Boardman's Elite Air 9.2 is just the ticket if you're looking for a fast bike with a good spec but you haven't got very silly money to spend. It's a good package and the performance is impressive straight out of the box. There are a few minor niggles, but nothing that would make me hesitate to recommend it.

If you're buying an aero bike, chances are you're doing so because you want to go faster; that, or you just like the look of deep-section tubes, or relish the challenge of adjusting hidden brakes. Anyway, likely the former.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

So: do you go faster? My work on this has been anecdotal, rather than especially scientific. But the anecdotal evidence suggests a yes: you go faster on this than on standard road bike. Here are three examples of things that have happened.

Firstly, I was checking the sprint response and high-speed cornering on a descent I like to use for that, which I've ridden many times before. So, like many times before, I put the hammer down out of the hairpin and sprinted to the first corner before rolling down the rest in a tuck and taking the corners full speed. And when I got home, suddenly I had the KOM on Strava.

Secondly, I took the Air 9.2 up to my local crit race. I'm a third cat, and this winter we have to race with the second cats every week, so I generally get binned out with around 10 minutes gone and have to do the rest of the race on my own, or with the other poor souls who got dropped. But this time I won! Only kidding, I still got dropped. But I stayed in the race for twice as long and did seven of my ten best lap times along the way, including a new personal best.

Thirdly, I set off to Bristol and rolled down Pennyquick, which is a long, fast descent with a 16% bottom section. Normally you'll roll up to 70-75kph at the bottom before you have to give it the beans to get up the other side. On the Boardman, I hit 86kph without doing anything different.

Those are three stand-out nuggets from the testing. There are others: a fastest average speed on a common loop that I do, and plenty of personal bests along flat sections. Basically, it's faster. I don't know by how much, exactly, and the advantage you get will depend on all sorts of things.

Recently we ran a blog by a teammate of mine who also races in the 3s who'd spent some time comparing the performance of his new Look 795 Aerolight frame with his old Cannondale and BMC, and certainly the numbers suggest it's faster. I don't know if the Boardman is as quick as the Look. I do know it's £2,799 in a Shimano Dura-Ace build, though, when the Look's frame is £4,499 on its own.

The ride: Neutral and predictable with a firm feel

Some aero bikes can be a handful, but thankfully the Air 9.2 is a very neutral ride most of the time. Considering the amount of side profile, it's really not that much of a handful in the wind. Okay, I had a couple of interesting moments getting hit by a 30mph sidewind on one long ride, and the next day I certainly felt it in my upper body where I'd been fighting the bike a bit, but it's generally pretty predictable.

I found that the wheels, even though they're not an especially deep section, contributed a lot to the bike's ability to catch the wind. Things improved when I swapped out the Boardman Air Elite Five wheels for our test set of Swiss Side Hadrons, even though those wheels are a fair bit deeper.

If it's not especially windy then the Boardman rides much like any other quick bike. With a stack-to-reach ratio of 1.44 in the XL I tested (the position gets marginally less aggressive the bigger you go), the Air platform is similar to other aero bikes: not quite as aggressive as a Canyon Aeroad (we have an overview of the 2016 range here), about the same as a Giant Propel (check out the 2016 range here). Ours came with a decent stack of spacers and I opted for a mid-position in the end, so making it lower at the front wouldn't have suited me; if you like your bikes fully slammed then there are more bum-up-head-down frames than this.

Position-wise the Air 9.2 has another trick up its sleeve. The aero seatpost has plenty of depth and Boardman has made good use of it by tapping a series of four holes into the alloy insert at the top. The saddle clamp screws down into one of them, allowing you to quite simply alter the saddle position and the effective seat tube angle. Boardman sells a lot of these bikes for triathlon; the top-of the range Air 9.8 is the bike the Brownlee brothers habitually use to win stuff. The seatpost allows a steeper effective seat tube angle which is better for tri, and also for time trialling. The Air 9.2 would certainly be an effective TT bike with the addition of a set of clip-on aero bars.

Boardman uses an oversized 1 1/2in crown race bearing, and the deep-section fork contains plenty of carbon; those things add up to a front end that's firm and tracks very well.

Braking response up front is excellent too: Boardman uses an integrated TRP mini-V brake within the legs of the fork to improve airflow. It's a bit of a faff to set up because it's well hidden, and adjusting the centreing requires some handy work with a spanner and an Allen key (Boardman now supplies a special tool to make it easier) but once they're set up there's plenty of power on offer and the feel and modulation is good.

The rear brake isn't so good, but I've yet to try an under-the-bottom-bracket setup that I've been genuinely impressed with. The cable for the rear brake enters behind the head tube (as all the cables do) and heads down inside the down tube to the calliper. It isn't an especially tortuous run but the brake still feels a bit spongy and it's hard to grab the right amount of stopping without occasionally locking the back wheel. Because the front brake is so much better you tend to rely on that more.

The front is firm, and the rear is firm: this isn't designed as an all-day-comfort endurance machine. That's not to say it's horribly uncomfortable though. I've done 100km+ rides on the Air 9.2 with no problems. It comes shod with 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres which add a bit of cushioning at either end. Vibration through the front, with the stiff fork and the alloy bar, is more of an issue than at the rear, but neither is especially bad for the type of bike this is.

Response under power is good. The core of the bike is very stiff and there are no issues with flex making the bike feel vague when you stamp on the pedals. I managed to get the wheels to rub on both brakes under heavy loads but I suspect that's more to do with wheel flex than frame flex, as it was less of an issue after a wheel swap. 

It didn't quite go away at the rear, and I think that's a consequence of the position of the rear brake. It's always possible to make the rear wheel move in the rear triangle; put your pedal at the bottom of the stroke and just lean on the bike and it'll shift about, because there's always some flex in the frame and the wheel. But the nature of the forces that you're applying seem to me to mean that the positional change is greater at the chainstays than it is at the seatstays. So if you want the aero advantage of the bottom bracket brake, that's the payback.

Equipment: A solid build with upgrade potential

Shimano Dura-Ace surely needs no introduction. Shimano's top-tier groupset offers near-flawless mechanical shifting and low weight. You don't get all of a Dura-Ace groupset here; the chainset is replaced by FSA's new four-arm SL-K unit which is a very nicely made carbon chainset. No complaints there. Both brakes are TRP; having a Dura-Ace direct-mount rear brake would probably have improved matters.

I had no issues with the shifting performance on the bike. The rear cable runs internally the length of the bike but it's in a full outer the whole way, so there's nowhere for muck to get in and spoil the shifting performance. Front shifts on the FSA chainset were slick and reliable too. Boardman specs the Air 9.2 with a 52/36 chainset and a 12-25 cassette – a setup aimed at fast riding. If you're not too clever on the hills you might sometimes find the 36x25 bottom gear a bit of a struggle, but there are plenty of other cassette options. The cassette itself is a 105-level one, and replacing it like-for-like with a more hill-friendly 11-28 would only cost you about £25.

I had some issues with a creaky press-fit bottom bracket on our test bike, which Boardman says would be covered by warranty. It's not an uncommon issue with press-fit, and removing the BB, cleaning everything up and re-fitting it fixed things without the need to fit the replacement that Boardman sent.

> Check out our guide to the fastest aero road bikes here

Boardman's own-brand Air Elite Five wheels are pretty decent. They're well made and at 1,746g the pair (including rim tape, not including skewers) they're not especially heavy. The bladed spokes are an even tension and the hubs have good sealed bearings. They're an obvious upgrade down the line, though, and certainly swapping them out for the Swiss Side Hadrons had a positive effect on the feel of the bike.

The Boardman Elite bar would also be on my list of possible upgrades. The Air 9.2 really deserves a set of aero drops to minimise frontal area, and there'd be a touch more give in a carbon bar with flat top sections which would take the edge off the front-end firmness. At the other end I got on very well with the Prologo Nago Evo saddle, which was comfy even for long rides.

Overall: A compelling package for the money

The best part of three grand isn't exactly spare change, but the Boardman Air 9.2 scores very highly in the value stakes, stacking up well against the competition. There aren't many aero bikes that offer Dura-Ace below £3,000, and although you're not getting the full groupset it's still a great package for the money.

It's fast, the handling is neutral and responsive, it's firm but not uncomfortable, and it responds well under power. There are a few minor niggles – the brakes aren't the best, and some of the components are worth an upgrade to get the best out of the frame – but if you're looking for a fast bike for racing, triathlon or even time trialling then it's very much one to consider.

Verdict

Great value aero bike that's fast and easy to ride. Recommended

There'll be quite a few of you who are feeling pretty loved-up today, we imagine. We also appreciate that there'll be some of you who are feeling somewhat more pensive about your love life.

Either way, we imagine that the most important relationship in your life will have taken something of a back seat this weekend. That's right, your bike needs love to.

So, if you're looking for a new mechanical love look no further than the 30% discount on the Boardman Hybrid Sport that's live right now over at Halfords.

Alternatively, spice up your saddle time with a new pair dhb shorts, or a thermal cycling jacket from Merlin. 

Halfords

30% off Boardman Hybrid Sport Bike 2014
WAS £429.99 | NOW £300.00

Screw speed dating. Head over to Halfords and check out their deals on Boardman bikes. At the moment you can get a huge 30% off of their Hybrid models.

We had a Boardman Hybrid in for test a couple of years ago, and we absolutely loved it.

- Read more: road.cc's Boardman Hybrid Comp Fi review

The years have been kind to the range, as well. The Sport edition is perfect for those inner-city commutes if you prefer a more relaxed, upright, riding position.

The build features a lightweight triple butted aluminium frame, an 18 speed Shimano Altus groupset, Avid Single Digit 3 caliper brakes, and Boardman 700c tyres

Wiggle

61% off dhb Women's Professional ASV Bib Shorts
WAS £65.00 | NOW £25.35

Grab 'em while you can! The dhb Women's Professional ASV shorts are plummeting in price, and selling out fast.

Wiggle are lowering the price of these shorts by 1% every night, so you can either play a game of chicken on the price front, or grab 'em while they're still available!

The shorts themselves are dhb's professional range, which mean that they're the same stuff they supply their in-house Wiggle Honda professional cycling team with.

We covered the launch of the dhb ASV professional range before there was any women's kit in the range, check it out below:

- Read more: road.cc's dhb ASV professional range launch coverage

Merlin Cycles

30% off Merlin Wear Sport Thermal Cycling Jacket
WAS £70.00 | NOW £49.00

Check out Merlin's stunning thermal cycling jacket.

As is standard with thermal cycling jackets - if they're worth even talking about in the insulation stakes - it features a polyurethane membrane to keep out the wind, tight fitting especially shaped cuffs to keep breezes out, and a fleece lined inner layer for comfort and added warmth.

You've also got some great reflective sections, ventilation points, pockets galore, and an elasticated waist for breeze protection.

- Read more: road.cc's winter jacket buyer's guide

So, with the UCI Cyclocross World Championships, and all the motordoping drama that came with it, cyclocross season came to an end.

Well, it feels like it came to something of a premature end, especially if you live in a country like the UK where the weather conditions suit 'cross racing almost all year round.

With that in mind, it's well worth exploring the end of season cyclocross bike sales, after all, there are plenty of CX bikes that work fantastically as foul weather commuters.

The one the DealCatcher's picked up today doesn't quite fit that particular category of bike, but it's a stunning deal regardless.

Evans Cycles

25% off Pinnacle Arkose Singlespeed Adventure Road Bikes
WAS £800.00 | NOW £600.00

This is an unusual one to offer you roadies. The Pinnacle Arkose Singlespeed has been dubbed a road bike, it looks like a road bike, but it’s a singlespeed cyclocross adventure bike extraordinaire that sits quite close to its mountain bike cousins

Big 40c WTB Nano Comp tyres hang from a full carbon tapered fork, a 38T chain ring and an Andel 17T Sproket cassette will keep you moving, and the frame upon which all of this action takes place is the same one that we gave 8/10 to when we reviewed the Arkose 2 cyclo-cross bike back in May 2014.

