Road Price Point

Felt VR

$2,199
Felt pairs its aluminum VR 3.0 frame with a carbon-fibre fork, creating an endurance bike that’s great for big rides. It’s dressed with Shimano’s reliable Tiagra groupset. The bar, stem, saddle and seatpost are by Felt’s house-brand Devox. The WheelRDS.A1 wheels, too, are developed by the bike company. The whole package, the VR 40, weighs in at a little less than 10 kg, which is quite respectable. You can add racks or fenders easily, making the bike a versatile ride and perfect for your ambitious rainy-day outings. (feltbicycles.com)

Trek Émonda ALR

$2,800
Trek’s aluminum version of its carbon offering, the Émonda ALR 5, shares similar race-focused H1.5 geometry, truncated airfoil tubes and integrated cables. A stiff Émonda SL carbon fork gives you the responsiveness you need, while the aluminum frame will absorb some of the bumps in the road. The Émonda ALR can fit tires as wide as 28 mm. The Bontrager Paradigm rims are tubeless-ready, so you can get the best performance out of whatever (tubeless) treads you use. Sporting an 11-speed mechanical Shimano 105 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, the bike is ready to race or take on your next fast group ride. (trekbikes.com)

Liv Avail

$2,999
The Liv Avail Advanced 3 is as comfortable on a long adventure as it is on a short training ride. It’s outfitted with a 10-speed Shimano Tiagra groupset. The 11–34 tooth cassette and the 34/50-tooth chainrings provide a gear range that can get you up the steepest climbs. The Giant S-R2 Disc wheelset comes with 32c tires, but you can go as wide as 38c to increase traction and to mellow out the effects of rough roads. Other components work to boost your comfort, too: the Liv Contact SL D-Fuse handlebar and D-Fuse seatpost flex so that they can absorb road vibrations. (liv-cycling.com)—MH