Suppose you’re looking for a good road bike that can get you from point A to point B in comfort, style, and speed but don’t want to spend too much. If this is the case, we can help you get started in your search. We found five truly awesome road bikes costing under $1,000. Continue reading our reviews to see if one is right for you.
Road Bikes Under $1,000 Reviews
Schwinn Fastback Tourney Road Bike
If you want a moderately priced road bike that will allow you to fly over city roads with speed, the Schwinn Fastback Tourney Road Bike is a great option to consider.
Review
You might like this bike because it comes in various sizes, including small, medium, large, and extra-large, with the large being ideal for most people. Also, in terms of size, you get 700c wheels, which should be sufficient for people between 5’4” and 6’2”.
On a side note, we like this bike’s reasonably slick road tires. They allow for good traction on paved roads while also allowing for minimal friction; therefore, they’re great for speed. The Alex X2200 double-wall rims with Schwinn aluminum road hubs offer high performance with minimal weight.
The Schwinn Fastback Tourney Road Bike features a super lightweight aluminum triple-butted road frame, so you can really get moving with minimal effort, not to mention that the aluminum is relatively durable.
The Schwinn Fastback Tourney Road Bike has aluminum caliper brakes with a fair amount of stopping power. This bike features 14 speeds with Shimano AO70 14-speed STI shift levers and Shimano front and rear derailleurs. In other words, the shifters and derailleurs here are smooth, they shift quickly, and they’re quite durable.
This road bike has dual-grip racing handlebars that you can hold like racing in the Tour de France or like a regular bike for a leisurely ride. The handlebars feature soft yet tacky grip tape to provide you with a good grip.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Made for speed
- Dual handlebar positions
- High-quality Shimano shifters and derailleurs
- Decent caliper brakes
- Good tires and wheels for paved roads
- Easy-off wheels
Cons
- Pedals and chain are not very durable
- Assembly is not easy
Vilano Road Bike
If you are looking for a straightforward and affordable road bike that can get you from point A to point B with a good deal of speed and comfort, the Vilano Road Bike is a great budget-friendly bike to keep in mind.
Review
Something worth mentioning is that the Vilano Road Bike comes 85% assembled. It’s not a huge deal, but it can help get you on the road that much quicker. There are various sizes available, one for people between 5’4” and 5’8”, one for people between 5’8” and 6’1”, and for people between 6’1” and 6’4”, so be sure to get the right size for you.
The Vilano Road Bike features a lightweight aluminum alloy frame. It’s more than light enough to allow you to get up to high speeds without having to pedal too hard. The lightweight design helps maintain speed as well. Although it may not be quite as durable as steel, the fact that this is aluminum alloy provides a decent amount of overall durability.
This is a 14-speed bike with Shimano shifters and derailleurs, nothing overly impressive, but they’re durable enough, and they get the job done. They’re surprisingly smooth and functional, considering the low price tag on this bike.
You get basic caliper brakes, and once again, they aren’t anything ground-breaking, but they do work well enough to keep you safe. You may appreciate the speedy 700c road wheels with fairly slick road tires.
The seat is pretty good; although it is more of a racing-style seat than a wider comfort-oriented seat, it does have some padding.
The handlebars feature a good deal of soft grip to ensure that you can easily hold onto them with comfort. They are dual-position racing-style handlebars; you can hold the curved bottom section for a more ergonomic body position (for speed), or you can hold them like you would hold a regular bike, so you can sit in an ergonomic upright position for leisurely biking and commuting.
Pros
- Dual-position handlebars with good grip
- Decent caliper breaks
- Good Shimano gear components
- Lightweight yet durable frame
- Great price
- Multiple sizes available
- Good road wheels
Cons
- Sizing is a bit off
- Has been known to be delivered with missing parts
Eurobike Store Road Bike
If you want a flashy and slick-looking road bike with a full 21-speed gear set, superb disc brakes, and more, the Eurobike Store Road Bike could be the right fit for you.
Review
One difference between this road bike and the others reviewed is that the Eurobike Store Road Bike features a steel frame instead of an aluminum one. This makes it substantially heavier than the aluminum models, but you benefit from durability and longevity, easier repairs if need be. Steel has some flex to it, which means that you won’t feel the road bumps as much, an important aspect considering that this bike has no suspension.
You can choose between two sizes – one for people 5’5” and 5’7”, and another for people between 5’8” and 6’. As you may be able to tell, this bike isn’t exactly ideal for very tall people.
The Eurobike Store Road Bike features high-quality disc brakes with more stopping power than anything else we have looked at so far. It’s crucial for stopping quickly, something that you will need to do if you make full use of the 21-speed system. Twenty-one speeds are great for a road bike; it means moving fast due to the smooth-shifting provided by the quality shifters and derailleurs.
