In these inflationary, potentially cash-strapped times, it's good to see that you can buy a quality road bike without bankrupting yourself. A grand? None of our four steeds reach even three-quarters of that price, but all promise to offer a much better riding experience than you'll get from the notorious 'bike-shaped object' (a low price, poor quality bicycle). Two come from brands that will be familiar to many of us, then there are two names that are less well known...
Wizard is one that you've likely not heard of before, but the brand behind it is Lancashire's long-established Merlin Cycles (ahh, Merlin the Wizard...). Merlin describes its Spark 2.7 as 'the perfect bike for the first-time road cyclist'. It has an aluminium frame, a steel fork, and a nine-speed setup that mixes Shimano Sora and MicroShift. The distinctive frame even comes with a teardrop-shaped 'aero' Seatpost, but with quite slim tyres is it going to be comfortable enough for the newbie?
Boardman's SLR 8.6 is the little brother of our award-winning 8.9 carbon bike, but it shares a lot of the DNA and looks like a lot of bikes for just £550. Its triple-butted aluminium frame has the same endurance geometry and its full range of fixtures and fittings makes it a great entry-level all-rounder. Triban's RC500 ups the all-rounder ante further by allowing 700c tyres up to 36mm wide. Tubeless-ready rims are good to see at this price, and Shimano Sora and Promax cable disc brakes look like a promising combination.
The other new name, Northern Ireland's Mango, manages a good-looking TIG-welded steel frame and fork, a Shimano Claris groupset, and a £220 Vision wheelset on a bike costing well under £700.
But which of our wallet-friendly foursome should you be splashing the cash on? We saddle up and get the miles in to find out...
JARGON BUSTER
Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av Cycling Plus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av Cycling Plus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
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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
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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
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Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues
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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
