To be honest, it was a bit of an underwhelming year for road bikes. Or, to put it in another way, I’m not a real smart guy, and if I can see through the craven marketing strategies, I think everyone else must be able to as well. I mean, does a top tube really need to curve?

Schmalz: Just bend the damn tubes, slap on some decals and run it up the flagpole. Bike design is easy!