Cyclist
Best lightweight bikes reviewed 2024: Road bikes for climbing
Everyone wants a lightweight bike. Whether you’re a beginner or a top-level professional, a lighter bike makes riding uphill easier and that’s beneficial for everyone. That means that manufacturers are always considering weight when making their frames, wheels, groupsets and other kit, it also means that products are produced specifically to be as light as possible.
Since cycling’s governing body, the UCI, has a minimum weight limit for bikes in races – 6.8kg – that standard is generally what the bike industry builds around, although there are more and more cases of super-lightweight bikes produced for the consumer that would be illegal in a race.
Obviously weight isn’t everything on a bike – comfort, aerodynamics, durability, stiffness etc. are all key factors in a bike’s performance and feel – so our ‘best lightweight road bikes’ comprises of what we think are the best bikes that are lightweight, rather than just listing the lightest on the market.
Reviews of the best lightweight bikes
- BMC Teammachine SLR: RRP from £7,600 — Read our full review
- Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71: RRP £12,500 — Read our full review
- Canyon Ultimate CFR: RRP from £9,499 — Read our full review
- Cervelo R5: RRP £8,300 — Read our full review
- Factor O2 VAM: RRP £9,900 — Read our full review
- Giant TCR Advanced Pro: RRP £6,699 — Read our full review
- Liv Langma Advanced SL: RRP £7,999 — Read our full review
- Open MiND: RRP $3,900 frameset — Read our full review
- Orbea Orca M10i LTD: RRP £11,999 — Read our full review
- Specialized S-Works Aethos: RRP £12,000 — Read our full review
- Trek Emonda SLR: RRP from £6,500 — Read our full review
- Wilier Verticale SLR: RRP £11,000 — Read our full review
Weight isn’t everything (but it helps)
Back in the early 1900s the idea of a bike weighing less than 15kg was a pipe dream. But by the 1960s a skinny steel racer could comfortably hit 10kg, and with a little help from ‘drillium’ – the fad that saw mechanics and riders drill holes in brake levers and chainrings to shave grams – even lighter.
Eddy Merckx’s Hour Record bike of 1972, built (and drilled) by Ernesto Colnago, weighed just 5.75kg, and even De Rosa’s heart logo was a result of weight saving, with Ugo De Rosa drilling three holes into a bottom bracket shell then cutting a triangle between them to lose excess material.
Aluminium followed steel, with Italian manufacturer Alan creating the original mass-production aluminium frame, which weighed as little as 1.6kg, in 1972. A few years later titanium joined the party, among the first the 1974 Teledyne Titan whose 2kg frame was a third lighter than comparable steel. And then carbon fibre came along and started chipping away, bike by bike, at weight targets once thought impossible to reach.
The biggest target was the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg, which might have seemed optimistically low when it was introduced in 2000 but is now embarrassingly outdated. As early as 2004 Canyon engineer Hans Christian Smolik created the experimental Projekt 3.7, a 3.7kg, 16-gear bike.
In 2006 the Germans were at it again, debuting the Projekt 6.8, a 6.8kg disc brake road bike. In fact weight seems a bit of a theme in Germany, with the record for the lightest rideable bike standing at 2.7kg – a custom project started by German Gunter Mai, then finished off by Jason Woznick of Fairwheel Bikes in Tucson, Arizona.
As for production – ie, not custom – bikes, the feathery crown rests with German brand AX Lightness, whose Vial Evo Ultra tips the scales at 4.4kg thanks in part to a frame weighing under 600g. More recently Specialized hit the headlines with its Aethos, a sub-6kg fully built racer that the company claims has the lightest disc-frame ever built – just 585g for a size 56cm.
It’s incredible stuff, but there is a big but. When we put together the list of the best lightweight bikes it soon became clear that weight wouldn’t actually be the defining factor. Otherwise a bike such as the Tifosi Mons, which stole 15 minutes of fame by dressing up in the most expensive parts and weighing a claimed 4.6kg, would be on the list.
Not that it’s a bad bike, but it is an example of how if you throw enough money at a light-ish frame (780g) you can hit crazy-light numbers – 790g AX Lightness tubular wheels anyone? That isn’t really cricket. No, bike design has come so far that at the top end riders can and should expect a more holistic approach, such that stiffness, comfort and even aerodynamics need not be sacrificed.
Weight matters and it underpins our choices here, but there’s much more to these bikes than meets the scales.
Why you can trust Cyclist‘s advice
We’ve been riding and writing about bikes since 2012, when Cyclist magazine first hit the newsstands and over that time we’ve reviewed many hundreds of bikes, among them the cream of the crop. Low weight has always been the holy grail of bike design, since before aero became significant, so we’ve slung a leg over a fair number of the best lightweight bikes.
Our review team, led by tech editor Sam Challis, has unrivalled expertise. Even if some of the bikes below don’t look that lightweight from the numbers, because we’ve reviewed a lower spec, we’ve included them because we understand that their premium spec siblings really will trouble or undercut the UCI 6.8kg weight limit.
