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.
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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. 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 480g heavier and the wheels are a bit more standard compared to
02:11the Zipp 353 NSWs found on the CFR. But when you consider you'll be enjoying all the benefits of a
02:17power meter, a second-tier electronic 12-speed groupset and the latest design cues found on the
02:23bike's bigger brother, you really have to wonder why coughing up that extra money is worth it
02:28when you consider real-world speed.
02:35There's one thing that I absolutely love about superbikes and that is the way that they look.
02:40I've always been a big fan of the imaginative shapes, the constant pursuit to make them look
02:44cleaner, faster and more slippery in the wind than ever before. But much like my last point,
02:49these design cues can be found on other bikes, you just have to look lower down in the range.
02:55Sure, they may not be as uncompromising and the lack of top-end components may soften their
02:59impact a little, but the frame shapes themselves won't change. A lot of superbikes feature drop
03:05seat stays and this is because it helps improve comfort and aerodynamics. It's now not uncommon
03:10to see them on bikes costing around £1,000. This is a clear example of how design innovation
03:16really does make its way down to those lower echelons. Back in 2022 when I reviewed Shimano's
03:22third-tier 105 Di2 groupsets, one of my key takeaways was how good it looked. I fully believe
03:28that 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
04:06can hold that position for hour after hour. However, for us mere mortals, it's more than
04:12likely that we don't possess the same abilities as our heroes. This results in us riding in a
04:17more upright position. Then you have to wonder how much of a benefit are you actually getting
04:23if you aren't riding the bike as it was originally designed. It's not just about the aerodynamic
04:30benefits but also how the bike feels underneath you. Again, as I say, bikes are designed with
04:35the stem 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.
05:25One thing we all know about superbikes, and something you've heard me bang on about this
05:30entire video, is the unrelenting desire for superbikes to be fast. It's in their very nature.
05:36However, that speed isn't exclusively down to wind-sculpted carbon, but instead,
05:40the quest for save watts infiltrates every single part of the bike. Components can be
05:46manufactured to be lighter, stiffer, more aero, and more efficient.
05:50Components can be manufactured to be lighter, stiffer, more aero, and more efficient. Take the
05:55latter for example, efficiency. One option manufacturers have is to employ the use of
06:00ceramic bearings. Now, while a set of these bearings in your wheels can make them spin
06:05seemingly forever, they also don't quite have the same longevity to them. Not forgetting that these
06:11bearings are best used in the most optimal of conditions. Think dry roads and warm sunshine.
06:17Another prime example of this are the tires you find on range-topping bikes.
06:21Obviously, they'll be equipped with range-topping rubber, but while they may be incredibly fast,
06:26they'll be prone to punctures and of course, just won't last that long. The point here is that
06:31there's a plethora of products out there to help you save as many watts as possible, but it's always
06:36worth considering what the cost of that is, and it usually tends to be longevity.
06:47In a similar vein to my last point, when these components do give up the ghost and need replacing,
06:52it can be a pretty uncomfortable experience for your bank balance. Superbikes are incredibly
06:58expensive to purchase. There's no escaping that, but never forget or overlook the cost
07:04involved with servicing. While it shouldn't be a surprise that replacing parts like for like
07:09will be expensive, the labor cost involved can be a fair bit higher than a normal bike too.
07:15For example, superbikes can have more intricate routing for hosing, which can take time to
07:20navigate. However, once a bike is set up and rolling on the road, you just want to be careful
07:25not to damage any of the bike's more delicate parts. In the instance that you damaged and needed
07:31to replace your Dura-Ace rear derailleur, which isn't uncommon, then one of those will set you back
07:37£700 here in the UK. And even if you are careful with the components, the wearable parts also
07:44aren't cheap. For example, a new Dura-Ace chain and cassette could cost you near £400. Sure,
07:50you could replace it with a cheaper alternative like Ultegra, but doesn't that slightly defeat
07:55the point of having a superbike in the first place? If you'd be happy to replace it with Ultegra,
08:00why not just have it from the get-go and save yourself from that initial cost?
08:05While I'm not trying to tell anyone how to spend their own money, everyone, of course,
08:09has their own view on what constitutes good value. Just be aware of the environment in which
08:14that bike will be operating. If you're looking for speed, ask yourself, have you nailed your
08:19kit choice, your nutrition, your training plan? There are a lot of things that you can control
08:24via good consistency and discipline, which will reap greater rewards than what a superbike can
08:29deliver. Perhaps a superbike should be seen as a last-ditch secret weapon which helps unlock any
08:34potential remaining speed. The options available to us for half the price or even less are still
08:40going to propel you down the road at a rate of knots. What do you think about this though? Do
08:46you think that superbikes are at risk of rendering themselves pointless when there's so many great
08:51options out there 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.