sorry larry. dunno.

broken CF frame bikes can be as low as 1k

Not free??? 

broken free. cracked ada harga lagi. repairable but will not be same anymore

you meant equivalent event?
not much now. check with local bike shop.
Lekas highway is the only one which is confirmed.

OCBC challenge is an annual event here... guess equivalent to 5KM category of Standard Chartered marathon

audax

Kuantan Century Ride

without the Standard Chartered = Century Ride

closed road event are lekas highway and ocbc cycling.. only these 2 i can recall..

LBS event is a great exposure for anyone who wants to know how to ride in a group.
You learn a lot from there.
Going to an event without a knowing how to ride in a group will be a disadvantage.
most event organised dont closed road for you unless you are the 1st peloton.

I'd say start riding with your local community or LBS to learn some experience

OCBC then

bought the bike?

what have u decided after received various opinions?

What bikes does the bike shop near your house has which you can afford to get

buy anything rudimentary within your budget, if you like Trek and your budget's 3-4k, get the ALR

If you like Merida, 3-4k can get you something better on paper than Trek

If you think you are okay with Twitter, 3-4k can get you something better on paper than both Merida and Trek

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If I tell you that Shimano 105, Sora, Claris or SRAM Rival is worth nothing right now you will never understand

If I tell you that Fizik saddles given by that price point is worth nothing right now you will never understand

If I tell you that bikes that come with a wheel set at that price point can't be sold for even 500 ringgit you will never understand

It's an entry level bike. it's new in the market. not much review as most components are from their own brand.
Choice is yours

usually safety n durability not an issue. i've never heard anybody crashed due to bike failure.
what might be the problems are warranty issue, cheap parts which u might have difficulty in finding a replacement, machining/fabrication tolerance etc.
if those are not ur concern, then okay lah
im not saying geometric or twitter or alcott or whatever brands are inferior.

Some of the brands you posted here are okay, big brands are not infallible too but has got the reputation to preserve

Nothing to pimp

If you don't mind me asking, which steep hills are you planning to cycle to?

castelli, redwhite, q36.5, rapha, ale, assos, maap, sportful, cuore, giordana

got many other brands like pedla, grc, endura but havent tried those.

Cycling specific attires aren’t common in malls unless you go to outlets like Key Power Sports for brands like 2XU and Pearl Izumi