Originally Posted by Surferbruce
i would bet 8 out of 10 roadies would have no idea that their colnago is a cannondale if you just gave it a different color of paint.
i think the average bike has gotten so good that for anyone not racing seriously the top of the line bikes of today are light years beyond what's needed or perceived. it's more about show than go, that's for sure
I would agree with the 8 out of 10 rule. I would also bet that these same riders couldn't tell the difference if I moved their saddle 5 mil up or down. The other 2 (myself included) would notice in about 10 feet. I spend so much time on my bike that it really is a part of me. I have Chourus on my LOOK and Record on my Orbea and I can tell the difference. The shifting is crisper on the Record and the brakes are better, especially the rear as the Record is dual pivot while the Chourus is not. The Orbea has a Neutron wheelset with Record based hubs while the LOOK has Chourus hubs. The Record hubs roll better.
Also I look at my bikes and the hand built lugged steel frames are works of art. My BJ track frame is just beautiful, while my Bianchi Pista is a functional practical bike frame. Go look on the "what bike do you ride" thread for the pic of one of Daves frames. Tell me that a $1000.00 Trek or C'dale is half as beautiful as that bike
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=15329 . For me and the other 2% sometimes it is the bike.
I also agree that the average bike is better now than the average bike was in 1989. My first road bike was a Centurian Le Mans an average bike. Today that average bike is better and builders like Trek and C'dale have helped road biking grow because of it.