Wow thanks for the responses they have all mounted up since I last logged in so I haven't read them all.

I don't think the colour was the real issue if I am honest I had a real sense of guilt relating to the spend given I had a bike already that I use to get to work with everyday. I really should be saving for a deposit for a flat (no easy task in London) and £1,000 is quite a chunk. Therefore I am selling the bike (last day on ebay today).

The colour issue came up because one of my stupid friends made a drunken remark and I think it added to the spend guilt and I took that to heart and focused on the colour. I've seen some a comment or too making remark that its a masculinity issue for me but I am gay and tend not to believe in binary gender roles so I think it really is my spending guilt.

Anyway thanks for all your comments I'm going to go through them now!