Great-value budget road bikes for beginners or training from just £350 Here are 12 of the best cheap road bikes reviewed by BikeRadar, costing less than £750. As road bike groupsets have become ever more affordable and more direct-sales brands have entered the market, the ride quality and value for money of entry-level road bikes have increased hugely.
If you’re looking for a road bike for serious riding, training, or just commuting, £700 is about the price point at which you will get a solid ride that, given due care and attention, will serve you well for years to come. Have you got a little bit more to spend? Make sure you check out our list of the best road bikes under £1,000, too.
A lot of buyers who would once have only gone with a traditional road bike are now considering a gravel bike instead. The best gravel bikes are more versatile than regular road bikes and will be better for those taking on mixed surfaces, but they are often heavier and may be slower on the road. We have a guide to the best cheap gravel bikes, as tested by BikeRadar. Skip to the end of this article to read our full buyer’s guide to cheap road bikes.
The best cheap road bikes in 2023, as tested by BikeRadar
- £429.99 as tested
- Pros: Ludicrous value for money; generous wide-range gearing; carbon fork
- Cons: Tyres could be better
Like most of the other bikes on this list, the price of the Decathlon Triban RC120 has gone up a lot since we tested it in 2019. Even so, it’s hard to say enough good things about this bike. You might think you’re riding a bike that costs a lot more than it does.
If you want to try road riding for the first time or want to get a friend or partner interested, the Triban RC120 is a great choice.
- £499.99 as tested
- Pros: Well-thought-out spec choices; comfortable geometry; value for money
- Cons: Not light; firm ride
The disc version of the RC120 works just as well, with a well-thought-out spec and the same easy geometry that’s good for long days in the saddle.
Mechanical disc brakes will never be as powerful as hydraulic brakes, but they still work better in wet conditions than traditional rim brakes.
Triban RC 500 Disc Brake
- £650 as tested
- Pros: Shimano Sora groupset
- Cons: Slightly weighty
The Triban RC 500 Disc Brake road bike from Decathlon is a great all-purpose bike. It’s nice to ride in and has good equipment.
The bike has a 50-34t compact Shimano Sora R3000 gearing and an 11-32t cassette. This has a wide range of gears and shifts smoothly and accurately. It is also good for hard hills.
Even though the Triban RC 500 is called a road bike, it can fit tires that are 36mm wide. This gives you a lot of comfort, even if you switch from riding on the road to riding on dirt or towpaths.
The aluminum frame is made to be comfy, which makes this bike great for commuting and light bikepacking.
Giant Contend 2 (2020)
- £749 as tested
- Pros: Versatile frameset; sporty and comfortable ride; competitive weight
- Cons: So-so brake pads
For an entry-level alloy bike that costs just over £700, the Giant Contend 2 comes in at a competitively light 9.56kg, which is 900g lighter than the Merlin PR7, which is also on this list. Even though this doesn’t sound like much, it’s a 10% change in weight that you can really feel on the bike.
The Contend 2 comes with a Shimano Claris groupset, which is what most bikes in this price band have. There are also plenty of mounts for mudguards and racks, making the Contend 2 a great choice for those who want a versatile bike that doesn’t skimp on ride quality.
This study is for the 2020 model, but the 2021 Contend 2 looks even better, at least on paper, because it has bigger tires (28mm) and different brakes.
Boardman SLR 8.6
- £550 as tested
- Pros: Good gearing; balanced comfort and handling
- Cons: Average brakes; eight-speed groupset
The SLR 8.6 is the least expensive road bike from Boardman. However, it still has a triple-butted aluminum frame and a carbon head.
The frameset has cable-operated rim brakes from Tekno, tires from Vittoria, and a Shimano Claris groupset.
Even though the brakes aren’t great and you might want to improve the tires, the groupset makes it easy to change gears.
The bike is made for long days in the saddle because of its endurance design.
Boardman should be praised for keeping this bike’s price the same for the last three years, which is something that not many other brands have been able to do.
Mango OG 2X
- 670 as tested
- Pros: Steel frame and playful ride
- Cons: No bottle bosses on the down tube
Mango is known for its fixies and singlespeeds, but it also makes this 2x road bike, which comes with either a flat or a drop handlebar.
Mango chose a steel frame because it gives the bike a good mix of comfort and speed while smoothing out rough roads.
The bike has an eight-speed Shimano Claris drivetrain with an 11-34t cassette, so you should never run out of gears for climbs.
One problem is that there are no bolts on the seat tube, so you can only attach a bottle cage to the down tube.
But other than that, the Mango OG 2X is a great road bike that rides better than it costs.
The Mango DO.GG 1X also comes with a flat bar and a single gear.
Pinnacle Laterite 1 (2020
- £430 as tested
- Pros: Decent frame makes for a good all-round ride
- Cons: A few small upgrades would make the bike great
At this price level, you can expect compromises, but the Laterite is decently specced and rides well. It’s not too heavy and while we’d replace the cheap, one-piece brake pads, there isn’t much else to complain about. It’s even versatile thanks to rack and mudguard mounts, and there are both men’s and women’s versions available.
