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Salsa Stormchaser ($1,499)
Best for All-Weather Gravel Grinding and CommutingÂ
The Stormchaser is for those who believe there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable equipment. Its single-speed drivetrain won’t fail in sloppy conditions, and Âstainless-steel plates on the fork and chainstays shield against damage from mud-caked tires. Install a set of fenders—and a 1x drivetrain if your commute has bigger climbs—and you have a speedy rig for commuting all year.
Wahoo Kickr Bike ($3,500)
Best for Indoor Training
There’s a reason it costs a grand more than a Peloton: in the growing field of smart bikes, Wahoo’s Kickr Bike stands out for its seamless integration with popular indoor-training apps like Zwift, customizable gearing, and simulated shifting. It automatically adjusts the pedaling resistance to match virtual peaks and valleys. The physical angle of the bike also changes, tilting up and down as you climb and descend to mimic real-world riding. The Kickr Bike is much quieter and, with its large tripod base, more stable than any other smart trainer we’ve tested. The fit is incredibly easy to adjust, too—a big selling point if your household has more than one cyclist. Wahoo’s user-friendly app even lets riders configure the shift levers to replicate the button function of their preferred drivetrain—Shimano, SRAM, or Campagnolo. Those who train regularly indoors will be hard pressed to find anything this engaging.
Trek Farley 9.6 ($3,300)
Best for Snowy Trails
Trek’s Farley family packs a lot of value into four-season fat bikes with a curated mix of components. The 9.6 is our pick for its light carbon frame and fork, reliable SRAM 1×12 drivetrain, and high-volume 27.5×4.5-inch tires, which enable more momentum and better traction on snow than their 26-inch counterparts. With a Âtubeless-ready setup for flat protection, it weighs 27.5 pounds, which is light for the category.