In this article we highlight some of the best road bikes to consider in 2021 below the $1000 price range. These are great entry-level endurance bikes, which are ideal for commuting, road, and even in some cases gravel riding and would be ideal for entry-level cyclists. We also have a few other articles for different price ranges in case you would want to consider those as well:
Top Endurance Bikes Under $1250 to Consider in 2021
Introduction
Choosing a perfect bike is usually quite overwhelming since there are so many options and factors to consider. Even after days of researching and comparing you still will have some doubts. We try to reduce this anxiety and save your time by doing extensive research for you and shortlisting bikes that are, in our opinion, the best quality within your budget.
In this article we highlight 5 best options to consider for a perfect entry-level endurance road bike below $1,000. To shortlist these 5, we researched more than 50 road bikes of various brands. In our opinion, these are the best bikes to consider. We chose them based on price, frame and fork material, groupset quality, and brakes. In general great entry-level bikes are made of an aluminum frame, entry-level groupset, disc or rim brakes and would fall within a $1000 price range.
High-Level Comparison
If you don’t have time to go through the whole article please see a quick comparison of our TOP 5 choices below:
Giant Contend AR 4 2021
$900
Aluminum Frame
Carbon Fork
16 Speed Shimano Claris (lower entry range) Groupset
Mechanical Disc
Vitus Razor Disc 2021
$940
Aluminum Frame
Carbon Fork
16 Speed Shimano Claris (lower entry range) Groupset
Mechanical Disc
Cube Attain Pro 2021
$1000
Aluminum Frame
Carbon Fork
18 Speed Shimano Sora (mid entry range) Groupset
Mechanical Disc
Trek Domane AL 2 2021
$1000
Aluminum Frame
Carbon Fork
16 Speed Shimano Claris (lower entry range) Groupset
Rim
Scott Speedster 30 2021
$899
Aluminum Frame
Carbon Fork
18 Speed Shimano Sora (mid entry range) Groupset
Rim
1. Giant Contend AR 4 2021
- Price: $900
- Frame: Aluminum
- Groupset: 16 Speed Shimano Claris
- Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Giant produces one of the highest quality bikes out there, so no wonder Contend AR 4 made it to our list. The bike comes with an aluminum frame and carbon fork for better vibration absorption and smoother rides. Giant highlights the handling capabilities of this bike and promises more comfort and confidence on turns and various curves. The D-fuse technology seatpost absorbs vibrations and allows for longer and more comfortable rides.
The group set is a 16 speed Shimano Claris, which is considered to be at the very entry-level. This is not surprising for this price range and most of the bikes would come with a similar groupset.
To provide even more control and comfort Giant Contend AR 4 is equipped with mechanical disc brakes. The tire clearance on the frame allows for up to 38mm tires so you can swap for wider ones in case you plan to ride on gravel or want even more control. By default, the bike comes with 32mm all condition road tires with extra puncture protection. Read more about the tires here.
2. Vitus Razor Disc 2021
- Price: $940
- Frame: Aluminum
- Groupset: 16 Speed Shimano Claris
- Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Vitus Razor Disc is built from an aluminum frame equipped with internal cable routing, dual bottle, and mudguard mounts, which allow for any type of riding and weather conditions. The bike is perfect for commuting, training, or group rides and is considered to be one of the best first bikes to own. The fork is made of aluminum for smoother rides and less vibration, which is similar to all other bikes in this review.
The group set is a 16 speed Shimano Claris, which is considered to be at the very entry-level. This is very similar to Giant Contend AR 4 we highlight above and other bikes in this review.
To provide even more control and conform Vitus Razor is equipped with mechanical flat mount disc brakes for better stopping power. The tires are 28mm Kenda Kwick Roller Sport, which is slightly narrower than on the Giant, for example. You will have a little less control and flexibility when it comes to riding on rougher roads, however, tires are easily swappable and you can adjust based on your cycling preferences.
