14 of the best Shimano Ultegra road bikes

The Shimano Ultegra groupset combines a competitive price with top-level performance. In this article we'll take a look at some of the best Ultegra road bikes around at the minute.

The majority of manufacturers don't hang an Ultegra groupset on anything but a carbon fibre frame — only two bikes here are aluminium, though one of them is exceptional value for money as a result, and one each are steel and titanium
With its rated ability to handle a 34-tooth sprocket (and actually cope with up to 40 teeth if set up carefully) the current Ultegra is Shimano's most versatile high-performance groupset
The namecheck of Ultegra in Half Man Half Biscuit's 'Excavating Rita' is believed to be the only mention of a bicycle groupset in popular song
Ultegra-equipped bikes start at about £1,200 and go up to around £5,000

14 of the best Shimano Ultegra-equipped road bikes for 2020

What are the key factors when choosing a new road bike? It might be price, purpose, style, weight, but for some, it might very well come down to what groupset the bike is equipped with. And one of the most popular groupsets is Shimano's Ultegra, a groupset that combines a competitive price with top-level performance.

Here, then, is a roundup of Shimano Ultegra road bikes, and we’re going to focus on the mechanical version because it covers a wider range of prices. Shimano launched the latest R8000 version of Ultegra in 2017 and now all new Ultegra-specced bikes have swapped over to the new components. The new version is functionally very similar to 6800 but styled to look like its Dura-Ace big sister.

If you read Mat’s head to head feature, pitting Shimano Ultegra against its rival SRAM Force, you’ll know that Ultegra road bikes can range in price from just over £1,000 right up to £3,000 or more. That means there’s a wide selection of bikes to choose from, with different frame materials and riding purpose, and a choice of disc brakes or aero frames.

Some bikes will feature a full Shimano Ultegra groupset, but at both extremes of the price spectrum, you’re going to find some manufacturers mixing in some other components to help them meet key price points. The most common changes are brake calipers, especially on cheaper models, and sometimes chainsets get swapped for another make.

>> Head to head: Shimano Ultegra v SRAM Force

Let's dive in then...

Orro Venturi Ultegra Wind 400 2020 — £3,499.00

Tester Stu was deeply impressed with the D12-equipped version of this bike. He wrote: "I've ridden a lot of bikes over the last 20 years, especially in the 10 that I've been with road.cc (41 in 2019 alone), and while a lot of them have been very good, there are probably ten or so that really stand out as brilliant – and the Venturi is one of those.

"I like a stiff bike. I want that feeling of performance, and if that sacrifices comfort, I can deal with it. I like a frame that feels alive, a bit on the edge, I want to feel everything that is going on from that tiny rubber footprint on the ground, and if I need to take a little bit of a battering to get that then so be it.

"The Venturi delivers that in spades, but the carbon lay-up used means it manages to do that while being very comfortable too, without taking anything away.

"This means you can ride the Orro for hours at a decent pace with little fatigue. It's not the sharpest handling race bike I've ridden but it isn't far off, and you can really take those descents with the bit between your teeth and not really feel out of your depth. The Venturi just flows between bends and gives you that surefooted feeling of confidence."

Read our review of the Di2-equipped version of the Orro Venturi Ultegra Wind 400
Find an Orro dealer

Mason Resolution Ultegra Hydro — £3,345

Another Stu Kerton favourite, and an absolute shoo-in as the answer to the question "Which steel-framed bike would be awesome with an Ultegra groupset?"

When he rode the 105-equipped version of the Mason Resolution, Stu wrote:"Selecting each individual tube rather than an 'off the shelf' tubeset is what gives the Resolution, Mason Cycles steel framed four season speed machine, its identity. Each tube has a specific role and delivers on that with complete precision, the real trick though is how they all unite to deliver what can only be described as a phenomenal ride. I like this bike A LOT. In fact 'like' is probably not a strong enough word.

"Whatever your passion is in life, when you find what you think is the pinnacle of whatever that is there is no better feeling in the world.

"The Resolution delivers that buzz for me, it's addictive and the beautiful thing is that it's a feeling that hasn't diminished no matter how many times I've ridden it."

