Not everyone can afford to spend shed-loads of money on a premium bike with high-end features. So, if you’re in the market for a new bike that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, we’ve got some for you.
Cheap bikes (especially those under $200) are often regarded as junk or trash, but that’s not always true. Cheap can mean low-quality, but there are certainly good bikes that you can find within this price range. They won’t be the highest-quality, but they are certainly not trash.
Inexpensive bikes are great for beginner riders, as they are easy to maintain. These bikes are also great if you want a second bike or replacement for an old bike you’re retiring.
Whatever the case may be, you can get yourself a decent and reliable cheap bike. And we’re here to help.
So let’s get right to it …
8 Best Road Bikes under 200
- Hiland Road bike: See at Amazon
- Kulana Lokana: See at Amazon
- Elecony Bruce 27.5: See at Amazon
- PanAme Road Bike: See at Amazon
- Visdron cruise bike: See at Amazon
- Elecony Bruce 26: See at Amazon
- Dynacraft Magna: See at Amazon
- Visdron cruiser 26″: See at Amazon
Reviews on the top 8 best road bikes under $200
We made your search easier with our review of the best road bikes on the market. We paid particular attention to bike quality, frame material, brake type, bike weight, customer satisfaction, etc.
Hiland Road bike
Key Features
- Frame material: Steel
- Brake type: Coaster
- Bike weight: 26.4 lbs
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- See more on Amazon
The Hiland Road Bike is an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable entry-level bike. It features a lightweight steel frame and components that offer smooth and enjoyable rides.
This is a very simple bike, making it a good option for beginner cyclists. It has a single speed and reliable coaster brakes.
The durable wheels and flat handlebars makes it easy to maneuver, while the saddle ensures your comfort on long rides. This bike has reliable components, and you’ll enjoy your rides.
It also has a kickstand, making it easy to park and store. It’s great for recreational riders who want a bike that’s easy to maintain. Overall, it’s a great choice for an affordable, reliable, and lightweight bike.
Price at time of publication: $169
Kulana Lokana
Key Features
- Frame material: Steel
- Brake type: Rear Coaster Brake
- Bike weight: 37 lbs
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime
- See more on Amazon
The Kulana Lokana is a great choice for those looking for an affordable cruiser bike. Featuring a solid steel frame and durable components, the Lokana is perfect for the beach, boardwalk, or just riding around the neighborhood.
It’s a bit too heavy, at around 37 lbs, but it’s easy to maneuver. The bike is well-built and sturdy, and it handles well on the trails. The brakes are responsive, and the single-speed drivetrain means you don’t have to worry about shifting gears.
The frame is lightweight yet strong and durable. The bike is also very comfortable to ride, with its adjustable seat and handlebars.
The Lokana is an excellent bike for all riders, especially beginner riders and anyone looking for a solid cruiser bike at a great price. This is a great bike if you want a reliable and stylish bike.
Price at time of publication: $160
Elecony Bruce 27.5
Key Features
- Frame material: Aluminum
- Brake type: Disc brake
- Bike weight: 35.2 lbs
- Warranty: 12 months warranty
- See more on Amazon
Similar to the Elecony Bruce 26, this 27.5 is a reliable and affordable bike. Its sturdy steel frame and mechanical disc brakes make it an ideal bike for everyday use. The 27.5-inch wheels are great for maneuvering around tight spaces, and its adjustable handlebars offer a comfortable riding experience.
The bike also has a comfortable, cushioned saddle and a Shimano 21-speed drivetrain that provides precise shifting. The Elecony Bruce is fun to ride, and has an easy-to-use kickstand and a set of fenders to keep you dry when the weather turns wet.
Overall, the Elecony is perfect for leisurely rides around town and light trails, and its comfortable design makes it a great option for weight loss. It’s excellent value for the money, and sure to provide you with lots of fun and adventure.
Price at time of publication: $169
PanAme Road Bike
Key Features
- Frame material: Aluminum
- Brake type: Dual Disk Brake
- Bike weight: 35.4 lbs
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- See more on Amazon
The PanAme Road Bike is another simple bike with a budget-friendly price tag. The frame is made from high-quality aluminum alloy, which makes it perfect for long rides. The bike comes equipped with Shimano components, including shifters and derailleurs, which are reliable and durable.
The PanAme Road Bike also has mechanical disc brakes, providing good stopping power in all weather conditions. It’s also great for commuting or leisure rides, thanks to its 24 speeds and wide range of gears.
The comfortable and ergonomic design helps reduce fatigue, the suspension fork to dampen road vibrations, and an adjustable stem ensures you set the perfect reach to the handlebars.
The PanAme Road Bike is a solid choice for cyclists looking for a reliable and affordable road bike. It comes 85% assembles, and will only take you a few minutes to completely put it together.
