Originally Posted by Serendipper
It's very ironic to me that one man (Peterson) bucking trends is constantly accused of being a groupthink guru. The hoopla surrounding his legacy is hysterical, and in hindsight nothing more than manipulative character assasination by his enemies and rival in the cutthroat world of the cycling industry.
I agree. That sort of thing occurs wherever you find a small, popular trendsetter or, not even a trendsetter, just a trend-bucker that's popular within a niche market. The accusation is usually along the lines of "[brand x] is arrogant and thinks it's better than everyone else and people who use [brand x] are the same way", usually coupled with "but [brand x] is really small so therefore it has no legitimacy". Apple computer, hybrid cars and Arrested Development (the show) are a few recent examples that come to mind.
Using lugs to build a bike is a completely legitimate way to do it but lugs have a niche audience, and niche audiences are not something mass consumer orientated companies can effectively deal with. They can shoot for nostalgia, but it's not the same thing.