Oh good, we are getting to the bike porn now

The people who you are weirdly frustrated by would think it's very expensive.

Your argument about them spending $500 "unnecessarily" looks silly considering what you spent on two bikes.

umd...Is that yours (the S-Works?) That's a pretty awesome race bike. I couldn't ride it very long. The position required is too much for my level of flexibility. But, if you race (or just love the feel of riding a race bike) then I won't criticize you for a purchase of a bike like that. Of course, you might get some dweeb on here that says they get just as much enjoyment out of their $50 Schwinn and that you wasted your money. I'm sure you bought that bike with a purpose in mind, not just 'cuz you had $$$$ to spend.

njkayaker... I'm not sure which side of the argument you're on. Are you frustrated by how much I spent on a bike(s)?

It looks silly to me to see them spend $500 on a bike to park in the garage.

Yeah! Bike Porn!

I race it... the picture was taken at a race, that's why there is a number on it

I've ridden double centuries on it too. With different wheels.

Well, it would be even sillier to have a $3000 bike to park in the garage.

No one (here) really cares how much you spent. You care too much about what those $500-bike people spent.

I didn't think anyone would care how much I spent (I don't), but a majority of comments (many of them from you) have been critical of how much I spent.

I'm not willing to "run around this circle" one more time with you. My $2000 bike isn't a garage ornament, and neither is the $3000 bike... they both get ridden plenty.

I think you must have been reading the version of this thread from an alternate universe.

I actually started the post with the intention of finding out whether most people make their bicycle buying decision based on budget... or based on performance of the bike. I only posted what I paid for bikes to show what I paid for the performance level I wanted from the bikes. I didn't think people would "care" what I paid. Apparently they do... especially if they paid less.

I wouldn't expect criticism on paying too much for a bicycle from a guy that rides a Specialized Tarmac S-Works. But, then again... maybe you believe that based on my cycling abilities (or lack of) should stick with used Craigslist bikes and Walmart. It's fine... I'll never race or be considered near the cyclist you are... so maybe your opinion should carry more weight than mine for what type of bicycle I should buy for me and how much I should pay.

The problem is that the people that are going to answer this thread aren't the people that you are complaining about in your initial post. njkayaker in his posts wasn't being critical of how much you spent, he was pointing out that it is silly for you to care how much others spent.

Where did I criticise how much you spent? I don't really care how much you spent.

I'm just saying that of course beginners/new cyclists/inexperienced people/whatever are going to come onto here and present unrealistic expectations for unreasonable budgets.

What njkayaker and myself and others here are saying, is "duh".

Whether you see it or not, most of the people that come here and ask those questions are noobs/inexperienced people who don't really know what they want, they just have a vague idea of what they want to do, and haven't really done much research to know what they can get. Or they have and didn't like the $, so they are coming here looking for a magic solution.

umd that is one of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen. Seriously.

I've just caught this thread. And I'm letting it go.

Lol...so I opened this thread thinking "frustrated by budget" meant that the OP was frustrated by their own budget. As in, "OMG there are so many cool/expensive cycling related things that I want to buy and my budget does not allow me to buy all of them." But apparently the OP is so rich that he has no need to be frustrated by his own budget. Only by the fact that other people have them. How nice of him to be so empathetic.

The bottom line is, everyone does not have endless amounts of money flowing out their wazoo. Some (most?) people have to plan and budget because they have a certain amount of money with which to pay rent, buy food, feed children, pay bills, etc. and finally, to use for cycling or other recreational activities. Even if they have unrealistic expectations about what they can buy within their budget, it still doesn't hurt to ask. What if the exact thing you wanted WAS available somewhere for a really good price that happened to fit within your budget (i.e. the amount of money you could afford to spend), and someone on a bike forum just happened to know where you could get it? Then it would be pretty stupid not to ask, wouldn't it? Or maybe cyclists on a bike forum would have enough information to point you towards the best/closest thing to what you want that is within or closest to your stated budget. I think that is the point of those type of posts/questions. At that point, of course, you could decide if you need to raise your budget or if what people have advised will work for your situation.

OK... just to satisfy your point. I would like to race. I want a sub 15 lbs carbon fiber race bike. Something similar to the Specialized Tarmac S-works pictured in the posts above. The Zipp wheels are OK, but I'd really like a set of wheels with the powertap built into the hub. I've never raced and thus I'm a beginner. I've got a budget of $700 ... I could maybe push it $800. What bike should I get?

Go ahead... do the research for me... find me the bike on Craigslist. Or... is it just a little frustrating to read a ridiculous request like this???

Just askin'. Maybe someone knows where I can get a bike like this for $700-$800.

They aren't Zipps.

OK. I couldn't tell what they were from the picture. If I recall, the S-Works Tarmac SL3 Super Light comes spec'd with Zipp 202's.... my bad.
What are the wheels umd?

Hey, if someone can come up with the bike for $700-$800 without the wheels then I'm still good with that. I'd hate to be thought of as "stupid for not asking" as CommutiePatooti put it. Of course, I would think that most people that know a little bit about cycling might think I'm pretty stupid for putting in a request like that... or as I put "frustrated."

Of course, I'm a beginner, and I've never raced... so...

It's not an SL3 either, and nothing on that bike is spec.

The wheels are Reynolds.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...et-a-road-bike

Here's another one... I see these all the time.

Yeah, because that's clearly an experienced rider who knows exactly what they need

The only thing I gathered from the post/request was that he wanted a road bike. And wanted to spend $300. But... he's really going to "get into it."
I even did some research, found him a bike that met his criteria in his area. I guess it'll look just as good sitting in his garage as any.

You must have failed reading comprehension in school.

"I have been meaning to get in to road biking for so long, and now i'm actually looking around for a bike.
I don't want to spend too much of the bat, i want to just get something that's under $300 to see how it goes."

So, he wants to start road biking and doesn't want to spend more than $300 because he wants to "see how it goes" before comitting more money. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

What is it that I didn't understand? I even made a bike recommendation that met all of his criteria. What is it that you "comprehended" so well from the post that I missed?
I don't recall taking a "reading comprehension" class in school. But I did graduate from college with honors... if that helps you judge my intellect of level of education any better.

Yeah well, perhaps one reason I can afford to pay $3500 for the bike is b/c I know the importance of setting a budget and sticking to it. You are expecting everyone to have exactly your approach to spending money, which is a bit silly.

This could go on for a while...

I am struggling to understand - was the OP in that thread you linked a beginner or someone new or someone who knew what they wanted? And given that there was a bike that did meet his requirements, perhaps that budget was not so unrealistic either, hmmm?

Dude, you need to stop getting so defensive and realize that you are just arguing for the sake of arguing, without actually making any point. Just smile and wave, and let this thread drop.

V.

PS: Bike porn, did someone say? Say hello to Jenna.

I'm not expecting "everyone" to have "exactly" my approach to spending money... Just go ahead and show me the post where I stated this.

Like I said... you're a good shopper... very committed to your budget.

That's just not me... if it does what I want, and the price is fair and competitive, then I'll buy it if I can afford it.