Best Road Bikes Under $500 of 2021
If you are on a search for a decent road bike and you are on a tight budget, don’t despair. There are plenty of great deals that won’t cost you a fortune. However, if you want to find the best bike out there within this budget range you either have to make a thorough research or simply follow this guide.
We will show you what the best road bikes under $500 are. The decision what bike to buy will be whole lot easier once you get to the end of this article.
Top Road Bikes Under 500 Bucks Overview Chart
| Picture | Name | Size (cm) | Material | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. SE Bikes Royal 14-Speed Road Bicycle, Blue, 42 cm | 42 / 46 / 50 / 54 / 58 | Aluminum Frame, Aluminum Rims, Aluminum Fork | 5.0 |
 | 2. Schwinn Men's Phocus 1600 700C Drop Bar Road Bicycle | 56 | Aluminum Frame, Carbon Fork, Aluminum Rims | 4.6 |
 | 3. Vilano Shadow Road Bike, Medium, White | 52 / 54 / 56 | Aluminum Frame, Aluminum Fork, Aluminum Rims | 4.3 |
 | 4. Giordano Libero 1.6 Road Bike, Black/Red, 56cm/Medium | 51 / 56 / 63 | Aluminum Frame, Aluminum Fork, Steel Rims | 4.2 |
 | 5. Schwinn Men's Phocus 1400 700C Drop Bar Road Bicycle | 56 | Aluminum Frame, Aluminum Fork, Aluminum Rims | 4.0 |
 | 6. Vilano Aluminum Road Bike 21 Speed Shimano | 50 / 54 / 58 | Aluminum Frame, Aluminum Fork, Aluminum RIms | 3.9 |
Why is Aluminum so Common?
Few decades ago aluminum was rare in the cycling industry. With the technology advancing it has become more common and easier to weld craft and produce the material.
Luckily, this meant that cycling will be supplied with parts, frames made from aluminum alloy. Aluminum became cheaper, making it more affordable to the general public.
The parts are not made completely from aluminum. It’s aluminum alloy we’re talking about. A mix of aluminum with other one or two metals combined. By itself aluminum is soft, when we add another metal to make it more strong and durable, we get aluminum alloy.
This enables us to ride lighter bikes with the necessary stiffness and durability, without trading off the price and the appearance of the road bikes. And having a lighter and stiffer bike means you will not waste any energy and all your force will be transferred on the road.
3 Best Road Bikes Under 500 Bucks Reviews
1. SE Bikes Royal 14-Speed
You are going to be surprised that this bike costs so little. Lighter than 20 pounds, all aluminum alloy bike this bike is the thing.
It looks so amazing that you’d think it’s a $1000 Road bike. It comes in black and blue color and In 5 sizes! Certainly you’ll find the one that matches you.
The SE Royal is an excellent bike for novice cyclists, but it’s also a great bike for the veterans. The guy’s from SE made sure that this bike will be known for its weight. It really stands out from the other bikes within this range.
To make sure you’ll be satisfied it has Shimano parts and they’ll follow your lead. The response time of the shifters is astounding!
Overall, really amazing bike, so amazing we have it on our list as no.1!
2. Schwinn Men’s Phocus 1600
This is Scwinn’s representative among the best road bikes under $500. It has the looks, the performance and the comfort. At this price level you wouldn’t expect this kind of package.
Schwinn’s Phocus will deliver what you ask for it. It will take you on a ride like you never had been on. The aluminum alloy frame just looks so amazing. If you are looking for a similar bike like the Phocus you’d probably have to pay couple of extra hundreds of dollars.
Almost every part is made from aluminum alloy except the carbon fiber fork! It’s a safe and stable bike. It can be friends with the casual cyclist or the ones that like the cycling to be more challenging, on the next level!
The Phocus 1600 will give you a chance of having it, you just need to grab it before somebody else takes it.
3. Vilano Shadow Road Bike
Last but not least, brought to you by Vilano the Shadow Road Bike takes the 3rd place among these awesome bikes. It’s neck and neck race with the Schwinn’s Phocus. However, the 3rd place is well deserved.
Uphill, downhill, flat terrain you name it, this bike will show great results. You can get it in 3 sizes and in 2 colors, black or white.
It’s the perfect bike for exercising casually or for commuting purposes. Besides the great performance and the high quality, this bike doesn’t stop there. It even costs less than $500. Making it an even better entry level bike!
