Originally Posted by
Seattle Forrest
So I can shave off almost 5 ounces from my 20 pound bike for only $300? Who wouldn't do that? ( Anybody who knows the value of a dollar, probably. )
To be fair, though, I'm going to get a pair of CF brake levers when I find them on sale. I don't care about the gram they'll save me; it's the heat transfer. When I go kayaking in the snow, my CF paddle doesn't feel cold to the touch. But metal brake levers get cold, even when my gloves are in the wash.
If you look at a high-end camera form, you'll see the same thing. It isn't that a particular hero has a better camera, but "If I pay $8,000 for this 'sports' camera, I'll be able to get good cyclocross photos. Because the problem with my pics couldn't possibly be that I haven't built up enough skill yet."
I can see the CF brake levers, just remember that they are pretty much disposable if you crash and land on one. I can see your hands getting cold when the gloves are in the wash, because you should be wearing them when riding
. I use a pair of full fingered MTB gloves when riding and my brake levers don't feel cold at all.
The biggest factor in bicycle performance, always has been and always will be the condition of the motor. In top seed racing when all the riders are similar condition and experience, saving a few grams may be a huge deal. Take a bunch of people out for some fresh air and exercise at a leisurely pace, a couple of kilograms may not make much difference. Saying that though, if I'm out with some guys for a road ride, I'll take the lighter weight road bike. Out to haul around a pile of camera equipment or some berries home from the market, I want the heavier bike, because it's got racks, fenders, lights which is to some degree why it's heavy. Now the road bike is getting a rim transplant over the winter, new wheels will be lighter, but the primary reason is that the wheels are chromed steel making it a fair weather bike, they are rusty and crusty, and can't be trued very easily.
I know what you mean about cameras too, the issue is the same though, it all comes down to who is holding the camera. There have been pro-level images taken with crappy cameras, there have been crappy images taken with high end cameras. I bought my first real bike and my first real camera the same year, 1978!