Best Women’s Road Bike Under $500: Review

The women’s bicycle appeared centuries ago, when it was almost impossible for women, constrained by etiquette and long dresses, to master the male model, since the clothes easily fell into the mechanisms, and the design was too heavy for fragile female hands. Much has changed since then, but nevertheless, the bike, designed specifically for girls, did not go down in history after bulky outfits. On the contrary, today’s best women’s road bike under $500 are popular and are rapidly developing, acquiring many useful properties. However, this does not prevent them from simultaneously maintaining features that increase ride comfort.

Women’s bicycles primarily differ from models for men in the following features:

•  Low frame. The most visible feature of this type of vehicle. As a rule, in models for girls, the manufacturer uses a classic female frame in the shape of a beveled triangle or simply removes the upper tube, as in the Soviet folding bicycle, compensating for this by strengthening the lower one. However, there are also transitional types, as well as lightweight universal designs.
•  Shortened anterior triangle. In girls, the body and arms are slightly shorter than that of the stronger sex with a similar height. Therefore, in women’s bicycles, the part of the frame between the seat and the handlebars is shorter, which prevents the cyclist from fatigue and back pain too quickly.
•  Narrow steering wheel. Since women’s shoulders are narrower than men’s, the steering wheel is also made a little narrower for convenience, especially in urban versions.
•  Lightweight design. Lightweight for easy handling and transport.
•  Wide seat. As a rule, women have a slightly wider pelvis than men, so the saddle of a woman’s bike is slightly wider and shorter.
•  Shortened connecting rods. A shorter lever for transmitting force from the pedals to the carriage shaft reduces the pedaling radius, so acceleration does not require too much force.
•  Comfortable brake position. The levers are located closer to the handlebars, which is convenient for small female hands.
•  Chain protection. In some models, special protective parts are installed on the chain to prevent the edges of a skirt or dress from falling into the mechanism. Also, for walking in fashionable outfits, some bicycles replace the chain with a belt.
•  Feminine design. The colors and bright prints loved by many girls will add style to the vehicle, and various accessories will bring some coziness.

Also, when choosing a bicycle for a woman, it is recommended to pay attention to the strength, quality of materials, the number of speeds and suitability for a certain type of walking. It is equally important to choose the right model for your height.

When distributing places in the ranking, we took into account such significant indicators as:

•  expert opinion;
•  reviews of cyclists;
•  technical capabilities of the model.

Top Women’s Road Bikes

1. Touring, or tourist bicycles – a few, but very popular categories of means of transportation for cycling. Powerful, with a sturdy frame, a threadless steering column, reinforced and slightly widened wheels, an impressive trunk and a stable structure, these women’s bicycles are very reliable, practical and comfortable for long, measured riding both in the city and off-road. The strengths of the category, as a rule, include good shock absorption and a rather large number of speeds. But for mountain trails and extremely difficult trails, bicycles of this type are not recommended due to the lack of maneuverability and high weight. Before purchasing, it is important to think over the issues of storage and transportation, since this is not a folding toy, but a serious means of transportation.

2. Most city dwellers rarely ride their bike out of town, but some lovers of freedom and new experiences prefer to ride on uneven country roads, fields, forests and even mountainous terrain. For walks in such conditions, of course, you need a very special bike – a mountain bike.
   Models of this type are divided into several groups. However, the female variations are represented only by cross-country bikes for intense cross-country riding and All mountain or light freeriding for uncomplicated mountainous terrain. The latter are the most expensive and not too numerous, but they are resistant to incredible loads, temperature changes, they are thought out as much as possible and are purchased mainly by professionals.

3. City bicycles are the most common, lightweight, compact and in most cases not the most expensive type of women’s bicycle. Of course, the vehicles in this category are not as tiny as the once popular women’s folding bicycles. However, it is usually not difficult to place such a device in the corridor or even to climb the stairs to several floors. At the same time, city bicycles of medium or premium class are well equipped, they allow you to adjust the speed and some other parameters. They are also of sufficient quality and often equipped with a powerful enough brake for active riding. However, as their name implies, city bikes are designed specifically for the city, so they are not recommended for off-road walks. Thus, If you are looking for a travel bike or a specialized sport bike for a specific discipline, keep in mind that the frame design for women like the best mens road bikes under 500 is almost identical.