Do You Need A Super Bike?
There seems to be a torrent of new high end road bikes coming through from the big brands, all of them promising the latest and greatest developments in speed, compliance and weight but also each claims to have its own special way of getting a one up on its opponents. However, when you take a closer look at the top end road bikes that are being released and their associated price tags, you have to wonder if you actually need what's being put on offer and if really, the best road bikes can actually be found for a fraction of the price.
Transcript
00:00Before I explain my thinking, I think it's important to make sure that we're on the same page
00:04about what a superbike really is. For me, it has to be something at the cutting edge of technology,
00:10something that's been recently released and is possibly being raced by professionals.
00:15So, think Specialized Tarmacs, Giant Propels and Colnago V4 RSs. You get the sort. Usually,
00:22they have a pretty hefty price tag attached to them and these days, sadly, that tends to be
00:28a five-figure number. Now, they've been created with the intention of being the fastest thing on
00:34the road to save as many watts as possible and to turn your spinning legs into KOMs.
00:40The hallmarks of a superbike will usually be deeply sculpted high-grade carbon frames with
00:45deep section wheels and a range-topping groupset like Shimano Dura-Ace, SRAM Red or a Campagnolo
00:51Super Record. You may also spot what's saving gadgets like oversized pulley wheels, integrated
00:57cockpits and ceramic bearings. It's, of course, these things which differentiate a bike from being
01:02just a really good bike to being a superbike. There's no denying that if you really want to
01:13be as fast as possible out on the road, then a superbike will make up one part of the puzzle
01:18in getting you there. However, if you look at the entire range of bikes that's offered from a brand,
01:23you can always find models with a lower specification but with many of the same
01:27features. For example, look at my Canyon Ultimate here. You can go and buy the top-end Ultimate CFR
01:33for nearly £11,000 here in the UK or you could get this Ultimate SLX for nearly £6,500.
01:40That's 40% cheaper but the difference in real-world speed won't be that large.
01:47This is because the bike enjoys exactly the same frame shape, the same handlebars and still features
01:52deep section wheels. Now, while I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking that £6,500 is a small
01:58amount of money, it is, however, a vast reduction from the range-topping offering. Sure, the carbon
02:04layout is different. The SLX is about 480 grams heavier and the wheels are a bit more standard
02:10compared to the Zipp 353 NSWs found on the CFR. But when you consider you'll be enjoying all the
02:17benefits of a power meter, a second tier electronic 12-speed groupset and the latest design cues found
02:22on the bike's bigger brother, you really have to wonder why coughing up that extra money is worth
02:27it when you consider real-world speed. There's one thing that I absolutely love about superbikes
02:38and that is the way that they look. I've always been a big fan of the imaginative shapes, the
02:43constant pursuit to make them look cleaner, faster and more slippery in the wind than ever before.
02:48But much like my last point, these design cues can be found on other bikes. You just have to look
02:53lower down in the range. Sure, they may not be as uncompromising and the lack of top-end components
02:58may soften their impact a little, but the frame shapes themselves won't change. A lot of superbikes
03:04feature drop seat stays and this is because it helps improve comfort and aerodynamics. It's now
03:10not uncommon to see them on bikes costing around £1,000. This is a clear example of how design
03:16innovation really does make its way down to those lower echelons. Back in 2022 when I reviewed
03:21Shimano's third tier 105 Di2 groupsets, one of my key takeaways was how good it looked. I fully
03:28believe that if you had an unmarked 105 Ultegra and Dura-Ace groupset side by side, you'd struggle
03:34to figure out which was which. Really, in some instances, the more affordable tech really does
03:40hold a candle to the best. When top-end bikes are being designed and tested in the wind tunnel,
03:52they're done so in the most aerodynamic position, which is also the most aggressive position.
