On Mar 11, 4:09*pm, Jay Beattie wrote:
So, my friend is trying to sell his Specialized Roubaix, and he set me
up on the bike for a ride last Saturday. ...*I have come
to believe that all the hyperbole in the press reduces to minor
differences, at least among similarly priced and purposed bikes.

That's the heart of the issue, I think. Makers of expensive bikes
certainly test each others' wares, and it's unlikely that any one
manufacturer is going to be miles ahead of the competition. In a
sense, I think it's like competition between makers of high-end
acoustic guitars. They all play very well. They may look, sound or
feel slightly different, and people will have preferences. But buying
a new guitar won't change a hacker into a master.

It must have been much more interesting around 1890. Back then,
different bikes were truly different. About the only thing really
settled was the optimum number of wheels!

- Frank Krygowski