When lightweight and aerodynamics collide
Last decade, aero bikes got more aero, while lightweight bikes got lighter. Deploying timetrial bike tube shapes and hiding cables and wires was proven to save around 25 watts over a standard round-tubed road bike at 45kph. Meanwhile, progress in carbon-fibre manufacturing was allowing frames to become so light, the UCI weight limit had literally become a millstone.
So this decade, with aerodynamicists hitting peak aero and engineers accepting the UCI weight limit is sticking at 6.8kg for the time being, bike designers have started to focus on blending lightweight and aero. The Specialized Venge is the most high-profile casualty of this pro team-bike rationalisation, discontinued in favour of the redesigned Tarmac SL7.
However, while one door closed on the Venge, another opened for a new type of machine: enter the crazy-light Specialized S-Works Aethos, which tears up the rule book just for fun. Unfettered by UCI restrictions, this is a bike that’s meant to be relished rather than raced.
For this year’s Editor’s Choice, we’ve chosen five ‘hero’ road bikes out of the 16 we’ve selected as our favourites of 2020. Let’s take a quick look at those five before we dive in. In no particular order…
The Scott Addict RC Pro is one of that new breed of lightweight aero race bikes – though Scott is not ditching the Foil, its dedicated aero bike, just yet. In the Addict’s most recent iteration, Scott applied its airfoil design to the frame tubes with the goal of reducing overall drag, while still hitting the UCI weight limit. For us, the Addict RC Pro was a ‘Goldilocks’ bike, hitting a sweetspot not only of low weight and low drag, but also of power transfer and comfort.
Cannondale’s SuperSix was possibly the last bastion of the round-tubed, prolevel bike, but in 2019 even that received the inevitable aero, dropped-seatstay makeover. However, while we were a little sad to wave off one of our long-standing favourite bikes, we welcomed the new speed and aggression of this newly invigorated version, as well as the 30 watts Cannondale claims it saves.
The Giant TCR, which has been through several redesigns since its inception in 1997, has remained instantly recognisable yet never dated. Yes, the new version is more aerodynamic, but Giant has resisted the temptation to drop the seatstays. We found it had the same balanced, refined ride as the previous generations of TCR we’ve ridden but, with its lower weight, is even nimbler. We loved everything about it. Here’s to the next 23 years of the TCR.
Last, the bikes that weigh least. The Canyon Ultimate CFR claimed to be the world’s lightest disc-brake bike and indeed our test bike weighed almost a kilo less than the UCI limit. With no aero claims, but made from an ultra-high modulus carbon that weighs 90g per square metre, we were instantly smashing PRs on our regular climbs and grinning from ear to ear.
And then, in October, which, with its 585g frame, stole the title of ‘world’s lightest-ever disc brake production bike’. In Specialized’s quest for ultimate ride quality, it has rediscovered that round-profiled tubes can also be made very light, supplying the perfect level of comfort. As we said in our review, it might not be designed for road racing, but it sure set our hearts racing.