03:57Obviously, this is because it's the fastest. Of course, for professionals who spend a lot
04:02of time training their flexibility and core strength, this isn't a problem because they can
04:06hold that position for hour after hour. However, for us mere mortals, it's more than likely that
04:13we don't possess the same abilities as our heroes. This results in us riding in a more upright
04:18position and then you have to wonder how much of a benefit are you actually getting if you aren't
04:23riding the bike as it was originally designed. It's not just about the aerodynamic benefits,
04:30but also how the bike feels underneath you. Again, as I say, bikes are designed with the
04:35stem slammed to the head tube. This also means that the way the bike handles and responds
04:40has been fine-tuned from this position. Now, if you start sliding headset spaces onto the
04:45steerer tube and altering the geometry of the bike, then it's not going to feel as good.
04:50My recommendation is to always get a bike fit before you purchase a bike.
04:55This means that whatever you end up buying will fit you and you can look for a bike which most
04:59closely matches the limits of your flexibility and body size. Ideally, you want to go as close
05:04to the position that the bike was originally designed for to get the most out of it, rather
05:09than buying a bike and then trying to make it fit retrospectively, which will then ultimately end up
05:14in a great bike not feeling as good. This is why endurance bikes generally have much taller head
05:19tubes with slacker angles, as it reduces the need for headset spaces and stem length reductions.
05:31One thing we all know about superbikes, and something you've heard me bang on about this
05:35entire video, is the unrelenting desire for superbikes to be fast. It's in their very nature.
05:41However, that speed isn't exclusively down to wind-sculpted carbon, but instead,
05:46the quest for save watts infiltrates every single part of the bike. Components can be
05:51manufactured to be lighter, stiffer, more aero, and more efficient. Take the latter, for example,
05:57efficiency. One option manufacturers have is to employ the use of ceramic bearings.
06:02Now, while a set of these bearings in your wheels can make them spin seemingly forever, they also
06:07don't quite have the same longevity to them, not forgetting that these bearings are best used in
06:12the most optimal of conditions. Think dry roads and warm sunshine. Another prime example of this
06:19are the tires you find on range-topping bikes. Obviously, they'll be equipped with range-topping
06:24rubber, but while they may be incredibly fast, they'll be prone to punctures and, of course,
06:28just won't last that long. The point here is that there's a plethora of products out there
06:33to help you save as many watts as possible, but it's always worth considering what the cost of
06:38that is, and it usually tends to be longevity. In a similar vein to my last point, when these
06:49components do give up the ghost and need replacing, it can be a pretty uncomfortable experience for
06:55your bank balance. Superbikes are incredibly expensive to purchase. There's no escaping that,
07:00but never forget or overlook the cost involved with servicing. While it shouldn't be a surprise
07:07that replacing parts like for like will be expensive, the labor cost involved can be a
07:12fair bit higher than a normal bike too. For example, superbikes can have more intricate
07:17routing for hosing, which can take time to navigate. However, once a bike is set up and
07:22rolling on the road, you just want to be careful not to damage any of the bike's more delicate parts.
07:29In the instance that you damaged and needed to replace your Dura-Ace rear derailleur,
07:34which isn't uncommon, then one of those will set you back £700 here in the UK.
07:39And even if you are careful with the components, the wearable parts also aren't cheap. For example,
07:45a new Dura-Ace chain and cassette could cost you near £400. Sure, you could replace it with a
07:51cheaper alternative like Ultegra, but doesn't that slightly defeat the point of having a
07:56superbike in the first place? If you'd be happy to replace it with Ultegra, why not just have it
08:01from the get-go and save yourself from that initial cost? While I'm not trying to tell anyone
08:07how to spend their own money, everyone, of course, has their own view on what constitutes good value.
08:12Just be aware of the environment in which that bike will be operating.
08:16If you're looking for speed, ask yourself, have you nailed your kit choice, your nutrition,
08:20your training plan? There are a lot of things that you can control via good consistency
08:25and discipline, which will reap greater rewards than what a superbike can deliver. Perhaps a
08:30superbike should be seen as a last-ditch secret weapon which helps unlock any potential remaining
08:36speed. The options available to us for half the price or even less are still going to propel you
08:41down the road at a rate of knots. What do you think about this, though? Do you think that
08:47superbikes are at risk of rendering themselves pointless when there's so many great options out
08:52there which don't sacrifice real-world speed and still maintain a good level of longevity?
08:57Let me know down in the comments below. If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
09:02subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.