What Is The BEST Road Bike For $1200 In 2024?

This video contains product placement for MET helmets. Thanks to them for helping make Bike of the Year 2024 possible. Check out the link to learn more: https://www.met-helmets.com/en/

We have been testing the best budget road bikes to determine which should be crowned our 2024 budget road Bike of the Year. The price cap for this year is £1000 or $1200.

The final choice came down to the Specialized Allez E5, the Trek Domane AL 2 Gen 4, and the Pinnacle Laterite 2 but which came out on top?

Let us know what your choice would be in the comments!

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:46 The Bikes
02:11 Framesets
04:18 Handling & Geometry
06:11 Speed
06:56 Comfort
08:28 Specification & Price
11:36 The Winner

Top 10 Budget Road And Gravel Bike Upgrades
→ https://youtu.be/rUv4SBUuHmU

Budget Road Bikes Head-to-Head | Giant Contend Vs. Trek Domane AL
→ https://youtu.be/yMOUUuJIWts

We Rode 170km On a £170 Bike | Joe’s Epic Budget Ride
→ https://youtu.be/4A1v7l44Ebw

Cheap(er) Bike Vs Super Bike | Is It Worth That Price?
→ https://youtu.be/Ji-IbQJnPms

Is The NEW Specialized Allez Still Good Value?
→ https://youtu.be/L-7fLNtTzBA

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for the 2024 bike of the Year test I’ve been running the rule over five of the best budget oriented road bikes money can buy today I’ve turned my back on some of the Mega Money performance race bikes this year to see who is making the best bike for around £1,000 or $1,200 bike prices have risen a lot in recent years but we know there are plenty of high quality road bikes still available around this price point these bikes are great for newcomers Al those after a cost effective new bike with plenty of upgrade potential there could only be one winner but here I’ll give you a rundown of my top three culminating in the naming of the best budget bike for our 2024 bike of the Year Awards so watch until the end for that and also let me know what you think of the comments all that’s left for me to say is a big thanks to our sponsor met helmet who have helped bring our independent bike of the Year test to you this [Music] year my Podium comprises of the specialized Al E8 trik deanii al2 Gen 4 and the Pinnacle Lite too let’s start with a closer look at the allet originally specialized alloy race bike the latest version has been modified so now it’s a little more urany in Focus this means a more accommodating ride position and easier handling than before although specialized sors work to keep the entertainment factor of previous generation bikes the demman has always been TX endurance platform there are more expensive carbon versions but the AL signifies as aluminum makeup while this version is at the bottom end of the range in terms of spec offered by the US brand on that front the specialized and TR bikes are almost equally matched they both rely on eight-speed Shimano Claris drivetrains and feature Tech TR mechanical disc brakes the LA costs £1,000 or $11,200 while the demand is £1,050 in the UK but as near as makes no difference the same in the US the relative wild card here is the Pinnacle laterite 2 as it features Rim brakes Rim Brakes in 2024 I can hear the consternation from here but this isn’t a token inclusion as you’re about to find out not least for the the price retailing as it does in the UK for £800 or like the others $1,200 in the US it too uses a Shimano Claris drive train and Tetro brakes so it’s a fair fight between the three of them on that front let’s start with the core of the bikes the frame sets the frames are all made of aluminium which is unsurprising at this price point and all are Tiddly assembled the all uses specialized E5 premium aluminium which is said to create the lightest frame in its class in a size 56 cm it’s said to weigh 1,375 G the dman is built using what’s fair to say is TX equivalent aluminium 100 series Alpha alloy it’s a little more claim frame weights but says that the fourth generation dman Al Fram set fork and all is around 225 g lighter than the previous version both come with full carbon FS which helps keep the overall weight in check while offering up the usual ride quantity benefits mainly smoothing out Road Buzz while keeping the front end stiff and sharp with their complete builds in a size 58 cm the demman weighs 10.6 kg while the AL is a touch lighter at 10.28 kilos now the Pinnacle laterite is almost no different it too has a carbon for but with an alloy steerer but other than that it’s the same alloy frame carbon Fork approach orbe it with dropouts designed around traditional skewers rather than through axles our test bike in a size XL weighs a not too shabby 10.71 kilos all of these bikes have the fixtures and fitting you would hope for especially if you intend to use these bikes to be daily workhorses or frankly if you’re new to Road cycling and aren’t quite sure yet how you’ll end up using your new bike