I'm in the market for a new road bike, and I want some advice from those who know what they are talking about.
There's no question that quality trumps aesthetics, but too often I see people paying for a brand name or the shiny factor that comes along with a new product -- bicycles are no exception. Certainly, quality is sometimes reflected in the aesthetics and vice versa, but that is not my concern.
If at all possible, I actually WANT an ugly bike without compromising quality in any way. Does such a bike exist? I have a bad history of bikes getting stolen. From that perspective, I want something that looks like $100, but in reality is worth closer to $1000. I am an engineer, so performance, durability, maintainability, and quality-of-ride are what I'm interested in. That also means I do not solve my problems by throwing money at them.
I suppose DIY is an option since that gives me the most control. Though, to be honest, I am not very knowledgeable about bike gear, and I have limited time to do research/construction before I need to have a ride.
Is there anything on the market that would fit this kind of demand? I am a skinny, 6'2" guy so I prefer an XL frame. My last bike was a 2009 Novara Strada, and -- as my introduction to road bikes -- I loved it. It was perhaps slightly flashy in it's paint-job, but not nearly as bad as some bikes I've seen, especially after replacing the horribly uncomfortable seat. It was also very light-weight with a carbon fork. I occasionally did 20/40/60 mile rides around the foothills and mountains of Boulder, CO.
I will be moving to San Antonio, TX for my job, so that could change my riding dynamic completely, but I plan to at least commute daily a very short distance.