GT

Tachyon Elite Complete Road Bike - 2015

If you're the kind of commuter who regularly takes the circuitous, scenic routes home, or if you're constantly thinking of excuses to ride down to the store or back to the office because you may have forgotten something, then the GT Tachyon Elite Complete Bike is the ride for you.

The Speed Metal of the Tachyon's frame is an aluminum tubing with hydroformed top and down tubes. These tubes are assembled according to GT's iconic Triple Triangle design. Triple Triangle was first introduced 24 years ago and its simple effectiveness hasn't been surpassed to date. The sharper angle of the seatstay means it runs past the seat tube to the top tube, letting GT reinforce the stays, so they're more laterally stiff, and it also distributes road noise and bumps through the frame instead of just porting them straight up the seatpost. So the frame is tough, but the responsiveness of alloy means it can also jump for when you need to make a stoplight or want a touch more speed to merge over so you don't miss your turn.

The components are made to milk the most pleasure possible out of your rides, whether they're commutes to appointments or spins to nowhere in particular. The drivetrain is all Shimano Claris with a dash of Sunrace in the cassette and GT's own peripherals. The wheels are virtually bombproof: Alex Rims' X2200 hoops are mated to Formula hubs with burly, 15-gram stainless steel spokes. Potholes, speed bumps, gravel, and highway detritus don't stand a chance, and the 28 millimeter Kenda Kwest tires are the same girth the pros use for Roubaix, so you know they'll last — and last comfortably. The Tachyon also includes rack and fender eyelets, making it the ultimate accessory-friendly commuter. Whatever you need, it can do.

The GT Tachyon Elite is available in six sizes ranging from 51 to 60 centimeters in the color Pearl White.