Is Aaron's new Cannondale Supersix Evo LAB71 the nicest bike in the office?

Dadams7378 wrote:

 Very easy to criticise, but Aaron clearly has reasons for all his choices which the article explains.  Much better to have a 'dream' build that doesn't follow the herd IMO.

As with so many fashion-based fads, the "dreamers" are merely following a different herd. It might be a smaller and more exclusive herd but it's still being driven about by a marketing sheepdog. 

Keesvant wrote:

Well if this was my bike.. would have gone with dura-ace.. no brainer !

Dura-Ace is a no-brainer alright.  Anyone still having a brain would buy 105. All the functionality at a fraction of the price. You can always stick a Dura-Ace label on 105 to impress the bike fashion frockers and poseurs. 

This is such a pointless comment.  As the article states, this is a 'dream' build, not a 'how to get 90% of the performance at 50% of the price' build.  We're all familiar with the concept of diminishing returns, and it doesn't mean you're an idiot to pay the extra 50% for 10% performance provided you can afford it.  One of the main reasons 105 is so good is that Shimano invest so much money in developing the technologies in their flagship groupset, which then trickle down to mid range groupsets at a lower price point.  You're entitled to prioritise 'value' of course, but to suggest that people that buy 'halo' products are brainless and unaware that they could get most of the performance at a significantly lower price is just a bit ignorant IMO.  Not to mention hugely unoriginal, as these 'don't you realise how much less you could spend' comments adorn pretty much every article on a high end product.

Dadams7378 wrote:

This is such a pointless comment.  As the article states, this is a 'dream' build, not a 'how to get 90% of the performance at 50% of the price' build.  ments adorn pretty much every article on a high end product.

Well, you're right I suppose to point out that if one is buying a bike-frock (for promenading and displaying to other bike-frockers) Dura-Ace is better than 105 as it has more bling value in the bike-frocker echelons, clubs and fetish-groups. On the other hand, it should really be Campagnolo's latest and highest to be "a dream" eh?

But I'd assumed that a RoadCC person with a bike would want it for cycling, not wearing.  Functionality then becomes "how to get performance" as a bicycle, not a frock. Whilst bike frock fashionableness might demand the biggest spend for the most bling, functionality suggests "how to get 90% of the performance at 50% [or even less] of the price".

Elsewhere there's a thread about the rising and increasingly unaffordable price of bicycles. Expensive bling-draped frock-bikes are part of this problem, which is very definitely a problem for those who want a bike rather than a frock but have found themselves with the same wage now as they had in 2007.

RoadCC or BikefashionCC?

I agree the high price of bikes is an issue, but that's an issue applicable to numerous sectors, it isn't limited to bicycles.  Furthermore, this isn't an article on bike prices, it's an article about the dream build of a guy whose career has been spent in bikes, and (read his bio) is clearly a pretty serious competitive cyclist, not a cafe poseur or a member of whatever other 'fashion' influenced group gets your goat.

I'm not sure what your point is.  You appear to have a chip on your shoulder in relation to those people who can afford to spend silly money on a pastime, and are accordingly desperate to prove what worthless idiots they are.  If only they'd tapped into your wisdom before buying, surely they'd have found cycling nirvana, improved themselves as people and saved themselves a fortune!

There are, of course, plenty of people for whom the additional 10% isn't 'necessary'.  On the other hand, for Aaron as a competitive rider, it may well make a difference in his results, and if he can afford to pay for that difference, why shouldn't he?

Your marketing point is true, and I agree that bike websites are unlikely to bite the hand that feeds, however what are you expecting?  Every high end bike to be rated one star and mercilessly slated on the basis that you could get performance in the same ballpark for significantly less money?  Presumably though, anything over 'decently functional as a road bike' (say £750) should therefore be treated the same - why have 105 when you can have 8 speed Claris?  Why have £20 tires when a £10 set provides 90% of the performance at half the cost?  I hope for your own credibility that you therefore own a bike that encapsulates all these principles?

Cugel wrote:

Dura-Ace is a no-brainer alright.  Anyone still having a brain would buy 105.

Dura Ace is completely unnecessary, but it's really nice, and if you can afford it, what's the problem?

Off the back wrote:

"The complete build weighs in at 6.9kg without pedals.

Add pedals, normal round bottle cage(s), computer and it's well over 7kg. Not especially light and with Ti bolts etc it's getting ridiculously expensive. Is it that much better than a SuperSix EVO 1 (also SRAM Force AXS) at £6,750?

But it would surely be a hit with the <insert prestige German car marque> driver who wants something to stand out from all the SL8s on the Saturday morning group ride...

And good to see that he didn't skimp on the rear light.