If road cycling is a new venture for you, we understand you’re not likely to want to max out your overdraft for what could be a fleeting romance. In that case, the Pendleton Initial could be ideal.

The Initial, brainchild of the double Olympic track champion Victoria Pendleton, is currently on sale at Halfords for £249.99. The alloy model is clearly a road bike through and through, making it unique to the Pendleton family that primarily consists of hybrids and leisure bikes.

A sleek design with world champ stripes, which are sure to spark a little inspiration, the Pendleton Initial is only available in a 43″ and 46″ sized frame, which does exclude women over around 5′ 7″.

A chromoly fork, with 700c wheels and female specific road bike geometry, supports the Initial’s alloy frame. With Tektro brakes, and weighing in at 11.5kg, this isn’t a high-end ride, but it is a perfect introduction.

Check out our full review of the Pendleton Initial

The Initial has a compact chainset and 8 gears on the cassette, giving plenty of room to shift into a climbing gear, and brake and gear levers are combined for simple shifting.

If the Initial isn’t up your street, another option is the Trek Lexa range.

Check out our full review of the Trek Lexa S

 Trek have carried out a great deal of research into women’s specific frame builds, and the Lexa benefits from their knowledge, at a more affordable price point than the higher end models.

All the Lexa frames are alloy, but come with a carbon fork, which will dampen out road vibrations and lower the weight of the bike, compared to the Pendleton offering.

The Lexa starts at £575, for Claris groupset (in a beautiful ‘Aloe Green’ colour), and goes to £1,100 if you’re after 11-speed gearing and a 105 drivetrain, with two models sandwiched in the middle to choose from.