I spent what I did because I wanted a bike that can handle my commute and bikepacking trips. Depending on the route to/from work I ride 18-21 miles. 6 to 11 is gravel, if I do the 11 option 3 is on extremely poor condition gravel. Once I get home I may load up the bike for a bikepacking trip without changing anything on the bike beyond adding a couple bags. Theft is not an issue at my office. Most importantly there's no way I could ever be convinced to live in NYC. I prefer a rural life of dodging deer, bear, coyotes and other wildlife.