Originally Posted by existence
ive no doubt about that fact. i know being good on a bike has a lot more to do with my own mindset than the frame im riding. but the question remains is it more sensible and/or economical to take my new campy record/mavic wheels etc etc and swap it out on a succession of cheaper frames over say 10 years or to buy a frame thats likely to last the duration.
one custom steel/or ti frame or a sucession of cheaper options over the next 10 years???
Ask 53.....ahfergeddaboutit.
Seriously though, I'm completely biased so I should STFU. However, stuff wears out and stuff goes out of fashion, and there's absolutely zero resale in 2nd hand bikes, so if you're going to invest bigbucks in the longterm, it pays to get something solid, something timeless, but also something that has some potential for you to grow into and with. It's amazing how many shops/builders/fitters don't even bother to ask that question, which quite frankly scares me.
I worry about the dudes on 'team replica' bikes and consumable carbon jobbies. Today, T-Mobile Giant rider. Tomorrow? You look like a Pantani wannabe on a Mapei Colnago. Have your first decent crash and scratch past the resin outer layer of that carbon frame? Throw it in the bin, or be one of those annoying phonecalls I get every week "Can you fix my carbon frame?".