Foldable Bikes Party: Best women's road bikes under £1,000

Wednesday 29 June 2016

Best women's road bikes under £1,000

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We've tested 22 women's road bikes across various price points, we've clocked up hundreds of cumulative miles, and we've come to some decisions. If you're a rider on a budget and want to know what to spend your hard-earned cash on, then check out these five bikes, which for our money represent the best performance and value available under £1,000. Coming out on top? The Liv Avail 1.

The BikeRadar Women's Road Bike of the Year Awards set out to find the best bikes in the different price categories, and the best overall bike. Each bike was put through its paces by BikeRadar's test team, and also by a panel of our readers.

You don't need to spend thousands to get a good quality road bike. Our testers all commented that they were surprised and impressed with the performance of many of the bikes in this category.

You'll find quality gearing, well-designed frames, and surprisingly responsive rides in the bikes below, but they aren't without compromise. At this price, many of the bikes are on the heavy side owing to the materials used and the parts they are kitted with, which can make steep climbs difficult if there isn't a wide gear range provided to compensate. Some of the bikes also had lower quality brakes, which affected how confident our testers felt descending.

However, overall we'd happily ride any of these bikes, though the overall winner – the Liv Avail 1 – managed to present the best all-round performance, making it a great budget choice, or a good option if you're looking for your first serious road bike.

All of the bikes in this shortlist feature women's-specific design. While individual companies will have slightly different approaches to developing bike geometry to suit female riders, overall this means that the bikes tend to be slightly shorter and with a more upright position than unisex alternatives.

Top 5 women's road bikes under £1,000

Winner: Liv Avail Advanced 1

Price: £899 (the rim-brake Avail is unavailable in the US and Australia, but the disc version is $1,500 / AU$1,799)
Weight: 9.16kg
Frame: Alloy
Fork: Carbon composite
Gearing: Shimano 105 with FSA Omega crankset
Brakes: Tektro TK-R540 dual pivot

Runner up: Trek Lexa S

£650 / $989.99 / AU$1,199
Weight: 9.19kg
Frame: Alloy
Fork: Carbon/alloy
Gearing: Shimano Sora / FSA Vero cranks
Brakes: Generic cantilever rim brakes

Also consider...

Scott Contessa Speedster 15

£899 / US & Australian prices pending
Weight: 9.63kg
Frame: Alloy
Fork: Carbon/alloy
Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano crankset
Brakes: Shimano dual pivot

Specialized Dolce Sport Disc

£850 / $1,150 / AU$NA (closest available option is the Dolce Sport at AU$1,199)
Weight: 10.34kg
Frame: Alloy
Forks: FACT Carbon
Gearing: Shimano Sora
Brakes: Tektro mechanical disc brakes

Pinnacle Dolomite 5 Women's

£1000 / $NA / AU$NA
Weight: 9.45kg
Frame: Alloy
Fork: Carbon/alloy
Gearing: Shimano 105 with FSA Gossamer crankset
Brakes: Shimano BR-785 hydraulic discs

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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