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You’re guaranteed to get some curious looks from other cyclists when riding a brand new road bike painted in the livery and wearing the components of a notable Tour de France team in the French Pyrenees in early July. And the eyes are seemingly amplified when you’re wearing a matching team color helmet on your head. It’s also a conversation starter at cafes with non-cyclists who are fans of bike racing, and the bike gets you friendly beeps and waves from drivers of team support cars.
While the professionals were busy racing the first week of the men’s Tour de France, I was on the second leg of a trip to the nearby region. Following a weeklong vacation in Toulouse, I headed to the mountains for a few days of riding on the same roads the Tour would travel over during stages five and six. And it posed a rare opportunity to test a pro-team race bike in its natural habitat, including riding a sprint stage and an ascent of the Tourmalet.
Picking the Bike
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UCI Article 1.3.006 states, “Equipment shall be of a type that is sold for use by anyone practicing cycling as a sport.” The rule also says that gear must be available for sale within twelve months of its first use in a race. That means the bikes, components, and accessories used by racers in the Tour de France are publicly available. So, if you want to spend the money, you can purchase and use the same bikes used by Tour de France racers.
The twenty-three teams in the 2026 men’s Tour de France race on frames from twenty different bicycle brands. These race bikes are assembled with components from three manufacturers: thirteen with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, nine with SRAM Red AXS, and one with Campagnolo Super Record 13. They roll on wheels bearing sixteen separate marks, wrapped in tires from seven companies. And the athletes ride the Tour’s over 2,000 miles on saddles from six makers.
It’s a lot of potential complete bicycle permutations.
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The parts assembled, and awaiting installation on the Evo.
However, when narrowing down my bicycle choices for this adventure, my list of must-have requirements was short. The frameset must be used by a UCI pro team racing the 2026 Tour de France (men’s and women’s) and be commercially available to riders in the U.S. Additionally, while not a strict must-have, my preference was for bikes equipped with SRAM drivetrains and using Fizik saddles.
This quickly cut the list down to two potential bikes: Canyon’s Aeroad CFR (raced by Movistar) or the Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 (used by the EF Education team). Knowing I was comfortable riding the latest generation Evo, I opted for the bright pink-painted Lab71 frame raced by the American-registered team.
To mirror the components and accessories used by the EF Education-EasyPost (men’s) and EF Education-Oatly (women’s) pro squads, I assembled the SuperSix Evo frameset with a full SRAM Red AXS groupset, Vision Metron RS 45 wheels, Vittoria Corsa Pro 30mm tires, and a Fizik Tempo Aliante R1 One-to-One custom saddle.
Further matching the details on the EF Education team bikes, I installed Vittoria’s Air-Liner Light foam inserts in the tires and wrapped the Cannondale one-piece bar with Fizik tape. I also used tubeless valve stems from Muc-Off, Elite carbon bottle cages, as well as Wahoo’s Speedplay pedals and Elemnt head unit.
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Building a bike from the frame up is an excellent way to get a peek at your bike’s details.
The only notable differences between the bike I built and the listed specifications of the EF Education bikes were my choice of gearing and the specific bar and bottom bracket. Since I do not have professional-level fitness or speed, I opted for SRAM’s 50/37-tooth chainrings over the 54/41T combo the team often rides. Additionally, I used Cannondale’s round-profile SystemBar Road SL and a SRAM Dub BB equipped with standard bearings (as the aero-profile bar and ceramic bearing BB were unavailable in sizes I required for the bike).
Complete and ready to ride, the 58cm bike weighed in at 15.4 pounds. The bike, as equipped, would cost more than $15,900. With a ceramic bottom bracket, titanium bolts, and custom-fabricated touches, the total retail value probably nudges $17,000.
To further enhance my team replica riding experience, I also acquired the EF Pro Team Edition POC Cytal Mips helmet, Core 2 body temperature sensor, and Wahoo heart rate monitor used by team riders. For riding the Tourmalet, I wore bibs and a jersey by EF team sponsor, Assos. As I did not have a team-issue Assos speedsuit, I substituted a pink KruisCX skinsuit (from the last road team I raced with in 2024) for riding a Tour stage. I also ate and drank EF team sponsor Amacx nutrition on these rides. Additionally, I used a Wahoo Trackr Radar, as well as a Knog Blinder headlight and an Oi Prima bell for my rides in France.