All round, for this price, you’ll struggle to find a better machine to fulfill your springtime adventure pangs.

- Read more: road.cc's Pinnacle Arkose cyclo-cross bike review

Halfords

65% off Boardman Women Bib Shorts
WAS £34.99 | NOW £12.00

oardman - the brand, not the man - has recently announced a new range of affordable cycling clothing.

At the same time Boardman - again, the brand - has slashed the prices of their current range of cycling kit over at Halfords.

Arguably the best deal amongst this slew of bargains are the Boardman Women’s Bib Shorts. At a 65% discount you’ll be getting a mid range, comfortable pair of cycling shorts for the unbelievable price of £12.

The high end Coolmax chamois pad along with the Qwik-Dri fabric and silicone grippers will keep you comfortable, while the reflective details will help keep you seen and hopefully safe.

- Read more: Boardman expands clothing range

Decathlon

24% off BTwin Aerofit 700 Windstopper Baselayers
WAS £24.99 | NOW 18.99

If you missed last week’s Decathlon DealCatcher takeover, don’t worry. All of those deals are still available, and all you have to do to take advantage of them is follow the link below.

- Read more: Decathlon's DealCatcher takeover

This baselayer slipped through the net last Thursday and didn’t make it to the final cut for the takeover. That’s not to say it’s not a fantastic deal, beccause it is.

How do we know? Well, we reviewed it a couple of years back. Our man Stuart Kerton called it comfortable and well-fitting.

Check out his review here

- Read more: road.cc's BTwin Aerofit Wind Undershirt review

It's Thursday, we've all got one eye on our weekend rides and the final commute of the week tomorrow and the other on the pile of work that lies ahead of us.

You know that the weekend'll come a lot quicker and you'll be feeling a lot better about the mountain of work that stands in your way if you've got a delivery to look forward to tomorrow or Saturday, right?

The DealCatcher's got just the thing for you. A bumper deal round-up featuring five fantastic cycling deals from some of the country's biggest retailers lies waiting for you just a couple of scrolls down.

You've got 59% off an Altura Team jersey from Merlin Cycles, 59% off a huge High5 nutrition bundle over at ProBikeKit, and 50% off Boardman's Men's Bib Tights to look forward to. Plus a couple more deals that we'll leave as a surprise.

Happy shopping!

Merlin Cycles

59% off Altura's Team Long Sleeve Jersey
WAS £55.00 | NOW £22.50

It's chilly still, and it's likely to remain chilly for some time to come. If you're running a little low on winter jerseys, or you want to bolster your collection in the pre-Spring sales, here's one of the better options we've seen.

The jersey's high wicking fabric will keep the sweat away from your skin, and the thermal brush fabrics on the inside layer will keep you warm, while the performance fit and huge range of colour choice will keep you looking and feeling pro, too.

BuyABike.co.uk

20% off Funkier's J-730-1-LW Long Sleeve Jersey
WAS £40.00 | NOW £31.99

Funkier's rather un-funkily named J-730-1-LW Long Sleeve Jersey has a lot more going for it than it's clunkier-than-most name would suggest.

Jokes aside, we've reviewed a couple of Funkier's long sleeved jerseys before, and they've seen high praise from our esteemed reviewers.

for example, the Funkier's Ladies Long Sleeve jersey received a smashing 8/10 when it was reviewed by Steph Mann. She said that the jersey "stands out [is] very warm and decent value for money."

You can read the rest of her review below, it should give you some idea what to expect from a men's Funkier jersey.

- Read more: road.cc's Funkier J-394-LW Ladies' Jersey review

Halfords

50% off Boardman's Men's Bib Tights
WAS £49.99 | NOW £25.00

If we close our eyes and ignore the evidence for a moment; it's the end of February, winter should be on its way out, and spring should be threatening to arrive. On this evidence we should be looking to fill our wardrobes with spring gear.

If we now open our eyes we'll see two things. One, winter feels very much like it's here to stay at the moment, and two, the winter gear is going cheap because spring should be on the way.

Boardman, the brand, is going along with this, and has slashed the price of their bib tights by 50%. Grab 'em while you still can, and while your legs still need protecting from those horrible wintry winds.

We imagine that another reason for all of the Boardman clothing price reductions recently is the announcement we'll link you to below.

Boardman are expanding their clothing range, focusing on affordability. Exciting times for those of you who like their stuff already. In the mean time, get your milts on some extra affordable current Boardman gear.

- Read more: road.cc's Boardman clothing expansion coverage

ProBikeKit

59% off High5's Endurance Exclusive Bundle
WAS £146.99 | NOW £59.99

Our penultimate deal of the day is this Endurance Bundle from ProBikeKit.

A stellar 59% discount is nothing to scoff at, especially when you're getting so much stuff for your money. Just look at that picture, that's a mountain of nutritional goodies!

Here's the run-down of the goodies available to you: two High5 750ml Cycling Clear Bottles, one box of 25 High5 Wildberry Energy Bars, one box of 20 High5 Summer Fruit Sports Energy Gels, one 2.2kg jar of High5 Summer Fruit Energy Source, 12 x 50g High5 Citrus Energy Source Xtreme Sports Drinks, and one 1.6kg jar of High5 Chocolate Recovery Protein.

All for under £60. Bargain.

Chain Reaction Cycles

54% off Michelin's Pro4 ENDURANCE V2 25c Tyres
WAS £47.98 | NOW £21.99 + free inner tube

Finally, get your hands on a free inner tube when you buy a 54% discounted Michelin tyre from Chain Reaction.

Michelin's range of Pro4 ENDURANCE V2 25c tyres are ideal for sportive riders, and those of you riding on questionable road surfaces.

The tyre's Bi-Compound tread provides fantastic puncture protection as well as increased durability and excellent grip.

Plus, you get a free inner tube. What's not to love?

If you want to put that race licence to good use, smash those Strava KOMs or just want a fast, comfortable, easy-to-ride road bike, then the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR needs to be on your shortlist. With a full-carbon frameset, SRAM Force groupset, Mavic Ksyrium wheels and weighing in at just 7kg (15.5lb), the SLR is a real contender even before you take the price into account – and that challenges even the direct-to-consumer specialists.

The Road Pro is a stunning bike to look at. That mirror effect silver paintjob makes it stand out, especially in the sunshine; you're going to get noticed for sure.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

That beauty isn't just skin deep, though. In a cycling world where bikes are starting to cross as many disciplines as possible, the Boardman knows exactly what it is: a proper race bike that just begs to be ridden hard. It likes being on the tarmac, getting chucked downhill on the ragged edge of the tyre's grip, or being sprinted hard up that 20 per cent climb without the slightest hint of flex from the frame.

It's a chunky frame, which makes the first time you pick it up a bit of a shock – you just don't expect it to be so light – but it's also extremely balanced. Admittedly, SLR stands for Super Light Road, but I didn't know that at the time!

This obviously has a huge effect on sprinting, climbing and acceleration. Its box profile down tube, massive rectangular chainstays and oversized bottom bracket junction keep the frame from twisting under load, making for hugely efficient power transfer. The Boardman responds instantly and gets that effort down on the road. Even sprinting out of the saddle while in the drops, which often transfers a lot of weight to the front of the bike, doesn't see the rear tyre skipping about.

Long and low

Boardman's designers have played a blinder when it comes to the handling and geometry. The head tube and seat tube angles mirror each other at 73 degrees, and with a top tube length of 55.5cm and head tube at 14cm, the riding position is long and low and pretty aggressive. The facts and figures pretty much mimic that of the Bianchi Specialissima, a pro peloton-ready speed machine, so the SLR certainly isn't going to disappoint you in the bunch. 

In the twisty bits, whether on the flat or descending, the Boardman remains a very easy bike to ride fast. The majority of bikes we ride these days have a tapered head tube. The larger diameter at the bottom means a larger surface area and more material, equating to increased stiffness. The SLR uses a 1 1/8in top bearing with a 1 1/2in lower.

This comes into play when the turns are tight, with a direct, solid feel through the steering. It's never flustered by rough surfaces or even heavy braking, something that the SRAM Force brake callipers are very capable of.

The whole bike feels great at speed. The smooth ride quality of the frame gives you confidence to push the SLR hard into bends and back out the other side. There is a lot of feedback going on all the time; even though the frame seems to reduce a lot of the road buzz, it doesn't mute the actual feeling of what the tyres are doing on the road.

You can make quick corrections without upsetting the handling and even if you lose grip on a wet drain cover or painted road marking, the slide is controllable until traction returns. The Boardman won't 'snap' back either.

The Road Pro is a bike that everyone is going to find easy to ride yet exciting, whether you are a seasoned racer or novice newbie.

Cruise in comfort

Don't go thinking it's all about out and out speed, though. The Boardman is happy to cruise for hours on end – cruise quickly mind, thanks to its minimal weight – but you don't need to be on the rivet to make it perform.

Century rides are well within its remit thanks to its overall comfort levels, and you could even upgrade the 25m standard tyres to some squidgy 28s to soften the blow a little more. The SLR certainly makes a rapid sportive machine.

At the heart of the Boardman is a C8 frame. Manufactured using Toray T800 grade carbon fibre, it has increased tensile strength and modulus over Boardman's entry-level carbon frame, the C7. Using a stronger and more resistant carbon fibre means Boardman can use less material – so, lighter without sacrificing stiffness.

The fork is full carbon too – well, minus the dropouts – and comes with a tapered steerer to match the head tube. The oversized crown diameter means the fork legs can be on the large side and they are certainly stiff. The SLR doesn't suffer from any noticeable flex under cornering or braking loads.

Boardman has gone for full internal cable routing, and that keeps the entire frame looking clean thanks to well-positioned entry and exit points.

The chainstays are massive, so big that there's no need for a chainstay bridge, and at the dropout end they're scalloped out to leave enough room for the cassette. You can see why power transfer through the rear wheel is so impressive.

Feel the Force

When it comes to equipment, as mentioned above Boardman has gone for a full SRAM Force 22 groupset, which is impressive to see at this price point as it's a large chunk of the budget.

If you haven't ridden SRAM before, its gear shifters use what it calls DoubleTap. You push the paddle behind the brake lever a short swing for a shift in one direction, and a longer swing for the other direction. If you're a long time user of Shimano or Campagnolo it can take some getting used to, but soon becomes second nature.

The shifting itself is snappy, with a solid click at the lever as each gear change is made, but to my mind it doesn't feel as refined as Shimano Ultegra; the Force is a little clunkier.

The SLR is equipped with 52/36t chainrings, a range that has become known as semi-compact, sitting between the usual 50/34t compact or 53/39t traditional setup. Paired with an 11-28t 11-speed cassette, the gear ratios suit the Boardman's racing style with plenty of top end gears, with that 28-tooth sprocket offering something a bit spinnier for the hills.

That chainset includes carbon fibre cranks and it's certainly stiff; Shimano Dura-Ace is often touted as being one of the stiffest cranks out there, but I'd say the Force doesn't give much away.

As standard you get a SRAM chain catcher attached to the front mech to stop any damage to the carbon frame, which is good to see. There's also a replaceable gear hanger at the rear dropouts should you crash – the gear hanger will take the whack rather than writing off the entire frame.

The Force brake callipers are some of the most powerful dual pivots I've used, really slowing the bike quickly without any drama. You can leave braking right until the last minute, which means you can maintain a higher average speed through the bends, roundabouts and junctions as you only have to slow if you really need to rather than in preparation of something. Wet weather performance was pretty good too, thanks to the SRAM/Swiss Stop pads and they don't seem to be wearing too badly with all the wet gritty riding during testing.

Speaking of wet rides, one thing that has really impressed is that I haven't heard any squeaks or creaks come from the Press Fit 30 bearing cups; usually the rain can be their Achilles heel.

