The bikes
Cervélo Soloist Ultegra Di2
£6,800
Trek Domane SLR 7 eTap Gen 4 P1
£10,150
Canyon Ultimate CFR Di2
£10,399
Giant Propel Advanced SL O
£11,499
Need to know
All four of these top new road bikes for 2023 show off some impressive new design and technology...
AS WE USHER IN A NEW YEAR
we have high hopes for new models and equipment, such as Shimano's more cost-effective 105 Di2. There are new wheels, tyres and tech on the horizon too.
For this month's bike test, we've picked four exciting new road bikes and given them a closer look. Alongside updates to current favourites such as Giant's groundbreaking Propel aero bike, Canyon's flyweight allrounder the Ultimate, and Trek's classics focused endurance bike the Domane, we also have Cervélo revitalising its classic Soloist as a ride that brings aero gains to real-world riders like us.
01 Going solo
Cervélo has revived the Soloist from the original that debuted 20 years ago and inspired the whole aero-road bike genre. The Soloist was a legendary design for Cervélo and the new bike brings the brand's extensive aerodynamic design knowledge and wraps it up in a bike described by Cervélo as an aerodynamic race bike that's fast to ride yet easy to live with.
This new model is aimed at amateur racers and riders alike. That's reflected in the specifications of the range, which tops out with this Ultegra Di2-equipped model and starts with a mechanical Shimano 105 edition.
02 A new Domane
Esta historia es de la edición February 2023 de Cycling Plus UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 2023 de Cycling Plus UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...
The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.
No limits
Not every adventure needs to be that epic, says bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz
UNBOUND UNLEASHED
Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel
FOREST COMMISSION
Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland
15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES
Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes
The stuff of dreams
Ned sings the praises of the Paris Olympics road-race course
"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"
Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions
STAR TREK
New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one
GOLD RUSH
With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics
