Strava’s strength is in its scale: more than 50 million athletes across a number of different sports use the platform to track where they’ve gone, how fast they went there, and how it made them feel. In the process, a digital mountain of data is accumulated – data that can inform advocacy, track active transportation, and improve infrastructure.
But for many users, the use of Strava is less idealistic – people mostly want to track their exercise and know whether they’re getting fitter and faster. And if we’re talking ‘faster’, then equipment matters.
In December, Strava published its annual Year in Sport report, which analysed all of 2019’s activities and presented them in a snappy, easily digestible format. Hidden down in an appendix of that document was a list of the top five fastest bikes on Strava. Somewhat unsurprisingly, these were all triathlon and time trial bikes, but I got to wondering: what were the fastest road bikes of 2019?
So, I asked.
After a fair bit of back and forth over the past couple of months, working out the parameters to filter all of those millions of activities, Strava came through with a list, exclusive to CyclingTips. Many of the bikes featured aren’t all that surprising, but I’m happy to report that there’s at least one fascinating outlier to keep you on your toes.
Let’s dive in.
The parameters
Strava’s data is big, but in this instance, it wasn’t particularly tidy. That is in no way intended as a slight: when you’re dealing with 9.01 billion kilometres of cycling activities from millions of users over an entire year, you have to approach a task like this with broad strokes.
That means paring down all those data points to as usable and clean a list as possible, and removing the things that might skew it. Here’s how we chopped it.
Numbers: For a bike to be counted here, it needed to be ridden by at least 500 distinct users on that model. That may mean there’s a super speedy artisanal aero bike out there that is owned by a select handful of blisteringly fast riders, but you won’t find it in this list.
It also means that each of those users needs to have the bike entered into Strava in the same way. Under the ‘Gear’ section of your Strava settings, when you add a bike you can nominate a publicly shown name, and then below that a brand and a model.
This list shows the brand and model, which eliminates the jokey or bike-theft-resistant names that people might have set for the public profile view of their bikes (‘Black Beauty’, or whatever) and probably gets the actual model name right (albeit with some ambiguities around Specialized versus S-Works, Propel versus Propel Advanced etc.)
There’s no way to filter for which generation of a bike the rider is referring to, so a ‘Specialized Venge’ could conceivably be from any one of three designs that have been given that name over the best part of a decade.
Location: Some places are hilly. Some places are flat. That’ll have an influence, but generally speaking – with one notable exception – that should all come out in the wash, especially on bikes sold globally. Strava also excluded races, commutes, indoor rides and virtual rides from the list, to allow for a truer picture of what a given bike’s performance is in real-world riding conditions.
A note on averages: These are all calculated on ‘median speed’ rather than a mean average. The reasoning behind that from Strava’s end is that it reduces the influence of factors like riders forgetting to stop their activity, putting their bike in the car and driving home post-ride.
Real world numbers
Every road bike manufacturer worth their salt presents a new model with a barrage of claims around how much faster you’ll be over a 40 km time trial at 48.1 km/h and at zero degrees yaw. Which is fine, and maybe even perceptible, but the problem is that most bike manufacturers use their own testing methodologies and maybe even (whisper it) present data in a way that’s as sympathetic to them as possible.
But when you get millions of cyclists out into the real world, you don’t get a slickly optimised view of a bike’s potential brilliance. You have cyclists of different shapes and sizes, contending with terrain and traffic and wind and weather, on whatever bike they’ve paid for out of their own hard-earned money.
From a statistical perspective, that doesn’t make for clean data in a rigorous and aerodynamicist-approved sense. But it sure as hell makes for a fascinating list.
Without further ado, these were the 20 fastest road bikes of 2019 on Strava.
The list
For clarity’s sake, I’ve presented the below as the top 20 distinct models, to remove duplicates of slightly-differently-named bikes. Those are noted in the right-hand column, along with their usually – but not always – similar median speeds.
| Ranking | Bike | Median speed (km/h) | Median speed (mph) | Similar models and median (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canyon Aeroad CF SLX | 25.3 | 15.7 | Canyon Aeroad (same speed) |
| 2 | Ridley Noah SL | 25.1 | 15.6 | Ridley Noah – 24.6 km/h |
| 3 | Specialized S-Works Venge | 25.0 | 15.5 | Venge Pro – 24.8, Venge – 24.8, S-Works Venge – 24.7 |
| 4 | Sensa Romagna | 25.0 | 15.5 | |
| 5 | Orbea Orca Aero | 24.9 | 15.5 | |
| 6 | Specialized Tarmac SL6 | 24.8 | 15.4 | Specialized Tarmac S-Works – 24.7 |
| 7 | Scott Foil 10 | 24.8 | 15.4 | Scott Foil – 24.5 |
| 8 | Cannondale SystemSix | 24.7 | 15.4 | |
| 9 | Canyon Ultimate CF SL | 24.4 | 15.2 | Canyon Ultimate CF – 24,3, Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 – 24.2 |
| 10 | Giant Propel | 24.4 | 15.1 | Giant Propel Advanced – 24.3 |
| 11 | Merida Reacto 5000 | 24.2 | 15.1 | Merida Reacto – 24.1 |
| 12 | Stevens Aspin | 24.2 | 15.0 | |
| 13 | Ridley Fenix SL | 24.2 | 15.0 | |
| 14 | Cervelo S5 | 24.2 | 15.0 | |
| 15 | BMC TeamMachine SLR01 | 24.2 | 15.0 | |
| 16 | Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 | 24.2 | 15.0 | Giant TCR Advanced SL – 23.9 |
| 17 | Argon 18 Gallium Pro | 24.1 | 15.0 | |
| 18 | Pinarello F10 | 24.0 | 14.9 | |
| 19 | Bianchi Aria | 23.9 | 14.9 | |
| 20 | Bianchi Oltre XR4 | 23.9 | 14.9 |
Canyon’s Aeroad CF SLX takes out overall honours as the fastest road bike of 2019. The German brand is on a bit of a streak: we already know from Strava’s 2019 Year in Sport report that the triathlon/TT-oriented Canyon SpeedMax was the fastest bike overall of 2019, with an average speed of 28.8 kph / 17.9 mph.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the road list is dominated by bigger brands that you’ve heard of, with the top three places all held by aero road bikes. Indeed, in the non-filtered list – before I cleaned out the similarly named models – eight of the top 10 were from the aero road bike category, with four of the top 11 being variants of Specialized’s Venge.
That confirms what the industry has been telling consumers for a number of years: that aerodynamics make a difference. Across an entire year’s worth of riding in real-world conditions, aero-inclined road bikes were indeed slightly faster.
Of course, there’s doubtless all sorts of selection bias going on there – faster riders are more likely to value speed and gravitate towards the bikes that might offer them more of it – but as I said earlier, we’re looking at this in broad strokes.
But wait…
As you cast your eye down that list, there’s a bunch of brands that you’re familiar with – and if you’re like me, there’s one that you probably aren’t. In fourth place – faster than a bunch of lighter, more aerodynamically optimised machines – is something called a Sensa Romagna.
I’ll save you the Google search: this is a value-oriented aluminium-framed bike from a Dutch company that in its flashiest build comes with Shimano 105, and retails for between €949 and €1,499. Its tubes are round, its cockpit is non-integrated, and its rims are shallow.
The Romagna’s presence among this illustrious company was a total head-scratcher for me, so I did a bit of digging.
Strava was unable to provide a breakdown of locations that the Romagna was ridden by time of publication, and Sensa didn’t respond to my email, but as far as I can work out – other than a modest handful of dealers in Germany and Belgium – the brand is predominantly sold in the (very flat) Netherlands.
I guess that goes to show that even after billions of kilometres and 365 days of data, you can only go so far in getting to the heart of the matter. Aerodynamics may give a bike an advantage on a range of terrain globally but a cheap and cheerful aluminium bike can still mix it with the best of them – if it is only being ridden on flat roads by 500 or more Dutch people.
FAQs
What is the fastest road bike cycle in the world? ›
If you're hunting for the fastest road bike on the market, you'll struggle to beat the Canyon Aeroad.
What is specialized fastest bike? ›Aero Is Everything. The Allez Sprint is the fastest alloy road bike in history, thanks to the time its sibling, the Tarmac SL7, spent in the wind. It's details like the most complex alloy head tube we've ever made and integrated cables that make it 41 seconds faster over 40km than the previous Allez Sprint.
What is the fastest UCI legal bike available? ›- Material: Carbon Fiber.
- Geometry: Performance Road.
- Price Category: Framesets $3000+. ...
- Components: Rival, Ultegra, Di2 and Fit Werx Custom.
- Who is it for?
Professional cyclists can achieve a 45-MPH top speed on a bike using only raw power to propel themselves over the road, facing the wind. Todd Reichert is the world record-holder for unpaced bikes or bicycles that rely only on leg power, setting a top speed of 82.82 MPH. Competitive cyclists are a different breed.
How fast can a 21 speed cycle go? ›A 21-speed bike can go as fast as 44 mph (70 km/h). But that requires a fit rider and a light bike with good gear ranges.
Which is the top 1 bike in the world in speed? ›What is the #1 fastest bike in the world? The turbine-powered MTT 420-RR is currently the fastest bike in the world with a top speed of 273 mph (439 km/h). Check our list of the fastest bikes in the world to see the full ranking.
What bike goes 200 mph? ›Ducati Superleggera V4: 200 mph
The Ducati Superleggera V4, according to the brand, is the most powerful and technologically advanced motorcycle from the brand.
Ninja ZX-4R SE.
What is the fastest bike brand? ›- 8 Suzuki Hayabusa - 186 mph.
- 7 Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP - 186 mph.
- 6 Yamaha YZF-R1M - 186 mph.
- 5 BMW S 1000 RR - 188 mph.
- 4 Aprilia RSV4 - 191 mph.
- 3 Ducati Panigale V4 R - 198 mph.
- 2 Damon Hypersport Premier - 200 mph.
- 1 Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 249 mph.
The Specialized Turbo combines speed and style through an innovative electric-assist motor, advanced electronics, and sleek design. Capable of a top speed of 28 mph, the Turbo delivers superhuman power to anyone who rides it.
Which bike speed is easiest? ›
Low Gear = Easy = Good for Climbing: The “low” gear on your bike is the smallest chain ring in the front and the largest cog on your cassette (rear gears). In this position, the pedaling will be the easiest and you'll be able to pedal uphill with the smallest amount of resistance.
What is the most powerful street legal bike? ›The Desmosedici Stradale R engine, when in track mode, produces an impressive 240.5 horsepower at 15,500 rpm and has a rev limit of 16,500 rpm in sixth gear. These numbers are exceptional for a mass-produced motorcycle.
What is the fastest bike in the world unofficial? ›What is the fastest production bike ever? The fastest production bike is either the Kawasaki Ninja H2R or the MTT Turbine Superbike Y2K, the latter of which are custom-made. Both bikes have been reported to reach a top speed of 250 mph.
What bikes can go 180 mph? ›- Yamaha YZF-R1M (185.7 MPH) - The Crossplane Monster. ...
- KTM 1290 Super Duke R (186+ MPH) - Hooliganism Prevails. ...
- Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP (186+ MPH) - Japanese Precision. ...
- Suzuki Hayabusa (186+ MPH) - The Iconic Peregrine Falcon Returns In A New Avatar.
Most popular Racing Cycle is Giant Scr 2 2021.
Is 7 speed or 21 speed better? ›7 Speed vs 21 Speed Bikes
In terms of how the number of gears affects the overall ride of the bike, a 21-speed is generally faster with smoother transitions and pedaling. The 7-speed is adequate for most riders, which is why many people choose the slower option.
Just remember that larger gears at the rear mean easier pedalling but more torque, and larger gears at the front mean harder pedalling but more speed.
Can bikes go 40 mph? ›Incidentally, a bicycle in good working order on dry pavement should be able to come to a complete stop from 40 mph (or about 65 km/h) inside of only 30 m or so.
Which bike has helicopter engine? ›The MTT Y2K Turbine Motorcycle, also known as the Y2K Turbine Superbike, is an American motorcycle powered by a turboshaft engine, made by Marine Turbine Technologies since 2000.
