It is a pity that the mountain bike and not the road bike has been adopted as the bike of choice for commuters, leisure riders and non professional bikers. More and more people are getting to learn that road bikes are a lot more comfortable and maneuverable than they seem, and they are so much faster and easier to ride than mountain bikes. The problem, of course, is that professional road bikes can cost anywhere north of $1000; but, as more and more people are learning to appreciate them for regular use, we see a breed of road bikes designed for the average consumer that still deliver an incredible level of quality. For that reason we have tried out several models and have come up with the following list of the best road bikes under $500 available in 2014. You can check out the list itself for the most important detail about the bikes, but make sure to scroll down past it to find the in depth analysis we have created for each one.
| Preview | Name | Rating | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 
| Vilano Shadow Road Bike
| 4.3 / 5 | $$$$ | Click Here! |
 
| Vilano FORZA 3.0 Aluminum Carbon Road Bike
| 4.4 / 5 | $$$$ | Click Here! |
 
| Schwinn Men's Prelude Bicycle
| 4.1 / 5 | $$$ | Click Here! |
 
| Giordano Libero 1.6 Men's Road Bike
| 4.2 / 5 | $$$$ | Click Here! |
 
| GMC Denali Pro Road Bike
| 3.8 / 5 | $$$ | Click Here! |
1. Vilano Shadow Road Bike
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We are going to start with the bike that makes the most sense for as a daily commuter or occasional recreational bike, the Vilano Shadow Road Bike. It is a fairly affordable bike, even considering the other models on this list, and it uses Shimano parts for its most essential functions. You can choose the appropriate size for you when you order the bike, which is another great plus. The brake levers and the shifters form a single unit, so you can comfortably reach either one. The frame is made from double butted aluminum, and, because of the slender design of the road bikes in general, it makes the bike a lot lighter than any mountain bike you could ever find. The fact that the wheels are so thin further decreases the weight ration on this bike, and, the thing that you will love about them is the fact that they are double walled so they will stay true even after riding on rugged terrain.
2. Vilano FORZA 3.0 Aluminum Carbon Road Bike
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If you are willing to pay a little extra for a little boost in performance, you should know that we think of the Vilano Forza 3.0 Aluminum Carbon Road Bike as the best road bike under $500. It has several advantages over the Shadow, the most important of which is the fact that it uses a carbon fiber fork and that further reduces the overall weight of the bike. It also uses a Shimano Sora 8 speed gear changer and gear system, which further increases the reliability of the entire bike. The thing is that these are finer details that may not matter to someone who is just now making the transition to a road bike. Still, the Vilano Forza 3.0 is the only bike on our list to have earned a 4.4 star rating on Amazon, and that alone may make it worth your while to buy a new one.
3. Schwinn Men’s Prelude Bicycle
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For those of you who do not know this, Schwinn is one of the oldest bike manufacturers in America. They are the American equivalent of Shimano, so, to find a Schwinn road bike for under $500, even an entry level road bike, is still quite an achievement. It has an aluminum frame so it is not as light as the Forza 3.0, but close enough. The biggest difference between them is the Schwinn only has 14 gears while Forza has 24 speeds. The other thing to consider is that the Schwinn only has a 4.1 star rating on Amazon, but that is from more than 140 customers, and sometimes people expect a certain level from a brand name even when they pay far less than they should.
4. Giordano Libero 1.6 Men’s Road Bike
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We decided to feature the Giordano Libero 1.6 on our list of the best road bikes under 500 dollars because it is an all aluminum bike with alloy brakes. The thing about the brake system on road bikes is that they are still using one of the oldest brake systems in the history of bikes. So, if you are going to use a braking technology that has not changed in almost a decade, you would better go with the best material or the best manufacturer. We also like the fact that you are getting a 16 speeds bike so this bike will not only be fast, but it will also go up hill very easily.
5. GMC Denali Pro Road Bike
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The last bike we are going to feature is the coolest bike yet, in terms of how it looks, the GMC Denali Pro Road Bike. It does not have Shimano parts, nor is GMC a reputable bike manufacturer. Still the bike looks to be in order and we did put it through a 100 mile test run just to make sure everything is in good working order. We were truly impressed by its performance, and, granted, 100 miles is nowhere near enough to tell anything about the endurance of the bike, but we do feel that you would enjoy riding this bike.
