I think, on an enjoyment level, it's *exactly* like cars are.

When I was in high school, I had a really, really old car. I was sooooo happy to have a car, but man - that thing was unreliable. Every year some new, major component rusted out on it and had to be replaced. It had a carburetor, and the engine really could have used an overhaul. The engine (with an automatic transmission) would sometimes just turn off. In the middle of intersections. The brakes weren't even power brakes. There was no air conditioning - let me tell you, sitting in rush hour on a 99 degree day with no air and black, leather seats borders on physically dangerous. I got rather delerious.

I *loved* actually having a car, but every time I got in it I had to wonder if it was going to make it to the destination, or if it was going to stall out in the middle of an intersection. The radio was AM only, so about my only station was radio disney. I could never make solid plans because I could never be 100% sure my car would still be running, and being poor, I had to take it to the cheapest (but otherwise decent) mechanic I knew who had a 3 week wait time to get in. Oh, and if that brake line got a nick in it (happened once)? You were 100% screwed - you just lost brakes except the emergency brake.

It's just like a "barely runs" bike. Probably the biggest issue for a bike is "does it fit you?". If it's a way bad fit, you're in a certain amount of paint by the end of the ride and that's really, really awful. Maybe your hands are numb, maybe your back hurts, maybe your knees are in pain for the next 2 days. Plus, it's probably a harsh ride even if it is the right size, making you slow down and carefully avoid bumps just to keep your tush from being painful to sit on. It's slower and really annoying. Also, every time you take it out, you have to account for the time to change the flat tire you get every 3 times out. You wonder, when you hit the brakes, if they're going to work. The bike is always sqeaking on you, and periodically you have to call a cab or walk to work because your chain falls off, the brakes won't stop rubbing, etc etc. In addition, you could get to work a lot faster on a decent bike. You can't enjoy your ride because you're constantly monitoring your bike to see if something else has broken. Looking at other people, you know you're going way slower than you could be (you probably have the wrong kind of tires, the fit is bad, and you wouldn't want to push it with this bike for safeties sake). This kind of bike is like your first crappy car in high school.

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At the next level, we have more midlevel stuff like my current car - a white, 1995 Buick Century with a little rust on it. I bought it from my mom after college. So yeah - it's not sexy AT ALL. :-)

But it is soooooooooooooo much better than my previously mentioned car. I can't even begin to describe what a breath of fresh air it is to simply be able to go out to my car and expect it to work, start (even in really cold temps, and without opening the hood and spraying starter fluid in if it hasn't been run in a week). And rather than stalling out once a week, sometimes in the middle of an intersection, my car has only broken down (in a way where it wouldn't run) twice, and even both those times it wasn't stalling out on the road - once it wouldn't start, another time the water pump busted and there was steam coming from under the hood. Both times I was able to drive it to the mechanic. It's just 500% better to have a reliable car.

Plus the niceties - FM radio, power windows and locks (don't have to run around the car to the passenger side every time someone gets out). Air conditioning. Mmmm.

And the bike side is similar. Put puncture resistant tires on there, and you get like maybe 1 flat all year. Replace that worn out chain and derailler, and you no longer wonder if the chain is going to fall off or the bike will suddenly stop shifting. This bike might be a midlevel bike you bought from the store, or it might be a clunker that you just fixed up. But it's your size, it's reliable, and it gets you from point A to point B. You can actually sit back and enjoy the scenery on your ride. It's comfortable enough that bumps in the pavement don't make you cringe. You get off the bike, and you don't wince from physical pain.

This is the kind of solid, midlevel bike that a lot of people use for commuting. And I definitely think it's waaaaaaaaaay better to commute with this bike over the clunker. It makes things so much easier and more enjoyable - it's definitely noticeable.

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In the next category, you've got "luxury" or high-end stuff.

I've driven and ridden in *much* nicer cars than I own. They practically never break down (you know, in the first 100k miles) - you never miss the last day of sailing class, like I did, because something broke. They're more fun to drive. They're more comfortable to sit in. You just feel cooler riding in one. Maybe you get satellite radio. You've got an awesome sound system - no tape adapter for your ipod, like in my car. You got one of those little clicky things to unlock your car while you're walking up to it. You don't have to put the key in, you just press a button while the key is in your pocket. Rather than just being dependable transportation, it's practically your own little castle. You've got remote start and an electric heater so the inside of the car is warmed up by the time you get in it, even when it's -10 degrees. No more shivering while you're driving! Lock your keys in your car? Call a service and they'll remote unlock it for you. Want to enjoy a warm sunny day? Open the sunroof!

And a higher end bike is like that, to (well...except for the warm part ;-)). The bike (hopefully) fits you perfectly. You ride for 50 miles - you're tired, but don't have any lasting aches. The ride is butter smooth - you get the right full carbon bike, and nothing short of a basketball sized pothole makes you wince. On top of that, you couldn't possibly be going any faster on a bike. You probably either shave a couple minutes off your commute time each way, or your ride is much more comfortable. Your lights light up the entire road and always work. My old lights lit up enough of the road to bike with, but my new higher end lights border on daylight riding. Maybe you've got a dynamo hub so there's no light battery charging to worry about? Your disc brakes mean your brakes still work great, even when it's raining. If you're winter commuting, you might have an internally geared hub and rustproof chain so you don't have to have the "should I spend 20 minutes cleaning up my drivetrain, or just pay to replace it sooner?" debate. You've got a rack so you can carry a bunch of stuff without getting your back sweaty like you would with a backpack. While your mid-level bike requires some cleaning, you just take your "luxury" bike to the shop once a year for maintenance and that's *it*.

But going top-end has it's drawbacks, to, whether it's a bike or a car. You spent a lot more money for a little more convenience. You suddenly have to worry a lot more about where you leave it - you might not want to leave your car parked on the street in that sketchy neighborhood where your friend lives, and you might be a lot more comfortable leaving your mid-level bike locked up outside your office than your fancy schmansy one.

Wow, this is way longer than I meant to write. Basically I'm saying there's 3 general categories for bikes, which are very similar to cars. Going from a crappy commuter bike to a mid-level one makes a huge difference in your motivation and enjoyment of bike commuting. An extra $300 to get the right sized bike, put on puncture resistant tires, and replacement aging component with more reliable ones make a world of difference. The top end stuff is nice, but spending an extra $1500 for the more "luxury" version isn't going to make nearly as much of a difference.