On Monday, March 11, 2013 4:56:59 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
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

I remember reading a comparison report about identical steel frames with identical groupsets tested by professional racers. The only way to tell the Columbus SL frame from the Tange Infinity frame was to weigh them. The racers didn't notice any differences in ride quality or handling.

Cheers