Our pick of the top endurance and race bikes for less than two grand
The best road bikes under £2,000 or $2,000 give you a quality frame and spec without the high cost of some of the best road bikes we’ve ridden and reviewed.
Separately, we’ve rounded up the best endurance road bikes if you’re after long-distance comfort and aren’t so constrained by price. If you’re looking for something different, check out our guide to the best gravel bikes with wider tyre clearance and go-anywhere capabilities, or our guide to the best hybrid bikes with flat handlebars. You might even be tempted by one of the best electric bikes.
If up to £2,000, or $2,000, is still too heavy on your wallet, take a look at our best road bikes under £1,000. Or, if you can stretch your budget a little further, there are some fantastic options in our round-up of bikes under £3,000.
The bikes listed below all scored at least four stars out of five when our team of experienced riders put them to the test.
Read on for our complete list of high-scoring bikes or head to the bottom of the page for a buyer’s guide detailing what to look for in a road bike under £2,000 / $2,000.
Best road bikes under £2,000 or $2,000 in 2024
Boardman SLR 8.9
- £1,100 as tested
- Pros: Aero-profile carbon frame; Shimano 105
- Cons: Basic wheels; narrow tyres
The Boardman SLR 8.9 shares the same aero tube profiles and dropped seatstays as Boardman’s more expensive SLR bikes, and also comes with a carbon frame and fork.
For your cash, you get most of a Shimano 105 groupset – only the rim brakes are swapped for Tektro calipers and the crankset for an FSA model.
Boardman has shortened crank length and narrowed the handlebars, in line with modern trends, which also helps with aerodynamics, leading to a fast ride that’s a little racier than many endurance-labelled bikes.
Although the wheels are fairly basic, they are tubeless-ready; upgrade the 25mm tyres to better-quality 28mm rubber and you’ll get an even more comfortable ride.
Canyon Endurace AL 7
- £1,699 / €1,699 / AU$2,599 as tested
- Pros: Brilliant price; high ride quality for alloy
- Cons: Wide bar; handling might feel too sharp for some
The Canyon Endurace AL 7 proves performance road bikes don’t have to be carbon, providing nearly unrivalled value for just shy of £1,700.
The Endurace AL 7’s handling is reactive (almost racy), but the geometry, including a relatively high stack that enables a fairly upright riding position, is more reminiscent of an endurance road bike.
In the same vein, the Endurace AL 7 has top tube mounts for a bento box and can fit 35mm-wide tyres.
If you want to clock up big miles in comfort without losing too much fun, speed or cash, the Canyon Endurace AL 7 is a fine choice.
Giant TCR Advanced 2
- £1,999 / $1,900 as tested
- Pros: Amazing performer; great value
- Cons: Rim brakes may be a drawback for some
The Giant TCR was updated in March 2024, but this older version remains a great bike.
The Advanced 2 model gets a really nice carbon frame – only one tier below the range-topping Advanced SL – and a full Shimano 105 groupset.
The TCR is a wonderfully lively ride that manages to be quite comfortable too. As a bonus, its wheels are set up tubeless out of the box and have 28mm maximum tyre clearance.
Though we reviewed it back in 2021, this particular model is still widely available.
Cannondale CAAD Optimo 1
- £1,300 / $1,305 / AU$1,499 as tested
- Pros: Stable handling; compliant ride
- Cons: Incomplete Shimano 105 groupset
The Cannondale CAAD Optimo 1 shows rim-brake bikes aren’t dead. The brand’s entry-level road bike combines modest weight, assured steering and high ride quality.
Mounts for mudguards and a pannier rack indicate the CAAD Optimo 1’s potential as a good value commuter or winter bike.
However, the groupset is not exclusively Shimano 105 and rim brakes restrict tyre clearance to 25mm.
If you can see beyond these minor drawbacks, it’s worth considering.
Cannondale Synapse 1
- £1,900 / €1,995 as tested
- Pros: Comfortable ride; excellent groupset
- Cons: Pricier than rivals
The Cannondale Synapse 1 is a well-built and comfortable endurance road bike.
The bike thrives on the road. It has a lively ride, great acceleration and is a competent climber.
The 30mm-wide tyres and rack mounts could make this a great choice for bikepacking or winter training rides.
This model is Cannondale’s top-line aluminium Synapse and, as a result, has a Shimano 105 groupset.
The groupset is hard to fault and Cannondale’s choice of non-series cranksets doesn’t impact performance. But it’s worth noting you can get similar 105-equipped bikes for less money.
