Steel is all that I've ever raced. Recently I've tried carbon fiber, but after decades of riding lightweight lugged steel frames it simply doesn't feel right to me. I believe frame materials are a matter of personal (highly subjective) preference, and I still prefer good ol' steel even if it does add about two pounds weight. If I was a pro racer at the top of my game then I'd probably feel differently, but I'm a 55 year-old who returned to cycling after a 17-year hiatus. Some of the new technologies I like/embrace (e.g., Selle SMP saddles) while others (index shifting, brifters, CF, et al) have yet to impress me. To each his own.