Planet X London Road SRAM SX Flat Bar

When the riding is smooth, speed comes down to resistance and weight, and that's what this rating emphasizes. It trends this way because of all-round road tires that balance speed and comfort, an aero-leaning setup that reduces drag at higher speeds, and a more budget-friendly drivetrain that focuses on value. On typical routes, it tends to feel slower when you try to hold a high tempo.

On steep roads, it comes in at 6.6/10. Within Road bikes, this comes out above average. The low gear should feel friendly on most hills. Your easiest gear lands around 18.4 gear inches. It’s about as easy as it gets in its peer group — easier than roughly ~99% of similar bikes. “Gear inches” sounds nerdy, but it’s just a quick way to describe how easy your lowest gear is to turn uphill. Lower usually means easier. You’ll be able to keep a steady spin even when it gets steep. Build kits can differ by size and spec level, and not every detail is published by every brand, so use this as a practical guideline.

On the general road side of things, aero-wise, at 5.8/10, it’s a practical middle ground so it works well across lots of riding. What that means on the road is: it’s a balanced middle ground: some streamlining, but not an extreme aero setup. The fit looks fairly neutral, so aerodynamics depends more on the overall design and components than on an extreme position. Different brands share different amounts of detail, so this uses the most consistent cues that are available. It’s a middle-ground feel: not the fastest possible in the wind, but not holding you back either.

Balanced fit - a middle ground between comfort and speed. That's driven by the bar sits about 113 mm below the saddle (a large drop), and you'll be stretched forward about 558 mm in total (long). Plan for roughly 41 degrees of lean.

That is why it is in the Adjustable bucket. What drives the fit flexibility here: Standard cockpit parts make it simpler to fine-tune your position over time - Less routing complexity makes swaps and adjustments more practical.

Comfort comes out to 5.0/10, which usually translates to a fairly neutral ride. That’s why it’s labeled Balanced. It’s running about 32 mm tires on 700c wheels, and there’s a bit of cushion, but it still rides fairly direct on rough pavement on chipseal and broken pavement. The posture is race-leaning (posture 7/10, torso ~41°), which puts more weight forward, so you notice more feedback through the hands and saddle.

This looks like a great buy for the spec on paper. The value score is 1–10. Higher means better value for money; lower means the price is high for what you get. Uses MSRP as a baseline; real-world prices can be lower (discounts can change the value). Based on the parts list, it’s roughly 38% cheaper than what similar builds typically cost. Among comparable bikes, it sits around the middle on price (cheaper than about 65% of listings). Quick reference: €1.034 listed versus about €1.661 for a comparable build. Put simply: this is strong value for what’s included.

This setup is made for real-world roads with cracks and patches. Tires around 32 mm add comfort and grip when the road surface breaks up. The wheel setup (700c) supports that direction.