refundable in full against any bike purchase over £3000, and we can find the bike, and position, that will maximise your performance, comfort and efficiency.

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