Buying a road bike is becoming popularly confusing than expected for entry-level and professional road cyclers who require the best of the best, much like the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike. We are here to clear up the confusion in a way that you stay well-informed about this road bike, along with other available road bikes ready to purchase. Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike falls under the category of handling off-road riding as brilliantly as on-road riding, unlike many road bikes out there. Being the best beginner road bike out there it offers Shimano shifters, smooth-functioning and high profile wheels.
Additionally, this best road bike is a one of a kind road bike with a high profile functional rear-mounted 21 speed derailleur that moves swiftly and can fast carrying riders up to 330 pounds.
Jen’s Top Pick: Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike
The Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike is built using a strong and lightweight aluminum frame that is easy to assemble and maintain for optimal speed. You can get the most out of this one as its affordability comes with a quick-release front wheel that has the power to transform any bike’s tires into working much faster and smoother on the front brakes. This bike usually comes with Shimano components such as the Shimano shifter and derailleur. This best road bike is designed to minimize discomfort and promise smooth riding with a perfectly cushioned saddle and its ability to support extravagant weights flawlessly.
The tires of this best road bike are from Kenda while its rims are aluminum and so are its brakes that are made of aluminum caliper. Having to research road bikes tons, we know that most road bikes are extremely heavyweight which casts an influence over the total performance of that particular road bike, but the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike is unlike any other on the market! Its lightweight peculiarity and design is deemed perfect for amateurs, beginners, and serious road cyclists competing in many road racing events.
Hunting for the best road bike out in the market today got us discovering a much expensive yet a perfect caliber fit of a road bike, much like an upgraded version of the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike. It is the Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 2015 Carbon Fiber Bike which is one of the best road bikes out there, slightly costlier than our best pick, but its significance to road cyclers is paramount still. This bike comes at an extravagant price with exclusive features that can’t be experienced anywhere else on the variety of road bikes available right now. Its super-light carbon fiber structure gives riders the ultimate comfort from casual road cycling to intense road competitions. It’s the best go-to choice for both amateurs and expert riders as its sturdy structure features aerodynamic tubing built for extraordinary speed with a Kestrel EMS Pro seatpost that provides the unsurpassable saddle positions built for short and long stretches that could otherwise give you a serious injury. The Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 2015 Carbon Fiber Bike is the product of the first manufacturer of carbon bikes (that is Kestrel) which delivers road bikes at an appealing price and functionality, at the same time, so it’s bound to have features of versatile geometry and a custom Kestrel cork wrap for gripping with handlebars of an ergonomic fit. One striking feature of this transcendent road bike is that it features three degrees of saddle adjustment with the Kestrel EMS Pro seatpost making it the only best road bike designed to go beyond the normal rider’s preferences of comfort.
As far as road bikes are concerned, our expertise would be incomplete if we don’t shell out the best cheap road bike to consider buying when you’re on a tight budget. The Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike is the ultimate road bike to fall back on that has great functionality, even though it’s single speed, and a sturdy framework. This road bike has a tig-welded frame and
fork with alloy rims, alloy hubs, and alloy side pull brakes for withstanding extreme riding conditions by beginners and professional riders. This bike is designed keeping the commuters and long distance riders’ preferences in mind to take out on the road on a daily basis and it also features a rear flip-flop hub intended for standard freewheeling so it eliminates the element of surprise when it comes to making adjustments. With the support of Kendra tires, which are proven to be the perfect installation for popular road experiences, the Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike excels as the best road bike for men and women with an appealing design structure, all at an affordable price.
We know that you must now be suspicious of the promise this road bike brings with it because of its low price. It consists of a lot of exclusive components that most road bike brands fail to design in an affordable road bike.
