Best Road Bikes Under £1,000

Focus Cayo

Focus Cayo Bike Review

The Ford Focus Cayo was awarded best bike under £1,000 by Cycling Weekly and offers an excellent choice for the keen tourer, and racer. The bike offers excellent features; to get a lightweight carbon frame, fork and ultegra groupset could cost upto £2,000 on other bikes. If you wish to get started in road racing, this offers a very good value buy as it offers a high spec for your money.

The Focus Cayo has a light Carbon 12k frame which gives the bike a total weight of just over 8 kilos. This is a pretty good weight for the price. The Groupset is a mix of Shimano Ultegra SL 10 speed. It also comes with an option of triple chain-ring offering 30 gears for the cyclo sportive.

• Focus 12K Light carbon frame
• Improved stiffness to weight factor
• Shimano Ultegra SL 20-speed or 30-Speed
• New Truvativ Elita crankset in compact or triple options
• New Light Mavic Aksium
• Schwalbe Stelvio tyres
• Weight: 8.05kg (size 56 without pedals)

• Focus Cayo 2011, 2012 at Wiggle

GT Series 2

This GT GTR series 2 costs £969 from Evans Cycles. It has the new 10 speed 105 Shimano Groupset. The frame is made from high end Aluminium alloy, with carbon seat stays and carbon forks for the best use of carbon on a frame. Also worth considering at £600 is the GT Series 4 with Shimano Sora and same frame and GT series 2.

Colnago Primavera Tiagra

This is a lower spec groupset than the GT bike above. However, whilst the groupset is a spec lower (Tiagra is not as smooth and light as 105), you are able to buy into the quality of a Colnago frame and the prestige that comes from owning this most famous brand. Colnago Primavera at Evans

Trek 1,2 –  1.7 and 2.1

I often find Trek are one of the best value road bikes. The trek 1.7 comes with black Aluminium Alloy frame and Carbon fork. The groupset is Shimano 105 throughout and finished off with quality Bontrager components like stem and handlebars. It comes with a triple chainset, good for touring but unnecessary for racing.

For a £1,000 you can get the Trek 2.1. The Trek 2.1 comes with a very nice 100 Series Alpha Aluminium frame, carbon fork and Shimano 105. The Trek 1.1 is only £700, but you only get Shimano Sora groupset – which is quite a step down from.

I have ridden Trek road bikes for several years. My Trek 1000 (similar to newer version of Trek 1.7) has been going for over 10 years. I bought for £400, and has proved good value for money.

Trek Road bikes at Evans Cycles (though not available mailorder)

Chris Boardman Team Road Bike

The Chris Boardman Team scrapes in at £999. It is from the exciting new range of bikes designed in Britain, under guidance of former pro Chris Boardman. The Team bike comes with super light carbon fork and superlight alloy, triple butted, frame with tapered steerer, BB30. (weight 8.2Kgs) The bike manages to have Shimano 105 20 speed gear system. This is a real step up from cheaper Shimano components and makes it a great temptation for under £1,000.

If you can squeeze your budget, or pick something up second hand, it is worth considering the Team Carbon Bike. This is another £300, at £1,299 but comes with a full Carbon fibre monocoque frame – offering a really beautiful firm and responsive ride.

C.Boardman Road Bikes at Halfords

Specialized Tri Cross

The Specialized tri cross has a lightweight A1 Premium Aluminium double butted frame .Comfortable frame geometry, internal cable routing for low maintenance performance. FACT carbon forks for improved comfort of ride. Triple chain ring for all gear combinations. The Specialized is a good robust road bike and makes a good choice for a winter training bike.

• Specialized TriCross £700 at Evans.

Other Bikes at £1,000

• Giant SCR Composite 3
  - for £1,000 Comes with Carbon Composite and Shimano 105

• Felt F75 for £1,000
  - Super-light 7005 Aluminium Frame with mostly Shimano 105

What to Look for when buying Road bike

• Make sure you get chance to have good test ride. Buying from local shop can give more confidence than buying online. Though some online retailers are good at accepting returns
• Weight isn’t everything, also consider comfort of ride, strength responsiveness, and rigidity.
• Comfort is important. If you’re not comfortable you will lose power wriggling around.
• Consider whether you are going to be upgrading in the near future. Remember components are much more expensive if you buy separately. Try to spend as much as you can when you buy the bike as you will get a better deal. But, don’t kill yourself the difference between a £2,000 and £1,000 isn’t huge ( you will still be able to do road races / sportives)

Road bikes

• Road Bikes at Evans cycles
• Road Bikes around £1,000 at Wiggle