Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
I, personally, might be very happy with a carbon bike that was well short of top of the line, so I think there may be some benefit to figuring out what you really need/want in a bike--not what your budget can theoretically allow. In other words, don't just spend a princely sum because you can. Figure out if the various upgrades make sense for how and where you ride. If you do that wisely, maybe your pantry won't have to put off for another year!
I hear you loud and clear, Indysteel and believe me, I don't want to spend more than I need. I just have hit the wall in terms of finding that I can't get a less costly bike (custom or OTR) with digital shifting, which is the one thing I have managed to decide that I both want and 'need' (relatively speaking, that is ) due to the terrain I normally will encounter when I ride. I so want my pantry if only I could figure out how to lower the bike expense.