The conversation should have STARTED with this notion: is it possible to quantify the differences in materials characteristics such that we could predict differences in perceived ride quality? The answer is "no", btw.

Instead, this topic started with an arrogant insult to all of bf, an ironic slam on all the "opinions" and "lack of data", and then followed by a painful mangling of well-established investigatory methods in the pursuit of a gilded lily.

God, I love this place!

FWIW, I doubt there are trained professional "bicycle butts" who evaluate differences in frame materials. I think bike designers and builders consider materials available to them (and what would sell), and make what they like, check it out with their friends, run it by a pro bike rider of three, then hand it over to the marketing dept., in some order or another. Or to put it another way, "this ain't rocket surgery!"