Stucky

But here's the thing:
You can't get any new car for less than about $17K. A $50K car is 3x the price of the $17K econobox- but the average person can see the difference between the two.

An above-ground pool will cost you $3K- if you live in a place where you don't need permits and fences; and your neioghbor has excavating equipment to level you spot, etc. The same could easily cost you $10K if you live in a restrictive city/suburb. So a $30K in-ground pool, whose benefits over an above-ground pool can be seen by the average schmoe, doesn't seem too bad.

To the average person, a bike is something you buy at Walmart for $99. There is no obvious difference to them between that, and a bike which costs 3x or 10x that- much less a bike that costs 50x more than that- "It's just a bike"- they all look the same and do the same thing.....

Leebo

Does it make you happy? And like to ride it? Nuff said. What is the price of good health, low BP and less weight ? I have 9 bikes, some people just shake their head. I drive a used corolla and paid cash. It's your money, do as you like. The same critics buy a 20-20 K car and finance interest payments?

avidone1

I really can't take this thread seriously.
I mean, this is America.

headloss 

$7k bikes exist become some people are willing to spend that much. LOL
Improvements are marginal and at great expense after a certain point, for me, something around $4k is the cutoff before I'm just throwing money away.
If you are a pro racer, that's one thing... otherwise, it's just money to burn. But yeah, there are worse ways to burn money, so whatever makes you happy!
I'd rather spend that much on two or three bikes or pick up a nice handcrafted guitar along with a new bike, we all have our own desires.

mapeiboy

Exactly , what would they laugh when those expensive bikes keep them employ .

AlmostTrick

Confession: Back when I was a teen, 35 years ago, I worked at a bike store and we did sometimes smoke and drink in the workshop... And we laughed at everything!

Ray9

When I was in the hospital I had consultations with several medical specialists from neurologists to orthopedists. Not one of them recommended or even suggested that I stop cycling. I can tell the difference between an ultra high quality bike and a lesser one in almost every aspect of the riding experience and particularly in the comfort zone. What I get from cycling is priceless and I am thankful for the gifts I received as an athlete. If I did not use them I would lose them and have no one but myself to blame. The 7k is worth it to me.

bkaapcke

It's best to keep the price to yourself, unless you are talking to a friend who knows about very nice bikes. Most others don't really need to know. Some will get upset knowing how much discretionary money you are willing to spend on something they can get at Target for $125.00 or so. The difference between the two will not compute no matter how much you talk.

It's like how people get ticked off when they hear how I paid off my mortgage. I don't tell them anymore. bk

Up North

If it makes you feel better, I dropped 20k on 2 bikes last year. Life is too short to ride an ugly bike! Money was made for spending. Live and ride today we may not be here next week. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

Stucky

You know? I've noticed the same thing... It's amazing [and it's virtually always people who make WAY more money than I]- it's as if they're jealous that we exercise good sense and responsibility; and that we don't go into debt for $50K kitchen & bathroom do-overs; or toys. Especially if they make more money than we- It's like it bothers them that I can live better on a fraction of what they make. Freakin' people!

Deontologist

Hey, at least your hobby (biking) nets you some exercise ... some people spend much more than 7,000 on hobbies that don't even do them any good in terms of physical stuff at least (like cars ...).

2702

How does it work test riding a 7k bike? Most shops will take a driver's license and a credit card and than let you ride.
For a 7k bike it has to be on a shop's mind that someone comes in with a fake ID and fake CC and rides off with it.
For the record I have never had a problem with a shop letting me test ride, the most $$$ was 2,499.

Corben

Nice bike!
Looks a lot like my $400.00 bike.

GravelMN

I don't know about bypass but my stents (two about a year apart) went for about $35,000 each and the bills keep coming with follow ups and medications. My physicians say cycling may have saved my life and vastly improved my outcome. If I had started 30 years earlier, I could have possibly prevented or at least greatly delayed the need for stents. Even with good insurance I could have purchased a very high end bike with my out of pocket expense for two tiny wire tubes. When I started cycling I was looking at a $1,200 bike that was on sale for $899 and thought myself insane for considering it. Last week I spent that much on this month's installment on my medical bill. I still wouldn't likely spend $7,000 on a bike for myself, but I probably wasted several times more than that on the cheeseburgers, pizza and soda that contributed to my health problems. Heck, a vending machine soda once a day for 10 years adds up to around $4,500. IMHO, any money spent on cycling is a good investment.

Null66

So glad you're still here!
Hope you have a more than complete recovery!

2manybikes

It seems to me that the less someone knows about something, the more they think the cost of something is too high.

We know how to compare the value of a bike to other things. That makes us more knowledgeable those who think a bike is too much. Therefore we are superior to those silly people who don't understand. Being superior to them is a good thing.
The same thing applies to being in good physical condition (Looking too skinny).
I enjoy both !

If someone insists on some kind of justification for both, unless it's a friend I typically walk away.

Roadbikedude

The only justification you need is your own desire to purchase the bike - if you have the money and want to go for it, then by all means do so.

jbenkert111

If you bought a $200 Walmart bike they would still be smoking weed (but just a puff) and drinking beer (but just one Pony bottle).

GravelMN

Thank you. I was very lucky both times. Early detection and good medical care all around. I too hope for more than a complete recovery because I really sucked on hills before my heart attacks. My cardiologist has given me his blessing to "Give it hell" this summer and ride all I want, so I'm telling my wife that it is Dr's orders.

Jim from Boston

+ 1. Well said. I have a somewhat similar cycling aphorism regarding time spent on a bike (during a busy life), ”Any day with a ride in it is a good day.”

whether on my $0.5K used beater mountain bike but particularly on my $8K (MSRP) carbon fiber bike.

wolfchild

Are you enjoying winter riding on your super-duper expensive bikes ??..Do you ride your $20K bikes all winter in all types of weather like I ride my $1500 dollar bike all winter ??

skidder

I don't know where you buy your booze and cigarettes, but they only cost $3/6-pack and $5/pack (respectively) here in Southern California (sorry, have no idea what 'weed' costs here). And that link to the Cannondale site shows the MSRP is only $5500, not $7000; either you're paying a huge amount of sales tax on that thing, or you bought a huge amount of accessories for it.

To me buying a bicycle that costs that much would be like spending $80,000 on a new ZO6 Corvette to drive 3 miles to work each day - no matter how I look at it I just can't see why or justify the cost.

Up North

Wolfman,

Yes I do ride all winter and Indeed I am enjoying it. I've just returned from a week in Texas and another week in Arizona, so yes I do enjoy my bikes during winter. Next trip I'll ride in Morroco and Canary Islands so my bikes see lots of use year round. Any more fun than you and your $1,500.00 bike, perhaps not but as long as I can cycle I'm happy. Ride them in the snow - No - I have snowshoes for snow.

FBinNY 

So, here we are on a thread that started about the difficulty of justifying an expensive bicycle to non-cycling friends.

What happens, we segue into an attack/defense thread among riders debating on what's an appropriate bike and what one should spend.

This thread alone makes the case for keeping the personal personal and minding your own business.

Buy/ride the bike of your choice, and don't bother trying to explain your decision to anybody else.

StanSeven

I follow you but that automobile price is low in your analogy. Most new vehicles are in the higher end of that - SUVs, trucks, and luxury sedans. If you live in a 6-7 figure price house with a pool and an expensive boat, you don't drive an inexpensive vehicle