Road cycling is an excellent sport to get involved in. It can help increase your fitness, burn lots of calories, help you make new friends, and also is a great way for a rider to escape the stress of daily life while getting into nature. Road bikes come in all shapes and sizes, and finding the perfect bike with the right handling for you can be challenging.
In this article, we want to make it easy for you. We’re going to tell you about some excellent bikes on the market which come highly recommended by us and also tell you what to look for if you don’t find your bike and wish to continue your search.
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What do we look for when looking for road bikes?
Bikes are made up of many parts, and it’s vital that they all work in sync and are designed to give you the best experience possible. When we look at bikes, we like to look at the various parts that bring them together, so we get a great understanding of what you’re getting and if it’s going to be good for you. This is what we look for;
Frame and Forks
It’s vital to look at what the bike is made of because this is going to give it certain unique properties, as this will determine its weight and characteristics.
Gearing
Gearing is so important to get right. When road riding, you need to know you have enough gears not just to get up a hill quickly but down too.
Brakes
Wheels and tires
Not all wheels are built the same, and it’s important to understand what size you’re getting and also what rubber is equipped to them.
Our Recommended Bikes
Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4
Frame: Carbon Fiber
Fork: Synapse Carbon
Groupset: Shimano Tiagra
Wheels: Aluminum 700c
Tires: 30c Zaffiro Pro
Brakes: Tiagra Hydraulic
Cannondale makes excellent bikes, and the Synapse is a model that has been going on for many years and constantly improving. The frame and fork are Cannondale’s lightweight carbon fiber. It’s lightweight, stiff, and is going to be very fast.
The groupset is the Shimano Tiagra which is a 2×10 speed basic groupset. While it’s not a Shimano Ultegra, it’s going to give you all the gears you need for climbing and descending and be very reliable for many years of service. This is paired up with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, which provide excellent stopping power and work great in all conditions.
The wheels are aluminum and come in the standard 700c road size. Cannondale has equipped these with 30c tires, which are larger than a typical 25c road tire, so that you will have loads of extra comfort and control.
Pros
- Looks great
- Lightweight
- Shimano Components
Cons
- Basic Groupset
Our rating: 4.5/5
Orbea Avant H30-D Endurance Bike
Frame: Hydroformed Aluminum
Fork: Orbea Carbon
Groupset: Shimano 105
Wheels: Aluminum 700c
Tires: 28c Zafiro V
Brakes: 105 Hydraulic
The Orbea Avant is an incredible endurance bike. Its aluminum frame and carbon fork are made with the geometry for longer rides and also has clearance for tires up to 35c. It’s going to be a bike that’s not only going to feel good on a long ride but also agile and fast.
The groupset is Shimano’s R7000 105. It’s a great all-round groupset with a big ratio of gears and has a full set of 22 gears. This bike has the matching 105 hydraulic brakes, which will stop you quickly too.
It comes with the Orbeas tubeless aluminum wheelset, which is very good for an own branded wheelset. As standard, they come with 28c Zafiro V tires, and we really like them.
Pros
- Comfortable geometry
- Great for endurance
- Shimano components
Cons
- I would have loved a carbon frame
Our rating: 4.6/5
All-City Space Horse
Frame: Steel 612 Select Chromoly
Fork: Steel 612 Select Chromoly
Groupset: Shimano Tiagra
Wheels: WTB Aluminum 700c
Tires: Vee Speedster
Brakes: Tektro Mechanical
All-City has been producing excellent steel bikes for many years, and the Space Horse is one of the most popular.
Although wacky in the name, it is a great bike and the most comfortable on this list, in my opinion. The Select Chromoly steel frame and fork soaks up all the bumps and just looks incredibly classy.
It comes with the Shimano Tiagra 2×10 groupset, which we know is very good. This bike doesn’t have hydraulic brakes. It has mechanical instead, which provide good stopping power but are not as strong as the hydraulics.
The wheelset is WTB ST i19, and it’s excellent. Tubeless-ready and great for loads of different types of riding. The Space Horse has Vee Speedster tires and is equipped with a huge clearance to even use gravel tires.
Pros
- Steel rides smoothly and comfortable
- Great for endurance
- Shimano components
- Huge tire clearance
Cons
- On the heavier side
- Mechanical brakes
Our rating: 4.3/5
Cannodale Topstone
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Carbon
Groupset: Shimano GRX 600
Wheels: WTB ST i23
Tires: Vittoria Terreno 38c
Brakes: GRX Hydraulic Disc
The Cannondale Topstone is very different from other bikes on this list as it is not only a road bike but also has the capabilities of a gravel bike, and we believe that’s a great reason for it to be on this list. The aluminum frame has a road bike geometry and is perfect for short snappy rides and long distance country hopping.
The Shimano gearing is a 2×10 groupset, and we like this because it keeps it very simple, and is an excellent groupset for on and off road riding. This groupset is paired with the Shimano GRX hydraulic brakes, which are excellent and very reliable.
