8 Best Road Bikes Under 500 For All Riders
Are you searching for the best road bikes under 500 dollars? Our testing team researched the online market and sourced famous cycling brands to find the latest and most famous road bikes at an affordable price that gives you solid value for money.
We especially focused on lightweight, well-constructed, adjustable geometry and modern frame design options to fulfill the needs of every bike rider. No matter what your riding style is, the weather conditions in your area, or where you want to ride, you can choose a solid, well-equipped road bike with long-lasting specifications.
Our team of professional road bike testers spent up to 40 hours per week for more than six months testing these bikes on different road and gravel trails in California to analyze their performance and every aspect of the provided specifications. According to our results, Schwinn Volare and Ecarpat Bicicleta are the best road bikes under $500.
From the list of more than 60 tested road bikes on the market, we choose the top eight models we think are best and affordable for every rider. In addition to this, if you have a fixed and tight budget in your mind and none of these bikes below fulfill your need, check out our honest guide for best road bikes under $300 and best road bikes for women to get suitable options for tall riders, women, adults, and seniors in our best road bikes section for more detail.
Best Road Bikes Under 500
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
1  | Schwinn Volare 1400 Fitenss Bike | ||
2  | HILAND Adult Racing Road Bike | ||
3  | Ecarpat Bicicleta Road Bike | ||
4  | Giordano Aversa Road Bike | ||
5  | HEAD PAVA Road Bike | ||
6  | Schwinn Millsaps Road Bike | ||
7  | Hiland Alliance Road Bike | ||
8  | EUROBIKE HY XC550 Road Bike |
1. Schwinn Volare 1400 Fitenss Road Bike
Features:
- Lightweight Aluminum Frame & Fork
- Shimano 21-Speed Trigger Shifter
- Front & Rear Alloy Caliper Brakes
- Aero Drop-Down Handlebar & Seat
- Double Wall Rims & Slim Sports Tires
- Suitable For 5’4’’ to 6’2’’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 280 Pounds
This Schwinn Volare Road Bike is one of the lightest models in the lineup we have tested, weighing only 28 pounds due to its lightweight aluminum frame, aluminum rigid fork, and double-wall aluminum rims. The excellent distance between its drop-style handlebar and sports saddle provides a comfortable body posture for a pain-free forward riding position.
For under 500 dollars, this Schwinn Volare road bike comes with Shimano 21-speed EZ-Fire trigger shifters and rear derailleur for speed lovers, providing precise and effortless gear shifting. Its caliper brakes are excellent for dry roads but less effective in rain, so it is recommended to be careful when riding it in bad weather.
The double-wall alloy rims and 700c skinny sports tires make this road bike more stable and comfortable and provide anti-slip performance over rough surfaces. The recommended weight limit for this road bike is up to 280 pounds. However, we tested it with 300-pound heavy riders, and it worked smoothly without any issues.
2. HILAND Adult Racing Road Bike
Features:
- Rust-Proof Aluminum Frame & Fork
- Aluminum Handlebar, Stem, Seat Post
- Shimano 14-Speed Tourney Shifter
- Advance Promax Alloy Caliper Brakes
- Front & Rear Quick Release Wheels
- 700x25c Sports Tires & Alloy Rims
- Two Sizes For 5’6’’ to 6’4’’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 330 Pounds
The Hiland Adult Racing Road Bike is a solid option for beginners who will buy their first road bike or want to replace their old, rusted steel bike. It is almost entirely built with aluminum, including a rust-proof aluminum frame, handlebar, double aluminum rims, cranks, etc, to make it super-light and easy to control.
This heavy-duty road bike has a full Shimano 14-speed drivetrain and Shimano micro shifter, providing easy and smooth speed changes. Hiland uses advanced Promax caliper brakes, which won’t cause you any trouble and provide reliable stopping power even in rain.
In addition, its double-wall alloy rims and oversized 700 x 25c tires provide excellent rolling and a perfect weight-to-speed ratio. We also included this bike in our review of the best road bikes for tall riders because its adjustable design and availability in two sizes make it the perfect choice for 5’6″ to 6’4″ tall riders. Its maximum weight limit is 330 pounds.
