The £1000 price bracket is a hugely competitive area of the market so what can you expect for your money?  And the question on competitive triathletes lips is will I be able to buy a bike that I can train and compete on.  We’ve listed our favourite affordable road bikes for beginners, all within that 1000 pound budget.  You will recognise many of the best road bike brands within this article with our view on what to look out for.  So what are the best road bikes for under £1000?

Buying a second hand road bike

While bicycles depreciate in the same way that a new car would do it is much harder to project what you can get for your £1000 on the used market.  So for this article we have focused on purely new bike purchases.

What can you expect for your money?

Most of the bike frames here are aluminium which makes sense with the material costing less than carbon fibre.  Also a much more established material for bikes giving a light frame that offers a comfortable stiffness to smash your personal best times on.

Groupset is all important to many buyers as well with Shimano dominating here.  If you shop around a Shimano 105 Groupset might just be in scope but realistically Tiagra is a more likely option at this price point.  We’ve managed to include an SRAM groupset road bike for £1000 in the list to give you some variety.  We have even searched high an low for a Campagnola equipped bike for those lovers of the groupset.  A rare find in this price bracket.  Read on to find which bike includes this on its set up.

Full list of our 19 Best Road Bikes for under £1000

  1. Scott Speedster 20
  2. Cube Attain Race Disc
  3. Canyon Endurance AL 7.0 – TRIVELO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  4. Rose Pro SL 2000
  5. Cannondale Synapse Alloy Disc Tiagra
  6. Ribble R872 Black – TRIVELO RECOMMENDED BEST BUY
  7. Trek Domane AL 3 2020
  8. Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon – TRIVELO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  9. Giant Contend 2
  10. Specialized Allez E5 Sport
  11. Bianchi Via Nirone 7
  12. GT GTR Comp 2020
  13. Orbea Avant H40 road bike
  14. Merida Scultura 300
  15. Cinelli Experience Potenza
  16. Vitus Zenium Tiagra 2020 Road Bike
  17. Liv Avail SL1 womens road bike
  18. B’Twin Triban 520 Disc 105
  19. Pinnacle Laterite 3

Scott Speedster 20 

Pros

  • Aluminum frame
  • Shimano Tiagra Groupset
  • Relaxed frame geometry

Cons

  • Comes with somewhat bland styling
  • Others offer higher groupset spec for the money

Best price – £999

Best website – www.tredz.co.uk

The Scott Speedster 20 Endurance Road Bike continues to improve on an established recipe being lighter than earlier models and plenty of other improvements.  Its a decent looking bike but you aren’t going to be standing out from any crowds riding this.

This road bike has an aluminium frame coupled with a speedster carbon fork.  A common combination for £1000 bikes adding a dash of carbon fibre to reduce some of the weight and improve handling. This model also features a Shimano Tiagra groupset and Syncros components which is a pretty competitive package for this price point. This would make a fine first bike and no reason why you wouldn’t be able to be competitive on this.  Even racing in triathlons although an early wheel upgrade might be useful (this can be applied across all the bikes to follow in fairness).

Scott-Speedster-20-Road-Bike

Scott-Speedster-20-Road-Bike

Scott Speedster 20 Specifications

  • Frame – Speedster Disc / 6061 D.Butted Alloy endurance geometry
  • Forks – Speedster Carbon
  • Crankset –  Shimano Tiagra FC-4700 Hyperdrive 50×34 T
  • Cassette – Shimano CS-HG500 10 Speed 11-32 T
  • Brakes – Shimano BR-RS305
  • Wheels – Syncros Race 23 Disc
  • Weight – 10.28kg

Cube Attain Race disc

Pros

  • Aluminium frame
  • Shimano Tiagra Groupset
  • Sportive focused frame with disc brakes

Cons

  • Paint job is a real marmite affair
  • Not the lightest £1000 bike package

Best price £999.99

Best website – Wiggle

Yet another black and yellow bumble bee inspired paint job from cube.  Who havw steered away from some of their more recent matt paint finishes in bright colours, which we actually preferred.  This is a pretty decent bike for the money adding in some disc brakes to the mix that many in this price point can’t match.

