The aluminium bikes available in 2024 are better than they ever have been. After some key models saw reductions in weight this year, it’s meant that what used to be the downside to aluminium is no longer all that bad. We have rounded up the aluminium road bikes which we think are the best options in 2024. They span all price points, spec levels, brands and riding styles. We have bikes from Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Canyon and Triban. Which would you pick?
00:00 – Intro
00:20 – Specialized Allez
01:50 – Triban RC520
03:05 – Cannondale Caad Optimo
04:17 – Cannondale Synapse AL
05:42 – Trek Emonda ALR
06:58 – Canyon Endurace AL
08:03 – Specialized Allez Sprint
09:23 – Trek Domane AL
10:42 – Cannondale Caad13 / 14
11:26 – Outro
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Aluminium road bikes have never been better and the bikes available to you represent some of the best value options whether you’re looking to buy your first bike build up a racing machine or just tackle some longdistance epics we’ve linked all of the bikes down in the description below so let’s get into Them the specialized alley was refreshed earlier this year and is arguably one of the best known road bikes it’s been the Gateway Drive to Road cycling for so many and after its recent overhaul we think it will continue to chaperone more and more cyclists into the sport but the
Question is what is it about the recent overhaul that will mean it continues to serve the masses of new cyclists well the bike has been kept up to date with the adoption of dis break only models the frame has dropped a little weight but more importantly has
Also taken on a new geometry to become slightly more comfortable the all has retained its ability to play host to a Pano rack and Muggs while also featuring some drop seat stays to help the AL maintain a modern look as mentioned the all is now a disc brake only bike
Meaning the tire clearance has expanded all the way out to 35 mm so whether you’re a weekend warrior a gravel paath Cruiser a Commuter or just like to keep it simple and want a road bike which can conquer both short and long rides then we think this is arguably the most
Versatile aluminium road bike that’s out there it’s certainly not the best value price this start at £1,000 here in the UK for a Claris spec bike with mechanical disc brakes the model we’d prefer would be the LA sport version which steps up to a Thiago group set and
Hydraulic disc brakes so if you’re happy to pay the price you’ll have a bike which can be used in so many different Ways if you’re after bang for buck then it doesn’t come much better than the triban RC 520 we say this is the best value aluminium bike currently on the market thanks to the semicarbazones you get a better braking feel and performance something more in common with fully hydraulic disc brakes
Coming in just shy of £900 here in the UK means the RC 520 is not only more affordable than many other road bikes available today but thanks to the spec it’s also just incredibly good value the 36C Tire clearance means that this bike can be used in a variety of ways and
Much like the specialized La will likely suit a very large group of riders especially those who do want to save a bit of money one of the most popular producers of aluminium bikes is canondale and thanks to its vast range they do have something for everyone the cad optimo is
The Brand’s most entrylevel aluminium road bike with the optimo 4 coming in at just 9900 here in the UK this model comes with 8-speed Shimano Claris shifting Rim brakes a carbon fork and as mentioned an aluminum frame from one of the best producers of them out there happily the range does spare multiple
Models with the range topping out at £ 1,300 for the optimo 1 which sees its shifting components be upgraded to shano 105 the optimo range is perfect for Riders who want a more performance focused road bike without the usual price tag they are basic bikes which
Makes them very easy to work on yourself the cost of maintenance is also pretty good thanks to the really good availability of spare parts and should you want to make any upgrades to the optimo then that’s also easily done too the only thing which may get trickier to
Upgrade will be the wheels as more and more bikes become Disc break Only as mentioned canell do create a whole range of fantastic aluminium bikes and for those who are a bit more endurance minded the sinapse AL could be the right choice the sinapse 2 sits in direct competition with the specialized La sport thanks to its Shimano Thiago group set and hydraulic disc brakes
However the sinapse 2 takes things a little further with the addition of a wheel set from DT Swiss 30 C tires from Victoria and a saddle from physique it’s not just about the specification though as what’s more important is the frame itself the signups name comes with a lot
Of weight as the monik has become synonymous with long-distance performance and arguably that’s likely why you would be going for this bike the full carbon Fork helps keep weight down and increases the vibration dampening qualities the geometry matches that of the much love carbon signups and the
Plump 30C tires do a good job of reducing Ro chatter and increasing grip without costing you too much in Rolling resistance losses some of the sinaps AO models also ship with a top tube bag that can be bolted directly to the frame which we think is a really Classy Touch
