Road bikes are built to make a cyclist go fast on roads and smooth pavements. With drop handlebars, slim tires and a lean geometry, road bikes are designed to streamline a cyclist’s position, and shoot ahead!
However, all road bikes are not the same. And no bike is the absolute best. You just have to find the bike that suits your requirements, riding style and budget. With the advent of many road bike events in India, there are different bikes for every kind of event – triathlon, road racing, time trial and brevets.
Some considerations –
- Geometry: If you want to ride in a relaxed manner, then go for an upright geometry, if you want to race, then an aggressive, more aero geometry will work for you.
- Weight: If you expect to climb up slopes or race seriously, then you may prefer a light-weight carbon bike over an alloy bike, and definitely over a steel bike; but carbon bikes come at a high price.
- Gear Ratio: If you will cycle on flats, then a low gear ratio will suffice, but if you will climb slopes, or even want help climbing flyovers, then go for a high gear ratio.
- Components: If you need precise shifting and smooth derailleur, go for a crankset and shifters like Di2, Ultegra and 105, but they also come with a higher price tag.
Here, we have compiled a list of some of the best road bikes models available in India. Roughly speaking, upwards of Rs. 50,000 you will get a good road bike, and in the Rs. 1 lakh bracket, you will get some great high-end ones. Prices mentioned below are subject to change. Choose the bike that suits your requirements the best!
Also read our article about Best Bike Brands available in India
Giant SCR 2 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 52,999
Good for: Beginner road races, fitness rides, commutes
Giant SCR 2 is an entry-level performance-focused road bike. It is suitable for amateur riders who want to get into racing and weighs around 10.4kgs.
It is built from a lightweight aluminium frame that has an aggressive front-end geometry. Its Shimano Claris 2×8 speed drivetrain works well for flat road races, fitness rides and commuting. Its Sora shifters are quick to fire and work smooth on the uphills. It comes with Giant S-R4 700x25c wide tires with treads to grip wet roads. Giant’s D-Fuse seat post technology absorbs vibrations on roads. Giant SCR 2 is an ideal choice for a first road performance bike for anyone.
Merida Scultura 100 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 63,990
Good for: Local races, long rides, group fitness rides
Merida Scultura 100 is an entry-level road bike with carbon fork. It is best suited for amateur road racing, long rides and fitness rides and also it is Di2 shifter ready.
It is built from a triple butted lightweight aluminium frame. The tapered headtube allows for a precise and controlled steering. Glossy green colour paint job gives it a professional look. Smoothly welded frame tubes give the bike an aero look. The internal cable routing increases the lifespan of the cables. Press-Fit 86 bottom bracket provides effective power transfer to the drivetrain.
It runs on Shimano Claris derailleurs and shifters. Its 2×8 speed setup works well for the local racing scene. The bike weighs around 9.5kgs.
Scott Speedster 30 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 65,500
Good for: Leisure rides, beginner road bike, for brevets
Scott Speedster 30 is a perfect bike for beginners who want to get into brevets and amateur racing. This road bike is best suited for endurance riders. It has an aluminium frame with carbon fork and weighs at 9.85kgs. Its geometry and cockpit design is suitable for long rides but the saddle lacks comfort. The Sora groupset has an efficient shifting for 9-speed rear derailleur and 50x34T chainring.
Merida Scultura 200 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 74,490
Good for: Endurance rides, long leisure rides, comfortable position
Merida Scultura 200 is a great road bike for endurance riding, brevets and local racing. It offers a comfortable riding position and is not too aggressive.
The bike weighs 9.28kg, with a frame made of aluminium and a fork made of carbon. With triple butted wall thickness and hydroforming technology, the aluminium frame tubes offer the best possible stiffness to weight ratio. The carbon fork is fatigue resistant for your wrist and elbows.
As for the gear combo, it is a 9-speed bike. It has a 11-32T Sora groupset and a FSA Omega 50x34T crankset; it’s a perfect gear ratio for climbing and brevets. All the cables are routed internally that gives the bike a clean look.
Trek Domane AL 4 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 81,599
Good for: Races, long rides, off road rides
Trek Domane AL 4 is a fast, nimble and lightweight aluminium road bike with endurance geometry. It has an upgraded 20-speed Tiagra groupset that is perfect for long uphills and endurance rides. The compact 50x34T Tiagra crank and 11-32T cassette provide a wide range of gearing options for climbing. The IsoSpeed carbon fork absorbs the vibrations on the road and doesn’t fatigue your arms on long rides.