The frame is made of lightweight 6061-T6 aluminium but fails to really sparkle on groupset.  Using the Shimano Tiagra 10 speed set up.  Not a bad choice but we would have preferred to see a 105 groupset really.  The Tektro brakes do a good job and again pretty standard kit in this company.   Getting a disc brake road bike for under £1000 would have been unthinkable a couple of years ago.

Cube-Attain-Race-Disc-Road-bike

Cube-Attain-Race-Disc-Road-bike

Cube Attain Specifications

  • Frame – Aluminium 6061 double butted
  • Forks – Cube CSL race disc carbon
  • Crankset – Shimano Tiagra, 50x34T
  • Cassette – Shimano CS-HG500, 11-34T
  • Brakes – TRP Spyre
  • Wheels – Cube RA 0.8 aero disc
  • Weight – 9.8kg

Canyon Endurance AL 7.0

Pros

  • Full 105 groupset and Mavic Aksium wheels
  • Aluminium frame with some nice aero touches
  • Comfortable fit frame

Cons

  • Only available direct over internet
  • Challenges in sizing correctly with no retail outlet

Best price – £909 (currently discounted with 10% off) 

Best website – www.canyon.com

The direct German manufacturer know a thing or two about fast bikes. If its good enough for Patrick Lange and Jan Frodeno then your in pretty good company.  Guaranteed to give you some bike rack kudos come race day.  The Endurance AL is a good looking bike while being reserved enough not to scare off any potential buyers here.

While £1000 for a road bike is still a fair chunk of cash you could consider this a bargain.  In our view this is the best bike with Shimano 105 for that money.  Canyon haven’t skimped on brakes, wheels or tyres and the Mavic Aksium are one of the best stock set of wheels we would probably be tempted not to meddle with an upgrade.

The ride is comfortable, and relaxed geometry is perfect for new riders.  So, anyone thinking of what to buy if trying the Prudential Ride London this year could do a lot worse than start here.

Canyon-Endurance-AL-7.0-road-bike

Canyon-Endurance-AL-7.0-road-bike

Canyon endurance AL 7.0 Specifications

  • Frame – Aluminium
  • Forks – Carbon
  • Crankset – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Cassette – Shimano HG700 11-34 11s
  • Brakes – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Wheels – Mavic Aksium
  • Weight – 8.2kg

Rose Pro SL 2000

Pros

  • Full Shimano 105 groupset with Mavic Aksium wheels
  • Aluminium frame
  • Wonderful feeling frame

Cons

  • Direct over internet sales only
  • Challenges of sizing with no retail distribution outlet

Best price – £1088 (prices fluctuate with changes in exchange rates)

Best website – Rose Bikes Direct in Germany 

Another of the best bikes you can buy for under £1000 with full Shimano 105 Groupset.  This bike represents real value.  Rose gives you Mavic Aksium wheels as well as that groupset.  Together with a sweet alloy frame that’s easily mistaken for carbon.  It’s not the most comfy ride out there, but the PRO SL 2000 is a genuinely sweet ride and no sign of any “cheap” import carbon here.  If your budget is flexible and you’d rather have discs, there’s also a Pro SL Disc-2000.  Unfortunately that breaks our budget here.  Rose bikes are yet to be really discovered by the masses so you could stand out from the crowd on this bike.

Rose-Pro-SL-2000-road-bike

Rose-Pro-SL-2000-road-bike

Rose Pro SL Specifications

  • Frame – Aluminium
  • Forks – Carbon
  • Crankset – Shimano 105 R7000 50-34t
  • Cassette – Shimano CS-R7000 105 11-speed, 11-32t
  • Brakes – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Wheels – DT Swiss P1850 Spline 23
  • Weight – 8.5kg

Cannondale synapse alloy disc Tiagra

Pros

  • Alloy frame
  • Shimano Tiagra Groupset
  • Race inspired frame design with disc brakes

Cons

  • Loads of them around so you won’t stand out from the crowd

Best price – £999

Best website – Rutland Cycles (They have stock!!  Noted August 2020) 

We do love Cannondale at Trivelo so no surprises to find an example of their bikes in our line up of the best bikes for £1000.  We could have chosen from their CAAD range of aluminium frames but with some price tweaks in the line-up we decided to pick this Synapse model which has some serious heritage.  The range-topping Synapse, which you will see taking on the bone-shaking cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.  Cannondale also produces this entry-level, alloy version of their Synapse endurance road bike.

The range continues to be updated and the Tiagra-equipped (with Promax brakes and FSA Omega crankset) model here sneaks in under the £1,000. Cannondale supply the bulk of the components, alongside their new Synapse Disc frame.

Crafted from SmartForm C2 Alloy, the frame boasts an asymmetric construction to account for the mismatched disc-brake forces.  It’s paired with a carbon Synapse Disc Asymmetric fork.  Cannondale market the Synapse as suitable for anything ‘from fast group rides to daily commutes’.  At less than £1,000 for a pro-tested geometry its a quality entry in our line up.

Cannondale-Synapse-road-bike

Cannondale-Synapse-road-bike

Cannondale Synapse Specifications

  • Frame – Synapse Disc Asymmetric C2 Alloy Frame
  • Forks – Carbon
  • Crankset – FSA Omega alloy, 50/34t
  • Cassette – Shimano HG500, 11-34, 10-speed
  • Brakes – Promax Decoder R 
  • Wheels – RD 3.0, 28h
  • Weight – 10.36kg

Ribble R872 Black

Pros

  • Full Shimano Tiagra
  • A quality carbon frame and fork
  • Simple but gorgeous styling including integrated cabling for some aero

Cons

  • Another internet only option with challenges on sizing

Best price: £999

Best Website – Ribble 

Very much on the cusp of £1000 this creeps just under our budget here.  In our view another of the best carbon road bikes for £1000.   Be warned you will need to be careful with your spec or watch for their clearance specials to afford this.

Ribble has managed to spec a quality carbon frame and fork, full Shimano Tiagra and a recent agreement with Raleigh for wheels added.  The package delivers value through its direct distribution model.  You won’t find their bikes for sale anywhere else other than direct with them.  This means they maintain real control over pricing and stock.  One of the Trivelo team has been racing on a Ribble Gran Fondo for over 5 years now and it is still one of his favourites.  A bike for any conditions with some real capability worked into these bikes for flat speed and uphill climbing.

The bike builder system on their website can seem a bit daunting.  Coupled with then having to do some construction when your bike is delivered.  If that all seems like too much effort we can help you connect with a local bike mechanic who would be happy to help.

TRIVELO BEST BUY Recommended.

Ribble-R872-Trivelo-Best-Buy-road-bike-under-£1000

Ribble R872 Trivelo Best Buy road bike under £1000

Ribble R872 Specifications

  • Frame – Toray T700 Full Carbon Fibre
  • Forks – Toray T700 Full Carbon Monocoque
  • Crankset – Tiagra 4700 34-50T
  • Cassette – Shimano HG500 11-32T
  • Brakes – Tiagra 4700 Caliper 
  • Wheels – Raleigh Mach 1 CFX
  • Weight – 9.0kg

Trek Domane AL 3 Disc 2021

Pros

  • Aluminium lightweight frame
  • Shimano Tiagra groupset, Bontrager finishing kit and wheels
  • Smooth sportive friendly ride

Cons

  • Very bland looking bike

Best price – £900

Best website – Direct from Trek (they have stock and best chance to source a bike at the moment – Noted August 2020) 

The Domane AL 3 is the entry level road bike from Trek benefiting from the more expensive bikes in their line up.

