I went to a restaurant a few months ago and invited the rest of the family to come with me- 6 Adults all earning a wage and I volunteered to drive so no Drink for me. For some reason- The only fully sober person finished up paying the bill of just over £200. Now that is what I estimate I spend at my LBS in a month. And that is without the new bikes that seem to appear every now and then. My milage is not a great deal nowadays but- Shorts wear out- Chains need replacing- Helmets break and Wives sit on the cycling Glasses. It does not take long to spend £2,500 in a year on a hobby that I enjoy.
Far better than spending the same amount on getting the family Drunk.
I do not begrudge spending money on the bike(s). Without them I would not be a happy person- I would probably not be as healthy as I am- and I would probably have a thick lip from moaning at the rest of the family all the time.
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How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan