Beginner Shimano 105 Road bikes in Malaysia

Since the first lockdown, my feed was full of posts on road bikes. Road cycling has been a new trend among Malaysians who are suddenly getting into the new norm. Some have more off days than before due to social distancing restrictions and some just have too much money lying in their bank. For some others, they just want to fill their time doing activities to keep them fit. 

There are no proper statistics to prove this, but I can bet the sales of bicycles especially road bikes and mountain bikes in the past year. The sudden boom of cycling enthusiasts has made a fortune for all the bicycle dealers out there. 

Diving deep into the world of cycling there are many choices to be made from. Every component is modular and can be fixed to any bike on any frame when it's matched properly. For this, we are only going to talk about road bikes. The main components of a road bike are the frame and the groupsets which include the brakes and gearing. The most common frame in the market is the aluminum frame and the carbon frame. The carbon frame is known to be a better option compared to the aluminum frame for its lightweight and stiff frame. This allows cyclists to have better performance on the bike. 

Moving on to the groupsets there are several types of categories according to the number of gearing configurations. 2x9 speed, 2x10 speed, and 2x11 speed. After discussing with my friends who are big cycle enthusiasts, they mentioned that upgrading from a 2x9 or a 2x10 speed to a 2x11 speed groupset will cost so much that it's close to buying a new bike. Knowing that we can conclude to have a proper road bike it's good to have a road bike with a 2x11 speed configuration. 

Well, there are 3 brands of groupsets offering 2x11 speed gearing. Namely Shimano, Sram, and Campagnolo. However, Shimano is known to be the most popular in Malaysia with a higher resale value. 

Although there are only 3 brands of groupsets out there, it's a different story when it comes to road bike frames. There are numerous options from high-end frames to low-end frames which are cheaper. a simple high-end carbon frame alone costs more than RM4000 in Malaysia. Brands like Specialized/S-Works, Giant, Orbea, Fuji, Canyon, Cannondale, Pinarello, BMC, Trek, Colnago, Cervelo, Scott, Bianchi, Look, Felt, Argon 18, and many more. These companies make high-end frames that are used by pro cyclists out there.

For beginners, buying an expensive road bike that might burn a hole in their pocket is not worth it. They might lose interest in the sport and eventually abandon their expensive machines in their garage. So, buying a road bike with a decent frame would do the work. Brands like Gusto, Alcott, Polygon, Java, Merida, EMC, Camp, and many more would be viable options for beginners. 

Now, coming to the biggest question. What are the prices of budget roadbikes in Malaysia? The table below shows it all. 

If you notice there are some variations in the groupset itself. There are mixes and full Shimano 105 groupsets. What does that mean? Well, usually Mixed Shimano 105 group sets may come with an aftermarket Crank, chainset, cassette, or even the brake cables. So, you always have to be aware of this to avoid buying too many aftermarket parts in your new bike. The price may be cheaper but it may not be durable and might not have a high resale value. To my opinion, the better option is to go with the Full Shimano 105 groupsets. 

How about the frame? Well, it is very optional. If you are considering joining cycling competitions or triathlons, then you should definitely consider the carbon frame. Otherwise for leisure riding an aluminum frame should do good. 

I hope you get good information from this read and have a better mind in choosing your upcoming road bike. 

Thank you for reading. 

See you guys in the next one.