Want the best women’s road bike on the block? We’re introducing five of the top choices for women’s road bikes that have speed, comfort, and performance in mind. The LIV Envie advanced and Specialized Amira Comp are two of the bikes we’ll discuss that can provide reliability and maneuverability to road cyclists on hills and around turns, regardless of speed.
Our Picks for the 5 Best Road Bikes for Women
What makes a good road bike for women?
The Top 5 Road Bikes for Women Compared
Our reviews of the top five road bikes for women compare the 54cm sizes of each bike, except for the LIV Envie advanced, for which we used the Medium (M) size. Doing so allows us to more accurately compare each bike’s geometry and features to give you a precise picture of their differences and of what each bike is capable.
Stack / Reach
One of the most significant differences between these five bikes is the stack measurement. The stack is the vertical distance between the head tube and bottom bracket, and a higher measurement creates a more bent-over position.
The Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon has the highest stack and the Specialized Amira Comp has the shortest. While you may sit more upright in the Specialized bike, your positioning on the Diamondback might give you better aerodynamics.
The Raleigh Revere 2 and Diamondback have the shortest reach, or the horizontal distance between the head tube and center of the bottom bracket, of the group, making them the best at slow speed maneuverability.
Effective Top Tube Length
Most of these bikes have a similar effective top tube length around 540mm, except for the LIV Envie advanced, which comes in at 550mm. The longer top tube results in a more bent-over position for the you, which could influence your comfort level on the bike.
Chainstay Length
Road bikes are for both agility and climbing, and the chainstay length can influence that. The LIV Envie advanced and Specialized Amira Comp both have lengths of 405mm, which may give them better control around corners. The Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon has the longest measurement, which can help the bike climb uphill easier than those with a shorter length.
Wheelbase
The length of the wheelbase on a road bike also affects its agility, and the measurements of these bikes vary greatly. With the shortest measurement, the LIV Envie advanced, again, comes out on top for agility with a nimbler approach to corners. The Diamondback has the longest wheelbase measurement, giving it a more relaxed and comfortable ride.
Weight
Light weights are especially important for road bikes if you’re going to be riding in areas with a lot of hills. The Specialized Amira Comp is, by far, the lightest bike of the group, which can give it an easier uphill climb.
The Raleigh Revere 2 is over eight pounds heavier than the Specialized bike, which will make you use more effort to climb uphill. But, you’ll likely have a steadier ride downhill with this bike.
Review of Raleigh Revere 2
The Raleigh Revere 2 is a lower-budget road bike for women that incorporates traditional road bike geometry for comfort and performance. Raleigh made this bike more for comfort than for racing performance, though, which is evident in its heavy weight and short stack and reach.
This bike has entry-level components, like the Shimano Sora groupset and an aluminum alloy frame, which lead to a lower price point. Still, it can offer long-lasting comfort for beginners to endurance cycling at a nice price point.
- Groupset
- Wheelset
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.
Pros
Cons
Expert Opinions
“Braking for the Revere 2 is handled by mechanical discs, making them low-maintenance, easy to use, and will inspire confident braking under any weather condition or any terrain condition.” – Spindatt
Review of Cannondale Synapse Carbon Women's Bike
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon Women’s Bike is an excellent value for the performance-level components you’ll get with it. Cannondale kept comfort in mind with this bike to reduce fatigue and boost endurance with its geometry that keeps you more upright as you ride.
The Cannondale is one of the heavier bikes in our roundup, which is mostly from the high-tech carbon frame. This isn’t necessarily a negative, though, as Cannondale designed the bike’s frame to provide ultimate durability, stiffness, and responsiveness with SAVE PLUS technology.
- Groupset
- Wheelset
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.
Pros
Cons
The Cannondale Synapse Carbon Women’s Bike can be an excellent option for cyclists who want reliability and performance at a good value. This bike’s components work to reduce fatigue for endurance rides, while also handling responsively and comfortably.
Review of Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon
The Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon is more pricey than the Cannondale. But, you’ll get quite a bit of bang for your buck with this women’s road bike, which has a high-tech carbon frame that can help reduce fatigue and boost comfort.
With its use of a mid-range Shimano crankset and high-end Shimano shifters and brakes, you’ll find that this bike shifts between gears beautifully to match your needs on the road. The Diamondback has beneficial geometry, too, for ultimate comfort through positioning, climbing, and turning.
- Groupset
- Wheelset
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.
Pros
Cons
The major downside to this bike is in its wheelset. But, with an upgrade of a set that’s better matched to professional riders, the Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon is a contender with some professional bikes at much higher price points.
Expert Opinions
“The frame features endurance geometry called EPG. It puts you in a more upright position to reduce fatigue without compromising performance for an all-day ride.” – Newark Bike Shop
Review of LIV Envie Advanced
The LIV Envie is a true speed and performance bike made to be incredibly agile and high-performing to help you ride. The bike’s geometry lend to its aerodynamics, with a longer effective top tube and a shorter chainstay than some of the other bikes, making it move with you easily wherever you go.
The Liv Envie is the most expensive bike is our roundup. But, its stiff, advanced-grade composite carbon frame and high-end Shimano and Giant components might make its price tag worth the boosts in performance for serious riders.
- Groupset
- Wheelset
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.
Pros
Cons
The LIV’s components target serious riders who want to race on the road. With reliable Shimano and Giant components and a frame that’s built for power and movement, the LIV Envie advanced is a bike that professionals or those in training might benefit from using.
Expert Opinions
“A bike, for me, has to be an extension of the body. The perfect bike for me is agile and light. It makes it stiff and most efficient. I want a bike that gives me an advantage, that allows me to break away and sprint. The Envie advanced is exactly the bike I’m looking for.” – Marianna Vos, Olympic Athlete and World Champion
Review of Specialized Amira Comp
The lightweight Specialized Amira Comp sits at a similar price point to the Diamondback Arden 5 Carbon, making it the second most expensive road bike in our roundup. But, this bike is meant for racing, endurance, and performance, and its geometry and components match that purpose.
The Amira Comp has a slightly more compact geometry than some of the other bikes, which gives you a more upright position and may also improve handling at top speeds. Its super lightweight frame also makes it a top option for hill climbs.
- Groupset
- Wheelset
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.
Pros
Cons
The Specialized Amira Comp is a bike with serious cyclists as its focus. Its compact design makes the bike as nimble as possible, without sacrificing power and speed. With Shimano Ultegra components, the bike is worth its price tag, although the compact crankset could warrant a future upgrade. With its lightweight, yet strong and reliable, parts, the Amira Comp could be a contender for road cycling enthusiasts.
Expert Opinions
“Amira is the perfect bike for a more performance-minded female rider, whether you want to line up for your local quick series, or you want to mix it up on a shop ride, or you just want to go out and ride 20 miles. If that’s your workout, Amira is the perfect bike for you.” – Olivia Bleitz, JE James Cycles
