Seraph TX 42 - worth the upgrade from a Decathlon RC120?

[biu]

Hello,
I've been riding my first road bike, a Decathlon Rc120, for 4 years now, and I want a new bike, mainly just to feel more motivated to ride more.
Looking throught aliexpress listings, seems like building a bike from scratch with components with a good reputation will costs me 1.5-2k, a little bit more than what I wanted to spend.
After a little bit more search I discovered this company, Seraph, that makes impressively cheap already-built bikes, and I really liked the TTX 42.

UNFORTUNATELY it comes in a max size of 56, and from what I read online, for someone my size (1m86) a 58-60 size would be a better fit.

What do you think? Should I go with the TX 71, which comes in a max size of 58, or just stick with my decathlon bike, and buy a 12 speed groupset?

I'm really confused; there's so much choice, and I've always been a highly indecise person. I've been researching for about 2 months now.

[Serge_K]

height isn't the full picture, first of all. I'm 184 and i currently ride a medium (54), for example.
This thread talks of builds sub 1k https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,6072.0.html
I wouldn't buy a chinese fully built bike. They always seem to include components i wouldnt want to ride (crap wheels, tyres, wrong size bars, crank arms, cassette, chainring...).
if you build your own bike from scratch by choosing every component, it can be quite time consuming, but you should end up with something that will fit you better.
i build bikes for friends and a benefit is that i chat with them and figure out what should suit them the most. it's not rocket science, but every component should be chosen, not randomly selected. sub 2k is definitely doable.
velobuild is a good source for cheap, capable frames. My LTK268-D from Long teng cost me $355 in 2024 (+ shipping, bits and bobs). On aliexpress you can buy cheap wheels from Elite, wont be the best, but will be a huge upgrade vs your current rig. Don't cheap out on tyres, they make a huge difference.
You're tall, make sure not to buy anything below 32C tyre clearance. Ideally 35C for future proofing.
Make sure to buy hydraulic brakes, not mechanical. You're too tall for mechanical disc brakes.

[biu]

Thanks for your response!
First, the problem with 'every component should be chosen, not randomly selected' is that I have NO idea what I need :'(, and the sheer amount of options there are overwhelming me.
I thought buying a prebuilt would help me in that regard. Maybe not.
Thanks for the recommandations about tire clearance and brakes!
I failed to mention, right now on my RC120 I have some dtswiss p1800, that I could eventually.. cannibalize for a new build. I also have 40c maxxis tyres.. anyways

The LTK268-D you mentioned (and others from the same company) don't list prices on their website but simply invite you to 'inquire'. I.. don't like that . Why not put the price in full display? And the website itself seems hosted on a 50 euros PC with an ADSL connection.. jesus christ..

I'll definetly look into that thread you linked!

Thanks!

[Serge_K]

The LTK268-D you mentioned (and others from the same company) don't list prices on their website but simply invite you to 'inquire'. I.. don't like that . Why not put the price in full display? And the website itself seems hosted on a 50 euros PC with an ADSL connection.. jesus christ..

Jesus has nothing to do with it here. Long teng is an OEM, they work(ed?) for Cube, Argon 18 and others. They have a website but as you saw, it's not something they focus on. I know for a fact they dont list all their models either on there either.
Point being: OEMs will give different prices to different clients for different reasons. Quite often, they will not respond if you're only looking to buy 1 frame. Different animal from a retail shop that only expects you to buy 1 frame with a logo and paint job slapped on.

In fact i've never bought just 1 frame or 1 wheelset from such OEMs (but if they tell you you can, you can).