As a longtime cycling journalist and gear reviewer, I have the distinct privilege of throwing a leg over some of the industry’s most coveted bikes. From WorldTour superbikes to handmade titanium dream machines, when brands invite media to test their bikes, it’s usually to showcase their halo product. Featherweight, showroom-worthy looks and tricked out with the best tech the industry has to offer, these bikes are stunning, no doubt about it. They’re engineering masterpieces and, quite simply, an absolute blast to ride.
But let’s be real: few of us are actually buying these five-figure machines. And frankly, most of us probably shouldn’t be riding them anyway. No more than we should be driving Formula 1 cars to the grocery store. They’re purpose-built tools for a very specific job.
