Will I notice the difference between an expensive bike & a very expensive bike?

[Thigh_burn]

I'm considering n+1. My current bike is a steel Condor that I love, but I want something light and my preference is carbon.

I'm a middling rider, not very fast - avg is 15/16mph over 50 miles or so, which is a fairly standard distance for me.

If I spend c£1750 on a Giant TCR or a Supersix Evo, how will that compare to spending c£3,500 on a Cervelo R3?

Let's not get into the semantics of the expense. I can read the price tag and I know whether or not I can afford it. I also would take any bike out for a test ride and will do multiple test rides. But my question is, for those that have ridden bikes in both those classes, would I notice a real difference?

 

[Cycleops]

I'm sure you'll notice the difference but once you get over a certain price the law of diminishing returns kicks in.

 

[derrick]

Buy the one that feels the best when you try them on the road.find some hills. My R5 descends much better than my S2.

 

[Biff600]

Yes you will feel the difference, I went from a Cannondale CAAD 8 with 105 gearing to a Pinarello Dogma with Di2 gearing. But as you and other have said, try 'em !!

 

[Drago]

I doubt in performance or comfort you'll notice much, if anything. The difference between very good and very very good is not likely to translate into tangible numbers.

However, you may feel an exaggerated stirring in your underwear when you open the garage door, and that's a good enough reason if you want one.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I doubt in performance or comfort you'll notice much, if anything. The difference between very good and very very good is not likely to translate into tangible numbers..

The only tangible number you'll see is that of a severely diminished bank balance. Once you get above BSO level, I do not believe there is much perceptible improvement from expensive bikes, and the further up the scale you go the smaller the differences become. What I do believe though, is that people who spend top dollar on very expensive machines basically convince themselves that their very expensive bike IS much better to ride than their cheaper bikes, in order to self-justify spending a large sum of money on something that is only marginally better than something else costing only a fraction as much.
You are not going to come across many people who will 'fess up to anyone else that their £5k bike actually isn't really all that much different to their £500 bike, as they won't want to be branded a muppet who's just blown an extra £4.5k for virtually no benefit.. The market for really expensive bikes thrives on groups of (mainly) blokes who want to show off on two wheels exactly the same as people with flashy bling cars do on four. It's all about self-indulgence.

 

[CXRAndy]

Buy what you like, if it brings you satisfaction and enjoyment. I have bikes at both ends of the spectrum and I can tell you I enjoy my £450 bike as much as my £7000 bike

 

[numbnuts]

Yes you will feel/notice the difference.......in the wallet

 

[cyberknight]

I echo the above
It might be nicer to ride but in real world terms you wont notice enough to make it worth it above a certain level, im using a self built rat bike for commuting and TBH its no slower than a bike that cost 4 times as much new if you compare like for like .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I have bikes at both ends of the spectrum and I can tell you I enjoy my £450 bike as much as my £7000 bike

My spectrum I suspect is a bit narrower than yours, but the same thing applies. All of mine are steel, so I am comparing like-for-like. The best quality ones I own (Reynolds 531 Raleigh + 531 Dawes) are a little bit lighter than the gas pipe hack bikes, and the mechanicals feel a tiny bit more refined - mainly the gearchange slickness. There is very little perceptible difference in ride quality, and a lot of that could be accounted for by tyre choice and inflation pressure rather than the bike itself.

 

[derrick]

The only tangible number you'll see is that of a severely diminished bank balance. Once you get above BSO level, I do not believe there is much perceptible improvement from expensive bikes, and the further up the scale you go the smaller the differences become. What I do believe though, is that people who spend top dollar on very expensive machines basically convince themselves that their very expensive bike IS much better to ride than their cheaper bikes, in order to self-justify spending a large sum of money on something that is only marginally better than something else costing only a fraction as much.
You are not going to come across many people who will 'fess up to anyone else that their £5k bike actually isn't really all that much different to their £500 bike, as they won't want to be branded a muppet who's just blown an extra £4.5k for virtually no benefit.. The market for really expensive bikes thrives on groups of (mainly) blokes who want to show off on two wheels exactly the same as people with flashy bling cars do on four. It's all about self-indulgence.

What a load of b*****ks

 

[screenman]

I find people who cannot afford an expensive bike often say bad things about them. Along with people who have money to spend only because they are fools, how that works I have no idea. Now somebody with no money getting into debt to buy a bike, yes I would say they could be considered foolish in my humble.

 

[Nebulous]

I've always been reluctant to spend a lot of money on anything, but since I started cycling I've gradually loosened the purse strings. As a result I've ended up with two £2000 bikes. A genesis equilibrium and and a specialized tarmac. They're as different as chalk and cheese.

Going from a steel bike to a carbon fibre one will be a big change.

I've come to the conclusion the tarmac was a bit of an indulgence. It's a fast race machine, which came quite well specced out of the box. I bought it because I started with an Allez, loved it and the tarmac is more or less the same geometry in carbon rather than alloy. We've never quite clicked however and it is sitting on a turbo.

I'm now doing long distance riding, specifically audax, and the genesis suits that better. If I had the money for both of them back, I'd probably drop £3.5k on a ti bike with a dynamo and disc brakes, which would suit my intended use much better.

So my advice would be, think carefully about what you want a bike for. It might not be reliving the past, but about future usage.

Having said that I do like the look of the supersix, and I'm sure you could spec it above £2k if you set your mind to it...

 

[derrick]

If you can thats fine,
If you cant thats fine,
We have to live within our means.
No point in slagging people of either way,