Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
OTOH, as RM pointed out, prices are going way up, and the trend recently has been for componentry to go down in quality from year to year within model names in mid- and lower-priced bikes. So unlike a car, a leftover '07 (or earlier) may be a very good deal.
That's definitely true, but size availability for 07s and before can be pretty slim picking right now. I'd look there first, and then look at what a comparable model is component-wise for an 08.

Also keep in mind that while components sometimes go down each year at a given price point, frame quality goes up! They tend to make the highest end frame better and better, so the quality will trickle down. Example: Now that we've got an S-works Tarmac SL2 at 11r carbon, the Pro tarmac SL2 is 10r, which used to be S-works level (regular Pro level is 8r). I wouldn't be surprised to see the comp level jump up to 8r (from 6r) in 2009-2010.