TECH Q&A

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Q1SHOULD WE STOP TESTING THE PRICIEST KIT?

“Why do Cycling Plus and BikeRadar always test such expensive bikes?”

Everyone

This question crops up most commonly when a new bike launches, and it’s a fair point – not many readers are in the fortunate position to be able to buy the £10k+ bikes we frequently review at launch. So why bother?

There are plenty of reasons, but the most important is that we don’t always get to choose which bikes we test. When brands unveil a new model, they usually have a limited number of test samples available. More often than not, these are premium builds – the kind of bikes used at press camps and for global launches with key dealers.

Companies understandably want to demonstrate the very best of their new wares, and decking out your pride and joy in Shimano Dura-Ace or Campagnolo Super Record is an easy way to make your product feel more desirable and exciting. While we always stress the value of sending us midrange models, the reality is they’re often not made available to us, and brands rarely have their full range of builds available at launch.