The 8 Best Road Bikes Under $2000 for Men & Women [2023]

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This is my selection of the best road bikes under $2000 for men and women.

I have been road cycling for over five years and can provide a road cyclist’s perspective.

I will help you determine which road bikes are worth your investment and explain why.

You will also learn how to select the best road bike under $2000 and what to expect within this price range.

Let’s dive in.

What Are the Best Road Bikes Under $2000?

Currently, the top road bikes priced under $2000 generally include disc brakes and a frame made of aluminum or carbon. You should aim for 2X groupsets from reliable manufacturers like Shimano (Tiagra, 105), SRAM, or Campagnolo, and the bike should have an overall weight of approximately 9 kg (20 lbs).

Here are some of the selected road bikes under $2000. If you are uncertain about the features to seek in a road bike within this price range, I suggest reading the “How to choose a road bike” section first.

Polygon Strattos S7 Disc (The Best Overall)

Polygon has become renowned for producing bikes with excellent value. The S7 Disc is a full-carbon road bike with fully integrated cable routing – a rare combination within this price range.

You will appreciate the performance-focused geometry and Shimano 105 groupset with 2×11 gears.

In addition, the Entity rims are tubeless-ready, allowing you to use tubeless tires. Just remember to purchase tubeless valves separately.

The hydraulic disc brakes are another excellent feature, as they are simpler to use than mechanical ones.

Compared to aluminum frames, the full-carbon frame provides superior stiffness and riding comfort, as carbon is better at absorbing road vibrations (learn more).

It is challenging to identify any significant downsides to this bike. Therefore, I believe the Polygon S7 Disc is the best road bike you can purchase for under $2000.

Co-op Cycles ADV 2.1 (The Most Versatile)

The Co-op Cycles ADV 2.1 is an affordable, well-built, and versatile road bike. Its comfortably tuned geometry makes it perfect for long rides and training sessions.

The bike comes equipped with 35mm tires, which also happens to be the maximum tire clearance.

These wider tires provide a comfortable ride on the tarmac and can handle light terrain, allowing you to expand your riding options.

As you may have noticed, this bike does not have the best specs on this list but is the most affordable. You can use the money you save on better equipment or other upgrades.

Additionally, it has a carbon fork that can better absorb vibrations and contribute to increased riding comfort.

The main drawback is the Shimano Claris groupset, which only offers 2×8 gears.

Giant Contend AR 1 & Liv Avail AR 1 (The Best for Women)

Giant is recognized for producing bikes that provide good value. They also have a brand that focuses on women’s bikes (Liv), which makes the Giant Content AR 1 and Liv Avail AR 1 almost identical except for some details.

Both bikes have a carbon fork and seatpost that absorb vibrations and improve comfort, and the 32mm tires also contribute to this.

The good news is that the bikes are tubeless-ready (learn more). However, if you plan to ride mostly on tarmac or paved roads, you can switch to 28 or 25-mm tires.

As one of the largest bicycle manufacturers globally, Giant’s frames are of high quality, and many of my friends ride Giant bikes and can’t praise them enough.

The Content AR 1 and Avail AR 1 both come equipped with the Shimano 105 groupset, which is adequate for beginners and moderately advanced riders. These bikes also have hydraulic brakes for effective braking even in the rain.

In conclusion, Giant and Liv bikes are excellent endurance road bikes suitable for individuals who want the best value for their money.

Canyon Endurace AL Disc 7

Canyon is known for its direct-to-customer business model that provides excellent price-value products. They can offer the same quality products as other popular bicycle brands but at a much better price.

Their Endurance road bike series is a testament to this. Although prices have increased in recent years, they still provide good value.

The Endurance line’s geometry is designed for maximum comfort, and the bikes have wider tire clearance (up to 33mm) to accommodate wide tires suitable for tarmac and light gravel.

The individual Endurance aluminum bike lines differ in their components. The Endurance AL 8 comes equipped with the Shimano 105 groupset, while the cheaper Endurance AL 6 features a lower-end Shimano Tiagra.

Surprisingly, past versions of this bike were lighter. The 2023 Endurance 8 Disc weighs 9.22 kg, about 300g more than the 2021 Endurance 7.0.

The AL 7.0 is equipped with hydraulic brakes, which provide reliable stopping power even in the rain.

The main disadvantage of Canyon bikes is their extended delivery time (due to high demand, delivery can take several months).

Unfortunately, the 2023 lineup of the Endurance AL 8 Disc does not include a women’s version.

Orbea Avant H40-D

The Orbea Avant H40-D is a road bike with endurance geometry that allows for a more upright sitting position, making it ideal for extended rides and workouts.

The bike’s comfort is further enhanced by 28mm tires and a carbon fork that absorbs vibrations.

The Shimano Tiagra groupset is at the heart of the Avant and provides 20 speeds, allowing you to find the right gear for any terrain. For comparison, the previous generation had a 2x11spd groupset.

