[wink]

It's not bike weight per se, but there's also a somewhat direct link between weight and component quality and age. I.e. no one really tests a 20y old bike with current top-end components, no one really puts 10y old groupsets on a 2024 frame.

Yes, rider weight trumps it, but modern bikes in general just ride nicer and most of us who are not pros only test a dozen different bikes at most. It's a hobby, people like to splurge.