New road bike suggestions

For me it £7.5k would buy something cool and European - probably French or Italian - Colnago, Time, Cipollini, De Rosa, Bianchi, Basso, etc.

I collected my new Basso Venta which my LBS built for me earlier this week - I love it already having only ridden it 20 miles!

It sounds like your new bike is going to be a summer indulgence (like mine) so why not look at a conversation starter rather than another Giant/Trek/Spesh clone...

I really fancy one of these

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road-bikes/endurance-bikes/endurace/cf-slx/endurace-cf-slx-8-di2/2739.html

or

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road-bikes/endurance-bikes/endurace/cf-slx/endurace-cf-slx-8-di2-aero/2740.html

I'd rather not have conversations actually, not fussed about being 'cool' either, just want something that rides nicely with a nice level of build. Part of me thinks the brands you've mentioned, half the price label is the name itself rather than the cost of the build/parts but I dont have strong feelings either way really as far as brands go on a road bike. Having said that Giant is off the brands I'd own list after the guy who had the warranty denied.

That sort of money I'd be all over a Time!

The easy recommendation would be look at a Trek Emonda SLR, I have one from 2021. Same as current model but the £7k bike is now £9k. There are some 2022 models about at a reduced cost.

I’m going to be looking at a new road bike early next year and have a similar budget. So far my short list is Tarmac SL8 Pro which is top end of my budget (£8k) and also interested by Handsling bikes. The A1R0 Evo with SRAM force and Zipp 404 firecrest comes in at £6k.
I’m also quite intrigued by Standert ( https://standert.de) . The new Triebewerk Disc with SRAM force and some nice 35mm deep DT Swiss wheels comes in at £6k. Looks amazing in Silver.

At £7.5k I think you will find it difficult to find a bad bike.

I do just think its a case at looking at all the brands, picking your 3-4 favourites and then coming back here for any nuances

I would have said Giant because they make very good road bikes and VFM.

I would always look at aftermarket wheels and if it is better to buy a cheaper bike and then spunk £1.5 to £2k on some nice wheels.

IMO especially on road bikes you always keep them longer if they look fast and are a colour you like.

Part of me thinks the brands you’ve mentioned, half the price label is the name itself

https://www.elvesbikes.co.uk/

Vitus bikes

Handbuilt 953 with a top end groupset. Brian Rourke - but you'll have to wait.

Ridley noah?

Bit different but not too obvious?

I collected my new Basso Venta which my LBS built for me earlier this week – I love it already having only ridden it 20 miles!

Snap! New Venta here, might just be new bike motivation but I've twice now knocked time of a previous hard fought PB, don't know if it's the aero, the stiffness or the blue paint. It's certainly not the legs.. 😂

I’d rather not have conversations actually, not fussed about being ‘cool’ either

Both fair points, but for that money I'd definitely be ignoring the spec and focussing on something that leaps off the page at you, looks or brand or whatever. I'm still not over the 'gazing lovingly at my new bike' phase and it definitely motivates you to go out and ride, fast!

I don’t go looking for hills nor doing hill reps

Bought a Sonder Camino this year which I ride over winter so no mudguards needed, this is purely my summer road bike

Begs the question why you want discs if it's for short fast summer rides 😉 You could get something REALLY spectacular for your budget with rim brakes, I had absolutely no qualms or regrets sinking money into a new rim brake bike, meant I could stretch my budget on stuff I really wanted instead. Granted it will probably be hard to actually find a rim brake bike for £7,500 these days 🙄

I like zooming about and overtaking people wearing rapha!

I hate to break it to you but there are plenty of very fast riders out there wearing Rapha and NOT riding £7.5k super-bikes 😉

I'm really happy with my TCR, but I get a really great deal on Giants.

If I had £7.5K to spend I would be looking at the new Time Alpe D'Huez or a Spesh SL8. Or a highly specced Canyon

EDIT: Or the new Look Blade

You could get a pretty top end Canyon for that sort of money:
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road-bikes/race-bikes/ultimate/cf-slx/ultimate-cf-slx-8-di2/3559.html?dwvar_3559_pv_rahmenfarbe=R100_P03

Easily £1000 cheaper than an equivalent Specialized for example (although equally, if i had £7500, the Tarmac SL7 Expert or the new SL8 Expert would be very high on the list!)

Snap! New Venta here, might just be new bike motivation but I’ve twice now knocked time of a previous hard fought PB, don’t know if it’s the aero, the stiffness or the blue paint. It’s certainly not the legs.. 😂

Off out on mine again shortly - The Blue is lush but not really my thing - i wanted the graphite grey but no stock in my size (M) so i went for the lighter Stone grey.

