Alright,

"Considering your bike is black and the least visible colour you could ride in traffic, you're putting yourself at marginally increased risk over someone riding a yellow bike for the sake of fashion."

First of all, black is very visible during the day but not at night, just as white is very visible at night but not during the day. Regardless, it's possible that yellow was simply not an option for the frame he was set on. What is the more functional choice? Basing your purchase on color or quality? That sounds a lot like picking an inferior wheel over a superior one for a perceived superficial benefit.

At any rate, we're now discussing apples and oranges. Riding on an aerospoke vs. riding a laced wheel is an A or B question. You buy one or you buy the other. Riding a nice quality bike vs. riding a lesser quality bike or painting a nice quality bike with a nice quality paint job or wrapping a quality bike in hockey tape is an A or B or A+C or A+D issue. Hardly an apt comparison.

"I assume as well that you never leave the house unless you're clad head to toe in lycra "

Like I said, lycra is more functional on fitness rides, but for tooling around town it's not always ideal. Comfortable? Sure. But if you're going to work, shopping, hitting a bar... Even if you sweat was wicked away nicely the whole way there and your bum feels nice and comfy, you're unlikely to feel all that comfortable once you arrive. These are all things you can do on a bike, and all things I wouldn't want to do while clad in lycra, even though I do wear it, head to to, when I'm out riding for riding's sake.

Carry a change of clothes, you say? I don't want to. I consider having to carry extra clothes around less functional than riding in my regular clothes.

Besides, that's a completely unfair example. You won't be publicly mocked for riding on a laced wheel rather than an aerospoke, whereas the same cannot be said for, say, going to a soccer game, or visiting a dying relative while clad in lycra.

Granted, they're both essentially still issues of fashion, but in terms of severity, they're from Venus and Mars, respectively.