Wheel deal

Wheel-wise, you get a set of Mavic's long serving Ksyrium Equipes. A hardwearing performance set of wheels, they are ideal for fast training and entry-level racing. They come as a wheel/tyre package like the majority of Mavics these days, and give an all-up weight of 2.3kg, not super-light but not a drag either. They are certainly robust and will give years of service.

I've ridden the Yksion tyres many times on various bikes and they aren't exactly my favourites, with sketchy grip levels in the wet and dry. I find they can break away quite easily, and although the Boardman made it very easy to correct, they aren't tyres I have complete trust in. For the high speed handling tests I swapped them out with some Michelin Pro 4s, which improved grip and confidence.

Other than the Prologo Nago Evo saddle (which is actually rather splendid, marrying that blend of minimal padding with comfort), the rest of the finishing kit is from Boardman.

A carbon fibre seatpost keeps weight down and is surprisingly comfortable considering its 31.6mm diameter. Manufacturers often spec a 27.2mm to promote flex, so it's a sign that the Boardman designers were happy with frame compliance.

The handlebar and stem are pretty basic aluminium affairs, but with subtle branding complete the overall package look of the SLR. The bar itself has a very compact drop, making it easy for most riders to use, even those with limited flexibility. It's easy to reach the shifters from the drops too.

The SLR comes in six sizes, from XS to XL, offering top tube lengths from 52.5cm up to 58.5cm, with things like crank length, bar width and stem length varying between them. The 42cm bar, for instance, on our medium frame was narrow enough to complement the quick steering.

Money matters

Value. Okay, I've been banging on about it enough, so let's delve a little deeper.

The £1,500 to £2,000 price mark is a very competitive one, with many riders upgrading from an entry-level bike. They kind of know what they want, whether that be groupset, overall weight, frame material, that kind of thing. The SLR ticks pretty much all the boxes; we don't get many £1,800 bikes in that are as light, and Boardman hasn't scrimped on the rest of the finishing kit to provide such a great frameset.

The easiest way to put it into context is to look at the competition. Canyon, often renowned for its low price points, has the Ultimate CF SL 9.0, a bike intended for the same style of riding as the Boardman SLR. They match each other on weight, but while the Canyon may have the slightly more expensive Ksyrium Elite wheelset, it comes with a cheaper Shimano Ultegra groupset for its £1,849 or £1,896.98 if you include delivery to the UK.

> Check out our top road bikes of 2015/2016 here

Planet X also offers a Toray T800-manufactured racing frameset, the RT-80. Specced with an Ultegra group and upgrading the wheels to match the Ksyriums, it comes in a little cheaper at around £1,740.

The thing is, both of these companies offer a direct-to-consumer business model, which saves the customer money. Boardman doesn't, so it certainly highlights what good value the SLR is.

In conclusion, the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR is a great bike. It's there to be ridden fast, whether that's eyeballs-out fast or just a rapid average speed on a longer journey. It excites, and you certainly feel rewarded for any effort you put through the pedals.

With a great groupset, impressive finishing kit and that smooth-riding frame, for this money, it's very hard to find fault with the SLR. It's certainly become one of my favourites.

Verdict

Impressive weight and value, and an exciting, rewarding ride – Boardman has nailed the race bike format

The most popular bike style in the UK, hybrids are practical and comfortable, and their upright riding position makes them ideal for the office run or leisurely cruising the lanes.

As the name suggests, hybrids have aspects of road bikes and mountain bikes. From the road comes a lightweight frame and fast-rolling 700C wheels, while mountain bikes contribute flat bars, disc or V-brakes and wide-range gears. The tyres are usually an intermediate width and tread to provide enough cushioning and grip that rough surfaces like forest roads and tow paths are no obstacle,

There are many variations under the hybrid umbrella. At one end, flat-bar road bikes are great for zipping around the lanes and even some light touring, but with skinny tyres might not be as much fun on potholed city streets. At the other end of the range are fully-equipped European-style city bikes, with mudguards, rack and even built-in dynamo lights or a rear-wheel lock.

Hybrids make great urban transport for potholed streets or towpaths (CC BY-NC 2.0 Tom Blackwell:Flickr)

Hybrids are great transport. You can pick one up for less than a hundred quid, and by the time you get up the price range to £300-600 there are some really very nice bikes. That's where we've started with this selection. If that blows your budget take a look at our guide to the best cheap hybrid bikes.

Oddly, fully-equipped bikes are less common at higher prices. Manufacturers perhaps think buyers with more money to spend will want to choose their own mudguards, rack and so on, but we see lots of people riding nice quality hybrids without mudguards and just getting wet bums. Seems a bit daft.

It's not unusual for designers of hybrid bikes to specify alternatives to the ubiquitous rear derailleur and you'll find a couple of examples in our recommendations below. Hub gears are less unusual that on sportier bikes, and can pick up flat-bar singlespeeders very inexpensively because they's so simple.

Hybrids are great cheap transport. Bung even a £500 bike on Cycle To Work Scheme and you'll barely notice the payments disappearing from your pay packet. In fact, in many cities, you'll be better off. Compared to a London Zone 1-3 Travelcard at £144.80 per month, a £154.00 Bristol City peak travelcard or a Cambridge Megarider Plus bus ticket for £92, the repayments for a hybrid are trivial.

Let's take a look at some of your best choices in flat-bar bikes.

B'Twin Hoprider 520 — £320

First impressions of the review bike our teenage tester is riding to school daily are good. The model up from the £230 Hoprider 300, it has a suspension fork and seatpost to improve comfort over rough ground, and the transmission is decent quality, for the money eight-speed Shimano Acera.

Less obvious, but very welcome, it also comes with Continental Touring Plus puncture-resistant tyres and trigger shifters rather than the twist-grips you often find on cheaper models. You even get a fairly decent set of metal-bodied pedals, a significant step up from the resin-bodied jobs found on most budget bikes.

Find a Decathlon store

Trek 7.1 FX — £380

Trek's best-selling city bike has a light aluminium frame, very wide-range 21-speed gears that'll get you up any hills you're likely to find in the UK, and convenient Shimano trigger shifters.

You don't get extras like a rack or mudguards, but the frame has all the necessary fittings for them, and will even take a Dutch-style frame/wheel lock like the AXA Defender so you can't forget your lock.

Find a Trek dealer

Foffa Urban 7 Speed Nexus — £499.99

With an aluminium steel frame and mudguards, the Foffa Urban is  cheerful, nippy round-town transport. The key feature is the seven-speed Shimano Nexus internal hub gear, which gives a good range for urban riding without the fuss of a derailleur to get damaged or clag up with road grime.

Read our review of the Foffa Urban 7 Speed Nexus

Find a Foffa dealer

B'Twin Triban 540 — £500

B'Twin's Triban 540 promises road bike zip with the more upright position of a flat bar so you can sit up and admire the view or keep an eye out for random taxis.

The Triban 540 strikes a balance between speed and practicality. On the speed side, well, at heart it's a road bike. Skinny tyres, narrow saddle, seat a bit higher than the bars. On the other hand, it's got a flat bar, with gears controlled by mountain bike-style triggers so you never need move your hands away from the brakes.

The frame has fittings for rack and guards so it can be practical too and the Shimano Tiagra components make it a bargain for this price.

Read our first look

Raleigh Strada 4 — £523

At first glance the Raleigh Strada 4 appears to be a singlespeed. Look a bit closer and you find a clever SRAM Automatix two-speed hub gear that automatically changes to a higher gear at about 15kph; this gives you a low gear to get away from the lights and then switches up to allow you to accelerate through traffic.

The hub nestles in Raleigh's lightweight 6061 aluminium frame, and Strada mechanical disc brakes bring the whole thing firmly to a halt.

Find a Raleigh dealer

Charge Grater 2 — £599.99

Charge has always excelled at urban bikes. Watch London rush-hour bike traffic and you'll see a heck of a lot of them. We like the Grater's lightweight aluminium frame, and the fact that it comes with mudguards already fitted so you can't fail to get around to adding them and end up with a wet bum when it rains.

Wide-range Shimano gears, puncture resistant tyres and disc brakes are all nice, practical touches for a round-town ride.

Find a Charge dealer

Whyte Victoria women's urban bike — £699.00

Hybrids intended for women tend to have a shorter top tube than their male equivalents, and have female friendly components like a woman's saddle, as here. With hydraulic disc brakes and nippy 28mm tyres, the Victoria is at the sportier end of hybrids; when you need to get a move on it's noticeably quick.

Read our review of the Whyte Victoria

Find a Whyte dealer

Boardman Hybrid Team — £629

Boardman is another brand that's ubiquitous on the city streets and just lately main man Chris Boardman has been all over the media advocating for cycling rights and plugging his book on bike design, The Biography of the Modern Bike.

Boardman somehow finds time to design nice hybrids too, like this aluminium-framed, round-tow speedster. At this level you start finding hydraulic disc brakes, usually a bit more reliable and less fiddly than cable brakes. The Hybrid Team also has a carbon fibre forks, which helps take teh sting out of potholes, and wide-range SRAM gearing.

Find a Halfords branch

Cannondale Quick Carbon 1 — £1499.99

The late, sadly missed bike reviewer Steve Worland described this luxury hybrid as: "Quick like a road bike, comfy like a mountain bike, with disc brake confidence; a thoroughbred mongrel of an all-rounder". A hybrid with a carbon fibre frame will seem over the top until the first time you have to carry it up several flights of stairs, at which point it suddenly makes perfect, shoulder-friendly sense.

It makes sense on the road too. Its instantly most obvious and endearing characteristic is its casual speed, while the handling far more sprightly than most hybrid type bikes.

The latest version of the Quick 1 has wide--range Shimano Tiagra gears, fast-rolling 25mm Schwalbe tyres and Magura hydraulic disc brakes. There are fittings for racks and mudguards too, it can be practical as well as quick.

Find a Cannondale dealer

Read our review of the very similar 2014 Cannondale Quick Carbon 2

Sink your teeth into five fantastic cycling deals this afternoon; the DealCatcher's put on quite a spread.

First up, following yesterday's first forray into the 2016 range of discounted road bikes, we've got another - this time a recently reviewed number from Boardman. 10% might not seem like a huge discount by DealCatcher standards, but for a recently released bike that performed so well in its road.cc review, we couldn't ignore it.

We then have 1/2 price Bont shoes from Wiggle, a third off a Giro Air Attack helmet over at Evans Cycles, 44% off Sugoi's insanely reflective Zap jacket oveer at ProBikeKit, and finally Decathlon are offering a complete set of road.cc favourite Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres for 38% less than RRP.

Happy shopping!

Halfords

10% off the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR 2016 Bike
WAS £1799.00 | NOW £1619.00

To much fanfare, Boardman launched its new range of road bikes in the Welsh hills earlier this year. We were there, and we liked what we saw at the time.

What we weren't expecting was to be writing the following sentence mere weeks later:

"Boardman has nailed the race bike format"

That line, in all it's heralding glory, comes straight from the Road Pro SLR's review which was released last week. You can read the full run down by clicking the link below.

Just know, for you're money you're getting a slamming deal. The bike's ultra-lightweight SLR Race Geometry C8 Carbon Fibre frame carries a SRAM Force groupset, lightweigh Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels, and a fantastically comfortable Prolog Nago race saddle.

- Read more: road.cc's Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR review (9/10)

Wiggle

50% off Bont's Vaypor+ Cycle Road Shoe
WAS £249.00 | NOW £124.50

One road.cc 9/10 review follows another here with this stunning pair of cycling shoes from Bont.

Not all of us here at road.cc are sold on the idea of white cycling shoes, we're somewhat stain-aware here, but these Vaypor+ shoes have caught most of our eyes.

