Hi Chaadster,
Iīm still thinking about it and maybe bike manufacturers are really cautious and hermetic with their information because as carazy as it might sound, the development and level of innovation for the industry has been sieged by international regulation bodies that stick to some pretty much fixed designs (mtb and road bikes). I mean, the shape of the frames hasnīt changed for lots of time, manufacturers donīt put their money on "out of the box" R+D.
In the case of wine and watches, which I also love, producers have the option to play a lot with a lot of variables. Maybe bike manufacturers have just been grabbed by the nuts. It makes sense... if you are restricted to develop a product and not being able to amazingly differentiate your offering, you just have to try to keep your position on the market or hopefully grow.
Thatīs just my personal thoughts.
Ronaldo