Mid-Range Road Bikes

Best mid-range road bikes for new racers

There are plenty of options for cyclists who want to get into racing, but who aren't ready to spend $3,000 or more on a serious road-racing bike. Numerous reviewers say the Raleigh Supercourse (MSRP: $1,740) is a great road bike for beginning racers. It sports a full-carbon frame, which is rare for a bike in this price range, although VeloNews magazine notes that you'll pay for the frame with lower-quality, nine-speed Shimano Tiagra components and a 105 rear derailleur. The Raleigh Supercourse comes in six sizes. VeloNews magazine picks it as a good choice for entry-level racers, saying this road bike's frame can grow with you. Bicycling magazine thinks it's "incredibly fast" for a road bike at this price, with powerful acceleration and decent handling. Overall, they say this is a great bike for entry-level racers, and you always have the option to upgrade to more race-worthy components in the future. Outside magazine agrees, choosing the Raleigh Supercourse as one of the best road bikes of the year. Their testers like the fast ride and give the handlebars high marks for easy positioning in the drops. Like VeloNews magazine, they say the only downside to this bike is the Tiagra components. If that is a deal-breaker for you, Outside recommends the Raleigh Competition (MSRP: $2,200), which is based on the same frame but uses 10-speed Shimano 105 components.

The Van Dessel Hellafaster is a close runner-up to the Raleigh Supercourse for racing. It's more expensive than several road bikes in this category, but reviewers love it and say you get a lot for your money. Complete bikes can come with a range of components, including Shimano 105 (MSRP: $2,350) or Shimano Ultegra SL (MSRP: $2,750) groups. Outside magazine tests the Van Dessel Hellafaster with the Ultegra SL components and picks it as one of the best road bikes of 2009. They say it's built for speed, but it's not a good choice for high-mileage cyclists who have to navigate uneven roads. Overall, Outside calls it "one of this year's most affordable race-ready machines." In addition, TestRider.com names the Van Dessel Hellafaster the best road bike of 2008, saying it can match the performance of bikes in the $5,000 price range.

You can also get the Van Dessel Hellafaster with top-end Shimano Dura-Ace (MSRP: $4,480) or Sram Red (MSRP: $4,300) components, but both of these builds are probably more bike than beginning racers need. The Van Dessel Hellafaster has an aerodynamic aluminum frame and carbon fork, and it can convert into a time-trial bike by adjusting the seat position and adding the optional aero bars. VeloNews magazine finds the Van Dessel Hellafaster quite stiff but comfortable, thanks to curved seat stays. Road Bike Action magazine likes the Van Dessel Hellafaster on a test ride, finding it very fast on the flat but somewhat sluggish on climbs. The Van Dessel Hellafaster comes in six sizes, but it has no women-specific design. Van Dessel is a smaller company, so the Hellafaster can be harder to find than some other road bikes. Check their website for a list of dealers, or have them ship to your local bike shop.

The Gary Fisher ARC Pro (MSRP: $1,870) is another top pick for beginning racers. Though the frame is mainly aluminum, carbon is added to the seat and chainstays, and the bike sports Shimano 105 components with Bontrager wheels and tires. Gary Fisher offers seven sizes for this road bike, ranging from 49 centimeters to 61 centimeters. VeloNews magazine and Bicycling magazine include it in their 2009 buyer's guides, and VeloNews magazine calls the Gary Fisher ARC Pro a "true race bike at a serious value." They praise the steering and pedaling performance and find it offers great racing performance at a good price. Michael Frank at Bicycling likes the graduated crankarms; short and tall riders alike can get crankarms that fit their size. The Gary Fisher ARC Pro GS (MSRP: $1,800 double crankset, $1,870 triple crankset) offers women-specific sizing.

For a less racy, more comfortable ride, experts say that the Schwinn Peloton Comp (MSRP: $2,000) provides top-notch comfort for high mileage. Like the Raleigh Supercourse, the Schwinn Peloton Comp offers a full carbon frame, and reviewers say it doesn't skimp on the components to get it. It offers several components from the Shimano 105 group, including the front derailleur, and a Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur. VeloNews magazine calls it more "rounded" than the Raleigh Supercourse, although the Schwinn Peloton Comp does come in a smaller range of sizes -- just S, M, L and XL. Testers for Bicycling magazine find it comfortable for high mileage, thanks to a taller head tube. In 2008, National Geographic Adventure picked the Schwinn Peloton as a Best Buy, saying that the road bike offers reliable steering, but you may want to upgrade the wheels before you go riding.

The Kona Kapu (MSRP: $2,300) also gets high marks for comfort on long rides. Kona is well known for their mountain bikes, but their road line also gets good reviews. The Kona Kapu has a steel frame, which sets it apart from the other carbon-based road bikes in this category, and it boasts mainly Shimano Ultegra components with five sizing options. VeloNews magazine likes the value and says a relaxed angle on the head tube provides increased comfort for long rides. The frame also gets high marks for dampening road vibrations. Bicycling magazine agrees on the comfort aspect -- in their 2008 Buyer's Guide, the Kona Kapu earns praise for "eye-catching comfort" thanks to a tall head tube and larger handlebars.

Many of this year's top-rated bikes in the mid-range category don't offer designs for women, but the Scott Contessa Speedster (MSRP: $1,470) is designed specifically for women and gets good reviews. It comes in five sizes, sports an aluminum frame and uses a combination of Shimano 105 and Truvativ components. The Scott Contessa Speedster scored a mention in Bicycling's 2008 Buyer's Guide, and it was also deemed a "killer value" by Outside magazine in 2008. Bicycling and Outside magazines say the manufacturer did a great job of customizing this bike for women -- the short-reach shifters and 31.8 mm drop handlebars get high marks. The 2009 model gets fewer reviews, but according to the manufacturer, they didn't make many changes from the 2008 version. Scott says they made slight changes to the wheels and the cassette, which went from a 12-25 on the 2008 model to an 11-25 on the 2009 version.

The Cannondale Six 5 (MSRP: $1,760) sports a hybrid frame that includes aluminum in the front and carbon in the rear triangle, although for only a few hundred dollars more you can upgrade to a full-carbon version -- the Cannondale Six Carbon 5 (MSRP: $2,130). The Cannondale Six 5 includes mainly Shimano 105 components, but the rear derailleur is from the Shimano Ultegra SL group. It gets good reviews, including a "killer value" nod from Outside magazine in 2009. Outside's testers say this road bike clearly outperforms any other bike in this price range on both fast flats and grueling climbs. Bicycling magazine also finds that the Cannondale Six 5 provides solid performance on hills, with responsive and stable handling, and the full-carbon version was a nominee for their Editor's Choice awards.

Although the reviews are all positive for the Cannondale Six 5 road bike, Cannondale recalled all Six 5 models sold between October 2008 and February 2009 for failing to meet federal safety standards. The recall occurred because the Six 5 and Six Carbon 5 models (in addition to several other Cannondale models listed on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website) did not include spoke protector discs. Without a spoke protector disc, the chain can cause the wheel to stop abruptly, endangering the rider. Cannondale offers free repairs to any owner of a recalled Cannondale Six 5 road bike. If you decide to buy a used Cannondale purchased within that time frame, make sure that the owner has added the spoke protector disc.