Given I am interested in bikes, I will provide a few examples of decisions I have had to make recently or might be making, and maybe others can provide their thoughts.
When I built my SS MTB, I had a couple of decisions to make in an effort to keep the budget at $3,000-4,000. The first was the rims. I went with alloy over CF. The CF would have been slightly lighter, but would have cost 4 times as much money (I am talking specifically about the rims, not wheels). After 10 or so rides, I believe it was a decent decision, meaning I do not believe it would have impacted my enjoyment/performance much. The other decision was brakes. I went with Guide RSCs over XTRs, about 1/2 the price. The RSCs have better feel, but the XTRs have better power. So, I think this was a good decision. However, I have XTRs on my Epic, and for some reason this decision bugs me a little.
I am thinking about the SWorks Epic. The front suspension is ridiculously cool, and I have heard that it functions like a dream. However, my Epic WC is an incredible bike. Also, I just do not know if I still have it in me to push a bike like this hard enough to enjoy the differences.
Bike talk, love it!