3. Ecarpat Bicicleta Road Bike
Features:
- Rust-Proof Aluminum Alloy Frame
- Shimano 14-Speed Thumb Shifter
- Adjustable Sports Seat in All Directions
- Front & Rear Mechanical Disc Brakes
- Double Wall Aluminum Alloy Rims
- 700c Tires & Quick-Release Wheels
- Suitable For 5’4” to 6’0” Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 220 Pounds
This entry-level Ecarpat Bicicleta Road Bike is a great starter option for beginners who are looking to enter the world of bike riding and want a lightweight road bike for daily commuting. It requires the minimum amount of pedal energy to achieve a fast speed. When we bought it for testing, its price was about 458 dollars.
This well-equipped road bike is built around an aluminum frame and equipped with a Shimano 14-speed thumb shifter to provide a silky smooth riding experience at your fingertips. The dual mechanical disc brakes also provide reliable and safe stopping to control the bike.
You can adjust its seat forward, back, up, and down to get a comfortable riding position. This road bike scored top marks in our testing results due to its ability to withstand a harder impact without cracking or falling. However, its sports seat is small and uncomfortable for heavy, oversized riders.
4. Giordano Aversa Road Bike
Features:
- Durable Aluminum Frame & Steel Fork
- Shimano 14-Speed Derailleur & Shifter
- Front & Rear Alloy Caliper Hand Brakes
- Aerodynamic & Comfortable Sports Seat
- Double Wall Alloy Rims & 700x25c Tires
- Three Sizes For 5’5’’ to 6’3’’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 250 Pounds
This Giordano Aversa Road Bike model is one of the lightest bikes, made with an aluminum frame using invisible welding technology. We were extremely impressed with its super-relax aerodynamic geometry and other reliable specifications, which are enough to provide pain-free rides to beginners, intermediates, and experts.
Its well-chosen 32-hole double-wall alloy rims, 29-inch wheels, and 700x25c sports tires have less rolling resistance and require less energy to keep the bike at a fast speed. The Shimano 14-speed shifter and drivetrain give precise and effortless speed changes over various road surfaces.
You will also get a high-carbon steel fork, dual caliper hand brakes, a comfortable sports seat, a free kickstand, reflectors, and a pre-drilled mount for the water bottle cage. However, the company did not mention its maximum weight limit on its product page. Our female testing team member, who is about 6 feet tall and weighs 270 pounds, easily rode this bike without any issue.
5. HEAD PAVA Road Bike
Features:
- Durable Lightweight Aluminum Frame
- 22-speed R9 Groupset & Drivetrain
- Front & Rear Dual-Piston Disc Brakes
- Performance Racing Sports Saddle
- Ultra-Light Carbon Fiber Front Fork
- 700 x 32c Sports Tires & Alloy Wheels
- Three Sizes Fits For 5’4” to 6’3” Riders
If you like bike racing and want a sports racing road bike under $500, then this HEAD PAVA Model will be your best choice. With its performance-oriented frame geometry, upright riding position, and longer wheelbase, it offers full control and maximum stability.
This sports road bike is built around an aluminum frame and super-light carbon fiber front fork. Its double-wall aluminum rims and sports tires provide equal high-speed performance on paved, gravel, city roads, & other terrains.
In addition, our testers were impressed by its smooth gear-shifting system consisting of an L-Twoo drivetrain R9 22-speed groupset that gives plenty of gear range to tackle any riding situation. Danielle Bhakta is our expert road bike rider, weighing over 300 pounds. He took about ten test rides of almost 15 miles on this bike to give us its performance review and did not find any issue with handling the bike even though he used the most possible aggressive riding styles.
6. Schwinn Millsaps Road Bike
Features:
- Solid Aluminum Frame & Steel Fork
- Flat Mount Mechanical Disc Brakes
- Shimano 14-Speed Trigger Shifter
- Double Wall Aluminum Alloy Rims
- 33C Wide Knobby Cyclocross Tires
- Perfect For 5’4” To 6’2” Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 280 Pounds
This lightweight Schwinn Millsaps Road Bike feels more like an aggressive bike. It has an aluminum cyclocross frame and steel fork suitable for handling cyclocross and off-road challenging rides. The unique feature of 700x33c wide knobby tires makes it a more valuable road bike at an affordable price. These tires provide plenty of grip and extra traction on grass, pavements, roots, and other dirt paths.
The 14-speed Shimano drivetrain and trigger shifter offer a wide range of gears and effortless shifting, allowing the bike to adapt to any terrain easily. Our testers were impressed with its flat-mounted mechanical disc brakes, which provide crisp all-weather stopping power.