Parts and Accessories
Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR Tires, 700x30c
Now 12% Off
Muc-Off Tubeless Valves V2
Wahoo Fitness Elemnt Roam V3
Now 5% Off
Elite Leggero Carbon Bottle Cage
Fizik Vento Microtex Tacky Bar Tape
Now 27% Off
Riding the EF Bike
POOL LUCA BETTINI//Getty Images
The bike I built closely matches the Cannondales raced by the EF Education team.
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for race bikes. These bicycles have a certain aura; they’re refined but also raw. Regardless of cycling discipline—whether for road, gravel, or mountain bike competition—I find myself drawn to the engineering and design of bicycles designed for speed and performance at the top level of the sport. And even if I don’t like the aesthetics of a particular bicycle, I am often intrigued by the details of how engineers, product managers, and mechanics solve problems to make a race bike lighter, stiffer, or faster.
Over the past two years, I’ve ridden a handful of elite, WorldTour-proven road bike chassis. Among them are the Cervélo S5 (raced by Visma-Lease a Bike), Trek Madone (Lidl-Trek), Scott Foil RC (NSN Cycling Team), and Pinarello Dogma F (Netcompany Ineos and Pinarello-Q36.5). I’ve also ridden the current and previous generations of Cannondale SuperSix Evo. In addition to these aero-optimized platforms, I’ve also tested a pair of lightweight models sometimes employed on climbing stages by pro teams, including the Scott Addict RC and Cervélo’s R5 (raced to Tour de France Femmes victory in 2025 by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot).
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Is riding a team replica bike as fun as it sounds?
While several of those bicycles were equipped with top-shelf parts, none matched the specifications of the bikes ridden by their respective professional squads as closely as the EF Education replica SuperSix Evo I assembled. However, as I discovered from riding the Evo for nearly 900 miles, WorldTour bicycles aren’t necessarily the best choice for daily rides by non-elite-level racers.
The demands of non-elite cyclists are distinctly different from those of WorldTour racers. And while we may like to ride fast, hunt QOMs and KOMs on local climbs, and compete with friends for townline sprints, it’s our passion, not our livelihood. And even if you train and race at a top amateur level, your actual needs are probably more closely aligned with non-racing road cyclists than the few hundred professional racers performing at the sport’s top tier.
As previously stated in my reviews of the fifth-generation SuperSix Evo, the platform is overall outstanding, and it’s one of my favorite road race bikes currently available. Although it isn’t as aerodynamically slippery as some of the hyperbikes on the market (such as the S5 or Colnago Y1Rs) or as feathery as a climbing bike (like the R5 or Addict RC), the SuperSix Evo is a great all-arounder—it can be built to the UCI minimum weight for big climbs, sufficiently fast for long-range breakaways, and stiff enough for bunch sprints.
Like other similarly styled road race bikes (such as the Aeroad CFR and Specialized’s Tarmac SL9), the Evo does everything well enough that you don’t need to have multiple bikes in your quiver for individualized tasks. And while EF team riders have yet to nab a stage win thus far in the men’s Tour, American Sean Quinn and Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz sit in the top twenty overall standings, with Carapaz in third in the KOM ranking. So, the SuperSix Evo is a sufficiently fast vehicle.
On the smooth roads of Southwest France, the team-replica Evo felt smooth and efficient. As I recounted in my tale of riding stage 5 of this year’s men’s Tour, I rode a quick pace over the first half of the route. My undoing on that ride had nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with the hot temperatures.
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Before heading to France, I rode the Evo for about two weeks on my local roads.
Similarly, when riding the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin, the SuperSix Evo certainly did not negatively impact my rides on these two famous climbs. I doubt my elapsed times to reach the summit of either of these mountains would be substantially faster (or slower) on any of the other twenty-two Tour de France teams’ bikes. And had I run actual pro-size gearing, I honestly don’t believe I would have finished the climbs without walking.
Riding on the well-worn pavement near Bicycling’s Easton, Pennsylvania office, the Evo Lab71 felt quick and snappy. It is fast, though not as numbingly rapid as the S5 or Foil RC over the same roads. Like the SRAM Force-equipped Evo 1 I previously tested, the EF replica bike is more forgiving over the numerous cracks, potholes, and sections of broken asphalt than those aero-optimized machines. And while the Lab71 version seems to have slightly more pep when accelerating or sprinting than the high-modulus Evo variant, I’m unsure if it is actually a quantifiable benefit, or if the EF bike’s bright pink paint makes me happier and more energetic than the Evo 1’s platinum color finish.
We Aren’t Pros
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An advantage of building a bike from the frame up is the ability to select your personal component sizes.