Its running basic Mavic wheels the moment - i can't imagine how good it'll be with a wheel upgrade!

I'd hang it on the wall in the lounge but my other half would not be impressed..

Bear in mind that you're not likely to get a sensible recommendation for a 7.5k road bike out of STW because such a steed is the antithesis of what the average forum member rides...

My recommendation would be the new Tarmac SL8 pro because (I know it's a cliche but) it is pretty much the best all road race bike currently made - the Porche 911 of the road bike world, if you will. Plus, it's a brand new design so will be current for quite a few years.

Like this: https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Specialized/Tarmac-SL8-Pro-Ultegra-Di2-Road-Bike-2024/10X2G

along with the double the price tax because of the name.

I'd rather have an Aethos' than an SL8.

Although both are about £5k more than I would consider spending on a road bike.

i wanted the graphite grey but no stock in my size (M) so i went for the lighter Stone grey.

To be fair once I saw the stone grey in the flesh I started having doubts about the blue, the stone grey looks really smart but there were none of the stone grey in the rim brake model in my size. Sadly I will have to choose next year between shallow carbon wheels befitting the frame, or a holiday in the Pyrenees with my riding buddies, tough choice!

Off out on mine shortly also, it's been sitting beside me in the office all day, I had people taking pictures of it on the train coming in this morning and commenting on the colour 😎

Edit: OK, a person, not people

@13thfloormonk I knew someone would raise to the bait so good on ya for taking the trophy!

@jamz I know I'm bound to get the 'don't spend that much on a bike' crowd and I'm safe so long as they dont know I spent more on my manual MTB. (Guess what I don't have kids!)

£7.5k is the top end of budget, ideally I'd rather be around the same price again so around £5k. I want disc brakes (having always said I dont need them on a summer bike) because as my husband says I ride around bends like a hooligan and I went round a bend recently to find a car and a flat bed on a country lane both at standstill and I had a 'I'll never stop or fit between them' moment. I often come into T junctions assuming nobody will be there only to find I need to then stop, or the deluge I ended up riding through recently and came to a bend/junction where I knew my rim brakes wouldn't stop me so had no choice but to just keep going and make the turn and ignore the car beep. (Yes I could generally slow down but I did pre-empt with I like zooming about)

I avoid canyon/yt because I dont want to have to return bikes to invisible shops when there may be issues and I've heard too many stories of people having issues doing so when there's a problem with their bikes.

If that's the case (re: invisible shops), is it worth looking at one of the UK brands?  Tifosi (biased as I love my Auriga) or Orro for instance. I realise the frames are going to be made overseas but the contacts and shops are UK based.

I know Giant got dragged over the coals earlier this year but I have a TCR bought just before that, meets all your criteria and the retail price was £5.5k. I paid about 15% less.

It rides lovely compared to the 9 year old Defy it replaced and the disc brakes are ace when going down long steep descents with crap road surfaces. Or when car drivers decide to stop suddenly!

Musts – di2 or equivalent, disc brakes, tubeless compatible wheel set, carbon.

...around 5 but I expect to have to pay more now especially for discs

Carbon, discs, Ultegra DI2 and tubeless ready hookless Zipp wheel option with great tyres.  Matt black so not going to start many conversations...  Smidge over £5k and £1.5-£2k less that pretty much anything else of the same spec;

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-r-series-disc/

I've got one in my basket and keep hovering over buy!

There's also the plain SL version if you want to save a bit. Or the crazy value Orro Venturi

https://www.merlincycles.com/orro-venturi-stc-ultegra-di2-airbeat-carbon-road-bike-275706.html

I know you said no Giant, but if I were you I'd be looking at a Liv Langma Advanced Pro, currently on sale at about £4.5k with Ultegra Di2 or a bit more with Force eTap AXS. Most of the people in our road club ride Giant, and no-one has ever had any issues with support, possibly because we have a good relationship with the local Giant store.

I knew someone would raise to the bait so good on ya for taking the trophy!

😂

I'm just sensitive because I've been gradually accruing more Rapha kit recently 😎

If I had that sort of budget I would probably spend half of it on the bike and the rest on holidays to ride it in memorable 0locations.

As already mentioned I’d be looking at a Time Bike either the Alpe d Huez or Scylon  getting a custom build via that chap at Mapdec cycles

Recommend what you ride, so Shand Rizello Disc. Lovely bike, went from carbon Cervelo and wouldn't go back. Smooth, fast and unique.

Maybe rock up at  your LBS in October/November and ask what is going cheap at the distributor from one of the European brands above.

Colnago, Time, Cipollini, De Rosa, Bianchi, Basso

I got my Colnago cheaper this way (£3.5k for a VR2-S with me supplying the newish groupset from my old road bike). The VR3 was just about to come out so much cheapness (!) for something that is still WBF.