The Domane AL 3 is no slouch.  The finish is pretty classic but we like the styling with its pearlescent and we have picked the black paint scheme that is our preference.  If you like a more statement bike you can always opt for the red version.  Certainly one of the cheapest bikes in our line up and the spec as you will see reflects this with Sora components one example of this.  That said given the price tag this is still one of the lightest bikes here and great value.

Trek-Emonda-ALR-4-road-bike

Trek-Domane-AL-3-road-bike

Trek Domane AL 3 Specifications

  • Frame – 100 Series Alpha Aluminum
  • Forks – Domane carbon
  • Crankset – Shimano Sora, 50/34
  • Cassette – Shimano 9-speed
  • Brakes – Alloy dual-pivot
  • Wheels – Bontrager Affinity
  • Weight – 9.74kg

Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon

Pros

  • Full carbon frame and fork at a great price
  • Shimano Tiagra and Mavic CXP22 rims
  • Aero features including seat post

Cons

  • The badge can be subject to some snobbery
  • Some reports of issues with that aero seat post

Best price – £1000

Best website – Halfords

While we have a couple of Boardman bikes in the Trivelo offices none of us have taken the leap with their road bikes.   With both of the bikes in the bike racks Boardman mountain bikes.  Boardman have an increasingly strong reputation and you shouldn’t be put off by the distribution arm being Halfords alongside lesser bike options.  That said this latest incarnation of their £1000 carbon fibre road bike may offer some value.  In recent years the Brownlee brothers have made a switch to Pinarello, why?  Didn’t match their new tri-suits?

Budget carbon isn’t always the best choice with some low quality Chinese imports flooding the UK market.  But the Boardman SLR 8.9 is no cheap knock off.  Boardman have coupled both a quality carbon frame and full carbon fork that is worth a look while checking out some of these machines.  Boardman have made a few compromises on the specification with some low rent brakes that aren’t great and the cranks may not last the distance.  It is still packing the  Shimano’s 10-speed Tiagra that is very nearly the equal of 11-speed 105.  The latest design is a real improvement over the previous model.

boardman-SLR-road-bike

boardman-SLR-road-bike

Boardman SLR 8.9 Specifications

  • Frame – Full carbon, C7 grade, endurance geometry
  • Forks – Full carbon blades and steerer
  • Crankset – Shimano Tiagra, 50/34
  • Cassette – Shimano HG500, 10 speed, 12-28t
  • Brakes – Tektro R315
  • Wheels – Boardman Alloy
  • Weight – 9.05kg

Giant Contend 2

Pros

  • Stiff aluminium frame
  • Shimano Sora Groupset
  • Reliable and trusty option

Cons

  • Really poor groupset for the money
  • Heavy versus competition

Best price – £625

Best website – www.tredz.co.uk

While we would love to include the Giant Propel it seems that an aero road bike for £1000 is too much to ask.  Meaning that we need to drop down to the Contend range here.  The contend replaces the ever popular Defy range with a decent alloy frame with some fairly staid styling.  It doesn’t make this a looker against the other bikes on offer here.

Shimano’s Sora drivetrain and groupset is poor company here as well.  No surprises lacks the close ratio shifts of Shimano’s higher-end groups but delivers a relatively versatile 11-32t cassette.   Giant’s recent upgrade to Tektro brakes are an improvement but they can easily be replaced if this was the bike for you.  The cheapest bike in our line up from a stellar manufacturer in the cycling world.

Giant-Contend-Road-bike

Giant-Contend-Road-bike

Giant Contend Specifications

  • Frame – ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
  • Forks – Advanced-Grade Composite,
  • Crankset – Shimano Tiagra, 50/34
  • Cassette – Shimano HG500, 10 speed, 12-28t
  • Brakes – Tektro R315
  • Wheels – Giant S-R3 wheelset
  • Weight – 10.4kg

Specialized Allez E5 Sport Road Bike

Pros

  • Lively performing entry-level alloy racer
  • Shimano Tiagra shifting, Praxis cranks and own-brand everything else
  • Popular with high resale values

Cons

  • They are everywhere!

