Priorities
 

There is a saying around Boulder - the car is worth less than the bike on the bike rack. We don't live in Boulder but in Boulder County. This saying is probably common in other areas of the country. Here is our example: A 2015 Calfee tandem atop a 2001 Volvo V40 (maybe worth $2k).

This seems about right!

Vehicles....'11 Mazda CX-9, '08 Wrangler JKU, '01 Silverado Ext Cab. Total value ~ $50k

Bicycles? Easily exceeds that....kinda scary when I think about it.

Those are all NEW cars. Our 1993 Chev Suburban makes an excellent tandem hauler. No rack required, the bike goes inside. Sunday she carried out Santana Beyond plus two half bikes and four riders. Definitely a higher current value of bikes than vehicle. :-)

I think this makes an important point about "value". Even the cheapest old car will go 80 mph, last for over 100,000 miles, go through cold & snow, carry many occupants & keep them safe & warm. Even if it is worth only a couple of thousand dollars.

A new fancy bike will do none of these and cost many times this amount.

One is closer to need. The other closer to want. A lesson in value.

I still have bicycles I have owned since the late 80's early 90's. Can't say the same about any of the cars I've owned. Cars are ultimately disposable, as are most bike to be sure. By total mass, the landfills and junkyards are, orders of magnitude, full of more automotive junk and detritus than bicycles.

I decided long ago that $ for bicycles come from a different account than $ for cars or most other things. Money spent on a bicycle improves health and quality of your lifespan. Money spent on a tandem does all that for two of you, plus strengthens your relationship. Cars do the opposite.

^ +++++!!!!!!!!!

Amen to much of the above... it is a different budget and I seem to have a lot more expense freedom if it is "for the tandem" than a lot of other things in that budget.

But if you ever looked at the price of new trucks... and especially trucks big enough to haul a load... tandems start to look pretty cheap.