Originally Posted by
Chrisp72
HerrKaLeun...I guess as I get older I want to be less influenced by hype and have more information on what is. You bring up a good point about getting what you get when it comes to a 1x system. As a consumer of components since my teen years I've always been a sucker for marketing; not just in cycling but in everything. I like to think now I put more effort into finding something by asking more and more questions. I'm searching for a place to learn about what cycling now has to offer but I want to be picky about my sources. If I walk into a bike shop I feel I will be sold something that hasn't been tested as thoroughly as it should be. I try not to buy things that are the tip of the spear. I'm content to wait and see how other people fare and learn from them. Most places around here have nothing but this years bikes on offer. I will attempt to learn about them if possible and hopefully make an informed decision based on experience an through trusted sources.
If you buy from a good manufacturer, it is tested properly for the intended use. If there is a defect, they will warranty it.
Obviously if you buy from a bad manufacturer, that product will be bad when newly released, or at the end of the model year. SRAM NX still sucks, even some years after it was released. To the contrary, they made it even worse and called it SX. lol.
If an LBS has many old model year bikes, I would see that as a sign they are too expensive and therefore stuck with old inventory. but the 2018 bike, for example, still has the same components. Those components didn't get more mature or designed better from being in the LBS for 2 years.