ONE FOR ALL

IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE ONE BIKE FOR EVERYTHING? YES, SAYS WARREN ROSSITER. HERE ARE TWO WORTH CONSIDERING FOR UNDER £3,500…

- WARREN ROSSITER

ROAD BIKE TEST

From super-smooth endurance bikes to lightweight race rigs and aero-clad, straight-line speed machines, there’s a huge variety of road bikes out there. But what if you want a bit more of an allrounder? A road bike that has quick handling, is light enough and has some aero considerations for racing, but can be ridden all day without kicking you into submission and, above all else, puts a smile on your face? We hear you, so we’ve checked out two serious contenders for around £3,500.

Our opener is the latest iteration of Vitus’s Vitesse race machine. The new Evo loses weight, gains stiffness and has had an aero makeover. But it’s still packed with value and represents an affordable road bike with wireless gears.

Going up against it is the LIOS Bullet, which the British brand calls a ‘racy allrounder’. LIOS has been around for a decade now, operating out of its Lee-onthe-Solent base. Its road bikes are sold with a personalised Rëtul fitting service included – so you’ll get the sort of service normally reserved for full-custom or very expensive builds.

On paper, both look like exceptional value, and they should take clip-on aero bars to boost their versatility, too. But when all is said and done, do they deliver? Let’s find out…

Vitus

Vitesse Evo CR Rival AXS