Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
...well I sure haven't. This morning was solo again, in a pair of the cheapest Pearl Izumi bibs you can buy, so sun damaged that the tops of the thighs are wearing out, and a Canari Optic Nova jersey that was on clearance on Amazon for $12. They get the job done.
That is why I don't buy Rapha, or Assos, or Capo, or any of those. I've already sun-rotted 3 jerseys and 3 bibs into retirement. It's somehow less painful to toss a $40 pair of bibs after 18 months than it is to toss a $200 pair.
Unless those $200 jobs have somehow figured out how to defeat the sun. Even at that, they'd have to last 7+ years to be cost-effective.
I know a guy that only buys the top-shelf stuff, in jerseys, bibs, shoes, everything. Dude's got $500 shoes. Hasn't ridden even 2,000 miles in a single year, ever.
With a few exceptions, this appears to be a common thing, I've noted. The cost of the kit seems to be inversely proportionate to the miles traveled.
as i wouldn't care what the reasoning really is, but in order to rack & stack the miles the individual would need to have the available time outside of life's impediments to achieve such distances. For the leisure times a ride is done, making it as best of an experience might just be buying higher dollar items to some folks. Like tools, some will spend the bucks once to have it be counted on when it is needed (rarely or often) where others will risk the durability in buying least expensive for that one time use or knowingly to trash it is high for when it is used. metaphorically - half dozen