[Closed] Do I want an aero road bike?

Fit, Fit, Fit and Fit would be my first 4 priorities. After that it would be sufficient tyre clearance to run up to say a 30mm if I wanted to. Then I'd probably consider the bikes aesthetics - is it something I would enjoy owning.

After that I'd maybe consider it's aero credentials. Possibly. But probably not. I wouldn't avoid them but I also would not prioritize them.

The aero road bike/ normal road bike/ climbing bike categories are a bit more blurred now with aero frames less obviously 'aero looking' and climbing bikes now more aero. It's all much of a muchness.

But fit is key - a bike you end up on the hoods for all the time rather than the drops is as a package with the lump on the top significantly less aero than the most beefy round tubed monster of a sportive orientated bike. Form over function and all that.

I've never owned one, but always got the impression that they may well be faster, but not necessarily more 'fun'. I guess they would be more fun if you were hammering on long fast stretches or downhills, but for lumpy, twisty stuff on crap roads?

I'd prefer a lighter bike with clearance maybe for 28mm tyres, and a more upright geometry (but that's just me).

Also, is it even possible to go out for an easy spin on an aero bike? I tried a couple of TTish short nosed saddles on my bike and over 100 miles of scenic country roads it got a bit tedious feeling I had to be a in an aero tuck the whole time because the saddle was uncomfortable otherwise!

Edit: Sorry, I missed where you said your local stuff was mostly flat...

I'd probably just consider looks. I like the clean lines of aero bikes but prefer the more traditional tubes of lighter bikes.

As above the lines are blurring. I'm also skeptical of the aero claims. Normally they are at faster speeds (40kph) and in specific conditions. You'd need to consider how aero you are as it may negate the bike differences.

Similar arguements for weight. So pick the pretty one!

I'd look at Ribble as an alternative. Maybe Canyon depending on stock and Brexit boluks.

For the last couple of years, I've had the hypothetical "would I get an aero bike, or a gravel bike that could take at least 40mm tyres with guards" in my head, given my Cube Attain is in No Mans Land with 32mm max tyre and a crazy high front end stack of 610mm...

My decision changes with each day, because as much as I'd like to experience a "fast bike" before my body gets too knackered, many of the South Downs lanes I like riding have got into a noticably worse state of neglect in the last fews years.

Buy something that will fit, and you like the look of so will ride lots.

Some race bikes have very low front ends, meaning a more racy fit. That might work for you, might not.

Edit: Sorry, I missed where you said your local stuff was mostly flat…

He didn't - he said rarely flat.

He didn’t – he said rarely flat.

D'oh! Too much coffee this AM, reading comprehension fail.

a bike to last into your mid fifties? comfort, comfort and comfort.

comfort will come from, tyre volume, endurance geometry, a good fit and good quality finishing kit in a suitable material.

I remember one of the Specialized sponsored Tour riders saying he was as fast on his normal bike (Roubaix?) compared to his race bike (Venge?) and was more comfortable on it but Specialized made him race on his race bike when racing.

(I’m not 100% sure which model is the more casual and which is the uncomfortable, super stiff race bike).

But the one that fits and you like the look of.
Take into account the gearing, saddle, etc as some race bikes push pretty big gears.

The aero road bike/ normal road bike/ climbing bike categories are a bit more blurred now with aero frames less obviously ‘aero looking’ and climbing bikes now more aero. It’s all much of a muchness.

This.

I'd get an all-rounder in your position, with discs and space for big tyres as others have suggested.

Personally I'm not a fan of Planet X aesthetics or as a company, but the new Pro Carbon seems alright.

I saw an ad for the Ribble SL R Disc yesterday, and went to take a look. It's a pretty tasty looking thing in that aero/ road crossover area. Not that expensive compared to the bigger brands, takes up to 30mm tyres and fits mudguards apparently - I'd be checking out that just for comparison

firstly i don’t race just leisure and fitness riding,

Choose on ride quality? That may be a fast-feeling aero carbon bike that eggs you on for some or a whippy classic steel frameset for others.
Personally, actual speed isn't what I rate most in a bike. It's how it feels at various effort or input levels that stands out (and some of that is related to speed and efficiency o/c).

Bought a Reacto in 2019 to help beat 4:30 on PRL100. Nothing wrong with it but I went back to mainly riding my Arkose (with road tyres) for comfort reasons.

I reckon the main benefit is psychological- realising you look like a tit going slowly makes you train harder 🙂

Got both, a Roubaix on 28c tyre
Giant Propel on 60mm carbons plus 25c tyres

Tje Giant feels faster, encourages you to ride hard, is stiffer, lower, less comfortabl than the Roubaix

However stava does not replicate this into PRs in the real world, no discernable difference in segments between each bike

On a sunny dry dsy day though, the Propel is always my go to choice

In the right hands though, demon fast

I'd say ride what makes you happy and what is comfortable. Unless you race nothing else matters really.