Particularly Mat Brett's. He reviewed an earlier itteration of these shoes a couple of years ago. He said that they were "lightweight and very stiff racing shoes that you can heat-mould for the perfect fit" 

That heat-moulding remains in the Vaypor+'s 2015 itteration. If you want to learn a little more about how all of that works, check out Mat's review below:

- Read more: road.cc's Bont Vaypor review (9/10)

Evans Cycles

33% off Giro's Air Attack Helmet
WAS £149.99 | NOW £99.99

The first thing you might notice about the Giro Air Attack are its lack of clear ventilation points. We've all had the old hot head problem on summer rides. For some of us it could put us off wearing helmets, for others it might push us closer to less aerodynamically efficient helmet models.

According to our very own tech editor Mat Brett, the Giro Air Attack does not suffer from the overheating fate of many aero helmets.

In the review, which you can read below, Mat quotes Giro, who say that "with its deep internal channelling the Air Attack has 97% of the cooling efficiency of their lightweight and well-vented Aeon helmet."

Read more here:

- Read more: road.cc's Giro Air Attack Helmet (8/10)

ProBikeKit

44% off Sugoi's Zap Cycling Jacket
WAS £99.99 | NOW £55.99

Now, you wouldn't normally expect a jacket of this hue to perform particularly well in the reflection stakes.

This isn't one of your fluorescent green or yellow types, nor is it Volvo Life Paint silver, this is Sugoi's own reflective bead-integrated design, and believe us, they're very reflective.

We reviewed the jacket earlier this year, and boy did it work. Here's a photo of the black jacket we tested. Yes, that is the black jacket; it's just reflecting the camera's flash:

If you want to read more, check out our review below:

- Read more: road.cc's Sugoi Zap Bike Jacket review

Decathlon

38% off Vittoria Rubino Pro Road Tyres + Inner Tubes
WAS £39.99 | NOW £24.99

Finally, Decathlon have slashed the price of their Vittoria Rubino Pro Road Tyres, and inner tubes, by a massive 38%.

We know you like these. Really, we do. In fact, you told us.

Back in July, while we were running our People's Choice awards, you lot put these puncture resistant tyres in your top five road tyres.

In the awards piece we called them "Reliable all-rounders at a sensible price. Probably the best tyres you can get for under £20 each."

You can read more by following the link below:

- Read more: road.cc's People's Choice award: Tyres

You’ve an abundance of riches in the £1,500 to £2,000 price band, with bikes that are light, well-equipped and great value for money.

You also have a big range of choices. Carbon fibre frame, or the latest ultra-sophisticated aluminium? Caliper brakes or discs? Racing geometry, more upright for comfort or something in between? How about taking the the byways and bridleways on a gravel bike? Whatever type of riding you have in mind, there’s a bike in this price range that’ll suit you perfectly.

Sensa Giulia G2 Ultegra — £1,530

Sensa has updated its Guilia road bike. We tested the last version in 2013 and the latest incarnation, the Giulia G2, is an improvement. It's a bit lighter and a bit more comfortable without sacrificing any of its race-ready stiffness, and the design has been tweaked with some aero touches. It's a good racing all-rounder.

The new frame is a fair bit lighter – 960g as opposed to 1100g – with the fork gaining 25g. Overall that's a 115g saving. We like percentages round here. That's about 8%.

Is it 8% more comfortable? That's a lot more difficult to objectively measure. As a whole, the bike feels smoother over rough tarmac, but how much of that is down to the frame and how much to the fact that you can now fit (and it comes equipped with) 25mm tyres as opposed to 23mm is hard to say. By way of a test we pumped the tyres up 140psi when we'd normally run them at 95. That made the bike a touch more skittery over broken tarmac but actually it wasn't bad, especially considering there are some deep sections in the frame and the 31.6mm seatpost won't be bending as much as a slimmer one would.

Read our review of the Sensa Giulia G2 Ultegra

Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR — £1799.00

If you want to put that race licence to good use, smash those Strava KOMs or just want a fast, comfortable, easy-to-ride road bike, then the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR needs to be on your shortlist. With a full-carbon frameset, SRAM Force groupset, Mavic Ksyrium wheels and weighing in at just 7kg (15.5lb), the SLR is a real contender even before you take the price into account – and that challenges even the direct-to-consumer specialists.

The Road Pro is a stunning bike to look at. That mirror effect silver paintjob makes it stand out, especially in the sunshine; you're going to get noticed for sure.

That beauty isn't just skin deep, though. In a cycling world where bikes are starting to cross as many disciplines as possible, the Boardman knows exactly what it is: a proper race bike that just begs to be ridden hard. It likes being on the tarmac, getting chucked downhill on the ragged edge of the tyre's grip, or being sprinted hard up that 20 per cent climb without the slightest hint of flex from the frame.

Read our review of the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR

Raleigh Mustang Comp — £1,450

Raleigh's aluminium-framed Mustangs, carbon Rokers and steel Mavericks comprise the Big Heron jumping into gravel bikes with both boots. Raleigh's folks say they started revamping their endurance road range, then realised that for a lot of British riding a bike with a long wheelbase and fat tyres was better able to cope with back roads trashed by the combination of bad winters and hacked road maintenance budgets. The Mustang Comp has SRAM hydraulic brakes and 11 Speed 1X Rival

Find a Raleigh dealer

Trek Émonda S6 — £1,500

Part of Trek's line of Émonda lightweight race bikes, the S6 might be the best value for money the company has ever offered, with an OCLV carbon fibre frame and full Ultegra group for just a grand and a half. It's a great deal at a price where other mainstream manufacturers offer Shimano 105 parts, or cut corners with non-Shimano components in some areas.

Find a Trek dealer

Giant Defy Advanced 1  — £1,599.00

Spend another £100 and you get the very attractive combination of a carbon fibre frame, Shimano Ultegra components and disc brakes. Giant's Defy line is one of the most popular bikes in the endurance and sportive sector, and is the company's best-selling model, combining smart geometry with a full range of competitively priced builds. It was completely revamped for 2015 with a whole new frame design providing enhanced comfort and, for the carbon frames, disc brakes only.

Read our review of the Giant Defy Advanced SL Find a Giant dealer

Specialized Ruby Elite Disc — £1,800

There are some superb women's bikes in this category, of which Specialized's Ruby Elite Disc is a great example. It has the same shock-damping Zertz frame technology as Specialized's Roubaix (the men's equivalent) and the same spec as the Roubaix at the same price. 

Find a Specialized dealer

Merida Ride 5000 — £1,800.00

The Merida Ride 5000 is a quick road bike that offers plenty of comfort, splitting the difference between a standard race bike and an endurance bike. Jump aboard the Ride 5000 and within yards you can feel a bit more give than you get from most road bikes. There's just a touch more movement at the saddle to cancel out all the little bumps and hollows in the road surface, and the big hits when you ride over a drain cover or pothole aren't quite as big any more.

Read our review of the Merida Ride 5000Find a Merida dealer

Rose Xeon CDX-4400 — £1,986.09

Coming in at 7.5kg (16.6lb), the Rose Xeon CDX-4400 has an impressive weight for a disc brake-equipped road bike and that is reflected in the ride. It's quick, easy to live with and delivers a lot of fun miles. Chuck in the fact that it's only just under two grand and you've got a cracker of a machine ready to be ridden flat out or cruising the lanes.

Read our review of the Rose Xeon CDX-4400

Specialized Tarmac Comp — £2,000

Specialized's £2,000 Tarmac Comp is a smart looking and well packaged bike that offers the sort of fast and engaging ride that will suit budding racers, along with sportive cyclists who favour a less upright position than is provided by the company's Roubaix model.

Read our review of the Specialized Tarmac CompFind a Specialized dealer

Cannondale CAAD12 Ultegra 3 Disc — £2,000

Proving that composites don't quite reign supreme, Cannondale's meticulously engineered CAAD12 frame wrings every last gram of performance potential out of aluminium. Cannondale combines that frame with Shimano Ultegra shifting, its own HollowGram Si chainset and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes for a thoroughly modern fast road bike.

Find a Cannondale dealer

Alright, alright, alright, we're sorry for the pun-heavy headline. But Easter only comes around once a year, and if we didn't use up all of our egg-related puns this long weekend, when could we?

If we promise that the majority of the puns are now in the past, do you think we could interest you in some fantastic Easter weekend cycling deals directly from Boardman Bikes, Evans Cycles, and Cycle Surgery?

If you've found it in your hearts to forgive us for such criminally awful comedic activity, we've got a treat for you. Boardman are flogging their ranges of 2014/2015 bikes at a 30% discount, as well as their frames for a 40% discount, directly from their website.

On top of that, Evans have got an extra 20% off their range of already discounted cycling clothes, including two road.cc approved jerseys from Hoy Vulpine.

Finally, our friends over at Cycle Surgery have got a fantastic deal on a set of Lezyne lights - they're 43% off, and we gave the rear light an 8/10 when it came our way to be reviewed.

Boardman Bikes

30% off Boardman's Air 9.2 2014/2015 Road Bike
WAS £2599.99 | NOW £1819.99

Did you know that you can get your hands on Boardman's massive range of road bikes - road bikes that we have consistently loved here at road.cc - directly from the men behind the bikes?

Well, you can. Boardman's Factory Outlet functionality on their website gives you the chance to buy directly from the manufacturers themselves, saving on all sorts of added costs that often get passed onto the customer when they buy from other shops.

Their range is substantial and cheap too, especially their non-current selection of bikes from last year and the year before.

The Air 9.2 which you can see pictured above is one of those bikes - this one's last year's model that's been replaced by the Elite Air 9.2 2016 model which we reviewed in January and gave a 9/10 to.

The carbon frame is a product of Boardman's state of the art AiR Aerodynamic Racing technology, which includes internal cable routing to keep the airflow consistent and the looks sharp. 

The bike runs Shimano's 11-speed Ultegra groupset, Mavic Cosmic Elite rims, and Continental Ultra Racce tyres, so you'll be good to go right out of the box.

Check out this link for even more of Boardman's range of Factory Outlet bikes, we'll be checking back in over the next few days for even more bargains.

- Read more: road.cc's Boardman Elite Air 9.2 (9/10)

Evans Cycles

50% off Hoy Vulpine's Akita City Jersey
Women's Jersey | Men's Jersey
WAS £54.99 | NOW £27.49

From one British champion to another.

Sir Chris Hoy has been branching out into bike manufacturing over the last few years, but we're focusing on his collaboration with British clothing brand Vulpine today.

The brand looks to give everyone who rides bikes something classy to wear - from the urbanite who flies round busy city streets in short sharp bursts, to the audaxer who's planning to spend half the day in the saddle pottering through country lanes.

This jersey in particular is aimed at the former.

Currently on sale in both the men and women's cut, the Akita City jersey - as you'll discover if you read our glowing review below - is equally at home on the bike as it is off of it.

It's made from super-soft and stsretchy brushed jersey fabric, it's got anti-bacterial properties to help battle odours, and the flatlock stitching avoids itchy patches and keeps the stylish fabric consistently comfortable.

- Read more: road.cc's Hoy Vulpine Akita City Jersey review (9/10)

Cycle Surgery

43% off Lezyne's Macro and Zecto Light Set
WAS £79.99 | NOW £45.00

Finally, Cycle Surgery's selection of bike lights is vast. It's almost overwhelming at times, but let us assure you, you'll struggle to find a better deal on a light set better than this over there.

Lezyne have some serious history here. The two lights that are featured in this light set have both come in for test at road.cc and both of them have performed extraordinarily well.

Check out both of the reviews below if you're still umm-ing and ahh-ing.

- Read more: road.cc's Lezyne Macro Drive review (9/10)

- Read more: road.cc's Lezyne Zecto Drive rear light review (8/10)

Welcome to this evening's post-Easter DealCatcher cycling deal extraveganza! If you think that word, or punny versions of it, have been overused over the last couple of days, we apologise, but this one's worth it. Honestly.

With three 30%+ discounts from cycling brand stalwarts Fulcrum, Boardman, and SeaSucker, what more could you want?

