What’s a street bike? Properly, that’s a bit trickier to pin down than you would possibly suppose. At first look, you’d in all probability image a motorbike with skinny tyres and drop handlebars driving alongside clean roads. Whereas that is largely correct, most street bikes do have drop bars, there are many exceptions.
Take time trial bikes, as an illustration. They’re constructed for velocity, aerodynamics, and effectivity, however they nonetheless fall below the street bike class. Then, you might have flat-bar street bikes, which blur the traces much more, however the reality is many flat-bar bikes designed for street driving usually get categorized as hybrid bikes.
The blurred traces do not cease there, both, as a result of not each street bike is made strictly for the street. Attributable to their drop bars, a rising variety of cyclists embrace gravel bikes within the street bike household. Gravel bikes can deal with tarmac nicely, however are designed primarily for off-road adventures. They’re constructed to be versatile, supplying you with the liberty to modify between terrains with out lacking a beat.
The boundaries between several types of street bikes are something however clear-cut. There’s loads of crossover, and area of interest classes exist too. For instance, fixed-gear bikes – whereas fashionable in sure biking communities – fall outdoors the scope of this information, however they add one more layer to the combination.
Within the following sections, we’ll break down the principle kinds of street bikes and spotlight the important thing options that set them aside. Whether or not you’re racing, commuting, or having fun with the weekend membership journey with your folks, this information ought to allow you to discover the greatest street bike in your model of driving.
Race bikes
Race bikes are designed to go quick, whether or not that’s on the flat or up a hill. As such, the race bike is a catch-all class encompassing each light-weight and aero bikes, each of that are defined in additional element under.
Bikes designed for racing are more and more changing into each aerodynamic and light-weight in a single package deal. Whichever class they fall into, race bikes have a body form (technically referred to as their geometry) that usually favours an extended and low journey place, to place the rider’s torso in a flatter place and so cut back their frontal space and wind resistance.
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This will swimsuit fitter riders, however novices might discover the place uncomfortable with extra weight supported on their arms and shoulders. They’ll in all probability discover an endurance bike extra snug, as defined later.
Light-weight bikes
Many race bikes are constructed for a low weight. For premium light-weight race bikes, this implies unique high-modulus carbon fibre and costly parts reminiscent of wheels and groupset.
Any bike raced at knowledgeable degree can’t be too gentle although, as biking’s governing physique, the UCI, mandates a 6.8kg minimal weight for bikes raced in its competitions.
To some extent, this has stifled innovation, though bikes not designed to be raced by the professionals can often drop under 6.8kg. The premium spec Canyon Final CFR Di2, for instance, has a claimed 6.3kg weight, the identical because the Specialised S-Works Aethos with SRAM Purple AXS.
Such bikes are very costly, usually costing over £10,000/$10,000 (though the Canyon squeezes below this), however their makers usually provide extra inexpensive bikes in the identical ranges that are nonetheless fairly light-weight however constructed with cheaper, heavier parts and infrequently with much less premium, and once more heavier, carbon fibre used of their frames.
Aero bikes
Whereas bike makers have at all times striven for low weight, during the last 20 years or so, aerodynamics has come to the fore. The forerunner was Cervélo, which launched the Soloist aero street race bike in 2002.
Until climbing a reasonably steep incline, bicycle aerodynamics is extra vital than weight. The tipping level the place weight turns into extra vital is often round a 5 per cent gradient, however it’s steadily growing as bicycle aerodynamics enhance and aero bikes turn into lighter.
Early generations of aero bikes had aggressive, deep tube profiles all through the bike, which approached a teardrop form. As design has progressed, it’s been discovered that truncated aerofoil, or Kammtail, shapes are simpler than longer aerofoils. They’ve the extra good thing about being lighter, though the sharp tail cut-off could be troublesome to fabricate.
It’s additionally been discovered that the best aero profit is available on the entrance of the bike, the place it’s hitting smoother air. Thus, newer aero street bikes such because the Large Propel and Ridley Falcn are likely to have deeper sections to the top tube and forks (whereas nonetheless staying throughout the limits on body dimensions stipulated by the UCI) however are slimmed down in direction of the rear to save lots of weight.
An extra profit is that they’re extra snug than their aero bike predecessors.
Mixed aero-lightweight bikes
Now, right here’s the place it will get difficult. Whereas just a few years in the past light-weight and aero bikes have been two distinct classes, now they’re more and more merging into one.
A latest instance is Trek’s race bikes. Up to now, Trek offered the light-weight Emonda and the separate aero Madone vary. The Emonda began off with spherical tubes, however more moderen generations grew to become progressively extra aero.
