^ it's not that i'm riding into 30 knot winds everyday, it's just that it can be that obnoxious along the lakefront some days, and i like having a bike that can not only let me drop down a bit to save my knees going into a strong headwind, but also one that allows me to shift up so i can really take advantage of a strong tailwind. to keep ahead of a 30 knot tailwind with a 70 gear inch bike would mean you're spinning at like 150rpm. being able to shift up to 125 gear inches and effortlessly fly across the lakefront at 30+ mph being shoved forward by an unrelentingly strong tailwind is pure joy. we don't have downhills in chicago (sooooo flat), stupidly strong tailwinds are all i ever get for going super-fast, and i really like having a bike that can take advantage of them when they roll around.