What you should know before reading on
As with the best road bike for both enthusiasts and professional riders, we’ve found that riders want a road bike that fits them well because finding the best road bike out there isn’t a universal pick- it’s a personal one. When we researched for the best road bike that fits a budget and that has attractive features and offerings to both first-time buyers and professional riders, we found some exclusive features of the best road bike. We’re looking at features that enhance the riding experience, making it fast, smooth at handling and responsive to withstand distinct roads. A true rider’s dream of the best road bike would be a design that fits his/her physical body in a way that it communicates well with both the bike and the road while riding. It has frame-design technology that promises speed and resistance on the road and that are lightweight. Flexibility is one key feature that the best road bike comprises of when it comes to riding on the toughest roads such as in the dirt or on a bumpy road. We’re willing to compromise the money if the best road bike out there is innovative, comfortable and stout.
What is a road bike?
A road bike, or what they’re also known as ‘racers’, are bicycles that are specifically designed to run on particular terrain, that is roads, that range from polished to unrelenting. Road bikes make use of carbon or aluminum fire frames and 22-speed electrical drive-trains that have advanced over the years from traditional to innovative technology. Apart from the frame-technology of the steaming road bikes in the market, road bike wheels need to be aerodynamic with robust wheels, although not as aggressive as any mountain bike. With aerodynamics, road bike wheels are less prone to flats and with their tire volume, they ensure a smoother ride. The most popular component of any road bike is its saddle and seatpost as they have a big influence on how you ride your road bike and how good you are at it. Since saddles sometimes fit uncomfortably for different riders, many road bike brands now feature different saddle sizes on each of their road bikes for better endurance and long distances.
What to look for in a road bike?
So, when you’ve decided to purchase the best road bike for you, it’s essential that you look for the best features in a road bike that is the ideal road bike that you were looking for.
Frame Material
Road bikes are dedicated to frame materials such as alloy, aluminum or steel as they also dictate the price of your road bike while purchasing. You’ll see a boost in price with carbon and relatively lesser in steel and aluminum. With the carbon-fiber choice, you’re setting yourself up for an enduring go-to option if the road bike is used for long commutes, but on smooth and even roads or you’re in the mood for some weighty riding for adventure and independent thrill in nature. Because of their manufacturing process, carbon-fibers are more expensive than other framesets, but they provide an improved ride quality overall. Carbon Fiber is the strongest frame material in the market that doesn’t bend or break on stretches. The second most convenient and promising frame material for the best road bike would be aluminum, they’re less expensive than carbon-fiber, but it needs to be inspected closely three to four years down the line as it is prone to decay after years of riding exposure. Steel on the other hand, is the cheapest to buy, but it can take the beating unless you let it decay due to lack of looking after it.
Frame Geometry
Based on your sole objective of purchasing the best road bike, you’ll be offered two different kinds of frame designs such as a sport geometry (for recreational purposes), performance geometry (for race purposes), and a flat bar (for general commuting purposes). It is best to buy a road bike that is designed to suit your cycling needs and requirements based on your objective specifically. A sport geometry designed road bike satisfies riders who attend riding events a few times in a year or for up to 150 miles a week. They’re more upright with a relaxed steering handle not as aggressive as the performance geometry road bike; whereas the performance road bike satisfies a more competitive rider. These geometry designed road bikes are aggressive, flexible, and offer a stiffer frameset with lightweight components. But these are generally tagged at a higher price ranges compared to the other two frame geometry road bikes. Flat bar road bikes are for general commuting for entry-level riders within a decent budget.
Gear System
With internally geared hubs and derailleur gear systems for road bikes, derailleur gear system is the way to go as it is relatively lighter and it features up to 30 gears which means they’re more broad and domineering than internally geared hubs. On the other hand, internally geared hubs are costly, heavy and feature from 3 to 14 gears and require little maintenance. Although with derailleur gear systems, you have to conduct regular maintenance rounds, but they’re more popular and enduring than internally geared hubs.
