A more complex bike may offer more capability while demanding more learning, so confidence and support should be part of the decision. It is easy to get seduced by a setup that promises more on paper, but that capability is useless if the rider is too intimidated to push the equipment or lacks the support to keep it running.
Buying the most advanced option often introduces a learning curve that can distract from the actual riding. If a bike requires a level of technical confidence or specialized maintenance that the owner does not have, the added capability becomes a liability rather than an advantage. The gear should support the rider, not the other way around.
How much does the availability of local technical support influence your choice when considering a more complex bike?
Local support is a safety net, but it rarely helps with the actual tuning. Most shops can do a basic air spring set-up or a standard bleed, but they aren't going to spend three hours helping you map a rebound damping curve or figuring out exactly how many volume spacers you need to stop diving in a specific set of berms.
If a bike is complex enough to actually offer a performance edge, you usually have to be the one comfortable enough to open the lowers or bleed the calipers yourself. For me, the availability of a shop is secondary to having the right tools and the patience to dial it in. I'd rather have a complex system I can tune myself than a simple one that's just 'close enough' but can't be improved.