3. Cube Attain Pro 2021
- Price: $1,000
- Frame: Aluminum
- Groupset: 18 Speed Shimano Sora
- Brakes: Mechanical Disc
Cube Attain Pro prices at around $1000, which is slightly more expensive than other bikes in this review. However, you are getting a higher quality groupset with more gears than other bikes mentioned in this article so the price is definitely fair. As with other bikes, the Cube Attain Pro comes with an aluminum frame and carbon fork, which helps with vibration absorption and longer, less tiring rides. I personally like the yellow and black colors, which make this bike look pretty cool. The frame is built with internal tubing for cables and comes with 2 water bottle mounts, however, there are no mudguard mounts so you might need to use clip-on ones, in case there is a need.
As mentioned above, Cube Attain comes with a bit higher range 18-speed groupset Shimano Sora. This is still entry-level, however, they rank slightly better than Shimano Claris. With 18 speeds available, you have a higher range of gears for better climbing and versatility.
Like the other 2 bikes above, Cube is equipped with flat mount mechanical disc brakes for higher stopping power and control in various weather conditions. The tires are 28mm Conti Ultra Sport 3, which are built for speed. Overall, this is a great bike in case your budget allows as you will be getting better groupset and more riding versatility.
4. Trek Domane AL 2 2021
- Price: $1000
- Frame: Aluminum
- Groupset: 16 Speed Shimano Claris
- Brakes: Rim
Trek Domane AL 2 is a great first road bike because of its comfortable riding, lightness, and stability. It comes with an aluminum frame and IsoSpeed carbon fork for more vibration absorption. It is worth noting, however, that this bike does not have internal cable routing, but the frame is DuoTrap S compatible so you can track your riding performance. In addition, the frame comes with mounts for mudguards, which is great for bad weather conditions.
The groupset is a 16 speed Shimano Claris, which is considered to be at the very entry-level. Unfortunately, this bike comes with rim brakes, which are slightly worse than mechanical disc ones available for the first 3 bikes in this review. It could be one of the negatives about the Trek, but it again depends on your riding preferences and needs.
The tires are entry-level 28mm Bontrager R1 Hard-Case Lite. Overall, this is a great entry-level bike so we had to include it in our review.
5. Scott Speedster 30 2021
- Price: $899
- Frame: Aluminum
- Groupset: 18 Speed Shimano Claris
- Brakes: Rim
Scott Speedster 30, similarly to all other bikes in our review, comes with an aluminum built frame that has internal cable tubing and 2 mounts for water bottles. It does not have mounts for mudguards so clip-on might need to be used. The fork is carbon made to reduce the bike’s weight and add more hand comfort by absorbing road vibrations.
Scott Speedster has an 18 speed Shimano Claris groupset, which falls into an entry-level category, however, 18 gears allow for more versatility during climbing and racing. Like Trek Domane AL 2, Scott comes with rim brakes, which are slightly worse than mechanical disc brakes available for the first 3 bikes in our review.
The tires are 28mm Schwalbe Lugano.
Conclusion
We know that choosing a perfect bike is hard so we try to help by narrowing down your choice with our reviews and comparisons. This review focused on highlighting the best entry-level endurance bikes out there. Choosing a perfect one would depend on your personal preferences including color and overall components quality. We would suggest going for a bike that comes with disc brakes, higher gear number, and better groupset so in this case, 2021 Cube Attain Pro would be the best, but it is a bit more expensive, unfortunately. You also might have some specific preferences so in the end, the choice is yours and we can only provide our opinion.
Thanks for reading our review. Stay active and healthy!
Why should you trust us?
In order to feature and review any products on our website we do extensive research, read user feedback, carefully review forum threads, look at search trends, brand popularity, try to actually use and test as many products as possible ourselves, and evaluate other factors depending on the product category. By doing extensive research and incorporating it with our own experience we are able to shortlist only a handful of products out of thousands of options.
We want to bring value to our readers and help them find answers to questions and buy the most appropriate cycling products. Brands and cycling professionals always try to innovate and improve to get the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, innovations and product improvements these days result only in marginal gains, but the price increase for these gains is not equally proportional. In economics, this behavior is defined as “diminishing returns”. Knowing this we focus on featuring the best value for the money products that are affordable, but at the same time have a lot to offer. We don’t want our visitors to overspend on something they will not benefit from.
