Pretty toxic mentality. Most consumers do not have the education or ability to discern between products that are said to be more effective vs are actually more effective. We trust brands like Shimano to be more effective when we have little other than our own experiences to gauge them by. Sure we can side-by-side shifting speed between 9100 and 9200 and get a good idea, but in the space of frictional and aerodynamics gains/losses, we have little to gauge it by. This is why I think we're so deeply interested in the data, and upset when data has been manipulated to sell a product rather than improve or enhance the life of the consumer. This data is extremely hard to measure despite its application being so wide—few companies have the means to validate or create their own tests.
I like how the AB OSPW looks, but not okay with the price for solely aesthetics. I don't want to buy it under the false premise of it improving my riding experience, or even worsen it. Without content creators like Hambini, we are left to trust the manufacturer's claims and data. At least with critique and independent studies it offers us the opportunity to make a more informed decision on objective criteria.