We're also aware you might need a pick-me-up after your first day back at work following a four day break.

So, put that left over Easter chocolate down and tuck in to our delicious selection of cycling deals.

Wiggle

38% off Fulcrum's Racing Quattro Alloy Clincher Wheels
WAS £299.99 | NOW £184.99

On a budget and after a new pair of wheels that'll feel a whole lot more expensive than the bargain price you're willing to pay?

Well look no further.

Here you've got Fulcrum's Racing Quattro Alloy Clincher Wheelset, and when we had them in for review, our tech editor David Arthur called them:

"A lot of wheel for not a lot of money. Fast and durable, a great all-rounder"

If you need a bit more information, or you want to be sold a little more, we'll leave it to the expert - check out David's review below:

- Read more: road.cc's Fulcrum Racing Quattro Wheels review

Boardman Bikes

30% off Boardman's Air 9.0 2015/2015 Road Bike
WAS £1799.99 | NOW £1259.99

Did you know that you can get your hands on Boardman Bikes from years gone by on the cheap in the Factory Outlet section of their website?

Well, you do now.

Their range is as substantial as it is cheap, especially their non-current selection of bikes from last year and the year before.

Boardman are flogging their ranges of 2014/2015 bikes at a 30% discount, as well as their frames for a 40% discount, directly from their website.

One of the most compelling options is this flashy Air 9.0 which comes equipped with Shimano's 105 groupset, Mavic Askium rims, and a Fizik Ardea saddle.

- Read more: road.cc's Boardman Elite Air 9.2 (9/10)

ProBikeKit

30% off SeaSucker's Mini Bomber Car-Mounted Bike Rack
WAS £399.99 | NOW £279.99

Finally, both in that we're at the end of this piece and this is the last item we'll be sharing with you today, and also in that the weather has finally started to warm up enough for us to start thinking about cycling holidays.

If you're thinking about heading up to the Lake District, or taking a dive under the Channel to some of those pretty French roads, you'll need a way of taking your bike with you.

You could do a whole lot worse, spend a whole lot more money, and end up with an old clunky piece of kit that's supposed to make your life and bike transportation experience easier.

Fortnunately, we've got you covered.

ProBikeKite have recently slashed the prices of their SeaSucker range, so much so that they're no leading the entire online marketplace in prices.

The concept is simple, and sounds scarily precarious, but trust us it's not.

SeaSucker have created a range od suction pads that are so effective that they'll keep your bike completely and utterly secured to your car.

Don't believe me? Ask Jez Ash, our reviewer who put the SeaSuckers through the ringer.

He gave them an 8/10, saying that the SeaSucker is an "ingenious rack [that] sticks your bike on just about any car, and is very quick and easy to use too."

- Read more: road.cc's SeaSucker Talon review

Boardman is making some great bikes this year – both in terms of performance and value – and the Road Pro Carbon is no exception. If you're after a disc brake road bike that's engaging to ride, you should certainly take a look at this. If you're looking for a more versatile all-rounder, it's not such a good fit.

This is the third of Boardman's new range of bikes we've tested. The slippery Elite Air 9.2 and the privateer-racer-friendly Road Pro Carbon SLR both picked up 9/10 and they're both easy to recommend. This Road Pro Carbon is too: it's a great value package and it's a fast and capable road bike with the benefits you get from disc braking thrown into the mix.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

The Road Pro Carbon is out of the same mould as Boardman's elite-range SLR Endurance Disc bikes, which top out at the money-no-object Signature model at a hefty £8,000. This bike isn't cut from the same cloth: those frames use Boardman's C10 carbon construction (predominantly Toray T800 fibres with some higher-modulus carbon in the mix) whereas this is a C7 (mostly lower-modulus Toray T700 carbon), which means it's a bit heavier to achieve the same stiffness. The fork is also different: it's a quick release dropout, rather than the thru-axle of the more expensive bikes.

It's certainly stiff. The big down tube uses the full width of the press-fit bottom bracket, and the chainstays are a deep box section that keep everything in check when you're putting down the power. There's plenty of stiffness in the new four-arm FSA Gossamer Pro chainset too; often, speccing a non-groupset chainset is seen as a downgrade, but there's no obvious downside to this FSA unit over the 105 chainset. Shifting and power transfer are both excellent.

At 8.78kg it's not the lightest bike you can find for this kind of money, and so snapping away from the lights or punching up short climbs isn't its strongest suit. A fair bit of the weight is in the Boardman branded wheels, which are about 2kg a set. I swapped those out for a set of Kinesis 700 Disc wheels that are about 400g lighter, and it certainly improved the bike's response overall, as you'd expect.

Certainly the frame and fork are a package that's worthy of some upgrades here: it's a very well-balanced bike that responds well to pretty much every kind of road riding. The steering is very predictable and never nervous, and I had no issues with any wobbles, vagueness or lift-off descending at speed. More often the limit was what I was prepared to ask of the 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres – they're decent enough, but not the grippiest.

Given that this bike comes from an endurance mould you might expect the ride to be more forgiving than it actually is. The Boardman doesn't have the surface-taming characteristics of something like a Cannondale Synapse or a Trek Domane, it's much more of a road bike feel. It's not uncomfortable, but it is firm. It's well balanced in that the front and the back give about the same level of feedback from the road. Again, swapping the wheels made a big difference here, mostly because I ran Schwalbe's fantastic 30mm S-One tyres, review here, on them, tubeless. Running a 30mm tyre at 70psi gives you instantly noticeable improvement in comfort and grip over a 25mm at 90psi, especially on rougher tarmac, with no obvious performance penalty. And the Road Pro Carbon frame can accommodate the 30mm rubber just fine. Just a switch to some good 28mm tyres would be enough to make a genuine difference.

If you fitted 28mm tyres you'd still have plenty of room for mudguards, so it's a shame you can't fit them. There are no mudguard mounts on the frame or the fork, and because the bike has discs there are no fork crown or seatstay bridge holes, meaning that solutions like SKS's Raceblade Longs or Crud's Roadracers aren't an option either. You're basically left with clip-on options, which puts a dent in this bike's all-round appeal. Not everyone wants to fit mudguards, but a bike like this should really give you the option; it's such an obvious contender for all-year fast riding duties.

We reviewed Shimano's 105-level hydraulic levers in early March. The highlight is the braking, with the shifting (and aesthetics) lagging behind a bit. Hydraulic disc brakes offer easily controlled, predictable braking in all conditions and the braking performance of the Road Pro Carbon was a highlight. It's easy to scrub off speed into corners or haul on the anchors if you need to, and the brakes are more or less unaffected by rain and road conditions. They're great.

There's enough stiffness in the fork that the braking forces are handled effectively with no juddering or twisting, and the same is true at the rear. It's possible to squeeze a bit of rotor rub out of the bike under heavy effort but it was pretty minimal.

Shifting on the hydraulic 105 levers is good, but it's not as good as the rim-brake levers. The shift action is nice and light but the indexing sometimes feels a bit vague, and the lever action isn't quite as nice. It's certainly not a deal-breaker and missed shifts were rare, like they always are with Shimano transmissions, but the hydraulic levers aren't quite up to the standard of the mechanical ones, which is a shame.

The finishing kit on the bike is all fairly standard and I had no issues with any of it. It's good to see a carbon seatpost at this price, and I found the Prologo saddle very comfortable. The stem and bar are both Boardman-branded alloy, and there's nothing wrong with either. The bar has a good shape and a shallow drop that encourages time in a lower position; even in the drops the geometry of the bike means you're not super-low, so it's a usable position for most people.

> Check out these 10 great bikes from £1,000-£1,500

At £1,499.99 this bike represents really good value for money. You're getting a full carbon frame and fork, hydraulic discs and a quality transmission on a bike that lends itself to quick riding. It's not a bike you can fit full mudguards or a rack to, so that really limits its appeal to people looking for a fast bike with discs: it's certainly that, and the firm ride and surefooted handling make it an engaging bike to pilot. A wheel upgrade further down the line (and you don't need to spend that much) will drop some weight and unlock a bit more of the frame's potential. The option to fit wider tyres is welcome and also improves the bike's feel.

Verdict

Very good road disc bike for sportive or faster riding, with an upgrade-friendly frame and quality transmission

In just a few years aero road bikes have gone from The Next Big Thing to a mainstream bike option. The latest models have been tweaked to be faster than ever, according to the manufacturers, and to alleviate the harsh ride that characterised some early aero bikes.

Aero road bikes essentially draw the aerodynamic features from time trial bikes into a road frame, and balance the demands of weight and stiffness into a package that, on paper, looks to be the ideal all-round choice.

At any decent speed, most of your effort goes into overcoming air resistance, so reducing a bike's drag means you'll go faster, or ride at any given speed with a lower power output. Who doesn't like the sound of that?

Most of your air resistance comes from your body. Wearing non-flappy clothing will help, as will losing weight. But the 20% or so of air resistance from your bike is enough for engineers and designers to focus on making road frames and products more slippery in the air. In the pro peloton aero road bikes have been quickly adopted, where the margins of victory are very slim and there has been a focus on gaining ever smaller performance gains over the years.

Jos Van Emden Giant Propel - front brake

Weight, and the lack thereof, used to be the main driving force of frame development. Along with stiffness, these were the two cornerstones of bike design. These days most bikes are light, many well below the UCI’s 6.8kg weight limit (which doesn’t affect non-racers anyway), and come with more stiffness than is sometimes comfortable.

All that has made aerodynamics more important for manufacturers. Specialized has built its own wind tunnel, for example, and most manufacturers are testing in wind tunnels. Nevertheless, aero road bikes haven't converged on a perfect, slippery common shape. Different engineers prioritise different ways of improving aerodynamics but there are shared design trends: skinny, aerofoil-shaped tubes, integrated brakes, and internal cable routing.

Let's take a look at the latest aero offerings.

Merida Reacto 5000 — £2,000

Merida Reacto 5000.jpg

The Merida Reacto 5000 is an aero road bike that combines plenty of speed with agile handling and a respectable amount of comfort. If you have £2,000 to spend on a race bike, it deserves your serious consideration.

It is, in a word, quick. The Reacto 5000 is at its best on flat and rolling roads when you just want to get your head down and do some hard work. Slam it into a big gear, wind up the speed, and you bowl along beautifully.

Rear our review of the Merida Reacto 5000

Find a Merida dealer

Merida Scultura 6000 — £2,300.00

Merida Scultura 6000.jpg

The Merida Scultura 6000 just feels right when you get on it. The position, the ride, the comfort… it's one of those bikes that gives you the confidence to push it as hard as you want, knowing that it isn't going to bite back. It's a bit of a bargain too when you consider the frame is being ridden in the pro peloton and weighs a claimed 750g. It's a hell of a lot of bike for the money.

For this revised version of the Scultura frameset Merida has concentrated on increasing comfort, and it's obviously paid off. The frame is handmade in Taiwan, and by tweaking the carbon layup in certain areas it has been able to bring in quite a bit of extra damping without sacrificing stiffness.

Aerodynamics was another target for Merida, using computational fluid dynamics in the design process and wind tunnel testing of various incarnations. It even used a dummy with moving legs to replicate the effect the rider's pedalling has on wind resistance.

Read our review of the Merida Scultura 6000

Find a Merida dealer

Boardman Elite Air 9.2 — £2,799.99

Boardman Elite Air 9.2 - full bike.jpg

Boardman's Elite Air 9.2 is just the ticket if you're looking for a fast bike with a good spec but you haven't got very silly money. It's a good package and the performance is impressive straight out of the box.

If you're buying an aero bike, chances are you're doing so because you want to go faster; that, or you just like the look of deep-section tubes.

Do you go faster? The anecdotal evidence suggests a yes: you go faster on this than on standard road bike. Our tester grabbed a downhill KOM on Strava, hung on longer before getting blown out the back of a crit with riders a grade above him and added 10km/h to his top speed on a favourite descent.crit with riders a grade above him and added 10km/h to his top speed on a favourite descent.