What is the highest CC bike in the world? ›The Triumph Rocket 3 is the most powerful motorcycle in production known for its large 2,458 cc three-cylinder engine that makes a massive 165 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 221 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. The torque output is also the highest of any production motorcycle in the world.
What is the fastest 0 to 60 motorcycle? ›
| Make and model | Year (model) | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|
| Yamaha VMAX | 2010 | 2.5 |
| Kawasaki Z1000 | 2014 | 2.5 |
| Kawasaki ZX-12R | 2002 | 2.59 |
| Energica Ego | 2020 | 2.6 |
No one in history has ever put down faster back-to-back runs sitting on a motorcycle. And at the same time, he became the first person to break the 300-mph mark in an FIM sanctioned meet, going 304.969 mph on one run.
Is it possible to bike 200 miles a day? ›"200 miles is a big benchmark to go after for any cyclist, and I think that's the beauty of it," says Conor. "Any cyclist can do this, from their doorstep like we have, go out, big adventure, and make it home in the same day."
Can you go 80 mph on a bike? ›Tom Donhou, a bicycle builder based in Hackney, London, just went 80 mph on a bike. As a point of reference: You or I might hit 30 mph, tops, on a flat surface; a professional might max out at about 45 mph. But to get anywhere over that speed, you need a bike explicitly designed to go really freaking fast.
Which bike is called the beast? ›Joy e-Bike has launched four new electric motorcycles, one of which is called the Beast. The streetfighter, which looks like a carbon copy of the Kawasaki Z250, is priced at Rs 2,42,000.
Which bike is most powerful? ›- 1 MTT 420 RR - 420 horsepower.
- 2 Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 326 horsepower. ...
- 3 Ducati Panigale V4 R - 240.5 horsepower. ...
- 4 Ducati Superleggera V4 - 234 horsepower. ...
- 5 Kawasaki Ninja H2/H2 Carbon - 228 horsepower. ...
- 6 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory - 217 horsepower. ...
The Drifter Motorcycle, also known as the Drifter Bike, is one of the vehicles that Bruce Wayne uses to get around the streets of Gotham City as the Drifter. It is a modified Café racer for made for optimum speed with minimal flare. Based on a Honda cb 750 DOHC.
Can you go 60 mph on a bike? ›It's aerodynamics. Aerodynamic drag increases roughly with the square of your speed, and to get up to 60 mph on a conventional bike, you'd need to produce about 4000 W—which some sprinters can do for a few seconds. So to go anything like that fast, you'd need to be in an aerodynamic HPV.
Can a bike go 20 mph? ›20 mph is easily attainable by anyone who can ride an average adult geared bicycle with a short burst of energy. Sustaining that speed is another story. Sport level enthusiasts average over 15 mph on road bikes. World class athletes average over 25 mph on road bikes, able to sustain it for hours.
What is the top speed of specialized Turbo Levo? ›They're capable of achieving top speeds of 45 Km/h while you pedal, so they'll deliver near superhuman power to any rider.
Which gear is hardest to pedal? ›
High Gear. The high gear is the "hard" gear and is primarily used when descending and sprinting. The high gear is the largest chain ring in the front and the smallest cog on the rear cassette. This achieves the most difficult pedaling position and requires the most force to push the pedals.
What is the best gear ratio for speed bikes? ›For flat places, a ratio of 2.6 to 3.0 is ideal for most people. The lower value of this range, with a cadence of 90 rpm, will allow us to ride around 30km/h, while the upper, 34km/h. If you're just starting out on your adventure on a single speed or fixed gear bike, a gear ratio of around 2.7-2.8 will be ideal.
What is the fastest street bike in America? ›- BMW K1200S. First up on this list is a product of the legendary German automaker, BMW. ...
- Aprilia RSV 1000R Mille. ...
- MV Agusta F4 1000R. ...
- Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R. ...
- BMW S1000RR. ...
- Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird. ...
- Kawasaki Ninja H2R. ...
- MTT Turbine Superbike Y2K.
- Any bike with reasonable handling and 100bhp or more will outrun the cops on roads with plenty of straights, especially if overtaking is required.
- Pretty much any bike will outrun the cops if the pursuit hits heavy traffic or the rider heads onto footpaths where the cops can't follow.