If you're happy with your Silque why not a Domane?

Bought a Sonder Camino this year which I ride over winter so no mudguards needed, this is purely my summer road bike.

You've had a very different summer to me 😁😁

Well the camino did have to come out a few times but without mudguards just for when the ground was damp and I knew I'd benefit from the discs.

@onewheelgood I was actually looking at them earlier on because they do look the right price and I think they're lovely looking. I did initially think I'd go for a mens road bike this time as easier to resell but actually if I'm going to keep it as long it doesn't really matter!

J Laverack for ti. Fairlight Secan for steel, would be on my list at that money

There is generally bugger all difference between men's and women's bikes anyway which is why Specialized and Trek have dropped the idea. I have a women's Spesh Diverge from when they still still did women's specific (it was in a sale much reduced). The only women's specific thing about it was the saddle which would have been changed even if it was a men's model.

I’ve ridden one of these https://bikerumor.com/2023-time-alpe-dhuez-road-bike-mellows-out-but-not-on-the-climbs/

Built by Paul at Mapdec, as mentioned above. I’ve fallen in love. It’s fast, comfortable and so so so smooth to ride. His partner rode London - Paris on it earlier this year.
I can’t justify it, I’ve a beautiful rim braked Ridley Fenix, but if I did wanna replace it, that’s what I’d buy..

If you've had a fit for your Silque then would start by comparing geometry to anything you like the look of - would think a Tarmac was a fair bit more aggressive based on the silque being like a women's domane. Then again if you like doing short flat out rides something like that might be even better, but still would be disappointing to spend £5-6k and end up with a bike you find uncomfortable.

Escape collective and formerly cycling tips were best place to get reviews that weren't afraid to be honest. Incognito should get past paywalls.

90% of road bike ownership is how owning it makes you feel... 10% is how it rides...

If you don't buy into the heritage of certain brands, then just buy whatever is the best value that looks ok and fits your bill. Personally I care little for most of the modern fripperies on the latest road bikes (especially cable/hose routing through bars/stems/headsets!). There are still carbon frames on the market I would be proud to own, but increasingly less so with most new model iterations...

I understand the desire for an upgrade though... I spent ages qualifying the "rim brakes are fine" argument too, but life does move on... So having decided a new bike needed discs, I decided otherwise to follow my heart and buy a bike I lusted after (that hopefully fitted the bike fit bill at least)... I also like steel, cable shift Campag, and raw speed is less important to me than ride quality and how it looks.

I was lucky to find my dream bike 2nd hand, a COVID purchase that had been ridden less than 1k miles and then sold on for 1/2 price a year later... But had set myself up to buy one anyway, though would more likely have bought the frame and then sourced various 2nd hand parts as and when, but that's by the by... This is what I ended up with...

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So far it has been worth the purchase price (1/3rd of your budget FWIW) just looking at it... I actually can't wait to finally be able to ride it!

+1 for Orro - Gold stc for Endurance or, as mentioned above, Venturi for flat out loops. Looottsss of folks here in Sussex riding them. Even saw a couple at the Marmotte in June.

But that Condor is lovely! Tho I think how it rides is waay more than 10% of why you love your bike

Other Sussex names to consider Mason (maybe a bit all-road) and Enigma

Bloomin Nora! How can one spend such a figure on a roady ride.

Don't Curtis now create road going frames?

That would be where my monies would go on a sublime feeling bike.

How's about spending a lot less on a 2nd hand Moors?

Other than that go gravel with a fancy kashima fork

I've summer bike (Roubaix) & a winter bike (Domane (mudguards)), but if both went I'd probably consider a Mason Aspect as one only bike.

https://masoncycles.cc/shop/categories/aspect-bikes

There is generally bugger all difference between men’s and women’s bikes anyway which is why Specialized and Trek have dropped the idea.

The big difference between Liv and Giant is that the Liv's look much nicer!

You don't seem fussed about having anything too show-offy, so I'd agree with the commenters saying stick to £4k or so - and maybe get a wheel upgrade.

As per that recent thread on here, diminishing returns do seem to kick in after a certain point on road bikes.

Also +1 for seeing what's on discount now, RRPs are still very ambitious post-Covid while shops and distributors are loaded with stock.

Personally I'd look for something like a SuperSix or TCR at a good price, maybe a Canyon.

Or this Boardman has a big spec: https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2360-slr-9.6-disc-2021.html

I have a lower spec, older one and really like how their geometry is on the sporty side of comfort.

Would be a Fairlight Strael with a properly top notch build and then a trip to the someplace pretty to ride it.

