You sound like an individual that's trying to talk themselves into a DF rather than a Bent. To me your analysis is completely bogus. It's up the individual buying the bike or bent, what uses it will have and how much money they want too spend.
Someone stated they bought a EZ Sport AX on Ebay for $850.They made some adjustments and additions of fenders and lights and put on 195 street tread tires and for that individual it's a great ride, and you can go too AB and spend less money or go to extremes and buy the Carbon fiber Bacchetta and spend $6000 and have light weight and performance.
Now after saying all that about a bent, guess what I can say and do the same thing with a DF, it all comes down to money, basically money buys you less weight and performance and is up to the individual making the purchase and what they want in a Bent or Bike.
I am the one with the EZ Sport. It is not faster than the roadies but is faster than the DF I ride.But it is all in what you want to do with it.For me the roadies pass me yes.But I don`t see them riding with a cooler in one hand listening to the tunes on the radio,or going down the dirt roads or the beach either.It comes down to what you want to do with it.Me I am happy to paddle along at around 15 MPH getting faster with a happy butt than try to keep up with the 30 mph roadies I clock with the car around here.
I will add living in Florida I don`t have to many hills.The only ones close are called bridges over the inter coastal water way and I ride over them with out trouble and I do see a lot of people a lot younger than me pushing DF`s over them.I can say to me it is no harder to climb with than my DF.
Wink