Originally Posted by
kingston
nobody aspires to own an aluminum bike. They settle for it.
Originally Posted by
sjanzeir
most everyone seems to be riding aluminum not because they want to, but because they feel like they have to.
Exactly my point - there are no "fans" of aluminum the way that there are steel advocates, carbon enthusiasts, or titanium fanatics. Why is it so when aluminum deserves so much more?
Marketing seems to have fed into the culture of vanity and image within the cycling community in which owning supercedes riding - the bike as a fashion accessory, if you will. Have any of you wondered just how many a film, sitcom, or TV series ever used the "fancy bicycle in the living room" trope just to add a certain kind of depth to a character, without ever showing them actually riding the bike?
Jewelry is made of gold and silver, and some of the most expensive jewelry is made of titanium. None of the "real" jewelry is made of aluminum, but none of it serves a practical purpose, either.