All the essential info you need on the world’s biggest bike test
Every year I say that Bike of the Year gets tougher for us to come up with a shortlist and a winner, because the standard of bikes is rising higher each year. And in 2021 we’ve seen an outstanding display of machines across the road and gravel genres. It’s a nice problem to have, admittedly, but compiling this shortlist and picking an overall winner has never been so hard.
Unrivalled access
The 2021 edition has admittedly been far from normal with a backdrop of a global pandemic, unprecedented shortages, and pricing pressures from a mix of global factors and political decisions. We’re lucky that our unrivalled industry contacts and the historic legacy of Bike of the Year (see our previous winners on the right) has ensured that we’ve had a steady influx of bikes reaching our south-west testing grounds at a time when bikes are in short supply (or stuck in the Suez Canal).
Although I’ll admit that I’ve missed the group-riding ventures, cake stops and post-ride chats over a cold drink (and, yes, continental sunshine and roads) that often provide the greatest memories of previous Bike of the Year tests, things were heading in a positive direction as testing was finishing, ensuring that we were able to ride our final four bikes together (see p68).
What we’ve tested
The prices of this year’s bikes range from £1775 to £11,750. Some are already bona-fide classics or refined versions of previous Bike of the Year winners, with Teammachines and Tarmacs, Roubaix Sports and SuperSixs all present. Innovation is here in spades, notably in the striking Cannondale Topstone and the Rondo HVRT, but also in the app-based tech of the Boardman SLR 9.4 AXS. Gravel has increased its page count, with do-it-all machines from Boardman, Cannondale, Cinelli and Pearson especially hungry for multi-terrain adventures in 2021. And Specialized has not one but two entries in the superbike category, with each taking a strikingly different approach to premium bike design.
You should find something here to inspire your next bike purchase, whether that’s a replica of what we’ve tested or lower-priced models with trickle-down tech from the classy contenders on display. I hope you enjoy Bike of the Year 2021 as much as I’ve relished creating it.