1 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 - United States
These qualities also make it a great bike for use as a police motorcycle. The law enforcement version comes with Harley's air-cooled Evolution engine. For improved performance, the chassis has improved for great cornering stability.
Kawasaki Ninja H2R. The race-only Kawasaki Ninja H2R will catapult you up to 386 km/h.
What is the fastest street bike 0 100 mph? ›| Bike | 0-60 mph | 0-100 mph |
|---|---|---|
| Ducati 1299 Panigale | 3.11 | 5.49 |
| 19+ BMW S1000RR | 3.10 | 5.50 |
| 08-10 Kawasaki ZX-10R | 2.99 | 5.52 |
| 05 Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 3.10 | 5.53 |
Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the World Fastest Bike in the World. The Ninja H2R has the Top Speed of 400 Km/h. It can reach 0 to 100 Kmph in just 2.5 Seconds.
Is it possible to go 50 mph on a bike? ›Going downhill it's very easy to get up to 40 MPH and even into the low 50's, assuming you don't have a headwind. With a strong enough tailwind you could get to 50 MPH on level ground, if you are a strong rider with a good sprint. Steep downhill with a tailwind would allow almost anyone to hit 50 MPH.
Which five motorcycles have a reported topspeed over 150 mph? ›| Make & model | Model years | Top speed |
|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja | 1984–1996 | 151–158 mph (243–254 km/h) |
| Honda VF1000R | 1984–1988 | 150 mph (240 km/h) |
| Laverda Jota | 1976–1981 | 140–146 mph (225–235 km/h) |
| Ducati 900SS | 1975–1982 | 135 mph (217 km/h) |
Is Ninja H2 the fastest bike? ›
The Japanese automaker has released the latest 2023 variant of the H2. It is the fastest and craziest production motorcycle at the moment in the world. Of course, we're referring to the legendary Kawasaki Ninja H2R. The Kawasaki Ninja H2R is a racetrack-only variant of the Ninja H2.
Which bike is faster than Bugatti? ›Koenigsegg Agera RS had upstaged the Bugatti Veyron's top speed as much as the 0-400-0 time record of the Bugatti Chiron.
What is the fastest 1000cc bike? ›1 Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 249 mph
It was fast.
Warner Breaks 300 mph Barrier On Suzuki Hayabusa-Based Motorcycle In Maine - Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.
Which is faster Hayabusa or Ninja H2? ›The R1 and Busa are quick, each hitting their speed limiter with plenty in reserve, but the H2 gets there much faster. From a standing start the H2 will reach its terminal speed almost half-a-mile before the Hayabusa, and cuts the Yamaha's 0-terminal figures in half.
How much horsepower does the 2023 Ninja H2 have? ›At the heart of the 2023 Kawasaki Ninja H2 is a 998cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine that produces an astounding 200 horsepower!
Who can defeat Kawasaki Ninja h2? ›Only the heavily modified, 1,350-horsepower SPE Nissan GT-R proved to be worthy of the out-of-the-crate Ninja H2R, catching and passing the superbike at the . 75-mile marker of the one-mile run. I would give anything to ride shotgun in that thing.
Who can defeat Ninja H2R? ›On the other side, Bugatti Chiron reaches 0-400 kmph in 32.6 seconds and it further throttles till 463 kmph. So, if the finish line is far, the Bugatti Chiron will definitely win the race. Hope this answers your question. Why can not Lamborghini make the fastest car like bugatti chiron?
Can a Kawasaki Ninja H2R beat a Bugatti? ›In a 1/2 mile race on an airstrip, a Kawasaki Ninja H2R motorcycle went head-to-head against a Bugatti Veyron. The Kawasaki not only kept pace, but beat the $1 million 1200hp supercar.
Which is the most powerful bike in the world? ›- 1 MTT 420 RR - 420 horsepower.
- 2 Kawasaki Ninja H2R - 326 horsepower. ...
- 3 Ducati Panigale V4 R - 240.5 horsepower. ...
- 4 Ducati Superleggera V4 - 234 horsepower. ...
- 5 Kawasaki Ninja H2/H2 Carbon - 228 horsepower. ...
- 6 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory - 217 horsepower. ...