Hello List
As a Bridgestone XO-1 owner, I have understood the BOB thing to be about having "choices", and not the bike industry trying to "limit" them. Examples would be RB-1's that came two different ways: either with 8sp STI or 7sp bar end shifters. BOB's liked the fact that bar end shifters had a friction option, so the choice was there to choose the inferior performing shifter over STI that shifts better but doesn't offer as much choice or flexibility, (separate brake lever and gear lever) . Personally, I haven't bent a derailleur hanger, or had to switch to friction shifting to finish a ride in over 25 years of riding, so what do I know?
At Bridgestone, as was pointed out by others in their posts here, much was made of the fact that the "group" of components was killing the versatility and "mix and match" nature of the product managers job. So when "new" BOB's go building their bikes in a post-Bridgestone world, they feel no need to accept what parts come from any one manufacturer, and now can also choose from any time period too, and as well choose their parts based on a mix of perceived values and features.
What some "non BOB's" find puzzling is that people choose inferior performing parts, as it seems to go against the logic so ingrained into an industry obsessed about performance. But like lugs, which aren't the most efficient way to join tubes, some choices make sense in the "greater good".
Personally, I prefer the integration of my "all group" equipped bikes, and not the mixed bag of parts mutts that so many bikes are... but that's mostly my bike shop mechanic past reaction to the ugly "mutt" bikes that I've worked on for so many years, when people put purple anodized titanium things all over their nice original bikes.
But I'm an admittedly "period-correct snob" and have over-reacted by not wanting to mix parts for what I feel are mainly theoretical benefits. I think groups look nice, and I own complete and original bikes of different vintages, so I guess if I went and disassembled them all, made a big pile, and reassembled them randomly, I'd be the ultimate BOB!
Grant, (the G stands for Grouppo) McLean
toronto, north