An aero bike by design is going to be long(er) and low(er) so fit should be a consideration, but modern aero bikes aren't exactly heavy and the newer ones aren't the harsh ride of the first generation.

Thanks for all your replies, to address some of the points made, I'm fairly fortunate in that i seem to be able to get comfy on any bike, i have never tried before i buy and have never moved a bike on because i was uncomfortable, fortunate i know 😁

With regards to gears etc., seeing as i'm building from scratch it'll be all my own choice so not an equation in the purchase, just looking at frame options.

And i know Planet X isn't everyone's cup of tea but i've got a bunch of their bikes, i like them all and have never had a problem with any part of their service, quite the contrary actually, perhaps fortunate again.

Seeing as i like the looks of both bikes that doesn't help much either, but i'm definitely leaning towards the Pro Carbon at the moment.

Hmmm, firstly this is just my experience.
I have had over the last few years, Trek Emonda SLR rim brake, Trek Madone rim brake, Canyon Aeroad rim brake, Trek Domane disc brake.
I’ve bought a new Trek Emonda SLR with disc brakes.
In terms of fun, that’s so subjective. I’d actually go with the Domane. It is ridiculously comfortable, especially with 32mm tyres, but best of all it takes CX knobbly tyres so I’ve used it for light gravel rides.

My criteria for buying the new Emonda were similar to yours, hydro disc brakes, reasonable weight, one to last me a good few years. I went with an all rounder this time, because I’m probably a bit older than you (48) and my racing days are behind me. I’ve gone with the all rounder bike....but I did spend extra and get a set of 60mm wheels. Hopefully the bike is ready next week!

In speed terms, sunny day with little wind, hands down it’s the Aeroad. I have a 40 mile route where I will average 25mph for at least 13 miles of that ride (a 5 mile segment and an 8 mile segment). Honestly it’s an absolute joy. I don’t come close on the Domane.

Local to me the Crit circuit would be open 1 evening a week for open riding. I’ve used this extensively on all sorts of bikes. I’d ride it solo to get a feel for the differences between my bikes. All with power metres but mostly different days so weather can vary. It’s a short circuit with 1 hill (approx 45 seconds of climbing every 2 and a half minutes). Aeroad is measurably faster than the Domane, it’s not even close. But it should be faster, it’s set up for racing (65mm wheels and a very low front end).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RpBVEiAdmoyw7Xsn8

Giant TCR is another that would be on my radar if I were buying now.

Pretty decent VFM compared to some of the other big name brands and I just like how they look.

I have a tcr too, got it in July and I find it really comfy. I had a tarmac before which had rim brakes, really liked that too as it was comfy and fun. Value wise though the giant tcr really takes some beating.

@richardkennerley How do you find that bike? It;s pretty much what i'm looking at but with a full Ultegra groupset.

As echoed above, I would be looking round at one if the new breed of bikes combining lightweight and aero. The new Supersix, Tarmac, TCR or Emonda (amongst others). A lot also depends on budget and availability though. As prices have gone up massively, and waiting times are long. Waiting until August for my new TCR 🙁

@Bazz I'm really happy with it. I pre-ordered it so there was a discount, upgraded to the carbon aero bars (unnecessary but relatively cheap in the scheme of it.)

When it arrived I sold the wheels and put on Hunt mason X plus 25c schwalbe pro ones. At this point it weighed something like 8.4kg if that is important! I shredded one of the schwalbes on glass though recently so I've changed to Hutchinson fusion storms in 28c. It's a much nicer ride now, world's apart.

I can't really offer much of a review because it's effectively my first real road bike, so maybe any other bike would be leagues ahead.

But... it's comfortable enough, it's light enough, seems well built, looks good, paint is nice, comes with a good spec for the money. I'm happy with force 22 and I'm sure ultegra will do you fine. The only problem really is the axles feel a bit dodgy in that they could round off at any moment. They need a bit of care.

@richardkennerley Thanks for that, you obviously had a very similar idea to me, i've ordered Hunt Aero Light wheels for mine and they will be shod with Schwalbe Pro One's in 28mm, Ultegra is something of an extravagance but the old 6600 series that i had on my last bike has lasted remarkably well for 12 years or so and the shifting is still faultless so i figured why not?
What size is yours? it may just be the angle but it looks huge.

I think a lot of it depends where you ride and who you ride with.

I used to live in Yorkshire where there wasn't a flat road anywhere. I now live in Shropshire on the edge of the Berwyn Mountains so have big hills and then the flat area of Shropshire.

Most folk around here have some form of aero, and in fact many ride everywhere with tri bars. I didnt get it at first. However, when you go out as a group in the flat lands you soon start to struggle to keep up if your just on an average road bike. Ok it might be 1 mph difference, but it makes a big difference over 50+ miles.

Last year I bought some lovely Zipp 50mm wheels. The performance on the flat is amazing, my bike is way quicker, but there is no penalty in the hills, in fact the rim brake surface is brilliant, and as they are quite a wide profile there is more grip too.