Price at time of publication: $149
Visdron cruise bike
Key features
- Frame material: Carbon steel
- Brake type: V brake
- Bike weight: 34.1 lbs
- Warranty: N/A
- See more on Amazon
The Visdron cruise bike is a solid choice in the spectrum of leisure bikes, as it caters to the rider’s every need. The bike is primarily built for adult females, and can carry cyclists that weigh up to 220 lbs (100 kg).
It is an average-sized bike, weighing in at 34.1 lbs (15.5 kg), it has a very durable carbon steel frame which can withstand a lot of corrosion and is very to clean. The frame also has a low step design, which helps the cyclist to easily mount and dismount the bike.
The seat of the bike is thick and serves as a shock absorber for rough terrain; it is also positioned to give the cyclist a low center of gravity, which, when coupled with the wide handlebars, will help riders maintain proper posture on long rides.
The 26-inch diameter spoked wheels ensure that this bike can traverse roads, bike trails, cities, beaches and even snow with ease; and the high-quality V braking system ensures that the speed of the bike can be effectively controlled or halted despite the terrain.
Price at time of publication: $157
Elecony Bruce 26
Key features
- Frame material: Aluminum
- Brake type: Disc brake
- Bike weight: 35 lbs
- Warranty: 12 months
- See more on Amazon
The Elecony Bruce 26 is an impressive entry-level mountain bike with a solid aluminum frame and steel fork. Despite its mountain bike design, it’s a good bike for commuting and recreational cycling.
The steel fork is durable enough to allow for optimum shock absorption on rough trails, and also reduces the amount of wind resistance or drag experienced while riding.
Elecony 26 operates on a disk brake type. The mechanical disc brakes are better than V brakes because they provide precise braking power. You can easily slow down the bike on slopes and slippery roads, even at high speeds.
The 26-inch tires seem to be the main theme of the Bruce; they are supported by durable alloy rims, which enable the tires to seamlessly roll over obstacles on its path. The tires are made of high-quality rubber and are very resistant to puncture and abrasion damage, making them perfect for commuting, touring and mountain biking.
The frame color is customizable; customers are allowed to choose between 5 color variants, and it comes with a 12-month warranty.
Price at time of publication: $179
Dynacraft Magna
Key features
- Frame material: Steel
- Brake type: Linear pull
- Bike weight: 19 lbs
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- See more on Amazon
The Dynacraft Magna 26-inch bike is an affordable, high quality mountain bike that provides premium features at a cheap rate. It may be designed as a mountain bike, but great for commuting and recreational rides on paved road.
The Magna has a solid steel frame with a front shock that absorbs bumps taken head on by the 26-inch front wheel. The whole bike weighs 19 lbs, so it’s on the lighter side of mountain bikes, and very reliable on the trails.
Its lightweight also means it can easily reach speeds on the 18 speed index. And the well-padded seat with an adjustable seat clam offers optimum comfort for the cyclist during bumpy rides.
The Dynacraft Magna has a linear pull brake system, which are a relatively low maintenance and perfect for controlling speed and coming to a quick stop, even on inclined terrain. This bike may be cheap, but it offers great value for the price.
Price at time of publication: $158
Visdron cruiser 26″
Key features
- Frame material: Carbon steel
- Brake type: V-brake
- Bike weight: 34.17 lbs
- Warranty: N/A
- See more on Amazon
This is another simple women’s bike from Visdron. It is an average-sized bike with a weight limit of 220 lbs (100 kg), and a corrosion-resistant carbon steel frame. This bike has a low step-through design to help riders mount and dismount with ease.
The Visdron Cruiser is perfect for commuting and leisure rides. The wide swept-back handlebars, and a comfortable and adjustable padded saddle, helps riders to maintain good cycling posture for long leisure rides. The bike also has a front basket and a rear seat for cargo as well.
The Visdron Cruiser bike is equipped with front and rear V-brakes for optimal safety for slowing down or stopping, ensuring confidence on the road and better riding experience.
The bike also comes with durable high quality rubber tires and high quality alloy rims for smooth riding on flat terrain, city and suburban neighborhood streets, country back roads and dusty trails.
Price at time of publication: $199
Buying Guide: How to choose the best road bike under $200
Picking a good bike can be tricky, especially at this price point. Also, how do you know you’ve made the right choice when you finally settle for a bike?
This section will help you understand what makes a good road bike and how to confidently choose the right one.
Frame material
We like to believe that the frame of a bike is the most important part, it’s the actual core to which every other component is attached.
For $200, you may not be able to get the best and the fanciest frames, but you should still get something that’s pretty decent. The frame of your bike should at least be sturdy, resilient and lightweight.