When Trek started its R&D for the fourth era Emonda, it rapidly realised that the bike might tackle a form that was nearer to the (seventh era) Madone and be each as aero because the Madone Gen 7 and as gentle because the Emonda. Consequently, the Gen 8 Madone, launched in 2024, changed each the Gen 7 Madone and the Emonda.
This allowed Trek to slim down its bike vary and likewise made it loads simpler for its professional riders, as they didn’t want to select and select between a light-weight and an aero bike based mostly on the terrain for a race or a stage.
Trek isn’t the one model to merge its light-weight and aero race bikes; Specialised did it just a few years in the past with the Tarmac SL7, which changed the Tarmac SL6 and the Venge aero bike. The Tarmac SL8 is claimed to be extra aero than that Venge, whereas nonetheless weighing below the UCI’s 6.8kg weight restrict.
Different manufacturers nonetheless maintain separate aero and light-weight bikes of their stock. Examples embrace Large with its TCR light-weight race bike and Propel aero race bike, Canyon with the Final and the Aeroad, and Merida with the Scultura and Reacto.
But different manufacturers by no means differentiated. The Pinarello Dogma F and its predecessors at all times crammed each the light-weight and the aero area of interest in a single frameset.
Endurance bikes
Whereas race bikes are engineered that will help you go quicker, endurance bikes are designed that will help you maintain going for longer. They’re typically referred to as sportive or fondo bikes, as they’re a superb choice for these organised longer-distance rides.
Endurance bikes often have a extra upright journey place, so there’s much less pressure in your arms, neck and shoulders. Additionally they usually have micro-suspension options in-built, reminiscent of flex areas within the body or a seatpost designed to clean the journey.
Their geometry is designed to make the bike simpler to deal with and extra secure, with an extended wheelbase and fewer sharp dealing with, whereas a race bike’s geometry is probably going to present edgier, extra responsive dealing with.
Endurance bikes usually have bigger tyre clearance within the body and are fitted with wider tyres, additionally growing journey consolation. They’ll have decrease gearing than a race bike, to assist the rider climb hills extra simply and with decrease fatigue. There are sometimes mounting factors for mudguards on trendy endurance bikes.
Entry-level street bikes are usually endurance bikes too, because the journey place, dealing with and luxury make them simpler to get used to.
Whereas race bikes and high-end endurance bikes are usually made from carbon fibre, lower-priced endurance bikes could also be made from aluminium. Titanium or metal are additionally choices usually reserved for bikes with endurance geometry however are much less widespread.
The excellence between race bikes and endurance bikes isn’t fully clear-cut and a few bikes, such because the Cervélo Caledonia and Large Defy merge aero options from race bikes. Others mix extra into the gravel bike world to turn into ‘all street’ bikes, defined under, with clearance for wider tyres and the aptitude to deal with rougher roads.
All-road bikes
The recognition of gravel bikes, that are drop bar bikes designed for driving off-road, has resulted within the progress of the all-road bike class.
These are bikes which might be designed predominantly for street driving however incorporate options to permit the rider to move onto simpler unpaved surfaces, with out providing the complete off-road competence of a gravel bike.
All-road bikes have a lot in widespread with endurance bikes, however might provide extra tyre clearance and are often offered with grippier tyres from the offset. Their gearing could also be decrease too, or present a larger vary. They could have extra mounting factors in order that extra baggage or water could be carried and, as with endurance bikes, will nearly at all times have mounts for mudguards.
Gravel bikes
Gravel bikes have turn into actually fashionable in recent times. They’re drop bar bikes designed for driving off-road. This implies considerably bigger tyre clearance than the above bike classes, with treaded gravel tyres fitted to supply grip off-road. Much more than an endurance bike, gravel bike geometry will probably be designed for stability, in order that difficult terrain could be ridden with confidence. They could provide suspension options too.
Most street bikes are actually fitted with disc brakes somewhat than rim brakes, however they’re important for gravel bikes, as they supply sturdy, dependable braking that’s often not affected by muddy or moist situations.
Gravel bikes usually include decrease gearing than bikes designed for street driving, that will help you journey up inclines within the saddle; it’s troublesome to climb standing on free trails, because the rear wheel is liable to slide.
Many gravel bikes are fitted with a single chainring (1x) groupset. This simplifies shifting, reduces the probabilities of clogging with mud and may enhance accessible tyre clearance whereas providing an analogous gear vary to a double chainring configuration.