The wheelset is the WTB ST i23, and it’s 700, great for road riding, and also works with gravel tires well too. Like the Space Horse, this bike has great tire clearance, so although it is amazing on the road, it can also hit a trail with the right tires.
Pros
- Topstone rides smoothly and comfortable
- Bigger tire clearance
- Shimano gearing
Cons
- Larger tires for the road
Our rating: 4.4/5
Orbea Orca M40
Frame: Carbon Fiber
Fork: Carbon Fiber
Groupset: Shimano Tiagra 4700
Wheels: Orbea
Tires: Zafiro Pro 28
Brakes: Hydraulic Disc
We love Orca and it’s the second Orbea on this list. It’s an incredible road and is a fantastic machine. The frame is carbon fiber and paired with some excellent carbon fiber forks.
It’s lightweight, agile, and it’s comfortable. We love the small rear A frame which gives it incredible control.
The Shimano Tiagra groupset is a 2×10 system giving you 20 options, and it’s a great groupset, it does the job and still gives good shifting. It’s paired with Tiagra disc brakes. They are hydraulic and give excellent stopping power.
The wheels are the Orbeas own and have Shimano Hubs. They are paired with Vittoria Zafiro Pro 28c. They are strong and fairly lightweight, and it’s a great setup for endurance riding, and you could even get on a dusty trail, and it will be ok to ride with.
Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Small A frame for control
- Looks great
- Shimano components
Cons
- Not the cheapest
Our rating: 4.7/5
Trek Domane AL 5 Disc
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Carbon Fiber
Groupset: Shimano 105
Wheels: Bontrager Affinity Disc
Tires: Bontrager R1
Brakes: Shimano 105
If you have been around bikes a while, you would have heard of Trek. They make incredible bikes, and we highly rate them.
The aluminum frame of the legendary Domane AL is lightweight, has internally routed cables, and is paired with great carbon forks. It’s got a racing geometry and will feel fast and be a lot of fun.
The groupset is excellent, and it runs a Shimano 105 2×11 with the Shimano Hydraulic disc brakes. It will get you up and down hills easily and will be reliable. The wheels are Bontrager, Trek’s sister company, and they are good, especially when paired with their R1 tires.
The Domane is an excellent bike, and we feel a great investment to upgrade parts while you enjoy cycling. Another amazing thing is the price is well worth every penny and very cheap for what you get frame and fork wise.
Pros
- Price is amazing
- Trek frame is brilliant
- Shimano components
- Lightweight
Cons
- Would have loved a carbon frame
Our rating: 4.7/5
What to look for when buying a bike?
If you’re looking for a new road bike and none of these take your fancy, then don’t worry. We have a guide that is going to help you.
When looking at road bikes, or race bikes, especially, it’s about breaking them down and understanding them in sections such as frame and forks, gearing, cassette, saddle, brakes, and wheels and tires. That’s what we’re going to do here.
Frame and Forks
When it comes to the frame and forks, you are going to get three different materials, steel, aluminum, and carbon. Carbon is super light, and the fastest, aluminum is light and fast, and steel is the heaviest but the most comfortable.
It would be best if you also thought about geometry. Going for a more upright bike will be much better for endurance and very comfortable, but an aggressive aerodynamic bike will be faster but less comfortable.
Gearing
When it comes to gearing, you get many different groupsets and ways to go. A Shimano Ultegra is a fantastic option for those looking for performance, but we recommend looking for a bike with a large low range. This means you have lots of gears for climbing up a hill. I wouldn’t stress too much about gearing for descending unless you are planning on professional racing.
Brakes
Brakes are also something you definitely need to consider, especially on modern bikes. Most bikes are being released with disc brakes, which is a great way to go for all-round riding, and it is the future.
You have two types: hydraulic and mechanical. In our opinion, hydraulic is much better than mechanical and worth investing in. We recommend going for them, but rim brakes are still going to do a good job for you.
Wheels and Tires
Typically on road bikes, you will see 700c wheels, and we think that’s exactly what you should be looking for. At this price range, the bike will come with aluminum wheels. If you can get a set that is tubeless ready is a great advantage and will mean you can scrap the inner tubes later.
Tires will generally range from 25c all the way to 35c. As road cycling advances, we are seeing many people on the racing circuit slowly upping their size. Wider tires don’t always make them slower. With recent studies, we are actually seeing bigger tires that can be much quicker.
Conclusion
Thanks for taking the time to check out our best road bikes for under $3000. We highly recommend these and feel they are not just good bikes but also excellent value for money. They will give you an excellent experience and providing well looked after will last you for many years.
See also:
- Best Road Bike Under $2000
- Best Road Bike Under $1500
- Best Road Bike Under $1000
- Best Road Bike Under $500
Robbie Ferri has spent years working in a bike shop, has worked with industry leading brands on product creation, has been a semi pro athlete, and is a fully qualified strength and conditioning coach. He has broken World Records, bikepacked all over the World and raced ultra distance at a top-level.
