Machka 

Absolutely nothing. To each, his/her own.

livedarklions

Find something else to think about. Changing his mind is probably impossible, and the efforts will just end up creating hostility. How much to spend buying bikes for kids is actually a parenting decision, and nothing makes people angrier than having those kind of decisions challenged.

Garfield Cat

Try using convincing arguments through analogies. Other than bikes, that neighbor might have other possessions that are of high value to him. Or it may be something other than an object, like higher education costs, etc.

indyfabz

Basho also wrote: "A flute with no holes is not a flute. And a donut with no hole is a danish." He was a funny guy.

Jarrettsin

Where Need/Want meets budget you will find your price point.
Do you wear a Timex or a Rolex
Drive a Ford or Rolls Royce
Eat at McDonald's or Ruth Chris

A Trek FX.3 and a marlin 7 fall at the LOWER end of good bikes maybe you better up your game a little

When not riding I sometimes go bass fishing. When i do I practice catch and release. I have friends who can't believe I go though so much trouble to catch them and them put them back!

Bandera

"Helping others see the Light"

Self congratulatory pseudo-mystical twaddle.

JonathanGennick 

My approach to helping people to understand why I spend so much on bikes is to identify something like fishing or golf or tools that the other person is enthusiastic about, and draw parallels between their interests and mine.

superpletch

Dont try to change someone else, but I've always been an advocate for a quality bike to "enhance the cycling experience." increasing budget slightly will get you a bike that you will enjoy and ride more. It all depends on how you want to ride, few people ride 6k miles a year on a Walmart bike, but if you are riding a couple miles a month a Walmart bike will suffice.

When something someone else does bothers you it is usually a sign you need to look inward and change you.

Troul 

[QUOTE=superpletch;20468647]When something someone else does bothers you it is usually a sign you need to look inward and change you./QUOTE]

x2

livedarklions

[QUOTE=Troul;20468663]Except when it's not.

livedarklions

Which is a very sensible approach to explaining it. Trying to convince other people to spend more on bikes is not sensible unless they might buy one from you and it's your job.

If the neighbor wants advice, he'll ask you for it. If he wants an argument, life's too short.

rydabent

There is a great point to learn here tho. There IS a point where LOTS MORE money buys little more performance. This is true of most every thing. Some one mentioned cars. A Chevy Malibu is a good car, that well outfitted might cost $35,000 dollars. Yet another person can buy a $95,000 BMW. They will both go down the hiway at the 65 speed limit. What does the BMW driver get for his $60,000 extra money? What will a $15,000 bike do that a $3,000 bike wont do. What does the owner of the $15,000 get for his extra $12,000**********?

athrowawaynic

You do what you want. But I mind my own business.

EDIT: I would say it's kind of unfair though. For your neighboer's purposes, there's not really any reason a BSO doesn't fit the bill. The issue is that the downside risk (of a poorly assembled bike) is prettty high. It's not immediately the case that a bike fitted with Tourney (and lower!) components can't be made to work reasonably reliably for limited purposes. (My Diamondback Wildwood Citi is nigh bombproof--but only because I did the tune-up/adjustments/parts-swap--not because I left it to some minimum-wage-poor-Joe-who-could-care-less-and-gets-paid-a-couple-bucks-more-for-"assembling"-a-bike-faster.)

bcpriess

Try this:


You: "I've noticed you've been going through a lot of bikes, and having a lot of part failure, while I've been riding the same bike on the same stuff for years with no problems."

Him: "Uh huh."

You: "Tell you what, how about I set up my __________ so it fits you, and see how you like the ride."

Him: "Sure."


You guys go for a ride.


You: "Well, how'd it go?"

Him (if it plays out how I think it will): "Wow. I felt way faster, and it was easy to __________, and __________."

You: "I can help you find one of your own, and it'll probably cost less than what you're doing now."

Him: "Sweet!"

Caliper

You don't have to buy new even, just buy a used bike that wasn't from a department store (I had a department store bike once, only bike I've been happy to see leave my life. I think I gave it away). We all know that for most riding, it doesn't matter if you have a 12sp or a 7sp cassette, but the quality of that cassette and the supporting parts does matter. The good quality 7, 8 or 9sp components from decades ago are still good quality components that just might need a cleaning, cables and brake pads. Maybe if he doesn't ride enough to justify the price of a quality new bike, then a quality used bike from Craigslist might be the better choice.

Keiffith

The people calling this man an idiot is the reason cyclists are called elitists.

On topic though, there are 2 things I would try.

A) let him take one of your bikes for a spin next time he says you payed too much for it. Nothing silences people more than experience.

B) next time his bike breaks, raid your parts bin im sure you have.

tagaproject6

Your light will not light the same path that others already follow. Live your life and try not to force others to live it it the way you do. You are not better than others and try not to show others as if you are at a higher level of existence.

You might get yelled at.

Bandera

Bodhisattva, would you take your neighbor by the hand
Bodhisattva, would you take your neighbor by the hand
Can you show him the shine of your Trek bikes
The sparkle of your FX3, can you show him
Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva
He's gonna sell his department store bikes
Bodhisattva
He's gonna sell his department store bikes
And you'll be there to show him The Light
Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva

-apologies to Steely Dan

zze86

Buy a nice used bike and fix it up for the kid. Tell him to bring his bike over for a safety inspection, fiddle with it and dismiss it (if he isn't too attached to it that is). Then give him the used bike you just fixed for him.

Who cares about the adult.

Worknomore

Tell him to shut it before you throw your wallet on him and crush his ass.

Troul 

i see what you're suggesting to do there......