5 Best Road Bikes Under $200
If you are a beginner, want to start your road bike cycling journey, have a very tight budget, and are looking for the best road bikes under $200? This review will help you a lot. The best affordable road bike can give you miles of comfortable rides without breaking the bank.
Our test team members researched the local bicycle market, interviewed bike shop owners, and looked at available options in online stores. After their recommendation, we rounded up and chose the 15 best affordable road bike models with a price range below or around 200 dollars to purchase for testing.
We took dozens of test rides on each bike on different road surfaces, including smooth roads in Hudson Valley and gravel roads in Colorado, to check the performance and quality of the provided features for this comparison review.
After testing, we calculate the performance of each road bike using our rating metrics to rank all bikes. Our results show that Ecarpat 700C and Outroad PanAme are the best road bikes under $200.
Here is our list of the top five budget road bikes under the 200-dollar price range we selected after in-depth testing. Although the features provided in these recommended bikes may not be similar to those of the most expensive road bikes, these models will give you stable geometry, shifting performance, and easy handling.
Best Road Bikes Under $200:
| Image | Product | Price |
1  | Ecarpat 700C Road Bike | |
2  | Outroad PanAme Road Bike | |
3  | Zuka 700C Flat Bar Road Bike For Men | |
4  | Zuka Road Bike For Women | |
5  | EUROBIKE TSM XC550 Road Bike |
1. Ecarpat 700C Road Bike
Features:
- Lightweight Aluminum Frame & Fork
- Shimano 14-Speed Thumb Shifter
- Dual-Mechanical Disc Brake System
- Tool-Free Height Adjustable Saddle
- 700C Tires & Quick Release Wheels
- Perfect For 5’4” to 6’6” Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 250 Pounds
The newly released Ecarpat Racing Road Bike is an excellent option if you want unbeatable performance. The company released this model in May 2024 and provided valuable specifications attached to the aluminum frame and fork.
Its wind-breaking frame design includes internal cable routing to make it more aerodynamic and comfortable for long travel days, shopping trips, cycling to work, or group gatherings. This model is equipped with a Shimano 14-speed thumb shifter and dual mechanical disc brakes to take full control of the bike and speed even in rainy conditions.
The combination of quick-release wheels and 700c tires provides less rolling resistance. It absorbs the harder impact of gravel city roads and other tough terrain. The provided seat can be adjusted up to 0-6 inches to accommodate 5’4″ to 6’6″ tall riders.
2. Outroad PanAme Road Bike
Features:
- Rust-Proof Aluminum Frame Material
- Shimano 14-Speed or 21-Speed Option
- Shimano Fast Thumb Shifter & Drivetrain
- Front & Rear Aluminum Alloy Disc Brakes
- Adjustable Seat & Gravel-Style Handlebar
- Anti-Slip Sports Tires & 26-Inch Wheels
- Recommended For 5’3” – 6’0” Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit 330 Pounds
This Outroad PanAme Road Bike is specially equipped with a gravel-style drop-down handlebar and adjustable seat for 5’3″ to 6’0″ tall riders who have long hands. The Manufacturing Company upgraded this bike model in 2023 and included a quick-release adjustable seat post to improve the upright riding position for pain-free rides. You can choose from Shimano 21-speed or 14-speed drivetrain options and thumb shifters.
During test rides on gravel roads, our testers felt that its aluminum frame and double-wall aluminum rims have good tensile strength to absorb maximum road vibrations. Another interesting feature is that its mechanical disc brakes offer reliable stopping power and speed control in all weather conditions.
However, our team members noticed two small issues with this bike during assembly. They did not like its plastic pedals, and its handlebar is not very adjustable. Overall, these are not big issues. Upgrade its pedals and use a riser to increase the handlebar height. As you may know, this road bike is a great option for budget-friendly riders at an affordable price of under 200 dollars.
