Choosing the cheapest beginner bicycle for Triathlon or Ironman (4-9K MYR)

I started with identifying the popular brands. Which are Cerelo, Trek Etc. They are tried and tested and you would not go wrong. But they are still very expensive so I decided to understand each components to find ways to reduce cost.

Micro Analysis

Groupsets

So next I looked at Groupsets. I focused on Shimano brand only as it is the most common and easier to find replacement parts. In Shimano the higher ends one are Dura-ace and ultegra. I ended with the mid range Shimano 105 and the mechanical ones because I hate having to charge my bicycle and they are much cheaper usually 2-3 times cheaper. Cylinder braking is not too important and is something you could choose to give up to reduce weight.

Shimano 105 2×11 speed – R7000
- this is usually cheaper and its acceptable since the min and max range are similar to the 24 speed anyway
Shimano 105 2×22 speed – R7100

Body

Fit is the most important thing. So getting the right size and then getting a custom fit (adjusting all the bicycle parts to suite you – like tailoring) is the most important thing.

Weight – less important

Weight is not that important for beginner and not climbing as much. Weight gets more important if you doing a lot of climbs or trying to go sub 10 hours. Weight also causes the price to increase the most. But also the weight ROI is exponential. Here is what I mean a general total bicycle weight is on average 8.5KG but to bring it down to 1kg will cost you 5-10KMYR and to ring it down another 0.5kg will cost you another 5-10K MYR. The lightest I have seen is

So as long as the biycle is roughly 8-9Kg it is good enough. In fact the lowest weight allowed for UCI is 6.8kg this is for the other types of bicycle racing I am using it as a reference for safety in mind. As you can see the lowest you can go is 7kg anyway.

A triathlon bike most important feature is the Aerobar which is a rule and also 12 spoke minimum wheels on the front. However a roadbike is usually cheaper so to go cheaper I would just add aerobar to road bikes as the last choice.

However I found that the JAVA brand from China has really beautiful and great specs. So in the end I would choose a bike that has Aerobar built in already or modify a road bike with aerobar.

Requirement list

Aerobar
Size (48-50 or S depending on the brand but it should be based on your height)
Shimano 105 mechanical Groupset
9KG or below
Pedal supports bicycle shoes – some cycling clubs have this as requirement for safety.

Remember to check second hand market as well – carousel.

My favourite.

Time Trial Bike (TT Bike)

https://shopee.com.my/JAIR-SCIA-TT-BIKE-TRIATHON-BIKE-TIME-TRIAL-BIKE-i.1664857.4461978381