6 Best Road Race Bikes I’d Recommend to Anyone Who Loves Riding Fast

My pick of 6 fast and lightweight Tour de France approved race bikes I’d actually recommend based on riding and testing them

Content
00:00 Intro
00:32 Cannondale SuperSix Evo
2:21 Colnago V5RS
4:34 Trek Madone SLR
6:36 Specialized Tarmac SL8
8:14 Giant Propel
9:37 Canyon Aeroad
12:03 Which would I choose?

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If you’re in the market for a road bike for racing or simply riding fast at the weekends and emulating the taller front of pros, then these are six of the best race bikes I’ve actually ridden and tested right here on just ride bikes. These are bikes I genuinely rate ones I choose myself if I wanted something fast, fun, and serly capable. I’ll put links to all the reviews of these bikes down below in the description of today’s video. And there are chapter links if you want to skip ahead. And in no particular order, let’s start with the Candel Super 6 Evo. The bike really pops in yellow, doesn’t it? The Super 6 Evo has long been a personal favorite race bike of mine ever since it launched way back in 2012, and I still own that original bike. It’s been a fantastic bike. Lightweight, stiff, great geometry, fantastic handling, just rides like a dream. And the latest version brings impressive aerodynamics to the table as well. And like many bikes in today’s video, they’re trying to be a lightweight aero allrounder, not a pure lightweight climbing bike and neither a pure aero race bike. The Super 6 Evo isn’t the absolute lightest in the world. An 810 g frame and a 7 kilo full build. So not as light as a Tama SL8 or other bikes in today’s video, but definitely one of the most aerobics you can buy that’s still reasonably lightweight. And if you do want a lightweight Super 6 Evo, there’s always a Lab 71. If you have deep pockets to afford that high-end version and testing by tour magazine, which tests all bikes in the wind tunnel, the Super 6 Evo is definitely up there with the best most a lightweight allrounders. And comfort is pretty good as well. In line with most bikes in today’s video, their tire clones up to 32 or 33 mil wide tires and gives a nice smooth ride on the most badly maintained roads. Another nice detail about the Super 6 Evo is a stack. is a bit higher than other race bikes in today’s video. So, not quite slammed, not quite as aggressive if you’re not a pro, not riding 30 hours a week, so a little bit better on your back and shoulders. And Canondelle offers a reasonable range of builds and price points starting from £3,000 in the UK for a Super 6 Evo with a 105 mechanical group set. A great starting point for a highlevel high performance road bike. Carono is a brand rich in history, in heritage and Italian soul and passion. And I could have included the Y1 RS, the Radical Aero race bike, but I’ve not written the bike, only ridden it around a car park, so it doesn’t really count. But I have ridden the new V5 RS, which is a better looking bike in my opinion. This is like the Super 6 Evo, a lightweight allrounder, and Carono have been mixing this recipe for a long, long time. And the latest version, the V5 RS, is the best yet. It’s a little bit more arrow, but it’s a lot lighter and definitely a really easy choice, an easy recommendation if you want a bike that can climb well, can descend well, be fast, and arrow on the flats as well. Visually, it’s a clean and classic looking bike. And truth be told, many top- end race bikes look very similar. There’s a similar blueprint they all play to. There are some outliers, but I think the Konago V5 RS one of the better looking bikes in this video. What I like most about the Konago V5 RS is the handling compared to other bikes in the video from Trek, Specializ, and Candel. The geometry is a bit more laidback. That doesn’t mean slow though. It means really assured handling on the descent because the way this bike goes down heels is far better in my opinion than other bikes in this video. is why I’m a big personal fan of the C68 which has the same geometry as a V5 RS just afraid of made in Italy rather made in Taiwan like the V5 RS the handling it’s not for everybody but once you ride it in the mountains it makes a lot of sense this new version is lighter than the old one with a 6.8 8 kilo top end build entirely possible and it’s a few watts more aero than the old bike as well. So faster and lighter which is what you want and comfort is very good too like the super 6 Evo is a very smooth ride on even the most badly surface roads. So for a race bike yeah very good indeed. So the F5 RS is an interesting choice but also an expensive choice with bikes starting from $9,000 in the UK. Hey, so not the most accessible compared to Super 66 Evo, the Specialized, and the other bikes in today’s video. But