I bought mine, yes for looks, but also for also for the durability purpose (I ride in NYC and streets here can be sucky) and lack of maintenance. The weight really doesn't bother me because I'm no weight freak (as I'm kind of heavy as it is being 185lbs), carry a heavy bag which defeats the purpose for me of having a light bike, and like the extra weight training that it brings. I heard a person had their A-spoke run over by a bus and is still used to this day. They also seem (to me) to dampen out road vibration as well. Call me what you want but I like my A-spokes.