No longer is owning one of the best budget road bikes a compromise, or a sign you didn't have the cash to splash. Modern bicycles are generally very good and offer strong performance and quality without breaking the bank, if you know where to look.
Sure, it's nice to own one of the best road bikes, but they are becoming exponentially more expensive every year, and in some cases, the returns are diminishing. However, if you’re looking for a road bike that won’t break the bank, don’t despair. The expert team here at Cycling Weekly has ridden a wide range of keenly priced road bikes, testing them over various distances and terrain to assess their performance.
From this testing, we found there to be two clear contenders for the top spot and our coveted best overall. While all the bikes in this guide are under £1800/$2400, we understand that everyone's definition of 'budget' is slightly different, depending on where you are coming from. What is an 'affordable' bike these days anyway?
So, our best overall for under £1000/$1400 is the Triban RC520 for its unmatched value. The winner of our recent group test was the Giant Contend SL, tested alongside four road bikes priced under £1800/$2400, and it offers strong performance and value despite being slightly more expensive.
The Quick List
Decathlon has built such astonishing value into the Triban 520 that it is awe-inspiring. That is on top of a bike that ticks a lot of boxes and is an excellent all-rounder.
The Contend SL from Giant keeps things simple, as budget road bikes should, and in doing so, has ticked a lot of boxes.
The Allez Sport is a good stepping stone on the road to a full-fat race bike; it's exciting and engaging, but great for those who need a little more practicality.
Boardman is a small UK brand that has to try harder to stand out. In doing so, it has knocked it out of the park with the SLR, cramming so much value.
The Domane AL range offers numerous practicalities, ample tyre clearance, and looks fantastic. However, it is a bike that lacks a bit of zest compared to other budget options.
Another bike where the frameset is the star, the CAAD Optimo is a well-rounded offering and proves that rim brakes aren't dead just yet.
The best budget road bikes 2022
Best under £1000
The Triban 520 offers a great value package including Shimano 105 shifting and disc brakes
Rebranded and redesigned, the aluminium frame now comes with a carbon bladed fork. The Triban 520 has also switched to disc brakes in the form of TRP's well regarded HY/RD mechanical offerings. And amazingly, for a bike of this price, you also get Shimano 105.
The frame's geometry places the 520 clearly in the endurance/commuter/light tourer camp. Think generous stack height and shorter top tube. If you're looking to get 'long and low' then this probably isn't the bike for you. However, if you favour comfort and stability over speed and need a bike that can handle the trifecta mentioned above then the 520 is well worth further consideration.
Its credentials as a solid all-rounder are deepened by both the tire clearance and the rack and mudguard mounts. The bike comes equipped with 28mm tyres. However there's room for up to 36mm of rubber should you want to hit the bridleways or dirt roads or fancy attempting an audax ride or two when comfort is paramount. Add guards (fenders) and a pannier rack and the 520 is ready for daily commute duties or some multi-day touring. Versatile indeed.
As mentioned earlier the bike's greatest asset might just be that 105 groupset. However it's worth noting that this isn't a full 105 set-up. To help keep costs down Decathlon has opted for a Shimano RS510 chainset and a Microshift cassette. While they'll add a little weight they shouldn't adversely affect performance. As for the gearing you get a compact 50/34t chainset paired with an 11-32t cassette. The result is a decently low gear that helps negate some of the bike's weight when climbing the steep stuff.
Read our full Triban RC520 road bike review
Best overall
In a market dominated by carbon and Direct-to-consumer brands, the Giant Contend SL 1 highlights the value of a well-made alloy road bike. Retailing for well under £2k/$2.4 and weighing 9.5 kg, I found it offers good value specs, solid performance, and versatility.
Built on a Giant ALUXX SL-grade alloy frame with a full carbon fork, it has a balanced geometry suited for both sporty and endurance riding. It’s quick but stable thanks to a well-balanced 412 mm chainstay, and the Overdrive steerer offering precise steering input, although that does make feedback noticeable on rougher roads. Shimano’s 105 12-speed groupset handles shifting smoothly, and the non-series chainset is adequate. Hydraulic brakes with Giant rotors offer sharp stopping.
The tubeless-ready P-R2 wheels, paired with Gavia Fondo 2 28mm tyres, are durable yet not overly plush, offering a clear opportunity for upgrades. The composite D-Fuse seatpost smooths out road buzz; however, the saddle, Giant’s Approach, may not be ideal for everyone due to its slightly more traditional long shape.