Last year, after taking a break for a couple of years due to injuries, a former professional road racer I know was looking to get back into riding. He knew exactly what he wanted, so he bought it. Yet despite his wins and success in races, it was the first time in many years that he actually chose the bike he rides.
That’s the biggest downside of riding for a professional team; you have little say over the bike and gear you ride. You can get your fit dialed, and often select component sizes or styles from the team’s suppliers. But unless you’re one of the sport’s top stars drawing in the sponsor’s dollars, you probably won’t get much say in the equipment brands or choices.
So, if you’re picky about your equipment or have strong affinities for particular brands, you might not be super-psyched by what you’re given. Luckily, at the top level, the frames and components generally ride extremely well regardless of the brand.
Fortunately, most of us aren’t pros, and when you purchase your own equipment, you get to decide what to ride. If you want a particular brand’s shifting system, buy a bike with that group, not the one you don’t like. Have your favorite saddle? Then install it on your bike. You can even choose the color of bike and kit that pleases you, not the one that fits some team’s marketing plan.
I encountered this issue when building up the Evo. While I largely stuck to my plan of riding only the EF Education team sponsor’s equipment, I ultimately made a component swap before heading to France. After two weeks of trying to get used to riding Speedplay pedals, I wasn’t comfortable using them, so I changed back to my trusted Shimano SPD-SLs. The Speedplays aren’t bad pedals; many pros ride and win on them, but they’re not my preferred system.
Along the same line, I don’t particularly love the Vision Metron RS wheels. Like the Speedplay pedals, I don’t think the wheels are bad—Vision supplies wheels to more teams than any other brand in this year’s Tour de France—they simply aren’t my cup of tea. The Metron RSs don’t feel as planted in the corners as some other wheels I’ve ridden, and this somewhat reduced my confidence when descending. If building a personal Evo Lab71, I’d probably go with the Reserve 42|49 TA wheelset. They’re 100 grams heavier than the Metrons, but feature stainless steel spokes and have a 2mm wider internal width.
Should You Buy A Team Bike
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT//Getty Images
Unlike the pros, we don’t get team cars to assist us on rides.
Unless you earn your keep as an elite racer in the pro peloton, you absolutely do not need an actual team bike. And most riders probably shouldn’t rush out to purchase an exact team replica either.
The reason for this is straightforward: practicality. Most of us are not riding at an average pace of 28 mph over more than 100 miles for multiple days, so we need to prioritize our riding comfort. If we cannot push pro-sized gears on our local hills, we select a gear range that works for us. Similarly, many of us want wider tires, more upright geometry, or attachment points for accessories than you get from top-tier WorldTour bikes.
However, if you enjoy fast road race bikes and want a pro replica model, then go for it. It’s your money, spend it in ways that make you happy. If a pro bike scratches that itch for you, who is anyone to say it’s a bad idea? Bicycles equipped with top-shelf components and optimized to go fast, very rarely ride poorly.
A notable disadvantage of a team replica bike is the price. Assembling a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Lab71 frameset with the parts used by the EF Education team will cost you upwards of $16,000; an in-line Evo Lab71 SL—Cannondale’s flagship Evo model—is $13,500. Do you want to spend $2,500 more for a pink-painted bicycle that weighs more than the standard model?
If owning a team-replica bike is a desire, or if you want different components than those offered on the stock model, then it’s probably your best route.
Other Learnings
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The POC Cytal has great ventilation.
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Tire liners are tough to install, but effective.
I experienced some seatpost creaking after assembling the Evo. When reconfirming torque-spec details, I noticed the note regarding the assembly procedure. Remember to read the fine print, kids.After snapping a bolt head the last time I traveled to Europe with a bike, I brought a torque wrench with me to France to assemble the Evo and check bolts.When descending the Tourmalet, the bike made an unexpected “pop” sound under hard braking. Upon returning to my hotel, I checked the frame and fork, then I tightened the headset, axles, seatpost, and other bolts to their correct torque specification. While the sound didn’t happen again, I wasn’t as confident descending the Col d’Aspin the following day. My best guess is that something in the front wheel made a noise that amplified through the bike.Although the Vittoria Air-Liners are difficult to install, I have not experienced a flat tire in almost 900 miles of riding. (Knock on wood.)The POC Cytal Mips helmet looks and fits a little large on my head, but it vents surprisingly well. Even on the hottest days of “la canicule” (heatwave) in early July, I felt comfortable in the Cytal.Member Exclusive: Check Out Our Top Cycling Stories
As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.