Best price – £849

Best Website – Tredz 

It wouldn’t be a complete line without something from the Specialized stable.  You can’t move far in any sportive line up without stumbling upon a Specialized Allez.  For many it is the pathway into serious bike expenditure and the perfect place to start with a bike many know and trust so future resale is never an issue to contend with.  The Allez offers solid performance in an attractive package, if not exceptional value for money.  The spec is a bit low rent using some own brand and third-party components mixed in with the Shimano bits.

The Allez retains the likeable qualities for which it is renowned.  It’s a good basis for upgrades down the line if you were to stick with this for the years to come.  The Allez has a new frame design with some odd colour combinations and are subject to some recalls which means you might be best to check with any supplier before you buy.

Specialized-Allez-road-bike

Specialized-Allez-road-bike

Specialized Allez E5 Sport Specifications

  • Frame – Specialized E5 Premium Aluminum
  • Forks – Specialized FACT carbon
  • Crankset – Praxis Alba, 50/34T
  • Cassette – SunRace, 9-speed, 11-32t
  • Brakes – Axis 1.0 caliper
  • Wheels – Axis Sport
  • Weight – 9.62kg

Bianchi Via Nirone 7

Pros

  • Aluminium hydroformed triple butted frame
  • Shimano Sora Groupset
  • Lots of heritage from a classic manufacturer.  Its a Bianchi!

Cons

  • Groupset disappoints

Best price– £950

Best Website – Rutland Cycles 

Any Bianchi bike can rarely be described as “entry level” or “budget” with a brand as strong as Bianchi.  The frame offers a very forgiving ride with the curved top tube a lovely design cue.  We’re not sure about the colour scheme and are pretty traditional at Trivelo meaning we would prefer to see bikes in their classic Bianchi blue.

The aluminum frame is hydroformed and triple butted, and comes with a carbon fork that features kevlar inserts at the chainstays and seatstays.  Which we love.  The groupset is Shimano Sora which is where the love affair with this bike stutter somewhat.  The wheels are Alex Rims with Vittoria Zaffiro Slicks which look great. It all hangs together pretty well but you have to accept most of your money is going on the frame which in fairness is where you would want the money spent.

Bianchi-Via-Nirone-7

Bianchi-Via-Nirone-7

Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Specifications

  • Frame – Via Nirone 7 Aluminium frame
  • Forks – Bianchi Carbon fork
  • Crankset – Shimano Fc-R345-L 50×34 Octalink
  • Cassette – Shimano Cs-Hg400-9
  • Brakes – Reparto Corse
  • Wheels – Reparto Corse Abr-1
  • Weight – Not available

GT GTR Comp 2020 road bike

Pros

  • Light Alloy frame
  • Mechanical disc brakes
  • Trusted brand with solid after sales support

Cons

  • Shimano Sora groupset disappointing for nearly a grand

Best price – £900

Best website – Wiggle (really low stock at present – Noted August 2020)

GT been in the bicycle business since 1972.  They feature in many of our buyers guides to bikes as they have a bike in nearly every category.  

The GT GTR comp is one of two bikes GT have under the £1000 bracket but this is the closest to others in our line up.  The frame uses GT’s proprietary rear triangle design that some love and others not fussed about.  The spec of the bike comes in at the lower end compared to some others here but does include full disc brakes as a bonus.  Solid bike with a decent frame which is where most of your money heads.  Finished in their latest set of colours it is a pretty bike if a little underwhelming on spec.

