I didn't realise bicycles were so different to ride

[Ming the Merciless]

Wait till you ride a few recumbents. Then you will realise how different bikes can be when not constrained by the diamond frame design.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Same make, but different purposes.
My own take is simply that I tried an alu framed bike; Giant OCR a few years ago and just couldn't get on with it because of the stiffness of the frame. My three bikes area all chromoly and I personally much prefer the greater flexibility of said material.

Years back I took my first cycling trip to the Alps. My bike was temporarily lost in transit. I borrowed a very early version of the carbon OCR which was also a monocoque frame. My god, it was the worst bike I have ever ridden, it was so stiff and 'dead' it felt like it was made from wood, if you tried to turn more than about 30 degrees you felt like you would crash, there was just no compliance in it at all.