Best Women’s Road Bikes
Bicycle technology is always changing and evolving for the better. The technology that is the best at any given time becomes outdated just a few years into the future. Needless to say, A LOT has changed since we wrote our last article about the best women’s road bikes on the market three years ago.
So, today we’re bringing you up to date on the best road bikes for women RIGHT NOW. We’ll start with some options that are more affordable before we get into some of the pricier models. Even the cheaper bicycles on this list provide great value, and will fit the needs of the vast majority of cyclists.
Obviously, the best road bikes for women are different than the best road bikes for men. Women’s bike frames are designed differently than men’s to accommodate for anatomical differences. For example, women tend to have proportionally longer legs than men, so the seat might be higher but the handlebars are closer. While women can use frames designed for men and still ride effectively, they are best suited using frames specifically designed for the female body.
If you’re a woman in the market for a new road bike this summer, you should definitely consider the five bikes below. No matter your experience level, one of these bikes is guaranteed to be a great fit for you, so check them out!
Here are the five best women’s road bikes of 2015.
Jamis Ventura Comp Femme
The Jamis Ventura Comp Femme Women’s Bike is one of the best affordable, entry-level road bikes a woman can buy this year. Costing just under $900, the Jamis Ventura Comp Femme is a quality road bike for beginner-to-intermediate female riders.
This bicycle is a manageable 20.7 pounds, and is designed in a way that is ideal for bicycle touring, with touring-style pedals and plenty of room for panniers. The Jamis Ventura Comp Femme is well-built, and is comprised of an aluminum frame and carbon composite fork.
The bike is also outfitted with Shimano Sora components, and features a Selle Royal female-specific saddle, making it a comfortable, high-performance road bike for women.
For a great entry-level road bike that gives you great bang for your buck, check out the Jamis Ventura Comp Femme here!
Orbea Orca Bronze Dama M70
The Orbea Orca Bronze Dama M70 Women’s Bike is another excellent road bike that you can purchase for under $1,000. With an MSRP of nearly $1,800, last year’s still-excellent 2014 model is on sale for $999.99 at Jenson USA!
This bicycle is extremely comfortable, with a carbon composite layup that naturally allows for plenty of flex and shock absorption, keeping vibrations to a minimum on all sorts of terrain. The Orbea Orca Bronze Dama M70 is also specifically designed for women, making subtle design changes that better comfort a female body.
Built for speed, the Orbea Orca Bronze Dama M70 is inspired by designs in racing and sprinting bikes, so its performance is elite for the price point.
Take advantage of the huge discount on this bike at Jenson USA here!
Scott Contessa Speedster 25 Women’s Bike
Another excellent bike at an incredibly reasonable price is the Scott Contessa Speedster 25 Women’s Bike, which also has significantly discounted 2014 models, available at REI. This bike is made with by Scott, a name synonymous with quality and reliability, so you can rest assured that you are getting good value for this bike, especially at a price just over $900.
With Shimano Tiagra components 30 speeds, the Scott Contessa Speedster 25 is a quick, sporty bicycle that can fit riders of all abilities and persuasions. The double-butted aluminum frame and carbon fork keep the Contessa Speedster light, and with a complete setup, the bike tips the scales at somewhere around 21 pounds.
The Scott Contessa Speedster 25 is one of the nicest, longest-lasting bicycles you can buy in the $1000 price range, and it will make any female cyclist happy. Check it out on REI here!
Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 Ultegra Women’s Bike
When we rank a bike as one of the best for men and one of the best for women in the same year, you can be assured that it is a great bike. Such is the case with the Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 Ultegra Women’s Bike; a male version of the Synapse model is ranked amongst our favorite bikes for men this year. We cannot get enough of the Cannondale Synapse, and you will understand why after riding this excellent bicycle.
The key feature that makes these bikes so great is Cannondale’s signature Synapse Active Vibration Elimination (S.A.V.E.) technology, which dampens road vibration, keeping your arms and butt feeling a whole lot better on long rides. But with the women’s model, Cannondale has gone to extra lengths to ensure that the Synapse Carbon 3 Ultegra is extra comfortable and supportive for a female body specifically.
Designed for endurance rides, and with plenty of room for touring bike add-ons, the Synapse Carbon 3 Ultegra is a perfect long-distance bike for women. At a featherweight 16-pounds, this bike will make any woman’s ride a little more comfortable. Learn more about the Synapse Carbon 3 Ultegra here!
Liv Envie Advanced 1 Road Bike
One of the newest and highest-rated female-specific road bikes around right now, the Liv Envie Advanced 1 Road Bike is the flagship bicycle from Giant’s female-only Liv brand, which was relaunched in 2014 due to increasing demand for excellent road bikes specifically designed for women.
The result of this trend was the Liv Envie Advanced 1 Road Bike, arguably one of the best women’s road bikes to ever be mass-produced for the American public. This bike represents the latest thinking and technology in women’s cycling, and is a great fit for intermediate-to-advanced female riders.
The Liv Envie Advanced 1 is ultra lightweight, and contoured specifically to give optimum comfort to a female body. This bicycle is the first women’s specific aerodynamic road bike, the result of years of research and development.
The Liv Envie Advanced 1 also features top-of-the-line components and technology, including a Shimano Ultegra 34/50 crank and a Shimano 11-28 cassette. If you’re looking for the best female-centric road bike around today, you should definitely consider the Liv Envie Advanced 1.
Learn more about this incredible bicycle here!
[…] (Editor’s note: An update to this list for 2015 can be seen here). […]