Eric F 

Different approaches work for different people. Compared with a lot of people I ride with, I tend to stay seated more because that's how I feel I'm most efficient, especially as someone carrying some extra weight. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine and I rode our singlespeed MTBs on a local loop. On the climbing part of the ride, my friend (about 10-ish lbs lighter than me, similar height) spent probably 30-40% of the time out of the saddle. I rode the entire climb seated. Our gearing was almost identical, and we were both working at near-threshold effort levels.

As a former World Tour pro and winner of La Vuelta, Horner probably knows a thing or two about what works best for him.

big john

I rode a 9 mile climb with a friend (on a geared bike) who stood up the whole way. I rode 10 mile across the valley with a local pro who stood up the whole way. I was pushing to try and not embarrass myself and he just spun the pedals, chatting, checking traffic, etc, and never using his saddle.

big john

You don't need a $10k cf bike when a $12k ti bike will do.

genejockey 

hey!

tomato coupe

Yes, but it's still basically a sponsorship deal.

Eric F 

So I have learned. That said, from the video posted, it sounds like ti was his preference and Merlin played a marketing card with the situation.

tomato coupe

His story indicates Merlin approached him out of the blue, but it's not clear which came first, the preference or the sponsorship. Either way, I think he gives a pretty objective assessment of how his Ti bike compares to carbon.

PeteHski

I would be prepared to bet that there are more ex-pros riding carbon frames than Ti. I presume Lemond rides carbon and Lance definitely does.

tomato coupe

And, probably by a very wide margin.

joesch

For sure, Horner was known as a climber and is very analytical.
Surprised some of the posters are questioning his technique.
I like his TDF stages analysis, but some do not.

Eric F 

If I recall, Horner ramped up his climbing abilities later in his career, and that was the key to the Vuelta (maybe some other keys, too ).

joesch

Many new litespeed TI bikes under 5K
https://litespeed.com/collections/sa...ucts/cherohala

genejockey 

Hey, if somebody offered me the right high end bike for free, they could take my CF Canyon. You listening, Giovanni and Alex?

Eric F 

That's HAWT!!! I wouldn't pick that as my personal dream bike choice, but I certainly recognize what a spectacular machine that is.

big john

Here is a $1200 cf road bike. That Merlin in Horner's video has to be well over $10k.

Eric F 

Looks heavy.

joesch

That Merlin was given to Chris as an endorsement.
It was custom built to his specs.
It has top of the line bits.
I would expect it to be very expensive if somebody else did the same.

genejockey 

I'd probably choose different wheels because I'm not in love with the spoke pattern. OTOH, if we're talking for free, I could probably get over that.

big john

I know, I posted the video of him discussing it.

big john

Could be. Some BF member has 2 or 3 of those bikes and he posted some beautiful pictures of them. Professional lighting, the whole works. Made them look really nice.

Eric F 

Same frame. Different (but probably similar) components - 21 lbs. About what I expected. https://savadeck-bike.com/products/s...r3000-18-speed

This looks like a bit of a different animal...https://savadeck-bike.com/products/sava-electronic-shifting-full-carbon-road-bike-r9270

jonathanf2

I wasn't questioning his techniques, just more curious on his style. I personally love going out of saddle, but I've been trying to improve my energy conservation and aerobic conditioning, so I've been forcing myself to stay seated. When I go out of saddle, it becomes more like an anaerobic exercise utilizing more of my muscle strength.

I find there is so much depth and technique when it comes to climbing, I still feel like there's much to learn.

big john

That second one is $6k. I didn't know they had bikes that high. I don't know which ones the member had.

There used to be a member who restored older road bikes, new paint, every detail, and he was a pro-level photographer. He would stage the bikes on a set and take the most beautiful pictures. Wonder what happened to him.

rekmeyata

STOP looking at everyone's high-end bikes, you don't need a high-end bike unless you are a professional racer, or don't mind wasting money, you are missing very little! Save yourself the money and stop worrying about it. Remember, it's about the engine not the bike. A good mid-level bike is around 98% of what a high-end bike will offer you, but you'll pay at least 100% more for the high-end bike, is a 2% or so improvement worth that much more money?

Your bike is a decent bike, not sure which Tricross it is, but even the low-end model was a decent bike. The average bike costs $900 these days, not sure how much yours was in 2010 but you know and you can go to inflationary calculator and figure out how much that bike would sell for today.

If you have the money, and are not being pressured by your peers, or us on this forum to get a new bike, your debts are all paid, and you think you need a reward for your years of long work service, then get a new bike, but you really don't need an $8,000 plus bike, unless you have so much money it doesn't matter.

One of things you might want to consider instead of the typical carbon fiber bike, is looking at titanium instead, it will last a lot longer than CF, and hold its value better if you think sometime down the road you might sell it. Or maybe ask yourself a question, are you still wanting to do road riding, or are you looking for a bit more adventure like touring the US, if the latter has crossed your mind, then look into getting a decent touring bike, and keep the Spec for road riding. Ask yourself some questions first before diving into getting a new bike.

Eric F 

What makes someone wanting to spend money on a high-bike a waste? What if that person recognizes and appreciates the subtle differences between a mid-level and high-end bike, and gets more enjoyment and motivation out of riding the high-end bike? Is value only determined by measurable performance differences?

How long does a CF bike last? I have 2 that are more than 20 years old and doing just fine. Unless they get significantly damaged somehow, I don’t see any reason why they won’t last another 20+ years.