Its tool-free adjustable seat provides suitable height adjustments for 5’4″ to 6’2″ tall riders. This road bike comes with a limited lifetime warranty that is specific to you and not transferable to anyone. The specifications are enough to upgrade your cycling style to the next level with Schwinn Millsaps.
7. Hiland Alliance 700c Road Bike
Features:
- Lightweight Aluminum Frame Material
- Shimano 14-Speed Shifter & Drivetrain
- Front & Rear Linear Pull Caliper Brakes
- 28-Inch Double Wally Aluminum Rims
- 700c Nin-Silo & Anti-Slip Racing Tires
- Three Sizes For 5’3’’ to 6’4’’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 270 Pounds
This Hiland Alliance Road Bike Model is a real racer for speed lovers at an affordable price of under 500 dollars. This lightweight road bike comes with a 6061 aluminum frame and aluminum double-wall rims, making it super-light and easy to move or stop.
We liked its wind-breaking frame and aerodynamic handlebar design, making It a fast road bike. Other advanced specifications that you will get include Shimano 14-speed L-TWOO derailleurs, a fast shifter, linear caliper brakes, a sports seat, and non-silo anti-slip racing tires to easily ride over bumps, roots, and small rocks.
All these features will provide you with the best value for the money and great control in every situation without losing speed or getting shaken. However, this road bike is available in three different sizes suitable for 5’3″ to 6’4″ tall riders and can easily hold up to 270 pounds of rider weight.
8. EUROBIKE HY XC550 Road Bike
Features:
- Hi-Tensile Carbon Steel Frame & Fork
- Shimano 21-Speed Tourney TZ Drivetrain
- Front & Rear 160mm Mechanical Disc Brakes
- Aluminum Cranks & Aluminum Handle Stem
- Comfortable Sports Seat For Long Rides
- 32-Spoke Alloy Rims & Road Bike Tires
- Two Sizes Fits For 5’4” to 6’1’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 330 Pounds
This EUROBIKE HY XC550 Road Bike is the most famous model due to its aerodynamic and wind-breaking modern frame design, which is made around a high-carbon steel frame and fork with anti-scratch paintwork. Its front and rear 160 mm mechanical disc brakes offer great stopping power even in rainy weather conditions.
This bike has a complete Shimano 21-speed tourney Tz Drive system, including a rear TZ-50 derailleur & front TZ-30 derailleur and a fast thumb shifter that provides effortless gear changes for different road conditions. In contrast, its comfortable sports saddle is suitable for long-distance rides.
The excellent combination of double-wall alloy rims and 700 x 28c road bike tires has low rolling resistance and gives a high-speed riding experience over paved areas. When we received this bike for testing, we did not find any kickstand in the package box. However, this bike comes in two frame sizes, 49cm and 54cm, perfect for 5’4″ to 6’1″ tall riders.
Why You Should Trust Us:
Our testers are experienced road bike racers who have participated in multi-day tour rides in California, where they had the chance to review these road bikes. They spend more than 40 hours per week testing these bikes. They use their knowledge and cycling experience to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each bike.
We have researched the cycling market and bought 60 top road bike models for testing. After evaluating the results, we rank each model and select the top eight models for the above review list to help you find the best road bikes at an available budget of 500 dollars.
We have tested all the above bikes and are satisfied that all these models will give you great value for the money without breaking your bank account. We evaluate many aspects and features during testing, such as brake quality, handlebar grip, gear shifter, comfortable seat, bike weight, wheel size, and tire grip on different road surfaces.
Our Ranking Metrics:
Our testing and rating criteria for choosing the best road bike under 500 are divided into the following metrics:
- Price Point ( Features + Frame Material)
- Bike Build Test (Adjustable Geometry)
- Bike Speed Test (Shifter Quality + Tires Performance)
- Forward Riding Positions ( Adjustable Seat + Handlebar Position)
- Road Grip Test (Rim Material + Tires Traction)
- Safety Features: ( Brakes & Number of Gears)
Our Testing Team:
We have a team of expert bike riders with over ten years of experience riding different bikes. They also work as freelancers to provide bike testing reviews for different websites and cycling guides. Some also have bike-repairing experience, while others have written great cycling books for beginners and professional bike riders.
