Scott, Giant, Cervélo and Trek proved in 2022 that aero bikes are back in a big way… we look at what the other big names might have in store
By removing the UCI’s 3:1 regulation, which meant that tube profiles could not exceed a ratio of 3:1 between their height and width, deep-section tubes have become more exaggerated again. You only need to look at the changes made to some of the highest-profile (or lowest-profile, depending on your standpoint) aero bikes released in 2022 for confirmation of the trend.
The latest iterations of the Scott Foil, Giant Propel and the Cervélo S5, for example, have seen the bikes cut new silhouettes thanks to oversized head and down tubes, beefed-up bottom bracket areas and deeper fork blades. Scott claims that the new Foil is 20% faster than the outgoing model, which equates to it being 1 minute, 18 seconds faster over 40km at 40kph. Similarly, Giant managed to shave over 200 grams off its bike’s weight while making it a claimed 27 seconds faster over the same distance and speed.
Other big-name aero bikes are due a refresh for 2023 or 2024 – here we survey the top contenders for deeper aerofoil tubing and lower CdAs.
Canyon Aeroad
The Aeroad received a significant update back in 2020 but garnered more, albeit unwanted, attention a year later when Mathieu van der Poel broke its handlebar while racing in Belgium. The bars were recalled and the Aeroad rolled on, continuing to play a leading role in WorldTour races.
At first it seemed unlikely that we’d see much change in 2023, given that the Aeroad line-up was rejigged just last year, with new build options offered, but then photographs surfaced on the Dutch website Wielerflits of van der Poel on a pre-season training ride aboard what looks like an updated Aeroad. The differences are hard to spot at first but the fact that the frame was both unpainted and unbranded suggested a prototype was in play.
Look a little closer and you’ll notice what appears to be a reshaped head tube, with new aero properties, as well as what could be a revised seat tube, especially around the junction with the top tube, which looks a little beefier. Van der Poel’s tyres look particularly plump in the images too, so perhaps clearance has been increased to accommodate the current preference for running wider tubeless tyres.
Cannondale SystemSix
Of all the aero bike headliners, Cannondale’s SystemSix might seem the most likely to see a few tweaks. The current model was released in 2018, which given the cycling industry’s propensity for change, is akin to a lifetime ago. That said, on release it cut a pretty futuristic shape.
The bike features truncated aero sections on the down tube, top tube and seat tube, dropped seatstays, a