Read our review of the Mason Resolution

Ribble R872 Disc Ultegra — £1,799.00

The Ribble R872 Disc is a carbon fibre road bike that's built to a sportive-friendly geometry and it offers a much higher performance than you've a right to expect at this price. Plus, there's the bonus that you can tweak the spec to suit your taste and budget.

The feature that surprised us most about the Ribble R872 Disc's ride is the front end stiffness. In this respect it feels like a bike costing way more than this. Haul on the alloy handlebar and everything is absolutely rock solid. You might not pull out your best Mark Cavendish sprint all that often but you'll appreciate the rigidity when climbing out of the saddle and also when cornering hard – you can really chuck this bike through the bends.

Read our review of the Ribble R872 Disc Tiagra

Scott Addict RC 30 2020 — £3,199.00

Scott's Addict RC is the company's offering for anyone who wants a full-on race bike whether you plan to actually pin on a number, or just like zooming through the countryside adding the whoosh of wheels and pedals to the soundscape.

The Addict RC 30 is built on the same Addict RC Disc HMX Carbon frame as the £6,300 Addict RC Pro, so what you're getting here is a pro-level frame with the Ultegra groupset to keep the price under control. There's a 52/36 chainset for all-out efforts and Scott's own Syncros handlebar and integrated stem for tidy lines.

Read our review of the Scott Addict RC30
Find a Scott dealer

Cannondale CAAD13 Ultegra — £1,900.00

With the successor to the popular CAAD12 Cannondale haven't focused on shedding grams — a CAAD13 frame weighs about the same as a CAAD12 — but on ride quality. After a brief spin on the new bike at Cannondale's launch, David Arthur wrote: "in the CAAD13, Cannondale have produced a bike that is wonderfully smooth all-round. The Cotswolds isn’t generally known for its smooth roads, and over the crusty surface on some quieter country lanes, the CAAD13 blew me away with its ability to not just provide a smooth and calm ride, but to really close the gap to a carbon fibre bike."

Cannondale have also made the CAAD13 a shade more versatile than its racing-orientated predecessor. The rim-braked bike has room for 28mm tyres, the disc bike will accommodate 30mm rubber, and both have mudguard eyes discreetly tucked away in the drop-outs.

This model complements the new frame with the Ultegra groupset for a bike that looks like a winning combination of performance and value.

Van Rysel EDR AF Ultegra — £1,199.99

For the more expensive of the brace of new aluminium-framed Van Rysel bikes, Decathlon has taken the unusual step of using a full Ultegra groupset, a spec most manufacturers reserve for their carbon fibre bikes these days. That makes it by a considerable margin the cheapest bike here.

Along with Fulcrum Racing 4 wheels and Hutchinson HDF>5.2 tyres, this should be a fine machine for eating the miles.

Canyon Endurace CF 8.0 2020 — £1,749

German direct-sales brand Canyon has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity and sales in the UK, and it can always be counted on for providing very good value for money. The Endurace’s carbon fibre frameset is designed to offer a more upright and comfortable riding position than it’s racier Ultimate. You get a full Shimano Ultegra groupset with a compact chainset, along with DT Swiss P1800 wheels and a claimed bike weight of 7.5kg.

If you prefer a speedier ride, then the Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8.0 (£3,049) swaps the sportive frame for one designed in a wind tunnel and switches to deep-section wheels. It retains the identical groupset. It’s a good demonstration of how Ultegra road bikes dominate the manufacturer's range.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc Ultegra — £4,500

Some people say you should never put a Shimano groupset on an Italian frame. We say you should make up your own mind. The Bianchi Oltre XR3 draws inspiration from the company’s top-end race-ready Oltre XR4, but uses less expensive carbon fibre to hit lower price points. It’s a full Shimano Ultegra groupset too, including brakes. Wheels are Fulcrum’s Racing 7 LG shod with Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slicks in 25mm width. Once he learned that this was a bike to be coaxed to speed not thrashed, tester Stu had a great time with it.