From the American brand if you’re after one of the best aluminium endurance bikes then this is probably It not all aluminium bikes are created equally and the tram ALR is certainly one which sits Head and Shoulders Above the Rest it saw a huge overhaul in 2023 with changes to the aesthetic a more aggressive race Focus geometry a switch from a pressfit to a threaded bottom
Bracket a claim 250 g frame set weight saving and new Arrow profiles to help minimize losses two builds of the bike were created one with a mechanical Shimano 105 group set and the other with a 105 di2 group set happily if neither of those were to your liking then Trek
Did also make the frame set available to buy separately for the custom build Market we think this amonda ALR is perfect for bike races on a budget since you can build a frame set up with whatever Parts you may already own and the new geometry matches that of the
Carbon am it means you can get racing without having to risk something costing upwards of six grand if you are unfortunate enough to have a crash then you can be safe in the knowledge that the frame won’t shatter in the same way that carbon does and you may have a
Better chance of a simple repair Great Value comes in many forms and for the time being you can be assured of some fairly good value When shopping with a direct to Consumer brand like Canyon it has a very popular endurance aluminium bike in the form of the
Endurace AL thanks to the unique sales model the German brand is able to offer a Shimano tagra spec bike with hydraulic disc brakes and a full carbon fork for just shy of ,00 here in the UK DT Swiss wheels are shod in 30 mil one rubber but most impressive is that the wheels
Feature a 22 mm internal rim width ensuring you can make the most out of a big contact patch with the road aiding in both comfort and grip versatility is covered off too with space for 35c tires and top Tu bag mounting points there is also a Shimano 12-speed mechanical 105
Build option which comes in at 1,649 and it’s this bike which we think gives the specialized La the biggest run for for its Money the marketplace for Budget race bikes is hotting up and as topend bikes go stratospheric in price more and more people are looking towards topend aluminium bikes to use in their local races it’s no secret that for a long time now the specialized La Sprint has had a cult following among amateur
Racers thanks in large part to the funky frame set colorways it slots imperfectly with the rider who just wants to build up their own bike and have something cool to show for their effort after a refresh last year the AL Sprint borrowed the same geometry from the tarmac sl7
And it swapped out the pressfit bottom bracket for a threaded unit this wasn’t the biggest change to the bike though the engineers over in Morgan Hill cooked up a brand new down tube and head tube which thanks to a clever hydr forming process meant they could do away with
One set of Worlds at the bottom bracket but also meant we were left with some fairly unsightly ones at the head tube sadly this fairly controversial decision marred the bike’s initial reception but if you can look past the Aesthetics then you are left with a bike which performs
In a similar way to the much more costly tarmac but will not cost you nearly as Much some aluminium road bikes provide more value than others and Trek does fantastic job with its de Mane Al much like the carbon version of the de Manet its aluminium little brother is also endurance orientated but it’s not the tried and tested geometry that we like
So much about this range of bikes it’s instead the different builds track has created and the associated price tags for example the de Mane al2 Rim comes in at 750 and features two beautiful paint jobs and a Shimano Claris group set look further up the range and you’ll find six
More builds each upping the spec level progressively until you reach the top end Gen 4 de Mane al5 with a Shimano 12-speed 105 Mechanical group set what’s fantastic about the range of Gen 4 bikes is the use of integrated cabling to achieve that popular clean hoseless look
Ensuring the de Mane Al stays up toate with modern Aesthetics TX sits in a very small number of Brands to offer such a good range of builds and for them all to be competitively priced so if you’re looking for a specific build and want to know you’re not paying through the nose
For it the demand a range could be worth checking out we couldn’t have a video about the best aluminium bikes on the market without giving special mention to the Canon del CAD 13 however we want to be clear we are not saying the cad 13 is
One of the best aluminium bikes you can go and buy in 20204 4 quite frankly the cad 13 has been superseded and has been left in the dust thanks to the sheer amount of effort and Innovation other brands have put into their own aluminum bikes so if there’s a bike we hope to
See come out in 2024 it’s a canondale cad 14 hopefully canadel has got an ace up its sleeve and will launch something truly Cutting Edge cementing itself once again as the kings and queens of aluminium let us know down below which aluminium bike would you pick if you
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39 Comments
I wish they still made quality carbon bike like these aluminum bikes.
Standert Kreissage RS
Thank you for featuring MORE FRIENDLY bike price which are more reachable for me 😎👍 Hardworking lad here 💯
Three brands make up eight of the nine best bikes of the year? How stupid is that????
I got the Cannondale Optimo 1. It's fun, fast and light weight. It weighs the same as an equivalent carbon road bike with disc brakes but is significantly cheaper.
