Originally Posted by
rollwithme
I agree, and not just for commuting. I started here years ago when I wanted to buy a bike and learn to ride, and I was overwhelmed. I bought a used "big box store" bike and the more I read BF, I was ashamed. So I bought a "real" bike just to feel legit. It was more money than I'd spent on anything at that point, and I was so afraid to have it stolen that I ended up riding the cheaper bike most of the time. My expensive bike has probably been outside 3-4 times in the 7+ years I've owned it.
It's disappointing that you felt 'shamed' into spending more than you wanted to. Certain things like suspension forks or department store bikes certainly tend to be 'taboo' here, and often times without good reason. Sometimes you get the impression that commutes are just another word for time trials, where every little bit of weight savings, aerodynamics, and power delivery make a huge difference. The reality is, there is not much difference in arriving to work at 8:45 or 8:48 am.