Originally Posted by chasm54

Let's turn the question around a bit. Lets say you were able to take a bilnd test of three bikes at a given price point of, say, $5500 - $6000. Of the three, one feels definitely superior to the others - not necessarily better in any objective sense, just seems to ride nicer and handle more as you want ypur bike to handle.

When they're all unwrapped you find that the bike you liked best has an aluminium frame. Are you going to reject it on that basis? In other words, buy what (to you) is an inferior product because the more suitable bike is made from a material you don't think of as glamorous? That wouldn't be too smart, in my opinion.

Might be an idea to compare bikes rather than frame materials, no?