00:00 A couple of weeks ago, I published a video
00:02 which went into detail about some of the bikes
00:04 that I would love to see be released in 2024.
00:07 But rightly so, some of the viewers thought
00:10 I had missed out some of the better value brands.
00:13 So I went back into the archives
00:15 to dig out six bang for buck road bikes,
00:17 which I would love to see get an update in 2024.
00:20 (upbeat music)
00:23 First up, we have the German brand, Cube.
00:28 Currently, it sponsors the world tour team
00:30 Intermarche Wante Gobert,
00:32 and they are running the brands Lightning Aero and Air.
00:36 The former, as the name suggests, is Cube's aero bike,
00:39 and the latter is its lightweight climbing bike.
00:41 It was only in 2022 that Cube launched the Air,
00:45 so I don't believe that a new version of the bike
00:47 will be coming next year.
00:49 And that's just as well,
00:50 because it doesn't actually really need updating.
00:53 It boasts a claimed weight of 6.6 kilos
00:56 and features most of the latest mod cons,
00:58 meaning it looks right at home
01:00 racing up the side of a mountain
01:01 amongst the other bikes in the peloton.
01:04 However, it's when we turn our attention
01:06 to the Lightning Aero that some of the tech
01:08 starts to look a little bit outdated,
01:10 since it was last updated in 2019,
01:13 so is well overdue some TLC.
01:16 For starters, the claimed weight of the frame
01:18 is a pretty hefty 980 grams.
01:22 Of course, it's not terrible,
01:24 and since this is an aero bike,
01:27 it will always be a little bit heavier,
01:29 but I believe that the brand has the opportunity
01:32 to save at least 100 grams from the frame
01:35 while also refining some of the tube shapes.
01:38 Some parts of the frame are undoubtedly good looking,
01:40 like the head tube and the top tube,
01:43 and the fork, and actually the down tube too.
01:45 However, it's when we turn our attention
01:48 to the seat tube cluster
01:49 that things start to look a little bit dogged.
01:52 The seat post also looks like it was a bit of an afterthought,
01:55 so perhaps if this were to be slightly more integrated
01:59 with the overall frame shape,
02:01 the bike could start to look even more attractive
02:04 front to back.
02:05 (upbeat music)
02:08 The Californian bike brand, Felt,
02:12 is one which has left me a little disappointed
02:15 in recent times.
02:17 In the past, it felt like they had a bit of a heyday,
02:20 but haven't yet returned to those same heights.
02:23 When I look at its range of bikes,
02:25 I can start to see why,
02:27 which is a real shame because it is a brand
02:30 which I think has some great innovation behind it
02:33 and has the potential to offer so much more.
02:37 Currently, both the AR and FR look pretty dated,
02:40 and even the specs of those bikes reflect that,
02:42 as many of them are still wearing
02:44 11-speed Shimano group sets.
02:46 But I do like how on the top models,
02:48 Felt has opted to fit third-party wheels,
02:51 like the Zipp 353 NSWs or the Reynolds AR58s
02:56 lower down in the range.
02:58 If the brand could give both range of bikes
03:00 a complete refresh so that they can compete
03:02 with the likes of the Tarmac SL8
03:04 and the Cannondale Super 6 Evo,
03:06 it could be onto a real winner.
03:08 Felt always used to deliver a really good level
03:11 of bang for buck,
03:12 and it always felt like you were getting something
03:14 which should have cost at least 1,000 or so more.
03:17 So if it can get back to that
03:19 and release a new aero and climbing bike,
03:21 which delivers some superb value,
03:23 then I cannot see why it won't return
03:25 to being one of the go-to choices for consumers.
03:28 You cannot speak about bang for buck bikes
03:36 without speaking about Van Riesel.
03:38 Back in spring of this year,
03:40 it released an entirely new range of bikes,
03:42 and there is one which I'm particularly excited for,
03:45 that being the RCR.
03:47 Soon to be the official ride of Team AG2R Citroen,
03:50 the bike looks to be a do-it-all racing machine.
03:54 The reason why I'm particularly excited about this bike
03:57 is because pairing the good value of a Van Riesel
04:00 with world tour performance
04:02 could create an irresistible combination for consumers.
04:06 Van Riesel says that it's the perfect balance
04:08 between lightness, stiffness, and aerodynamics.
04:11 And looking at the bike,
04:13 it's easy to see where it's coming from.
04:15 The sculpted tube shapes and claimed frame weights
04:18 of around 800 grams could be a recipe for success.
04:22 Only time will tell how it fares
04:23 when we get it in for testing,
04:25 but I am happy to take a small amount of confidence
04:28 in it becoming AG2R's new bike.
