ur pick of the best cheap road bikes available and guide to how to choose
The best cheap road bikes can offer you miles of smiles without costing the earth, even though some of the best road bikes can cost thousands. If you’re starting out on your cycling journey, or looking for the best commuter bike, then you probably don’t want to spend a fortune.
If there’s one thing the bike trade loves, it’s a bit of ‘trickle down technology’. This simply means that features found on top end bikes will be available on mid-range models the next year, and eventually on cheap bikes.
Cycling Weekly’s test team has had the opportunity to put hundreds of bikes through their paces – with price tags from $300 / £250 right up to $12,000+ / £10,000+ – so we know a good, inexpensive bike when we ride one.
We’ve rounded up our favourite best cheap road bikes – but read further on the page for an explanation of what to expect at each price point from £500 up to £1499.
You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
SPECIFICATIONS
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The Allez bike range from Specialized is one of the best selling bikes in the industry, and at last review we awarded this model a near perfect 4.5 stars. The Allez Sport is in the middle of the three bike range.
Designed with ‘balanced’ geometry, its ride position is comfortable enough but you can slam the stem for a more aggressive ride. In fact this is a bike that’s versatile enough to handle a fast club run, a commute to work and plenty of winter miles too, although we found the ride a little harsh.
The aluminium frame features the brand’s ‘SmoothWeld’ tech keeping the joins neat. The dropped stays and internal cable routing give it a contemporary ‘race’ look while the stack height and chainstay length point more towards comfort and stability – which makes a great deal of sense for any entry-level road bike. On review we found the Allez Sport inspired confidence thanks to its assured handling.
The carbon FACT fork helps to smooth out the ride while also helping to reduce weight – the Allez tips the scales at just over 9kg. The fork also features mudguard eyelets, helping further add to the bike’s commuter and four-season credentials.
Elsewhere you have Shimano’s tried-and-tested 9-speed Sora groupset sitting in a threaded bottom bracket shell. The compact chainset is paired with an 11-32t cassette, which provides a nice wide range. Tackling steep climbs and rolling quickly along the flats are both achievable here.
At this price point there are always compromises and on the Allez Sport these come in the form of the own-brand Axis 1.0 rim brakes. On review we found their performance to be lacklustre and took downhills carefully. That said, the brake pads or even the entire callipers can be easily upgraded and it’s a change that the superb Allez frameset warrants.
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