Do you remember you mothers home baked cookies? Are they better than the ones in a package at the store? Of course, what was the secret ingredient? Love.
The idea of riding a bike whose frame parts were each chosen for the build and assembled by hand, a project that blurs the line between craftsmanship and art, a ride that invokes the idea of a sweaty Italian man building this bike for me. You're damn right I'm going to love that ride.
Sugar, flour, fat; those cookies at the store aren't much different than the one's mom made.
I'm a recent convert to steel. A common theme among us steel proselytizers is that most of us used to race on much more exotic materials. We've slowed down and matured. My Scandium bike was 16.5lbs in 2003, I sold it to pay for the next ride. My Litespeed was 14lb 15oz in 2006, I sold it for a loss because it rode like ****. I ride a Columbus steel Tallerico with Bayliss geometry. I might like it more each time I ride it. It's a 2002 or 3 and I've only had for 2 years. It still feels new and lively. It's not the "old bike". I've sure waited a long time on top of major climbs for people. 17.75lbs isn't slowing this thing down, well, not anymore than age/children/job have. I've never had something that descends this well. Something about it begs to be ridden. It entices me into the mountains. It dares me to attempt more and more audacious goals. It brings back the love of riding. Is it as fast as the stuff I raced on. Probably not. Is it as fast as a modern Cat 2 worthy bike? Definitely not. Am I in the market for a new road bike? What do you think?