Originally Posted by smellygary

There are so many different kinds of bikes available to us now, at so many different levels of quality. A generation ago, most bikes cost less than $100, and "good" bikes were $150. Then the next big step was $250! Wow! Only real racers had those! Most of us would up grade our $150 bikes one part at a time, when we could afford it. We'd ask ourselves, "Go on a date with my sweetie, or buy that part at the shop?" Hmmm.....Then we'd go to the shop and find out it would cost the equivalent of 4 or 5 dates! Criminy.
But there would always be one jerk around that had the nicest bike--you know, the special one from the shop downtown--at school, work, where ever. And he liked to tell everybody about it too. Always thought he was real special. Until the day he challenges the wrong guy to a race through the hills, and he comes rolling in a half hour later. The bike gets relagated to leaning against the wall in the garage, and is sold a year later by his dad when the kid is off at college. It happens over and over again, at every age level. People are in love with the bike, not with riding it.

For me, is it jealousy? No. Just like I'm not jealous of Ferraris, mansions, or bimbo trophy wives. I have a 10 year old Subaru, a 60 year old ranch-style house, and a wife that loves me. (Which is probably more than I deserve!)
As far as my bikes go, I lust after Sun Tour Superbe front and rear derailleurs for the bike I've been riding since 1975, and I like long climbs that lead me to long descents for my newest (2003) aluminum with 105 bike. Somebody else can have the Madones.