Shimano 105

There is absolutely bucket loads of power on tap, and the overall feel of the lever is really good. This is true of all Shimano group sets, but I also...

It's good weight, good performance, durability, great ergonomics. It's really all group set that anybody needs, but those are my thoughts and opinions...

Now Lastly, the pedals on this bike are my eight year old Ultegra ones.

Looks like a great bike and good price paid for it! Shimano 105 is the groupset of the people, fantastic bit of kit!

However there are a few drawbacks which is to be expected. The frame has visible welds that are fairly ugly in comparison to other brands. However its not all that noticable and i think the frame has a lifetime warranty. The Shimano 105 is not a full 105 setup, its got the levers and the derailleurs, but the rear casette is a Microshift brand and the front crank is a budget Shimano 510 crank.

Their bikes aren't the lightest, but for as low as $1200 (Triban RC520) you can have 11-speed Shimano 105 drivetrains and quality parts. They even have carbon fiber Van Rysel bikes for the $2000 price point with Ultegra. As others alluded to, the best deal is always second hand. With the bike shortage there is more competition right now but you can get good deals.

Any proper road bike with Shimano 105 will do to start. The rest is fluff until your a contender in your field. Keep it maintained and train your ass off. Reevaluate after a season of racing.

Beyond Shimano 105 I don’t think you get much performance or durability gains, just weight savings at rapidly increasing $/g. Probably some will disagree but worth keeping in mind what you’re optimizing for. (Don’t know the SRAM range at all.)

Shimano 105 while excellent is “the people group set” definitely not top of the line. It’s the first tier of serious road use but top of the line is dura ace.

I have that bike - it's very solid and probably one of the cheapest Shimano 105 bikes you can get these days. Doesn't skimp too badly on the wheels either.