Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle

Road bikes are built to increase agility, speed and performance to endure concrete pavement, hilly terrains, or grassy trails and even extended hours of cycling.

But among these performances, comfort should not be compromised. Comfortable road bikes reduce or totally eliminate injuries or body pains especially after long hours of cycling.

The good thing is, you can choose from a wide variety of road bikes thanks to bike manufacturers that spend their time building high quality, durable, and comfortable road bikes.

One of the most efficient, durable, and comfortable road bikes that they have come upwith is the Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle.

It is made of an aluminum road frame with rigid fork, Shimano 14 speed rear derailleur with Shimano A050 shifters, alloy rims with paired spokes, alloy caliper road brakes, and SR Suntour alloy crank. All these components work together for a smooth and fast performance.

Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle is designed to be lightweight but strong and will go a long way over long hours of cycling.

Its front rim is quick release for more convenient use and maintenance. Its brakes have great breaking power and its crank is designed for wide gear range.

With an affordable price, Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle is one of the most cost effective road bikes today. What is another good thing about it is its good appearance including its wheels that have a nice design. 

Features

• Aluminum road frame
• 14 speed rear derailleur
• Shimano A050 shifters
• High profile alloy rims
• Lightweight
• Strong
• Front rim quick release
• SR Suntour alloy crank
• Great stopping power
• Lifetime warranty

Pros

• Quick, agile riding
• Durable
• Comfortable
• Convenient
• Easy maintenance
• Easy adjustable height
• Affordable 

Cons

• Requires assembly

Verdict

Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle is truly one of the most affordable and strongest road bikes today. It’s loved by a lot of cyclists and other biking enthusiasts because of its materials and design.

It puts you in a comfortable position to help you bike faster without pain. It also lasts for years of continuous biking and cycling along different kinds of pavement.

Comparison

It is important to take into consideration the other best-selling road bikes today. There are many high quality road bikes equipped with practical parts that work in coordination with each other.

It is also important to remember the features that every good quality road bike should have: stability, strength, and comfort. Without these, you won’t be able to keep up with the fun and challenges of road biking.

So it is important to examine every road bike that you want. To help you further in choosing the best road bike for you, here are some good quality options.

One of these road bikes is the TommasoSentiero Adventure Road Bike. It has an aluminum compact frame combined with SST Steel Frame for strength, Shimano Claris Derailluers and shifters for smooth and convenient shifts and brakes, and Shimano Claris triple crankset in front partnered with 12 x 25 cassette at the back.

It has compact frame geometry for extra comfort and power. And it needs professional assembly to get all these parts fixed and working together.

Another good road bike is the Vilano Aluminum Road Bike. It is lightweight made of 6061 double butted aluminum frame, Shimano A050 thumb shifter, 21 speeds, and 700c double walled CNC machine sides. Its handlebar and seatpost are both made of alloy for more comfort.

It’s great for commuting or just going around the town faster. Plus it comes in three colors that you can choose from: white, silver and black. It is very affordable so if you have a very limited budget for road bikes, this is a good option.

All of these three road bikes are made of sturdy materials such as the aluminum frame. But when it comes to comparing Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle to the other two road bike, the TommasoSentiero Adventure Road Bike and the Vilano Aluminum Road Bike, the difference is obvious.

Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle stands out because it is the most cost effective road bike, has an easy, adjustable height to accommodate the different sizes and height of bikers, and can be conveniently maintained with its quick release wheels. No wonder it is the best among most road bike models.

Verdict

When it comes to comfort and performance, you won’t go wrong with Schwinn Men’s Phocus Road Bicycle. Priced reasonably, it gives you everything you need in a good road bike.

While its parts need to be assembled, this is a small drawback compared to all its other advantages. Once you set it up, you can ride it with ease, efficiency, and comfort. It is sturdy enough too to last long hours of cycling.

Road Bikes Under 300

Road bikes are known to have a sturdy and lightweight frame that is equipped to be faster and durable on pavements, challenging terrains and long hours of cycling. Therefore it is important to have a road bike that is made of high quality materials.

However, most road bikes have high costs compared to other types of bikes. Expensive road bikes are made of high quality materials that improve biking performance and experience.

But do they really need to be expensive to have these indispensable qualities? If you love cycling but you have a limited budget, there are road bikes available for under $300. However, sometimes cheap road bikes have lower qualities.

