fietsbob

OK 1, you are asking about Road bikes, they are being current race bike style trends driven.. Your buddies are going with those , not resisting, as you may be..

Which 4 are those? A Math Answer; count teeth, express as a ratio a:b..

If you want something other than what the marketing/product managers choose for you ,
and get a factory to produce in volume, to lower cost per unit,

Then you are seeking a custom assembly.. combining various manufactured parts..
from many sources..



An option is to combine a bike built around having a Internal gear hub,
so having a smaller speeds count, over a useful range ..

and, perhaps, getting it set up with Drop Bars, the signature feature of Road Bikes, for many people..
This can be done.. Perhaps starting with a good used C&V bike frame,
of the ideal size for (unseen) you..


a 70 year old guy, who rarely leaves any bike I buy, the same
as it came out of the carton.. for 50+ years..






...

reppans

JLDickmon

Define "better."
There are lighter, smoother, more responsive, more durable and the sky is the limit price wise.
But if are looking for one or two of the qualities, more reasonably priced purchases can be made..
For me, I'm happier with my $300 craigslist specials than I am with the $700 mid-level hybrid I bought after cardiac rehab in 2012.

The hybrid is big, heavy, slow, and MEAN to ride.. whereas I can check pressures in the suspension and tires on one of my Super V's and take off blazin' and not get the snot pounded outta my backside (yeah, I know.. jokes)..

Maelochs

You want one machine to do everything .... won't work.

For instance, on a self-supported tour, the cost of the bike is irrelevant to me .... the bike has to be bulletproof. I am not worried about the bike being stolen because it will have everything I need to live, strapped to it ... so i am worried about everything being stolen. It's not like someone wouldn't steal the bike if it had Sora, not 105 .... More likely, the person trying to steal the bike wouldn't know the balance and would drop it and leave it anyway.

If I went to a lake to swim ... again, if the bike were easily stealable, the level of components wouldn't matter ... in that situation you would be looking at opportunistic thieves. Quality of the bike wouldn't matter.

if you cannot tell when I bike is not suited to a riding surface .... I have 23s on a couple bikes ... guess what? They suck on gravel.

Just plain bad pavement? Any bike can handle that unless it isn't safe to ride anyway. If you think your bike cannot ride over bumps ... you should park it.

If you go for a ride and stop at a nice restaurant ... what do you wear while riding? I cannot think of many nice restaurants which would be thrilled to have me clacking in in my cleated shoes, spandex shorts, and sweaty jersey.

And yes ... most people have a bike for bad weather since silt slurry (fine dust in water) will get inside every mechanical part and erode it from within. I have discs on my rain bike too ... makes sense since i will be riding in rain, right?

Basically, I NEVER lock up a bike which would be worth stealing, which a thief would risk arrest to steal, cutting through a lock or chain with a cutting wheel (very loud, attracts attention.) No serious thief is going to bother with anything much less than that .... and any serious lock and chain will defeat any casual thief.

In Fact … there is No bike so cheap that no one would bother stealing it. You could ride a $100 Walmart bike and if you don’t lock it securely, someone would steal it just because they could.

I don't mind riding a good but not great bike on errands or to do anything else.

However -------

Did you read the OP’s post? The OP specified Exactly what kind of riding he was going to do.

daoswald

In the Shimano lineup, there is 105 or better, and there is less than 105.

Shimano 105 is where you get the "ride it for thousands of miles" level of quality. Up from 105, you add refinement and weight savings.

Below 105 is the casual rider level. Tiagra is ok and will last a casual rider for a good long time -- possibly the life of their bike since they probably aren't riding that much. Claris isn't great.

CF versus Aluminum in a lower-end bike? Meh... I have an aluminum Cannondale Synapse with 105 groupset. I don't find it lacking anything I really need to be able to ride it all day. And I typically ride it four to five days a week.

fitlerbend

I over bought a carbon framed bike with an array of goodies. It is a primo bike, I just can't make it go like it is meant to be ridden.

My go-to bike is a steel frame touring bike that has a wide range of gears, a smooth and comfortable ride, and it just fits.

I am 69.

wphamilton

Unless there's a reason to hold back beyond "wasting" the bike, I say don't hold back. Why really care if it's "too good", if you've got the wherewithal?

To answer your open question no I haven't regretted getting too good of a bike, but I haven't actually tried that yet. I won't be second-guessing myself if I eventually do.

BlazingPedals

Either you're going to hold the bike back or the bike's going to hold you back. Which would you prefer?

Maelochs

if you think there is such thing as "too good a bike,' don't buy one that is too good. Not a tough problem to solve.

Tamiya

woodcraft

If you're locking up the bike outside while at school, commuting to work, etc.,

Then a $$$$ bike is too good and will cause suffering.

irwin7638

If you like your Bridgestone, you might want to upgrade to a Rivendell Sam Hillborne it's designed by the same guy. I use mine for all kinds of things beside recreation.

Marc

ironwood

If the Bridgestone fits, keep it; some XO-3s were lugged double butted cro-mo. Tires can make a big difference, there are some nice tires from Compass that are fast and comfortable. Sure carbon is lighter, but since there are no hills, the weight difference isn't that important.

