We are talking entry level bicycles being purchased by teenagers and twenty-somethings, whose previous cycling experience were probably hi-risers or middleweights. They wouldn't know the difference between a lively and dead handling frame. Bicycle selection was largely a matter of base instincts, what little they'd read and the opinions of their friends. The bling effect has a huge influence on the uneducated consumer, regardless of the product. So yes, things like shiny paint, the amount of chrome and the decal style had a very big impact in this market segment.