Originally Posted by
Kabuki12
At 70 years old I’ve become pretty set in my ways , actually it happened years ago. I like the way my old road bikes work . I ride many miles with only flat tires to be concerned about . The bikes are very reliable and fun to ride . I have friends who ride modern bikes and they spend quite a bit more on their bike than I do . We ride together , go the same places , and have the same level of enjoyment . I was having coffee with a very good friend who had his $8k carbon bike leaned against a wall next to my , uhm ….much cheaper 1975 Colnago Super . I had a few people comment on my bike and how cool it was . ‘ What year is your Colnago?” , “ That is in really good shape “ , “ I always wanted one of those!” Not one person commented on the $8k carbon bike! My friend was fine with that , in fact we laughed together about it.
Adjusted for inflation, the original prices of the Colnago Super and the carbon bike would be pretty comparable, especially if the expensive electronic shifting setup the carbon bike is (presumably) equipped with is considered.
Certainly, in the hierarchy of bikes on the market, the Colnago would have occupied pretty much the same lofty place in 1975 that your friend's bike does now.
And, of course, the oohs and aahs would have been the same if you had a '75 Dodge Charger and he had some equivalent modern car.
That said, I'm similarly content with my older bikes. Although in my case, after 40-some years riding top-of-the-line steel bikes, I replaced the last few with aluminum bikes, which have been all I've ridden since about 2005.