Which X-LAB bike? Six models compared, and where you can buy one

The six bikes side by side

The names describe the job: AD for aero road, RS for road from the aluminium RS5 upwards, RT9 for climbing and GT8 for gravel. These are the US list prices on the international site on 3 November 2026, before tax and delivery, with an official weight only where its basis matches that build:

• RS5: $1,399. Aluminium frame and carbon fork, mechanical Shimano 105 with a power-meter crankset, 38 mm tire clearance, 9.54 kg in size L.
• RS7: from $2,099. Carbon frame, the same 105 groupset and power-meter crankset, carbon wheels and a one-piece carbon cockpit, 32 mm, 8.49 kg in size L. A 105 Di2 version is listed without a price.
• GT8: $3,199, frameset $1,999. Shimano GRX Di2 1×12, 55 mm, frame storage and mounts on the top tube, down tube and both fork legs, 8.78 kg claimed in size M.
• AD8: $4,499. Aero frame with Shimano 105 Di2, 32 mm. The 7.6 kg we record is the mainland China build in size M; we have no international weight.
• AD9: $7,999, frameset $2,999. Dura-Ace Di2, Toray T1100 carbon, 32 mm, 6.82 kg in size L.
• RT9: $9,150, frameset $3,499. Dura-Ace Di2, 30 mm, 6.20 kg in size L. The official mainland China figure for the bare frame is 550 g, unpainted, in size M.

Where the extra money goes

Two steps in the range stand out. From the RS5 to the RS7, $700 buys a carbon frame, carbon wheels and about 1 kg less in size L, but tire room shrinks from 38 to 32 mm. From the AD8 to the AD9, $3,500 buys Dura-Ace and, by X-LAB's figures, a T1100 carbon frame instead of T800 with M40X; the 32 mm tire limit stays the same.

If you want road tires wider than 32 mm, only the RS5 takes them, up to 38 mm. Anything wider is the GT8's job. The RT9 makes the opposite trade: for $1,151 more than the AD9 it is 0.62 kg lighter in size L, on a 550 g frame, but it has the narrowest tires in the range at 30 mm and only four sizes.

Outside the US, the seller is the problem, not the price

X-LAB's warranty covers bikes bought from an authorized XDS retailer or distributor listed on its global website. In the US that means its dealers or the online store; the RS5 page, for example, offers free shipping to the contiguous states. The global distributor list named 21 countries and regions on 3 November 2026, among them Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Norway and Switzerland, but none in the UK, the EU or Canada.

A buyer in those markets therefore has two imperfect routes: wait, or buy from an authorized seller abroad and accept that a frame claim may mean sending the bike back to that seller. The warranty says labor, shipping and service fees may apply. A July 2026 review reported UK and European sales planned for early 2027 at the soonest; X-LAB's own pages gave no date. The European buying guide explains the import charges to add.

Size ranges and cockpit swaps differ by model

The RT9 comes in four sizes, XS to L, and one reviewer put its largest at about the size of a 56 cm Specialized Aethos, so tall riders can run out of sizes. The AD8, AD9 and RS5 run from XS to XL, the RS7 and GT8 from XS to XXL. At the small end, another review found the RS5's smallest size too big for two riders just under average women's height.

Only the AD9 and RT9 pages offer a free cockpit size swap after purchase, through an authorized dealer. On the AD8, RS5, RS7 and GT8, other cockpits are paid options; one reviewer was told the RS5's one-piece alloy cockpit costs US$375. Because the AD8, AD9, RS5 and RS7 have integrated or semi-integrated cockpits, a later change can also need new cable or hose lengths. The official pages cover cockpits, not crank length, so settle crank length before the bike is built.

The lifetime warranty needs registration within 90 days

The lifetime cover for frames, rigid forks and the structure of Branta carbon rims applies to the original owner only if the bike is registered within 90 days of purchase; otherwise it falls back to two years. Bars, stems, seatposts, Branta alloy wheels and paint have two years, and a second owner gets two years on the frame and fork. These terms apply to purchases from 1 January 2026.

Racers should read the exclusions: they include “commercial, rental, fleet, or competitive use (unless otherwise specified)”, as well as crashes, improper assembly, cosmetic issues, wear items including spokes, and third-party parts such as Shimano groupsets, which their own makers cover.

What reviewers found

One review found the RT9's carbon-spoked wheels very harsh on rough roads, while the same frame rode smoothly on alloy wheels; its first-batch frame finish also marked easily, and X-LAB said later frames use a tougher clear coat. The RS5 tested had small paint defects and wheels that were not tubeless-ready. None of these reviews tested the included power meters for accuracy. If you ever need to claim, the warranty evidence checklist shows what to keep.

Mainland China is a separate catalog

In our August to October 2026 checks, XDS's official mainland China store listed the AD8, AD9, RS8 and RS9, the RT8 and RT9 framesets, the DAWNBREAKER triathlon bike and XDS-branded models such as the AD500. On 27 October it did not list the RS5 or RS7. Builds differ by market too: the international AD9 weighs 6.82 kg in size L, the mainland China build we record 7.2 kg in size S. Each model page keeps the markets apart.