On 9/13/2020 3:47 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Sunday, September 13, 2020 at 12:06:53 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:

And that raises a point about diminishing returns. Is a $7000 road bike
really twice as good as a $3500 road bike? Is it four times as good as a
$1750 road bike? How much does it increase your speed, or your riding
comfort, your maximum distance, or anything beyond your bragging rights?

One of my earliest biking buddies (back in the early 1970s) said "I
can't afford the best car in the world. I can't afford the best stereo
system in the world. But I can afford the best bike in the world."

Note that his statement wasn't in terms of performance benefits or
longevity or anything practical. It was essentially bragging rights and
self satisfaction.

So you never bought a bike that was expensive simply because you wanted it?

Actually, no. I've bought a few bikes that stretched the budget, or
seemed expensive (although probably not to certain posters here) but all
were careful and rational decisions. All worked out very well.

Our biggest stretch was probably the custom tandem, bought when most
people would probably have said we should have put the money into our
very meager savings account. As I told a woman yesterday (who was
admiring it), it proved to be one of the best purchases we ever made.

--
- Frank Krygowski