04:31 The team wouldn't just accept anything,
04:33 so it must have conducted some internal testing on the bike
04:36 along with Van Riesel itself.
04:38 So I'm hoping that the cross collaboration
04:40 will have resulted in one of the best
04:42 bang for buck race bikes out on the market.
04:45 British brand, Ribble, is also one to watch in 2024.
04:55 It has fully established itself as a brand
04:58 which delivers value above pretty much all else.
05:01 However, the Ribble Ultra SLR has also tested pretty fast
05:05 in the wind tunnel too.
05:07 Launched back in 2021,
05:09 the bike landed like a bit of a space rocket.
05:12 The deeply sculpted frame and radical handlebar design
05:16 set it apart from pretty much all other bikes on the market.
05:19 But now, as we approach 2024,
05:22 there is a small chance we could see something new
05:25 and updated from the brand.
05:27 I'd imagine it would come in late 2024, if it comes at all.
05:31 But if and when it does come,
05:33 I'll be expecting something pretty exciting
05:35 and otherworldly, and likely something
05:38 that not many people could even imagine up.
05:41 One bike in the Ribble range, which I believe
05:43 is crying out for updating, is the Endurance model.
05:47 I would love it if Ribble could spend some more time
05:50 making the frame set just a little bit lighter.
05:54 If Ribble could reduce the overall weight
05:56 by about 10 to 20%, that bike would quickly become
05:59 a lot more playful and a lot more fun to ride.
06:03 The other area of improvement I'd like Ribble to focus on
06:06 would be its own in-house wheels.
06:08 These need to be wider and they need to be lighter.
06:11 If it can sort these issues out,
06:12 the Endurance would make really big steps forward
06:15 in its appeal, performance, and ride feel.
06:18 This year, Vitus launched a new gravel
06:25 and/or road bike, the Venon.
06:28 We loved the bike and how you could buy it
06:30 as a full gravel setup or in a more
06:32 road-going Endurance build.
06:34 There's one bike in the Vitus lineup which, in the past,
06:37 we have also shown a lot of love to,
06:39 that being the Vitesse Evo.
06:42 In 2021, we gave it our Editor's Choice Award.
06:45 Thanks to the bike's fantastic build options
06:47 paired with how the bike performed out on the road,
06:49 it all came together as the ideal choice for riders
06:53 looking for a great value road bike
06:54 that performed like others, that cost much, much more.
06:58 This is why I'd love to see Vitus
07:00 give this bike a refresh next year.
07:02 It's fair to assume it may only be
07:04 an incremental improvement from the current generation.
07:07 But since what Vitus currently has is so good,
07:11 anything it can do to make the Vitesse even a bit better
07:14 is only a win in our eyes.
07:16 It's not often that you can buy a bike
07:18 with a full SRAM Red AXS groupset
07:20 for around the $6,000 mark.
07:22 So, for the next generation,
07:24 I would love to see more Shimano builds
07:26 offered at a similar level of value.
07:29 And also, more frame set availability and color options
07:33 really wouldn't go amiss for those
07:34 that want to build one up themselves.
07:36 (upbeat music)
07:39 Last on this list is the Focus Ezalco.
07:44 It's not a bike which puts bang for buck
07:47 right at the heart of its ethos,
07:49 as it does cost quite a lot to get onto the platform,
07:52 and has some fierce rivals which a number of people,
07:55 I believe, would probably prefer to go for.
07:58 But the Ezalco does still retain a loyal fan base.
08:02 This loyalty can be attributed to the bike's stiff frame,
08:05 but one which still allows you to hammer out the miles.
08:08 And owners also rave about how the bike handles
08:11 and performs when the road gets twisty.
08:13 It really does embody the do-it-all race bike mantra.
08:16 However, in the UK, you have to spend over 5,000 pounds
08:20 to get a bike with electronic gears.
08:22 And even then, you're only getting SRAM Rival AXS.
08:26 The only price point which slightly redeems the Ezalco
08:29 is right at the top end,
08:30 as the Dura-Ace build mercifully tops out
08:33 just shy of the 10,000 pound mark.
08:36 This is where other brands could probably be charging
08:38 another couple of thousand on top,
08:40 but Focus does hold back here,
08:42 probably out of recognition of its place in the market.
08:46 So, if we are to see a new model launched in 2024,
08:49 I would hope Focus retains a lot of what its loyal fan base
08:53 loves so much, because all it really needs
08:56 are a few tweaks to the frame shape
08:57 and a small reduction in the full build weights.
09:00 Let me know down below,
09:02 which bang for buck bike would you love to see
09:04 be updated in 2024?
09:06 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like,
09:09 subscribe to the channel for more content,
09:10 and I will see you again very soon.
09:12 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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