The bike has holes for rack mounts and is mudguard compatible, so it easily transitions to a fast bike for bike packing tours on roads. Domane AL 4 has enough tire clearance that allows the bike to hit off-road and muddy sections as well. It weighs at 9.41kgs.
Polygon Strattos S4 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 81,990
Good for: Climbing, endurance rides
Polygon Strattos S4 is a climbing bike. It has a Tiagra groupset. Its 10-speed cassette with 12-28T and 50X34T chainring provide a wide range of gearing options. It is really good for climbing and endurance rides. It would have been great if the biggest cog it has, of 28 teeth bigger would be even bigger – up to 32T. It would have made it a go-to bike for a long training day in the mountains. The bike weighs at 9.48kgs which is on a higher side at this price.
Polygon Strattos S4 has an ALX frame and ACX carbon fork. ALX and ACX are Polygon specific technology used in their bike models. ACX simply means that the frame is light, strong and stiff and ALX frames are high in durability. The cable routing is internal.
Cube Attain Race Road Bike
Price: Rs. 83,990
Good for: Fatigue-less rides, quick and responsive geometry
Cube Attain Race is a 20-speed bike with Shimano Tiagra components. The Attain Race bike is built for speed and comfort alike. Accurate steering, efficient power transfer and clean shifting make the bike stand out.
Cube’s frames are renowned for strength and their double-butted tubes reduce the overall weight of bikes. Attain Race has disc brakes on both wheels for quick and controlled braking in all weather conditions. The carbon fork provides fatigue-less ride as it absorbs vibrations on roads. The bike is built with a 6061 T6 superlight aluminium frame and weighs 9.8kgs.
Convolution Aspera 105 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 89,550
Good for: Long rides, speed, brevets, customer support
Convolution Aspera 105 is marketed as an all-weather bike designed for comfort, speed and style. Its biggest USP is that it is designed for Indian roads after considerable R&D. And if you have any issues with the bike, Customer Support, being in India, is very prompt and thorough.
Convolution Aspera 105 is a 22-speed road bike with Shimano 105 shift levers. The groupset used on the bike says it all – it is a performance driven bike. The 700x28mm tires are perfect for speed-balance ratio. The bike comes in Blue, Red and Silver colours. Aspera 105 is a great bet for long rides with speed and stiffness for better power transfer.
Read our review about the Convolution Aspera bike.
Giant Contend SL 2 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 96,999
Good for: Fast and long rides, racing
The Giant Contend SL 2 is a responsive and agile bike for competitive riders and brevets alike.
Giant Contend SL 2 is an all-rounder road bike powered by Shimano Tiagra groupset. It is built with an ALUXX-SL grade aluminium frame and has a relaxed and balanced geometry. It is compatible for long rides and fast races alike. Its front geometry is under control even at quick accelerations.
The D-Fuse Composite seatpost reduces fatigue of the rider. The clearance of the frame is enough to allow it to run in the 28c tires. The Tektro TK-B177 brakes are powerful enough to bring the bike to complete stop within half a meter at high speed.
Bianchi Via Nirone 7 105 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 98,100
Good for: Endurance rides, local races, strong and durable
Bianchi Via Nirone 7 is an intermediate-level road bike built for performance. This 22-speed (11 speed sprocket, 11-32T) bike has endurance geometry and is a perfect bike for local racing with a potential to win big races.
The Shimano 105 shifters allow smooth shifting. The aluminium frame uses hydroforming tubes for a stronger, lighter and stiff structure without any loss in the power transfer. Built with Bianchi’s unique technology, the bike is a combination of BAT (Bianchi Active Technology) and K-VID (Kevler Vibration Isolating Device); which basically means the bike is quite strong, stiff and fast. The internal cable routing increases the lifespan of the cables and gives a clean look to the bike.
Giant TCR SLR 2 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,39,999
Good for: Racing, performance oriented, fast pace rides
Giant TCR SLR 2 is a premium performance bike in the Giant’s stable that is built to crush the races and everyday rides. It is built with a lightest and advanced aluminium frame with 20% thinner butted tubing, without compromising the strength and stiffness. Equipped with Shimano’s advanced 105 shifters and brakes, this bike delivers the best experience on the saddle.
The tubeless and folding Giant Gavia Course AC 1 700×25 wide tires are built to go fast. The advanced steerer tube technology used in the bike gives a better feel on the road. The Shimano 105 11x30T cassette and 50x34T chainring give a variety of gearing options for climbers, racing and endurance rides. If you have got a budget to spend, this could possibly be the best road bike for you.
