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Like many things with high-end bikes, seems to me that the law of diminishing returns applies here. If you have to have the absolute best, then you'd get butted tubing.
Whether any of us can tell the difference is another matter. I bought butted (Merlin and Serotta), but I'm sure I can't tell the difference. Never had the chance to test straight gauge vs butted back-to-back though.
Seems like comparing current Campy chorus to Record or SR. One costs more and is a wee bit lighter, but doesn't have an actual functional difference.
When I bought the Merlin the corporate saying was that the the tubes were a wee bit larger in diameter so the frame was stiffer, yet it was lighter due to the butting. I never compared the tubing diameters so that could have all been BS.
I do know that I don't regret buying the butted models as it kept me from thinking "maybe I should get something better" quite so soon.....
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