Hi all, I've been thinking of getting my feet wet in road cycling lately. Right now I'm just riding a cheap Tourney bike with slicks so literally anything would be a great upgrade from it.

My budget is around RM2000 but I wonder if it's worth it to spend beyond this for a beginner's road bike? I've searched some site for a bike of my sizing (~medium, 170cm height) and it seems that I should expect a bike around 9.5kg with Sora groupset at this pricepoint. However most forum I've seen recommend to go for 105 instead, is 105 really a huge improvement over the Sora and ideally what weight should I aim for? Also, should I try to get a 2nd hand bike or visit my LBS instead?

Lastly, any recommendation for places to find group ride? I'd love to try it out one day.

Thanks

Thanks for your advice and invitation! I should head to my LBS after the MCO settles down and try out some of their offering (they do provide free test ride right?), hopefully the road bike experience it's as good as I imagine   Meanwhile I'll just ride the stationary bike at my home for these few weeks...