The bikes
Merida Scultura Limited £3,000
Basso Astra 105 Di2 £3,799
Ridley Helium Disc SRAM Rival eTap AXS £4,400
Words Ashley Quinlan and Oscar Huckle Photography Russell Burton
Need to know
With rising costs affecting the world over, we sense-check what value looks like in 2023
THE DIFFICULT THING ABOUT value is it's subjective. You might consider an £8,000 bike as good value if you normally lust after the growing spread of superbikes commanding five figures. Or you might still hanker after the days when a race-ready road bike with Shimano 105 cost around £1,500.
Sadly, bike prices have been on the steady increase for a few years now, not helped by intervening global crises. We could probably dedicate a whole issue of Cycling Plus to dissect the causes, but here we explore what's currently on offer in the mid-price performance bracket, ranging from £3,000 up to £4,400.
01 What can I expect?
There's no doubt you can't expect your money to go as far as it used to. In this price range, you can expect pared-back frame materials and groupsets ranging from the venerable Shimano 105 R7000, up to the latest Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 (plus equivalent SRAM offerings, too). In time-honoured style, brands can scramble for value by trading off certain components. You might find a lower-spec groupset but a better wheelset, the touch points might be lower-spec than flagship bikes, and finishing kit like tyres is a common area brands might try to cut costs.
02 Budgeting for upgrades
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Bu hikaye Cycling Plus UK dergisinin August 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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