Ok, maybe Rivendell wasn't the best comparison. No, I don't ride a Rivendell either.
(Though I do like 8 speeds...)
Point taken about the case of snob. I just have thought before that while the Trek 520 looks like a fine bike, $1200 seemed just a wee bit steep for it. I'll find a better comparison. How about a Fuji Touring with Tiagra brifters for $900 or less.
The Trek 520 is likely Taiwanese made Cro-Moly just like the Fuji Touring. Just like most other frames. It seems to me that Trek is just charging a bit much with their foray into what is essentially a niche market. I don't know if I could build a Surly LHT or Cross Check for that price, but I might be able to...and the self built bike alone would make it worth more to me than a Trek 520. (Surly "mystique" would be a bonus...)
Dura-ace barcons, along with the component group on the 520 are certainly nothing to scoff at. But I've said already that I think Trek is bumping their price just a teeny bit too much. (kinda like the very expensive Portland, Trek's so-called "commuter" bike. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that, at the risk of starting a bad off topic flame war.)
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Good night...and good luck