Say no to cheap road bikes with inferior qualities. Here are some road bikes under $300 that top the market.

Vittesse Sprint

Vittesse Sprint gives you everything you need for road biking. It is built with an aluminum frame, 18 speed gears, and a triple chainset. It is ideal for beginners who also aim to win a race. It can also keep you going along hills and other challenging terrain, thanks to its triple chainset that give you low gears.

Wiggle Road Bike

This Wiggle Road Bike comes in five sizes that will fit well for people of all heights, unless you are very short or very tall. It is an entry level road bike that works decently.

It is made of an aluminum alloy frame, 14 speed Shimano gearing, and brake/ gear levers for easy shifting. For a reasonable amount you will be able to be on your own way to road biking.

B’TwinTriban 500

If your budget goes up to $300, you can get a good quality road bike with B’TwinTriban 500. It is built with an aluminum alloy frame with lightweight components.

You will have a smooth drive and shifting capabilities with its really wide range of gears, triple chainset, and eight rear sprockets. Its frame comes in eight sizes with two additional sizes for 2016 – the XXXS and XXS for petite body frames.

Carrera Zelos

Carrera Zelos is another decently priced road bike. It has an aluminum frame that’s lightweight and durable. Plus it comes with 14 speed Shimano groupset and Tektro dual pivot brakes.

Avenir Aspire

Avenir Aspire is available for purchase through Amazon. Get it at your own convenience but watch out as new models are easily sold out. It is a cost effective road bike especially for beginners.

It has everything you need for a basic road bike. It also comes in different sizes so you can get to pick the right size suited for your body frame and height.

However, if this is your first time, you might need assistance in assembly. It requires setting it up and assembling its parts before you can use it. For its price, though, assembling the bike on your own is worth it.

Features to Look For

Whether you have the money for buying expensive, more advanced road bikes or a limited budget for good quality road bikes, it is important to check the features that a good road bike should have.

• Strength

A good road bike should be able to endure long hours of cycling and go further on challenging terrain. Check the materials on which the parts are made of.

• Comfort

One important component is comfort. Ensure that it allows you to ride in a comfortable position with a little bending forward for better aerodynamics.

• Geometry

When choosing a good road bike, check for the geometry. It should have a shorter wheelbase and sport a long reach to the handlebars for more aerodynamics.

Now that you know some road bike models under $300, you can be aware that there are indeed road bikes under $300 that are of good quality. They have all the basic components you’ll need and are made of a typical aluminum frame for endurance and strength.

Road Bike Weight

Road bikes perform at high speeds and are great for pavement and other challenging terrain including up hills and grass.

They are typically built with a light weight body equipped to endure a full professional racing experience, biking over epic distances or transporting loads to farther places.

Some road bikes are also designed for riding around town or for leisure biking too.

Lightweight Bikes

Having a lightweight frame is the quality that road bikes are most popularly known for. The weightis important in terms of speed and performance of road bikes. A light road bike means a good bicycle without looking to other qualities. But is it good enough to just be lightweight?

Does a Lighter Bike Make You Faster?

Does a road bike with lighter weight make you faster? Not as much as you think. Let us give an instance. Perhaps you have been biking for hours. You encounter a steep hill; it may slow you down because you feel the weight of the bike.

Thus, does buying a lighter bike save you time? Not as much. And a much lighter bike is more expensive. Buying these kinds of high end bikes will just save you few seconds but it is not cost effective or efficient for a slightly faster speed.

Comparison With Different Bike Weights

Top of the line carbon and aluminium road bikes are expensive compared to entry level road bikes or hybrid bikes. And they are about three pound lighter that entry level road bikes. A study that was conducted looked at how a 15- , 16-, 17-, and 18- pound bike performed when climbing up a one mile hill.

The two heaviest bikes took the same amount of time with only a 2.5 second difference. The 15- pound bike reached the hill top at 7.5 seconds faster than the 18- pound bike. Over hours of racing, a few seconds of difference is not a big deal and are only worth it if you are into neck to neck bike racing.

Other Weight on the Bike

A few second difference between road bike weights is not the only reason why weight matters. You can’t say that you are saving 15 percent of the weight if you choose a 15 pound bike over a 20 pound one.

It is important to take into consideration the other weights on the bike. The other weight includes your own body weight, your water bottle, smart watch, and other stuff you have on your bike. 

