Originally Posted by
Sunnyrider56
I'm not disparaging anyone for spending the money, but sincerely asking because I'm trying to wrap my head around nice gear and where to draw the line, where to maximize the investment.
I really like riding, and have for a few years ridden at least 20 km 5 days a week, be it commuting or groceries or long fun rides (I don't own a car). I have some cash saved in my cycling budget, and I'm wondering if dropping it on something like a custom frame in steel or Ti (Moots, Firefly, etc) is really the best place for it. While having a beautiful, durable, fitted frame would be nice, I also realize that a crash (or theft) would reduce that investment to zero in an instant, or changing standards making a "forever" bike harder to outfit after some years (even if it's 10-15).
I suppose this is several questions:
Is it worth spending on a nice frame alone (north of $4000), considering obsolescence and crashes/theft?
Would it be a better "investment" to spend some of that on travel or other gear to make the riding more enjoyable (clothing, groupset or IGH/Pinion, wheels, computer, etc) and a less-expensive frame, assuming geo was right?
If you're intending to ride a bike every day until it breaks, how much could you justify spending on any single bicycle?
It can be worth it to splurge $4k on a nice frame. Obsolescence is a potential issue. It's hard to forecast the future. That said, I think that flat mount disc brakes are a settled enough standard. Fork steerer/headset diameters are a bit in flux, but you could go for one of the established tapered standards. You shouldn't go wrong with a T47 threaded bottom bracket. You should be able to get a custom road frame with clearance for 32s or higher. All frames are eventually going to go obsolete, but if you work with a smart custom builder, you'll be on that frame for a long time.
That said, unless you don't fit stuff off the rack very easily, getting a high-zoot custom frame is mainly about the psychological rewards and the pretty paint or anodized finishes. I say this as the owner of one such road bike (paid a bit over $3k in 2007). Actually, that bike has some obsolescent standards: it's got a 1" head tube and rim brakes. And even so, I can still get replacement parts even today. High end rim brakes will be around for some time more. If I need a different stem, I'll just go with a shimmed 1-1/8" stem and live with the visual mismatch. The bike has relatively skinny tubes, but even so, R8000 does look fine on the bike.
That said, you're right that there is a lot of other gear that optimizes your riding experience. Chances are that most people can achieve a satisfactory fit on an off the shelf bike (I just got a stock size small gravel bike). You can and perhaps should blow some money on the accessories. Question is which ones?
In my opinion, groupset should
not be one thing that you need to splurge on unless we're talking about electronic versus mechanical. Shimano's 105, Ultegra, and Dura Ace groups are functionally very, very similar. Campagnolo's Chorus, Record, and Super Record are functionally identical, but you get more carbon, titanium, and ceramic bearings as you go up - none of which should really impact performance. I've heard Potenza is a very good group also, it just has a different shifting mechanism. I can't speak to SRAM, but I'd bet that Force is also very close to Red. There was always a bit of cachet associated with Campy in general, and with Campy Record versus the other groups, but it was mainly cachet.
For electronic versus mechanical, I'm a bit torn. I actually own one bike with R8000 (i.e. mechanical shift + rim brake) and one with R8070 (electronic + hydraulic disc). I do like Di2 a lot. Di2 shifting won't go out of adjustment, whereas your mechanical shifting will eventually degrade and then you change the cables. I've heard some people say they've tried Di2 and will never go back. I haven't had the Di2 bike very long (2 weeks), but I'm not yet in this camp. Di2 is also quite a bit more expensive. It's definitely something to consider splurging for. I'd say it's less worth it to go for a higher level groupset (e.g. DA or Record), and I'd rather spend the money on the frame or wheels.
For wheels, I think that high end alloy wheels are pretty close in aerodynamics to many carbon ones. With disc brakes, though, carbon wheels will last a long time. In contrast, carbon clincher rim brake wheels had some problems with blowouts and overheating in extended descents. Plus you wear the rim every time you hit the brakes. Tubulars mitigated a lot of those issues, but they required a completely different logistical setup. I am not willing to consider carbon rim brake wheels. However, carbon disc wheels could be a place to splurge. However, you can get good alloy wheels and nice hubs for a lot less.
I'd argue that you should spend money on your clothes and shoes. Get shoes that fit. Get clothes that work well for your climate, e.g. a good ultralight jersey and bibs for the middle of summer, good midweight fabrics for other times, winter gear if you ride then, etc. This is probably an underrated area to spend on.
The other thing is that if you want something to commute on, then I don't think it should be the fancy custom frame. You do want a cheaper commuter bike.
I don't think any bike can really last forever, but I've been on my steel roadie for 12 years. I've got no intention of giving it up for some time. I suspect that if I don't get bored of it, I could easily ride it until the frame fails, or the groupset dies and I can't get a decent rim brake groupset anymore. That should be a very long time from now.