What makes the Giant stand out is, without a doubt, its lively and playful handling, especially once the front is lowered; I found it remains stable on descents and through tight corners, without kicking back if you get it wrong. Overall, the Contend SL 1 shows you don’t need carbon to enjoy riding.
The Contend SL 1 was part of a four-value road bike group test under £1800/$2400
Best for a sportier feel
The Allez Sport features a Tiagra 10-speed mechanical groupset and a multitude of in-house components, similar to those found on the Domane. However, that is where the similarities end. The Allez name carries a legacy of high-performance road bikes, and this model truly lives up to it.
Specialized has expertly tweaked the Roubaix geometry to create a balanced, fun, and eager ride. A slightly shorter wheelbase makes it feel significantly more responsive and direct than the Trek, despite similar trail values. While it may not be as sharp as the Allez Sprint or older versions, it serves as a great stepping stone to a more responsive bike or an excellent choice for those seeking excitement with added practicality.
Overall, the Allez Sport’s well-judged handling and vibrant colour scheme make it a more engaging and special ride compared to the Trek.
The Allez Sport was part of a four-value road bike group test under £1800/$2400
Best value
It is hard to ignore the Boardman SLR 9.0's looks! It certainly features a lot of high-end features, and with it, the looks as well. The full carbon frame, fork, and steerer, along with that stunning off-white to metallic black fade, really caught my eye.
The value in the specification is somewhat mind-blowing. The Prologo Scratch M5 saddle felt spot on, and those GoodYear Sport 30mm tan-wall tyres are standouts – I had absolutely no punctures in any conditions. The Alex wheelset looked the business, remained true, and spun smoothly throughout testing. Additionally, they're tubeless-ready, which is a significant advantage.
I found the D-shaped seat post to be really compliant, and the two lay-back options were a nice touch, which you rarely see in more budget offerings. The cable routing is done via a two-piece cockpit with a fairing, which is a decent compromise, offering flexibility without hindering the smooth action of the Shimano 105 mechanical groupset. This reminded me how excellent modern mechanical shifting is.
Despite its racy looks, I was pleased to find a wealth of practicality, with cleverly concealed mudguard mounts and extra bottle bosses. The ride quality was spot on, no jarring at all, and out-of-the-saddle efforts felt solid. While the handling was a tad neutral in terms of feedback, it was never boring – perfect for a spin with friends or chasing a sportive PB. The SLR 9.0 attempts to accomplish a multitude of tasks, and it does so with little fuss.
The Boardman SLR 9.0 was part of a four-value road bike group test under £1800/$2400
Best all-road
The Trek Domane AL4 proves itself as a competent bike, excelling in reliability, practicality, and comfort for long sportives or slightly more adventurous rides. From a tester's perspective, it's Shimano 10-speed Tiagra groupset and ample mounting points underscore its readiness for diverse journeys.
Handling feels self-assured and straightforward, instilling confidence, particularly for those expanding their horizons in road cycling. Many components are reliable Bontrager in-house brands, including a bombproof wheelset and incredibly durable tyres. That said, a future upgrade to premium tyres and wheels could significantly enhance the ride feel. I was surprised by the well-padded, contemporary saddle, which perfectly complements the bike's upright riding position, improving comfort.
You have to pinch yourself from time to time to remind yourself this is a budget road bike, given the Domane's premium look. However, the integrated cable routing presents a puzzling design flaw, resulting in excessive friction and complicating the initial setup.
Despite this, once I got it all set up, it's a very competent, practical, and good-looking bike, easy to live with and enjoy across various settings. It’s a steady, solid choice for building confidence or embarking on long adventures.
The Domane AL4 was part of a four-value road bike group test under £1800/$2400
Best with rim brakes
A solid all-round road bike for those on a budget
The Optimo 4 is an entry level aluminum road bike that’s well suited to those who are buying their first drop bar road bike or for any cyclist operating on a tight budget.
It’s built around a frame that uses Cannondale’s SmartForm tech, which is designed to balance strength and weight, with the addition of a carbon fork to hopefully reduce some of the road chatter. There are dropped seat stays here too, again used to add some compliance. In reality, the ride quality was pretty firm, and you’re getting plenty of feedback on all but the smoothest surfaces.
As for the geometry, the stack and reach are a good match for newer road cyclists, being relatively high and short to allow for a more upright riding position. Tyre clearance is pretty tight, due in part to the use of rim brakes. The inability to fit tyres wider than about 25mm also impacts the level of comfort, as do the tyres themselves; Vittoria Zaffiros are good at preventing punctures but sit on some relatively heavy alloy rims and their lack of suppleness is apparent.
