Originally Posted by
DScott
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!"
My guess is that they go for a certain handling characteristic, which can be predicted to a pretty high level, then they let the team riders try it out, make a few changes, and you have a bike.
The version released to the paying public is just a modified version based on production costs and what "bling" is big at the moment.