The best road bikes around the £1,000 mark are a great place to start if you’re new to cycling or if you're unsure how much riding you’re going to be doing.
They can also make brilliant speedy commuters or second-string bikes for more experienced cyclists.
Reckon your budget could stretch a bit further? Check out our best road bikes under £2,000 and our best road bikes under £3,000. If £1,000 is too much to spend, here are the best road bikes for under £750, as reviewed by our team of testers.
We also have a list dedicated to the best aluminium road bikes and a guide to the best women's road bikes.
If you need some help with what to look for, read our beginner's guide to choosing the best road bike in 2024 or watch our video below.
Read on for summaries and links to all of our highest-rated road bikes under £1,000, as rated and reviewed by our impartial test team.
The best road bikes around £1,000 in 2024
Boardman SLR 8.9
- £1,100 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Carbon frame and fork; mostly Shimano 105 components
- Cons: Lower-spec wheels
The Boardman SLR 8.9 is great all-round package that is ideal for sportives, fitness training and commuting.
With the same aerodynamic tube profiles as Boardman's top-end 9.6 and a nearly complete Shimano 105 groupset, it's great value and fun to ride.
Boardman describes the geometry as endurance, but we found it lives on the racier side, delivering a ride that is equal parts fast and comfortable with impressive handling.
The wheels are basic but they are tubeless-ready and come with decent Vittoria tyres. You might consider upgrading these to the best road bike wheels at some point to make the most of the frameset.
Canyon Endurace AL 7.0
- £999 / €1,099 / AU$1,749 as tested
- Pros: Great spec; lively but comfortable ride
- Cons: Price has increased
We often score versions of Canyon's endurance bike higher than four stars, and the more affordable Endurace AL 7.0 is no different.
There's nothing terribly elaborate about the Endurace AL's frame, but it's nicely finished and comes matched to a full-carbon fork.
The ride is comfortable, and the relaxed geometry is perfect for new riders.
A generous spec includes a full Shimano 105 R7000 groupset – the wide range of gears will get you up the toughest climbs, while top-notch rim brakes inspire confidence heading downhill – and solid Fulcrum wheels.
Giant Contend SL 1
- £1,000 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Alloy all-rounder; 105 shifting; mudguard mounts
- Cons: Weightier than some rivals; relatively hard gearing
Giant seems to be incapable of making a bad bike and the Contend continues that trend.
It’s a very, very competent all-rounder, offering a good spec with no major compromises and practical touches such as mudguard mounts.
The gearing on the Contend SL 1 is slightly harder than it used to be, which is a little strange, but the compact frame and D-Fuse carbon seatpost make for a comfy rear-end and it's still a very good bike overall.
Ribble Endurance AL Disc
- £1,099 as tested
- Pros: Racier end of endurance geometry; disc brakes; mounts for mudguards
- Cons: Fairly heavy
Ribble offers a lot of bike for the money with its aluminium-framed endurance bike.
The Endurance AL starts at just £999 with Shimano Tiagra and cable discs, but spending a bit more gets you full hydraulics.
It's not the lightest machine, but it's year-round capable and well suited to big rides, winter training or long-distance commuting.
Triban RC520 Disc
- £850 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Shimano 105 gears; comfortable
- Cons: Pretty weighty
The Triban RC520 Disc is packed with tech that you'd expect to see on a bike with a much bigger price tag.
The derailleurs and levers are Shimano 105, which is excellent at this price. The chainset is Shimano's RS510, which is 150g heavier than the 105 model, but there was no discernible difference in testing when it came to shifting performance.
The brakes are another plus. They are a hydro-mechanical combination that might not be equal to a full hydraulic system, but they are well-modulated.
The bike doesn't have a racy geometry and it is on the heavier side too, but this isn't really a surprise considering it's aimed at the endurance and comfort side of the market.
The tubeless-ready rims and clearance for 36mm tyres give this bike a lot of potential, and it's a serious contender if you're looking for a bike to cover a lot of bases.
