I like my bikes the way I like my tuna melts: no batteries, no Bluetooth connections, and no suspension systems.Thats why I prefer a bike like the Homerover a bike like the Kona Aburrido or whatever its called:I mean its fine if thats what youre into, but I simply dont wanna deal with this stuff:At the same time, I dont only like sensible steel bikes with friction shifting and fenders. We all have our turn-ons that defy logic and pragmatism, and mine is road racing bikes. Sure, certain things like disc brakes can ruin it for me, since theyre sort of like spinach in the teeth:But as much as I fancy myself a regular Joe Tuna Melt I also do get the visceral appeal of a high-end road racing bike, and I still enjoy riding them.The problem is that theyre expensive. Some people say Rivendae are expensive because they cost more than Surlys or whatever (FOR CHRISSAKES STOP COMPARING RIVENDELLS TO SURLYS), but high-end road racing bikes are expensive. For example, heres one which Ive chosen more or less at random:The bike is apparently easy to ride (whatever that means), but thats not what were looking at here:What were looking at is the price, and this one costs fifteen thousand dollars:Which is comparable to what other pro-level race bikes costs:Now, Im not saying this is wrong or anything like that. Sure, I do think the name is terrible. ENVE Melee, really?!? They might as well have called it the ENVE Meanie Miney Moe. But the price is the price, and absolutely nobody is forcing you to buy an ENVE Melee. In fact, as far as road bikes go, if you ignore the stratospherically-priced top-of-the-line models the Freds of today arguably have it better than the Freds of yesteryear. Nevertheless, if you do want to own a top-of-the-line road bike, this does pose a bit of a practical problem for anyone who doesnt have $15,000 to spend on a hunk of plastic. Sure, you can get a lower-end model, but its not the same thing. Well, fine, practically speaking is the same thing, since nobodys scranus can detect the difference between the moduli of carbon fibers; for that matter, a blindfolded Fred couldnt even tell Dura-Ace from 105, and Pogaar probably would have won the Tour on a Bikesdirect special. Still, lets allow that theres a certain kick that comes from riding a race bike with the best stuff (even if the kick is based almost entirely on the logos you see when you put your head down), and at that price a bike like the ENVE Melee (Jesus, that name!) remains the domain of the wealthy and/or financially reckless. Sure, Richard Branson may be able to get a bike like that, but even he cant afford a jersey to go with it:BUT!The good news is that these stratospheric prices cant undermine the very best thing about bikes. And what is the very best thing about bikes? Is it the freedom? Is it the joy they confer to their riders? Is it the fact that an inexpensive bike is just as capable of granting both joy and freedom as an expensive one? Nah.Its the depreciation!At $15,000 you may not be able to buy Pogaars Colnago:But for a tenth of that price you could buy Johan Museeuws Colnago, which at the time seemed no less exotic, and which today also has the distinction of being iconic:Of course it helps a lot to be old enough to have wanted these bikes when they were new, which is unfortunate for the young, who lack not only money but the necessary perspective to appreciate a true bargain. To them a bike like this probably seems primitive, but to me its a dream bike, and the lack of anything that requires batteries or fluids only makes it better:Oh sure, the Dream Bikes Of Yesteryear wont come with a dual-sided power meter (I dont even know what that means) like the Tarmac SL8, but the good news is you you dont need that, because you suck. How do I know you suck? Because if you didnt suck someone would not only have given you that Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 with a dual-sided power meter already, but youd also be getting a paycheck in order to ride it.Of course the real question is whether the bikes of today will be similarly desirable in 20 years. 9-speed cassettes are now cheap and abundant, but will you be able to get a firmware update for a wireless drivetrain in 2044? It could be that by then a 2003 LeMond will be easier to keep on the road than a 2024 ENVE Melee. Only time will tell.Either way, given the price of a top-of-the-line race bike today, its probably worth the wait.