Cube Attain SLX
- £1,600 / €1,599 / AU$2,499 as tested
- Pros: Compact frame; full Shimano 105 groupset
- Cons: Limited to 28mm tyre clearance; no rack mounts
The Cube Attain SLX blends speed and comfort, with our reviewer describing the ride as having “something of the old-school winter training bike about it, in a good way”.
The short wheelbase keeps the bike nimble and the semi-compact frame makes for a rewarding, fun ride. Thanks to the taught frame and one-to-one ratio bottom gear, it’s also a nifty climber.
The tyre clearance is limited to 28mm and there are no rack mounts, ruling out off-road adventure riding.
The full Shimano 105 groupset, with its powerful hydraulic brakes, is impeccable and great to see at this price.
Cube Axial WS Race
- £1,749 as tested
- Pros: Quality alloy frame; full Shimano 105 groupset
- Cons: Heavy at 9.6kg
The Axial is the women’s equivalent of the men’s Cube Attain SL, with an alloy frame, carbon fork and a shimmering paintjob, as well as women’s-specific touchpoints and smaller frame size options.
There are mudguard mounts for all-weather riders, but there’s not the clearance for tyres much wider than the 28mm fitted.
The Axial comes with a full Shimano 105 groupset that has a wide gear range and includes in-series hydraulic disc brakes for effective stopping. Wheels are Cube RA 1.9 Aero Disc, which can’t be run tubeless, but combined with the 28mm tyres give a comfortable ride that copes well with light gravel excursions.
Giant Contend AR 3
- £1,099 as tested
- Pros: Comfy alloy frame; wide range of gears
- Cons: Not the best value compared to the competition
If you’ve got some more cash to spend and value all-weather braking, this could be a better choice than the Giant Contend, thanks to its mechanical disc brakes.
The Giant Contend AR3 is middle-of-the-road on spec and weight, but it’s a solid performer that’s very beginner-friendly thanks to relaxed geometry and great ride quality. The 1:1 lowest gear helps you to winch yourself up the steepest hills.
Giant sets up the bike’s 32mm tyres tubeless, so there’s no conversion to do. There’s clearance for 38mm tyres, which means you can put plenty of rubber on the road for grip and comfort.
Kinesis R2
- £1,680 (£650 frameset only) as tested
- Pros: Capable all-rounder
- Cons: A little heavy; average saddle; poor bar tape
In line with the Kinesis 4S Disc, the R2 is a jack of all trades. Its cyclocross-specific wheels and 32mm-wide tyres cushion rough surfaces on- and off-road. Fittings and clearance for full-length mudguards cover commuting requirements.
But the R2 is far from lumpen on tarmac – its alloy frame is sporty and handling agile. The 10-speed Tiagra groupset shifts and brakes just as well as Shimano’s pricier offerings, while the prudent gearing helps on the climbs.
The fork is full-carbon and the R2’s zippy ride belies its 10.4kg weight in size XL. Kinesis’ own narrow handlebar, wrapped in thin tape that may prove uncomfortable, and the disappointing Selle Italia saddle are our only gripes.
Ribble CGR AL – Enthusiast
- £1,799 / $1,694 / AU$2,521 as tested
- Pros: Genuine all-rounder; great value
- Cons: Versatility means compromises made in some areas
The Ribble CGR AL – Enthusiast’s abundant versatility justifies the CGR tag, which stands for cyclocross, gravel and road.
The geometry straddles all three disciplines and the frame is peppered with mounts for commuting and bikepacking paraphernalia, such as racks and mudguards up to 46mm wide. There’s room for 700 x 40c gravel bike tyres.
Our test bike came with a full Shimano 105 R7020 groupset and the quality of the components is remarkable for the price, except for the handlebars, which lacked compliance over rougher surfaces.
Shand Leveret
- £1,995 as tested
- Pros: Beautiful steel frame; low-maintenance Gates belt drive
- Cons: Fragile rear mudguard mount
The steel-framed Shand Leveret boasts neatly welded butted tubing with reflective logos and an all-carbon fork. The ride is stable and relaxing rather than racy, matching the upright ride position. The bike comes fitted with mudguards too.
Rather than the usual derailleur, the Shand Leveret has a low maintenance Gates belt drive and 8-speed Shimano Alfine hub gear. There are Shand’s own-brand tubeless-ready wheels with 35mm Schwalbe tyres and TRP hydraulic disc brakes. At 12kg, it’s no lightweight though.