This bike’s significant design and aero advantage is the integrated cable routing. The cables are routed under the bar tape and stem directly into the frame, a rare solution for road bikes in this price range.

The drawbacks of this road bike are mechanical disc brakes, which are not as convenient as hydraulic disc brakes, and the absence of tubeless-ready wheels.

Trek Domane AL 5 Disc

The Domane AL 5 Disc is the top-range Trek Domane aluminum bike, equipped with the best components (compared to lower series), which are lighter and more reliable.

The 2022/23 version has no significant updates except for new colors, a slightly higher price, and a weight reduction of about 100g.

Trek continues the trend of comfort – in addition to endurance geometry, this bike features 32mm tires that provide comfort on coarse asphalt and can handle dirt roads or light gravel.

The Domane AL 5 is also suitable for longer trips and bike touring, as it is compatible with up to 3 water bottle cages, fenders, and a top tube mount for extra storage. With these accessories, this endurance road bike can transform into a great adventure bike.

In addition to today’s standard disc brakes, the AL 5 is also compatible with the DuoTrap S sensor (not included). This sensor is useful if you enjoy tracking your progress, measuring distance traveled, average speed, etc.

The disadvantage is the higher weight exceeding 10 kg, which is 1 kg more than the Canyon Endurance AL Disc 7.0.

Interested in Chinese bikes? Check out this selection of the best Chinese carbon road bikes. It includes performance and aero carbon road bikes from established Chinese manufacturers.

Cannondale Topstone 2 WMN

Thanks to its wide tires, the Cannondale Topstone 2 WMN is a versatile road bike designed for women that you can confidently use for lighter terrain, such as dirt roads and light gravel. In addition to versatility, you’ll also experience great comfort with its 37mm tires.

Although the Topstone 2 WMN is more like an all-road gravel bike, I included it here because of its Shimano GRX 400 groupset with a wide-enough gear range.

The bike’s frame is women-specific and designed considering women’s physiology.

The Topstone is compatible with up to three bottle cages, ideal for longer rides. You’ll also appreciate the carbon fork, which absorbs small vibrations and improves your comfort. The dropped saddle nose is perfect for a more aggressive riding position.

The Shimano GRX 400 hydraulic brakes ensure effective braking in all weather conditions and terrain, so you’ll stop when needed.

The disadvantage of the Cannondale Topstone is the lower attention to detail, such as the welds.

Don’t forget that most bikes come without pedals. Choose from the best road bike pedals on the market if you don’t have clipless pedals yet.

Orro Gold Evo 105-FSA R800

The Orro Gold Evo is one of this selection’s few fully carbon bikes. Its endurance-oriented frame enables you to ride long distances and train hard (although the gears are too hard for mountain climbing on steep terrain).

It combines the Shimano 105 groupset with an FSA chainset, ensuring fast and smooth gear transitions.

The Gold Evo has Fulcrum R900 DB alloy wheels that spin smoothly, allowing you to ride fast.

The disadvantage of this bike is the mechanical disc brakes that are not hydraulic, likely due to the carbon frame.

You didn’t choose? You might be interested in these road bikes for under $3000.

My Verdict

Polygon Strattos S7 Disc is the best road bike under $2000 overall. Its full-carbon frame, internal cable routing, full Shimano 105 groupset, and hydraulic disc brakes provide the best price-value ratio.

Liv Avail AR 1 is the best road bike under $2000 for women, featuring a women-specific geometry and sizes for the best fit possible. Its carbon fork and seatpost absorb vibrations, providing an even more comfortable ride.

Co-op Cycles ADV 2.1 is the most versatile road bike for under $2000. Thanks to its wide tire clearance for up to 35c tires (without fenders), you can equip it with wide tires. This way, you transform it into a gravel/adventure bike for trips that include dirt roads, light gravel, or paved roads with potholes.

If you want to learn more about road bikes and how to choose them, I recommend reading the following section.

How to Choose the Best Road Bike Under $2000?

This is a shortened version of my How to Choose a Road Bike guide. If you want to learn more about road bikes, I recommend reading the entire guide.

Road Bike Type

Before buying a road bike, you should decide on the type you want, as the $2000 range offers many options. Read more about them below.

Endurance Road Bikes

Endurance road bikes are ideal for beginners and people who want to take long trips. With their more relaxed geometry, riders can sit more upright, resulting in a more comfortable ride that doesn’t require too much flexibility.

The main downside of endurance road bikes is their more upright position, making them slower than performance road bikes that push riders to a more aggressive, aerodynamic position.

Performance Road Bikes

Performance road bikes (also known as lightweight or race road bikes) are similar to endurance bikes but with more aggressive geometry. The rider sits in a more aerodynamic position with a lower drag coefficient. They are ideal for hilly or mountainous terrain and racing due to their lower weight.

This type of road bike is not very suitable for beginners or riders who are not too flexible. It takes some time to get used to the racing riding position.

