Cheap road bikes for beginners: Bargain test - Road bikes under 800 euros in the test

B'TWIN Triban 520
Price: 599 euros; weight: 10.2 kilos

The bargain from sports discounter Decathlon already impressed in the individual test in TOUR 11/2017. Even in comparison with more expensive competitors from established specialist brands, the 599 euro bike has nothing to hide, it is a successful basis for a wide range of uses. You sit very upright on the very stiff frame by road bike standards, and the handlebars and saddle are extremely comfortable. There are integrated eyelets on the frame and fork for attaching mudguards or a pannier rack. The fork and rear triangle also allow space for tyres up to 32 millimetres wide - everything is possible, from a robust everyday bike to a relaxed touring racer. The gear range of the Sora gear system with triple cranks and nine sprockets is huge, with very small gears offering reserves on steep climbs in particular. However, beginners often find the operation of three chainrings complicated. The somewhat weak brakes have to put up with criticism. You almost always have to accept the relatively high weight in this price category.

GIANT Contend 3
Price: 700 euros; weight: 9.8 kilos

With the Contend series, Giant wants to appeal to price-conscious and comfort-orientated riders. The stiff frame is surprisingly light; however, the bike cannot benefit from this due to the heavy aluminium fork and just scrapes the ten-kilo mark. Even on the cheapest bike in the model range, you sit fairly upright by road bike standards; Shimano's Claris gearbox covers a wide range, and in first gear even a 34 sprocket helps you over the hills. However, the jumps from gear to gear are comparatively large. To save costs, the drivetrain is combined with an inexpensive FSA crank and rim brakes from Tektro; however, neither alternative was convincing. The crank with its outdated square bottom bracket lacks the smooth shifting behaviour of Shimano chainrings; the brakes feel less direct and also have slightly less bite. We would also change the tyres, which are very narrow for a bike of this standard. Apart from these small compromises, the bike rolls well, the wheels and components are unspectacular, but fulfil their purpose. Another argument in favour of the Giant is the lifetime warranty on the frame and fork.

CUBE Attain
Price: 749 euros; weight: 9.5 kilos

The fact that the Cube wins the test as the most expensive bike is not a big surprise in itself. What is remarkable is how big the perceived gap to the other bikes is. If you weren't looking at the components, you'd think you were sitting on a model twice as expensive - apart from the high weight and the lower number of gears, everything works as well as on an Ultegra bike. Technically, the frameset is particularly impressive: it is almost a kilo lighter than the heavyweights from Scott or Serious, has a modern design and looks tidy with internally routed cables. The riding position is still relatively sporty, at least in the lowest handlebar position, and the manoeuvrable handling also conveys a genuine road bike feeling. There is little to criticise about the saddle and handlebars, and the Claris gear levers feel as good in the hand as their more expensive counterparts. Although the ensemble only has eight sprockets, they are cleverly arranged: Seven relatively closely spaced sprockets are joined by a proverbial "lifebuoy" with 32 teeth, which helps you over difficult climbs.

SCOTT Speedster 50
Price: 649 euros; weight: 10.6 kilos

The most affordable Scott Speedster 50 is based on a simple, heavy aluminium frame, which is only used on this model; it is fitted with a Tourney seven-speed drivetrain, which is quite rare on the German market. The riding position is very upright and the handlebars and saddle are very comfortable. The moderate comfort of the frame and fork is somewhat offset by the wide tyres. The high weight of almost eleven kilos gives the bike a certain cumbersomeness compared to the others. The Tourney levers with shifter cables running in front of the handlebars are nowhere near as comfortable to hold as the shift/brake levers of the higher-quality Shimano groupsets; the sharp-edged, small thumb shifter is annoying when you place your hands on the grip bumps; it cannot be reached at all from the lower handlebars. The seven sprockets are coarsely spaced, which makes riding less fun, especially in the frequently used middle gears. Overall, the bike is therefore not convincing despite its favourable price. The better choice is probably the Speedster 40, which is only 50 euros more expensive and has a more modern frame with internally routed cables and a Claris drivetrain - which puts it more in the same league as the test winner.

SERIOUS Valparola Comp
Price: 600 euros; weight: 10 kilos

The own brand of the online retailer fahrrad.de is competing with a 600-euro speedster that not only looks really sporty at first glance. The stretched seating position meets the tastes of real racers, and the narrowly graduated nine-speed cassette also matches the sporty aspirations. However, there are no easy gears for steep climbs. You shouldn't expect too much comfort when riding either: the relatively short seat post pulled out of the frame doesn't flex much, and the narrow 21.5 millimetre tyres reinforce the hard impression. Nevertheless, the bike allows for much wider tyres and the saddle is very comfortable. It is rare for a bike in this price range to be so emphatically sporty. Most other manufacturers see their target group as mainly cyclists who have had little practice or rarely sit on a bike and therefore want to sit much more upright. However, if you consider yourself an exception to this rule, you can make the Valparola fit for your first racing adventures with better tyres and different gearing.

