At the end of the day, doesn't it still come down to the cyclist? I've been dropped terribly by old guys on rim brake bikes. Though I've taken out cyclist riding the latest $10k+ USD S-Works Aethos on the climb. My terrain is mostly all hills, so maybe it differs for those who benefit more from aero/stiffness riding on the flats. If I didn't live by hills, I probably wouldn't even be interested in biking!