Originally Posted by
Random11
I've wondered the same thing as the OP. I'm not disagreeing. I'm wondering.
I have two bikes with carbon fiber frames and mechanical Ultegra groupsets that have a new price less than 1/3 of a $14,000 bike. What extra value would I get if I spent another $10,000 to get the $14,000 bike? What differences would I notice on my rides compared to the bikes I have now? One answer is electronic shifting, which I don't particularly want, but that's a difference. What else would I notice in the more expensive bike? That''s a serious question on my part and I don't know the answer because I've never tried a bike like that.
Don't tell me it has higher quality carbon or something like that. Tell me what differences I would notice riding the more expensive bike. I'm not saying there aren't any. I'm saying I don't know what they are, so back to the OP's original question: Where's the value in a bike that expensive? Why is the riding experience better?
As others have said, the differences in these things are slight and in some cases aesthetic. Your bike has Ultegra? Would you suddenly be faster or climb better if you switched to mechanical Dura Ace? Probably not but you would likely notice some differences. On the other hand would you be slower or your bike become sluggish if you switched to 105? A lot of this stuff involves tiny increments or personal preference.
In club riding, the difference in rider ability is bigger than the difference in bikes in most situations. In the mountains one day a friend brought his 28 pound Atlantis and still out climbed other riders who were on much lighter bikes. But he also has some Colnagos, a Sarto, and a new Officine Mattio.