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The Cycling Plus, MBUK and BikeRadar bikes of the year 2023 have been unveiled, with Vitus, Orbea, Giant, and Scott all taking home plaudits.
First launched in 2009, the Bike of the Year awards are hosted by the consumer magazines in the Our Media (part of Immediate) cycling portfolio.
After months of planning, testing and reviewing, staff at the three titles crown winning bikes in 11 categories, from Overall Road Bike of the Year, to e-MTB and women’s bikes of the year.
Editor for Cycling Plus, Matt Baird, said: “2023’s Bike of the Year is another huge edition, with 25 of the year’s best bikes facing off to take the celebrated awards on offer. Performance, endurance, women’s, aero, gravel, and budget categories are showcased on over 50 pages in the main magazine, with the huge array of new bikes on test ranging from £955 to £12,495. The result is the world’s biggest bike test and a winning combination of technical authority and expert opinion; vivid design, production and imagery; and a peerless display of the best bikes of 2023.”
The group says it aims to put manufacturer claims to the test, but also to inspire readers to make their next purchase.
Awards categories are: Overall Road bike of the Year, Gravel Bike of the Year, Endurance Bike of the Year, Performance Bike of the Year, Aero Bike of the year, Women’s Bike of the Year, Budget Road Bike of the Year, Enduro Bike of the Year, E-MTB of the year, Trail Bike of the Year, and Budget MTB of the Year.
MBUK editor James Costley-White said: “This year’s test was our biggest ever. Not only in terms of the number of mountain bikes included – 32 in total, split across four categories (trail, enduro, budget and e-MTB) and ranging in price from £905 all the way up to £10,000 – but also its geographical scope. Testing took place everywhere from world-renowned Scottish enduro trails to West Country singletrack, Welsh Valleys descents and the rocky tracks of the Italian Riviera. Only after months of riding, tweaking, deliberating and then riding some more, did our test team finally settle on their winners – some of which may surprise you.”
BikeRadar’s editor-in-chief, George Scott, says: “Having put 57 of the latest road, gravel and mountain bikes through their paces, our experienced team of Bike of the Year testers has filed more than 100,000 words of copy, taken listeners behind the scenes on the podcast and filmed eight videos on location, all with the aim of helping our audience decide what’s really worth their hard-earned money in 2023.”
Full list of winners:
Overall Road Bike of the Year and Endurance Bike of the Year: Vitus Venon Evo RS Aero Force AXS – £4,699
“Everything an endurance bike should be.”
Trail Bike of the Year: Merida One-Forty 700 – £3,100
“Sorted shape, excellent suspension and cracking value – it’s a hard package to beat.”
Enduro Bike of the Year: Merida One-Sixty 6000 – £4,600
“With impressive geometry, well-balanced suspension and a great parts package for the cash, the Merida One-Sixty 6000 offers a seriously exciting ride and feels incredibly capable just about everywhere.”
E-MTB Bike of the Year: Orbea Wild M-Team – £9,207
“Excellent performance everywhere, and its customisable spec means you can really make it your own.”
Budget MTB of the Year: Voodoo Bizango Pro – £950
“Top performance at a bargain price. It’s not without flaws, but at this price the Bizango is hard to beat.”
Gravel Bike of the Year: Giant Revolt X Advanced Pro 1 – £5,499
“Superbly focused off-roader that rides brilliantly.”
Women’s Bike of the Year: Scott Addict Contessa – £2,499
“Well-considered build offering a lively yet comfortable ride that’s hard to fault, all at a great price.”
Performance Bike of the Year: ENVE Melee (Ultegra Di2 build) – £10,400
“The ability to mould the Melee to your needs makes it a real winner.”
Aero Bike of the Year: Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 AXS – £6,399
“A brilliant all-rounder aero road bike that offers a fast, fun ride at a competitive price.”
Budget Bike of the Year: Cannondale CAAD Optimo 1 – £1,300
“Cannondale’s Optimo 1 proves that there’s still plenty of life in the rim-braked road bike.”