if you want some Italian flare and passion, it’s definitely a good choice. When the Track Mone SR first launched, they sent shock waves around the cycling community. They put a hole in the seat tube called Isoflow, apparently for better aerodynamics, better compliance, and weight saving. And now in a second version, it’s proven to be a solid, reliable, and quite popular choice. And that’s because looks aside, although personally I think it’s a good looking bike. Now in it second version, it’s a distinctive looking bike. It doesn’t look the same as other bikes in today’s video. It’s a bike that properly fast is really aerodynamic. We have a narrow handlebar with max arrow and comfort is very good too. So one of the best bikes in today’s video in my opinion. However, as fast as smooth as it undoubtedly is, not the lightest bike in today’s video. When I weighed it, it’s 7.3 kilos with a top end build red axis group set. So giving away quite a lot of weight to a Tama SL8 or even that Cargo V5RS. So definitely a bike that is more arrow than it is lightweight. And that’s a shame given how they’ve replaced the Mond, the old lightweight climbing bike in their range with the Mone as a one bike to do everything, both arrow and not very lightweight. So, if weight isn’t a main focus, but you do want max arrow, the Trek Monone is definitely a bike I’ll choose as a speed focus option. It’s also very smooth. That is flow does deliver a smooth ride in a saddle and it’s smoother than other bikes in today’s video. And the handlebar is properly narrow like it should be on a top- end bike designed for Max Arrow. The Trek Madone also comes in a range of builds as well with the SL and then the SLR for different price points just using different carbon fiber to keep the price down and a small weight penalty. But you can get a bike starting from just £2,700 with a Shimano 105 mechanical group set. Just don’t forget to include the Aerial water bottles when you buy a bike that save a claimed three W. The Tarmac SL8 is right now in 2025 one of the most popular and desirable race bikes you can buy. Specialized, as we all know, a very very popular indeed. And while the prices are higher and their value for money isn’t always as good as other brands like Giant and Canyon, they do make really good bikes. And the Tarmac S8 is one of the best of this breed of a lightweight and arrow bike because they’re both very arrow and also very lightweight as well. In independent testing, the Aero claims definitely stack up very well. And the weight of the frame and a complete bike is very impressive indeed. A top end build which Duri2 is about 6.7 kilos. So, one of the lightest bikes in today’s video. Then there’s the ride quality. The smoothness, the responsiveness, the stiffness, all very good, too. Perhaps not the stiffest bike for powerful sprinters in this video. I would go for a Trek or a Super Six Evo if you are a big powerful sprinter. But if you are a lighter weight rider and want a smooth ride and refined handling and don’t mind not having the the ultimate stiffness level, then the SL8 is definitely a bike I would recommend. The big downside is Specialized is the prices are high and the value money is not nearly as good as a Giant or a Canyon. And in the UK, the cheapest S8 is £5,500 with the old generation Stram rival Axis group set. So, you are paying a premium having that specialized logo on a down tube, but that doesn’t put a lot of people off because I see out there lots of people riding the SL8. It’s not obvious choice, but it’s a good choice. A bike that delivers a lot of performance for quite a lot of money. When it comes to value for money, Giant is a brand that’s hard to beat, and the Propel is a fantastic aero lightweight race bike. Giant still has the TCR, the classic lightweight climbing bike, but Propel is a bike to choose if you want to ride fast and it’s definitely sadly an underrated bike. But that’s a real shame because the top end bike, the SL version with a Shimano Dur group said is 6.9 kilos and definitely one of the lightest weight error bikes you can buy right now. It’s definitely a fast bike. is definitely faster than a T cell in my testing and does stand out well to a Track Madone or Super 6 Eva when it comes to aero speed. However, the downside to Propel in my opinion is the comfort isn’t as good as something like a Tarmac SL8. That focus on aerodynamics and a big obvious tube profiles of the frame do trade in some comfort and compliance when riding over a rough road. Like most bikes, I space a wide tire. You can go to a 32 mil wide tire and get more comfort that way. But if you’re looking for a smooth bike, repair wouldn’t be my choice. But if you want a great value package and you’re not put off by the brand snobbery, that is an issue with Giant, then you are getting