Looking for a quality women's-specific road bike? We've thoroughly tested 22 bikes across various price points – and for our final roundup we're looking at those representing the best performance and value for money between £1,500 and £2,000. At this level, we found that the Specialized Ruby Comp came out on top.
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.
- Presenting the BikeRadar Women's Road Bike of the Year Awards
- Do I need a women's bike?
- Best women's road bike under £1,000
At this price point you'll be looking at Shimano 105 gearing for the most part, with a few exceptions higher up the bracket. Expect quality carbon frames and forks, additional features to help improve stiffness or comfort, and exceptional performance. While our testers were impressed with the performance of the sub-£1000 bikes we tested, all agreed that you really can feel the benefit of the spec, geometry and materials used in these higher-end bikes, if you have the money to spend.
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Our category winner, the Specialized Ruby Comp, excels in the comfort and performance stakes, and has a few additional surprises in the spec that elevate it above the others. That said, the battle was closely fought and we'd be happy to ride any of the bikes in this category, with Fuji Supreme 2.3 in particular running the Ruby very close before finishing second.
Looking for something a little cheaper? Have a look at our Best women's road bikes under £1,000 test results, or for mid-range options at Best women's road bikes under £1,500.
Most 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. In practice, our testers appreciated the women's-specific geometry, and in particular shallower drop handlebars and a shorter reach to the brakes came up several times. However, we want to emphasise that some women will find unisex bikes fit them better, and it's always a good idea to get a bike fit to ensure your bike is set up perfectly. Elements like brake reach can be adjusted on unisex bikes, and other parts can be swapped out to ensure the best fit possible.
Top 5 women's road bikes under £2,000
Winner: Specialized Ruby Comp
- Price: £1,800 / $2,500 / AU$ pending
- Weight: 8.23kg
- Frame: Carbon
- Fork: FACT Carbon
- Gearing: Shimano Ultegra with TURN Zayante by Praxis Works crankset
- Brakes: Shimano Ultegra
- Review: Specialized Ruby Comp - coming soon!
Runner up: Fuji Supreme 2.3
- Price: £1,549 / $1,900 / AU$3,199
- Weight: 8.36kg (size S/M)
- Frame: C5 high modulus carbon
- Fork: Carbon monocoque
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Oval Concepts 520 by Praxis Works crankset
- Brakes: Shimano 105
Also consider…
Scott Contessa Solace 25
- Price: £1,799 / $2,399.99 / AU$TBC
- Weight: 8.45kg
- Frame: Solace HMF / IMP Carbon
- Fork: Carbon/alloy
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano FC-RS500 crankset
- Brakes: Shimano 105 front, Tektro 741 rear
Bianchi Intenso 105
- Price: £1,850 / $2,199.99 / AU$ pending
- Weight: 8.33kg
- Frame: Carbon
- Fork: Carbon with Kevlar
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano FC-RS500-L crankset
- Brakes: Reparto Corse dual pivot
Norco Valence C Disc 105 Forma
- Price: £1,899 / $2,325 / Not available in Australia
- Weight: 9.09kg
- Frame: Mid-Modulus Carbon Disc
- Fork: Mid-Modulus Full Carbon Disc
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano 105 SL-RS505 11spd hydraulic disc brake shifters
- Brakes: Shimano BR-RS505 Hydraulic Disc
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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