Best Cheap Road Bikes
Top Models Reviewed and Buyer’s Guide.
If you have limited budget and still want to buy a decent bike, you will need to research carefully. This is the category where every dollar extra can make a huge difference in the way your bike handles and rides, while some hundred bucks can be a difference between a good bike and a BSO (bike-shaped object).
Luckily, there are many inexpensive, and still, great road bikes out there. We have reviewed most popular affordable bikes one the market to save you some time on research and some money on purchase.
- Schwinn Phocus 1400 and 1600 – Best overall budget road bike
- Tommaso Fascino – Great reputation of the brand
- Vilano R2 – Best choice at rock-bottom price range
- Giordano Libero Aluminum Road Bike – Nice affordable bike with solid quality
- Vilano Shadow 3.0 – Another great super-affordable option to consider
- Pure Cycles Classic 16-Speed – Very interesting bike in vintage styling
- Hasa R5 – One of the best bang-for-the-buck bikes
- Poseidon Triton – Carbon fork and good frame in an economy bike
- Nashbar AL1 Sora – Probably the best, but very hard-to-find model
Schwinn Phocus 1400 and 1600
Best choice for a reasonably-priced road bike
It’s great news that you can find a bike with carbon fork in the budget category, and Schwinn Phocus is one of them. Core components come as a standard for affordable bikes like that. The 1400 and 1600 models are pretty close in terms of their specs with main difference being 14 speeds total for the first one and 16 speeds for the latter.
What could be improved: breaks good be better. No worries, they will stop you, but we’d like to see more response.
Shimano Claris-level components are used in all key parts, however some important parts like crank and shifters are represented by aftermarket parts. This is not the problem as they will wear out among the first and should be replaced anyway.
To sum it up, the frame is welded very well and gives a solid impression, and the fork is carbon, and these are the most important parts for a economical road bike.
Tommaso Fascino
Bike from a reputable manufacturer, ready for future upgrades
Fascino is the cheapest road bike in entire Tommaso lineup, and it’s worth a closer look. Here we see classic Tommaso aluminium lightweight frame and full Tourney groupset. The latter comes as a little bit of surprise, because Tourney is usually used on mountain bikes, and can rarely be seen on road models in budget category.
Even though it’s a very basic groupset, it’s high-quality and what is more important, the manufacturer didn’t cut the corners by installing a lousy aftermarket crankset and cassette.
Overall it’s a great bike mainly because of the frame and good reputation of the brand. If you want to upgrade to better components in future – even better.
The downside – for the same amount of money you can get a bike from other brands with higher-level components factory installed.
Full review: Tommaso Fascino
Vilano R2
Best choice at rock-bottom price range
When it comes to ultra-low budget bikes, R2 model from Vilano is really ahead of the rest.
Even though it’s one of the cheapest road bikes we have ever tested – it’s pretty decent for the money.
So, unlike many other low-priced models it actually has Shimano parts. Yes, these are Tourney-series parts. They are the most basic out there, and are often used in kids bikes.
However, if you’re only trying to figure out if this road cycling thing is for you – that’s a great first bike.
Now, if you plan to cycle more and therefore, upgrade, we would suggest picking something else. The reason is that fork & frame combo here will make zero sense to accompany with something like a Sora (Shimano’s mid-range) groupset.
Giordano Libero Aluminum Road Bike
Nice affordable bike with solid quality
Just like it’s more expensive counterparts, LIbero Aluminium (formerly known as Libero 1.6) features Claris components (however, not the entire groupset), and offers an impressive value for the money.
The frame is hand-made of 6061 aluminium alloy and has the classic geometry, where the top bar is completely parallel to road surface. It makes bike a universal choice for those cycling for hours or trying their first high-speed race.
Frame geometry suggests using it in a more upright position, so it can serve as a decent commuting bike.
Vilano Shadow 3.0
Another great super-affordable option to consider
This is an extremely affordable road bike for those looking for maximum value at lowest price possible. It has basic Shimano Tourney components, however, not the entire groupset, which allowed the manufacturer to cut the costs.
