Do you want a road bike but don’t know where to start looking because of all the possibilities? This article discusses five of the best womens road bikes for beginners, specifically durable, lightweight, and fast models.
Comparison Chart
Schwinn Phocus 1600 Drop Bar Adult Road Bicycle, 58cm/Large Alluminum Step-Over Frame, Carbon Fiber Fork,16-Speed Drivetrain, 700c Wheels, Black
SAVADECK Carbon Road Bike, Warwinds3.0 700C Carbon Fiber Racing Bicycle with SORA 18 Speed Derailleur System and Double V Brake (Blue,50cm)
Best Women’s Road Bikes for Beginners: Reviews
Takara Oni Single Speed Road Bike
If you want a reasonably priced, stylish, and highly functional road bike to get you from here to there, the Takara Oni Single Speed Road Bike is a great option.
Review
This bike features a durable steel frame that can handle wear and tear without breaking down. It is made of steel, so it’s not the lightest bike, but that said, it’s also far from being the heaviest; you should be able to accelerate to some pretty decent speeds.
What’s cool here is the flip-flop bug that allows you to run this bike in fixed gear or in standard freewheel single speed mode.
Yes, this is a single gear bike, so there is no derailleur and no shifting, but this also means that there are fewer moving parts that can break.
To provide you with good speed and traction on the road, you get 32-hole alloy wheels with 700 x 28 Kenda tires that can handle some pretty rough terrain, such as city streets filled with potholes.
Pros
- Durable frame
- Good tires and wheels for city streets
- Flip flop bug
- Not too heavy (all things considered)
- Really nice design
- Great racing style handlebars
- Great for leisurely riding
Cons
- Assembly is not the easiest
- Screws and bolts could be of higher quality
Giordano Libero Aluminum Road Bike
Here we have a super lightweight road bike with a full gear system, which means that it is made for fast riding.
Review
The Giordano Libero Aluminum Road Bike comes with a 16-speed Shimano drivetrain and derailleurs, combined with Shimano Claris STI Shifters. With 16 speeds, you should be able to achieve great acceleration and high speeds on city roads.
What also stands out about this model is that it features a super lightweight handcrafted aluminum frame, which is relatively durable, but built more for speed. Moreover, the addition of the 50-34 compact crank makes hill climbing easy.
The Giordano Libero Aluminum Road Bike features standard caliper brakes instead of high-end disc brakes, but this should be good enough for city riding, not to mention that it helps keep the price down. Keep in mind that this bike comes in a women’s small and medium.
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Good gear system
- Built for speed
- Easy to climb hills
- Fairly durable
- Nice racing style handlebars
- Threadless alloy stem
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Assembly is a bit of a pain
- Not made for rough roads
Schwinn Phocus 1600 Road Bike
This is a high-end road bike designed for women that comes from the famous Schwinn brand. This bike is not exactly cheap, but you get what you pay for, and here you get quality.
Review
If you are looking for a lightweight road bike that makes it easy to accelerate and easy to maintain top speed – thanks to a very light aluminum frame and an even lighter carbon fiber road fork – this is an option to keep in mind. The aluminum is relatively durable, but the carbon fiber fork is perhaps the most durable component of all.
To make hill-climbing, acceleration, and speed maintenance easy, you get a Shimano Claris 16 speed derailleur with a micro shift system integrated into a shift and brake lever combo.
The Schwinn Phocus 1600 Road Bike has Promax alloy dual pivot caliper road brakes, which provide excellent stopping power, although not quite as good as disc brakes. To make sure that you can roll over roads with ease, you also get high-profile alloy double-wall rims with super smooth tires.
Pros
- Very lightweight design
- Fairly durable
- Decent caliper brakes
- High-quality drivetrain and gear system
- Ideal tires for road riding
- High-quality wheels
- Nice racing-style handlebars
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Chain tends to fall off on bumpy roads
SAVADECK Carbon Road Bike
This is another high-end, high-quality, and high-priced road bike that will give any other bike a run for its money. This thing is fast, lightweight, durable, and everything in between.
Review
Perhaps the most significant feature of this road bike is its carbon fiber frame, fork, and seat post. Carbon fiber is very strong and durable, yet also lightweight. This bike weighs just over 20 pounds, making it the lightest bike on the list today; this factor reduces fatigue and increases your top speed.
The SAVADECK Carbon Road Bike comes with a high-quality Shimano speed control system with rear and front Shimano derailleurs for a total of 18 speeds; you can really get moving on those city streets.
This bike is ergonomically and aerodynamically designed for both comfort and speed. It really looks like a racing bike due to the triple-position racing style handlebars.
The other standout feature is the Oval concepts 6061 Alloy 40MM bearing wheelset combined with the Continental Ultra Sport II (C304 SL) wire 700x25C tire for fast and smooth performance.
Pros
- Superior durability
- Very lightweight
- Great Shimano gear system
- Designed for speed and smoothness
- Very high-quality road tires and wheels
- Aerodynamic design
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Could use disc brakes for the price
SAVADECK Phantom 5.0 Road Bike
This is yet another high-end road bike that is perfect for beginners and seasoned veterans alike.
Review
What stands out is the Toray T800 carbon fiber used in the construction of the frame, wheels, fork, handlebar, and seat post. As you know, carbon fiber is very durable, and it’s also perfect for road bikes because it allows for an ultra-lightweight design. This bike weighs well under 18 pounds, making it about as light as possible.
The SAVADECK Phantom 5.0 Road Bike has an SRAM FORCE 22-speed derailleur system and an SRAM braking system. Both are about as high-quality as it gets.
Everything about this bike is built for speed and acceleration, including the Michelin 25C tires, the Fi’zi:k saddle, the SRAM FORCE integrated hollow crankset, and the SRAM PC1130 chain. When it comes down to it, this might just be the best road bike among our reviews.
Pros
- Super lightweight
- Extremely durable
- Super high-quality gear system
- Superior crankset
- Ergonomic saddle
- Tires perfectly designed for roads
- Built for extreme acceleration and speed
- Comes almost 100% assembled
Cons
Very expensive
Buyer’s Guide
Let’s go over a few primary purchasing considerations, so you know what to look for when buying a women’s road bike,
Frame
One of the most important things to look for when buying a road bike is what the frame is made of. Generally speaking, road bikes are lightweight for speed, so steel is out of the question. Your best bet is either an aluminum alloy frame or a carbon fiber frame, with carbon fiber providing the highest durability level with the lowest weight.
Wheel Size
Since road bikes are built for speed, you want large wheels. The larger the wheels, the more distance you can cover with minimal force required on your end. A wheel size of at least 26 or 27 inches is recommended.
Suspension
As city roads should be smooth and flat, most road bikes do not have a suspension system. Less suspension generally allows for more speed and easier control. As long as the roads are in good condition, having shocks is not really necessary.
Final Verdict
If you really want the best of the best and are willing to pay for it, either the Schwinn or the SAVADECK models are the best options. However, if you want something a bit more reasonably priced, any of the other women’s road bikes reviewed are great options as well.