Beyond the minimal weight savings, claimed durability advantages and aesthetics, for those of us who are not racing (and even many of those who are), the perceived advantages in performance are no more than a placebo effect. I would seriously question the ability of most weekend warriors to blindly tell the difference in performance between mid-level and high-end groupsets ...I know I could not, but I am certainly no barometer.

As for curb appeal, I have never taken notice of another rider's component package (they usually whiz by me too fast to see it ).