Originally Posted by
SoreFeet
Bicycle prices today have more to do with the cost of marketing than the skilled labor/materials needed to build a bike. The supply and demand side brings the price of custom made steel frames up significant margin.
I don't think using the term "better" to describe a modern composite bicycle is really just. I think it is safe to say that high disposable income morons will put more money into a bike today than yesterday because the diversity of product image is much greater.
The technology to market has made selling crappy Taiwan frames at a premium. The same can be said for wheels. It is a well known fact that a 36 spoke cross three wheel is more durable and almost maintenance free if properly built. Yet most people today who are fat ride on low spoke wheels that go out of true because they think they will go faster with less spokes.
For the user who refered to Reynolds 531 as a lesser material than today...Get real. Do you really think any of these flimbsy 2,000$ specialized bicycles will be ridden over the next 50 years? I don't think so.
Before I swear up a storm I will return, to my happy niche over at Classic and Vintage...You roadies can continue to bask in consumer glory.
With the possible exception of durability, there really isn't much question that the state of the art 2008 bike is superior to the 1988 state of the art bike. A 15lb carbon fiber bike with a 10 speed guppo that shifts flawlessly, is comfortable to ride, yet is extremely stiff in transmitting power, brakes wonderfully, and has aero wheels, is going to be measurably faster than the 21lbs Reynolds 531 bike, and is going to be more fun to ride.
I currently have a Reynolds 531 Paramount with Campy Nuevo Record, a 1989 Paramount OS, and a 2007 Giant Team TCR Advanced.
While I love the Paramounts, time has moved on, and the Giant is simply a better bike.
And guess which one of the 3 frames has broken? The 1989 Paramount.