COVID-19 pandemic caused a cycling ‘explosion’ in the world. Riding a bike is fun, freeing, socially distant, and good for your health. A lot of people now consider cycling to commute from home to work or vice versa. Road bikes are not only good for performance rides but also great for commute: they are lightweight, agile, and fast. And it really feels great to ride a road bike. Unfortunately, high-end road bikes are expensive. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a road bike if you use it only for commuting – there are many cheaper alternatives. Here are the best road bikes under $1,000 (2020 update).

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000

Unlike cheap mountain bikes, which are garbage, cheap road bikes are still good machines to ride and enjoy the fun and speed of road biking.

Raleigh Merit 2 ($980)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Raleigh MERIT 2 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Raleigh Merit 2 2020 ($980)

Aluminum frame, 700x28c tires, Shimano Sora drivetrain. Raleigh Merit 2 is an ideal endurance bike for century rides and long road rides. Made for comfort and efficiency, the Merit 2 offers a responsive aluminum fork, caliper brakes for sure stopping power, and the stability of wider tires. Light and fast, this bike features classic road bike design for precise steering and control. With a snappy ride and the reliability to go all day, the Merit 2 can take you as far as you want to go.

For more touring or commuting applications, the frame has rack and fender mounts.

Raleigh Merit 2 Specifications

  • Aluminum frame & fork
  • Shimano Sora groupset
  • Shimano R3000 Sora brakes
  • Alex AT505 Double Wall Alloy 28 Hole, Tubeless Compatible rims
  • Rack and Fender Mounts

Buy Raleigh MERIT 2 2020

Raleigh Revere 3 Women’s Road Bike ($1,150 – $899) (Editor’s choice for women’s road bike)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Raleigh Revere 3 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Raleigh Revere 3 2020 ($1,150 – $899)

A bike with Shimano 105 derailleurs & shifters and a carbon fork for only $899! Made for comfort and efficiency on long rides, the Revere 3 features an anti-shock stem and seatpost to dampen vibrations so you’ll stay fresher longer. Women’s-specific endurance road geometry keeps you pedaling comfortably. Top it off with a size-specific crankset, handlebar, and stem, along with a women’s bike seat, and you’ve got a great fit and feel right out of the box. Thru-axles front and rear add stiffness for precise handling even over rough roads. Durable Shimano 105 11-speed shifters help flatten out any hill with 22 speeds to choose from.

Raleigh Revere 3 Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • Aluminum frame & carbon fork with alloy steerer
  • Shimano 105 derailleurs & shifters
  • Mechanical disk brakes
  • Weinmann XC180 Double Wall 23mm Wide rims
  • 21.44 lbs (9.72 kg)

Buy Raleigh Revere 3 2020

Trek Domane AL 2 2020 ($859.99)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Trek Domane AL 2 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Trek Domane AL 2 2020 ($859.99)

An entry-level Trek road bike with endurance geometry.

Trek Domane AL 2 2020 specifications

  • 100 Series Alpha Aluminum frame & Domane carbon fork with alloy steerer
  • Shimano Claris groupset
  • Alloy dual-pivot brakes
  • Bontrager Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 17mm width, presta valve rims
  • 22.06 lbs (10.01 kg) (56 cm size)

Buy Trek Domane AL 2 2020

Trek Domane AL 2 2020 Women’s Road Bike ($859.99)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Trek Domane AL 2 2020 Women's road bike
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Trek Domane AL 2 2020 Women’s road bike ($859.99)

An entry-level Trek women’s road bike with endurance geometry.

Trek Domane AL 2 2020 Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • 100 Series Alpha Aluminum frame & Domane carbon fork with alloy steerer
  • Shimano Claris groupset
  • Alloy dual-pivot brakes
  • Bontrager Tubeless Ready, 24-hole, 17mm width, presta valve rims
  • 22.06 lbs (10.01 kg) (56 cm size)

Buy Trek Domane AL 2 2020 Women’s Road Bike

Felt FR40 (2019) ($794.83) – Editor’s choice

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000:  Felt FR40 2019
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Felt FR40 2019 ($794.83)

Driven on by a powerful and efficient Shimano Tiagra 10-Speed drivetrain, this versatile member of felt’s FR roster is fit to tackle weekend-long tours, quick criterium bursts, and demanding road journeys.

