My take on it is people trying to get the most bang for their buck, ESPECIALLY in the current economy (I'm guilty of buying most of my bike clothes and running clothes/shoes online, because the stores that I do like to shop at are an hour away and most online retailers have free or cheap shipping and far lower prices).

Also...you don't know what you don't know. Were I not married to a self-professed bike geek I most likely wouldn't have ever bought a good bike (and would totally be missing out). Or I would have just looked for something cheap online. I'd have no clue about component quality or fit.