It’s the style of brake that’s likely to put many off the Optimo, especially as discs are now pretty much standard across all road bikes. Unsurprisingly we found the brakes here lacked the power of discs, but weren’t by any means squishy.
To help keep the price down, the Optimo 4 is equipped with an 8-speed groupset comprising Shimano Claris shifters, mechs and cassette with a 50/34 FSA Tempo crankset. We found that the shifting was crisp throughout our review period but there were significant jumps between the gears, which at times played havoc with our cadence. However this might not be such an issue for less-experienced cyclists, especially if the bulk of the riding is done on flatter roads.
How we test
It is our dedicated team of testers here at Cycling Weekly, whose job is to review a wide range of cycling products and write objective reviews based on their daily experiences with them in various conditions.
With extensive experience, they're well-placed to compare products, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and provide you with an honest and unbiased assessment of how they perform.
During our testing of the best budget road bikes, we undertake rides of varying lengths and conditions. Typically, these routes will include a variety of flat, rolling, and hilly terrain, along with a mix of road surfaces: from smooth (ish) tarmac to more broken and pitted roads; if the bike allows it from time to time, a little further off the blacktop too. Our testers assess the performance of each bike across several factors, including comfort, handling, and the bike's suitability for long-distance riding or shorter-duration racing. The durability of the components and the bike's overall value for money are also considered, with a particular focus on the latter.
If you would like to find out more about the Cycling Weekly team and How We Test products, visit our dedicated guide.
Meet the testers
Andy was the founder of Spoon Customs, where he spent ten years designing and building some of the world's most sought-after custom bikes. In that time, Andy collected plenty of five-star reviews of his own. Making Andy well placed to understand what makes a good road bike, regardless of price. Andy can see well beyond the specification chart, offering unique insight into a bike's handling character.
As an ex-professional, only stopped by his long-COVID diagnosis, Joe has had to find performance on any bike he's asked to ride, or he could afford at the time. While he is now only a contributor and not a full-time team member, Joe has tested and continues to ride some of the fastest bikes in the world. He's one of the few cycling journalists who've ridden bikes professionally, so he absolutely knows how to put a bike through its paces.
How to choose the best cheap road bike
Selecting one of the best budget road bikes is no different to selecting one of the best road bikes. It all starts with the size and fit. While that guide goes into considerably more depth on fit, you can't get a good fit if you're on the wrong size. If this is your first venture into cycling, or you are already a cyclist and getting your first road bike, let's start by ensuring you get the correct size.
How do I get the right size bike?
Frustratingly, as with so many things on a bicycle, there is no single way to do things or a standard for how brands size bikes. Which does make things rather tricky. However, follow these tips, and you should find yourself in the right ballpark.
Saddle height - There are a number of ways to gauge saddle height, but the simplest by far is the LeMond saddle height formula. It is a simple as taking your inseam measurement in centimetres and multiplying it by 0.883. This gives you a starting point for setting your saddle height, measured from the centre of the crank spindle to the top of the saddle. Use your judgment, though. If the saddle is within a couple of inches of the top tube, you might want to size down; if you are at the minimum insertion, you might need to size up.
Ask a friend - If you have friends who cycle, they might be able to help. They might even be of similar height and build, so you can test-ride their bikes. If you have joined a club or are on a group ride, make friends, say Hi and have a chat.
Visit a bike shop - This can be an intimidating thing to do; we all hate visiting the car garage to ask for advice. However, unlike a garage, where parts and time are all heavily charged and committed upfront. Bike shops will have a wide range of items in-store, such as bikes in several sizes, and there is generally no obligation to follow their advice. If they do help you, though, and you don't buy a bike from them or from a different store, pop in with a pack of biscuits; you never know when you might need them.
Get more than one opinion. If this is your first road bike, take everything with a pinch of salt, get multiple opinions if needed, visit several bike shops, and ask more than one friend. Largely disregard any information that seems too in-depth for you. I can speak from experience that anyone into bikes will likely go too deep too soon. Sure, the spec, price, reach and stack are important, but not as important as being on the right size to start with. Everything will feel unfamiliar at first, so take it one step at a time.
What frame materials are the best cheap road bikes made from?