a lot of bike, a fast bike for your money. Because a bike with a Shimano 105 mechanical group set starts from just £3,000. So a lot of speed for £3 grand. Like Giant, Canyon offers two choices in the road bike category. There’s the Ultimate, the lightweight version, and the Aero, the Aero bike. They haven’t done the one bike to rule them all just yet, but the Aero is now light enough to be considered a lightweight Aero allrounder like a Tarmac or Trek Madone. And it’s good enough for Matthew Vanderpole. He only races the Aero CFR in all stages in all races around the world. So, if it’s good enough for him, it’s definitely good enough for us. and around the just ride bike test track one of the fastest bikes I’ve yet ridden and definitely in my experience and in my testing faster than the tarmac the super sex Evo and a giant Propel. So definitely a very fast bike. It’s not the lightest bike compared to the Konago V5 RS or special SL8 weighing about 7 kilos for a top end build but it also offers great handling as well. Definitely on the quick side. Nice responsive fast steering and comfort is pretty good as well. For an air bike, the comfort is very good. Better than Giant Propel. Maybe not as good as a Tama SL8. So somewhere in between the two extremes, but there are some quirks on the Aero that might put some people off. The main one for me is the handlebar. They have this width adjustable handlebar and you can choose from arrow or classic bends for the drops. But then you have the gear groove on the middle of the stem for fitting different accessory mounts. So a computer mount, a phone mount or try extensions which makes a lot of sense for that adaptability and adjustment. But it does leave an ugly cutout in the handlebar compared to a bike. We have a smooth seamless upper and Matthew Vanderpole and the rest of the Alpson team are not using this handlebar. They had the old handlebar with the 3D printed mount underneath the stem which looks way cleaner in my opinion. But that aside, it’s still a fantastic bike that’s fast, is smooth, great handling, really planted on the descent, and fast enough for most people on the climbs if you’re not a climbing monkey. And it’s a bike that performs well at every price point, too, as I found out when I compared a top end and an entry- level a road in a video linked above in case you didn’t see it. but it’s not the cheapest bike in today’s video because prices start at £4,000 with a Shimano 105 D group set. So, not quite as cheap or accessible as the Giant, the Trek, whatever bikes in today’s video. And whichever bike you choose, you won’t be disappointed, and I really mean that. They are all performing on a very high level, but there are differences in specification and approach that might sway you to one bike over the other. Where is the low weight of the SL8 or the Arow of the Aero, you might like the adjustable handlebar of the Aero or prefer the narrow handlebar of the Trek Madone SLR or the hole in the seat tube of that Monone might put you off it entirely and steer you towards the classic looks of the Carago V5 RS. And if you’re wondering what bike I would choose out of these six bikes looking for my opinion on the best bike, well, neither is the best. They’re all different. So for me, the SL8 really appeals for a low weight. I love the low weight of that bike, but the prices of the Specializ are high. The value isn’t great. That’s where Giant definitely comes in with great value for money, but they’re not as desirable or appealing as other bikes. The Tremone I like the look of. I think it’s a fantastic looking bike, but the isoflow, the hole in the seat tube isn’t for everybody. But I do like the narrow handlebar, which takes some getting used to, but it’s definitely very arrow, and it’s a wide range price available, too. I love the air, one of the faster bikes in the video, but the handlebar personally puts me off. The cargo is definitely an appealing bike. It rides extremely well, but the price is very high, so not the most accessible bike in this video. And for me, the Italian made C68 is more appealing, which probably leaves the Super 6 Evo as a bike I would potentially choose if I’m buying one of the six bikes. A bike that’s fast, it’s lightweight, it looks good, comes in a reasonable range of price points and specification options, and it’s a bike I’ll be happy to ride as happy as my 10-year-old version I still own. So, those are my opinions and thoughts on some of the best road race bikes you can buy right now. Let me know what you think of the video and the bikes I’ve included and which ones I missed. I’m sure you’ll be letting me know which bikes I’ve missed by dropping a comment down below. And if you want to watch my review of the Super 66 Evo to find out why it’s so good, then watch a video right up here.