A steed well worthy of being called a budget superbike…
The winner is…
FOR THIS BIKE TEST WE COLLATED a trio of wallet-friendlier versions of race-proven machines that have excelled on the world stage – all three of our test bikes share their DNA with some of the top Tour de France-conquering bikes.
Although we often covet the very best bikes boasting the highest-quality components, it’s fair to say that spending the biggest bucks doesn’t always deliver big performance gains. Instead, it’s often better to look further down the range, where you can spend significantly less while missing out on precious little performance. In some cases, you can even get a better all-round ride, as the winner of this test proves.
The priciest of the three bikes we tested, the Argon 18 Sum Pro is a specialist tool – a race bike through and through, with a geometry to match. It has appealing plus points, including a traditional two-piece cockpit and forward-thinking wheelset choice, but is also hamstrung by some behind-the-times spec choices. Given it’s also rather pricey, at £7,500, and you may want to upgrade some of its parts sooner than later, consider it a qualified purchase.
The Scott Addict RC 40 might have an ageing frameset, but it remains competitive even against the very latest all-round race bikes (if you can forgive the relatively narrow tyre clearance). The 105 Di2 drivetrain offers all the performance many will ever need, while the alloy wheels and tyres perform well – even if the bike would bear a smart upgrade. Nevertheless, its very competitive price tag (it’s a whopping £3,051 cheaper than the Argon 18) leaves you a wad of cash in your pocket for this purpose, compared to its testmates.
Topping this te
