I'd say it's more about the bling factor, and what the brands sell for us to show to the world. I've stopped using big logos over me and doing color coordination among garments many moons ago. I'm not a giant ad, and more importantly nobody sponsors me.
Showing up with a carbon frame certainly brings the stoking meter to new heights, and it's way easier to spot than a great hubset or an excellent set of suspension bearings (fuck Enduro and their perceived added value, they are pure crap when compared to SKF or Sakae!). Then you have those common lures, the rear derailleurs. And the media isn't exactly helping us to form a critical opinion -with obvious exceptions, such as this beloved website- when they demand a certain component coordination code (or C³ for short). If it has Kashima but not XTR, it's a fail. If it has XTR but not Mavic wheels, it's a fail. If it has ENVE wheels but not SRAM Eagle, it's a fail, and I could go on for ever.
Give me a frame with good geometry and decent suspension, a reliable groupset which doesn't ask me to sell a kidney to replace a cassette, brakes I can trust and a light and strong wheelset, and I'll be happy ever after.
And if you're going to plaster your fuckin' brand all over me and my fuckin' bike, give me a nice discount, or come here and sponsor me. I'm not paying you to have the privilege of using your products, I'm paying you to sell me good, dependable stuff.
May 9, 2017, 6:59 p.m. - Luix
I'd say it's more about the bling factor, and what the brands sell for us to show to the world. I've stopped using big logos over me and doing color coordination among garments many moons ago. I'm not a giant ad, and more importantly nobody sponsors me. Showing up with a carbon frame certainly brings the stoking meter to new heights, and it's way easier to spot than a great hubset or an excellent set of suspension bearings (fuck Enduro and their perceived added value, they are pure crap when compared to SKF or Sakae!). Then you have those common lures, the rear derailleurs. And the media isn't exactly helping us to form a critical opinion -with obvious exceptions, such as this beloved website- when they demand a certain component coordination code (or C³ for short). If it has Kashima but not XTR, it's a fail. If it has XTR but not Mavic wheels, it's a fail. If it has ENVE wheels but not SRAM Eagle, it's a fail, and I could go on for ever. Give me a frame with good geometry and decent suspension, a reliable groupset which doesn't ask me to sell a kidney to replace a cassette, brakes I can trust and a light and strong wheelset, and I'll be happy ever after. And if you're going to plaster your fuckin' brand all over me and my fuckin' bike, give me a nice discount, or come here and sponsor me. I'm not paying you to have the privilege of using your products, I'm paying you to sell me good, dependable stuff.