Originally Posted by
Koyote
You're never going to get one of those frames with custom paint, Di2, and carbon wheels for $5K. That would be more like $10K. OP: diminishing returns get pretty steep after you spend $3K or so on a new bike, so you aren't sacrificing much by spending that amount of money. And if your house needs improvements, that is a smarter investment anyway.
Not necessarily all of those options on one bike, but was looking at those things in general. However there is a shop selling Open U.P.s with Di2 for $5.2K and one can get a basic custom paint job for $300-$600 which seemed "reasonable" for that bike. But you're right about the diminishing returns after a certain point; I was just caught up in the fun of these dream bikes.
Any other suggestions for off the rack bikes and what levels of parts I can aim for? Are there other lesser known brands that are sold at shops that are still good or should I just stick to mainstream manufacturers? Does anyone think buying something like a Flaanimal frame and building it over time for next season would be worth the effort and wait?