Our best pick: Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike
Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike
The best pick on our list of the best road bike is absolutely perfect for entry-level riders and those riders looking for some serious biking adventures and road racing. You’ll find this road bike available in three different schemes and colors. In speed, size and design, this best road bike suits both women and men riders perfectly with an adjustment feature of the seatpost which can be shortened or lengthened easily. With Shimano shifter and derailleur, the Merax Finiss Aluminum offers gear shifting as smooth as silk. This road bike has got it all from the quick-release front wheels, a 21 Speed 700C Aluminum frame to an aluminum kickstand pair that promises riders an aerodynamic ride all the way.
The total weight of this best road bike amounts to 28 pounds only and it can carry the weight limit of any rider of up to 330 lbs. The best feature of this bike is that it’s lightweight and sturdy, best for road biking and racing. Riding enthusiast looking for an entry-level road bike with an appealing design and remarkable functionality can opt for this one. For the price, function, and design, the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike doesn’t fail to impress you.
Being the most economical pick out there, the durability of components that bode well with a design frame-technology road bike which has aerodynamic functionality, this best road bike can save you more time in terms of speed and grant you more time in terms of endurance. Also, with its aluminum caliper brakes, you have an option to buy the best at an economical price which other road bikes don’t offer. If you’re a beginner in riding and you don’t wish to spend an extravagant amount to keep up with the professional riders, the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike is predestined to be yours. It is the perfect choice to get riders accustomed and ready for any organized race events or simply just some challenging riding races. Most entry-level road bikes have a cylindrical frame, which means that they add more time to your riding experience in the long run, but unlike the rest, this best road bike has a flattened frame which proves an aerodynamic ride and sheds back more time that you anticipated overall.
The design of the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike is defined more aggressively because of its Kenda tires sitting on Aluminum A5 rims, which makes it a tempting road bike to pick in the market today. With its functionality as innovative as it can get, this best road bike stays at the highest thread because of its sleek design and aesthetic. You must remember that when you’re looking for a strictly professional road bike with superior functionality and excellent design, you will run into many expensive road bikes that are way off your budget, but this road bike is both decent in functionality and design while being the easiest economical pick out in the market today. You cannot ignore the selling points of this road bike as an entry-level pick with far-better functionality than most of the entry-level road bikes; which makes it recommendable to any rider looking for one that does more than it pays.
Second best pick: Vilano Performance 700C 21 Speed Shimano Hybrid Road Bike
Vilano Performance 700C 21 Speed Shimano Hybrid Road Bike
This commuter bike is our second best pick among the best road bikes in the market today as it stands grand in terms of functionality, objective, and design. Better off than any standard road bike, this road bike is designed primarily for general commuting and for dedicated fitness regimes. The Vilano Performance 700C 21 Speed Shimano Hybrid Road Bike is proven to be relatively lightweight than those road bikes meant for the same objectives which may weigh down riders who utilize it for commuting on a frequent schedule. You can take this road bike on the road for commuting, general riding adventures to the park or elsewhere, and fitness riding both for short and long distances. Once assembled correctly, this road bike holds off well as long as you maintain its appearance at all times.
With Shimano components and a 6061 Aluminum frame with aero tubing and integrated straight blade fork, this Vilano Performance road bike promises smooth, reliable and accelerated riding with puffed up gear changes that won’t fail to impress any rider looking for superior quality in a standard road bike. Keeping comfort at its base, it also has installed a water bottle and rear rack mounts as well as an ergonomic saddle for seating. Then, Vilano had a reputation of supplying cheap material components that made their road bikes prone to breaking down much faster than the rest, but they’ve upped their game in terms of quality by using a KMC chain which offers perfect quality and endurance.
Third best pick: Diamondback Century 1 Complete Road Bike
Diamondback Century 1 Complete Road Bike
Our third finalist on our best road bike list is considered a powerful road machine in terms of endurance, riding characteristics and efficiency. With its Enhanced Performance Geometry (EPG), riders can experience an improved stability handle that places less burden on the rider’s neck and back region. How such an enhanced performance geometry is better is it keeps the head tube height higher than usual to improve efficiency of a ride with less flexibility in pelvic rotation as well as for those who prefer less aggressive and a more resolute engine to ride on. Doesn’t matter if you’re a casual rider or a race rider, you need comfort first otherwise performance is hindered.
