Originally Posted by
gregf83
Fall off the group by a few meters on a 5 min climb and your race can easily be over. Ride up a 40 min hill and the difference is far from miniscule. It's not going to matter if you're not competitive but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The vast, vast majority of people
buying bikes at $6K+ are not racing. They are recreational cyclists and it's a fair bet that a significant minority of people who own expensive bikes rarely if ever ride them. Check your CL listings.
I really don't want to get into the specifics of the demographic profile of riders who buy these bikes, but let's just say they do not fit the racer profile. The demographic is actually exactly the opposite.