haha. is this the sentra or whatever that they got to run 14's?

 

Not saying what is did is not studly, just saying that fairing on the front of his bike is "aero". Also, the recumbent in-and-of-its-self is "aero".

 

If it's not overpriced and made of composites, it was purchased at a toy store.

 

Yep. SCC's Sawzall Sentra. The pics of the impossibly light bikes kinda remind me of it.

 

Daddy got off the trainer and actually rode outside today. Man, it was windy. But I ain't complaining. Ok, sorta. But not much.

 

Rode with a buddy of mine today that does freelance advertising work for Trek and every couple of years gets a new bike as part of his compensation. This is the latest one. Very nice ride.

 

It feels ******* fantastic to pedal the bicycle again on an epic day like today. I just hit the climbing route again and life is good.

 

Fantastic!

 

I should also thank you for shaming me into using the barrel adjusters. A couple days ago my FD cable came loose and I was super happy to have them. Thanks for the reality check.

 

Just finished a recovery week.
297.3 miles, 18,030 ft, 18 hrs 5 min.

Also, new bar and stem.

 

I need some Di2 in my life. Emphasis on "need", especially considering there's a 6700 RD in the mail for me right now.

 

They are nice RD's. I have its little brother the 6600 since the polished look fits the old steel bike look better. Super awesome.

I need to find a 6600/7800 FD now to match

 

Luckily mine makes a ticking noise after I bent it back into shape after the crash, so now my bike is mostly Ultegra. I'll upgrade levers when 6800 becomes cheap and undesirable much like 6700 just did. I look forward to the hydraulic revolution so I can buy 6800 levers, lol.

 

Hustler, serious question. I've been reading this thread, and looking at all the bike you post. However, my old bike is a Raleigh Grand Prix from the late 1970's. I post that so you will understand I know next to nothing about modern bicycles.

So, in a nutshell, spoken in a manner to be understood by those with slight brain damage, what makes these bikes so much better? I understand they are significantly lighter than my old dinosaur, but what else? What justifies thousands of dollars for a bike these days? Educate me.

 

though im not hustler and I don't have experience with the ultra high end road stuff:

base bike store bike:
its OK at casual riding. It shifts fine, rides well and will please 80% of people.

From there you start spending money on higher grade components that weigh less while retaining or improving strength, shift quality, shift speed or some handling aspects.

The higher end bikes will have more variation in geometry with more specific uses than a casual entry level bike, much like variation in cars as you start to get away from the daily driver and into more sporty and then more racey.

 

Your bicycle probably has ancient brifter shifting, slightly heavier, less gearing, blah blah blah.

Basically, anything more "high end" than mine is mostly sex-appeal. I'm certain a $10k bicycle with fancy carbon lay-up and electronic shifting is nicer to ride, I'm just not sure that it's ~$7000 (250%) "better" than what I'm on. I'm sure Dura-Ace mechanical shifts a little better, I'm certain a Super-Six Hi-Mod rides better and it's stiffer, it's just way too expensive. However, there's also the artistic, sex appeal of these bicycles that look exactly the way I think a bicycle should look, Parlee does it best. It's one of the very few, if not the only form of visual art that I appreciate. Speedvagen, Vanilla, Crema, Parlee, Baum, they all make art. Go back through the thread and compare these works of art to that Trek, which is heinous that no man with any self-respect would ride such a depraved machine.

I think that what I'm riding now represents the greatest dollar/performance ratio possible, much like owning a Miata. It performs well enough to get me down the road while enjoying the ride, it's pretty sexy, yet not so expensive that I can't replace it in a crash. Sure, I'd love to have a $15,000 finished-out Parlee with Enve wheels and Di2, but that's like owning a Lamborgina which doesn't make sense and you never use it as intended because its worth so much.

Also, it's important to note that Eddy Merckx won every TdF on a CAAD10.

 

Speaking from a position of total and utter bicycle ineptitude, it's mostly in the material and geometry of the frame. They've gotten lighter and stiffer while also becoming smoother to ride, so you end up with a bike that's easier to pedal, puts more of your energy towards forward momentum, and doesn't beat you up as much. The shifters work more smoothly and quietly and are lighter, the brakes are more powerful and have better modulation, etc.

Kind of an eerie parallel to cars, actually. The chassis gets stiffer, the suspension gets more supple, and the engine and trans gets more efficient and smoother. Thus, you go faster (and more importantly, look better doing it).

 

You forgot: safer (no downtube shifters), accelerates better, stops better, turns better, easier to work on, has twice the gears, less power loss through the drive train, etc...

Now is all that worth the cost? Dunno.

 

CAAD10 is the cycling equivalent of the 80/20 rule.

 

Considering I own a vintage road bike, I'd say the cost difference from a $200 vintage road bike to a $1500 CAAD10 is easy to justify. Not sure that $1500CAAD10 to a Super Six Evo at $7k is justifiable, but I bet it's a cool bike to pedal.