Road bikes are increasing in popularity every day. From novice riders to competitive bikers, everyone wants to own one. However, with a plethora of bikes to choose from, the final decision to choose the perfect bike, a bike that doesn’t dent the pocket, is comfortable, and stable, becomes a hard one. But, now, you don’t have to worry. In this detailed article, we’ll highlight and discuss in great depth the different types of road bikes available in the market and certain factors that you must account for, before actually buying the bike.
So, let’s dive in, shall we? But before getting into the nitty-gritty details of these coveted specialized, let’s first understand what is a road bike.
What Are Road Bikes?
To describe the attributes and features of these bikes in the simplest of words, road bikes are highly complex and specialized bikes that are designed to be ridden on paved surfaces in cities. In other words, these bikes have been designed for fast riding across cities.
Thanks to their distinctive features like light and upright Carbon frames, these bikes can be recognized from afar. The lightweight frames also make them fast-riding machines capable of running 45 mph.
The drop handlebars enable cyclists to adopt multiple hand positions, enhancing comfort and control during long rides. Equipped with narrow and smooth tires, road bikes minimize rolling resistance, maximizing efficiency and speed. Additionally, the extensive gear options empower riders to conquer diverse landscapes and gradients with ease. The combination of these features makes road bikes the ideal choice for those seeking thrilling adventures and the exhilaration of swift, efficient rides.
Thanks to their lightweight and aerodynamic design, they are a popular choice amongst all bike riders.
Features Of Road Bikes
If you’re a novice biker or even an experienced one, you should be aware of some of the defining features of a road bike.
Lightweight
Road bikes are extremely lightweight, which makes them excellent riding machines for competitive racing.
Aerodynamic
Thanks to their aerodynamic design, these bikes have less air drag and little to no air resistance.
Thin Tires
Road bikes have thin or slim tires so that there is less friction with the surface, and so the rider should not have to peddle hard to gain momentum and speed.
Numerous Gears
Another defining and distinctive feature of road bikes is that these bikes have numerous highly versatile gears, which makes these bikes diverse machines.
Different Types of Road Bikes In A Nutshell
There are all sorts of road bikes. They come in varying shapes, sizes, types, and functions.
We’ll talk about each type of road bike in great detail.
Racing Bikes
Racing bikes are a sub-specie or a sub-type of road bikes designed solely to be used in professional racing.
Yes, these bikes were used by Lance Amstrong in the Tour de France. Thanks to the narrow tires and drop handlebars, these bikes can reach up to a top speed of 75 mph in a matter of minutes.
Key Features
The most common features of the racing bike are as follows:
- Lightweight frame
- Aerodynamic design
- Drop Handlebars
- Thin Tires
Most Common Usage
As the name suggests, the basic purpose and the most common use case of a racing bike is for racing. But, they need to be used in specialized racing environments.
The racing bike is used in the following instances:
- Road racing: bike racing that takes place on paved structures
- Track racing: racing that takes place in cycling arenas
- Cyclo-cross racing: a multi-atmosphere racing track consisting of dirt, grass, and paved surfaces.
Price Range
The price of a road racing bike depends on several factors, including the brand, bike size, and frame material. And, therefore, it is often heavy on the pocket, and so, the average price range of this bike clocks somewhere between $1200-$2500.
Endurance Bikes
Endurance bikes, true to their name, are purpose-built for long-lasting performance and versatility. These bikes excel in strength, offering durability and resilience to withstand demanding rides. Additionally, their design caters to a range of riding conditions and terrains, making them adaptable companions for cyclists seeking enduring comfort and reliability.
Key Features
The most common features of these bikes are:
- Wide tires
- Diverse gear range
- Highly efficient disc brakes
Most Common Usage
Endurance bikes are mostly used for:
- Long-distance riding: Thanks to its comfortable and diverse gear range, endurance bikes are perfect companions for long journeys.
- Adventure riding: Because these bikes are designed to ‘endure’ all sorts of physical challenges, these bikes work best in difficult terrains.
Price Range
Like every other bike in the market, the prices of endurance bikes vary according to their material and brand. But, the most common price ranges for these bikes are as follows:
In most instances, entry-level endurance bikes often start around $500, while high-end models cost upwards of $10,000.
