i wouldn't really put STis and ergo power shifters in the category of "technological advances." it's just a different, MORE EXPENSIVE, way of doing something that was being done quite well all along, in most cases BETTER. shifter/lever popularity can be chalked up to hype and laziness in my opinion.

anyway, i can tell the difference between 853 and 531, and i'm not a professional racer. i can tell the difference between a columbus frame and a reynolds frame just by listening to the ping it makes when i flick it with my finger. what does all of this mean? absolutely nothing!!

if you're not racing professionally, you don't NEED the latest and greatest in weight-saving technology. you need a bike that FUNCTIONS the way it's supposed to function. and one that you're comfortable on.

that said, i ride a lugged steel pinarello from the 80's, which feels SO much better than any aluminum bike i've ever ridden, and looks classier than any modern mass-produced road bike.