Best lightweight bikes ridden and reviewed
BMC Teammachine SLR01
£4,995 (RRP: £7,600) | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.8kg
- Pros: Comfortable and reactive
- Cons: Stiff cockpit is a little firm
Although it may appear that the Teammachine SLR01 has been superseded by the latest Teammachine R, launched in 2023, and incorporating Formula 1 tech derived from a collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the Teammachine SLR will continue to live alongside the newer bike. That’s because, although less aero, the SLR shaves a useful few grams from the newer bike’s 7kg claimed weight, making it still the choice for the mountain goat, just with slightly less honed aerodynamics.
We found that the Teammachine SLR offers excellent handling and stiffness, alongside its 6.8kg weight, so that it rockets out of the gates and up hills. It’s comfortable at the rear too, although less so at its stiff cockpit.
- Read our full BMC Teammachine SLR review
Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71
£12,500 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 7.2kg
- Pros: Impressive ride feel, more aero than last generation bike, new BSA bottom bracket should be reliable
- Cons: Potentially awkward Di2 battery placement, specced with narrow 25mm tyres
We’ve yet to get our hands on the top spec LAB71 SuperSix EVO, but we’ve ridden the latest fourth generation bike in (slightly) less fancy Hi-Mod guise, which weighs 7.2kg. Opt for the LAB71 bike though, which comes equipped with Dura-Ace, and the bike should head down close to 6.8kg.
Cannondale says that the latest bike is 12 watts more aero than its predecessor and it now comes with a standard BSA bottom bracket in place of BB30a, which should make for easier serviceability. At the rear, the new bike is extra skinny, with flex built into the seatpost, which has resulted in the battery for Shimano Di2 builds being moved to the bottom of the down tube.
That has preserved the ride comfort of the previous generation, despite the newer bike’s deeper seatpost. We’d like to see 28mm tyres as standard rather than the 25s specced, though there’s room for up to 34mm.
Canyon Ultimate CFR
£7,499 (RRP: £9,299) | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 7.3kg
- Pros: Comfortable, nimble, aero profiles
- Cons: One-piece bar-stem reduces adjustability (although it’s still width-adjustable)
Another bike where we’ve not been let loose on the lightest, highest spec model – in this case the Ultimate CFR – which has a 6.3kg claimed weight. We rode the CF SLX 8 Di2 with Ultegra Di2, which tipped the Cyclist scales a whole kilo heavier at 7.3kg.
We reckoned that the SLX 8 was still light, stiff, nimble and aero though, while still being comfortable enough for extended rides. It shares its geometry and some components with the Aeroad, while retaining the classic road bike profile. You can fit 32mm tyres or wider – as proved by its winning line-up in the first UCI Gravel World Championship in 2022.
- Read our full Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 review
Cervélo R5
£6,122.49 (RRP £8,189.46) | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 7.6kg
- Pros: Stiff and reactive, racy up hills, planted down
- Cons: Not the smoothest ride, expensive for top spec builds
Yet another bike that can scrape the UCI weight limit, with a frame weight claimed at 703g. We’ve ridden a heavier spec, in this case with SRAM Force AXS and Reserve wheels for a 7.6kg weight. Cervélo claims that the latest R5 is not just lighter but more comfortable, with room for 34mm tyres. Of course, it’s also more integrated although Cervélo has kept to roundish tubes rather than trying to up the aero quotient.
The R5 remains a stiff, fast racing machine though and although the tyres take the edge off the ride, it’s still not endurance bike smooth. Head uphill and it’s super-effective though and descending is equally impressive.
- Read our full Cervélo R5 review
Factor O2 VAM
£9,999 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.5kg
- Pros: Very light, and also stiff and aero
- Cons: High price of entry
Unlike Cervélo, Factor claims to have upped the aero on its 2023 O2 VAM, while increasing the frame’s stiffness by 35% and keeping the bike’s weight impressively low. At pro speeds, it says that aerodynamics retain their importance even on gradients up to 8%.
The 1,146g carbon spoked Black Inc wheelset helps to keep weight off, as do a range of other O2 VAM-specific Black Inc components and the seatmast design. It’s an impressive ride both uphill and on the flat, with the ultra-skinny top tube and the 28mm tyres, for which the aerodynamics are tuned, helping to take the edge off the frame’s stiffness.
- Read our full Factor O2 VAM review
Giant TCR Advanced Pro
£6,699 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 7.3kg
- Pros: Great handling, more aero, comes with power meter
- Cons: Narrowish 28mm tyres
The Giant TCR has been around since 1997 when its sloping top tube was a radical departure from the race bikes of the day. Ten generations later, we’ve reviewed the 7.3kg Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0, which has again upped the aero quotient with new tube profiles and integrated cabling, while improving claimed compliance and losing around 10 percent in weight, with a claimed 800g frame weight.
The bike’s weight is low down, which along with the frame stiffness leads to a snappy feel on climbs and stable descending. There’s now 33mm tyre clearance, although Giant fits 28mm tyres on its own 40mm deep wheels and we reckoned that wider tyres on slightly deeper wheels could up the performance.
