Posted by: trumpstinyhands
I tend to think that for many people, features=status.
To give a motoring example, I specifically bought a 22 year hatchback (I'd had the same model previously). It cost $1500. Other than very lightly assisted power steering it has zero driving aids. It has these funny lever things to get the windows up and down ;) Being the 'high end' model, this one does at least have a radio! But not much else. Not even much power....I think a massive 106bhp. I have to change between gears by trying to move a lever with one hand and push a pedal with another foot at the same time. What a palaver! Yet I really enjoy driving it, especially ripping up and down the S2S from time to time. I've clearly never broken the speed limit as that would be very naughty, but if I did, the little car would probably take every corner from Squamish to NV at 130kph just fine and not drink much gas doing so. But there is an expectation in society that you 'have' to have a vehicle with ALL the features, weighs two tons and has 500bhp. It's a huge waste of the planets resources and at the end of the day more numbing to drive. Might as well drive itself. How dull is that?
But apparently this is the future of mountain biking. All the features and a bike that does almost everything for you. With all the electronic integration going on, they are the SUVs of the bicycle world. You'll never have to engage your brain or heart again.
I salute you brother.