I said it's good for your health, not that we're optimizing solely for health. You're right that the most frictiony setup could be beneficial. But also, a high

I said it's good for your health, not that we're optimizing solely for health. You're right that the most frictiony setup could be beneficial. But also, a higher performance bike will help you go further & faster. It doesn't mean you will end up exerting less effort, it just means that you will go faster and you'll keep putting in the same effort. With this time saving you can try new routes, feel more comfortable going further or bike packing with higher quality gear. It wouldn't change how long I ride for, but it increases the options for where to go. Yes there are diminishing gains as with anything, but an entry level bike is still going to be below the Shimano 105 point of performance vs cost.