BlackHeart Road Plus Ti Review by Bicycling Magazine: "The Bike Most Dropbar Riders Actually Need"
"The Type of Bike Most Dropbar Riders Actually Need"
Deputy Editor Tara Seplavy tested the Road Plus Ti on rough pavement, dirt roads, and fast group rides. Here are the highlights from her full review.
Bicycling Magazine recently published a full review of the Road Plus Ti, written by Deputy Editor Tara Seplavy — who has tested BlackHeart bikes going back to the original Allroad AL in July 2022. Her verdict: the Road Plus is the bike she's been waiting for this category to produce.
We're grateful for the thorough, honest look Tara gave both Road Plus models, and we wanted to share the key takeaways here. The full review is available to digital subscribers on Bicycling.com.
The Overall Takeaway: Filling the "Fast Forties" Gap
Tara opened the review with a clear position: the Road Plus fills a gap that has existed in the road bike market for years. The category she and the Bicycling test team call "Fast Forties". These are bikes with road geometry, weight, and ride feel, but clearance for 40mm-wide tires has been underserved. Most endurance bikes are either too upright, too comfort-focused, or don't offer meaningfully more tire clearance than a race bike. The Road Plus, in her assessment, gets the balance right.
"The BlackHeart Road Plus is the type of bike most dropbar riders actually need. It's fast and nimble like a good road bike, while also accommodating generously wide tires."
Tara Seplavy, Deputy Editor, Bicycling Magazine
She also noted that BlackHeart's approach to the brand overall stood out, refreshingly free of gimmicks, better-equipped than bikes from larger brands at similar prices, and backed by a level of customer service that bigger companies struggle to match.
Ride Feel: Titanium on Rough Pavement
Tara tested a 60cm Road Plus Ti equipped with SRAM Force AXS XPLR and Hunt Aerodynamicist wheels, weighing in at 19.9 pounds fully loaded with power pedals and a computer mount. For context, she noted that's only about a pound more than a Cervélo Caledonia 5 with Force AXS — notable for a metal bike running 37mm tires.
Her initial impressions were positive but took a couple of rides to fully click. The Road Plus came into its own on the surfaces it was designed for: weather-worn pavement, frost-heaved roads, chip-seal with the occasional dirt detour. On that terrain, she found the bike genuinely excelled — smoothing out the rough edges while staying lively and responsive.
"This bike thrives on weather-worn pavement with cracks, frostheaves, and potholes; the type of roads where a gravel bike is overkill but a race bike can feel under-equipped."
— Tara Seplavy, Deputy Editor, Bicycling Magazine
She attributed the ride character partly to the wide tires, but also to the frame material itself — describing titanium's ride feel as lively and slightly springy, yet smooth in a way that neither aluminum nor carbon quite replicates. She also noted that the Road Plus felt racier than expected, with quick acceleration out of corners and good stiffness when pushing through turns at speed — qualities she traced back to the compact rear triangle and the 31.6mm seatpost.
Brand and Value: How the Road Plus Compares
Tara has reviewed several BlackHeart models over the years and used the Road Plus review to reflect on how the brand has developed. In her view, the Road Plus Ti is the most polished and best-executed BlackHeart she's ridden — a step beyond the Road AL's raw energy and the Allroad Ti's classic simplicity.
She put the value proposition into concrete terms by comparing the Road Plus directly to comparable bikes from Cannondale. A Road Plus AL Core Build at $4,049 comes in just $50 more than a CAAD14 with Rival AXS — but with carbon wheels, a one-piece cockpit, and 42mm tire clearance versus 32mm on the CAAD. On the Ti side, a Force AXS XPLR Road Plus Ti at $6,799 is $300 more than a Shimano Ultegra Di2 Synapse Carbon 2, but adds a power meter, a one-piece carbon cockpit, and wider tire clearance — in titanium.
"The Road Plus Ti is a refined step forward from a brand that isn't even a decade old."
— Tara Seplavy, Deputy Editor, Bicycling Magazine
Standout Details on the Titanium Frame
Seplavy highlighted the 3D-printed elements on the Road Plus Ti as a notable feature — specifically the dropouts, BB shell, and seat tube inserts, which she noted look clean and include integrated fender mounts on the dropouts. These details are part of what separates the Ti from the AL at the frame level, beyond the material itself.
Read the Full Bicycling Magazine Review
Tara's full review goes deeper into geometry, sizing notes, groupset comparisons, and the broader context of where the Road Plus sits in today's road bike market. It's well worth reading. Read the full review on Bicycling.com (available to digital subscribers).
If you have questions about fit, build options, or which version is right for you, feel free to reach out directly — we're always happy to talk you through it: hello@blackheartbikeco.com
