So I was reading NY bike snob yesterday and he linked to a few articles of interest for me.
Link # 1
Link # 2
Link # 3
These articles got me thinking about money spent on a fg bike. Obviously building up a fg bike is different than a tri or road bike because of the difference in parts. However the application of most peoples road ridden fg bikes is also very different. I would assume a lot of us like to lock up our bikes, ride around on the road with them, and didn't buy them with racing in mind.
That said how would that affect the amount one would spend on their bike. How much money is too much money for a bike that you would feel comfortable locking up and leaving some where?
I doubt I could tell the difference between a $2 k bike and $5 k bike or a $10 k bike for that matter. Getting a custom frame would be amazing obviously but could most people really tell the difference between levels of steel quality out there let alone the crazy ti, ti / carbon setups outside of the stiffness of the ride (which probably isn't what most of us want anyways). Why would someone using their bike to get around town want a full carbon bike that if crashed might have to be scrapped instead of steel that could be repaired.
So I guess what I am asking is, what makes sense to spend on an around town bike? What makes sense to spend if one had a lot of disposable income? How much money for a frame is realistic? Steel or ti? Custom or stock? How high end would one want their wheels if they are just getting around town?
I know the answers to these questions will very from person to person just looking for other peoples' thoughts on the matter...