3. Zuka 700C Flat Bar Road Bike For Men
Features:
- Lightweight Aluminum Alloy Frame
- Full Shimano 24-Speed System
- Front & Rear Aluminium Disc Brakes
- Soft And Waterproof Sports Seat
- Double Wall Aluminum Alloy Rims
- 700 x 25C Tires & 28-inch wheels
- Suitable For 5’6” to 6’2’ Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 250 Pounds
You rarely get a lightweight aluminum alloy frame, a complete Shimano 24-speed gear system, and aluminum disc brakes in a budget road bike under 200 dollars range. But this Zuka 700C Flat Bar Road Bike is the only option in our list that offers these three specifications and other advanced features.
Its Shimano 24-speed system consists of a 3-speed TZ500 front derailleur, an 8-speed TY300 rear derailleur, and a smooth 24-speed shifter placed in the same handlebar position with disc brake levers for easy and effortless gear shifting. Other advanced features include a comfortable sports saddle, 28-inch wheels, aluminum alloy rims, 700 x 25C sports tires, and a butyl rubber inner tube.
Zuka is usually considered a lightweight road bike. Still, you might be surprised that this model weighs only 12.4kg, which means anyone can easily control this bike. However, this bike is only available with a flat handlebar option, but you can easily upgrade it by using a drop-down handle. Overall, this is our top recommendation for 5’6 “to 6’2” tall riders to participate in races or use for city commuting.
4. Zuka Road Bike For Women
Features:
- Lightweight Carbon Steel Alloy Frame
- 7-Speed Smooth Shifter & Drivetrain
- Front & Rear Mechanical Disc Brakes
- Sports Seat & Soft Handlebar Grips
- Double Wall Aluminum Alloy Rims
- 700 x 32C Tires & 27.5-Inch Wheels
- Suitable For 5’5” to 6’0’ Tall Women
- Maximum Weight Limit: 250 Pounds
While you may have a question, is there a best road bike available for women that costs around $200? Our answer will be yes. This Zuka Women’s Road Bike is a high-performance, affordable road bike for women. The company used lightweight carbon steel frame material and designed it with internal cable routing to make it more attractive on a budget.
You will get valuable features such as a 7-speed smooth drivetrain, mechanical disc brakes, anti-slip handle grips, and a sports seat for comfortable commuting. Its 27.5-inch wheels, aluminum alloy rims, and 700x32C tires provide low rolling resistance and excellent performance.
During testing, our female tester, who weighs almost 260 pounds, rode this road bike for more than 15 miles on flat roads and reported that its small sports seat gives uncomfortable feelings after 10 miles. However, assembling it is very easy and takes less than 30 minutes. You will also get free basic assembly tools for the remaining assembly.
5. EUROBIKE TSM XC550 Road Bike
Features:
- Hi-Tensile Carbon Steel Frame
- Full Shimano 21-Speed Shifter
- Dual Mechanical Disc Brakes
- Comfortable Sports Seat
- 32-Spoke Alloy Rims & Tires
- Best For 5’3” to 5’9’”Tall Riders
- Maximum Weight Limit: 300 Pounds
This Eurobike TSM XC550 Model is one of the best road bikes under 200 dollars due to its slim, wind-breaking, modern frame design and high-carbon steel material. We recommend this bike for city road commuting rather than racing.
Its mechanical disc brakes provide reliable stopping power even in rainy weather. The comfortable sports saddle is suitable for long-distance rides. Double-wall alloy rims and 700 road bike tires provide a high-speed riding experience and comfort over paved areas.
When we received this bike for testing, we found its wheels were misaligned, which may have been caused by delivery riders’ mishandling. The manufacturer offers a one-year warranty on bike parts, which is just enough.
Why You Should Trust Us:
We have a team of male and female pro bikers who have ridden hundreds of different bikes, from affordable road bike models to the most expensive triathlon road bikes, to give reviews here at Best Bikes Lab. Some of them are writers and have written different cycling books for beginners and professionals.
They have good cycling knowledge and years of experience in bike riding and can easily explain which inexpensive bikes give good overall performance. We research the online market and source different bike brands to purchase the latest road bikes for testing, identifying their specifications, strengths, and weaknesses, and writing honest comparison reviews for easy assessment by our readers.