Read our review of the Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc Ultegra

Trek Emonda SL 6 2020 — £1,700

Here’s the 2020 Trek Emonda SL 6, which features the slightly-less-exotic-but-still-light 500 Series OCLV version of Trek's pared-down Emonda platform. It has a full Ultegra transmission plus Trek's own Bontrager direct mount brakes, and the Bontrager Paradigm Tubeless Ready wheels mean going tubeless is just a matter of fitting tubeless tyres.

Giant Defy Advanced 1 2020 — £2,199

Maybe you’ve got your heart set on a road bike with disc brakes? Well, Giant has completely overhauled its Defy endurance/sportive model with disc brakes, and for its £2,199 RRP, the Defy Advanced 1 offers you a carbon fibre frameset, designed to provide a comfortable ride, with a Shimano Ultegra groupset. For 2017, Giant upgraded the brakes to Shimano hydraulics, a significant improvement over the previous mechanical discs, and that spec carries over for 2020. Giant supplies its own-brand finishing kit and tubeless wheels, along with 25mm tubeless tyres.

Liv Avail Advanced 1 2020 – £2,198.99

Giant launched the Liv sub-brand to cater for women cyclists, and the Avail Advanced 1 shares many design features with the Defy, but the company says the carbon layup has been tuned specifically for women. As well as that, the geometry has also been adapted, and Giant has optimised the stem lengths, handlebar width and drop, crank arm lengths and brake lever reach across the size range. It’s similarly equipped, with a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed components and hydraulic disc brakes.

Looking for a bargain? There are still some 2019 versions round at substantially reduced prices.

Specialized Tarmac Disc Expert 2020 – £5,249

The women's version of the Specialized Tarmac received a rave road.cc review and the latest version is as good to ride as it is to look at if you've the money to spare. The latest version has the added stopping confidence of disc brakes. The Tarmac Disc has all the gubbins you'd expect for the money, including neat internally routed cables, a high grade full carbon frameset, tidy wheels and a super plush Oura Pro saddle. The brakes are direct mount, and you also get a set of the Specialized S-Works Turbo tyres in 26mm. The men's SL6 has an iridescent paint job and this is the only colour option for the women's version; but if you like it, then there are few finer Ultegra-equipped carbon race bikes than a Tarmac. We also recently reviewed the men's Tarmac Pro which has some Ultegra parts in there, and it's fair to say we were impressed.

The technically identical 2019 version can be had for quite a lot less, in limited sizes.

Read our review of the Specialized Tarmac SL6 Expert Women's

Look 765 Optimum — ~£3,600

When we tested the Look 765, a sleek and stylish carbon fibre endurance bike, we were very impressed with its performance. Not all carbon frames are made equal: the Look designers have infused this frame with some linen fibres, which in key places (the fork legs and chainstays) is claimed to help dissipate nasty vibrations from ruining the ride quality. It appears to work, there’s very little road buzz through the saddle or handlebar when riding. This bike is finished with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset and the build is completed by way of some Mavic Aksium wheels and matching tyres, in a comfortable 25mm width.

Read our review of the Look 765

Cervelo S3 Ultegra — £3,999

Cervelo's S3 might have been around since 2009, but it’s still regularly the choice of racers and professionals, and in 2013 it received an update so it's still a decent choice. It's a frame, reckoned by some to still be one of the most aero choices, that combines comfort with skinny rear stays, so you can have your aero cake and eat it.

Reilly T325D — £3,399

And finally, to prove there's more to life than bikes made from what titanium pioneer Gary Helfrich used to call "glue and hair" here's a thoroughly modern, and thoroughly lovely UK homegrown titanium bike from Mark Reilly.

Dave Arthur wrote of the original, rim-braked T325 "The Reilly T325 provides a very smooth ride with the sort of handling that will allow sporty types to indulge their performance aspirations. It's fast and very direct. It's a worthy alternative to a carbon fibre race bike."

This latest version takes that heritage and modernises it with a 44mm head tube for a tapered fork, through axle dropouts, flat mounts for disc brakes, and what Reilly calls a Disc Specific Tube-set in butted 3Al/2.5V cold worked titanium.

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