robertj298 

Will the $3000 bike go faster? Be easier to peddle? Shift better? Brake better?
Last longer?

tagaproject6

Total strangers will be more impressed with your expensive bike. Everything else is secondary.

ksryder

Subscribed.

AlmostTrick

$2300, Duh.

Bike shops wish $3000 bikes were easier to "peddle" than $700 bikes!

base2 

Thete is a world of difference between the two. Does any of it matter? Absolutely not unless you are an aspiring or sponsored racer.

The $700 bike will make you stronger. As it is most likely heavier.
The $3k bike will make you faster. As it is most likely lighter and more aero with more refined components.

That being said, if you can't tell the difference, your money is better served by staying in your pocket.
Both will be a joy to ride.
Or you can do what most of us here at BF do. Get one of each. N+1 & all that.
Justify it to yourself by the logic: Train heavy, race light...Your brain & your spouse will believe you until bike 10 or 20 or so!

livedarklions

Well, for me, I'd have to ride with about 8 more pounds of locks to go anywhere on the $3000 bike because I lke to stop places on long rides..

livedarklions

I bought a $3000 bike at Walmart, it had 24 wheels and 12 frames.

Colnago Mixte

Not nearly as much difference as you would expect. Nicer finish on components. Better wheels. A couple pounds lighter overall.

The lighter weight will get you up long climbs slightly faster. Braking and shifting will be just slightly better, and might stay adjusted slightly longer, but nothing dramatic. You might get better tires too, maybe.

Geometry of the frames are often identical. There is really surprisingly little difference, as a general rule. I guess the main thing you get is a feeling of satisfaction from owning a "better bike" than the unfortunate proles who only paid $700 for theirs. It's mainly psychological, but we humans derive a lot of pleasure from such things in other areas of our lives, why should bikes be any different?

VegasTriker

The answers are yes, yes, yes, and yes but only if you take good care of the bike. If you treat it like trash it will be trash before long.

A very long time ago I when I worked at a bike shop I bought a Motobecane Le Champion and built a set of wheels with Phil Wood hubs. Just the frame alone cost me a month's salary for what was the French Motobecane's top of the line production bike. It was light for the standards of the day and a real joy to ride. I kept the bike for several decades until age crept up on me and riding a road bike was no longer much fun. The bike was just as good after a couple of decades as it was when I rode it out of the shop. Today I ride a $3K recumbent trike. It's not top of the line, but decent quality. Once you get spoiled with a really fine bike, there is no going back to entry level.

AlmostTrick

Correct. The Placebo effect can't be discounted.

Oso Polar

All of the above. Both will probably be decent bikes though. Unlike in $700 bike vs $150 BSO comparison.

Colnago Mixte

"Once you get spoiled with a really fine bike, there is no going back to entry level."

True, so sadly true. I almost wish I had stuck with my dept store bikes, but as the poster above says, there is really no going back once you've tasted the forbidden fruit of riding a bike that costs more than your car.

Oso Polar

Well, half-decent cars start at around $15000, so your bike should be REALLY GOOD!

I-Like-To-Bike

Bicycle manufacturers probably even more so, since I doubt that the manufacturing costs between them are that much different.

Phil_gretz

No. Generally, $700 bikes are easier to peddle.

DanBraden

Knocking it out of the park! Thread over, we can all go home, I'll get the lights...

indyfabz

Didn't we have a thread like this not too long ago?

Doug64

I gave my wife a custom made touring bike frame as a retirement present. It was built to her measurements, and fits her perfectly. The frame cost $3000, and I built it up with about $1000 to $1500 of very carefully selected components. The S&S couplers and the custom build were about $1000 of the cost. My wife is a very experienced bike rider, and was involved in the selection of the components. Most are not top of the line parts, but are good dependable components.

She has ridden that 6-year old bike over 21,000 miles, most of it on fully loaded tours. She also rides 2 other bikes, which don't get near the mileage
We both agree that it was money well spent, and a good investment.

​​​​​​Addressing the OP's quesytion:

• The bike fits her perfectly;
• The welds and finish are excellent;
• The bike is very stable and handles well. She has pulled away from me with a full touring load on the down hills when I was clocking 44 mph.
• The customer service is excellent. Her bike was damaged when we shipped it back from a trip, which I didn't notice until about 4 days before leaving on another tour. One of the cantilever brake studs was bent. I called the shop that made the frame, and they told me to bring it in the next morning. They looked at it and said they would see if the could fix it. It required a new stud, which they had welded and brazed by the next day. They did not have time to paint it so they put a coat of primer on the repaired area, and said they would paint it when we returned. They did.
• It makes my wife happy.

Does her bike ride any better than my touring bike which costed about half the price as her's? I think it does. It fits better, looks better, seems to handle better, and has excellent builder support

There is a lot of difference between a $4000 dollar custom built touring bike and her old $1500 touring bike. However, she has many enjoyable miles on her older bike, including a ride across the U.S.

What's her take. "it is just a tool."

​​​​​​

CAT7RDR

Split the difference. I bet you could find a nice carbon Ultegra level bike in the $1,700 -$2,000 range.

Upgraded wheels do not figure in this range.

The motor and maintenance to "feel a difference" are up to you.

smashndash

I recently upgraded from a $400 hybrid to a $1700 road bike. The biggest differences are as follows:

Weight. A lighter bike is more fun to throw around.
Handling: think sports car vs minivan. You can really thread the needle and carve mountains.
Geometry: far more aggressive, which allows me to pedal harder and stay more aero.
Speed: I am much much much faster on this bike because of better tires, better aero and a better position.
Stiffness: this bike feels a lot better to climb out of the saddle and sprint with. It doesnt feel as inefficient.
Shifting: if I want the gear to change, it does it. Doesn't matter how hard I'm pedaling or how fast I'm going. It just works.

The most important things to look for in a bike in that price range isn't aero or weight. It's serviceability, fit and suitability. How robust are the components and can they be replaced and repaired or maintained easily? How does the bike feel to ride? How appropriate is this bike for the application? A more expensive bike will generally answer these questions more positively than a cheaper one.

bruce19

I think the word you are searching for is "donate."

bruce19

Ride a $700 bike. Then ride a $3000 bike. If you see no difference, buy the $700 bike.

Doctor Morbius

How about some Socratic teaching? What's the difference between a Honda Civic and a Lamborghini Centario?

CAT7RDR

[QUOTE=Doctor Morbius;20471292]How about some Socratic teaching? What's the difference between a Honda Civic and a Lamborghini Centario?[/QUOTE

This now gets into Seat of the Pants comparisons and g-forces. Socrates emoji

alfordjo

Why not buy a $3000 bike for $700 off Craigslist?