For this review, we bought 15 road bike models from different brands, with prices ranging from around 200 dollars. We took these bikes for test rides on the flat roads of Hudson Valley and gravel roads of Colorado to check the performance and quality of the specifications they provided.
Our testers use different riding styles, including long-distance rides and sudden brakes, and quickly move the bike from a flat road to a rough area to create a possible aggressive situation so that they can deeply check the handling of these bikes.
At the end of our in-depth bike testing process, we use our rating metrics to score each road bike according to its frame material, riding geometry, brake performance, smoothness of shifter, and tire quality. In the final step, we compare rating scores, rank each model, and select the top-scoring bikes for our review articles.
Our Ranking Metrics:
Our testing and rating criteria for choosing the best road bikes under $200 are divided into the following metrics:
- Price Point (Frame Material + Specifications)
- Bike Build Test (Geometry + Manufacturing)
- Speed Test (Number of Speeds + Tires Quality)
- Riding Positions ( Seat And Handlebar Position)
- Road Grip Test (Rim Shape + Tires Performance)
- Safety Features: (Brakes Type)
The most important factors to consider when choosing an affordable road bike are frame material, total number of speeds, and type of brakes, which account for about 35% of the total ranking metrics.
Our Testing Team Members:
Our team of expert bike riders with 10 to 15 years of experience provides the best testing reviews. Some are bike mechanics, while others have written cycling books for bike riders.
Stephon Batz is our senior road bike review editor. He has been riding many types of road and gravel bikes in racing competitions and endurance gravel events. He has also led a cycling club road bike team in Illinois since 2018. Stephon is a qualified bicycle mechanic with ten years of experience in bike repair and bike selling at a Springfield, Illinois, bike shop. He dedicatedly assembled and tested our road bikes. Stephon also has very close contacts with many cycling brands.
Bart Summers is our senior staff writer for the road bike reviews section and has worked as a professional cycling writer for many famous bicycle brands, including Hiland, SAVA, Kent, Outroad, and others. He also wrote a helpful cycling book, “50 Top Bike Racing Tips,” covering many topics to share his 17 years of bike riding experience and providing essential tips for beginners and professional bike riders. Bartz Summers joined bestbikeslab’s team in 2023. He actively collects testing details from our test team members. He uses his cycling experience to write road bike review articles.
In addition to these two professionals, our remaining team members have top-level experience riding bikes, testing different cycling gear, and contributing to our honest reviews of bikes, cycling tools, and bike-repairing guides.
How We Tested Road Bikes Under 200:
This review is specially made for beginner and budget-conscious bike riders to guide them about the best entry-level road bike options under $200. We have selected and purchased about 15 of the most famous road bike models for testing that are easily available online at an affordable price of less than or around $200.
Our test team members rode all these bikes on different flat and gravel roads for more than six months to find the perfect road bike that fulfills almost all the basic needs of every rider. Our bike riders used different riding styles to check each specification and deeply determine its strengths and weaknesses.
Then, we ranked each road bike model according to our rating metric and selected the best models. All the processes take a lot of time, and it is almost impossible for an individual to test each available road bike model. Therefore, we provided this honest review to save you a lot of money, effort, and valuable time to find the best affordable road bike within your budget. We hope this review will be helpful for you.
Affiliate Disclosure:
As affiliates, it is our responsibility to inform you that our earning source is affiliate marketing to run this website. We use affiliate links to earn a small amount of money after successful sales. If you buy from our provided affiliate link, we may earn a commission from bike manufacturers to buy new bikes for our upcoming reviews. This affiliate link will not affect the final product price when you buy through our website.
Conclusion:
Many cycling brands and local bike shop owners may offer low-priced road bikes. Still, they will not give you well-made frames or may provide you with low-quality specifications that you will never wish to get. This makes it difficult for beginners to find and choose best bike option.
There is no need to worry. We are here to help you find the best road bikes under $200 for your riding needs. You can easily check in-depth details about each road bike’s specifications, features, and weaknesses to quickly determine which bike offers the maximum high-quality features at the lowest possible price.
