With a professional cyclist or someone with a passion for road bike sports, owning a road bike that fits perfectly is extremely important. You need a perfect road bike from detail to overall, so that when you sit on your bike and start cycling, you feel like you and your bike become one.
Good road bike lines will always come with the world’s top quality components. Along with that, the research and design process is also very detailed and complex. Besides, state-of-the-art technologies are also coordinated with modern techniques to produce and test the quality of bicycles strictly, creating the most perfect road bikes.
Of course, these will make the price of road bike quite high. With a large investment of money for your interests, you need to consider carefully before making a decision to buy a road bike.
Understand what you need, below we provide you with information about the best entry level road bike 2018. No kidding, surely you will find everything you need in this article.
What Is A Road Bike?
Road bikes are designed to fit smooth and paved road surfaces. They have smooth, thin tires and drop handlebars. These make them quite light and very suitable for road racing.
Many people have great experiences when riding on a road bike on paved roads, but feel uncomfortable when riding on unpaved roads. One thing to note when riding on this type of vehicle is that it cannot carry heavy loads, so it is not suitable for commuting and travel.
Many people think that road bikes are a racing bike. But in fact, this is not true. Road bikes are similar in style to racing bikes but offer other features such as high durability and fast deceleration. They are the advantages of road bikes compared to racing bikes, and also make this type of vehicle less capable of racing technology. One of these bikes is even called sportive bikes to distinguish them from racing bikes.
What Size Road Bike Do You Need?
A road bike that doesn’t fit will make you feel uncomfortable while increasing the risk of injury. Therefore, knowing the perfect road bike size for you is a necessity. You can get direct advice about the size of the road bike from the staff of a bicycle shop; however, you still need to understand the different factors that affect the harmony of a road bike for you to make the final decision accurately.
Consider The Manufacturer’s Size Guide
Considering the manufacturer’s size guidelines is the simplest way to determine bike size. Different heights will correspond to different road bike sizes.
However, there is no standard size between bike manufacturers, so you should have a little understanding of bicycle geometry and their influence on fit to make sure you determine the right size.
To know which road bike is for you, assess the suitability of the bike frame and all the main points of contact: handlebar, saddle, and pedal. If possible, it’s best to try a road bike you are considering to get a direct feel.
Frame Construction
The first step, you need to know about the measurements corresponding to each geometric element of the road bike. Different tubes on road bike frames include the effective top tube, top tube, seat tube, down tube, and head tube.
You will soon realize that a road bike with the correct size will look symmetrical. Bicycle manufacturers often create frames with many different sizes to suit many subjects. Determining the right size is essential but not all. After that, you need to select the length of the body and the width of the bars.
Geometric Frame
There are three types of geometric frames that you should consider before buying a road bike: traditional, semi-compact and compact.
The traditional frame is characterized by a top tube parallel to the ground. However, there is a reduced space when standing on a bike, so for this type of frame, size may be more important.
The compact bike frame is characterized by a tube on the top of the slope, a shorter wheelbase and a smaller rear triangle of the frame. As a result, this design frees up space better than traditional bicycle frames, enabling cyclists to react faster.
The semi-compact frame has a similar structure to the compact frame, but the slope angle of the top tube is not large. This helps reduce the standover clearance and makes the length of the top effective tube longer.
The Road Bike Frame Size
So what type of frame should you choose? The answer depends on the length of the top effective tube: the length of the top tube of a road bike with traditional geometry. If the length of the top tube is too long, you will be in trouble with the handlebars. If you use a road bike with a flat riding position similar to a racing bike, you will not be able to cycle for a long distance.
To create a comfortable bike posture, a road bike needs a shorter effective top tube. Please refer to the table below to know the frame size:
| Rider Height | Frame Size | ||
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Effective Top Tube (cm) | Bike Size |
| 4’10” – 5’ | 148 – 152 | 47 – 48 | XXS |
| 5’ – 5’3” | 152 – 160 | 49 – 50 | XS |
| 5’3” – 5’6” | 160 – 168 | 51 – 53 | S |
| 5’6” – 5’9” | 168 – 175 | 54 – 55 | M |
| 5’9” – 6’ | 175 – 183 | 56 – 58 | L |
| 6’ – 6’3” | 183 – 191 | 58 – 60 | XL |
| 6’3” – 6’6” | 191 – 198 | 61 – 63 | XXL |
Adjust The Road Bike
After you determine the appropriate frame size, you need to base it to adjust your road bike. Install the bar and saddle height to match your height and stride. Many people may want to adjust the bike stem to match their reach.