The stock of this bike has now sold out and the Pinnacle Laterite 1 has been replaced with a 2021 model, but used examples do come up for sale fairly regularly.
Pinnacle Laterite 3 (2021)
- £600 as tested
- Pros: A bargain, even at a new price; blends comfort and performance
- Cons: Some low-spec components
The Pinnacle Laterite 3 provides a nippy yet stable ride, defying its low price tag, basic build and cheap parts. Unusually aggressive geometry makes the Laterite pacy for a bike of this ilk. Our tester found the Laterite 3 comfy enough for 100km-plus outings, even venturing off paved surfaces.
Shimano’s nine-speed Sora groupset ensures efficient shifting. The addition of 34t and 32t sprockets makes climbing easier.
The rim brakes are dependable but could eventually be upgraded, while the 25mm tyres could be switched for a wider pair (up to 32mm).
Trek Domane AL 2
- £775/$1,100/€794 as tested
- Pros: Poised handling; quality spec; sporty feel
- Cons: Handlebar can transmit vibrations
The Trek Domane AL 2 is the entry-level Domane. Its compliant frame and well-balanced handling are worthy of that prestigious label.
The endurance bike geometry will suit a wide range of riders and styles – it is comfortable enough for long rides on mixed-quality surfaces without feeling sluggish when you pick up the pace.
But the Trek Domane AL 2 could do with some upgrades. Higher volume tyres than the stock 25mm tyres would improve comfort. The inconsistent rim brakes could also be swapped out.
Vitus Razor Claris (2020)
- £549.99 as tested
- Pros: Wide tyres; smooth and accurate gear shifting; modern geometry
- Cons: Non-cartridge brakes
Vitus’s affordable Razor road bike scored well in our testing.
The bike is supplied with generous 28mm-wide Vittoria Zaffiro tyres that actually measure closer to 30mm wide on the broad own-brand rims.
That means comfy ride quality on poor roads and a complete package that’s hard to fault, apart from slightly budget brake pads that make stopping a little ‘grabby’.
A women’s-specific version was also sold.
Brand-X Road Bike
- £300 as tested
- Pros: Low price; surprisingly comfortable ride quality; Shimano Tourney groupset
- Cons: Non-cartridge brake blocks; 14-28t cassette limits climbing and sprinting
Strictly speaking, the curiously unnamed Brand-X Road Bike from Chain Reaction Cycles / Wiggle doesn’t belong in this list – only bikes that score four stars or above are usually included in our best lists.
However, at just £300, which is a full £80 less (a big margin at this price point) than the second-cheapest bike on this list, we can still wholeheartedly recommend this bike for commuting, riding for fitness or the occasional longer ride.
Of course, compromises have to be made somewhere at such a low price, but even when adding on a select few cheap upgrades, this bike still represents tremendous value for money.
Again, the Brand-X Road Bike is no longer available as a new bike, but keep your eyes peeled for used examples.
Carrera Zelos
- £375 as tested
- Pros: Pretty comfortable; Shimano components
- Cons: On the heavier side; limited bottom gear
The Carrera Zelos is a good-value road bike that’s reasonably comfortable and well-specced.
Despite the price, the Carrera Zelos rides like a genuine road bike. The cable disc brakes and mostly seven-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain work fine.
But the Carrera Zelos’ high weight is exacerbated by the limited gearing. This may pose problems in hilly areas.
How much should I spend on a cheap road bike?
Cheaper bikes aren’t just for people who are just starting out. They can also be the perfect, easy-to-maintain base for an exercise bike that can be used all year round, no matter the weather.
Nearly all bikes in this price range will have frames made of steel or aluminum, but some may have carbon forks.
Most bikes that cost around £700 will have an 8- or 9-speed groupset. The number of speeds shows how many sprockets are connected to the back wheel via the cassette.
Most entry-level road bikes still come with either double or triple cranksets (with two or three chainrings at the front), giving you a large range of gears.
As 11-speed – and even 12-speed – groupsets have become the norm for more expensive bikes, 8- and 9-speed parts have become very affordable, and sourcing replacement parts shouldn’t pose any problems for you or your wallet.
Most bikes at this level will also run their cables on the outside of the frame. This means that the wires go around the outside of the tubes and are held in place by “stops” that are brazed or welded on.
Even though it doesn’t look as neat as internal cable routing, in which the wires are routed inside the frame, it’s much easier to live with and doesn’t need any special tools to fix.
Nearly all bikes in this price range also have a threaded bottom bracket, which is easier to repair and often lasts longer than the press-fit systems found on more expensive bikes.
Even though these bikes aren’t the most expensive on the market, you should still think about getting the best bike insurance to protect your bike and your investment.