Read our review of the Boardman Elite Air 9.2

Find a Boardman dealer

Storck Aerfast Platinum — £10,949

storck-aerfast-platinum-full-bike (1).jpg

At £10,949, the Storck Aerfast Platinum is a massive outlay, but boy, oh boy do you get one hell of a return on your investment. It's a sub-6.5kg race weapon, with aerodynamics that work in the real world, and it offers comfort levels to challenge most endurance bikes.

Taking plenty of things it's learnt from its astonishingly good Aernario, Storck has pushed the design even further down the aerodynamics route, and what it has created in the Aerfast is a bike that's not only unbelievably fast, but light and stiff too.

If you're in the market for an aero bike, speed is going to be topping your list of priorities, and it's where the Aerfast truly excels. Below about 23mph the Storck feels like any other bike to ride, any other superlight bike that is, but all the same it feels like it requires some effort; you've got to work at it.

Get above that speed, though, and the aerodynamics really come into play. It feels like a permanent tailwind is nudging you along, a friendly hand on your back as you watch the numbers climb on the Garmin – with no more effort required than there was 5mph ago. It's a wonderful feeling, and one you never tire of.

Read our review of the Storck Aerfast Platinum

Find a Storck dealer

Cervelo S5 — £ 3,999

Cervelo-S5-Ultegra-Road-Bike-2016.jpg

Long hailed as the fastest aero road bike by people who know a lot about aerodynamics, the Cervelo S5 has received quite a makeover this year. It still looks like an S5 but Cervelo claims to have finessed every tube profile and found significant drag reductions. It’s also increased frame stiffness in the head tube and bottom bracket to improve handling. Another change is the shorter head tube to put the rider in a lower, and more aerodynamic, position. Cervelo has also developed its own aero handlebar which is compatible with a regular stem.

Read our coverage of the Cervelo S5 launch
Find a Cervelo dealer

Ridley Noah SL — £5,399.99

Ridley NOAH SL

The Noah FAST packs a lot of innovative aero technology, including slotted forks and seat stays, integrated v-brakes and small ridges on the leading edges of the frame surfaces to smooth airflow. It’s still available, but the Belgian company has released the new Noah SL which is lighter than the previous Noah with a 950g claimed frame weight. It still features the innovative F-Splitfork, but there’s no slotted rear stays and the raised ridges have been incorporated into the tube shapes. The integrated brakes are gone, in their place regular caliper brakes in front of the fork and at the seat stay.

Read about Greg Henderson's Ridley Noah SL
Find a Ridley dealer

Pinarello Dogma F8 — £ 3,899 (frameset)

Pinarello Dogma F8

Developed in collaboration with Team Sky and Jaguar, the Dogma F8 is the first aero road bike from Pinarello, and it’s just won the 2015 Tour de France, though we reckon Chris Froome could have won on any bike. The F8 uses FlatBack tube profiles, a Kamm Tail sort of shape, with a rounded leading edge and chopped tail. Pinnarello has also lowered the seat tube water bottle cage and it’s further shielded by the down tube. Meanwhile, up front the fork has been derived from the company’s Bollide time trial bike with an aerodynamic shape, and the crown closely nestles into a recess in the down tube.

Find a Pinarello dealer

Canyon Aeroad CF SLX — £6,699

The second-generation Aeroad CF SLX has been inspired by the work on its futuristic Speedmax time trial bike, with razor sharp aero tube profiles and an optional one-piece handlebar and stem assembly. Much of the company’s focus with the new bike has been in reducing the frontal surface area, so along with the new handlebar there’s a narrower and hour-glass shaped head tube to help reduce drag. Other changes include the new tube profile, a variant of the Trident shape used on the Speedmax, and a seat tube that hugs the curvature of the rear wheel. Unlike some aero road bikes that integrate the brake callipers, Canyon has opted for direct-mount Shimano brakes in the regular positions.Shimano brakes in the regular positions.

Read our review of the Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 70 Di2

Specialized Venge Vias — £6,499.99

Specialized Venge Vias

Out with the old Venge, in with the new Venge Vias. The Venge has had a radical makeover, with an all-new aero frame with the most interesting integrated brakes we’ve ever seen. Manufacturers have been integrating brakes into the frame in an effort to reduce drag, but the Specialized approach, with custom designed brake calipers, is claimed to produce zero drag. Elsewhere, a new aero handlebar and stem provides full internal cable routing, there are almost no visible cables on this bike, a further measure to reduce drag.

Read about Mark Cavendish's Venge at the Tour de France
Find a Specialized dealer 

Scott Foil — from £2,299

Scott Foil Premium

The Foil arguably kicked off the whole aero road bike trend, bringing aerodynamic design that was once the preserve of time trial bikes to regular road bikes. This update has been a long time coming but it’s evolution, not revolution that is the news here. Changes to the front-end see the down tube lowered and wrapped around the fork crown, and a smaller rear triangle and new internal seat clamp in the top tube. The rear brake is also positioned underneath the chain stays.

Read our coverage of the 2016 Scott Foil launch
Find a Scott dealer

Trek Madone — from £4,499.99

Trek Madone WSD

Once an all-round lightweight race bike, the Madone has been given a complete aerodynamic makeover this year. It features a version of the Isospeed decoupler borrowed from the Domane to provide some comfort (aero road bikes have traditionally compromised comfort in the quest for speed) and it’s wrapped up in a frame with Kamm Tail shaped tubes. Like Specialized, Trek has also developed its own brake callipers, and they’re concealed within the fork and seat stays. To keep the cable routing of the centre pull front brake nice and clean, the head tube features flaps that open and close when the fork is turned.

Read our coverage of the 2016 Trek Madone launch
Find a Trek dealer

Merida Reacto — from £749.99

Merida Reacto 300

Merida’s Reacto features tube profiles shape in accordance with NACA airfoil principles, and using the popular Kamm tail approach of chopping off the trailing edge, tricking the air into acting as if the trailing edge were there. More than any other bike here, the Reacto looks like a time trail in drag. There’s an aero seat post, internal cable routing and the rear brake is positioned underneath the chain stays. The front brake, meanwhile, is found on the front of the fork.

Read our review of the Merida Reacto 300
Find a Merida dealer

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX — from £2.699

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.jpg

Canyon has given its latest Ultimate CF SLX a light touch of aerodynamic influence. It has developed a new D-shaped down tube, seat tube and seatpost, which along with a new internal seat clamp, adds up to a claimed 10% reduction in drag compared to the previous non-aero Ultimate. It doesn’t challenge Canyon’s Aeroad CF SLX for outright slipperiness in the wind tunnel, but does point to a future where all road bikes might one day be shaped in the wind tunnel.

BMC TimeMachine TMR01 — from £2,099

bmc-timemachine-tmr02-ultegra-2016-road-bike.jpg

Launched in 2013, the TimeMachine grew out of the understanding of aerodynamics BMC derived from its TM01 time trial bike project. It uses a truncated wing profile (not unlike a Kamm tail) for the main sections of the frame. To reduce the air turbulence over the frame members BMC puts a smooth groove at the leading edge of forward facing sections, called a Tripwire. This delays flow separation and keeps the air attached for as long as possible, minimising drag — in essence it's doing the same job as the dimples on a golf ball.

Read our coverage of the BMC TimeMachine launch
Find a BMC dealer

Giant Propel Advanced — from £1,299

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - full bike.jpg

The Propel Advanced SL 3 was Giant's bold entry into the aero road bike fray and gave rise to a whole range of highly-regarded Propel bikes. 

Key to the frame is the AeroSystem Shaping technology that is the result of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) research and wind-tunnel tests. Every tube has been carefully shaped, with a teardrop shape in evidence wherever you look. Interestingly, the down tube has been shaped with a water bottle in mind. It’s flattened where the water bottle normally protrudes from the sides of a conventional down tube.

Read our review of the Giant Propel Advanced 1  
Read our coverage of the original Giant Propel launch
Find a Giant dealer​

If you have £1,000 to £1,500 to spend on a road bike, you really do get a lot for you money. A benefit of spending this sort of money is that the bikes start to get much lighter than those costing half as much, which will have a significant impact on the ride quality and performance, and your times up your local hills.

Shimano 105 and Tiagra are the dominant groupsets in this price range. While there is a lot of own-brand kit for parts like wheels, handlebars and saddles, which is no bad thing (manufacturers have really raised their game with own label components), there is a lot more branded kit from the likes of Mavic and Fizik.

At the time of writing (October 2015) we're in the transition between 2015 and 2016 models, so our selection reflects that. There are some 2015 bargains here, as well as some of the best 2016 bikes in the category.​

Boardman Road Pro Carbon — £1,499

Boardman Road Pro Carbon.jpg

Boardman is making some great bikes this year – both in terms of performance and value – and the Road Pro Carbon is no exception. If you're after a disc brake road bike that's engaging to ride, you should certainly take a look at this. If you're looking for a more versatile all-rounder, it's not such a good fit.

Given that this bike comes from an endurance mould you might expect the ride to be more forgiving than it actually is. The Boardman doesn't have the surface-taming characteristics of something like a Cannondale Synapse or a Trek Domane, it's much more of a road bike feel. It's not uncomfortable, but it is firm. It's well balanced in that the front and the back give about the same level of feedback from the road.

Certainly the frame and fork are a package that's worthy of some upgrades here: it's a very well-balanced bike that responds well to pretty much every kind of road riding. The steering is very predictable and never nervous, and I had no issues with any wobbles, vagueness or lift-off descending at speed.

Find a Boardman dealer

Read our review of the Boardman Road Pro Carbon

Trek Émonda S 5 — £1,105

trek-trek-emonda-s-5-2015-road-bike.jpg

With a lightweight carbon fibre frame and Shimano 105 group, this speedster from Trek's racing range would be a good deal at its £1,300 RRP; at this price it's a steal.

The Emonda line is Trek's take on making the lightest road bikes it can produce for a given price, which means the frame here is worth upgrading as the parts wear out; it wouldn't be shamed by a Shimano Ultegra group.

Find a Trek dealer

Lapierre Sensium 300 — £1,249

Lapierre Sensium 300 CP 2016.jpg

This is the successor to last year's Sensium 100 which we found to be an easy bike to get along with. With the same frame, this should also be comfortable to ride for hours on end at the weekend or for an hour’s blast after work. It’s agile and fun when you want to mix it up in a group, and it’s solid and reliable enough to keep maintenance to a minimum. It doesn’t really have a notable weakness. Okay, it could have better wheels, but that is an option higher up the Sensium range.

The Sensium’s carbon-fibre frame is built with a comfortable ‘endurance’ geometry: a lengthened head tube compared to a standard road bike, and a shorter top tube to put you into a more relaxed riding position. The main change from last year is the updated Shimano Tiagra group, which now routes the brake cables tidily under the bar tape.

Read our review of the Lapierre Sensium 100
Find a Lapierre dealer

Giant Defy Advanced 2 — £1,299

2016_Giant_Defy_Advanced_2

Giant’s Defy has long been a benchmark for bikes that combine comfort, endurance and value. Over the years the model range has grown from being purely a mid-price aluminium bike to where we are now where the Defy spans price points all the way from £500 up to £8,000.

The Defy Advanced models are the first carbon bikes in the Defy range. There are three models but the Defy Advanced 2 looks the pick of the bunch. It has the extremely highly rated Shimano 105 11-speed transmission, plus TRP’s also highly rated Spyre mechanical disc brakes.

At £1,149 the Defy Advanced 3 is also worth a look, same frame and brakes but with the new Shimano Tiagra groupset.

Find a Giant dealer

Fuji Sportif 1.1 — £1,100

fuji-sportif-11-2016-road-bike

If the 2015 version is any guide, this will be an excellent bike that’s reasonably quick, solid and reliable. It offers a comfortable, assured ride that comes from a dependable frame and fork and a well-considered equipment package. You get Shimano's excellent hydraulic discs without any major compromises elsewhere.

