The point of "shiny paint and certain components" as was shared in the above post, was to provide enough background on the prior thread so that someone might remember it and provide a link to it, as I can't seem to pinpoint it now. The thread was about a lime green Takara bicycle with Suntour barcons, Sugino Maxi crank, and high flange Sunshine hubs paired to Araya rims... just like the Takara I rode last night. And I found the ride to be "dead". I've rode an early Centurion, Bridgestone, Azuki, and Nishiki bikes... found them all to be uninspiring too. But to start out with a declaration like this seems to me to to invite debate... instead of open discussion.

By the way, I work in the aircraft industry, designing aircraft structure... so I feel like I have a basic understanding of metal materials, their unique properties, and their differences.