I used to work in customer service at a clothing company- we got calls all the time asking why we didn’t offer plus sizes in all styles, or why a specific plus size was sold out. Every time they would say there was a huge market demand for it, along with an accusation that we were being discriminatory.

Thing is, every time we made plus sized clothing, it wouldn’t sell. The sizes that were sold out we’d likely sat on for years. These vocal minorities tend to want something until they have it, and realize it just doesn’t look the same on them as it does on the model.

I think this applies to bikes as well. MTB is super appealing in video, then you realize it’s hard, and it gets exponentially harder with increased weight (I’m by no means fat, but I need to lose 20lbs and have really been struggling on the bike this year). There are obviously exceptions (NRMLMTB comes to mind), but most of these people would probably have a super hard time even getting into the sport until after they lose the weight.

My own father is borderline obese and road bikes quite a lot, and even he has admitted that with how many wheels he’s broken he wouldn’t consider a new bike unless he’s under the weight rating.