Cheaper road bikes are almost invariably made of aluminium, due to the low cost of this material. You might occasionally find a lower-quality steel frame. However, by pushing the price tag up further, you will find the introduction of carbon fibre.
Don't assume that alloy is an inferior choice, though, as a well-made alloy frame, like several of the bikes featured in the guide, such as the Giant Contend SL 1 and Specialised Allez Sport, can ride better than a budget carbon frame and may weigh less as well.
At the lowest prices, it is worth looking for those with a carbon fork, as it will usually be more compliant and therefore more comfortable to ride. They also offer much greater lateral stiffness, which helps to keep handling in check and vibrant.
What groupset should I expect?
Your groupset is the combination of components that come together to make your gears shift, brakes work, and generally control your bike's features and functions. This includes your shifters, front and rear derailleur and brake calipers.
Shimano dominates the groupset market, especially on lower-priced bikes, where you can expect anything from 8-speed Shimano Claris to the new excellent Shimano 105 groupset. From time to time, you find SRAM Apex if it is a one-by groupset only now.
We are starting to see a lot more using the also brilliant Microshift Sword groupset, in combination with mechanical or mechanically actuated hydraulic disc brakes.
Often, it's common to see further attempts to save costs by not including a full branded groupset, with the chainset swapped out for one from FSA or another brand. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but something to be aware of.
What gear ratios do I need?
Most cheap road bikes will be fitted with what we call a "compact" 50/34 tooth chainset. Most cassettes at the rear will have a highest gear of an 11-tooth sprocket, giving you a usefully high top gear.
It's now increasingly likely that you'll have a cassette with the largest sprocket, which has 30 or more teeth. Paired with the 34-tooth smaller chainring, that will give you a usefully low bottom gear to tackle most climbs. You may get a 34-tooth lowest gear, which will give you a 1:1 lowest ratio, which is great for steeper uphills.
Some cheap road bikes will stop at 28 teeth or even 25 teeth in their largest sprocket. Fitter riders or those who only use their bike on flat terrain may be fine with that, but it can make climbs hard work if you're a beginner.
On the other hand, with smaller jumps between gears, you may be more comfortable with a closer-ratio cassette, as it will better allow you to choose an appropriate gear for the terrain. There can be quite large jumps on a wider ratio cassette, and lower spec groupsets may give you clunky shifting between them.
It's worth checking, but most modern rear derailleurs will let you fit wide-range cassettes, so even if your bike comes with an 11-28t cassette, it might be possible to swap it for an 11-32t cassette if you do want more gear range.
What brakes are fitted to cheap road bikes?
Disc brakes are increasingly taking over on road bikes. They offer more consistent braking in wet weather than rim brakes, are usually more effective and they reduce wear on your wheel rims.
Higher priced bikes include hydraulic disc brakes, but cheap road bikes will usually have mechanical disc brakes fitted. These give less efficient overall braking than hydraulics, but retain the all-weather abilities of disc brakes. They're also easier to maintain than hydraulic disc brakes.
Lower priced bikes may still be fitted with rim brakes. These offer less bite than disc brakes and are less effective in wet weather. Often, the brake pads are the weakest link though. It's inexpensive to swap to better quality brake pads and this may significantly improve braking performance.
What tyre width should I expect?
With rim brakes, there's a limit to how wide a tyre will fit in the brake caliper. That means that rim brake bikes are often fitted with 25mm wide tires, although you may see a 28mm tire.
One result of the shift to disc brakes is that there's much more room for wider tyres. Many disc brake bikes can fit 32mm tyres or even wider. That allows you to drop your tyre pressure, resulting in a more comfortable ride. It may even be faster. A budget disc brake bike will typically be equipped with 28mm tires.
Frequently asked questions about budget road bikes
Why are road bikes getting more expensive?
This very much depends on your perspective. On the one hand, yes, the price is going up and up every year, and sure, specifications on paper are getting worse. However, if you consider that a £1000 road bike now only has Shimano Tiagra, versus maybe 10 years ago, when that was once 105. Consider that, 10 year 10-year-old 105 was 10 10-speed with caliper/rim brakes. Tiagra is now an 11-speed groupset with hydraulic disc brakes.
In recent years, prices have risen, largely due to external factors affecting everything, not just bicycles. Rising energy costs, shipping costs and materials, all of which are big parts of how a bicycle is manufactured and end up in your hands, have increased bicycle prices to some of the highest ever.
This guide is testimony to the fact that there are still some very good and very affordable road bikes in the market. We also have a similar guide for the best budget gravel bikes.