I have Trek AL 3
What about the Stevens Aspin? In my humble oppinion it's a high end aluminium road bike and one of the few with – tadaaa – rim brakes. I like it very much and Stevens gives you the opportunity to swap certain parts.
Specialized continues to miss the point….🤔 At least Cannondale still smart enough to know few need the extra cost/complexity & weight of Disc brakes. Please stop with the scare mongering regarding lack of rim brake wheels too. I mean we know but be real/honest. PS: Trek still offers rim brake Emonda ALR too as well as others like Standert
The trek domane al
No Scott ??
2024 Trek Domane Al 2 is under 16 pounds with scram rival and carbon wheelset. This build has made me rethink if I need anymore carbon bikes
I would get a CAAD 13 by far. No one even close
honestly i cant tell much of a difference between my winter aluminium bike and my carbon aero bike after riding for a few minutes.
That emonda ALR is a beauty
I have a CAAD12 and it's a bike I love but I sometimes get the urge to buy something shiny and new. Someone please talk me out of overspending on a new bike. Thanks! : )
Merida Scultura is the best value for money.
I would buy a vanrysel edr af 105 or ultegra
The old u s made cannandale 2.8 frames They were the best amazingly built response responsive to ride handled like a dream. I wish canada would make something like that again.
In regards to the CAAD, I’m actually a bit surprised that a 14 hasn’t shown up yet. I seem to remember the 12 and 13 releasing shortly after a new supersix. I just hope that Cannondale doesn’t leave their CAAD bikes behind. They have always been fantastic, top tier aluminium bikes, and I have loved the 3 and 10 that I’ve owned.
I bought a specialized allez last year, the last of the rim brake ones and I've never been so impressed with a "budget" bike, although I have since swapped out the wheels and bars
Im interested in the Trek bikes but the Emonda AL frameset is not really a good value proposition. In fact, they are punishing you for picking the frame set over a built up bike…
Trek built Emonda AL5 = £1850
Emonda Frame set = £1300
A 105 groupset is £400-430, Wheels £300-800+ (based on personal budget but you wouldnt kit an Emonda up with a £300 set of Mavics…), Seat post £50-60, Handlebars £50-79, bar tape £10-15, Saddle £30-200 (based on budget) and the list goes on….
By the time you complete your build and calculate the amount of money you put into building the bike, you might as should have gone with an off the shelf AL5 then sold off the stock wheels for £100-200 and bought a better set of wheels.
I bought an Orbea Avant H30 not so long ago. Very comfortable. Too much snow for it these days, though. Come spring ..
i love my CAAD Optimo – with the right parts i went sub 7 kg
my pick landed on a canyon endurace al7. 105 11 speed disc and it cost me 1499€. has since had some things swapped like wheels, saddle and tires, but damn its a great bike.
Anyone has experience with the BMC Teammachine ALR?
thanks cannondale for not being too greedy by still coming up with a rimbrake model in 2024 😊
I really cannondale bring out the caad 14 this year with a modern look including integrated cables.
I have 2 bikes. One is my favorite Cannondale CAAD 12 (Acid Red color) , 105 mechanical, RIM Brake which i have fitted with 50 mm Parcours wheel set and a Trek Aero Handlebar. It weighs 8.3 Kgs with Pedals, LIght mounts and Bottle cages. This bike cost me about $ 2000 and then i added another $2500 worth of upgrades on this. My other bike is a Canyon CFR SRAM Red eTap AXS , Ultra -Rare Toray MX 40 carbon, with 58 mm Zip NSW TL wheelset & DIsc Brake. Its a beautiful bike and weighs about 7.7 kgs with Pedals, Bottle cages and Light mounts. However Cannondale still says my hot favorite.
Orbea Avant H40
Is the elephant in the room that alloy bikes ride "harsh" when compaired to other materials?
Allez ratained the ability to fit racks? It has not even seatstays mount bosses!!!!!
The fact that aluminium bikes are unrideable without a carbon fork says it all.
I’ve had an Emonda ALR5, and thought it was great, would buy one again. An Allez was my first road bike, and also really like the CAAD bikes as well. Sure, I’ve ridden carbon as well and get the relative smoothness, but for whatever reason it is, it’s the alu bikes that have been most inspiring between the two.
Alley sprint, easy choice 🔥
I remain with my CAAD 10
Caad 12 the best, rim.
Merida Scultura 400 disc version – full shimano 105 group set and hydraulic disc brakes that can accommodate 28mm tyres. Hard to argue with it for the price
specialized diverge
My Allez 2016 w/ Shimano 105 5800FD full only less than 1000 pound.. still ride well…
Nice bike