Vitus Zenium Disc Road

Vitus’s Zenium is the outlier in this price category: it’s the only one with disc brakes. The Vitus brand is now part of the Wiggle/Chain Reaction empire so it’s no surprise that this offers fantastic value.

While the Zenium’s brakes may ‘only’ be cable-actuated rather than the hydraulic discs you’ll find over a grand, these come with the same advantages of excellent control and power, whatever the conditions. Wet or dry it’s all the same to the TRP Spyres, which are among the best mechanical discs available. These are paired with Shimano’s 2x10-speed Tiagra groupset, but given the Zenium’s more adventurous ambitions we’d have gone for a more hill-amenable 11-32 cassette rather than 12-28, especially given the more aggressive 52/36 chainset.

Both the frame and carbon fork have thru-axles for great integration between bike and brakes, with the front disc featuring a larger 160mm rotor for extra stopping power. There’s very good comfort from the compact frame, slimline 27.2mm seatpost and28mmContinental tyres, with neat mudguard fittings adding practicality.

The result is a bike that while lacking top-end speed will make a very fine year-round trainer, all-rounder and commuter that’ll cope with the roughest roads with aplomb.

Wet or dry it’s all the same to the TRP Spyres, which are among the best mechanical disc brakes available