Originally Posted by
pandabear
in performance, sorry. the ability to go faster. i don't really care about comfort. i'm going to assemble a new bike, and speed is what i'm looking at. my point is, is spending multi-thousands on a cf frame (someone antagonized cervelo's, but i think they are incredibly sexy) worth it? or is the money better spent on wheels and drivetrain?
For performance, specifically, speed, your engine is the biggest factor (power to weight). You can only optimize this, you can't really upgrade this component.
I would say wheels, tires, tubes make a marginal difference in speed (.5 mph) but help you sustain higher speeds for longer.
The rest is just conversation.