Originally Posted by
sstorkel
Unfortunately, due to market forces all designs tend to be pretty similar these days. In order to be cost competitive, you pretty much have to use the same materials as everyone else. If you want a special tubing shape or alloy or construction method it increases costs enormously. Frame designs and geometry also tend be be pretty similar, thanks to UCI rules that outlaw anything new and because unfamiliar designs just don't sell. How many disc brake-equipped road bikes did you see on your last ride? How many recumbents?
Yes and No. Sure there are a limited number of frame manufacturers and many companies use similar or even the same frames as their competitors, but there is still a lot of variety in available frames, even in a given material. Add to that the innovations that show up every year and you get even more variety.