Mate has an Orro, not my cup of tea at all but he absolutely raves about it, and is irritatingly fast as well.

I like the look of the new Orbea Orca.

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Orbea/Orca-M20iTEAM-Road-Bike-2024/10TYO?s=1

Plenty of lower spec levels too

That said, for that sort of money I'd look at Time.

Personally, I'd go for something a bit different, rather than off the peg frame. That's what stopped me buying a Colnago 30 years ago - I went to a frame builder, had it made out of the same tubes, but the bike was made for me, and had my own paint scheme on it. I still ride it regularly. It cost the same as a Colnago anyway !

Other option, a lightly used bike - seeing a load of bargains on ebay.

PS I've finally got a Colnago, but it's only a CX bike, but I picked it up super cheap used.

Were you not based somewhere near the Lakes? That gives you a vast range of shops with stock to look at and spin round the car park:

Wheelbase, Biketreks, KMB, Push Cartel, Simpson Frameworks, Ghyllside, Giant store etc.

Then a short hop down the M6 to Hewitt, Merlin, Ribble, Kuota, Dolan and countless others.

PS discs aren't going to help much if you are barrelling into corners or junctions without consideration for what you can and can't see - with a road bike it's the tyre grip that's the limiting factor - never had an issue with rim brakes.

No not bothered about 'show-offy' at all because I ride alone and don't tend to stop and if I did I'd rather not chat to people but equally I want something I look at and think 'that's nice' so I dont want anything boring black, racing green, royal blue. For that reason I agree with @anagallis_arvensis that the Liv's look IMO far better than the giant. I like on a road bike the fact I can wear and happily do, bright yellow jerseys, things with polka dots on them, bright calf high socks! I'd like the bike to look ace! Trouble with Time is I need whatever bike to be available on 0% which I dont think a custom bike will be.

Personally if I had a reasonable wedge to spend I would buy a specialized aethos. Also bearing your comment above in mind,  they seem quite classy without being bling and exotic enough to have people striking up conversations with you when you roll up at the local cafe.

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Trek/Domane-SL-6-eTap-Disc-Road-Bike-Gen-4-2023/Z9IK

Some change left for some nice wheels?

As mentioned above Elves might be worth a look, one of the ladies in my club, a fairly handy racer, wrote;

“I’m very lucky to have my first ever from new aero bike…

I was obviously a bit nervous going with an unknown brand in the UK but I’ve been genuinely blown away by the bike. I raced it on Sunday in a very high quality Nat B field, and firstly caught a fair few riders by surprise with the speed I was descending at (new top all time speed according to Strava), then how much I was gaining on corners, and despite me still not being back at full fitness (weight up, watts down) they couldn’t drop me on the hill. So one very happy customer here, and I haven’t even mentioned how beautiful it is, all the different colours it becomes as the light changes, and how comfortable I’m finding it.”

Her build was about 4k

Enigma titanium, with some nice anodised finishing. My advice is always to buy something orthogonal to what you already have, because replicates mean one won't get ridden. Since you're not doing hills, I'd also second a lovely steel 953 frame too (weight penalty is a decent bottle of water), but nice things come to those who wait. You can have a full aero cable-free cockpit, electric shifting and of course disks too. And you'll get a lot more appreciative glances. Pride of ownership for my recent Enigma (fixed wheel, full Record) is even higher than my Defy Advanced SL (cable Dura Ace, rim brakes), and I love the latter a LOT!

Shiny https://www.enigmabikes.com/products/excel-frame

He’s a bit nuts, but worth watching some of these 😉

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pxr1XVrDYys&pp=ygULRHVyaWFucmlkZXI%3D

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zmVXEIapEKY&pp=ygULZHVyaWFucmlkZXI%3D

@TiRed, I was going to suggest something similar, a Reilly Fusion, but even without any fancy anodising you would be looking at £8k minimum, more if you went for anything better than Ultegra. 

So I stuck to the Liv, saving nearly £4k to spend on beer. Winning.

Can’t go far wrong with a tarmac. I have the sworks version but the ‘poverty spec’ normal one will be just as good for half the price.

spesh also have phenomenal customer service.

anything from canyon will also be lovely, and far better value for money. Giant are great bikes, currently have 3, but I’ll never buy another based on not only that warranty thread, but also my personal exp of helping out a customer (or not in my case)

I have to say that the 'elves' bike posted a little higher up is the ugliest bike ive seen in a long time.

I appreciate beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that glowing testamonial must be from someone heavily supported surely?

Have you seen these guys?

https://www.speedvagen.com/road

Spoke to Paul @ Mapdec ( I go to their gym )

he said he’s planning on offering 0% next year if you can wait?

That's good to know as I'd been planning on waiting until next year either way.