Originally Posted by sailor
Yeah, but everything you just said there is personal preference. I prefer the feel of a compact frame, like the feel of carbon over aluminum, and dont give a hoot in hell as to where its made.
Absolutely true! I, on the other hand, prefer the feel of a traditional geometry frame (if it's steel, all the better!), and the carbon bike you are talking about seems like more of a "throwaway" (not worth upgrading, buy a new bike instead) than a keeper (good, long-lasting frameset that is worth upgrading the components on.) It is impossible to say without knowing what the specific bikes are, but that is just my initial feelind based on the descriptions.