Wow! You boys must have much more sophisticated arses than me, as all I've ever done is get on mine and ride it; on road, off road, in the dust, in the mud, uphill, downhill, summer, winter, wet, dry.
More recently I got a bit carried away on a rocky downhill, blew a seal on the forks and cracked the flanges on my Hope front hub, but that's the sort of bike it is.
In comparison to my other bikes... it's a bike, as they all are. It's maybe a bit more of an uncouth yob of a bike, but it makes me smile.
As for the gimmick frame, do you know, I've never even given it a thought, I liked the weight (or lack thereof), I liked the look, I could afford the price (£399(?) in 1994 for the frame), so I bought it, built it and rode (ride) it.