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 105 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,35,000
Good for: Races, built for performance and fast rides
Cannondale SuperSix EVO 105 is a carbon frame road-racing bike equipped with flawless front and rear derailleurs and advanced Shimano 105 shifters. The cog set is 11 speed, 11-28T which makes it a versatile bike good for fast flat races and for hilly terrains. The front derailleur is 2 speed 52/36T. The fork is made of carbon. The bike is stiff, strong and aero. It is a performance bike and built to win races. Cannondale SuperSix Evo weighs at 8.6kgs.
Merida Reacto 500 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,35,490
Good for: Lightweight frame, fast and aggressive
Looking for a fast, aero and race bike? The Merida Reacto 500 beckons you. It comes in lightweight aluminium frame and carbon frame variants and caliper and disc brake variations as well. The Ultegra drivetrain, brakes and internal cable routing give the bike a clean, controlled and fast look. Merida is known for building beautiful bike designs and the Reacto models are no different. The Reacto 500 comes in a classy black and white colour, with Maxxis Dolomites fast 700x25C folding tires and weighs 9.3kgs.
Merida Scultura 4000 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,56,490
Good for: Serious racers, lightweight, impact resistant
Merida Scultura 4000 is a carbon frame road bike for anyone wanting to dive into the world of racing with lighter frames. It is perfect for riders who want to get into serious racing on a carbon frame.
It has an advanced 105 groupset that is Di2 ready in case you want to get it upgraded. The light and durable Scultura CF2 frame has nanoparticles infused to provide more stability and increase impact resistance to the frame. The internal cable routing gives the bike a very neat look. The carbon fork dims impact on arms for a fatigue-less ride.
The bike weighs just 8.15kgs that makes it a good climber’s bike with an equal ability to win your important races.
Merida Reacto 5000 105 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,74,490
Good for: Triathletes, advanced riders, time trialists
Merida Reacto 5000 has 105 and Ultegra components and is suitable for advanced riders with a strong winning mindset. It has an aero look which is designed to go fast with the first pedal.
Merida Reacto 5000 is a full carbon aero road bike with Ultegra shifters and 105 brake levers. Ultegra shifters are quite smooth and precise. The direct mount 105 brake calipers allow the bike to come to a quick halt at high speed. This versatile bike has looks of a time trial bike that can be used by triathletes as well.
The semi-compact FSA crankset does not compromise the top climbing speed. Weighing at 8.56kgs, Merida Reacto 5000 105 road bike is a bike of choice used by Team Bahrain Merida at Tour de France races.
Merida Time Warp 5 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 1,94,990
Good for: Triathlete, very fast time trials, aero position
Merida Time Warp 5 is a very advanced bike for time trialists, triathletes and high-end racing events with a deep competitive field. Built with top components and racy aero look, it is meant for people who want to go really-really fast.
The Shimano CS-5700 cassette with 12-25T range and FSA TriMax Pro TT 52-38T Mega crankset is the perfect combination for speed lovers. Warp Carbon superlite-aero fork dampens the impact resistance on shoulders and elbows by 40%. The Time Warp Carbon Nano frame geometry is equally comfortable yet aggressive for road races.
Look no further than the Merida Time Warp 5 road bike if you need to outperform your timings on a 40km road time trial race.
Giant TCR Advanced 1 Road Bike
Price: Rs. 2,06,999
Good for: Climbing, lightweight, smooth road compliance, achieving KOMs
Giant TCR Advanced 1 road bike is known for its stiffness, lightweight and swift compliance on the road. It makes the bike very competitive in races. It comes with full carbon frame features and Ultegra components.
Giant TCR Advanced 1 is second from the top model in Giant Advanced bike models. At just around 7.76kgs, it is truly a climber’s bike and sometimes referred to as TCR Advanced 1 KOM (King of Mountain). The Shimano Ultegra 11-34T cassette and 34x50T crankset provide a range of climbing and fast gears for any terrain. It is hard to believe that at such a lightweight, it is equally stiff and strong with precise handling skills, thanks to the Giant’s technology used in the making of this carbon bike.
One thing that should be mentioned here is that it doesn’t have a carbon fork but that does not downgrade the performance of the bike at this price tag. It has a hassle-free tubeless tire system and comes with Giant Gavia Course AC 1, 700×25 folding tires.
So that’s the list of the best road bikes available in India. There is no dearth of race events in India these days. The best bikes are designed to bring the best race results for you. So choose the brand and model with relevant components that suit your needs riding style, terrain and race conditions you may find yourself in!
