[C38368]

   
Lovely ride !
 
What's that crankset ?

Thank you! Digging your Synapse, too Who's making your wheels, and what will they be?
 
Cranks on mine are SRAM Force, which was spec'd with the bike that year. I've replaced the original 50/34 Rival chain rings with a set of 52/38 Red chain rings (2012 model, I think), which was the largest size I could get in a 110mm BCD.

 

[Icenine2]

  So I was out and about buying new tubes and tires for my son's Felt and I never thought I would see the day when a consumer grade bike would cost 4 times what I paid for my first car

This little jewel right here had an $8200.00 tag on it

It's official, I'm not getting old I am OLD

 

An odd statement coming from and audio guy! Look at the price of audio gear now! BTW........nice bike.

 

[customcoco]

  Thank you! Digging your Synapse, too Who's making your wheels, and what will they be?
 
Cranks on mine are SRAM Force, which was spec'd with the bike that year. I've replaced the original 50/34 Rival chain rings with a set of 52/38 Red chain rings (2012 model, I think), which was the largest size I could get in a 110mm BCD.

 
It's a lovely ride, the more I'm on it the more I like it. Smooth and quick. DI2 is pretty fantastic too. 
 
The wheels will be based around hope(deep blue)  RS4 hubs (originally wanted to build them around White Industries hubs, but they too much of a financial stretch) and feature assymetrical alu rims designed by my wheelbuilder and made in Asia, the wheel builder being local to me (literally a mile away). 
 
Sapim CX-Rays and alu nipples will complete a lovely, if reasonable, wheelset. 
 
They look pretty on this one, matched paint really brings them up. 
 

  An odd statement coming from and audio guy! Look at the price of audio gear now! BTW........nice bike.

 
One of the reasons why I got off this hobby of ours for the most part. At least, cycling gets you somewhere  
 
But I guess that a parrallel could be drawn, as the avarage road cyclist seems to be about as anally retentive as the folks here may be. 

 

[Icenine2]

I bought a BRAND NEW BMW 2002 in 1974 for $7,000!?!? 

 

[Hutnicks]

   
It's a lovely ride, the more I'm on it the more I like it. Smooth and quick. DI2 is pretty fantastic too. 
 
The wheels will be based around hope(deep blue)  RS4 hubs (originally wanted to build them around White Industries hubs, but they too much of a financial stretch) and feature assymetrical alu rims designed by my wheelbuilder and made in Asia, the wheel builder being local to me (literally a mile away). 
 
Sapim CX-Rays and alu nipples will complete a lovely, if reasonable, wheelset. 
 
They look pretty on this one, matched paint really brings them up. 
 
 
One of the reasons why I got off this hobby of ours for the most part. At least, cycling gets you somewhere  
 
But I guess that a parrallel could be drawn, as the avarage road cyclist seems to be about as anally retentive as the folks here may be. 

Or in other words Lance accidentally got it all right when he used the phrase "It's NOT about the bike".

 

[Podster]

  An odd statement coming from and audio guy! Look at the price of audio gear now! BTW........nice bike.

Well I'm a ChiFi guys these days, instead of working my way up I work my way back now and I really find it hard to believe some of the esoteric companies can even stay afloat any more

I always used to think in home audio circles there were a bunch of Golden Ears until I joined Head-Fi

I mean there must be minimum 200 Michael Fremer's out here alone

 

[Greyson]

  I bought a BRAND NEW BMW 2002 in 1974 for $7,000!?!? 

 
$7,000 in 1974 would have been equal to $34,609.18 in 2016.
 

 
I'm not actually that offended by the price of high-end bikes, what worries me is the relentless rise of mid and entry level prices.

 
I've noticed this. Bike technology has always had a trickle-down effect, the lower end bikes are only getting better while the high-end bikes remain largely esoteric with a consumer base that doesn't really change. The odd man out is the mid-range. Features that used to be reserved only for the top end of the market like disc brakes and carbon fibre frames are becoming common sights on mid-range ~$1000 bikes. The same features that previously demanded a high premium. The line between these sections of the market is gradually getting blurred.