Decreasing Road Bike Weight

Buying lighter and more expensive road bikes is not always the answer to having a lighter bike. To decrease the weight of your road bike, shedding your own body weight is the most economical and more efficient.

Losing your own weight doesn’t only reduce your overall weight but it will also increase your VO2 max which will eventually give you more energy. Body strength, especially legs, is important to so you can bike at a higher speed.

The Secret of Aerodynamics

Another technique to go faster on a road bike is aerodynamics. Aerodynamics outdoes weight. You can create an aerodynamic position by using an aerodynamic helmet, aerodynamic frame, or shaving your legs.

You can also add aero bars or adjust your seating position to increase your speed. If you lessen your frontal area by 10 percent, you will also lessen the drag by 10 percent.

Little things like positioning your elbow pads and the way you hold your head are effective ways to have more aerodynamic positioning.

Bottom Line – Road Bike Weight

An expensive road bike may have more features or may be made from high quality materials. But road bikes are not all about these components. It’s the weight that is most important.

And expensive bikes don’t mean they are lighter than entry level bikes. The difference of speed between these two kinds of bikes is only a few seconds.

Plus, there are other factors that make up the total weight of the bike such as your body weight, water bottle, and other things you put on your bike.

Road Bike Types

Road bikes are great for pavement use such as commuting, long distance rides, fitness, and racing at high speeds.

They have lightweight handlebars that drop downward putting you in an aerodynamic position. This position transfers your energy to enable you to go at a faster speed.

There are different types of road bikes. Each road bike has a specialized structure and components that suit different road biking needs.

• Cyclocross Bikes

Cyclocross bikes are lightweight but tough on pavement as well as dirt trails and grass. Most cyclocross bikes are built with semi-knobby tires to adapt to different terrain challenges. These bikes are ideally used by riders taking laps around different pavement.

• Racing Bikes

Racing bikes are made of carbon fiber or aluminum which has a very light weight and super slim design. They can turn corners quickly because of their aggressive geometry with steep angles. They are intended for aerodynamic biking that is fast on flat pavements and can go up hills.

• Touring Bikes

Touring bikes have a strong build that can carry heavy loads on their front and rear racks and have multiple attachment points for pumps, water bottles, racks, lights and more.

Compared to other road bike, touring bikes have a longer wheelbase which has a lower center of gravity and are therefore easy to control. They also have disc brakes for more stopping power while carrying loads on challenging terrains.

• Endurance Bikes

The features of endurance bikes are similar to the features of racing bikes. The difference is that endurance bikes are built with frame geometry that lets you ride in a comfortable position.

They have lower angles, taller head tubes and inclined top tubes to reduce stress on your back and neck. They also have wider tires for a more comfortable ride and flat handlebars for heads up riding.

• Triathlon Bikes

Triathlon bikes are known for their unique handlebars that allow you to crouch forward while riding to reduce wind resistance. They have a special design for maximized aerodynamic properties.

This bike is not intended to use during mass start races; the racer riding a triathlon bike starts on his/her own.

• Flat Bar Road Bikes

Flat bar road bikes have lightweight frames and have relatively narrow tires and flat or upright handlebars. They have a light but powerful performance without you having to ride in a drop handlebar riding position.

Most tires of flat bar road bikes are wider which adapt to challenging pavement. They are also called fitness bikes or performance hybrid bikes and they can also carry cargo and other loads.

Despite the varying types of road types, they are made from sturdy and light-weight materials that make them great for high speed biking.

Road bikes are made of one or more combination of the following materials:

• Carbon fiber. This material can be controlled into aerodynamic shapes and can be tuned for maximum strength and stiffness. But despite its sturdy built, carbon fiber is lightweight which is essential for a road bike.
• Aluminum.  This is a very lightweight and stiff material too. It is popular for having power transfers and stiffness.
• Steel.  Traditionally, steel is a very popular material for making bikes. It is best for its comfort, durability and strength. It is also easy to repair when it encounters bends or dents.
• Titanium.  It is also known for its lightweight property that offers a smooth ride similar to the riding quality of steel.

There are also other kinds of bikes such as tandem bikes, folding bikes, recumbent bikes, city bikes, mountain bikes and more. But among these kinds of bikes, road bikes are perfect for high speed biking along pavement.

Some types of road bikes, though, have designs great for rough terrain and grass trails too. Choose the right type of bike based on your cycling performance and cargo needs.