Van Rysel EDR AF
- £1,200 as tested
- Pros: Low weight; full Shimano 105 groupset
- Cons: Restricted tyre clearance
The Van Rysel EDR AF is a seriously fast, flickable and fun bike to ride, and a great option for just over £1,000.
Apart from the chain, the bike has a full Shimano 105 groupset, which works exceptionally well. While rim brakes might seem a bit outdated, these brakes perform really well and a lot better than many disc brakes you find on bikes around the £1,000 mark.
The Fulcrum Racing 6 wheels are better than many wheels you find on bikes at this price, too.
The EDR AF comes with 25mm tyres and has room for 28mm, but don't expect to fit mudguards at this width.
Boardman ADV 8.6
- £750 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Great comfort; off-road potential
- Cons: Average disc brakes
The Boardman ADV 8.6 is an entry-level road endurance bike that can handle on-road and off-road riding, so it would make a great commuter, road or gravel all-rounder.
The aluminium frame is paired with a carbon fork, 9-speed Sora groupset, tubeless-ready rims and tyres that perform well on tarmac and gravel. The handlebar flares out to 50cm on the drops, which is particularly good for stable handling off-road.
The brakes are Tektro cable-actuated single-piston. While you wouldn't expect hydraulic brakes at this price, we'd prefer Tektro's dual-piston Spyre brakes for better stopping power.
Forme Monyash 2
- £900, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Do-it-all credentials; lots of frame bosses
- Cons: Brakes could be better
The Forme Monyash 2 is an affordable option versatile enough for long days and short blasts alike.
Its array of fitting means you could deck it out with bags and mudguards for touring or commuting. More relaxed geometry lends itself to this kind of riding.
Plus, the Monyash 2 has decent own-brand wheels shod with Schwalbe One 28mm tyres. And the mechanical disc brakes are adequate.
You wouldn’t expect brilliant climbing at this price, but the Shimano eight-speed Claris groupset shifts fine and the 32t sprocket helps on steep gradients.
Giant Contend AR 3
- £1,099 as tested
- Pros: Great looks; long-distance comfort
- Cons: Not the best value
The Giant Contend AR 3 stands out with a bold paint job and frame design that looks more expensive than the price tag suggests.
The bike doesn’t quite match some of the others in the category when it comes to spec. It has Shimano Sora rather than a Tiagra or 105 groupset, but the difference isn’t that noticeable on the road.
Giant knows a thing or two about creating well-performing geometries, and the Contend AR 3 nicely balances speed and long-distance comfort. It is confident on descents too, aided by its 32mm tyres.
Pinnacle Laterite 2
- £800 / $1,200 / €960 as tested
- Pros: Versatile; top value; good rim brakes; poised ride
- Cons: Rim brakes constrain upgrade options
The Pinnacle Laterite 2 stands up to competitors from more illustrious brands, such as Trek and Specialized, by providing all-round performance at a relatively modest price.
Its rim brakes work better than many mechanical disc brakes in this category. Plus, you get a dependable and wide-range 8-speed Shimano Claris groupset for £200 less than you'll typically find elsewhere.
Although the Laterite 2 comes with narrow 25mm tyres, its 32mm clearance is on par with some disc-brake framesets, enabling you to run wider tyres to further enhance comfort.
Its stock wheels are also quite narrow. Should you wish to upgrade them (or the gears or brakes), your choice is limited to rim-brake compatible options.
Pinnacle Laterite 3
- £600 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Surprisingly good ride; great value
- Cons: Narrow stock tyres; non-series crankset; lower-quality brake pads
The Pinnacle Laterite might be a simple and straightforward bike, but it zips along nicely and offers a surprisingly lovely ride.
Shifting from Shimano Sora gears is pretty good and the gear ratios make climbing tough hills more achievable.
Despite having room for 32mm tyres, which would provide ample comfort on rough roads, the Laterite is surprisingly specced with narrow 25mm tyres.
With mounts for mudguards and a rack, you could transform this bike into a capable commuter.
Braking comes courtesy of Tektro rim brakes. You might want to upgrade the brake blocks to cartridge blocks when they wear out to improve the stopping power.
