patentcad

This thread is a Johnny Lunchpail Pissing Contest.







No Lexus for any of you.

DropDeadFred

false, but the right mentality that makes people in this economy believe they are broke when they aren't, they are simply living beyond their means.

I saw this guy in a clip that lived a lifestyle of a man who made 100k a year on a 30k salary. He was thrifty, bought used and shopped smart. He pulled it off and no one was the wiser.

datlas 

It's an interesting thread.

When I started as a cyclist back in my college days in the mid 1980's, my friends and I used to joke about the old geezers we saw with expensive bikes who apparently had money to spare but couldn't hold a line and would get dropped on the first hill. We rode crappy cheap bikes because we were starving college students.

I am now in my 40's and although not "rich" do live a modest lifestyle and can afford to have a decent bike. Nothing fancy but decent. As you get older you do have more discretionary income, generally, if you have a decent job (sorry to those unemployed or underemployed BFers). and as others have said it comes down to priorities. I drive a crappy 13 year old saturn and spend very little on clothing (except cycling clothes) and jewelry, etc., so if I spend a couple thousand dollars/year on bike stuff that's feasible. It still pisses of my wife but it's better than spending the money on hookers and blow.

johnnyletrois

Four pages and nobody has said it yet:

SUGAR MOMMA

DropDeadFred

fify

Hiro11

IMO:

1. A surprising number of people make $150K+. Cycling is popular in this cohort.

2. Bikes are relatively cheap compared to other types of conspicuous consumption. One boat equals a hell of a lot of bikes.

3. Cycling is very popular among people in their peak earning years (40s and 50s). These (typically men) are also known for spend vast sums on anything that promises to "improve performance". Extremely expensive golf clubs, high price tennis gear, expensive running clothing, high-dollar personal trainers etc. Fear of aging is a powerful motivator.

4. Cycling is easily the most gear-obsessed sport I've ever participated in. People get insane about the smallest, most meaningless crap. This obsession fuels pointless overspending on $500 seatposts, $5000 wheels and the like. The group-based social aspects of cycling adds in a hefty dose of "keeping up with the Jones" peer pressure to the mix.

5. Being a cyclist makes it easy to say what you want for Christmas for friends and family: the answer is always bike crap.

Result of all of this: a tsunami of spending on silly cycling stuff.

eofelis 

A lot of this.


I've been remarkable poor (by American standards) over the past several years. Was in college (scholarships, no loans), working p/t, etc.
Lived cheaply. Bought an older Subaru (paid cash). Most of our furniture and household goods from yard sales or curbs. Always had some money in savings.

I have 6 nice bikes. My SO has 7. He just bought a ti custom road frame. We keep a sharp eye out for sales and second hand items. Not just bikes, but other stuff we could use. Or resell for a profit.....

Even when income was very slim, always seemed to have enough money. Maybe it's attitude.

Have decent job now, but make under $30k, but it seems like a lot compared to the past few years. Still live the same way.

dgasmd

You sure? College (4 years) + med school (4 years) + pediatric residency (3 years) = 11 years. Come out of HS at 17-18 y.o., and it puts you at nearly 30 y.o. Besides, pediatricians have the lowest income of all medical specialties, so I wouldn't be bragging about it too much. Noble specialty nevertheless and one that is severely under-appreciated until your kid gets sick!!! I would brag about the no med school debt though as most of us have a debt from it bigger than most people's mortgages!!

achu717

YIELD..YIELD...YIELD.... foucus on miles ridden and pounds dropped per dollar spent on cycling stuff?

datlas 

True. I am afraid there is no future in primary care. Why go through 4 years of university, 4 years of med school, 3 years of residency, have 200K+ of debt to make 90K/year....better to become a PA or NP, they often make as much as we docs do and need much less training.

pgjackson

Best answer so far.

dgasmd

Very true. Most people live way beyond their means, and many more spend just because they can. How many people you know that can afford a Ferrari drive a Prius? However, how many people you know should be driving a Prius but drive a car 3X as expensive as they should? Likely most people you know! In this country, there is also another common malady: consumerism. Most people don't know what else to do but to work and shop. People buy far more crap than they ever need. My friends from overseas remind me of this all the time. Most people outside this country buy an iPod and use it until it dies. Here, we buy an iPod until the next model comes out, at which point we buy it.

lazerzxr

priorities

I have well over $20k of bikes and bike stuff in my living room but i have no car and only a modest living room. I also dont spend money on anything that i dont absolutely need - except bike stuff of course!

pgjackson

It's a hobby. Some people have thousands of dollars in guns, antiques, paintings, Hummel figurines, motorcycles, jet skis, sail boats... In comparison, cycling is quite inexpensive. An entry-level ski boat runs about $15K. The cheapest Harley Davidson is about $10K.

I'm not saying that collecting thousands of dollars in extra cycling gear is normal (I think it's weird and excessive to have 6 bikes), just that it's fairly inexpensive compared to other hobbies.

johnnyletrois

A Prius is an expensive car!

Billy Bones

Sufficient disposable income and priorities.

tagaproject6

It's not that I can afford so much, it's just that I spend so little. I am a cheap bastige!

tagaproject6

This is true.

pgjackson

Exactly. Buying a Prius doesn't save you one penny in the long run.

kj5423

simple equation

good credit = bad cycling performance

ColinL

Personally I have done that. Actually I've got high cost item #3 also, child support. (Somehow despite having 50% shared custody I pay more than my mortgage principle in support. But I digress.) I bet a lot of people have expensive car payments, probably some that exceed their rent.

My wife and I live beneath our means. My car is paid off, as is my sportbike and dirtbike. Owe less than $5k on wife's 2008 SUV.

So I've in fact done all that stuff you are beating on, and I agree with you. But I'm saying that by eating leftovers or lunchmeat, that alone gives me another $150 per month to buy cycling gear.

The big stuff can be damn hard to change too. Eating a sandwich instead of going to a restaurant is easy.

GDA

Like said by many... it all comes down to good financial habits and living within ones means that eventually can allow you money to start working for you and that pays big dividends down the road. Some of my friends think I have really nice stuff but most of it was bought used.


Got out of debt in my early 30s

Drive 5 year or older nice cars and do all the maintenance myself

Pay cash for expensive items and almost always buy them a couple years old (lightly or no use)

Wife and I budget the household expenses and also use a budget and prepay for our two or so vacations each year

Runner 1

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-annual-income

Seattle Forrest

Or underspending.

I don't have kids. Compared to a lot of the people in this forum, I think that's it.

I have two bikes. Any day, I'd prefer to ride the carbon one ... it's not that cool to have a choice. The alu one is for commuting on, because I have to lock up at a bike rack outside of work. It's also for other errands that require me to lock the bike up. And, with an older 9-speed drive train, it's become my rain bike, because 10-speed Ultegra cassettes are expensive.

Higher Class

Serious? So you'd ride a time trial bike fully loaded cross country, or a track racing bike to go get groceries in the rain?

I make about $14k a year, pay for school out of pocket, pay my own rent etc., and I have a $2k road bike. What's up?