You may also like the racing-style handlebars that allow you to really bend down and achieve an aerodynamic position by holding the curved bottom section. It also provides for a more leisurely ride with a straight back. The grip tape on the handlebars is thick, soft, and it should allow you to hold on with ease, even in slippery conditions.
Pros
- High-quality disc brakes
- Quality shifters and derailleurs
- Move fast with 21 gears
- Dual-position racing style handlebars
- Good grip
- The frame has some flex to it
- Great price
- Comes 85% assembled
Cons
- A bit on the heavy side
- Build, and assembly quality is not fantastic
Tommaso Fascino Sport Road Bike
Here we are getting very close to that $1,000 mark, as it is one of the pricier bikes on the list today. However, you get what you pay for, and what you get here is quality.
Review
The Tommaso Fascino Sport Road Bike comes in different sizes, which means that it can be comfortably used by anybody between 4’9” and 6’5”. The lightweight aluminum frame makes it feel like you are riding on air. It’s light, it’s stiff and perfect for achieving high speeds on smoothly paved roads.
This bike features a 21-speed gear system with top quality Shimano derailleurs and shifters for smooth, fast, and accurate shifting whenever needed. The Shimano drivetrain is as good as it gets for this price, and it’s good enough to climb big hills, ride smoothly on flat ground, and really kick it up when riding downhill.
The Tommaso Fascino Sport Road Bike has high-quality caliper brakes. No, they aren’t disc brakes, but as far as caliper brakes go, they’re pretty nice; they let you ride fast and stop fast.
The dual-position racing-style handlebars allow you to sit in an aerodynamic position for high-speed biking; you can also hold it like a regular bike for a leisurely ride in an upright position. You might like the fairly thick handlebar tape that provides a good grip with a decent amount of padding.
Pros
- Built for speed and comfort
- Great dual-position handlebars
- Good grip on handlebars
- 21 gears for a lot of speed
- Quality Shimano components
- Fairly good caliper brakes
- It can fit small and large people alike
- Very lightweight
Cons
- On the more expensive side
- Could use disc brakes, especially for the price
Trinx TEMPO1.0 Road Bike
This road bike from Trinx is made with a combination of aluminum and steel for the best of both worlds, and it comes at an affordable price.
Review
First off, the Trinx TEMPO1.0 Road Bike features an exceptionally lightweight aluminum frame that is rigid enough to ride over smooth roads with a whole lot of speed. It also comes with a high-tensile steel fork, which is very durable and has a bit of flex to it, so you won’t feel every bump in the road. We really like how this bike features a good mix of durability, flex, and lightweight speed.
Next, the Trinx TEMPO1.0 Road Bike has 700c wheels, a perfect size for any road bike, as they are large enough to allow you to cruise along without much effort; the slick road tires are ideal for smooth roads.
Moreover, this bike features 21 gears, perfect for speedy adventures. You get a Shimano A050 Shifter, a Shimano TZ500 Front and TZ500 Rear Derailleur, and a Shimano cassette, all very high-quality components. Although they aren’t disc brakes, you get Winzip alloy brakes, which have more than enough stopping power to keep you safe.
You may also like the dual-position racing style handlebars. You can hold the bottom part like on a racing bike, which allows for an aerodynamic position for plenty of speed; you can also assume a more ergonomically friendly upright position. The handlebar tape allows for a comfortable and solid grip no matter the weather.
Pros
- Lightweight aluminum frame
- Durable and flexible steel fork
- 21 speeds for fast riding
- High-quality drivetrain and shifting components
- Pretty good brakes
- Reasonable price
- Dual-position handlebars
Cons
- Could do with disc brakes
- Only comes in a single size
Buyer’s Guide
Before you start shopping, let’s look at some of the most essential purchasing considerations you need to be aware of.
Frame
The first thing to consider is the frame, mainly the material, with your main choices being carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel. Aluminum is super lightweight, and it’s great for flat roads because it doesn’t flex much, but steel is more durable and flexible, yet also much heavier. Carbon fiber tends to provide you with the best of both worlds but is also very expensive.
Pedals
You also want to look for good pedals, preferably metal, for durability, although plastic pedals are lighter. You may want to look for studs on the pedals, little metal or plastic protrusions that allow for increased traction and grip.
Weight
The next thing to pay attention to here is the weight of the bike. The lighter it is, the less effort you need to put into moving it. The most lightweight bikes are made of aluminum or carbon fiber, although steel is more durable.
Disc or Rim Brakes
Your options when it comes to brakes are basic rim brakes and the more advanced disk brakes. Rim brakes are a bit cheaper, but they still work fine, whereas disc brakes are a bit pricier and work much better.
Conclusion
If you really want the best of the best, the most value for your money, we recommend the Tommaso Fascino Sport Road Bike. While it is the most expensive option on the list, it’s also one of the best. That said, if you are looking for something a bit more basic and affordable, the Vilano Road Bike is another great one.