>>1994379i don't think this is inherently true but it's hard to draw comparisons. fred who drops 10k on a uci race bike is kind of like the same layman who drops a lot of money on a high spec porsche or whatever. he buys this because it's fast, but can't necessarily utilize his vehicle to obtain the benefit it would bring him. this analogy doesn't hold up on the other end of the spectrum really, but there are certainly people that have things "register on the butt dyno" even though these things are either really minute or placebo. cluelessness exists within both realms, i mean think of all the dumbass questions you see here.
i think a good portion of bicycle autists kind of fall under the category of people who modify and track their vehicle and eek out marginal gains in the same way, as well as having a focus on ability. just as well are there those who build and ride cool bikes just because it's fun and the same with cars.
bicycle "enjoyers" maybe, but certainly not bicycle "users" (at least in america)