5 affordable aluminium road bikes put to the test: Affordable, long-lasting, easy to maintain

These are the test road bikes for around 1500 euros

• Canyon Endurace 6
• Fuji Sportif 1.3 Disc
• Giant Contend AR 2
• Radon R1 Tiagra
• Rose Blend Road

The most important thing at the beginning

Once again in recent years, we have had to turn down invitations from many manufacturers to include inexpensive aluminium models in this comparison test. The reason: only the high-quality and expensive carbon bikes are usually available for testing. A development that is also reflected in the market. The range of affordable road bikes is becoming increasingly limited.

The best list of affordable road bikes

Rarity: Inexpensive racing bikes with durable aluminium frames

Traditionalists need to be strong now. In this comparison test, which is dedicated to uncomplicated aluminium racers for less than 1500 euros, we can't avoid saying a word about the gravel bike. A genre that has outgrown the trend, which has undoubtedly made the world of road bikes more colourful, but has also permanently shifted the balance of power and is possibly also viewed critically by classic road cyclists for this reason. After all, the boom that has spilled over from the USA to Europe has played a not insignificant part in the fact that affordable road bikes such as the five candidates between 1200 and 1450 euros are almost considered exotic.

Uncomplicated technology, durable components, comfortable geometries and low prices: The attributes of affordable road bikes are steadily migrating to gravel bikes, which are rolling onto the market in quick succession and in large numbers and are in high demand. In contrast, inexpensive new products with durable aluminium frames exclusively for the road are rare; existing platforms are hardly being further developed or replaced by new models. For many manufacturers, the business with low-cost road racing bikes is obviously no longer worthwhile. They invest their development efforts in high-quality bikes, which then stand out with technical innovations, but are also significantly more expensive.

Example Rose Blend Road

Rose is an example of this development: the Bocholt-based company must be given credit for being the only manufacturer to send a new model to the test. As the successor to the Pro SL, which once scored as a race-ready bike with a lightweight aluminium frame and high-quality add-on parts, the Blend but only to a limited extent. As with the Pro SL, the price is still attractive; at 1200 euros, the Rose is the cheapest model in the field. However, the high total weight of more than ten kilograms documents the development: ten years ago, a Pro SL was two kilograms lighter at the height of the times.

Gravel bikes have also long been a much higher priority for direct distributors. "The gravel bike is a gateway drug," said Managing Director Thorsten Heckrath-Rose in an interview with the weekly newspaper The time. It is therefore not surprising that there is also an all-terrain version of the Blend with wide studded tyres.

The all-road bike

The competition takes a somewhat more moderate approach, but the idea behind it is identical. Thanks to plenty of space for wide tyres, the aluminium racers are intended to open up the possibility of poaching in gravel bike terrain. Most models are already equipped with slightly wider tyres ex works than is usual for road racers. With wide rims, the tyres bulge up to 34 millimetres, even exceeding the dimensions of cyclocross tyres. "Allroad bike" is the name of this still young category, which the Giant Contend AR 2 comes closest to in our comparison.

The generously wide tyres not only equip the candidates for detours on gravel tracks, they also increase the suspension comfort on asphalt roads, especially as manufacturers only exceptionally fit a comfort-enhancing flexible carbon seatpost in the frame. The Giant is an example of this; the bike rides noticeably softer than the competition on bumpy roads. Canyon also uses a carbon seatpost on the Endurace 6, but its aluminium head makes it a little more rigid.

Designed for comfort

The frame geometries are also designed for comfort in the sense of a relaxed riding position, putting the rider in a comparatively upright position. The Fuji Sportif and Rose in particular are a good basis for long, carefree days in the saddle without back pain. At the other extreme is the Radon R1, whose frame is comparatively long and, in combination with the long reach of the handlebar-stem combination, puts the rider in a racing position that we are otherwise only familiar with from professional bikes.

You don't have to win races with the test bikes, but the consistently high weight is still a noticeable damper on riding enjoyment - at least if you've ever ridden a really light racing bike. The aluminium frames with thick-walled tubes make the bikes robust, but also increase the weight. Together with solid add-on parts and wheels, the TOUR scales level off at around the 10-kilo mark for all bikes, which results in numerous tuning tips. The lightest bike is the Canyon, which is 700 grams lighter than the Radon and Rose.

Shimano's Tiagra component group, which is fitted throughout, also contributes to the high weight of the bikes. Compared to current shifting technology, there are two fewer sprockets available; on the other hand, 2x10 drivetrains have been the standard for road bikes for decades, and with the cassettes fitted to the test bikes, the gearing of the bikes is suitable for uphill riding. Greater than the gearbox is the noticeable discrepancy between the hydraulic disc brakes of current top bikes and the simple mechanical disc brakes such as those on the Fuji and the Giant, which require a much stronger pull on the lever and do not brake as well. The unground discs on the Radon and Rose also deliver significantly less braking power.

The test winner

Canyon offers the best overall package and therefore a really good, affordable road racing bike. The closest to the Endurace in terms of quality is the Giant, which only misses out on a better TOUR grade due to slightly lower stiffness values.

The test results at a glance

How TOUR tests

Here you can find all the information and background to the TOUR test procedure.