The frame is hydroformed and double-butted aluminium while the fork has carbon legs and an alloy crown and steerer. The head tube is tall for a fairly upright ride position. It's a comfortable bike, both because of the position and because the 28mm tyres and decent bar tape and saddle take a lot of sting out of the ride. Overall, this is a really good multi-purpose road disc bike that's well-specced.

Read our review of the 2015 Fuji Sportif 1.1 LE

Vitus Venon Disc — £1,214.99

VENON

The Vitus Venon Disc is a well-priced carbon build that is fun, stiff and surprisingly comfortable to ride over long distances. It comes with a pretty decent build kit too, and  for 2016 gets TRP Spyre disc brakes.

At the heart of the Venon is a T700 high modulus, unidirectional carbon fibre frameset. It's hung with a complete Shimano 105 11-speed groupset. It's solid, reliable stuff, providing a good compromise of shifting and longevity.

The Venon is a very easy bike to ride, with precise handling. Initial acceleration isn't the sharpest due to heavyish wheels and an all up weight of 8.73kg (19.25lb) but once it's up and rolling it maintains speed well.

Read our review of the 2014 Vitus Venon

Focus Cayo 105 Mix — £1,299

The Focus Cayo 105 Mix uses a race-proven carbon fibre frame and fork with a more relaxed fit and geometry than the German company's racier offerings. The frame is fitted with Shimano 105 11-speed gears and RS500 semi-compact crankset, along with Fulcrum WH-CEX 7.0 wheels and Schwalbe Lugano tyres. Focus uses its own-brand Concept for the handlebars, stem, saddle and brake calipers.

Find a Focus dealer

Bianchi Intrepida — £1,500

We bet most people will want a Bianchi on any new bike shortlist. Bianchi classifies the Intrepida as part of its endurance racing line-up which places an emphasis on comfort over long distances. That means a slightly more relaxed geometry and more upright position than a traditional race bike. Bolted to the frame is Campagnolo's Xenon groupset with an FSA Omega chainset and Bianchi's own label Reparto Corse for the wheels and all finishing kit, including the brake calipers.

Find a Bianchi dealer

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 7.0 — £1,349

German company Canyon has made quite an impression in the UK with its direct-to-consumer business model meaning big savings for those prepared to bypass the bike shop for their next bike purchase. The Ultimate CF SL is produced using the same mould as that the Ultimate CF SLX we tested a while ago, it's just using a cheaper carbon fibre. That keeps the price lower. Although the weight does go up a bit, it's still light at a claimed 940g. This is the entry-level model built with a full Shimano 105 groupset, Mavic Aksium wheels, Continental GP 4000 25mm tyres, Canyon's own bars and stem and a Fizik Antares saddle.

Specialized Tarmac Sport — £1,500

If your tastes run to fast and sharp-handing road bikes, but your budget won't stretch to the astounding Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc, this everyman race bike will provide a big chunk of the thrills without holing your bank account below the waterline. It has Specialized's light, nimble  FACT 9r carbon frame with a Shimano 105 groupset providing the stop and go bits. 

Find a Specialized dealer

Cannondale CAAD12 Disc 105 — £1,499

It might seem a lot of money to spend on a frame that isn't carbon, but the CAAD12 sets a new benchmark for all aluminium frames and puts a lot of carbon bikes to shame. With a frame weight under 1,100g for the disc brake and regular versions, it's not much heavier than carbon either. Cannondale package the frame with a full Shimano 105 groupset and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, carbon fibre fork with tapered steerer tube, 52/36 crank and a Selle Royal Seta S1 saddle.

Read our report from the CAAD12 launch
Find a Cannondale dealer

We're sifting through a mixed bag of weather at the moment, as we've grown to expect at this time of year. But there are bright spots; days that remind you that summer's not too far away. It's for those bright spots that the DealCatcher's bringing you today's deals.

Even if we overlook the summer-specific Bontrager jersey - and the rest of Evans Cycles' Bontrager bargains - the DealCatcher's got a summery feel to it today.

Boardman's all white Elite SLS 9.0 looks a whole lot more at home on clean, dry, summery roads than it does on mucky wintry ones.

And while Reynolds premium Stratus Pro Wheelset isn't technically summery, it'll make you feel fresh and springy with its 31% discount and extra 10%-off coupon code.

Happy shopping!

Hargroves Cycles

32% off Boardman's Elite SLS 9.0 FI Road Bike
WAS £1799.99 | NOW £1229.99

Boardman SLS 9 FI.jpg

In our opening paragraph we did the Elite SLS 9.0 a disservice, talking about its looks is belittling the fantastic value and craftsmanship in its carbon fibre framed form.

The Elite SLS 9.0 is an endurance road bike that focuses on speed and comfort - elements that are evident in the 'female-informed' racing geometry, shock absorbing seat stays, and one piece carbon bottom bracket and chainstays that provide maximised power transfer.

The bike is kitted out with Shimano's full 105 groupset, Mavic's Aksium wheelset, Continental Ultra Race tyres, and a Fizik Vesta saddle.

For just over £1200 the Elite SLS offers almost unbeatable value.

Evans Cycles

45% off Bontrager's RXL Summer Short Sleeve Jersey
WAS £69.99 | NOW £37.99

Bontrager RXL Summer Jersey.PNG

Summer is fast approaching. We've spotted a few of you out there in short sleeves already on our #mycyclingweekend feed, so don't start telling us that it's too early to start thinking about summer kit!

This jersey from Bontrager is part of Evans Cycles' enormous Bontrager sale. There are all sorts of bits of kit available for bargain prices - you can find the lot by following this link here.

We've targetted the RXL Summer Short Sleeve Jersey, not only because it's seen one of the biggest price reductions of the lot, but because you'll get more and more value out of it over the coming weeks. It'd be terribly pessimistic of us to tell you to invest in a thermal jacket right now!

We know you'll get great value out of the RXL jersey, because we tested it ourselves.

I say we, what I mean is: Mat. Our tech editor Mat Brett took to the roads in the jersey and said that it "shifts sweat well and dries super fast," he also added that it "becomes more valuable as the temperatures rise." 

Which is exactly what we hope they'll be doing in the coming weeks.

- Read more: road.cc's Bontrager RXL Short Sleeve Jersey review

ProBikeKit

31% off Reynolds Stratus Pro Wheelset
WAS £649.99 | NOW £449.99

Reynolds Stratus Pro.jpg

Finally, the least seasonal member of today's DealCatcher.

The Reynolds Stratus Pro Wheelset is Reynold's premium alumnium road racing wheelset, and it shows.

The excellent sub-1.5kg weight, laced alloy rims, versatility, and fantastic aerodynamic profile mean that for this £450 price tag, you're getting a lot of wheel for not a lot of money.

We reviewed a set of disc brake compatible Stratus Pros back in January - our man Iwein called them "light, nippy, and solidly built."

- Read more: road.cc's Reynold Stratus Pro Wheelset review

If cycling isn't your only sport of choice you might be a little down in the dumps today - if you're English at least. So the DealCatcher's gone looking for some bargains to brighten your day.

He thinks he's been reasonably successful too.

First up is a 42% discount on a stunningly aero Mavic jersey. Mavic say the CXR Ultimate Jersey is the "first aerodynamic cycling jersy desgned to increase your riding speed whilst providing total comfort." High praise.

The next deal comes to us from Crumpler and Wheelies. Wheelies have sliced an enormous 66% off of their asking price for the Free Wheeler Messenger Bag. You'll also be pleased to know we've reviewed it, and we liked what we saw.

Finally, Boardman's endurance Elite SLS 9.0 road bike is available at Hargroves Cycles at a smashing 32% discount.

What are you waiting for?

Chain Reaction Cycles

42% off Mavic's CXR Ultimate Jersey
WAS £138.00 | NOW £79.99

Mavic CXR Ultimate Jersey.png

If you're after an aero jersey for some of your summer riding adventures, look no further than this number from Mavic.

As we stated earlier in this article, Mavic talk very highly of their CXR Ultimate Jersey - as you'd expect - but their praise and excitement isn't unfounded. Especially at this price.

The CXR Ultimate was developed in the wind tunnel, Mavic say it took 35 prototypes to strike this balance between aerodynamism and comfort

The jersey's CX Shell bonded membrane will save you 20W compared to a standard jersey - or 55 seconds per hour if you're traveling at 40km/h.

The back material is Coldblack, which is specifically designed to reflect heat and keep you nine degrees cooler than standard fabric.

All in all, it seems to be up there with the best performance summer jerseys on the market.

Wheelies

66% off Crumpler's Free Wheeler Messenger Bag
WAS £89.00 | NOW £29.99

Crumpler Free Wheeler Messenger Bag.jpg

Whether you're a bike messenger or not, carrying things around when you're in the saddle is sometimes convenient and often essential.

Doing it in convenient style can often be difficult too.

Not with the Crumpler Free Wheeler. Our man Jo Burt called it "Good-looking, comfortable, [and] compartment-laden."

You can check out his full review below:

- Read more: road.cc's Crumpler Free Wheeler Messenger Bag review

Hargroves Cycles

32% off Boardman's Elite SLS 9.0 Fi Road Bike
WAS £1799.99 | NOW £1229.99

Boardman Elite SLS 9.0 Fi.jpg

Finally, Boardman's Elite SLS 9.0 is a women's endurance road bike that focuses on speed and comfort.

The 'female-informed' racing geometry, shock absorbing seat stays, and one piece carbon bottom bracket and chainstays not only maximise power transfer, they offer an incredibly comfortable riding experience.

The bike is kitted out with Shimano's full 105 groupset, Mavic's Aksium wheelset, Continental Ultra Race tyres, and a Fizik Vesta saddle.

For just over £1200 you'll struggle to find better value in the women's road bike market.

If you're keen to get into road cycling, for the fun of zooming round the lanes, for fitness or as a quick and cheap way to get to work, it is possible to buy a road bike for under £500. In fact, we've found a few bargains starting from just under £200, proving you really don't need to spend a fortune to get a good road bike these days.

It’s quite likely that if you’re reading this you’re looking at buying your first road bike. You’ll probably have a lot of questions. A good place to start is always a well stocked bike shop where you can view the bikes in your budget and get a good idea of what is offered.

Merlin PR7 - riding 1

Road bikes priced under £500 often feature light and stiff aluminium or steel frames with good quality gears and brakes. Japanese firm Shimano is the predominant component choice at this end of the market, and the good news is that a lot of the technology seen higher up the ladder eventually trickles down to the entry level.

BTwin Triban - fork

Weight is the main area where entry-level bikes suffer. However, with compact or triple chainsets, and the wider range of gears they offer, getting up steep hills is made easier. As a general rule, the more you spend the lighter the bike will be. Closer to £500 and you can expect a carbon fibre fork which saves weight and offers improved performance over the steel and aluminium forks on cheaper bikes.

There are currently some amazing deals around as retailers clear out 2015 models to make space for 2016 bikes, which means a limited budget goes a long way.

>> Read more: 2015 End of Season Sales Road Bike Bargains

£200-£300

You can get bikes cheaper than this, but they are — frankly — not very good. If your budget is so tight this is beyond your range then should seriously consider looking for a second hand bargain  (head over to eBay or our own classifieds for a look), but if it has to be new you might find something if you shop around for discount bargains during the winter.

 Spend just a bit more and you get a whole lot more bike. Lighter, better equipped, and we're willing to bet nicer to ride too. This is a price point where the big specialist retailers are really able to flex their buying muscle for your benefit, and combine it with design knowledge to deliver the maximum bang for your buck.

It's no coincidence that both Decathlon and Halfords in-house brands figure strongly here. This is also a price point at which you can pick up a really good discount bargain at the right time of the year, something we've reflected in our pick of bikes here.