GT-GTR-Comp-Road-Bike-Under-1000

GT-GTR-Comp-Road-Bike-Under-1000

GT GTR Comp Specifications

  • Frame – GT Alloy Frame
  • Forks – GTR Full Carbon Fork
  • Crankset – FSA Tempo, 50/34t
  • Cassette – Sunrace, 11-32, 9-speed
  • Brakes – TRP Spyre-C cable actuated mechanical disc
  • Wheels – Alex ATD470
  • Weight – not available

Orbea Avant H40 road bike

Pros

  • Endurance Sportive geometry frame
  • Shimano Tiagra
  • No real corners cut on the spec

Cons

  • Hard to get hold of with limited supply availability at present

Best price- £869

Best website – Tredz cycles (Contact us for any latest discount codes)

A lightweight frame with a relaxed geometry ideal for anyone looking for a Sportive bike.  One of the lightest bikes in our line up coming in just over the 10 kilo mark which makes it a competitive option.  The specification includes Shimano wheels which may merit upgrade in the future but for a stock bike a sensible first option.  The groupset and gearing is both reliable and well placed to survive many 1000’s of miles without much of a hiccup.

orbea-avant-h40-road-bike

orbea-avant-h40-road-bike

Orbea Avant H40 Specifications

  • Frame – Orbea Avant Hydro, hydroformed triple butted aluminum
  • Forks – Avant carbon fork
  • Crankset – FSA Omega Megaexo 34x50t
  • Cassette – Shimano Tiagra HG-500 11-32t 10-Speed
  • Brakes – Orbea OC-II
  • Wheels – Shimano RS100 Clincher
  • Weight – 10.06kg

Merida Scultura 300

Pros

  • Aluminium frame
  • Shimano Tiagra Groupset
  • Some extra sprinklings of carbon with seat post and forks

Cons

  • Not a great deal

Best price – £950

Best website – Tredz 

The Scultura Lite frame is crafted from triple-butted 6066-aluminium that Merida make bold claims of quality stiffness-to-weight ratios.  This alloy set up is matched with a carbon seat post and full carbon fork helping keep the weight down, it is about as high-spec as you’re going to find on a sub-£1,000 bike. Included in the price you get some nice aero touches which means you have a quality frame if you want to head down the upgrade path in future years.  A Shimano Tiagra groupset (with KMC chain), Merida finishing kit and Maxxis Dolemites tyres are the rest of the line up.  One of the lightest and quickest bikes in our line up!

Merida-road-bike-for-under-1000

Merida-Scultura-Road-bike

Merida Scultura 300 Specifications

  • Frame – Lite – 6066 series triple butted and hydroformed aluminium
  • Forks – Scultura CF
  • Crankset – FSA Omega Megaexo 34x50t
  • Cassette – Shimano Tiagra HG-500 11-32t 10-Speed
  • Brakes – Merida Road Comp calipers
  • Wheels – Merida Comp SL
  • Weight – 9.15kg

If you are looking for a full review of the Merida Reacto aero road bike read our in-depth review here for more information.

Cinelli Experience Potenza

Pros

  • Triple butted aluminium frame
  • Campagnola Potenza Groupset
  • Premium brand legacy and features

Cons

  • Campagnola groupsets can be temperamental

Best Price – £999

Best website – Tredz

Check us out for the latest on any discounts with Tredz.

Cinelli are a platinum Italian brand in cycling and they like so many others have a bike in the £1000 bracket.  No big surprises with an aluminium frame and carbon forks but in Italian style it is running the Campagnola Potenza groupset on the Cinelli Experience Potenza.

The Cinelli Experience Potenza is intended for long training rides and sportives.  Designed for comfort but is well placed for those looking for an all-round bike.  Campagnolo’s Calima C17 wheels are included with their  Mega-G3 spoke pattern.  Very unusual and this will give you plenty to talk about on the Sunday morning chain gang rides.  The design is conventional with not the most striking design but dripping with Campagnola this is worth a look.  