 

[Icenine2]

Hey Greyson. Side-step here. Going to see King Crimson this Summer (your Avatar)? I'm seeing them in Chicago.

 

[Podster]

  Hey Greyson. Side-step here. Going to see King Crimson this Summer (your Avatar)? I'm seeing them in Chicago.

Nice, you'll be in the Court

 

[customcoco]

 
I've noticed this. Bike technology has always had a trickle-down effect, the lower end bikes are only getting better while the high-end bikes remain largely esoteric with a consumer base that doesn't really change. The odd man out is the mid-range. Features that used to be reserved only for the top end of the market like disc brakes and carbon fibre frames are becoming common sights on mid-range ~$1000 bikes. The same features that previously demanded a high premium. The line between these sections of the market is gradually getting blurred.

 
Well I believe that the main problem, so to speak, is about how the industry is going to cope with the performance gap closing between components tiers. 
 
We now have 3K carbon road bikes running 105, and that's absolutely fine, but then how does one justify buying an Ultegra ?
 
Sure, Dura Ace will naturally find buyers who are willing to shell out some outrageous money for marginal gains and the prestige associated with buying the best out there, but the middle groups will eventually suffer. I wouldn't upgrade from 105 to Ultegra on the same bike, I'd go straight to DA. 
 
That's why I'm dubious of the entry of mid-tier electronic groupsets. Ultegra has to have something going for it in to remain attractive.
 
But then, I could be entirely wrong. 

 

[C38368]

   
Well I believe that the main problem, so to speak, is about how the industry is going to cope with the performance gap closing between components tiers. 
 
We now have 3K carbon road bikes running 105, and that's absolutely fine, but then how does one justify buying an Ultegra ?
 
Sure, Dura Ace will naturally find buyers who are willing to shell out some outrageous money for marginal gains and the prestige associated with buying the best out there, but the middle groups will eventually suffer. I wouldn't upgrade from 105 to Ultegra on the same bike, I'd go straight to DA. 
 
That's why I'm dubious of the entry of mid-tier electronic groupsets. Ultegra has to have something going for it in to remain attractive.
 
But then, I could be entirely wrong. 

Weight.
 
The casual rider likely won't (and shouldn't) care less about this, but cycling is like headphones... most that are "into it" aren't of the casual variety, and won't think twice about spending an extra $100 on shifters that weigh 100g less. But, even that doesn't justify the continued existence of the mid-tier group. Or the top tier, sometimes. Take SRAM Red, for example: unless you're stumping up for eTap, there is basically no difference, now, between the mechanical Red and Force groupsets. The one reason I ever considered (mechanical) Red for my bike was the Zero Loss right shifter. Now that's available on Force, which I think is more aesthetically pleasing to boot. Yaw is now on the Force front derailleur, as well. All of this, in my opinion, basically prices SRAM Red out of the mechanical market. I bet the same is true for mechanical Shimano DuraAce, as well. As for Campy... well, those riders are cultists; nothing will dissuade them from buying more, even if it brings nothing to the table.
 
But in the end, I think it will always be weight that drives the move upward. And when we hit a point where material science no longer supports weight reductions at higher ends, we'll see new "features" again being limited to only the high end, in an effort to save the idea of "low," "mid," and "high" end groupsets.

 

[parbaked]

I just saw this guy in Osaka Japan. He's not too worried about weight!

 

[Hutnicks]

I just saw this guy in Osaka Japan. He's not too worried about weight!

 
Or rolling resistance, apparently

 

[Podster]

   
Or rolling resistance, apparently

Now that is truly a Fat Tire bike

 

[customcoco]

Got the new wheels on the Synapse. 
 
They're asymetric alu rims laced to Hope RS4's with ligated CX-Ray spokes and alu nipples. They're wrapped in tubeless Schwalbe Pro Ones in 28c. 
 
It feels surprisingly better. I didn't expect to feel much of a difference, to be entirely honest with you, but now the whole ride has changed. Much better road feel, much improved acceleration, fantastic cornering precision. Lovely. 
 
The Pro Ones, whilst an absolute handful to fit, feel prodigious.
 
They also look the part (please don't mind my phone's chronic over-exposure) :