mudguard and pack mounts are present and correct although demani comes with the added bonus of Bento boots mounts on the top Tu now this is an increasingly common sight on endurance bikes with one eye on the gravel seene while the demman frame set has space for 38 mm tires without fenders in place that’s 3 mm wider than the alley and 6 mm more than the Pinnacle the deanis frame is also visually a little tidier thanks to cable rooing into the headset rather than further back in the frame this doesn’t make any performance difference and mechanics might find servicing a slightly trickier but the extra challenge seems to be small all in the demman feels like it’s the most versatile and Polished of the three frame sets [Music] here if you’re relatively new to Road cycling I reckon the chances are that presenting a geometry chart and talking about specific tube lengths and angles might well confuse the issue if you want to delve into those you can check out my reviews of these bikes on bik radar.com as and when they’re published here I’m going to stick to how the bikes feel the deali is certainly the most relaxed feeling of the three bikes in fact it was the most relaxed of all five bikes tested in the budget category importantly I found the bike very easy to ride from the get-go it misses a little excitement compared to something like the AL or even the cube attain Pro I also tested but it can still react keenly when you put the effort in the alley suddenly wears it history with pride it used to be a Racer bike than it is today and as someone who’s owned one in the past and ridden new Al since the latest version has certainly retained much of that it’s sharp and sporty feeling and although it’s lost a little of its Edge there’s absolutely no reason in my mind why you couldn’t use it for Speedy sport tees or racing if you wanted while fast the handling is confidence inspiring and has a better blend of characteristics than the deanii if you want to get closer to a race bike like experience the Pinnacle laterites has also impressed in this regard it has a longer reach than the other two bikes here meaning that the handlebars are a bit further away from the saddle for a more stretched out ride position but it’s it’s not outrageous the handling is just as well balanced as the LA with slightly sharper Behavior compared to the demman when choosing bikes handling characteristics are just as important as anything else but ironically are relatively hard to Define there’s no winner as such here it’s just that deanii is a notably more relaxed bike versus the AL Lite which are in turn as smid and more exciting what’s best for you will depend on the kind of riding you want to do and whether you prefer a calmer or more reactive ride quality from your bikes the sense of speed from all three bikes is clear and present as someone who’s tested some of the fastest and most expensive bikes around today I can assure you that for the money there’s plenty of bang for buck here the specs of these bikes which I’ll come on to soon won’t at the world Al light but all have a decent turn of speed when called for the Ali and de Mani especially benefit from their wider tires and quality contemporary Wheels they pick up speed efficiently and riding at 30 km per hour on a flat Road for example isn’t unexpectedly taxing in short I was impressed the laterite is no slouch either and it serves as a reminder that shifting to disc brakes for all its benefits doesn’t make as much difference to speed as one might assume in terms of ride Comfort the deanii is the clear winner at this point it’s impossible to ignore the specification given it has 32 mm wide tires versus the 30 mm tires fitted to the Alle and the 25 mm rubber on the ler rides the rims have their part to play here too but all things being equal wider tires carry more volume and can be run at lower pressures contributing to improved Comfort grip speed over rough tach and broken surfaces when you throw in the relaxed handling it makes for a very comfortable ride I’ve had less comfortable experiences on carbon endurance bikes costing three times the money before now the all also presents a decently comfortable ride but it’s not quite as smooth feeling as the demate tire sizes aside it feels as though specialized hasn’t wanted to lose all of the sharp and rigid characteristics of the previous La bikes and has opted to make the frame set a little stiffer and more rigid versus the demman on balance there’s nothing wrong with that as I’ve said it helps make the LA’s ride more exciting but it’s worth factoring in if comfort on a road bike is a big concern for you the Lite is the weakest of the three in terms of comfort but it’s not like I emerged from my rise feeling beaten up or especially fatigued if I owned that bike in particular I’d want to upgrade the wheels and tires but it’s the latter that would probably make the biggest difference 25mm tires are pretty narrow by modern