Other adjustments may include adjusting the front / rear position, the tilt of the seat, the angle of handlebars, and the distance to the brakes. Most bike shops can make these adjustments for you. Besides, they also have modern equipment to make sure everything suits you best.
Type Of Road Bike
Currently, on the market, there are many types of road bikes that serve better for different purposes:
Road Racing Bike
As its name suggests, this bike is very light and does not cause noise. It is specially designed with low head tube, flat stem, and low handlebars to help cyclists accelerate quickly.
Because it is a road bike that is used for racing purposes, it is focused on speed rather than comfort. Its wheels are thin lightweight models or aero carbon versions. This helps reduce the weight of bicycles and saves energy for cyclists.
Road racing bike is suitable for those who want a fast-paced, lively ride without losing much energy. However, it is particularly not good for traveling, steep bike rides, and less flexible bodies.
Gravel Bike
One of the road bike types that are becoming popular is a gravel bike. This type is suitable for both track and trail terrain, with long journeys. When looking over, many people can confuse it with a cyclical bike; however, it has a geometric design that focuses on comfort, instead of strong geometry like racing bikes.
A gravel bike is an ingenious combination of the comfort of a sports bike with the ability to cross excellent terrain of a cyclo cross bike. As a result, it can provide enough comfort for you to cycle all day on the most extreme terrain such as mountains.
Most gravel bicycles are designed with disc brakes and high-strength frames to handle bumps and challenges. The large space at the rear of the car allows for wider tires, more Knobblier Tyres, and debris that they can collect.
Gravel bicycles often have aluminum frames combined with carbon fiber front fork. For premium models, both the frame and the fork are made of carbon fiber. However, regardless of what kind of material that the frame is made of, its durability is much higher than that of other road bike frames.
One weakness of this bike is that it does not allow you to go at a fast pace. However, many people believe that this is the right price to pay for a road bike that can travel on difficult terrain.
Sportive Bike
This road bike offers many benefits of a traditional bicycle, but it focuses on more comfort. It is often used in sporting events, in which participants often focus on endurance rather than speed. This bike’s upright position allows for more comfort and stable handling in the distance.
Compared with models of pure road bike, sportive bikes are produced by different materials to reduce stiffness and enhance comfort. Besides, the device is also lower to deal with big hills without the need for speed. The wheels are still very light, but strong and less aerodynamic.
This bike is currently designed with disc brakes and large clearances. This helps ensure comfort but still does not increase the weight of the bicycle. In short, the sportive bike is a more comfortable racing bike. You can refer to it if what you care about most is the comfort, not weight and speed.
Aero Bike
This type of bike has many aerodynamic characteristics of time trial bikes. This makes it have a heavier racecar chassis but saves you time for certain courses. Most aero bikes are made of carbon material and are mounted as a race frame. Its cables tend not to be exposed to air and run along the inside of the frame.
This type of road bike is ideal when traveling on flat terrain. With its deep wheelset, it saves time impressively. The equipment of this road bike is similar to a racing bike, i.e. its weight is low and it allows for short-term acceleration. Therefore, choose it if you want an aerodynamically focused racing car. If you want to ride a bike slowly to relax, never think about it.
Commuter Bike
Commuter bikes are dubbed the horses of the bicycle world. Weight has never been a problem with this road bike. Its geometric frame provides an upright position, helping you feel more comfortable and have better traffic visibility. Besides, the chassis has a mudguard and a suitable rack to keep you from getting dirty, so you won’t be able to carry anything on your back.
Disc brakes are also an outstanding feature of this road bike and the absence of a rim brake will make locking the wheels lighter and less problematic. It is very suitable if you like the feeling of relaxation every time you ride a bike and will not be a good choice if you like a strong feeling.
Touring Bike
This road bike is very suitable for cycling on long distances and carrying heavy loads (like camping gear). At first, you may find it too low and will make you feel uncomfortable. But after you ride it for a while, surely you will appreciate it very high.
The chassis of touring bikes is quite long and straightforward to help you feel more comfortable while cycling and carrying heavy objects. Besides, their wheels also have more spokes to deal with the heavyweight. Moreover, this road bike is also equipped with disc brakes – the brakes have excellent braking ability. Unfortunately, like its name, it is not suitable for racing.
