which bike to choose?
rahim67
Posts: 3
Hi,
I'm about to make a purchase of a roadbike within this 3 weeks. I have never "ridden" a roadbike except a 5 minutes test ride of a friend bike. I bought my MTB Merida Big Nine XT edition August last year. This is my first real bike. Have done almost 2500 km on it 99% on tarmac. My average distance every ride is somewhere between 45 to 70km each outing twice a week.
As a result, I have lost 6kg of body weight.
Now, I figure I'd better get a real roadbike so that I can explore farther (thinking of 100km++ ride) So I have been in and out of few bike shops here in Malaysia. There are these 2 bikes that catch my attention.
Merida Scultura 5000
- Good price (~USD1400)
- mixed ultegra set, need to upgrade brake and chainring to ultegra
- need to upgrade the wheelset
- weight is already 8.0kg without upgrades
Lapierre Pulsium 700
- expensive (~USD2500)
- no need to upgrade anything
-full set ultegra di2
-mavic wheelset
-weight 7.8kg
I'm leaning towards the Merida, since my first bike is a Merida. All my jersey, pants, helmet, gloves are colored to the Merida scheme....
It's cheaper, but I suspect I will spend as much money to upgrade the Scultura by end of the year and still lacking the di2.
I have no idea about the Pulsium and not so much online review I can get for it. I'm not allowed to test ride it...
Near my home, there is this nice highways which I can ride for 150~200km with nice elevation. Highest grade elevation might reach 7~8% and also there is a lot of country road in the hilly areas.... some reaching 10% for over 1 km. So obviously I will do some serious climbing by my standard....
Both bikes are ready stock...
I'm about to make a purchase of a roadbike within this 3 weeks. I have never "ridden" a roadbike except a 5 minutes test ride of a friend bike. I bought my MTB Merida Big Nine XT edition August last year. This is my first real bike. Have done almost 2500 km on it 99% on tarmac. My average distance every ride is somewhere between 45 to 70km each outing twice a week.
As a result, I have lost 6kg of body weight.
Now, I figure I'd better get a real roadbike so that I can explore farther (thinking of 100km++ ride) So I have been in and out of few bike shops here in Malaysia. There are these 2 bikes that catch my attention.
Merida Scultura 5000
- Good price (~USD1400)
- mixed ultegra set, need to upgrade brake and chainring to ultegra
- need to upgrade the wheelset
- weight is already 8.0kg without upgrades
Lapierre Pulsium 700
- expensive (~USD2500)
- no need to upgrade anything
-full set ultegra di2
-mavic wheelset
-weight 7.8kg
I'm leaning towards the Merida, since my first bike is a Merida. All my jersey, pants, helmet, gloves are colored to the Merida scheme....
It's cheaper, but I suspect I will spend as much money to upgrade the Scultura by end of the year and still lacking the di2.I have no idea about the Pulsium and not so much online review I can get for it. I'm not allowed to test ride it...
Near my home, there is this nice highways which I can ride for 150~200km with nice elevation. Highest grade elevation might reach 7~8% and also there is a lot of country road in the hilly areas.... some reaching 10% for over 1 km. So obviously I will do some serious climbing by my standard....
Both bikes are ready stock...
0
Comments
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My advice would be to try not to obsess too much about weight. Most bikes that are around 8kg will feel the same, particularly with some nice wheels. It is far more important to get one that fits you and this is not just about size but geo as well...again though, don't get too obsessed but if a bike doesn't feel 'right' then all the rest is just pointless detail.
Oh, beware of the overuse of the word "Upgrade". Most of the things any of us change are just for cosmetic or personal preference reasons. 4700 will get you up a hill in almost exactly the same time as Ultegra or DA and if you are not doing a TT then does a few seconds really matter that much anyway. Same goes for all the finishing kit. Hence, don't get sucked into believing the marketing BS! Ride your new bike and enjoy it without fretting about what you have to change before the end of the year.0 -
Congrats on the weight loss first of all, I bet it feels great!
As this is your first road bike I would say go for the merida!
Merida are the 2nd largest bicycle manufacturers in the world so have a great reputation for crafting quality frames with tried and tested geometry and they should also have a good warranty to boot.
With regards to upgrades, don't worry as much just yet. Most important for a first road bike is BIKE FIT! Go to a reputable bike fitter to get you fitted correctly to the bike. This is essential if you plan on doing those 100km+ rides without injury/discomfort.
Next upgrade on the list IMO would be a power meter. It will help you understand your body better and become super efficient on the bike and allow you to get super fit!
Hold back on upgrading to di2 just yet. Ultegra mechanical is perfectly adequate for your use. Once you've worn the parts out and eventually do need to upgrade you will feel much better knowing you've 'earned it'!
Just my two pence! Whatever you decide to go with, hope you enjoy it!0 -
Finally bought a Merida Scultura 4000. Reason being it is the only ready stock available that fit my size and easy on the pocket...
Hit the road for 86km ride for 3.5 hours... boy it is tiring on my 50 year old body and there so much fun...0