Specialized Allez Sport
- £1,600 / $1,800 / €1,750 / AU$2,500 as tested
- Pros: Upgrade-worthy frameset; big tyre clearance
- Cons: Uninspiring wheelset; slow tyres
The Specialized Allez Sport will suit new road cyclists, commuters and more experienced cyclists seeking a winter bike.
The endurance geometry doesn’t take the fun out of the ride. Mounts for mudguards and a rear rack, disc brakes and 35mm tyre clearance augment the Allez Sport’s versatility.
Value for money is reasonable, but both tyres and wheels warrant upgrading.
Buyer’s guide to the best £2,000 / $2,000 road bikes for you and your riding
Plenty of great bikes fall into the £1,000 to £2,000 price range. So many, in fact, that picking one can be quite a headache – so you need to have a clear idea of what you want.
The main thing to bear in mind is that while all the road bikes in this price bracket are suitable for any type of tarmac-related riding, they start to become more tailored to specific purposes – branching off down either the sportive/endurance or racing route.
Race-oriented bikes will have a long and low riding position, stretching you out more to distribute your weight over the wheels for a more agile ride. In contrast, endurance bikes seat you in a more upright position, with a shorter reach from the saddle to the handlebars, which will be positioned higher. This can give you a more comfortable ride over long distances, but may reduce how sporty a bike feels.
The effects are nuanced and there’s a spectrum of how close to one end of the scale or the other individual bikes are; take a look at our guide to road bike geometry for more detail.
Frame material
Carbon starts to appear, but aluminium frames are more typical in this price range. In fact, the best aluminium road bike frames are considerably better than some entry-level carbon options.
You can also find steel frames, although many of the best steel road bikes cost more than £2,000, while the best titanium bikes almost all fall into a higher price category.
Whatever you go for, it can be worth prioritising the frame over the components at this price. Doing so will give you a great platform that can be upgraded with better parts when the ones supplied wear out.
Components such as a replacement groupset can be expensive, but upgrades to tyres, handlebars and saddle are relatively inexpensive. Even replacing the handlebar tape can improve comfort.
An upgrade to the best bike wheels is pricier, but can really bring out the performance of a quality frame, as well as lowering rotating weight. Keep the wheels your bike came with as a second-best set for winter riding.
Aero features
Aerodynamics have become a really important design feature, with the best aero road bikes majoring on wind-cheating elements such as aero tube profiles and handlebar shapes.
Those features are trickling down to the best road bikes under £2,000 / $2,000 and you can expect to find them on many bikes at this price point. What you’re unlikely to have fitted to a bike when it arrives are deeper-section wheels, which feature strongly in our list of the best road bike wheels.
They too will give you an aero benefit, but will usually be too expensive to come stock on a bike at this price, because they are usually made of carbon fibre.
Brakes
Disc brakes have largely taken over from rim brakes on bikes at all prices. They can give greater stopping power and better modulation, but crucially they are affected less by weather conditions such as wet roads than rim brakes. They also avoid wear on your wheel rims.
The best disc brakes are hydraulically operated and you’ll find bikes under £2,000/$2,000 that feature them. They’re more complex and expensive than cable-operated disc brakes though, so quite a few bikes in this price range have mechanical, cable-operated brakes.
There are still quite a few bikes with rim brakes priced under £2,000/$2,000. Rim brakes are substantially cheaper than either of the disc brake alternatives and they weigh less too.
Opting for a rim brake bike might be a canny move if you live somewhere dry or don’t intend to ride in the wet, because you’ll probably get a higher overall spec or better-quality frame.
Tyre width and pressure
Another trend, that’s aided by the switch to disc brakes, is to wider tyres on road bikes. Whereas 23mm tyres were the norm 10 years ago, 25mm is on the narrow side for the best road bike tyres. Many of the best road bikes come with 28mm tyres and some with even wider rubber.
Wider tyres can be run at lower tyre pressures, which gives a more comfortable ride. They can be faster too because the tyre conforms to the road surface rather than bouncing you over it.
Tubeless tyres enable you to run even lower pressures without so much risk of pinch flats, while the sealant inside helps protect you from smaller punctures. A tubeless tyre may roll faster than a tubed tyre too.
You may not get a full tubeless setup at this price, but often the wheels and tyres are tubeless-ready so that you can convert to tubeless.
Many of the best road bikes under £2,000/$2,000 have clearance for 28mm tyres or more and there are often mounting points so that you can combine them with mudguards for all-weather riding.