metalpossum

Actually, I just had an obsessive/non-negotiable high budget, and some good taste. I couldn't really afford the bike, but I got the frame cheap ($150 NZD), and the more I looked at it, the more I kept turning down the low-budget brands like Shimano and Microshift. It would have been like putting hub-caps on a Ferrari. I guess if you love something enough, you'll sacrifice 1st world living for just a moment, to help pay for it; alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, well made bicycles.

And yes, it is an extremely quick feeling bike, the geometries are steep, short wheelbase, it's a very direct and responsive feeling. I'm no athlete though, I just work as a bike mechanic, I commute on this of all things, just because I can.