I don't see what the big deal is. You do get what you pay for. I've worn Nashbar brand, Campagnolo, Pace, Cannondale etc and I can tell you the cheapie Nashbar was significantly less comfortable. My wife said the same thing, she didn't see the reason on spending the extra money so she went with cheapies too and then she tried on a pair of my shorts and was amazed at the difference. Again, shirts and jerseys I don't see any reason to spend extra money on but if your sitting in your shorts for a long period of time it's worth it to make sure you will be as comfortable as you can.