Originally Posted by smellygary

The economics of expensive bike ownership just doesn't add up at my house.

Let's use DrPete as an example. He goes out and spends 5 grand on a bike. If he rides it every day for 3 years solid--except for the month of January--he's spending ten bucks a ride. He'd have to ride it for ten years, excluding Januarys, just to get it down to a latte a day.
Or, let's say he wanted to do a race day cost analysis: 25 races a year for four years would come to 50 clams a race + license fees + race entry fees + maintenence + tires + etc = ? Worth it? To improve his place in each race one or two spots? Would he move up in Cats any quicker? And 25 races a year makes him a pretty busy boy!

Sure, we all want to upgrade, and give ourselves every advantage we can. Especially in racing. But like so many posters have already mentioned, the greatest advantages and improvements we can make for ourselves is in training, diet and savvy.

And the concept that its good for the economy seems preposterous to me. Where are most of the bike parts made these days? In America? Not likely. Some profit goes to Trek, some goes to the LBS, but what portion goes to the country of manufacture? Its seems better for the burgeoning economies of China and east Asian nations.
If DrPete wants to do the econmy of America more good, he would be wiser to spend less of his money on foreign made products and keep the remainder of his dough here.

(My thanks and apologies to DrPete!)