whatwolf

Get a custom rig with about 5K of it, then go touring/camping for as long as you want and spend as little as possible.

That's what I'd do.

rootboy 

This is fun. Spending other people's money!

wrk101

I'd spend it on a nice workshop instead. I just can't drop that kind of coin on a bike, but for some reason, spending it on a workshop is OK.

+1 Long tour would be my second choice.

Thrifty Bill's financial advice: be sure to fully fund two Roth IRAs for 2013, put some in a college fund if you have kids, clear out old college debt or consumer debt, etc. Living beneath my means and saving aggressively allowed for retirement at 50.

Drillium Dude 

After only 4 months on DG I became debt-free (with the exception of the house until today), and have saved quite a bit of coin, even. Don't need much out here - and with 8 months to go, I stand to plus-up that savings as the house payment is now gone, too.

Thanks for the IRA advice - confirmed for me the wisdom of my plan while home on leave next month. It's currently sorta difficult to do any meaningful financial planning out here on this rock

But, admit it: it's still fun to think about how to go about blowing it as if one didn't have a care in the world

DD

Drillium Dude 

Nah - you're supposed to be spending it like it's your money

Btw, I'm not going to be going crazy like this - just thinking out loud "what if?" were I to do something crazy!

I really do think I pretty much have everything I need bike-wise, if not life-wise. Well, one other thing I don't yet have - but you can't buy love

DD

gomango

Excellent advice Bill.

I have a half dozen years left in my career. Just enough to get the boys through college, hopefully without a pile of bills for any of us.

Then it will be time for a career change, as I certainly won't have enough gas in the tank to run a full classroom any longer than that.

I do get requests from friends to lead bike tours in Europe for them or their families.

Likely a dream pursuit, but isn't that the theme of this thread?

PS @DD I would go for that dream Colnago if I had the $$$. An incredible example.

rootboy 

Yeah! This is all in good, fun, eh? The "sensible" thing to do doesn't apply here...does it? We're fantasizing.
Good luck on that last part, Jeff. After all, the most important one of all. After you retire you'll have more time to find that perfect woman. One who will look at your collection and go "Beautiful!"

wintermute

Find myself an awesome 80's Bianchi Volpe in excellent condition (my '06, although I love it, just wouldn't do in this situation), kit it out and return it to brand-new condition, ship it over to Tuscany and go on a month-long agriturismo tour (yes, I know that's redundant). I would do the same for my wife, but she thinks her '87 Trek Elance (mmmmm, Ishiwata triple-butted) is the best bike ever. She'd hit the markets for fresh ingredients to see what she can whip up (she grew up in an Italian restaurant), and we'd gorge ourselves on bistecca fiorentina and wild boar.

RobbieTunes

spend most of it on essentials: wine, women, song, bikes.
save a bit for luxuries: food, clothing, shelter.
send some to kickstarter (easier than burning it)

rootboy 

Or, you could play the lottery. Which I think of as a self-imposed tax for people who are bad at math.

pedalnmetal

my money would be on this first ... where is this thing located?!!

seedsbelize 

Is that a Moulton? +1

seedsbelize 

https://italiancyclingjournal.blogspo...ction-for.html

KonAaron Snake 

I've always enjoyed these "dream bike" threads...if only because reading prior answers tracks how you've changed or found past pursuits.

A lottery build...hmmmmmmmmm:

If vintage, probably a very early Cinelli or De Rosa...I'm talking 50s/early 60s. One of those early 531 Moulton Speeds would be interesting and I do have a thing for Ephgraves.

If newer, either a Kirk or Kellogg...sports tourer style, maybe try disc brakes.

What I'd probably want is to give Tom Kellogg a call. I really already have the stuff I want (and more)...I especially love the Bilenky tandem acquisition.

ThermionicScott 

+1. Not sure yet if I want to retire early, but having the option sooner is always better.

jr59

You will not regret it

4Rings6Stars

I would invest half of it in low risk mutual funds and then take the other half over to my friend Asadulah who works in securities...

Or buy a Firefly with Campy SR EPS...

PhilPub

A matching set of Cinelli Laser road and track bikes, please!

https://www.fyxomatosis.com/index.php...-cinelli-laser

jr59

I would but a Confente.

Then post in the how much is the most thread!

ColonelJLloyd 

I'd buy a custom bike.

kroozer 

I wouldn't drop 10 G's on a bike even if I could, I just don't need the super-expensive stuff. What would excite me would be to take a leisurely 6-month tour (on a bike, of course) through the heart of vintage bike country, from England through France and down to Italy, looking for the old 30's-40's-50's stuff that is so rare in the US. Hmmm, maybe it is rare there, too, but it would be fun to find out.

spacemanz

Can you imagine if you really did hit, for like 5 or 10 million at least? You could just camp out on auction sites, watching the deals roll by, & grabbing the good ones. I'm pretty happy with my old Bottecchia, but I could think of a lot of other stuff to try too.

kroozer 

My biggest bike fantasy is a long 1+ year cycling trip through Asia-- the Pamir and Karakoram Highways, India, and Southeast Asia. But that's actually not so expensive, and I really plan on doing it when my sabbatical comes through.

non-fixie 

Oh yes! Although in my case that would take more than money.

rccardr 

I'd invest it and then spend the proceeds as they accumulated. That way you could get a neato ride every year or so depending on the market, pay for it in cash, and still have the principal when you decide to take a year and ride around the world. Too much money spent all at one time yields much less pleasure than doing it over time and anticipating the results. Plus, I find that over time my tastes and wants change, so what I would have bought three or four years ago is very different from what I'd get for myself today.