![]() A quality alloy frame - which at this price point you should expect - can be better than a budget carbon frameset and manufacturers have years of experience of building lightweight, robust alloy frames. Now, with a few exceptions, you'll find an alloy frameset. Time was you could get a carbon framed road bike at this price point. What to consider when buying a sub-£1500 road bike What frame material should I expect in a bike under £1500 / $2000? Specialized's own brand components tend to be good quality, so you can expect a comfortable ride from the Body Geometry Bridge saddle. With 11 speeds down to a 34x32 lowest gear, there's plenty of range for whatever the road throws at you. The internal cable routing is a bonus, protecting the cabling from the weather and adding to the bike's quality looks. We really liked the handling of the lower spec Allez's lightweight alloy frame, with its all-carbon fork. Unlike the Trek Domane, you are getting a bike with rim brakes rather than disc brakes, but the DT Swiss wheels, in place of the lower spec own brand offering on the Allez, should sort our one gripe with the Allez, its rather ponderous wheels. You get a SRAM Rival 22 groupset - a rarer choice than Shimano but which still gives you excellent shifting. Further up the Allez tree, the Allez Elite ups the spec on the excellent alloy frame with internal cable routing and an all-carbon fork. We rate the lowest spec Allez so highly that it's one of our best road bikes - regardless of price. That bike spec too has now gone disc brake. We've previously reviewed the Giant Contend SL1 in its rim brake form, selecting it for our Editor's Choice awards for its quality ride feel and handling. The bike comes specced with Giant's own 28mm tyres, but there's plenty of room to head up to 34mm rubber if you want extra comfort or grip, so like the Ribble CGR AL it's a bike that you can kit out for gravel riding as well as on-road outings. For a little more, the Contend SL Disc 1 is equipped with a Shimano 105 hydraulic groupset. It comes with a full Shimano Tiagra 10-speed groupset with hydraulic disc brakes and plenty of gear range, down to 1:1. There's also Giant's D-shaped carbon fibre seatpost, which the brand says helps to dissipate road vibrations for a more comfortable ride. The Giant Contend SL Disc 2 is Giant's alloy endurance bike with Giant's signature compact road geometry, with its sloping frame designed to give you a more rigid, lighter bike. In the UK Ribble does operate a few showrooms though. The bike builder also lets you customise other components like bars and saddles and even the frame colour.īuying from a direct sales brand, as with Decathlon and Canyon, gives you a significant discount over brands like Trek and Specialized which sell via dealers, although you don't have the same luxury of being able to try before you buy. It's a great bike for the price and is pretty close to the one bike for all occasions, although it does break the target price barrier.īut with the Ribble bike builder there's the option to spec it with SRAM Apex, a Shimano GRX 400 gravel groupset or Shimano Tiagra, all of which bring the price down under the £1500 / $2000 mark and which all still give you disc brakes, although on the Tiagra spec they're mechanical. ![]() The Enthusiast Build with Shimano 105 with Mavic Askium wheelset and Schwalbe G-One 40c tyres comes complete with mudguards (fenders in the US), ideal for British riding whatever the weather.Ĭapable of hitting tarmac or the trails, the aluminium framed bike delivers an agile and comfortable ride, but is robust enough to deal with off road life. The incredibly versatile Ribble CGR AL is a do-it-all bike and is available in multiple builds levels, both road and gravel-oriented. There are also great options among the best women’s road bikes if you want a bike that's sized and specced specifically for women riders. Later on, the best bike upgrades can transform your ride.Ĭheck out as well our guide to the best road bikes under £2,000 / $2,500 if your budget has a little leeway, while if you're looking for something basic, maybe for all-weather commuting duties, the best road bikes under £500 or the best fitness hybrid bikes may serve. You'll usually now get disc brakes too, in place of rim brakes. In this price range, you're often picking up a frame that shares the characteristics of a more expensive bike, but with a lower end groupset and wheels to bring down the price. If your budget can stretch to the best road bikes under £1,500 / $2,000 you can expect a significantly higher spec both in the frame and the components. ![]() There's been a lot of bike price inflation over the last couple of years, so whereas £1,000 (or $1,500) used to be a good entry point for the best road bikes a few years ago, the best road bikes under £1000 now often come with entry level specs.
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