The Bianchi Specialissima is a bike that’s gone from round tubes to aero profiles in its latest iteration, also gaining disc brakes and hiding the hoses, while still ticking the lightweight boxes with a 750g frame and 370g fork. Top spec, but the wheels are a bit of a disappointment.Great mix of speed, handling, control and smoothness.Stunning ride quality in a lightweight bike with aero tube profiles. The best climbing bikes 2023, as rated by our expert testers Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc We’ll discuss this particular issue in more detail in our buyer’s guide at the end of the article, so keep reading once you’ve considered all the reviews.
We won’t deny there’s usually a minor weight penalty associated with such aero features, but clearly brands have deduced that, on balance, it’s worth it. Trek says it has been designed specifically for the rigours of iconic Tour de France climbs such as Alpe d’Huez (a 13.85km monster in the French Alps), yet still features extensive aero treatment. But with the rise of computer modelling, on-bike aero sensors and other advanced testing techniques, this has all changed.Įven dedicated climbing bikes are now launching, with brands touting their aerodynamic efficiency. Until fairly recently, climbing bikes made no concessions to aerodynamics, leaving drag-reduction to the best aero road bikes. Modern classic climbing bikes have moved with the aero times. You can do this by becoming more powerful at the same weight or losing weight through cycling and maintaining power. However, some of the best road bikes under £3,000 are good for climbing.Ĭheaper still is improving your power-to-weight ratio. The only issues are that high-end, lightweight bikes and parts can be eye-wateringly expensive, and the weight-weenie bug can be hard to shake once you get started. It’s for this reason we see hill-climb obsessives chopping and changing practically every component to bring their overall bike weight down to its lowest possible limit. Therefore, if you want to ride uphill faster, or simply make the hills a little easier, a lightweight bike helps a lot. Reducing the total rider plus bike system weight means less energy (or power, in cycling parlance) is required to maintain a given speed while climbing. It perhaps goes without saying, but when you’re riding uphill, gravity is always trying to pull you back down.
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