Aero Road Bikes

Aero road bikes are optimized for aerodynamics, with thicker tubes and deep-section wheels. They excel on flats, descents, hilly terrain, and crosswinds as they maintain speed easily. Their geometry is similar to performance road bikes.

Aero road bikes have a few disadvantages: they are more expensive than the previous two types (starting at around $2500), heavier, and less agile.

Other Types of Road Bikes

There are also touring road bikes, cyclocross, gravel, time trial, and other types of road bikes. To learn more about gravel and adventure bikes, I recommend reading the following guide: How to Choose a Gravel/Adventure Bike?

The other types of road bikes (CX, TT, triathlon) are very niche-specific, so I won’t explain them further in this article.

Frame Material & Bike Weight

Road bikes under $2000 usually come with aluminum frames and a carbon fork. Carbon frames are not very common in this price range, but some bikes feature a carbon frame. Below, I explain the benefits and disadvantages of these materials.

1. Aluminum is a relatively cheap material that is not as labor-intensive as carbon. Aluminum frames are less stiff and heavier than carbon frames but more affordable. This means that the other components (like the groupset or wheels) are usually better than on carbon bikes for the same price. The downside of aluminum frames is that they may corrode over time.
2. Carbon road bikes are stiffer and lighter than aluminum road bikes. Carbon is more labor-intensive and more expensive. However, the $2000 price range offers bikes with carbon frames. The main downside is that internal cracks can appear and cause failure under additional pressure if you crash. Therefore, an inspection after a crash is highly recommended.
3. Steel road bikes are not very common for endurance, performance, or even aero road bikes. Steel is heavier than aluminum or carbon. On the other hand, it is more durable and easier to repair. Therefore, steel frames are pretty common on touring road bikes. Many people also like the thin steel tubes and unique riding characteristics of steel road bikes.

Sources: CyclistsHub, SheldonBrown, ScienceDirect, CyclingWeekly

Groupset

Road bikes priced up to $2000 typically use 2X groupsets, which offer a wide enough gear selection (usually 2x10spd or 2x11spd) for most types of terrain. These groupsets are also simpler and lighter than 3X groupsets.

NOTE: Higher-end road bikes may feature 1X groupsets but are not as common as 2X groupsets.

When riding a road bike, it is important to avoid cross-chaining, which can cause efficiency issues and damage the components.

Which Groupset Manufacturer to Choose?

There are three main groupset manufacturers: Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM. Shimano dominates the market with around 80% of the global share in bike components, according to Credit Suisse’s 2016 report.

There are 3 main manufacturers of groupsets – Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM. Shimano dominates the market. According to Credit Suisse, Shimano had about 80% of the global share in bike components in 2016.

Road bikes priced under $2000 usually have Shimano Tiagra, Shimano 105, or similar groupsets.

Check out the following table to see how the ranges from various manufacturers compare.

Brakes

Wheels & Tires

Let me explain them in more detail.

Wheel Type – Clincher vs. Tubular vs. Tubeless

• Clinchers are the most widespread type of wheels/tires. The tire is supported by an inner tube that can be made of rubber or latex. They are used on most low-end road bikes, but thanks to their user-friendliness, they are popular among more expensive bikes too (including road bikes under $2000).
• Tubular tires are more common among professionals. However, some hobby riders also use them because they allow you to inflate lower pressures. This means they are more puncture-resistant and more comfortable.
• Tubeless tires are the most modern ones and can also be found on road bikes below $2000. In addition, tubeless-ready wheels allow you to use a tube-free tire because they use sealant instead of the inner tube.

NOTE: If the wheels are ‘clincher tubeless-ready,’ you can use them with tubeless tires.

The following table lists the advantages and disadvantages of different types of wheels.

Tire Width

The wider and higher volume the tire is, the more comfortable the ride and the more challenging the terrain you can tackle. When I started road biking, 23mm tires were the common standard. However, today riders prefer wider tires such as 25mm, 28mm, or even more for increased comfort.

The great news is that you can always experiment with different tire widths to find the best fit for you.

Rim Depth

The general rule of thumb is that the deeper the wheels, the more aero they are. Aero road bikes are very rare in the below $2000 range, and performance road bikes usually come with shallow wheels.

Keep in mind that the deeper wheels have one huge downside, and that’s their handling in cross-winds. You have to be very focused and hold your handlebar firmly to avoid crashing.

Road Bike Size

Once you decide what bike you like, choose its correct size. You avoid injuries caused by the wrong bike fit and increase overall riding comfort.

Road bike size is usually given in centimeters (48cm, 50cm, 52cm…) or descriptive sizes (S, M, L, XL, etc.).

I recently discovered the Bikeinsights tool that helps you compare different bike geometries. Speaking of geometry, I recommend watching the following video or reading this guide by Bikeradar.

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Road Bikes Under $2000 FAQ

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This post is regularly updated to provide the most up-to-date product tips. If you find a product that is not up to date, please, contact me.