"But most people here aren't interested in that. They want to defend spending an extra $4K to $10K. It's obvious why. They want a nicer bike. No problem with that."

Why does somebody have to defend their purchase? Who cares why they bought an expensive bike? What is it to you or anybody else? I will never understand why people get so offended by what bike somebody else buys. Does it make me chuckle when a fat fellow talks about losing weight on his bike instead of his panis? A little. Perhaps the person simply enjoys the process and is analytical for his enjoyment. Do I understand that? Maybe not. Do I care? No.
I am not a Doctor but for some reason people here always associate a Doctor as being the only person who buys Italian or boutique bikes. I did not know that they had the corner on the market or that they made the most money. Truthfully, who cares. We all enjoy bikes and different ones for different reasons. Why squash somebody's fun because you do not ascribe to their preferences?