Top bike online shop Baton Rouge: How many gears should a road bike have? After the frame, gears are the most important thing to consider when choosing a road bike. Today many top end road bikes will come fitted with 12-speed cassettes. When paired with a double chainring this means you’ll have 24 gears. Remember however that some of these gear ratios will be duplicated in certain chainring/cassette combinations. More affordable road bikes tend to come with fewer gears. These cassette options should range from 8-speed to 10-speed, again most often paired with a double chainset. As for groupset brands, Shimano gearing is the most common, but the other major options are SRAM and Campagnolo. Shimano’s top end groupsets, Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105 have a 12-speed cassette, while less expensive bikes may come with 10-speed Tiagra, 9-speed Sora or 8-speed Claris. Read additional information on specialized mountain bike Lafayette.

Equipped with internal cables (so that brake cables are hidden within the bike frame) and stock disc brakes (which offer the best stopping power), this bike offers an unbeatable price point at around $1,200 — especially if this is your entry-level bike! (However, pros have ridden this model to the top of the podium, too!) The relaxed frame geometry allows the rider to sit in a more upright position, placing less weight and stress on the arms, neck, and back. “This could be helpful for a first-time road bike owner or someone that is looking to begin riding longer distances,” says Joshua Metzl, orthopedic surgeon, Cat 4 bike racer, three-time Leadville 100 MTB Finisher, and five-time Ironman. “Plus, the lightweight frame and the 30-millimeter tires give the rider the ability to attack road and some gravel as well, if the conditions change.” The Allez is the lightest bike in its class without any bells and whistles, making it the perfect choice for those looking for all-day adventures on a race-proven platform, explains Pastore.

This fourth generation of the Cannondale SuperSix has received some subtle updates from its predecessor, which nevertheless make it more aero and lighter – and replace the Pressfit bottom bracket with a threaded design – with a claimed 770g frame weight the lightest in our Race Bike of the Year awards. Acceleration is lightening fast and it holds speed well thanks to the 50mm deep aero wheelset. It’s a great climber’s bike as well, with low weight and great geometry for out-of-saddle efforts. Descending is equally magical, although its not as fast or as comfortable as the Cervelo S5. There’s a good range of models and prices on offer. Read our review of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi Mod 2 in our Race Bike of the Year 2023 coverage.

For 2023, Cervelo revived its game-changing Soloist franchise with an impressive list of updates and improvements that make for a compelling race bike at a fair price. The new Soloist is equipped with a completely redesigned frame, featuring a new carbon layup that has increased stiffness and reduced weight. The bike’s aerodynamics are also far better, with the incorporation of Cervelo’s latest Squoval Max tube shapes. The cockpit includes Cervelo’s “externally integrated” two-piece handlebar and stem system, which provides a clean and aerodynamic cockpit but still allows tinkering—the cables run underneath the stem and through the headset bearings. It’s not perfect, but the system allowed for easy fit adjustments, and the ergonomic design of the bars provided a comfortable grip.

The Vitus Venon Evo has a trick up its sleeve. With its wide tire clearance of 45mm it’s not glued to the road and you can buy the same frame specced out for gravel duties, with a series of models with a GR suffix; we’ve also reviewed the Vitus Venon Evo-GR gravel spec bike. The carbon frame weighs under 1kg and has plenty of compliance built in. The road-going specs are fitted with Michelin Power Cup 28mm tubeless tires on Prime Attaquer alloy wheels. We tested the 105 Di2 model of the Vitus Venon Evo, but there’s a whole range of electronic and mechanical groupset options from Shimano and SRAM. The ride on the road is well balanced and firm but comfortable and there’s plenty of room to fit mudguards on the hidden mounts, making the Venon Evo a good option for year-round use. It’s lightweight as well. Find extra info at https://www.capitolcyclery.com/.

Argonaut’s U.S.-made RM3 road bike proudly sticks up a middle finger to some of the high-end market trends. It isn’t trying to be the lightest, stiffest, or most aero. Instead, Argonaut founder Ben Farver built the RM3 with ride quality in mind. On the road, the RM3 doesn’t so much buzz with feedback as gently whisper in your ear about what’s going on down at the tires. On even reasonably well-paved asphalt, the bike floats like you’re gliding across the ground on a hovercraft. It’s utterly sublime to the point of being ridiculous. And given the price tag, we’d expect nothing less. It’s a splurge, but you can get an extraordinarily high level of customization that you won’t find from the major brands. There’s the potential for fully custom geometry and carbon lay-ups to suit your handling, stiffness, and weight preferences. All of that is wrapped up in a classic-looking package that will undoubtedly appeal to traditionalists.