Cinelli-Experience-Potenza-Road-Bike-2020

Cinelli-Experience-Potenza-Road-Bike-2020

Cinelli Experience Potenza Specifications

  • Frame – Columbus airplane triple butted alloy
  • Forks – Columbus carbon
  • Crankset – Campagnolo potenza11 power-torque 34/50t
  • Cassette – Miche primato 11x 11/29t
  • Brakes – Miche performance
  • Wheels – Campagnolo calima c17
  • Weight – 8.6kg

Vitus Zenium Tiagra 2020 Road Bike

Pros

  • Full carbon frame and forks
  • Shimano Tiagra 10 speed
  • Lightweight all round bike

Cons

  • Tan sidewall tyres give it more of a gravel bike flavour

Best price – £949.99

Best website – Wiggle 

The Vitus Zenium is another of the new bikes for 2020 and a popular choice with the likes of Bike Radar as well as Trivelo.  The Toray carbon fibre frame is amazing at this price point and if you are after a pure road bike this is a good fit.  Internal routing for the cables through the carbon frame is more quality that you do not tend to see in a road bike for under £1000.

Shimano Tiagra as a groupset is welcome find.  Much as we would have liked Shimano 105 all-round with a carbon frame that is not terribly realistic.  With endurance geometry suiting Sportive rides it also comes with decent disc brakes thrown in.  A very close alternative to the Ribble and Boardman.  Cousins from another mother?

vitus-zenium-road-bike

Vitus Zenium Specifications

  • Frame – Zenium UD Carbon T700
  • Forks – UD carbon
  • Crankset – Shimano Tiagra R4700 50/34T
  • Cassette – Sunrace CSRX0 11-32T, 10 speed
  • Brakes – TRP Spyre
  • Wheels – Vitus KT Custom
  • Weight – 9.6kg

Liv Avail SL1 womens road bike

Pros

  • Frame geometry purely for women cyclists
  • Lots of Shimano 105 on offer
  • Decent wheels from the Giant inventory

Cons

  • Tektro brakes only slight disappointment

Best price – £999

Best website – Tredz 

One of the only purist womens road bikes in our line up.  The Liv range of bikes sits within the Giant bikes brand as their female only brand.  It means you gain from all the history of Giant with a dedicated line of bikes that are growing in popularity.

The Liv Avail SL1 is a well specced award winning bike.  Creeping under the £1000 price point and offering plenty of Shimano 105 groupset components the Avail really delivers.  A quality aluminium frame with carbon forks includes a tidy integrated cabling solution.  The latest finish from Liv with flame red is much less obviously female orientated compared to earlier versions.  Gone are the flashes of pink from earlier models.  Designed to be a “perfect fit” for women cyclists this promises to be much less of a compromise.

Liv-Avail-SL1-womens-road-bike

Liv-Avail-SL1-womens-road-bike

Liv Avail SL1 Specifications

  • Frame – Zenium UD Carbon T700
  • Forks – Advanced-Grade Composite
  • Crankset – Shimano 105, 11×34
  • Cassette – Sunrace CSRX0 11-32T, 10 speed
  • Brakes – Tektro TK-B178
  • Wheels – Giant PR-2 wheelset
  • Weight – not available

B’Twin Triban 520 Disc 105

Pros

  • lightweight at 10.4kg
  • Shimano 105 Groupset
  • Mavic Elite Cosmic wheels

Cons

  • Frame lets down the side with some epic components

Best Price – £749.99

Best website to buy  from – Decathlon

The Decathlon branded B’Twin suffers with bike snobbery but this bike is worth addition in our list of bikes given the Shimano groupset.

The frame and badge let the package down here but would be worth a ride to see how the frame performs.  Resale value of the bike is likely to suffer with little demand in the second hand market for b’twin compared to others such as Cannondale.  At £749 it is a lot of bike for money but at times Decathlon discount even heavier so it is possible to get the bike for an even lower price at times.

btwin-ultra-920-AF-Ultegra-road-bike

btwin-triban

B’Twin Triban 520 Specifications

  • Frame – Aluminium 6061
  • Forks –  B’Twin Triban evo fork
  • Crankset – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Cassette – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Brakes – Shimano 105 R7000
  • Wheels – Btwin Triban
  • Weight – 10.4kg

Pinnacle Laterite 3 2020

Pros

  • Aluminium frame with carbon forks
  • Shimano 105 Groupset
  • Shimano disc brakes

