All of the big brands have aero road bikes in the range these days, most in both rim brake and disc brake options.
Aero road bikes essentially draw aerodynamic features from time trial bikes into a road frame, and balance the demands of weight and stiffness into a package that, on paper, looks to be the ideal all-round choice.
You're always working against air resistance when you ride your bike; the higher the speed the more significant it gets. Although most of that air resistance results from you — your body and what you're wearing — a significant chunk is acting against your bike, hence the development of aero road bikes that are designed to produce the minimum of drag.
Here are some of the best aero road bikes of 2019. We'll run part 2 — featuring the likes of Specialized, Colnago, BMC, Ridley and 3T — next week.
Find out which is more important, aerodynamics or a light weight
Cannondale SystemSix £3,499.99-£8,499.99
Cannondale described the disc brake-only SystemSix as the "fastest bike in the world" when it was revealed in July 2018. It also said that the SystemSix is more than an aero bike, although there's certainly a massive focus on aero efficiency here.
Read about our first ride on the Cannondale SystemSix
Find a Cannondale dealer
Cervelo S5 Disc £4,899-£9,699
The updated Cervelo S5 features a V-shaped stem integrated into a new fork that's fully external. According to Cervelo, the stem reduces drag by allowing unimpeded airflow along the top tube. The aero-shaped down tube has a cutaway leading edge to allow it to sit close to the front wheel in order to manage the airflow in that area.
Get all the details on the Cervelo S5 Disc here
Find a Cervelo dealer
Bianchi Aria £2,300-£4,200
Bianchi's Aria, available with either rim brakes or disc brakes, is an efficient aero road bike that handles sharply. Although hardly a budget option, it comes in a variety of builds and is a more accessible than any of the brand's Oltres.
Check out our Bianchi Aria review
Read our review of the Bianchi Aria Disc
Find a Bianchi dealer
Giant Propel £1,599-£8,999
You can still buy a Propel with rim brakes but the latest update is a disc-brake only design that Giant says is more aerodynamically efficient than any of its predecessors. It's stiff and efficient and available in a wide variety of builds to suit different budgets.
See our review of the Giant Propel Advanced Disc
Read our guide to Giant's 2019 range
Find a Giant dealer
Orro Venturi £2,199.99-£3,299.99
The Venturi is a disc brake-only design with 12mm thru axles front and rear. The frame is optimised for 28mm-wide tyres and uses spread tow carbon from Sigmatex — flat and wide unidirectional tapes that are designed to reduce weight and increase stiffness.
Vitus ZX1 Disc £1,999.99-£4,199.99
The ZX1, available only with disc brakes, is a fast and smooth carbon bike that handles superbly. You get Kammtail shaped tube profiles, a fork crown that's recessed into the frame, an aero seatpost and internal cable routing to reduce drag. It offers good value for money in a race-ready package.
Read our review of the Vitus ZX1 CRi Aero Disc Ultegra Di2
Buy a Vitus
Pinarello Dogma F10 £4,499-£4,699 (frameset)
The Dogma F10 — both rim brake and disc brake models are available — might not be a full-on aero road bike like some here but it certainly has aero features such as a flatback down tube profile that's designed to smooth the airflow over the water bottle, and fins behind the fork dropouts to reduce drag around the quick release lever.
Read all about the Pinarello Dogma F10 here
Find a Pinarello dealer
Merida Reacto £1,000-£8,250
Merida's Reacto aero road bikes have slim tube shapes, a low seatstay connection and, in some cases, a one-piece cockpit. They're available in two different geometries and in both disc brake and rim brake models. Merida claims the difference in aero efficiency between rim brake and disc models is less than one watt at 45km/h (28mph).
Find out all about the Merida Reacto here
Read our review of the Merida Reacto Disc Team-E
Find a Merida dealer
Rose Xeon CW £2,132-£4,809
You tend to get a lot for your money by buying direct from Rose, the rim brake version of the Xeon CW aero bike coming with Shimano's second tier Ultegra groupset for £2,132. The disc brake model is just over £300 more expensive.
Ribble Aero 883 £1,399-£6,761
One of the best things about buying from Ribble is that you can use its online Bike Builder system to select the parts you want based on your preferences and budget. You can go all the way up to a Sram Red eTap groupset, a Quarq DZero power meter and Zipp 404 wheels if you have the cash.
Scott Foil £2,499-£10,999
The Scott Foil has been known for its versatility over the past few years and these days it's available in both rim brake and disc brake guises. The most affordable rim brake option, with Shimano 105 components, is £2,499 while disc brake models start at £3,199.
Boardman Air £1,750-£6,000
The Air bikes feature truncated airfoil tube profiles that are deeper and narrower than those that you’ll find on most other aero road bikes, while the cutaway section of the seat tube is designed to work best with 25mm-wide tyres although there’s space for 28s if you prefer.
Read our review of the Boardman Elite Air 9.2
Find a Boardman dealer
With its Trident 2.0 tube profiles (essentially a cut-off aerofoil, Kamm tail shape) and skinny head tube and fork blades, the Aeroad has been one of the benchmark aero road bikes of the past few years. You also get predictable handling and plenty of comfort thrown in.
Read our Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2 review
Buy a Canyon
Trek Madone SLR £5,500-£10,550
Trek's 2019 Madones are hugely updated with a new geometry. The SLR range comes with adjustable IsoSpeed and the option of disc brakes. The rim brake version is lighter but there's no aerodynamic penalty in opting for discs, according to Trek.
Read our story on the new Trek Madone range here
Check out our guide to Trek's 2019 road bike range
Find a Trek dealer