Most of what you said is pure nonsense. Mid-crisis? My whole life has been a series of crisis's so no problem there. You can't ride like a pro unless you have the engine a of pro, so what you said more accurately is to ride like a poser not a pro, and to put on a show to make you look like a pro will cost you. And no, high end bikes do not ride any better then steel...well ok I threw the steel comment in there to piss you off, but ride comes down to many factors a few of which is personal preference, geometry and frame material. I rode a Trek Madone 6.9 recently and yes it's lighter then my steel rides, but most of todays bikes are regardless of material, but I didn't like the ride quality of it so it's a mute point. And you can get the kind of weight that the Madone has for less money then $6,000.

I'm not against anyone buying a $6,000 bike or more or less, just as I'm not against someone who wants to spend almost 2 million dollars for a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and leave it parked in the garage 364 days out of the year and never drive it faster then the legal speed limit. It's their money and they can spend it anyway they choose, but I choose not to be that way with my money...not that I can afford a Bugatti, but you know what I mean.