Lol at this thread and everyone (including myself) who responds. This is just the $10 water bottle thread, and a hundred other threads, based on deliberate mis-statements, inaccurate definitions, flawed descriptions, and imaginary premises which are so incredibly popular here.

That $300K SUV (or cheap $150K SUV) Might be fulfilling functions that the poster simply cannot (or more likely will not) imagine. Status is more than impressing others ... we have status with ourselves as well ... and a lot of us really think, even though we Know our opinions are opinions, Our opinions are "right" (..... "when is reality" ... )

I, had I more than all the money, would probably buy the best, lightest bike, cost regardless ... why freaking not? What would I gain by stressing over other people's perceptions of "value" when i had completely different standards?

Oh, wait. We ALL have completely different standards, and "right" and "wrong", "better" and "worse" are entirely subjective?

Reality is subjective. I believe (just an unprovable opinion) that there is an external reality to which we are all responding, but we all perceive it and respond to it in completely different ways .... but of course, it is so clear, that my reactions are the only "right" reactions even though we are all reacting to different perceived realities .... Almost makes our bickering sound silly, so we ignore this.

Is a $14 K whatever 4x "better" than one which costs one-fourth as much? If you want it to ... or not if that is what you want.

When I finally get seriously rich I am going to buy a $30 K recumbent and ride it in $20K worth of loose-fitting shorts and shirts ......