Best Road Bikes for Women: Reviews & Comparisons

The Raleigh Revere 2 uses a Double Butted Alloy Disc Frame with Thru-Axles.

An aluminum frame tends to bring the price down on road bikes and is most often used on entry-level, rather than professional, bikes. Aluminum alloy provides less stiffness than other materials, like carbon, which means that this bike may give a rougher, less responsive ride than the bikes in this guide that use carbon fiber frames.

The Revere 2 uses the Shimano Sora crankset, shifters, and cassette. It also uses Tetro Cable Mechanical Disc brakes and Shimano Sora brake levers.

The Shimano Sora groupset is one of Shimano’s entry-level sets, made for those who want reliable components for less money. The set offers a broad range of gears within its 9-speed cassette. Shimano Sora may not stand up to as much wear and tear as Shimano’s high-end groupsets, like the Ultegra, but can still give the Raleigh Revere 2 reliable shifting and braking for a lower price point. 

This bike uses the Formula Alloy Disc and Weinmann XC180 Double Wall 23mm Rims wheelset.

The Formula Alloy Disc hubs are fairly basic, used mostly on entry-level bikes that won’t meet a broad range of terrains. Weinmann XC180 rims are ones you may want to consider replacing if you plan to use your bike frequently, especially for endurance cycling. The rims may not hold up to rough road riding with bumps and frequent turns.

The Raleigh Revere 2 may not be the best option for professional riders. Its low price point does come with some sacrifice in performance, handling, and lower-end components.

The Cannondale Synapse Carbon Women's Bike uses a BallisTec Carbon, SAVE PLUS frame.

BallisTec Carbon is a material specific to Cannondale that uses a special blend of carbon fiber with a precise construction that keeps it strong and stiff. This material is more expensive than aluminum, which leads to its higher price point than the Raleigh. The SAVE PLUS geometry helps make riding on the bike more comfortable by absorbing shock from road bumps. 

This bike uses Shimano 105 shifters, brakes, and cassette, and a Cannondale Si crankset.

Shimano 105 is one of the company’s higher-end groupsets that offers various gears on an 11-speed cassette. It sits at the lowest price point of Shimano’s performance-level sets, but provides extreme reliability and durability.

The Cannondale uses its Si crankset, which is lightweight, yet boosts the bike’s overall stiffness and responsiveness.

This bike uses the Mavic Aksium hubs and rims with Mavic Yksion WTS tires.

Mavic Aksium is a good choice for cyclists who will ride their bikes frequently, as the hubs and rims can stand up to wear and tear from every day use. This set is an entry-level wheelset from Mavic, though, and may not provide the best braking ability. Mavic Aksium hubs and rims are also a bit heavier than higher-end racing sets, which contribute to the bike’s overall weight.

The Mavic Yksion WTS tires are perfect for gripping smooth and rough road surfaces, putting them in line with this bike’s other performance-level features and components. These tires can also avoid punctures and tears well. 

The Diamondback Airen 5 Carbon uses a Carbon Monocoque Endurance Road Frame.

A carbon frame is what you’ll see most frequently on performance road bikes like the Diamondback Airen 5 Carbon. Carbon monocoque refers to the way in which the carbon comes together to make the frame.

A carbon monocoque frame is one with a continuous carbon shell that wraps around the inner layers of carbon to create an ultra-stiff frame that absorbs shock and stress throughout the bike. This design does tack on some extra money, but it also can help endurance riders avoid riding fatigue.

This bike uses HED Flanders C2+ Disc rims and Continental Grand Sport Race tires.

The alloy Flanders C2+ disc rims from HED are an entry-level option for road bikes with thicker rim walls that make them a bit on the heavy side. The overall weight of this bike is right in the middle of the pack at just over 19 pounds, which could take more effort to maneuver up hills.

The Continental Grand Sport Race tires pick up some of the slack, though. These tires have excellent grip on a variety of road surfaces. The mid-range tires offer value, but they may not stand up to long-term wear and tear. 

This bike uses a Vittoria Randonneur Trail 700 x 38 mm wheelset.

This wheelset is one of the strongest features of the Cinelli, and it’s the defining trait of the bike. You’ll be able to keep on touring for decades using the same wheelset, provided that you don’t abuse them too much.

This is a relatively uncommon wheelset to encounter on bikes in the US, so you may have trouble finding exact replacements at arbitrary bike shops. 

The LIV Envie advanced uses an Advanced-grade composite carbon frame.

Advanced-grade composite carbon is a high-end version of a carbon bike frame. Its construction makes the LIV Envie stiffer and lighter than similar bikes. Carbon is an ideal choice of frame material for road bikes, lending to the bike’s overall weight and strength and also boosting power-transfer ability. The bike’s advanced-grade composite carbon, though, boosts its price tag over regular carbon frames. 

This bike uses the Shimano Ultegra shifters, cassette, and crankset. It also uses Giant SpeedControl brakes.

The LIV Envie has mostly Shimano Ultegra components within its groupset. The 11-speed Ultegra cassette provides a broad range of gears for various types of road riding and hill climbs. Shimano Ultegra is one step down from the professional DURA-ACE groupset, giving the LIV high-performance power and speeds at a slightly lower price point.

Since LIV is Giant’s female-specific brand, the bike uses Giant SpeedControl brakes. This braking system is one you’ll find on Giant’s top performance bikes, like the Propel Advanced SL 2.

This bike uses the Giant SLR 1 Aero DBL WheelSystem with Giant Gavia SLR Tubeless tires.

The LIV takes advantage of the Giant SLR 1 Aero DBL WheelSystem. Special technology and design help distribute weight evenly on the spokes of the rims, improving durability and helping you accelerate. The rims also have special anchor points to increase stiffness, which allows for tight cornering.

Giant designed its Gavia SLR tires for serious road riding, offering a lightweight tire with remarkably gripping treads. 

The Specialized Amira Comp uses a FACT 9r carbon frame.

Functional Advanced Composite Technology (FACT) is Specialized’s unique approach to frame design and construction. This technology is the company’s step toward creating the most functional bike possible using high-modulus carbon for extra stiffness and responsiveness.

The Amira Comp’s FACT 9r frame is one of Specialized’s mid-range FACT frames, resulting in more carbon fiber and less separate pieces than lower-end frames.

This bike uses Shimano Ultegra brakes, shifters, and cassette. The bike also uses a Shimano Ultegra compact crankset.

The compact Shimano Ultegra 50/34t crankset may be one of the few negatives to this bike. Although Shimano Ultegra is a reliable and high-end brand, some racers may find that the compact crankset doesn’t give enough gears for a personalized riding experience. However, it does help with the bike’s overall compact geometry and lighter weight than other bikes.

This bike uses the DT Swiss R460 wheelset with Turbo Pro tires.

The lightweight DT Swiss R460 rims keep road racing at the forefront, offering a wide rim size that helps tires grip, distribute weight, and perform. The rims also have a brake wear indicator that points out when you might need a replacement for safety and reliability.

Turbo Pro is Specialized’s own brand of tire. These tires are light and offer puncture protection and excellent cornering ability in various weather conditions.