>>1384945>Is it all just a marketing ploy?No, it's not, it has to do with frame stiffness, especially in the rear triangle, and also how the overall frame flexibility affects handling and vibration (which can fatigue the rider over long distances). If you're just a recreational or commute rider and are not competing, therefore you're not in any hurry or really care if 10 or 20 watts of your leg power is being wasted because the frame is flexing, then it really doesn't matter.
Most of you will be perfectly happy performance-wise the rest of your lives with a bike that costs $1000 new, if you want to spend that much money. Most of you don't seem to have any money though and will content yourselves with a bike that costs around half that new, or just go get a used bike for that much, and fix it up as needed.
But saying that more expensive bikes are a marketing ploy or a 'meme' or a 'jew conspiracy' or whatever other ridiculous nonsense that /n/ posts about these things is just silly, more expensive bikes are for more specific uses (like racing in various forms). If all you do is "Just Ride" then just about any bike will suit you.
Oh, and shitting on more expensive things just because someone can't afford them is pretty low-tier behavior; some people need to have a little more class than that.