The best feature of this road bike is the Tektro R312A dual pivot brakes that let riders settle on a relatively smoother halt rather than a sudden punch of a stop that are the marks of a trashy ride. The Diamondback Century Road Bike has got all the needed features that complete every cyclist: from the powerful HED hoops, and 28mm Michelin tires to its 7005 alloy construction frames that trades in acceleration and confidence with stiffness and defectiveness in terms of performance, endurance and comfort. With this road bike, you won’t think twice before riding up a hill as the flattened top tube makes the bike’s stability more defined and in-control.
An extravagant but valuable pick: Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 2015 Carbon Fiber Bike
Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 2015 Carbon Fiber Bike
When you see an expensive product, the first think that pops in your head is its superior functionality and design that makes it so expensive in the market. So, let us state why this road bike is featured as the most proficient one in the market despite its extravagant price. According to Bicycling Magazine, the Kestrel Talon Road Shimano Carbon Fiber Bike is the best deal anyone has ever seen! Because of its versatile geometry, carbon-fiber frame and fork, and Shimano 105 derailleurs, this road bike adjusts to any riding style providing the supreme combination of tractability with precision. The road bike’s best component is its A2 Wind Tunnel which promises extraordinary speed without any unwanted scraping and inflexibility.
Because of its carbon-fiber frame and aerodynamic features, it’s seamless in gear shifting and super smooth in functionality. The design, too, is commendable as it stands out from the otherwise mundane looking road bikes that offer great functionality at a higher price, but no sleek conception. This road bike is the best value you’ll get for your money which makes it the perfect dual purpose road bike for routine road riding or competitive riding. And, after all, buying what you love means a great financial benefit because it can be used for a really long time! The cassette and chain is built by KMC which means that they’re of an excellent quality which promises you aggressive sprints and competitions without the scare of a run-down.
A budget-friendly pick: Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike
Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike
Isn’t it amazing to own a bike that’s superior in functionality and affordable? The Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike is your go-to road bike of the season. You won’t find faults in this one because it features a steel frame with horizontal dropouts that are endurable on soft and hard roads. With its flip-flop hub feature, riders can either ride in fixed gear or in a standard single speed mode to make full use of the road bike’s stable components in a comfortable technique.
This road bike excels in performance as much as it excels in design. Since it is designed primarily as a commuter road bike, it uses better frame material for a standard single speed bike such as steel instead of aluminum which means longer endurance and a staggering conception of design and framework. With the use of steel in the overall construction and alloy for its rims and side pull brakes, the Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike offers strong performance, tolerable reputation to go against different roads because of its Kenda 700×32 inner tube tires, but there is a slight dent of them getting damaged due to sudden contact with a sharp patch.
Overall, this road bike is proven to be as promising as any other expensive road bike used by professionals. What makes this road bike unique is its dissimilarity with other budget-friendly road bikes in terms of construction and performance. Those road bikes make use of an aluminum frameset which is relatively lightweight- on the contrary, the Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike is designed in steel which offers more strength, endurance and protections for daily use.
Competition
Below is a list of 5 closely-competitive road bikes that you may consider as alternatives to the ones we discussed previously. Remember, each road bike has its own personal advantages, so all are the best ones to pick from based on your objective of buying them. This list will help you gain more perspective on the different kinds of road bikes available, all with a unique set of characteristics and caliber.
1.
Schwinn Men’s Prelude Bicycle
Many of the road bikes Schwinn has produced in the market today are definitely at lower prices with an impressive performance quality. It has an aluminum drop bar frame and Schwinn’s own road fork perfect for fast-moving legs and swift rides. Its lightweight alloy cranks and deep-dish alloy wheels make this road bike tolerable to any speed and obstacles on the road. You can take this one out on the road for general commuting to work, to the park, a new café or for an evening ride around town. It offers a good balance along with solid durability and supreme dual pivot road brakes and alloy road break levers that do an amazing job centering the tires while riding. The best feature of this road bike is that it has Shimano A050 shifters that we all know are of excellent quality and offer great speeds.