Stephon Batz is our senior road bike review editor and has ridden many types of road bikes and gravel bikes since 2009. He was an active participant in many racing competitions and endurance gravel events. He has been coaching a cycling club and road bike team since 2018. Stephon is also a bicycle mechanic with valuable experience in bike repair and selling. He spends most of his time assembling and testing our road bike models. He guided our male and female road bike team members in the complete testing process.
Bart Summers is our staff writer for road bike reviews and works on everything from content strategy to collecting testing details from our test team members and calculating rating metrics to make a final list of recommended bikes for review. He also wrote the most popular cycling book, “50 Top Bike Racing Tips,” which provides beginner and professional bike racers tips. Bart Summers participated in different cycling competitions from 2005 to 2022. He joined Best Bikes Lab’s team in 2023 and now uses his cycling experience to write road bike reviews after collecting testing details from our reviewers and team members.
In addition to these two bike professionals, our other team members also have years of experience in bike riding and testing different bikes and cycling gear. They work as a contributor to share their honest reviews of bikes, cycling tools, and bike repair guides.
How We Choose And Test Road Bikes:
Unfortunately, due to a lack of basic knowledge, Many people don’t know the most important features to consider before buying good-quality bikes. In addition, bicycle prices keep increasing continuously, making it hard to find a high-performance road bike at an affordable price below $500.
You do not need to worry. We are here and will continuously provide authentic and honest reviews to help you choose the best option at an affordable price. Therefore, we aim to publish this article to help you make affordable decisions in choosing top road bikes under 500 dollars that meet your requirements.
For this review, we thoroughly researched both the online and physical cycling market and made a list of more than 60 of the most famous road bikes to buy for testing. After evaluating the testing results, we selected the above-mentioned best road bikes for you at under $500.
Affiliate Disclosure:
As affiliates, it is important to describe that our earning source for money is affiliate marketing to run this website. We use affiliate links and may get a commission from the manufacturer to buy new bikes for our upcoming reviews. If you buy from our affiliate link, the product’s final price will not be affected.
Professional Tip For Beginners:
Remember that regular bike tuning is essential for using a bike for a long time. Basic bike tunning enhances the bike’s performance and decreases your repair cost during tunning. You just have to do some basic bike tuning at home.
If you do not take off your bike, its parts will lose rapidly, and in the end, these parts will break into pieces very soon, which will badly increase your repair budget. So keep clean and maintain your bike. You can also read our article about Tune-up Bike At Home.
Conclusion:
Everyone like you searching for the best road bikes under 500 needs clarification about choosing the most suitable options among many road bike brands. Road bikes are specially made for long-distance, fast rides on flat roads.
Unlike mountain bikes, you can ride road bikes anywhere on smooth and small rocky road surfaces. Their drop-down handlebars and wind-breaking design give them an easy-to-ride facility.
In this review, our testing team uses their sources and experience to find the best road bike options to provide you with more value than the spending budget. We also share the pros and cons of all the above-recommended bike models.
Our top recommendation, the Schwinn Phocus Road Bike, has an aluminum frame, handlebar, stem, Shimano 14-speed, advanced Promax caliper brakes, quick-release wheels, and other latest features that you will hardly find in any other road bike in the under 500-dollar price range.
FAQs About Best Road Bikes Under 500
How do I pick the best Entry-Level road bikes?
Before buying any road bike, consider good-quality construction materials, such as bike frames, brakes, wheel sizes, tire quality, and gear shifters.
How many gears should I consider in a good road bike?
It depends on your area and where you want to ride your bike. However, many bike riders choose 21-speed gears, including 7-gears in the rear derailleur and 3-gears in the front derailleur. However, 14-speed and 28-speed gears are also used in road bikes.
Are expensive road bikes better?
Remember that you should never judge the quality of anything by its price. Every expensive bike may not be better. There is a high chance that the bicycles described in the above article, which are the best road bikes under 500 dollars, have more advanced features than any other expensive bike. So always check features, not price.
Can road bikes go on gravel?
Many new cyclists think that road bikes are only for paved roads. These bikes are designed to ride on almost any type of road, including dirt, gravel, mountain roads, etc., so you can easily ride your bike on gravel or any off-road surface.
How fast can road bikes go?
The lightweight frame, smooth gear shifter, and advanced wheels make the road bikes run faster. A road bike’s average speed is 14 -15 mph or 23- 25 km/h. However, if you are a skilled rider, you can reach the speed of a road bike up to 30km/h.
