Originally Posted by
bnot
What is the advantage of shedding ~9 pounds? How would that be accomplished anyway? Carbon frame and wheels or maybe just carbon spokes? The chromoly frame has some desirable qualities though. It's tough and plush. I can see some advantage getting away from the steel spokes in the reduced rotational inertia, but would that really be noticeable in the seat of my pants or just in measured seconds over several kilometers?
How many gears is enough? I do live right up against 10,000 ft mountains and the bike is not geared for the passes. But I could put a different chainwheel on it and then it would be. How does 24 gears really benefit my riding?
Price is not really an object as much as benefit. How much would I have to spend to make a big difference? I figure if I spend less than some $ amount, it's just a parallel move. If I spend more $$ I may start to see some benefit. If I spend $$$$, there are probably diminishing returns especially if I don't assign value to a slim competitive edge that I'm not able to attain due to my limitations as a rider.
Get yourself a set of 25 pound weights and a set of 15 pound weights. Do curls with each until you can go no further. Which were you able to curl longer?
Whether you know it or not that is a similar thing to what you experience when constantly riding in rolling terrain or when climbing the side of a mountain.
If you are on level ground or going down hill all the time, weight is not such a big deal. Though if you have a 30 pound bike, I'll probably beat you in a short sprint. And I'm not that great a cyclist. Just a legend in my own mind sadly.