Can you test ride a big brand bike like a TCR? Then at least you see if there is much difference between that and your PlanetX ?

OP - there is something else to consider.

Modern all-rounders from the big boys (TCR, Tarmac, Supersix) are all rigorously tested and claimed to be pretty much as aero as an aero-specific bike from a few years ago.

The PX, probably not so much.

So if you actually wanted the aero benefit, it may be worth ponying up for one of those.

Just a thought.

Just done quite a lot of research on this to replace my aged road bike. As mentioned above the situation has changed this last year or so and a good number of manufacturers have bikes that have a nod to both aero and comfort. So some aero features but compliance dialled in eg kam tail main tubes but a circular seatpost rather than full aero stiffness. Other big factor is that a number of these have scope for 28-35mm tyres now that they've worked out bowed wide-stance forks are actually more aero (and witht he move away from rim brakes).

The other thing to say here is it's always the rider that has by far the biggest impact aerodynamically. So unless you're absolutely nailed with a good low drop position and non flappy clothes then don't compromise comfort by getting a full on old school aero bike. If like me you keep bikes a long time and I wouldn't' compromise comfort. The good news is I don't think you have to any more, but not sure where the Planet X offerings are on the scale.

I'm pretty much set on the PX Pro Carbon now, I appreciate that not everyone will see that as the best decision but it works well for me, mostly because of the points that you all raise above, I ride either by myself or with a couple of friends, no club rides or big groups, so really who am i racing against? I don't even do strava so even my PB's will go un-witnessed!

Unfortunately budget comes into play massively here as well, with an absolute maximum budget of £2500 and preferably a couple of hundred quid lower most of the big brands are out, and in all honesty there are very few bikes from the big brands in that price bracket that excite me.

Now i just have to wait for Shimano groupsets to become available and we'll be good to go, though that might mean summer 2022 🙄

@Bazz it's an XL. I'm 6'2. It seems to fit me ok although a professional bike fit would probably tell me I'm doing it all wrong!

I've got an in-line post in it (brand X carbon) and a 90mm stem (I think, but could be wrong.)

If your budget is £2500, I suspect you'll get this way under budget and have some change for some nice gear or upgrade any components you want to. If you've been happy with your previous planet X, then I imagine you'll be happy with this.

But, like I say, full disclaimer, I've never ridden a Ridley, or a giant, or a Cannondale, or any other road bike (apart from a planet X full Monty and a genesis croix de fer) so for all I know, the pro carbon is bloody awful and all these other bikes are like being on the back of a unicorn, on a magic carpet. Flowing down a rainbow.

You can get a TCR with 105 for £2k just like all biking stuff prices appear to be going silly these days.

105 is a perfectly good groupset

I picked up my 2021 tcr with mechanical ultegra before the price increase, lucky to find one and at £2295 decent value too. I put some 50mm wheels on it and it's genuinely rapid on the flat. 7.8kg with disc brakes is pretty acceptable too

I have to admit that the Giants are bloody good value for money compared to the likes of Specialized or Trek for example, and a guy i work with has one and it's a well put together bike, but i know i would want to change the wheels so it would get a little more pricey and in all honesty i just don't feel inspired by them.
Yep, nothing wrong at all with the current 105 groupset, but i'm determined to get Ultegra, just to teat myself as much as anything.

Yup the stock giant ally wheels are super heavy. The pr2's weighed 2.1kg which is 300g heavier than the ally wheels on my ibis ripmo, can't comprehend that at all.

How much difference does an aero bike make to aeroness, compared to helmet, bar width, aero wheels?

Probably enough to be important if you are competitive but if just going out for a spin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq2DMbQurkg

I have to admit that the Giants are bloody good value for money compared to the likes of Specialized or Trek for example, and a guy i work with has one and it’s a well put together bike, but i know i would want to change the wheels so it would get a little more pricey and in all honesty i just don’t feel inspired by them.
Yep, nothing wrong at all with the current 105 groupset, but i’m determined to get Ultegra, just to teat myself as much as anything.

+1 to this. I’ve spent about 6 months now trying to find a 50th birthday present for myself, of which the desired spec is Carbon wheels, Ultegra and discs. I have not found anything I can be excited about enough to spend £4000 on, when I have a light weight 105 carbon bike with handbuilt carbon 50mm wheels from 2016 which I still enjoy riding. I’ve decided to wait until the rims wear out then replace the bike.

The alternative I got to was a TCR.

I reckon you'll be impressed when you do change to a disc road bike with bigger tyres Kryton, but if you're not in a hurry it's probably wise to wait until a time when discounts on bikes might exist again.

I'd probably get a TCR or Supersix if I was buying a "nice" road bike.

Might never need to get another.

Might never need to get another.

🤣🤣 I'm sure that could have been said at any point in cycling history, those bike companies will always find a way of relieving us of our cash!

Maybe I should have said "might never need another non-electric bike".

Really though, my last road bike was knocking on for 10 years old.

New one might last longer than that.