OVERALL VERDICT

The Bianchi Oltre X4 is a real joy to ride, and offers serious speed and handling performance at an amazingly light weight for an aero bike. But it is the most expensive bike of the three, with a £5,600 price tag (£5,777 with the clip-ons), so you’d expect it to be very special. And for the money, we’d also want some decent deep-section wheels to complement the aero frame.

It’s hard not to feel frustrated with the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0. There is, without question, a great bike here, and it handles superbly and excels in comfort. Sadly it’s held back by the heavy wheels, so much so that it’s hard to see past this… apart from the fantastic handling on descents. The one-piece aerobar is a piece of art and offers great comfort. We’d like to return to this bike when it has some wheels that are deserving of the rest of the bike so that we can really see what it’s made of.

So that leaves the Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1 as a clear winner. You get an impressively fast aero bike package for serious value for money. The way it accelerates and then holds speed is so rewarding and will no doubt achieve great triathlon bike split times. And, for a high performing aero bike, it’s also no slouch on the climbs. Versatility at its finest.