Maelochs

If I had an old Bridgestone, i would respace the rear, and slap on some modern drive train or another .... But if you like D/T friction shifting, all you need to do is clean it up, lube it up, and ride it around.

But then ... I already have an Al and a CF endurance frame with 105.

Is your Bridgestone really comfortable for the entire ride? If so ... what would you be hoping for from a new bike?

As to whether you can get too good a bike ... as has been stated, unless you are planing to park it in high-crime areas, ....No.

But really ... All the stuff works. The thing that matters is getting the right frame size and adjusting all the contact points to suit your body.

I find it more relaxing to ride an endurance frame for longer distances or when I am tired ... but that will change as my fitness level rises or falls. Still, having a tiny bit more weight back is easier on my upper body when i am tired.

The Fuji Gran Fondo or the Giant Defy (CF version of the Contend) might interest you. The Contend, you know you like ... but I sill say, get all the bike you can afford.

You might not use a bike to its limits---I doubt more then a few percent of us do--but you can still appreciate the quality.

OldFartCyclist

I don't know about nice steel (my old 531 went into the back of my pickup for transport) but my Lynskey is as easy to lift onto my roof rack as my SWorks Roubaix. After Lynskey Ti for 2 years, 531 steel for 40+, and Klein aluminum for 6, with the prices Lynskey has on their website now, why go aluminum or steel?

In response to the thread question - both of my bikes are higher quality than I am. But it gives me something to aspire to!

tmac100

Agreed. Make sure the bike fits and do not skimp on the lock. The high end stuff will lighten your wallet, and maybe enhance your ego and "bragging rights", but it won't do much else in a realistic manner.

No matter what, get out and ride. Forget about becoming a Tour de France racer and just enjoy the bike and the ride..

Retro Grouch 

I think that it's definitely possible.

Over 100 years ago, before my grandparents married, my grandmother hand made the most beautiful lace tablecloth that I've ever seen. It was too good for everyday use so she saved it for some special occasion like if the pope happened to stop by for dinner. Well, the pope never came so the beautiful table cloth that she worked so hard to hand sew never got used.

Many of us have multiple bikes. If you were to have a special high end bike that you avoid riding because you are afraid of getting it scratched or you are afraid of it being stolen or you just want to save it for a special occasion, that would be too good of a bike.

Maelochs

But if the Pope ever drops in and wants to go for a ride ....

Ogsarg

I would not say that there is too good of a bike but I would say....
....there is too good of a bike to leave in front of a restaurant or store with a cheap lock
....there is too good of a bike to be appreciated by the average rider
....there is too good of a bike to be enjoyed for fear of impacting it's value
....people should not buy bikes that cost more than they can comfortably afford
....buying a really expensive bike is not going to make you an appreciably faster or stronger rider

Having said all that, if you can afford it and you're actually going to use it, get what you want.

caloso

Papa Frank has his own bike.

IronM

I can totally relate! I had inexpensive, recreational bikes for many years. I then pulled the trigger on a carbon Ridley built with Ultegra components and Zipp wheels. I was not worthy of this bike, but I grew into it. When I finally was able to hammer with the big boys, it was like my bike thanked me for it! IMHO, really good wheels make all the difference to any build. I've been going custom for the past 8 or so years - luckily I know a few wheel builders that really know their stuff.

fietsbob

Or is he just blessing it since it would take a miracle for someone old and stiff to bend over that far..
bike not a useful thing but for a Photo Op/ .. Neither Italian or Argentine,
(but for the flag decal )

and as John Prine sang a song on the subject, ..
"won't get you into Heaven, any more"

Maelochs

Now we know the secret of Peter Sagan's success .....

OldFartCyclist

And I totally agree with the thought about wheelsets! I put a set of Campy Record wheels on my "73 Peugeot PX10LE (my first "good" bike) and was sold on good wheels. I had a set of Weyless sealed bearing sewup wheels on my Schwinn 531 Volare (AKA "the Japanese Paramount" but with a full Shimano DA groupset. A great bike!) Those wheels were fantastic for their time. I never rode with anyone who could stay with me on a coasting descent. Now I run Mavic Ksyrium Pro Exaliths with aftermarket ceramic bearings and HubDoctor ceramics for the freehub bearings and the notorious freehub bushings. I know there are a lot of Mavic detractors out there, but the Exaliths - properly dialed in, give me great breaking that is comparable to discs in all conditions and have never given me trouble. Mine have run straight and true for 1,000s of miles. Maybe I'm just lucky but I have thousands of miles on various Ksyrium SE, SL, and SLS wheels without problems of any kind. I put the ceramics in about 1,000 miles ago just for an experiment, not a need. The jury is still out as to whether they are a good investment or not. I'm a compulsive tinkerer and working on my bikes is a form of relaxation and recreation for me. I have nearly full-shop capability except for actually building wheels. I don't trust myself enough for that and since I have retired, I don't have the funding to make many mistakes.

The point of this rambling is that in my mind, wheelsets are the best and first upgrade to make. They will make the biggest difference in your feel on the bike. But I have stuck with factory and not custom wheels simply for the experience I've had with high end Mavic sets, maybe I have just been lucky with them. I don't want to go carbon rims due to not having disc compatibility and the poorer wet weather performance of carbon rim brakes so I am sticking with my Exalith wheelsets.

raceboy