Cycling

Written on 5 September 2020.

I’ve done a lot of cycling as a teenager while I was staying in Seletar Hills in Singapore. Being a residential estate, there was less traffic on the roads and I remember doing a lot of trips to the market which used to sit on the site of the current Greenwhich shopping mall.
I want to get back into cycling again, especially after reading this recent article (Exercise May Boost Your Vaccine Response) in the NYT by Gretchen Reynolds - “The two studies, which involved the same group of elite runners, swimmers, wrestlers, cyclists and other athletes, suggest that intense training amplifies our vaccine response, a finding with particular relevance now, as the flu season looms and scientists work to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.”.
I know that the gear mechanism in cycles are an important consideration for me, and stumbled upon this article published by a cycling company in Singapore. I’m just putting it here for my future reference.

Shimano Mountain Bike Groupset

“We consider Alivio Shimano’s starting point if you’re seeking a trail-worthy mountain bike.”
So this looks like the minimum standard / quality of groupset I should go with.

“Deore is the tireless workhorse of the range. Striking a balance between performance and value, Deore is to be found on countless bikes. It might drop rear cog numbers down from eleven to ten but the reliability cannot be faulted. Deore is Shimano’s first Groupset to offer a clutch-equipped rear derailleur.”
And this looks like the best balance between price, reliability and quality.
I’m eyeing one of the following mountain bikes which uses this groupset.

This is the bike that I’m aiming for if I get a chance to buy a good bike.
After cycling this morning on my foldable, I’ve decided I should go for a mountain bike rather than a road bike because I’m going to use this on the park connectors, which do have the occasional bumps in the road.
My current foldable bike weighs 13.6kg with 20” wheels while this one weighs 12.4kg with 27.5” wheels.
A possible wall hanger could be this adjustable wall hook that caters to the slant of the frame.

After some reflection, I’ve decided I should get a bike from a local dealer, so I can collect it assembled and tuned.
The store that is walkable from my place sells Polygon bikes.
Polygon is an Indonesian brand with bikes assembled from the same factories in Taiwan that makes other brands such as Giant and Santa Cruz.
They have pretty good reviews, so I’m deciding to go with this brand because of the proximity of the bike dealer.
The SISKIU D7 is a full suspension bike using the Shimano Deore M5100 groupset. It has 1 x 11 speed, which I prefer, instead of having a front shifting derailleur. As I read the dealer’s installation manual for this groupset, it seems to be the lowest groupset among the premiere groupsets ranging from RD-M9100, RD-M8100, RD-7100, RD-M6100 and finally the RD-M5100. So essentially, the basic design belongs to the premiere group, which is another reason for me to want this bike.
It is heavier at 14.3kg, but since it’s got a full suspension, I guess that’s ok.