Originally Posted by Trakhak

An additional factor: as in many other categories (the example of the highest-performance cars comes mind), the machines that require the greatest investment in high tech are the ones that are bought in the smallest numbers. Some of us might consider the benefits resulting from the investment to be pitifully minimal, especially in the case the most expensive bicycles, and the return on that investment is likely fairly minimal, too, but I don't see that the companies making the bikes have much choice.

They could hire Grant Petersen to help them back away from the high-end market, maybe, but doing so didn't work out particularly well for Bridgestone.