fromtrektocolnago wrote:i place more stock in what experienced ex-pros chose when they are no longer beholden to a team or a manufacturer. when they are making personal decisions based on their own years of experience using their own funds its a bit more honest.
That's a good indicator but only to a point. How many ex-pros take riding all that seriously once they retire? I wouldn't imagine that number is very high. Some will care, no doubt, like Erik Zabel for instance. But others may ride equipment different to what they competed on as a pro simply because someone may have given it to them, or their local bike shop may carry a specific brand and they ride that to make life simple.
Unless you hear an ex-pro actually detail their reasons for riding what they do, and if they have any technical reason for doing so, I wouldn't put much stock in what you see them cruising around on.