Best Road Bikes Under £500

Giant Contend 2

The Contend is Giant’s entry level road bike with similar geometry to the incredibly popular Giant Defy Advanced. While maintaining many of comfort features of the Defy, the Contend has a slightly shorter wheel base for nimbler race-oriented handling characteristics. The endurance style riding position is slightly more upright than a race bike, which will help to keep you comfortable in the saddle for longer.

The Giant Contend 2 is built around an ALUXX-Grade aluminium frame that features butted tubes for a lighter ride. The Contend features a Shimano Claris 2x8 speed drivetrain with compact chainset and wide range cassette. This gives you a great spread of gears for climbing as well as flying along the flat. The Giant S-R3 wheels deliver dependable rolling performance.

Frame  ALUXX-Grade aluminium

Fork Carbon fork blades

Drivetrain  Shimano Claris 2x8 speed

Wheels  Giant S-R3 wheelset

Brakes  Tektro dual pivot calliper

Liv Avail 2

Liv are a women’s specific brand and all their bikes are designed from the ground up especially for female cyclists. Built in the same factory as Giant bikes the Liv Avail features a great value ALUXX-Grade aluminium frame with butted tubes for a lighter ride. The women’s specific, endurance geometry is ideal for sportives and long rides. This is because the more upright cycling position helps to reduce fatigue, keeping you feeling fresh in the saddle for longer.

Like the Contend, the Avail features a Shimano Claris 2x8 speed drivetrain with compact chainset and wide range cassette. This gives all the gears you need to take on every climb and ride fast on the flat. Women’s specific contact points enhance comfort while the Giant SR-3 wheels deliver dependable performance that you can trust.

Frame  ALUXX-Grade aluminium

Fork  Carbon fork blades

Drivetrain  Shimano Claris 2x8 speed

Wheels  Giant S-R3 wheelset

Brakes  Tektro dual pivot calliper

Specialized Dolce Women’s

With women’s road cycling continuing to gain traction it is great to see a female specific road bike at such an affordable price point. The Specialized Dolce is an endurance or sportive style road bike clocking up the miles efficiently and in comfort.

Women’s specific endurance road geometry offers a slightly more upright riding position than a traditional road racer which helps to reduce fatigue on long rides so you stay fresher in the saddle for longer. The carbon fibre composite fork features Zertz vibration damping inserts for an even smoother ride.

Like the Avail, the Dolce features a Shimano Claris 2x8 speed drivetrain with a wide range cassette so you can climb even the steepest of hills as well as picking up plenty of speed on the flat.

Frame  A1 Premium Aluminium

Fork FACT carbon composite

Drivetrain  Shimano Claris 2x8 speed

Wheels  Axis Sport

Brakes  Tektro dual pivot calliper

Orbea Avant H70

Orbea bikes strike a great balance between performance and value so it is no surprise that they are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Orbea are a Spanish brand that have been making high-performance bikes since the 1930’s, so can be sure of their pedigree.

The Avant H70 is sportive road bike that features endurance geometry. This gives you a comfortable, more upright riding position that will help you to stay comfortable on long rides. Slim seat stays and a rounded profile on the carbon fork blades offer a smooth ride on uneven road. This means you will feel less fatigued on long days in the saddle.

With a triple chainset up front and narrower range cassette, the Orbea Avant takes a different approach to gearing compared to the other bikes featured here. You still get a similarly wide gear range but will need to use the front shifter more than on the other bikes.

Frame  Triple butted aluminium alloy

Fork  Carbon fork blades

Drivetrain  Shimano Tourney 3x7 speed

Wheels  Orbea R1800

Brakes  Orbea OC-II

Scott Speedster 50

Redesigned for 2018 the Scott Speedster 50 is now lighter than its predecessors. Like the other bikes featured here the Speedster gets an alloy frame with endurance geometry. Ideal for sportives, this more upright riding position will help you to perform at your best on long rides over mixed terrain.

Unlike the other bikes here the Speedster 50 doesn’t get carbon fork blades. Instead, the Scott has better performing Syncros Race wheels which will accelerate quicker and climb better than more budget focused wheelsets. The 2x7 speed Shimano drivetrain has a slightly narrower range than the other bikes mentioned here so will require a bit more leg power to get you up the steepest climbs.

Frame  6061 butted aluminium alloy

Fork  Aluminium alloy

Drivetrain  Shimano Tourney 2x7 speed

Wheels  Syncros Race

Brakes  Tektro calliper

Source the Cyclist.