I broke out of my gear centered mindset when I was about 30. In my late teens and early 20s I never had enough money for the really high end bikes.

When I turned 30 I bought my self a really nice titanium frame, custom spec components. Full Dura-Ace, chris king etc...When I went on my first ride I realized, I still had to pedal the thing and I was just as tired up a really long climb as I was before.

Now, my main priority is longevity and functionality at a good price. I like looking a people bikes that have clearly been ridden thousands of miles and have had to have things replaced because of use.

Good steel frames with worn down mid level components usually tell a better story than some brand new plastic bike you can get off the shelf. But that's just me.