Gravel bikes usually have plentiful mounting factors, often together with mudguard and rack mounts, a 3rd bottle cage mount beneath the downtube and mounting factors on the highest tube. There could also be mounts on the fork legs too. These help you carry baggage for bikepacking and likewise make price range gravel bikes a superb choice for commuters.
Gravel bikes was do-it-all, however the growing recognition of gravel racing has seen a sub-genre of gravel race bikes emerge. These have racier, much less secure geometry, often provide much less tyre clearance and should forgo among the mounting factors. They usually incorporate aero options too, as speeds in gravel races could be quick sufficient for aerodynamics to be vital.
On the different finish of the gravel spectrum are bikes with very huge tyre clearance, designed to be taken into mountain bike terrain or used for multi-day off-road bikepacking adventures.
Cyclocross bikes provide one more bike sort for off-road driving. Though they’ve a lot in widespread with gravel race bikes, they’re designed for cyclocross races. These usually final an hour or much less and happen within the winter over quick circuits with obstacles and difficult turns which can have to be tackled by working whereas carrying the bike on a shoulder.
So cyclocross bikes are likely to have geometry designed for snappy dealing with and should not provide all of the mounting factors of a gravel bike. They’ll have a big central triangle to make shouldering the bike simpler and narrower tyre clearance than a gravel bike.
Triathlon and time trial bikes
Aerodynamics has come up repeatedly on this dialogue, however nonetheless aero a motorbike is, round 80% of the wind resistance skilled when driving is as a result of rider, not the bike.
Triathlon and time trial bikes are designed to scale back the drag attributable to the rider to a minimal by reducing their frontal profile. They’ll be fitted with out-front time trial extensions, which permit the rider to relaxation their forearms on the handlebars in a slender place that lowers wind resistance. A base bar is included that can be utilized to steer the bike extra simply and enhance leverage when climbing, accelerating and sprinting.
The bike’s geometry favours a really flat-backed journey place, with a steep seat tube and low entrance finish. Time-trial-specific saddles are designed to be extra snug in such a low place.
Triathlon and time trial bikes are usually fitted with deep-section carbon wheels or usually with a disc rear wheel and tri- or four-spoke entrance wheels to enhance their aerodynamic efficiency.
Triathlon and time trial bikes could be difficult to journey and to get snug on, so bike becoming is essential to discover a place {that a} given rider can maintain whereas nonetheless with the ability to ship their greatest energy output.
Triathlon-only bikes aren’t constrained by UCI guidelines and so their designs could be excessive, with very deep tube profiles. They’ll usually have feed packing containers and hydration bladders included into the body and should not have a standard double-diamond body.
In distinction, the design of time trial bikes often must adjust to UCI guidelines. Which means they’ve much less radical aerodynamic options, a body with a seat tube and downtube and may’t embrace feed packing containers and in-frame hydration.
Touring bikes
Touring bikes are an older class of bikes which remains to be fashionable. Usually made from metal, they’re designed for multi-day adventures on the tarmac.
Whereas bikepackers lash their baggage for in a single day stays to their bike’s body in bikepacking baggage, a touring bike rider will carry their baggage in panniers hooked up to a rear rack, usually supplemented by a entrance rack and extra panniers.
The set-up permits for the transport of a number of baggage however on the expense of weight. Touring bikes will usually be fitted with decrease spec parts that are heavy however sturdy and simple to exchange all through the world. A dynamo is a well-liked addition because it avoids having to maintain your bike gentle’s batteries topped up and can be utilized to maintain a biking laptop working.
Electrical bikes
We have now a separate web page devoted to electrical bikes, however it’s value referencing that almost all of the above bike varieties could be purchased with an electrical motor. E-bikes are massively fashionable, serving to riders who need further help to journey farther and quicker and making climbing hills simpler.
Electrical street bikes have a motor housed within the backside bracket or typically within the rear hub. Each present secure dealing with and good rear-wheel traction. The battery is often housed within the bike’s down tube. It could be detachable for charging or in some instances could also be totally enclosed within the body and charged by way of a port close to the cranks.
The motor will provide completely different help ranges, which could be chosen by the rider by way of a controller which is often on the handlebars or constructed into the bike’s prime tube.
The accessible vary varies and depends on elements such because the battery capability, the help degree chosen, the terrain, the situations and the rider’s health.
Many electrical bikes could be fitted with a second vary extender battery, which frequently suits on a bottle cage mount and plugs into the motor system to supply extra battery capability and therefore vary.
The greatest electrical street bikes could be very low in weight, with many light-weight electrical street bikes weighing lower than 12kg, which isn’t much more than many non-assisted street bikes.