We would recommend it to beginners cycling mostly on flat terrain without much of an elevation gain or drop. It still has a reliable and lightweight aluminium frame, but the components used are just not made for shifting under heavy load.
If you are really low on budget, this is probably the bike to choose. If you can afford a little extra, we’d suggest to consider other options since you will get an overall much better bike.
Pure Cycles Classic 16-Speed
Very interesting bike in vintage styling
If you like vintage-looking bikes, you will adore this model. A very strict triangle shape is neither leaning towards aggressive racing, nor upright endurance position. This means it can fit both styles if needed.
Most of components used here are Shimano Claris. We would also love to see a Claris crankset, but unfortunately, it uses a generic alloy combined with Sunrace cassette.
Considering the fact that in budget category there are not many classic road bikes with this build quality, we definitely recommend Pure Cycles 16-speed.
HASA R5
One of the best bang-for-the-buck bikes
A well-balanced road bike from a Taiwanese brand (yes, did you know $95% of bikes sold in the US are made there?) with good reputation.
Just from a quick look on the specs it’s clear that manufacturer didn’t cut the corners by using low-grade generic parts. You can see a high-quality 8-speed SRAM cassette combined with 3-speed Tourney crankset, which is a bit unusual in this category. Anyway, 24 speeds combined will offer an impressive versatility for beginners both on climbs and descents.
Frame is standard aluminum 6061, but somehow HASA has managed to keep the overall weight of the bike under 22 lbs, which is an impressive number.
Poseidon Triton
Carbon fork and good frame in an economy bike
Quite an impressive offering – especially considering the list of its components. This bike is comparable to other rivals at this price, but, unlike many of them, Triton has a carbon fork. It will result in a smoother ride and better vibration absorption on the front axle.
Out of downsides we can mention that it took us a bit of time to get this bike assembled, even though many bikes come assembled already – so be prepared to spend a while yourself, or get to know a good local mechanic.
Another thing to mention – in our case rear derailleur required a serious tune-up before being ready to hit the road and some adjustment shortly thereafter. Otherwise, no complaints.
Nashbar AL1 Sora
Probably the best, but very hard-to-find model
If on sale, this is definitely the best value you can get for an inexpensive bike. No other competitor in this category features a Sora groupset (which is a step up over Claris, most common for low-priced models), and provides smooth and responsive switching. Even more, it already has a carbon fork for precise steering, which is not common for competition.
Bikes from other manufacturers who have this level of performance will probably cost 50% or twice as more, if you find a good deal. The downside – this bike is pretty hard to find these days.
What to expect from a cheap road bike?
First, let’s define cheap. In most cases, when talking about road bikes, bikes around a five-hundred bucks are considered cheap.
However, this price range is actually quite broad, and we’d like to be more specific here. Now, there’s a huge difference between bikes that costs $250 and those that go for $500. Taking into account bargain deals on sales or clearances, the range of bikes to choose from, even on limited budget, becomes even broader.
Can afford more? Great! Make sure to check our reference guide with more models.
Here’s what we mean, in more details. A $350 bike will usually have the cheapest components installed, that can sometimes work a bit clunky together. At the same time, you can expect a full Shimano Claris (in case with Nashbar AL1 it will be even better Sora) groupset from a $500 bike that will have a carbon fork. Only $150 difference in price, incomparable difference in quality, feel and performance.
So, if $250-350 is maximum you can spend on a bike, we still would suggest to go for it. It can give you an understanding of road cycling, but you want to be aware of the cons for such approach. As a you progress further and want to upgrade, it will make no sense to replace a drivetrain, for example, because its cost will likely surpass that of your bikes MSRP. If you’re really into cycling, we would suggest selling that bike and purchasing a new one with better specs.
In case with $500 bike the situation can be very different. Not only it will completely satisfy your needs for at least couple of years (of active cycling) to follow, it will make actual sense to upgrade it as you go. The frame and fork will be good enough to correspond to higher-level drivetrain components.
As our list above shows, if you spend a bit of time on research, you can buy a really decent bike even with low initial investment. Just make sure to define your requirements first and plans on using the bike for the future.