Giant Contend 3
Price 700 euros Weight 10.4 kilos

The Contend is the only one of the four bikes in the test that weighs more than ten kilos, but at just under 700 euros it is also the second cheapest next to the Trek. In return, you get a stable, neatly finished aluminium frame, which is even relatively light; however, the relatively heavy aluminium fork gives up this advantage. You sit very relaxed on the narrow, well-shaped saddle; the thick handlebars, wrapped in grippy tape, feel good. Both contribute to the convincing riding impression. The brakes and gears work smoothly and precisely. The Claris 2x8 gear system from Shimano offers a fast gear for flat terrain and a 1:1 ratio for very steep ramps; the gear steps in between are naturally large with only eight sprockets. Brake and gear cables are routed on the outside of the frame for easy maintenance. The voluminous, 28 millimetre wide tyres cushion the ride pleasantly. The simple hubs in the wheels turn quite roughly.

Scott Speedster 30
Price 799 euros Weight 10.0 kilos

In TOUR 7/2018, we tested the Speedster 50, which is available for 599 euros in 2019, but was less convincing with its simple aluminium frame and 2x7 gears. The Speedster 30 is much more attractive for 200 euros more and with the Sora 2x9 gears from Shimano, the bike offers two more gears than the competition. The silver-painted aluminium frame is extremely rigid and therefore also recommended for heavy riders. The Tektro brakes harmonise well with the Shimano levers. The handlebars are angled towards the rider and are easy to grip. The riding position is very upright, which makes sense for a bike that is primarily aimed at beginners. The biggest difference to more expensive models is the comparatively heavy wheels with rough turning hubs. The large-volume Schwalbe clincher tyres cushion the ride pleasantly.

Specialised Allez
Price 799 euros Weight 9.6 kilos

With its compact rear triangle, at first glance the Allez is reminiscent of the much more expensive Roubaix models from Specialized. There are also parallels to the Roubaix in terms of the riding position: the high handlebars place the rider in a comparatively upright position. The stiff aluminium frame gives even heavy riders a secure feeling; compared to the competition, the bike with its short wheelbase is relatively manoeuvrable. The wide-ratio Claris 2x8 gearbox impresses with precise, smooth gear changes. Tektro brakes harmonise well with the Shimano levers and decelerate reliably. At 9.6 kilos, the Allez is the lightest bike in the comparison, but at 799 euros it is also the most expensive alongside the Scott. The wheels in particular, which roll on heavy clincher tyres, could be improved. The hubs are noticeably rough when new, but this is no exception in this test field.

Trek Domane AL 2
Price 599 euros Weight 9.7 kilos

Despite comparable equipment, the Trek is by far the cheapest bike in the comparison. You can't expect the innovative integrated frame suspension of the expensive Domane models in this price range, but at least Trek offers an individually designed frame with a slight curve in the down tube and a strikingly shaped head tube at an affordable price. The stable aluminium frame puts the rider in a very upright position by road bike standards. The handlebars and saddle have a high-quality feel, and the gears of the wide-ratio Claris 2x8 drivetrain shift easily and precisely. Unlike the three other bikes in the test, the no-name brakes don't match the gear ratio of the Shimano levers properly, which means that the braking power isn't as easy to modulate; a small shortcoming that ultimately cost Trek the test victory. Nevertheless, the bike remains an almost unrivalled offer for this price.

Shimano: The groupsets at a glance

The Japanese manufacturer Shimano is by far the global market leader in gears and brakes for racing bikes. At the top in terms of price and quality is the top Dura-Ace groupset as the first choice for professional bikes, followed by Ultegra and 105, which are the most widely used by amateur cyclists. Tiagra is fitted to road bikes costing around 1,000 euros. For road bikes costing significantly less than €1,000, Shimano has three other groupsets in its programme - we explain what the names mean.

SORA
Nine-speed drivetrain with compact or, on request, triple cranks. Works and feels like the more expensive groupsets, the main limitation is that there are only nine sprockets on the rear wheel. Solid aluminium cranks with Hollowtech II standard, the brakes are torsion-resistant and technically up to date, only the brake pads are less biting. Sprocket sets are available from 12-25 to 11-30 teeth; cassettes that meet the restrictions for youth races are also available (13-25 or 14-25). Tested on B'Twin Triban 520, Serious Valparola Comp

CLARIS
Affordable groupset in a modern Shimano design with eight sprockets and a choice of double compact or triple cranks. Technically largely comparable to the Sora, but with one fewer sprocket and slightly heavier parts. There is a large selection of cassettes with closely spaced sprockets from 12-25 teeth to wide-spaced 11-34; the latter requires the optional rear derailleur with long cage. Tested on Cube Attain, Giant Contend 3

TOURNEY
Shimano's cheapest road bike groupset with seven sprockets and a choice of two or three chainrings. The relatively chunky shifters correspond to the old Shimano design with shift cables running freely in front of the handlebars. A small thumb lever that is difficult to operate is used for shifting to smaller sprockets or chainrings. On the other hand, the levers have a single mechanical gear indicator. The cranks are only available in the square standard, so they are only suitable for frames with a BSA thread. There are no racing brakes for the groupset; Shimano brakes are usually combined without being assigned to a groupset or models from third-party suppliers such as Tektro. Tested on the Scott Speedster