Touring Bikes
Touring bikes are specifically crafted for touring adventures, highlighting their durability, versatility, and adaptability. These bikes are engineered to withstand long-distance journeys, carrying heavy loads with stability and comfort. With features such as sturdy frames, reinforced components, and ample storage options, touring bikes offer riders the freedom to explore various terrains while providing a reliable and enjoyable travel experience.
Key Features
The main features of a touring bike are as follows:
- Strong and sturdy frame
- Wide tires
- Luggage holding places
Most Common Usage
Touring bikes have a lot of uses, but we’ll only discuss their most common uses:
- Casual riding
- Bike-packing riding
- Commuting
Price Range
Like every other bike, touring bikes are differently priced. That is, the actual price of a Touring price depends on factors like the brand’s reputation in the market, the width, and size of the tire, the material of the frame, and the tire material.
But, on average, a steel touring bike costs around $1000 or less, whereas, a high-quality Carbon fiber touring bike costs more than $10,000!
Gravel Bikes
Gravel bikes, true to their name, are built for tackling gravel roads and off-road adventures. Just like their endurance counterparts, they exhibit strength, resilience, and versatility. These bikes feature rugged frames and wider tires with knobby treads to provide stability and traction on mixed terrain. With their comfortable geometry and additional features like disc brakes and mounting points for racks and fenders, gravel bikes are the go-to choice for riders seeking the freedom to explore unpaved paths while maintaining a smooth and enduring ride.
Key Features
Gravel bikes have a lot of features, but their main features/specifications are as follows:
- Wide tires: Because gravel bikes are primarily designed to be ridden on gravel, they come equipped with wide tires.
- Strong frames: Because gravel bikes are primarily driven on rugged surfaces, their frames are designed to withstand the ruggedness of the gravel, and so are either made from Carbon fiber or aluminum.
- Diverse Gear Range: these bikes have a powerful and diverse gear range.
Most Common Usage
Gravel bikes have a plethora of uses, so list them down:
- Gravel riding: Gravel bikes are uniquely designed to be driven on unpaved and dirt roads, so they’re the best choice for driving on gravel roads.
- Adventure biking/riding: Thanks to their wide tires and diverse gear range, gravel bikes are excellent riding companions if you’re interested in cross-country or adventure cycling.
Price Range
Gravel bikes don’t average an average price, rather, their prices vary according to brand, frame size, and frame material. However, the cheapest bike starts from $1000, while the most expensive bike costs around $3000+.
Aero Bikes
Aero bikes are specifically engineered to prioritize aerodynamics, resulting in a design that emphasizes speed and efficiency. These bikes possess a sleek and streamlined frame geometry, minimizing wind resistance to propel riders forward with enhanced velocity. With their wind-cheating profiles and integrated components, aero bikes are meticulously crafted to maximize performance, enabling riders to slice through the air effortlessly.
They often feature aero handlebars, internal cable routing, and deep-section wheels to further reduce drag and optimize the bike’s overall aerodynamic properties. By combining advanced materials, such as carbon fiber, with wind-tunnel testing and advanced engineering techniques, aero bikes offer cyclists a competitive edge, ideal for racing and high-speed endeavors.
The culmination of their design elements results in a machine that embodies the fusion of speed, power, and the pursuit of ultimate performance.
Key Features
Some defining and hallmark features of aero bikes are as follows:
- Aerodynamic design: Areo bikes, true to their names, are designed to give the rider high speed and less drag.
- Swept-back Fork: These bikes have a ‘swept-back’ fork, which again reduces drag.
- Wide tires: Wide tires translate into a more comfortable and stable ride than traditional road bikes.
Most Common Usage
Although aero bikes have a lot of uses, their most common use cases are as follows:
- Trial racing: Because aero bikes are designed for speed and minimum drag, these bikes are traditionally used in timed trial racing.
- Road racing: On some rare occasions, aero bikes are also used in road racing.
Price Range
Area bikes are relatively more expensive than all other types of road bikes. This is primarily because these bikes are made for speed and materials and engineering that gives this bike speed comes at a high cost.