2.
Vilano Shadow Road Bike With Shimano Integrated Shifters
This one is yet another amazing entry-level road bike designed for long-distance riding, commuting, and fitness regimes. It offers solid braking and shifting gears as it features Shimano STI brake lever integrated shifter, which is specifically designed to withstand frequent road use. It’s built from lightweight 6061 Aluminum frame with the seatpost and handlebar made of alloy. It’s great for riders looking to kickstart a serious riding experience into getting a good grip on different road bike components and functionality. For those within a budget, this road bike is suitable for both women and men with an attractive design conception that catches the eye. It has some striking features of a pro road bike that makes the Vilano Shadow Road Bike a great pick for beginners.
3.
GMC Denali Road Bike
The GMS Denali Road Bike is a popularly versatile road bike used by riders either as a part of training or casual riding around the city. If you’re looking for something more durable and more complex than the standard road bike meant for normal use, then the GMS Denali Road Bike is for you. The construction of this bike is lightweight with an aluminum frameset and Shimano Revol shifters and derailleur for swift rides and gear shifts. Available in an high-performing 700C tires that can take on obstacles on the streets and other road surfaces. It’s a seriously high-performing road bike with attractive design for serious riders.
4.
Giordano Libero 1.6 Men’s Road Bike
This one is designed by handcrafted 6061 aluminum frameset featuring Shimano Claris 16 Speed STI shifters and derailleurs meant for rigorous riding on harsh road surfaces. It comes in an impressive package of 700C wheels and an aluminum road 50-34 crank meant for riding enthusiast out for some mountain cycling adventures during the weekends. It weights a total of 29 pounds, which is relatively lightweight including the all the road bike’s components. This road bike is valuable for the price, comes with an appealing visual design and is easy to assemble. It’s great to use as an entry-level bike for riders looking to buy the best within a defined budget-much less than what the standard entry-level road bikes are worth.
5.
Aluminum Road Bike Commuter
Designed specifically for commuting, this one is yet another professional commuter road bike with a knack of letting riders get the ultimate riding experience with superior performing components at an amazing price! It’s an economical bike that features Shimano A050 thumb shifters with a lightweight Aluminum frameset that makes this road bike the best smooth ride you’ll ever have. It is so that it attains a perfect rating to succeed as a commuter bike having exceptional functionality and endurance when compared to other such commuter road bikes. It’s because of its simple components such as the constructions, frame and fork that makes this commuter road bike the best in the market today.
Wrapping it up
So to sum it up we know that a road bike needs to perform excellently while keeping the comfort factor always in check. We know what goes into choosing the best road bike, but the thing to remember is that all the road bikes are popularly unique for their combination of preciseness with striking characteristics such as gear shifters, brakes, saddle adjustment, etc. that builds the foundation of a remarkable road bike. We have tried and tested many road bikes for you to trust our opinion and recommendation to make the correct decision on buying the best road bike. The obvious winner from our best road bike list is the Merax Finiss Aluminum 21 Speed Road Bike which is strong, lightweight and supreme in performance followed by the Vilano Performance 700C 21 Speed Shimano Hybrid Road Bike which is popular for its endurance and perfect quality. As for a budget-friendly road bike, we’ve chosen the Takara Kabuto Single Speed Road Bike and at an extravagant amount we’ve chosen the Kestrel Talon Road Shimano Carbon Fiber Bike which has versatile construction. And for those who want a bit more of a challenge in terms of purchasing a brand new road bike, we’ve also compiled a list of 5 competitive road bikes that will seal your deal definitely! Always remember that all the best road bikes have their own unique features built to fit your needs and objective of riding.