Have you ever seen a fully assembled road bike?

Perhaps they can be found in local bike shops, but they are probably quite rare, aren't they?

On the other hand, city cycles (so-called "mamachari" or utility bikes) are all sold as complete products.

Have you ever wondered why this is?

Here, we will explain why road bikes are sold more often as individual parts rather than as complete products.

Even in local bike shops, most road bikes are sold as parts.

While complete bikes are available, individual parts are clearly more prevalent.

There are, of course, many reasons for this, but broadly speaking, there are three main reasons.

Grow through experience

I think it's perfectly fine to buy a complete bike to start with.

You can ride it right away, and the bike shop will have adjusted it for you before you start riding.

Even beginners can start riding safely.

Then, as you ride daily, you start to notice various things.

"The tires feel a bit slippery when I turn."

"The grips are slipping."

"I want to shift the weight balance forward."

And so on.

There are all sorts of desires, from big ones to small ones.

Gradually, you might replace the tires, wrap anti-slip tape around the grips, or even eventually replace the frame.

The more you ride and love your bike, the more you'll want to replace parts and make adjustments to enhance that love.

This is another joy of road cycling, and a significant difference from city bikes.

Freedom to customize

Even the term "customization" encompasses a variety of things.

First, there's "part selection."

Even something seemingly uniform like brake pads comes in many types, depending on their purpose and price.

There are "cartridge types" which are easy to maintain and used for racing.

"Aluminum frame specific" pads are designed for lightweight aluminum frames.

"Carbon specific" pads are for carbon frames.

Manufacturers include Shimano, Japan's proud industry leader; Campagnolo, which you might want to choose to match your wheels; and SWISS STOP, known for its strong braking power, not just its design.

What's more, these days you can choose from a variety of colors.

You can match them to your frame in red or yellow, or deliberately choose all different colors to highlight your individuality.

Next comes the fun of "adjustment."

You can adjust it exactly how you like.

Taking the brake example again, the amount of slack between when you start squeezing the grip and when the brake actually engages is called "play."

The preferred amount of this play really varies from person to person.

Some want to minimize it as much as possible, while others prefer a little play because they ride with their fingers resting on the brakes.

Since braking only the front wheel can cause you to tip forward in extreme cases, some riders adjust their brakes so that even when both brakes are fully squeezed, the rear brake always engages slightly before the front through subtle adjustment.

As you can see, even just for "brakes," there are various preferences and adjustment methods, so there's joy in fine-tuning your road bike to your ideal condition.

And beyond that lies "attachment."

When you choose the parts yourself and adjust them yourself, you naturally develop a strong attachment.

You might be interested in other people's road bikes, but you also think yours is the best, or sometimes you learn from others' bikes, or feel frustrated when you can't quite beat them.

All of these feelings stem from "attachment."

Thus, road bikes offer enjoyment beyond simply being a vehicle or a bicycle.

Why not get one and create a one-of-a-kind road bike that's truly yours?