Anyone who spends $6K on a bike is a moron!

The recent threads on people spending $6 grand or more on bikes makes me
laugh. Unless you're spending 6+ hours a day on your bike against elite
competition, you just don't need to drop 6 bills on a bike. Better ride...
lower weight. HA! You really don't notice a difference... you just want to
notice a difference.

Now... I'll go take a self-righteous ride on my $5800 bike!

Good day

From a mechanical standpoint, you're probably right. There's probably
not a really big difference between a custom-made $6k bike and a very
nice $2.5k bike. Oh sure, there might be a little more carbon in one
or the other, or *slightly* higher-grade components, but that's not why
you're buying it.

In items that are considered "premium" products, you're not just buying
the product itself, but you're also getting the image that comes with
owning that product such as: the good feeling you get when you look at
it, the custom paint job, the ego-feeding rush of knowing you have the
"best" of something, and the jealous looks of other riders in your
group. Basically anything and everything that "comes" with owning a
$6k, custom-made bike.

So for some customers, the intangible aspects of owning that kind of
bike are more important than nuts and bolts and the gear ratios. This
goes for Rolls-Royce automobiles, Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton luggage
and wallets, etc.

In every industry, there are customers who want to have the "best" of
something. For me, "pretty good" is usually good enough. But if I
become very rich, I might acquire more expensive tastes that feed my
ego.

-Bill H.

If your name isn't Lance, riding a $6k bike tells me I don't want to know
you. Those people who have to buy the "best there is" make me puke. Even
if I were rich (which I'm not), I wouldn't spend that much money on a bike,
because I'd feel stupid each time some guy on a clunker passes me. You
cannot ride twice as fast on a $6k bike as you can on a $3k bike (much less
6 times as fast as on a $1k bike).

And there's always a faster guy on the road...

"Bill H." wrote: (clip) Rolex watches, (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yoyu should see the heated discussions that rage in the horology newsgroup
about whether Rolex watches are worth the money. You certainly can't
justify the cost of a Rolex in terms of time keeping. So the argument falls
on styling, status and just plain "I want one."

There is a little difference in bicycles, in that they are still totally
mechanical devices. At great cost, it is possible to make smoother working,
longer lasting, more reliable and lighter components. But, does it make
sense to spend thousands of extra dollars to get incremental differences
that are detectable only to experts?

Jim wrote:


If your name isn't Lance, riding a $6k bike tells me I don't want to know
you. Those people who have to buy the "best there is" make me puke. Even
if I were rich (which I'm not), I wouldn't spend that much money on a bike,
because I'd feel stupid each time some guy on a clunker passes me. You
cannot ride twice as fast on a $6k bike as you can on a $3k bike (much less
6 times as fast as on a $1k bike).

And there's always a faster guy on the road...

Interesting. I (now) ride a bike that costs about that much. I guess
one difference between you and me is that I would *still* enjoy riding
with you (perhaps I wouldn't enjoy *chatting* with you while we rode,
but...), though the thought of riding with me, apparently, repulses
you.

In article ,
Jim writes:

If your name isn't Lance, riding a $6k bike tells me I don't want to know
you. Those people who have to buy the "best there is" make me puke. Even
if I were rich (which I'm not), I wouldn't spend that much money on a bike,
because I'd feel stupid each time some guy on a clunker passes me. You
cannot ride twice as fast on a $6k bike as you can on a $3k bike (much less
6 times as fast as on a $1k bike).

And there's always a faster guy on the road...

Maybe it's not about the speed.

Anyhow, gee whiz, I basically like people, I like bikes,
and I like to see people on bikes that they appreciate
for whatever their reasons are. They're happy and I'm
happy along with 'em. I've got my own fleet of bikes
to be contented with. I don't think the sight of anyone
on a bicycle has ever made me want to puke.

Dammit, now I'm using the first person pronoun too much.
To break out of that loop I'll just say: who gives a
fat rat's tuchas about 'appearances'?


cheers,
Tom

--
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Above address is just a spam midden.
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"Bill H." wrote in message
oups.com...
From a mechanical standpoint, you're probably right. There's probably
not a really big difference between a custom-made $6k bike and a very
nice $2.5k bike. Oh sure, there might be a little more carbon in one
or the other, or *slightly* higher-grade components, but that's not why
you're buying it.


Then there are the folks who spend upwards of $5000 for an off the rack
OCLV Trek. I'm not saying they're not excellent bikes, but for that much
money I want it made to my dimensions. Of course, if it was lugged and
brazed steel with a Joe Bell paint job, that wouldn't hurt. :-)

"Jim" wrote in message
.. .

If your name isn't Lance, riding a $6k bike tells me I don't want to know
you. Those people who have to buy the "best there is" make me puke. Even
if I were rich (which I'm not), I wouldn't spend that much money on a
bike,
because I'd feel stupid each time some guy on a clunker passes me. You
cannot ride twice as fast on a $6k bike as you can on a $3k bike (much
less
6 times as fast as on a $1k bike).

And there's always a faster guy on the road...

Maybe it's not about being faster. Maybe it's about being more comfortable,
and appreciating the craftsmanship involved in a custom bike.

Bestest Handsander wrote:

The recent threads on people spending $6 grand or more on bikes makes me
laugh. Unless you're spending 6+ hours a day on your bike against elite
competition, you just don't need to drop 6 bills on a bike. Better ride...
lower weight. HA! You really don't notice a difference... you just want to
notice a difference....

$6,000 is a fair price for these:
http://www.velomobiel.nl/uk/velomobiel2_uk.htm,
http://www.aerorider.com/pages/sales/price_list.php?lang=en.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

Jim wrote:

If your name isn't Lance, riding a $6k bike tells me I don't want to know
you. Those people who have to buy the "best there is" make me puke. Even
if I were rich (which I'm not), I wouldn't spend that much money on a
bike,
because I'd feel stupid each time some guy on a clunker passes me. You
cannot ride twice as fast on a $6k bike as you can on a $3k bike (much
less
6 times as fast as on a $1k bike).

And there's always a faster guy on the road...

Personally, I think anything that gets a wealthy person to part with more of
their money is a good thing. Even if you never ride, spending $6,000 on a
bike is a good thing for the person who sells it.

Austin (definitely not buying or selling)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address