Planet X London Road
- £800 as tested, international pricing N/A
- Pros: Well-chosen components; quick, lively ride
- Cons: Non-standard seatpost; small top gear
The Planet X London Road is great fun to ride on bike paths and through town, and would make an excellent commuter.
Its attractive spec includes a SRAM single-ring setup, thru-axles and cable-actuated disc brakes, as well as a good set of Fulcrum wheels with 32mm tyres and a carbon fork
Although there's no front derailleur to worry about, the single-ring setup does limit the bike's gear range. If you like to turn a big gear, this might not be the bike for you.
Specialized Allez E5
- £1,000 as tested / $1,200 / €1,200 / AU$1,800 as tested
- Pros: Racy alloy frame; performance and practicality
- Cons: Feeble brakes
If you want a racy bike on a limited budget, or are looking for your first road bike, you can’t go wrong with a Specialized Allez.
The Allez E5 is the cheapest version of Specialized’s entry-level road bike and offers exciting performance and a competent Shimano Claris-based spec. You may want to upgrade the underpowered Tektro mechanical disc brakes, though.
The frame is one of the highest-quality and best-looking you’ll get for this kind of money. Specialized has boosted its practicality by upping tyre clearance to 35mm.
Trek Domane AL 2 Gen 4
- £1,050 / $1,200 / €1,199 / AU$2,000 as tested
- Pros: Lively frame; smooth ride; good shifting from Shimano Claris drivetrain
- Cons: Poor brake performance; wheel spoke issues
The Trek Domane AL is the most affordable version of the brand's prestigious endurance bike and would be a great choice for beginner cyclists.
Like its pricier namesakes, the fourth-generation Domane AL combines a compliant, but sporty ride with practicality from wide tyre clearance and multiple mounting points.
Most of the decent-value spec performs well, apart from the mechanical disc brakes. And, annoyingly, you'll have to upgrade the whole groupset to replace them.
Buyer's guide to road bikes around £1,000
Perhaps the most important thing to note is that bikes around the £1,000 price point are typically not pure race bikes.
Although they look like race bikes and are perfectly capable of being raced, most lack the more extreme touches of the machines that are geared uncompromisingly towards competition.
Instead, a £1,000 bike is intended as a beginner’s tool – a bike to introduce new riders to road cycling.
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What to expect from one-grand bikes
The bikes’ frames will have more relaxed geometry than more aggressive bikes designed for racing.
They’ll have a shorter reach, a taller head tube and higher handlebar. As a result, you'll sit in a more upright and less stretched out position than you would on a race bike. Beginner cyclists are likely to feel more comfortable and confident this way.
What's more, the bikes won't be as stiff or light as an expensive race bike. Instead of carbon, the frame will usually be made of metal, most often an aluminium alloy.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the best aluminium road bikes rival their carbon equivalents.
What will I get for my money?
Don't go thinking that £1,000 road bikes aren't the real deal. They’ll do whatever you need them to, whether that's adding a bit of pace to your commute, dipping your toe into the waters of racing, taking on a sportive, touring or simply riding for fun at the weekend.
The spec of bikes near the £1,000 mark varies a lot. The best-value ones will sometimes have a mid-range 11-speed Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival groupset.
But due to bike price inflation, many will be equipped with groupsets lower down the scale, such as 8-speed Shimano Claris or 9-speed Sora.
Brands sometimes mix and match components on bikes in this category to save money. You'll often find bikes with Shimano Tiagra shifters and derailleurs but Tektro brakes, for example.
Rim brakes and mechanical disc brakes are more common than pricier hydraulic disc brakes, which perform considerably better.
Don't discount rim brakes though. They save weight compared to discs and we've often found they can outperform mechanical disc brakes.
But rim brakes stop less consistently in the wet. It's worth looking for disc brakes if you plan to use your bike as an all-weather commuter.
Tubeless-ready wheels are becoming more common in this price bracket and are worth considering.
Running a tubeless set-up means you can dispense with inner tubes, lowering rolling resistance and your risk of punctures. Bikes costing about £1,000 often come with clincher tyres, so you might have to upgrade to tubeless tyres.