- Read our full Giant TCR Advanced Pro review
Liv Langma Advanced SL Disc
£6,399 (RRP: £7,999) | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.7kg
- Pros: Women’s specific geometry and touchpoints
- Cons: Exposed front-end cabling as with the men’s bike
The TCR Advanced SL’s impressive weight is matched by Giant’s women’s version, the Liv Langma Advanced SL. The women’s bike shares the tube profiles of the TCR, although the geometry and components have been tweaked to better suit women and there’s a seatpost in place of a seatmast.
We were impressed by the Langma’s responsiveness and handling when riding the hills of the Lake District. The built-for-women feel was also hard to beat.
- Read our full Liv Langma Advanced SL Disc review
Open Min.D
$3,900 (frameset) | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 7.1kg
- Pros: Relaxed position, geometry leads to great handling
- Cons: Seatmast may make resale more tricky
Open took a different turn in the road with the Min.D, having made its name for its gravel bikes. The Min.D is designed around 32mm tyre clearance, but with a more gravel-like and relaxed geometry than many road bikes. A seatmast with 35mm of vertical adjustability allowed Open to build more flex into the elongated 25mm diameter seat tube, while the 405mm chainstays and short wheelbase avoid a ponderous feel.
The result is a buttery smooth ride, with a 7.1kg weight for a size 56 bike equipped with SRAM Force AXS and DT Swiss CRC 1400 Spline wheelset, with an all-in cost of around £8,450 as tested. We’ve also reviewed the even lighter, but now discontinued Open Min.D California, which weighed in at a UCI-busting 6.4kg.
- Read our full Open Min.D review
Orbea Orca M10i LTD
£11,999 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.85kg
- Pros: Race bike handling combined with ride comfort, decent 32mm tyre clearance
- Cons: Non-aero frame profile, fragile 25mm tyres don’t fare well on poor roads
Orbea has prioritised low weight over aerodynamics with the Orca M10i LTD, with round tube profiles, which help the full build nudge the UCI weight limit. There’s space in the frame for 32mm tyres, although 25mm Vittoria Corsa Speeds were fitted to the own-brand Oquo wheels, which weigh a claimed 1,370g in the 35mm depth reviewed. A power meter comes as standard.
We didn’t find many mountains to test the lightweight cred, but the Orca is just a really nice bike to ride, even on the flat. There’s race bike handling and frame stiffness, while the unfashionably wide bars help keep neck and shoulders happy and make for more stylish climbing.
- Read our full Orbea Orca M10i LTD review
Specialized S-Works Aethos
£12,500 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.2kg
- Pros: Impressively low weight, practicality
- Cons: Round tubes and external cabling lower the aero quotient
Staking its claim as the lightest production bike available, the S-Works Aethos has a claimed 585g frame and 270g fork. With a smattering of choice lightweight components, that leads to a 6.2kg build, light enough for an unmodified bike to show up at the 2023 National Hill Climb Championships. But despite that, we were impressed with the bike’s day-to-day usability and its ease of servicing and adjustment.
Its geometry comes from the Tarmac, but the light weight lends the Aethos an extra dose of responsiveness, while the stiffness and handling endure. Our only complaint was the lack of tubeless-compatible wheels, one that Specialized has now addressed with the latest version of its Roval Alpinist CLX wheelset, although the bike still ships with tubes.
- Read our full Specialized S-Works Aethos review
Trek Emonda SLR
From £7,000 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.8kg
- Pros: More aero than its predecessor, quality wheelset
- Cons: Loses a little in comfort and handling
Trek has sacrificed some of the previous generation Emonda’s low weight on the altar of aero, saving a claimed minute of ride time every hour on the flat. Despite this, it’s still impressively light and responsive once you hit a hill, helped by the 1,350g Bontrager Aeolus wheels.
We did feel that the comfort and handling had suffered a little for the Emonda’s aero makeover though, making it more of a bike for the pros than the everyday rider.
- Read our full Trek Emonda SLR review
Wilier Verticale SLR
£11,000 | View offer
- Weight (as tested): 6.6kg
- Pros: Low weight without compromise in stiffness, 30mm tyres for comfort and grip
- Cons: Wheels a little heavy on a bike of this price, non-aero design
A new, premium carbon fibre mix has allowed Wilier to shave 150g off the frameset module weight of the 0 SLR, its previous lightweight bike. There are no aero flourishes, but that’s compensated for by the 6.6kg weight for a size L, even with not-so-light 1,400g wheels and 30mm tyres. An aggressive ride position and flared bars help make bike-plus-rider more aero though.
Despite the low weight, the Verticale is stiff and engaging to ride, while the ride position, tyres and brakes allow you to come down as well as you can ascend. It may not be aero, but we found the Verticale a joy to ride.
- Read our full Wilier Verticale SLR review
Some of the best aero bikes now weigh under 7kg, so read our guide if you’re looking for more aerodynamics.
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