STS after all even the fastest riders in the world are using 28 mm or larger tires at the tour to FR these days as there’s generally little to lose by going for larger volume rubber on your road bike [Music] in terms of specification each bike sees a collection of Kit that’s functional alloy wheels handlebars and Stems standard 27.2 mm diameter seat post and simple alloy railed Saddles it’s all solid stuff and there’s nothing that can’t be easily switched out further down the line if you wanted although the disc brake Wheels on the all and Dem use six bolt rots rather than the simpler Center log format commonly seen with higher SP group sets as it is each bike sees the same drivve Trin installed Shimano Claris r2000 this has eight sprocket at the cassette paired with two chain Wings up front and offers all the gearing you really need to get going and enjoy a ride on VAR terrain at this level it’s unreasonable to expect the sharper shifting performance you get from more premium group sets like Shimano tagra or 105 but when well set up and maintained I had no issues with changing Gears of course the cassette spacing is a little gappy a single shift can make a big change to your riding Cadence that you might ideally like but it’s part of the course here if you’re not coming from a bike with a price year 11 or 12s speeed group set then you might not even notice this the bikes deviate a little in the detail cassettes and chains are swapped for cheaper models but in reality these changes make no discernable difference to the overall performance both the Al and deani spec tectro mechanical c550 disc brakes performance is adequate but it’s worth noting that if you’re familiar with the power of hydraulic brakes you’ll need to adapt your riding to accommodate the longer stopping distances if you ever want to upgrade to full hydraulic brakes in the future which both frames can sport you’ll need to go up two tiers to shimano’s tagra level that’s obviously an additional investment although I think both bikes will take such significant upgrades well the latter right of course has Rim brakes these are also from tekro the r315 calipers in case you were wondering now the truth of the matter is this as spec here the laterized r brakes performed better than the disc brakes on either the deban or Al surprised I was too but paired with Alloy rims they proved more powerful and a little more controllable even in the Rain the conditions in which disc brakes are supposed to be Head and Shoulders above I struggled to separate them in terms of the confidence they gave me of course the upgrade ceiling is far lower on the lat side than it is for the two disc brake equipped bikes here while better Rim brake calipers are available you simply can’t install the latest and greatest hydraulic disc brakes on the laterite frame and there’s no doubt in my mind at least that even entry-level hydraulic brakes are better than the best Rim Brak that said if you’re unfussed about upgrading your bike in the future then that needn’t concern you the Lite is certainly the cheapest here at £800 in the UK although it’s $1,200 remember in the US that price draws a level with the Al and deani in the US but in the UK the AL is a flat 1,000 while the demman is £ 1,50 in Europe the Al and demman are 1,200 and 1,199 respectively but the AL is $200 Australian dollar cheaper down under than the demand at 1,000 $800 value then is a little territory specific and the demman is the most expensive on average of three [Music] bikes so the winner despite costing a little more the TR deani al2 Gen 4 is a deserving winner of the 2024 bike of the Year budget category the price difference is by no means extreme and is justified by the most versatile and feature pack design and specification of the three I also think that for most people shopping in this price region it’s not unreasonable to suppose that the easiest handling bike might be the best one suited for you that said this is of course entirely up to you if a race your Edge is what you want the LA E5 is likely to appeal it earn second place here missing out on the top spot by a whisker the tires are a little narrower and ultimate clearance is a little less but that shouldn’t stop you from buying it if you prioritize sharper handling a well- earned third spot is there foren by The Pinnacle Lite 2 it’s a fine bike and although the disc Brak bikes here are more modern and ultimately more upgradable the Lite 2 is still a great lowcost entry point to the world of Road cycling so that’s the top three bikes for the 2024 budget bike of the Year category according to Yours Truly but what do you think do you think I’m right or are you itching to let me know how wrong I am I’d love to know so I look forward to reading your comments below so like this video subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already and if you want to know which upgrades you should make to your bike then check out this video