Decathlon B'Twin Triban 500 — £250

B'Twin Triban 500

French-based international sport store chain Decathlon has a wide range of keenly-priced road bikes of which the Triban 500 stands out for under £300.

You get a good quality aluminium alloy frame and lightweight components. Most significantly you get a really wide range of gears thanks to the triple chainset and eight rear sprockets.

On paper that means you get 24 gears, but in practice there is lots of overlap between ranges from the three chainrings. What matters isn't the number, but that the small ring gives you lower gears for easier hill-climbing.

Carrera Zelos — £250

Carrera Zelos.jpeg

There are plenty of bikes costing under £500 at Halfords, and pick of the bunch is this Carrera Zelos. It features an aluminium frame built up with a 14-speed Shimano groupset and Tektro dual pivot brakes. There's a women's version too.

Barracuda Corvus - £273.83 (£207.83 in 56cm)

barracuda corvus 1

Barracuda's Corvus I is the entry-level in their range and cost £299.95 (but can be found cheaper) It features an alloy frame with a smart paint finish and decals, with a 14-speed groupset comprising a Shimano Tourney chainset and rear mech. It uses Shimano's rarely seen A050 bar-mounted shifters, a 7-speed system, that places the shifting levers within easy reach on top of the handlebars. At the time of writing, late September, the 56cm is a bargain on Amazon.

£300 to £500

Step up to this price bracket and the choice suddenly increases, with some of the bigger manufacturers now coming into contention, especially the more you approach the £500 mark. Most of the bikes at this price, though not all, will feature an aluminium frame, which makes for a lighter bike. Get closer to £500 and you can expect to see the fork be upgraded to a carbon firbe fork, saving further weight and improving the performance.

B'Twin Triban 500 SE — £299 (usually £330)

BTwin Triban

Probably one of the best performance and value bikes in this whole price range, the B'Twin Triban 500 SE road bike costs just £330 and for that you get a clean looking aluminium frame, carbon fork and 3 x 8 Microshift drivetrain, for an all up weight of 10.08kg (22.4lb). There are no unwelcome shortcuts in the finishing detail and it rides much like a race-bred bike, making it an ideal first road bike for anyone with sporty intentions. You can read our review to find out how much we rated it.

Pinnacle Dolomite 1 Women's Road Bike — £399

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Pinnacle is the in-house brand of retailer Evans Cycles, and the Dolomite is their entry-level road bike, starting at £450, though it's currently on offer for £400. You get a 6061 aluminium frame and fork with road race geometry. A Shimano Tourney A070 groupset combines a compact chainset with a 12-28t cassette for a wide spread of gears.

A nice detail of this bike is that is has space for 28mm tyres which provide a bit for comfort and wet-weather grip than the usual 28mm rubber. You can even fit mudguards, though the maximum tyre size then drops to 25mm. That gives it quite a bit more versatility than many of the other bikes on this page, and makes it ideal for regular commuting if you want to stay dry.

Boardman Road Sport — £449.10

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It's fair to say the Boardman Road Sport is a bike that impressed us a great deal when we reviewed it. Enough in fact that it was our Budget Bike of the Year 2013-14 and came third in the overall Bike of the Year Awards. You get a 7005 double-butted aluminium frame with Shimano Claris gears and FSA Tempo compact chainset.

The Road Sport comes in a slightly more relaxed, sportive-friendly geometry than a full-on race bike; the top tube is a little shorter and the head tube is a little longer — not massively but enough to add extra comfort without sacrificing too much efficiency. You get mounts for mudguards too so it's very versatile. This is a seriously impressive bike for the money — not just a good bike for £450 but a good bike full stop.

Giant Defy 4 — £420 (usually £525)

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Giant is one of the biggest and most well-known bike brands in the world, and the £525 Defy 4— currently on offer at £420 — is the most affordable road bike in the range. Thanks to technology trickling down from Giant's more expensive models, the Defy 5 is packed full of potential. It offers an Aluxx aluminium frame with an aluminium fork, Shimano Claris 16-speed groupset, FSA Tempo compact chainset and 25mm tyres for extra comfort. The Defy range of bikes have higher handlebars for a more comfortable riding position, nice if you're just getting into cycling.

Vitus Bikes Razor VR — £419.99 (usually £599.99)

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A great example of the bargains that are currently around, the Razor VR has Shimano Sora components hung on an aluminium frame with a carbon fork. It's pretty good value at its usual price, but for a bit over £400 it's one to snap up before they change their minds — or run out.

Features include Sora 18-speed transmission, and plenty of space in the frame for mudguards, plus the necessary eyelets in the frame. You can fit a rack too, making the Razor VR a sharp commuter.

Mango Bikes Point R R240 - £449.99

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From a brand that started out with a singlespeed offering comes this brand new Point R aluminium road bike, available at four prices. This, at £449.99 with a Shimano Claris groupset, is the most affordable in the range; there's also a Sora version for £499.99 The frame has a very modern appearance. Smooth welds, curved tubes and internal cable routing. The bike comes fitted with 25mm tyres, and it'll go wider. We reviewed the top-of-the-range Shimano 105 model and were very impressed. 

13 Intrinsic Lambda — £399.99

13 Bikes Intrinsic Lambda

One of Halfords' new range of aero-tweaked women's road bikes, the 13 iIntrinsic Lambda zips along well, and the handling/steering is neutral, not at all twitchy. We'd swap the 23mm tyres for something wider, but otherwise, this is  a good looking bike that rides well and copes with ups as well as downs. It's a good first road bike;  and if half a grand is what you can afford on your second bike, the Intrinsic makes a fast and capable commuter (add a rear mudguard to help in winter), so your posh carbon steed and its fancy parts can stay at home out of harm's way. 

Read our review of the 13 Intrinsic Lambda

Verenti Technique Claris — £340

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We haven't ridden it yet, but on paper this  sportive bike from Wiggle house brand Verenti looks excellent for just £400. You get an aluminium frame with tapered head tube and — unusually at this price — a full-carbon fork. Shimano's Claris group makes it go and it rolls on 28mm Continental tyres which should make for comfort on potholed rural roads.

You’ve an abundance of riches in the £1,500 to £2,000 price band, with bikes that are light, well-equipped and great value for money.

You also have a big range of choices. Carbon fibre frame, or the latest ultra-sophisticated aluminium? Caliper brakes or discs? Racing geometry, more upright for comfort or something in between? How about taking the the byways and bridleways on a gravel bike? Whatever type of riding you have in mind, there’s a bike in this price range that’ll suit you perfectly.

Raleigh Mustang Comp — £1,350

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Raleigh's aluminium-framed Mustangs, carbon Rokers and steel Mavericks comprise the Big Heron jumping into gravel bikes with both boots. Raleigh's folks say they started revamping their endurance road range, then realised that for a lot of British riding a bike with a long wheelbase and fat tyres was better able to cope with back roads trashed by the combination of bad winters and hacked road maintenance budgets. The Mustang Comp has SRAM hydraulic brakes and 11 Speed 1X Rival

Find a Raleigh dealer

Sensa Giulia G2 Ultegra — £1,530

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Sensa has updated its Guilia road bike. We tested the last version in 2013 and the latest incarnation, the Giulia G2, is an improvement. It's a bit lighter and a bit more comfortable without sacrificing any of its race-ready stiffness, and the design has been tweaked with some aero touches. It's a good racing all-rounder.

The new frame is a fair bit lighter – 960g as opposed to 1100g – with the fork gaining 25g. Overall that's a 115g saving. We like percentages round here. That's about 8%.

Is it 8% more comfortable? That's a lot more difficult to objectively measure. As a whole, the bike feels smoother over rough tarmac, but how much of that is down to the frame and how much to the fact that you can now fit (and it comes equipped with) 25mm tyres as opposed to 23mm is hard to say. By way of a test we pumped the tyres up 140psi when we'd normally run them at 95. That made the bike a touch more skittery over broken tarmac but actually it wasn't bad, especially considering there are some deep sections in the frame and the 31.6mm seatpost won't be bending as much as a slimmer one would.

Read our review of the Sensa Giulia G2 Ultegra

Cannondale CAAD12 105 5 Disc — £1,600

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Proving that composites don't quite reign supreme, Cannondale's meticulously engineered CAAD12 frame wrings every last gram of performance potential out of aluminium. Cannondale combines that frame with Shimano 105 shifting, its own HollowGram Si chainset and Shimano 105 hydraulic disc brakes for a thoroughly modern fast road bike.

Find a Cannondale dealer

Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR — £1,610.10

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If you want to put that race licence to good use, smash those Strava KOMs or just want a fast, comfortable, easy-to-ride road bike, then the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR needs to be on your shortlist. With a full-carbon frameset, SRAM Force groupset, Mavic Ksyrium wheels and weighing in at just 7kg (15.5lb), the SLR is a real contender even before you take the price into account – and that challenges even the direct-to-consumer specialists.

The Road Pro is a stunning bike to look at. That mirror effect silver paintjob makes it stand out, especially in the sunshine; you're going to get noticed for sure.

That beauty isn't just skin deep, though. In a cycling world where bikes are starting to cross as many disciplines as possible, the Boardman knows exactly what it is: a proper race bike that just begs to be ridden hard. It likes being on the tarmac, getting chucked downhill on the ragged edge of the tyre's grip, or being sprinted hard up that 20 per cent climb without the slightest hint of flex from the frame.

Read our review of the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR

Giant Defy Advanced 2 — £1,699.00

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Giant's Defy line is one of the most popular bikes in the endurance and sportive sector, and is the company's best-selling model, combining smart geometry with a full range of competitively priced builds. It was completely revamped for 2015 with a whole new frame design providing enhanced comfort and, for the carbon frames, disc brakes only. The 2017 bikes are all carbon fibre, as the Contend range replaces the previous aluminium Defys.

Read our review of the Giant Defy Advanced SL Find a Giant dealer

Specialized Tarmac Elite — £1,800

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Specialized's £2,000 Tarmac Comp is a smart looking and well packaged bike that offers the sort of fast and engaging ride that will suit budding racers, along with sportive cyclists who favour a less upright position than is provided by the company's Roubaix model.

Read our review of the Specialized Tarmac CompFind a Specialized dealer

Trek Émonda SL5 — £1,800

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Part of Trek's line of Émonda lightweight race bikes, the SL5 demonstrates one of two approaches to speccing up a bike in this range. Trek takes the second-lightest of its Émonda frames and equips it with Shimano's midrange 105 group for a bike that doesn't cost the earth but has plenty of upgrade potential.

Find a Trek dealer

Specialized Ruby Elite Disc — £1,900

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There are some superb women's bikes in this category, of which Specialized's Ruby Elite Disc is a great example. It has the same shock-damping steerer and seatpost as Specialized's Roubaix (the men's equivalent) and the same spec as the Roubaix at the same price.

Find a Specialized dealer

Merida Ride 5000 — £1,900.00

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The Merida Ride 5000 is a quick road bike that offers plenty of comfort, splitting the difference between a standard race bike and an endurance bike. Jump aboard the Ride 5000 and within yards you can feel a bit more give than you get from most road bikes. There's just a touch more movement at the saddle to cancel out all the little bumps and hollows in the road surface, and the big hits when you ride over a drain cover or pothole aren't quite as big any more.

Read our review of the Merida Ride 5000
Find a Merida dealer

Rose Xeon CDX-2000 Disc — £2,032.15

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Rose claims an impressive 7.8kg for the CDX-2000 and given that its stablemate the Xeon CDX-4400 comes in at 7.5kg (16.6lb), we believe is. The ride is quick, easy to live with and delivers a lot of fun miles. Yes, it's slightly over the budget, but keep an eye on the pound/Euro exchange rate and you might bable to pick it up cheaper. It's a cracker of a machine ready to be ridden flat out or cruising the lanes.

Read our review of the Rose Xeon CDX-4400