Cons

  • Badge snobbery could hold you back from a purchase

Best price – £730

Best website to buy from – Evans Cycles 

Evans own Pinnacle brand offering a £1000 bike for our list.  The Pinnacle Laterite 3 is designed for UK road conditions. Utilising a geometry which rides a fine-line between a more upright sportive bike and a performance bike that an experienced rider will feel at home on during winter training. With space for 25C tyres with guards or 28C without, it’s a bike that can be adapted for all-out speed or a little more comfort. Internal cable routing that’s configured for UK brake set ups and ease of maintenance and an extensively butted frame complete the package for a bike with sleek looks and a smooth ride.

pinnacle-laterite-3-2019-road-bike

pinnacle-laterite-3-road-bike

Pinnacle Laterite 3 Specifications

  • Frame – 6061-T6 heat treated aluminium
  • Forks – Carbon blade
  • Crankset – Prowheel Ounce 721, 50-34t
  • Cassette – Shimano 105 R700 11-30t
  • Brakes – Tektro R315 dual pivot
  • Wheels – Alloy double wall 700c
  • Weight – Not available

Summary of the best bikes for under £1000

If we were able to tip above the £1000 there are a wealth of additional bikes we could list including some exciting new entrants from companies who we are growing to love such as North Road Cycles.  Very close to our list but unfortunately still £50 above our target budget.  We might have missed some other bikes that you would have loved to have seen with others from firms and cheaper models but we have tried to focus on road bikes between £750 and £1000 that we would ride and avoided cheating by hunting out last years models that we could squeeze into this budget.

FAQs – Best Road Bikes under £1000

What is the best road bike groupset under £1000?

Answer – Shimano Ultegra in this line up on the B’Twin Ultra 920 AF Ultegra.  Unbelievable to get this on a bike under £1000.

What is the best disc road bike under £1000

Answer – Cube Attain Race Disc using TRP Spyre disc brakes

What is the best carbon road bike under £1000

Answer – Ribble R872 featuring Toray T700 Full Carbon Fibre frame and forks.  Very special frame for under £1000.

What is the best road bike for beginners under £1000?

Answer – Cannondale Synapse Alloy Disc Tiagra boasting a very forgiving sportive frame and disc brakes to get you out of trouble in all weathers it is a great road bike for beginners.

What is the best value road bike under £1000

Answer – The Boardman SLR 8.9 at a current discounted price of £900 comes packed with a carbon frame and total weight of just over 9kg.  A lot of bike for the money.

List of the 19 Best Road Bikes for under £1000 2020

  1. Scott Speedster 20
  2. Cube Attain Race Disc
  3. Canyon Endurance AL 7.0
  4. Rose Pro SL 2000
  5. Cannondale Synapse Alloy Disc Tiagra
  6. Ribble R872 Black
  7. Trek Domane AL 3 2020
  8. Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon
  9. Giant Contend 2
  10. Specialized Allez E5 Sport
  11. Bianchi Via Nirone 7
  12. GT GTR Comp 2020
  13. Orbea Avant H40 road bike
  14. Merida Scultura 300
  15. Cinelli Experience Potenza
  16. Vitus Zenium Tiagra 2020 Road Bike
  17. Liv Avail SL1 womens road bike
  18. B’Twin Triban 520 Disc 105
  19. Pinnacle Laterite 3

If you can stretch to a budget of £1500 read our Best Buy Guide for road bikes under £1500.

If you are looking for a mountain bike in the same price bracket check out our 2020 Guide to the Best 15 mountain bikes for under £1000.

Check out our top cycling articles currently on the Trivelo site for more trusted content.

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Categories: Road Bikes

Billy Ferguson

Having founded Trivelo in 2015 after many years competing in triathlon Billy continues to enjoy training and triathlon. Founder Billy is strongest in the water but continues to try and convince his body that he is an ultra runner.

6 Comments

Karl Reed · 26/05/2020 at 9:03 pm

Great round up. So many I like on here. Be great if you could put some king of recommendation badge on your favourite bikes if that was possible.

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