Felt FR40 (2019) specifications

  • Frame: Felt Race Road SuperLite Custom Butted 6061 aluminum
  • Fork: Felt Race Road UHC Advanced carbon fiber blades and dropouts with size-specific ControlTaper aluminIum steer tube
  • Shimano Tiagra 10-speed derailleurs & shifters, 50/34T Tiagra crankset
  • Tubeless-ready Devox Road RSL3 rims
  • Schwalbe LUGANO K-Guard tyres 700x25c

Buy Felt FR40 2019

Specialized Dolce Sport Women’s Road Bike ($989.99)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Specialized Dolce Sport
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000: Specialized Dolce Sport 2020 ($989.99)

Specialized Dolce Sport is built with Women’s Endurance Geometry and delivers two important benefits:

  1. This endurance geometry improves stability and handling, giving you confident control when climbing and descending,
  2. while also putting you in a less aggressive and more natural ride position.

The result? Hours upon hours of comfortable riding.

Specialized Dolce Sport Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • Frame: Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum, Women’s Endurance Geometry
  • Fork: Specialized FACT carbon fiber, alloy steerer/crown
  • Shimano Sora 9-speed derailleurs & shifters
  • Praxis Alba 2D 48/32T crankset
  • Axis Sport wheels
  • 21.44 lbs (9.72 kg)

Buy Specialized Dolce Sport Women’s Road Bike

Fuji Sportif 1.9 Disc ($849.99)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Fuji Sportif 1.9 Disc
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Fuji Sportif 1.9 Disc ($849.99)

Designed for versatility and performance, the Sportif takes geometry cues from Fuji’s top-level endurance model to give you a comfortable, affordable bike for local group rides, long centuries, or your next charity event.

This bike is coming with rack mounts.

Fuji Sportif 1.9 Disc specifications

  • Aluminum frame & full carbon monocoque fork
  • Shimano Claris 8-speed derailleurs & shifters
  • Mechanical disk brakes
  • Fuji 50/34 compact crankset
  • Vera Corsa DPD22, double wall, 28/32h wheelset
  • Rack mounts

Buy Fuji Sportif 1.9 Disc

Cube Axial WS Women’s Road Bike 2020 ($662.21)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Cube Axial WS Women's Road Bike 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Cube Axial WS Women’s Road Bike 2020 ($662.21)

Bringing pace, comfort, and style, Cube Axial WS Women’s road bike is perfect for speedy road racing and long-distance rides. It features an excellent construction, Shimano Claris 2×8 drivetrain and great finishing kit to make every outing superb.

Cube Axial WS Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • Aluminum frame & carbon fork with alloy steerer
  • Shimano Claris 2×8 drivetrain (50×34 compact crankset)
  • Cube RA 0.8 Aero wheels
  • 9.4 kg

Buy Cube Axial WS Women’s Road Bike

Giant Contend 1 2020 ($950)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Giant Contend 1 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Giant Contend 1 2020 ($950)

Giant Contend 1 specifications

  • Frame: ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
  • Fork: Advanced-Grade Composite, full-composite OverDrive steerer
  • Shimano Sora groupset (50×34 compact crankset)
  • Tektro TK-B177 brakes
  • Giant S-R3 wheelset

Buy Giant Contend 1

Giant Contend 3 2020 ($680)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Giant Contend 3 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Giant Contend 3 2020 ($680)

Giant Contend 3 specifications

  • Frame: ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
  • Fork: ALUXX-Grade Aluminum, OverDrive Steerer
  • Shimano Claris derailleurs and shifters
  • FSA Tempo, 34/50 compact crankset
  • Tektro TK-B177 brakes
  • Giant S-R3 wheelset

Buy Giant Contend 3

Liv Avail 1 Women’s road bike 2020 ($970)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Liv Avail 1 Women's road bike 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Liv Avail 1 Women’s road bike 2020 ($970)

Liv Avail 1 Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • Frame: ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
  • Fork: Advanced-Grade Composite
  • Shimano Sora groupset (50×34 compact crankset)
  • Tektro TK-B177 brakes
  • Giant S-R3 wheelset

Buy Liv Avail 1 Women’s road bike

Liv Avail 3 Women’s road bike 2020 ($700)

Editor’s rating:

The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 - Liv Avail 3 Women's road bike 2020
The Best Road Bikes Under $1,000 – Liv Avail 3 Women’s road bike 2020 ($700)

Liv Avail 3 Women’s Road Bike specifications

  • Frame: ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
  • Fork: Aluminum, alloy OverDrive steerer
  • Shimano Claris derailleurs & shifters
  • FSA Tempo, 34/50 crankset
  • Tektro TK-B177 brakes
  • Giant S-R3 wheelset

Buy Liv Avail 3 Women’s road bike

M. Özgür Nevres

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