Similar to any other category of bicycle, the actual cost of an aerodynamic bicycle relies on the fundamental constituent of its construction. Factors such as additional accessories like front and rear lights, a basket, and similar components can also influence the overall price. Nevertheless, the most economical aerodynamic bike typically falls within the price range of two to four thousand dollars. For a medium-range option, one can expect to spend around five to seven and a half thousand dollars, whereas a particularly specialized aerodynamic bike would exceed a price point of ten thousand dollars.
Commuter Bikes
Commuter bikes are purpose-built for daily commuting, offering a blend of practicality, reliability, and versatility. Just like their endurance counterparts, these bikes are characterized by their strength, resilience, and diverse features.
Commuter bikes are made of strong and sturdy frames and are specially designed for comfortable riding in urban areas.
The tipping point about commuter bikes is that they are built to be driven in narrow and congested city streets, and therefore, they come with some additional features that make them ideal city bikes. For instance, these bikes have fenders and front baskets, as well as high-intensity front lights.
Additionally, these bikes have specialized and strong brakes that can stop the bike in 0.1 seconds.
Key Features
Commuter bikes are immensely popular amongst casual riders, and rightly so. So, let’s now talk about their most attractive features:
- Commuter bikes are not designed to be fast, rather stability is their defining feature, which is precisely these bikes have wide tires.
- These bikes have to be driven in the chaotic traffic of megacities like London and New York City, which means that having exceptionally quick disc brakes will be a beneficial feature, so their disc brakes are extremely good.
- Because gears and brakes have to be used a great deal in commuter bikes, these bikes come with a wide range of gearboxes.
- Additional amenities: These bikes come equipped with additional amenities like a front basket and water bottle holder.
Most Common Usage
Commuter bikes have a plethora of uses, but their most common uses are as follows:
- Commuting: commuter bikes are foremost used for commuting from one place to another, albeit not for long distances.
- Exercising: Thanks to their straight and upright frame, commuter bikes make excellent exercise machines.
- Adventure riding: Since these bikes have wide tires and an upright frame, they make excellent adventure riding partners.
Price Range
Do you know that commuter bikes are the most popular road bikes? And this is precisely why they’re the cheapest types of road bikes in the market.
In reality, the actual price of a commuter bike depends on several factors including the frame’s material, the bike’s actual features and specifications. But there is some data on the market average price of a basic commuter bike.
The cheapest commuter bike caps around $300-$500, while a middle-tier commuter road bike costs somewhere between $500-$1000, whereas the cost of an advanced commuter bike costs around $1000-$2000.
Factors To Be Mindful Of When Choosing a Road Bike
Road bikes are of many different kinds and types, with each having its unique selling point and utility. But what road bike should you buy? After all, it would not be wise to purchase any bike.
So, when purchasing a road bike, you must be mindful of several things, we’ll discuss them in great detail.
Frame Material
Road bikes come in different frame materials.
These bikes are available in strong yet lightweight Carbon fiber, sturdy steel, and strong, but light aluminum.
Components
Some bikes come equipped with shifters, baskets, and water bottle holders.
Geometry
Geometry refers to the bike’s design.
Since every type of road bike has a different design, each is not suited for all kinds of terrains and riding styles. For instance, adventurous and racing bikes should have relaxed frames.
Size of the Wheel
The wheels of road bikes are 700c in size. However, some bikes are around 650c, which is smaller.
Price
There is a great deal of divergence between road bikes, commuter bikes, for instance, are the cheapest type of road bike, and cost somewhere around $500, while gravel bikes are the costliest at $10,000.
Conclusion
From aerodynamic aero road bikes built for speed to endurance road bikes that prioritize comfort on long rides, there is a road bike for every rider. These bikes boast features such as lightweight frames, drop handlebars, and narrow tires, all aimed at delivering superior performance and efficiency. Whether one seeks the thrill of racing or the joy of exploring scenic routes, road bikes provide the means to embrace the open road and experience the pure exhilaration of cycling. So, choose the road bike that aligns with your goals, hop on, and embark on unforgettable journeys with the wind in your hair and the freedom of the open road beneath your wheels.
Hey, I am Jacob, a dedicated bicycle enthusiast and blogger with a passion for exploring the world on two wheels. Through my, Biketheatre.com, I shares my knowledge of cycling techniques, bike maintenance, and the best road bikes out in the market. With years of experience in various terrains and conditions, I offer insightful advice for cyclists of all levels, from beginners to seasoned pros.