An interesting article:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Thoughts_on_science_perception_4571.html

It certainly matches my view on much of what we think we know about bikes (and other things) and how much they really make a difference.

I like the idea of buying a bike you like the look/colour of and whos company’s views you think are about right.

Yeah… makes total sense.

I don’t really follow the technical approach spouted by many on here about seeking a bike with ‘XX.X deg head angle and… xxx mm bb height… with xxx cm effective cockpit length, which is bang on-trend geometry for 2015’

More tend to just buy bikes I like the look of.

I’ve never bought a bad bike yet.

My bike’s got an XY.XY degree head angle so is more manly than yours 😆

More tend to just buy bikes I like the look of.

Yeh, that’s the best way to do it. Plus, bikes with long head tubes and short stems look shit, so you’ll definitely end up with something decent.

Well that’ll make my next bike cheaper

A guy in the trek shop told me a road bike would need a lower gear for the same hill as it was lighter

100kg+10kg vs 100kg+14kg yes a huge difference, maybe 31 not 32 sprocket. I left….

Some things you notice more than others.
Change a stem from 30mm to 100mm and you will notice it. Which then feels better is down to personal preference.
Change a seat stays to be 1mm thinner and I can’t imagine I would notice it.
Make the rims more ‘compliant’ and I can’t imagine I would notice it.

You’ll find me regularly on here banging on about the stuff he mentions in that article – for example that there is no perceptible difference in comfort between different frames (though I acknowledge as he does that the SP may make a difference). I have to admit I’ve never gone searching, but it’s interesting to see somebody has done some proper blind trials with bikes and got the expected results. Thanks for the link, will come in handy <bookmarked>

He mentions that there is a difference in how a bike feels depending on the length of the stem – the main point is that there is no perceptible difference in how frames and wheels feel.

Make the rims more ‘compliant’ and I can’t imagine I would notice it.

You would have to be superhuman to do so. That article is also about road bikes where you have 100psi in the tyres – with <30psi in the tyres as most of us now use off-road it is even more impossible to tell.

I clicked on the link, quickly realised it was about road bikes, so went to mow the lawn.

Yeah, you’re right, I’m sure that mtbers are totally different…

Same **** different shovel.
Tyres, stems, seat height, all very much personal preference within the basic arbitrary parameters it’s what feels best.

Aesthetics are important to an extent, if you like how your bike looks, you’ll be psychologically more inclined to appreciate it and ride it more,but if it doesn’t fit well, it’s a loosing battle. A sexy ill fitted bike is like dating a beautiful high maintenance woman who’s rubbish in the sack… You’ll soon miss your comfy dirty easy lay! Lol!