Steel and aluminum frames at the options available at this price point, and they are good options.
Aluminum and steel are cheap, but they are also very strong and durable. They are the most common frame materials used in budget road bikes.
Aluminum alloy is more resilient and lighter than steel. Therefore, aluminum bikes have better handling and quicker on the trails.
But steel is the cheaper, stronger and more durable material. It’s also better at absorbing shock and road vibrations, thus providing more riding comfort. Steel and aluminum bikes can last you a long time with proper care and maintenance.
Wheels and tires
After the frame, the second most important parts of a bike are the wheels and tires. The frame may be the core, but the wheels and tires are what the bike rides on.
Wheels and tires contribute to the stability and balance of a bike, which greatly affects performance, comfort and ride quality. The wheels and tires of a bike have to be sturdy and built for speed and maximum traction on the road.
Wheels and tires come in different sizes, which also affect ride quality and portability of a bike. Make sure you choose sturdy wheels that fit you; bigger wheels are better for taller riders, while smaller wheels fit shorter riders better.
Also, don’t expect to get the best wheels and tires with cheap bikes. For a bike at this price point, you may need to upgrade a few components to get a better machine, including the wheels and tires.
Handlebars
A bike can either have drop handlebars or flat handlebars. Bikes will flat handlebars often have a geometry that puts riders in an upright riding position, while drop bars are better for riders you prefer to lean forward on the bike.
The major advantage of drop bars is that they put your body in a streamlined, aerodynamic position, which helps you to go faster on the trails. Drop bars can be more efficient, but flat handlebars are more comfortable. With flat bars, you will be forced to seat more comfortably on the saddle, which lead to less discomfort and no pains.
Another important consideration is how narrow or wide the handlebars are. Wider handlebars are better for bike control and steering accuracy, while narrow handlebars can be better for speed.
It’s recommended that beginner bikers start with wide handlebars because it helps with bike control, allows for more stability, and opens up the chest for improved breathing when riding.
Brakes
Every rider needs a reliable and powerful braking system that will always bring their bike to a prompt and precise stop on command.
A bicycle can have one of three types of brakes: rim brakes, disc brakes, or drum brakes.
Disc brakes provide the most reliable stopping power, but it’s very unlikely that you find a $200 road bike with disc brakes. Disc brakes are actually more common on mountain bikes than road bikes.
For road bikes (especially budget options), you will almost only find rim brakes. V-brakes, caliper brakes and cantilever brakes are all types of rim brakes. These brakes are pretty effective on road bikes, and they tend to provide sufficient stopping power.
Compared to disc brakes, rim brakes are lighter, more aerodynamic, and easier to maintain.
Bike weight
A bike is something you will have to carry around sometimes; think of boarding a train or climbing stairs with your bike. Therefore, the weight of a bike matters.
It’s important to get a bike that’s not too heavy for you to carry when you need to. The average weight of road bikes is between 20-25 lbs.
Remember that frame material contributes to the weight of a bike, and steel frames are often heavier than aluminum frames.
FAQs
Are cheap bikes worth it?
They are worth it, if you find a good one. Cheap bikes can be very durable because they often feature steel components. It’s important to remember that cheap doesn’t always mean low quality. Cheap bicycles are excellent for new riders, they are simple bikes that will help you learn about the most important parts of a bike. It’s also better to use an inexpensive bike to learn how to properly care for a bike.
How much does a good bike cost?
The best road bikes can cost up to $2500 and above. These bikes will be very lightweight, have the highest-quality components, and perform remarkably well.
The quality of the bike you purchase will depend on your budget. You probably won’t get the best deal at $200, but you will get a pretty decent bike. Bikes within this price range may need an upgrade for some of the components.
Is a road bike good for long rides?
Yes, road bikes are good for long distance rides on paved roads. Road bikes are unsteady on dirt roads and uncomfortable to ride for long on unpaved roads. These bikes are best for commuting, but not for touring or carrying loads.
Do cheap bikes have warranty?
Mots budget road bikes do have warranties, however the duration of the warranties will vary for each bike. Before making a purchase, be sure to read the terms and conditions of the warranty.
Wrapping up
Finding a pretty good road bike within this price range with all the features you need is a challenge, especially with the ton of options available.
You can get yourself a good bike without spending thousands of dollars, especially as a beginner cyclist. If your budget is $200 or below, there are actually a lot of options for you, as you may have noticed from the product list above.
But we have a top recommendation for you; the Hiland Road Bike is the absolute best cheap bike under $200 because it has a very solid build-quality, with a lightweight steel frame and reliable components.
See Hiland Road Bike.
If you can afford to go a little higher on the price, you can check out our selection of the best road bikes for $500.