Time Trial (TT) / Triathlon
This type of road bike is integrated with aerodynamic features to make it pass through the air gently and help people ride a bike with less energy. Structurally, time trial has flatter tubes, steep angles, and carbon fiber wheels. This helps car cheat the wind. Therefore, it makes you feel like you ride fast enough to be able to fight your clock.
How To Choose A Best Road Bike?
Below is a kind of question that you must answer clearly before spending money on a road bike. Keep abreast of the priorities we mention to avoid going in the wrong direction.
How Much Is Your Budget?
Determine your budget accurately and stick to it. Take a look at your bank account and answer the question: How much can you spend on buying a road bike?
With the budget you set, look for suitable bikes. Try not to find cheaper or more expensive bikes because they will easily deflect your original orientation. Surely you don’t want to have debt after owning an expensive road bike, right?
What Type Of Road Bike Do You Need?
This question focuses on what you need, not what you want. Focus on your purpose. Do you want to lose weight, join the race, travel or go on a picnic? Determining the right purpose will help you know what kind of road bike you need.
What Size Frame Do You Need?
Each manufacturer will have different sizes for different chassis. This makes decision making difficult. However, above we’ve provided you with a way to determine the right size you need. What you need to do now is just considering the data provided above and selecting.
What Color Bike Do You Like?
Why does color affect your decision? You should not underestimate the color and aesthetics of the bike. The fact is that if you don’t like the color or style of your bike, you’ll rarely ride it. Therefore, from the beginning, pay attention to the color to make the bike a special favorite for you.
What Gears Do I Need?
Yes, the last thing you need to consider is what do you need? A traditional, compact, or semi-compact road bike? The easiest way to answer this question is based on the way you ride and your performance. Besides, let consider your health condition before deciding. The information on road bikes we present above is also great knowledge to help you choose the one you need.
Best Road Bike Brands
Here are some helpful suggestions on the road bike that is being appreciated in the market today:
Best Under $ 1500
When it comes to a road bike priced at under $ 1500, Schwinn Fastback Carbon Road Bike is the most representative candidate.
Its design is quite remarkable with Schwinn N LITENED Black Label Carbon frame and Schwinn race carbon fork combine. This makes its weight quite low, and as a result, you can go fast if you want. Besides, Full 22-speed Shimano 105 drivetrain with Shimano 105 STI shifters and an alloy 50 / 34T compact crank to help shift effectively.
We want to talk more about the braking design of this road bike line. Front and rear brakes are Shimano BR-561 alloy caliper and Shimano 105 brake levers which provide the ability to stop in all conditions and control the speed accurately.
If you ask about the feeling of riding this road bike, our answer is smooth. Alex R500 rims help support 25C Kenda criterium tires perfectly. Besides, the combination of Schwinn S1 road stem, Schwinn S1 racing saddle, and dual gel adhesive tape also help ensure your comfort to the fullest.
Best Under $ 1000
For the road bike line that costs less than $ 1000, we nominate Raleigh Bikes Willard 3 Adventure Road Bike 52cm Frame. This bike is designed with the lightweight aluminum frame and carbon fiber fork so it is very suitable for riding on paved roads. Besides, 11 Speed Apex Apex 1 drivetrain paired with Praxis Works Alba cranks allows you to shift smoothly.
Not only that but the TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes also help to brake well under all conditions. HED Tomcat wheels durable. This is all you need for a road bike that costs approximately $ 1000.
Best Under $500
It must be Giordano Libero Acciao Road Bike. This bike is designed to suit women. Materials for making its frame and fork are high tensile steel. Its tires are Kenda 700x25c, and its wheels are made of 170mm aluminum cranks. Not only that, but the threadless stem is made of 1-1 /8-inch alloy. This makes it an admirable road bike in the line of bikes that cost less than $ 500.
Best Under $300
Giordano Libero Acciao Road Bike is one of the ideal road bikes in the price range of under $ 300. The manufacturer will disassemble some parts of this bike and store them in boxes for easier transport from the factory to you.
The complete level of the bike will be about 85% and you will have to install some other removable parts to complete the bike. You can also bring them to a bicycle store and ask for help assembling them to ensure the bike’s excellentness.
