Love is expensive. Fortunately for the procreation of the species and the need for someone to watch the kids on race day, that's not all it is. It adds texture, richness and fulfillment to our lives, and instills us with a sense of responsibility and protectiveness.
None of which is of any use to a bicycle, yet some of us insist on "loving" the machines we throw a leg over every day. When you love a bicycle, you treat it differently. You cringe when you strike an unseen pothole in a paceline, or keep it clean on the trainer instead of taking your punishment outside on Belgian days. I've seen some instances where the more a guy loves his bike, the less likely he is to use it on group rides or even during races because he's afraid of what might happen to it in a crash. Protecting a racing bicycle by not racing it may well be a declaration of love, but it's also pretty stupid.
Some may claim that what they're actually protecting is not an objet d'amour, but an investment. Losing a $2K frame or wheelset just to squeeze out a few extra watts at the office park is a poor exchange of value for most racers. Yet creating this emotional attachment is the very purpose of so many of the ad campaigns you'll see for racing bicycles. Love makes us spend unflinchingly. $8K for an engagement ring is patently absurd. And then you fall in love and it becomes a mere pittance.
At our prices, our bikes are inherently less "lovable" than the frames racers spend 2x, 3x or more on. This is by design - we believe that valuing a bicycle above the pursuit for which you purchased it is purposeless. The tools you buy to pursue your passion for cycling are just that - tools. Your bike is not your lover, or your friend, or your partner, or even your steed. The moment you anthropomorphize it you'll start treating it with a respect it doesn't deserve, ultimately and inevitably compromising your performance. And if you're swayed by glossy ads or professional sponsorships to pay far more for a bicycle than it is worth, you're already dangerously close to justifying your purchase as an "investment in the sport," and protecting your equipment instead of pressing it into the service of making you go faster.
We don't want you to love our bikes. We just want you to love racing them.