Originally Posted by flipped4bikes
Uh, have you ridden a Comp? I hardly consider 105/Ultegra strictly lightweight racing components.
Compared to nine speed Tiagra/LX? Yup. I have bikes with 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10 speed drive trains and I can tell you with complete confidence that tighter spacing, reduced tolerances, lighter weight and using thinner materials results in more maintenance and more frequent replacement.
Originally Posted by flipped4bikes
I own both the Velomax Circuits and Roval Paves. Both low spoke counts. Bombproof. Neither have EVER needed truing. Durable.
And how big are you? I know you aren't tall and unless you've got a lot of extra weight, your experiences regarding wheel durability on a relatively new bike are not convincing.
Originally Posted by flipped4bikes
Granted, the '06 Comp is not the lowest gearing due to it's compact crank. The '07 Comp triple is got the gearing low enough for everything except the most insane hills.
The vast majority of cyclists use lower gearing and will likely disagree with you.