Best Bikes Under $200
One of the brightest low-priced road bikes, Just Not Sports want to mention is Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike. What will you get if you own it? A steel frame and welding fork, alloy rim with alloy hub and alloy side pull brakes. Surely now you are feeling excited about this bike, right?
Road Bike Parts
To have the best and most suitable road bike, you need to consider its parts. Here are the detailed instructions for you about each one:
Bike Tires
An ideal bicycle tire will need to achieve standards that are super light, completely anti-puncture and extremely fast. However, such tires do not exist and most tires today can only meet two to three criteria.
The people riding the car will decide to choose your tires. For example, if you often ride on gravel roads or rough roads, you should choose tires that are durable and avoid being punctured. But if you regularly ride on paved roads, a light tire will be a great choice.
Bike Saddle
The most important thing you need to keep in mind when choosing a seat is the shape. Usually, the selection is usually based on gender. Women often feel more comfortable sitting on the larger saddle.
However, the shape of the saddle also depends on the type of bike you own. If you regularly ride a bike on special roads, such as ramps, you will need a different seat than someone who just likes to ride a bike to relax.
Road Bike Wheels
Wheels are the means to make your bike move, so they need to provide smooth and reliable center axles. Besides, they also need high hardness to ensure safety and easy to follow. A good wheel is one that can hold tires at high pressure, creating a stable and lightweight brake surface.
Road Bike Pedals
There are many types of pedals to choose from including platform bike pedals, pedal toe clips and straps, clipless bike pedals, clipless / platform bike pedals. Each type has different characteristics and advantages and disadvantages.
Before choosing a pedal, think about how you will ride your bike. Will you ride a road bike or travel? You will want a pedal that has the benefit of a clipless pedal and also has high mobility.
Bike Lights
There are two types of road bike lights: High-output lighting systems and Front, side and rear safety lights. High-output lighting systems support your vision on trails in most conditions, while Front, side and rear safety lights support you a lot in dim lighting conditions.
To choose the type of light you need, let base on the location and lighting conditions where you often cycle. Don’t choose what you want, choose what you need.
Bike Helmet
Road bike helmets are used for the purpose of protecting users. A helmet includes basic elements such as the helmet’s outer shell, the internal padding software along with the strap, and genuine stamps from the brand on the helmet’s surface.
The surface behind the helmet is often designed with an external impact-absorbing layer with our head. When choosing a bicycle helmet, you need to be aware of how it fits your head so that you will feel comfortable as well as confident. The best way to buy a helmet is to buy a helmet at some reputable brand.
FAQ:
How To Remove Bike Tires?
Follow the steps below:
- Step 1: Loosen the nuts connecting the shaft to the chassis. If they are too tight, spraying some lubricant on the nuts – such as silicone oil or vegetable oil will help you easily remove them. Many modern bikes do not have nuts. They are equipped with a quick release shaft, making it easy to loosen and remove the tires.
- If the brakes interfere with the tire removal process, remove the brakes. Each brake structure is slightly different but in general, to remove them, you need to remove the brake cable.
- Step 2: Remove the wheel from the chassis. If it is a rear wheel, you need to lift the chain out of the wheel. For ease of rear wheel removal, move the chain to the smallest gear before loosening the axle or nuts. The front wheels are easier to remove than the rear wheels.
- Step 3. Reduce the tube completely by pressing the inside of the bike valve down. With a small valve, you need to twist the upper part of the valve body to release the air from the tire.
- Step 4. Loosen the tire section from the rim by turning the rim and squeezing the tire sides. Thanks to the airless discharge, when you squeeze the tire, you will see that it is no longer attached to the inner part of the rim and removing the tires becomes an easy task.
How To Shift Gears On A Road Bike?
Follow the steps below:
- Step 1: Use your left hand to shift the front gears. Meanwhile, a metal ring called derailleur will move the chain from side to side.
- Step 2: Use the right hand to shift the rear gears. The rear gears are almost unlike the front gears because they have their own derailleur.
- Step 3: Gear down to make your pedal easier but also less powerful. You can completely change the gears of bicycles to make cycling easier. However, if you want to go faster, you need gear up to make your pedal harder and stronger.
Above is all you need to know about a road bike. Cycling will become much more interesting if you choose a bike that suits you. Hopefully, the above share will help you do that. Wish you always have good health!