FishFright
More wheels than sense
Put simply; if you bike costs more than mine then you're an idiot, if it costs less you're a damn peasant.
Hard for non-cyclists to comprehend
- Thread starter RyanB98
- Start date
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Only if you're in a regular job.
I retired from full time work in my 50's.
Just do a few days care work now on an as required basis. Suits me.
But it doesn't qualify for C2W as I don't have wages every month
Julia9054
Legendary Member
- Location
- Knaresborough
Just about to go for my 4th. Good thing is that i can now get my voucher on line and don't have to look the woman from HR in the eye!
How much is the bus?
Vapin' Joe
Formerly known as Smokin Joe
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Around £320,000 for a new London double decker.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Hmmm. My 18 year old Micra was £450. My CX was £600 second hand. I don't think that I've had a car that's cost more than a bike, but pretty sure that people who do have cars that cost more than bikes do exist.
As it stands, even my cheapest bike (£30) was infinitely more expensive than my car (I don't have one) 
In the past I've never actually wanted very expensive bikes - one decent 531 touring bike really was all I wanted. Though today, with old bikes and frames going for such low prices on eBay, I'm almost up to five (and two of those are aluminium).
I've done something similar (but more extremely) with camera gear. Back in the day my dream camera was an Olympus OM1 or OM2 with a few of their superb Zuiko lenses, but they were way beyond my reach.
Roll on the digital revolution and suddenly those beautiful film cameras were being offloaded on eBay for silly cheap prices. So I snapped them up, and today (I still love film, alongside digital) I have around half a dozen bodies (including an OM4) with about a dozen lenses (and I've bought and sold another couple of dozen lenses just to try them).
The point of this off-topic rambling is to show how relative it all is (certainly for me). If I had the money today to make new camera prices as relatively cheap (compared to my income), I'd now have a similar arsenal of them as I have old film cameras (and I'd have bought and sold many more just to try them).
Similarly, if new bikes were as relatively cheap compared to my income as old ones in reality are, I'd be spending thousands on them. Top-end carbon road bike, full-sus MTB, titanium...? Sure, I'd have them all. And I'd buy and sell just to try them and keep what I like best. If, relative to my income, they were as cheap as my lovely old steel ones, that is.
In my work (in the world of investment), those who live paupers' lives and leave millions in their wills are often held up as successes - I see them as having wasted their lives. In reality, I'd say a balanced approach is best - save and invest sensibly to ensure a comfortable retirement, but don't aim to be the richest corpse in the graveyard. And for those who have the money to spend, through hard work, good fortune, or whatever, I say use it and enjoy it.
Alan
In the past I've never actually wanted very expensive bikes - one decent 531 touring bike really was all I wanted. Though today, with old bikes and frames going for such low prices on eBay, I'm almost up to five (and two of those are aluminium).
I've done something similar (but more extremely) with camera gear. Back in the day my dream camera was an Olympus OM1 or OM2 with a few of their superb Zuiko lenses, but they were way beyond my reach.
Roll on the digital revolution and suddenly those beautiful film cameras were being offloaded on eBay for silly cheap prices. So I snapped them up, and today (I still love film, alongside digital) I have around half a dozen bodies (including an OM4) with about a dozen lenses (and I've bought and sold another couple of dozen lenses just to try them).
The point of this off-topic rambling is to show how relative it all is (certainly for me). If I had the money today to make new camera prices as relatively cheap (compared to my income), I'd now have a similar arsenal of them as I have old film cameras (and I'd have bought and sold many more just to try them).
Similarly, if new bikes were as relatively cheap compared to my income as old ones in reality are, I'd be spending thousands on them. Top-end carbon road bike, full-sus MTB, titanium...? Sure, I'd have them all. And I'd buy and sell just to try them and keep what I like best. If, relative to my income, they were as cheap as my lovely old steel ones, that is.
In my work (in the world of investment), those who live paupers' lives and leave millions in their wills are often held up as successes - I see them as having wasted their lives. In reality, I'd say a balanced approach is best - save and invest sensibly to ensure a comfortable retirement, but don't aim to be the richest corpse in the graveyard. And for those who have the money to spend, through hard work, good fortune, or whatever, I say use it and enjoy it.
Alan
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Richard Hammond writes off half a million Quid's worth of cars a month.
I can think of a couple of counter examples, though. One of them is President of the USA
Bus to where?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Maybe if you've ridden it? Bike rental is a thing and some bikes available to rent are pretty expensive to buy. Heck, even Copenhagen's equivalent of Boris Bikes reportedly cost the city 7 grand ($10,000) each... but they are e-bikes with tablet computers on the stems. Rental is a bit under £10/hour.
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Well I'm happy to admit if I win the Premium Bonds my actions will be, in this order:
1. Buy each of the kids a house
2. Buy a bespoke, hand built bike for sheer pleasure. Bespoke frame etc. the absolute works! No limit and no apologies!!
3. Buy a nice car. Not some huge monster but just something, don't know what, it would give me pleasure to own and drive
My summer bike, Cervelo C3 cost £3000, my tourer, £2000 (3 years old), my (now) winter bike a Dolan Dual, £1500 (8 years old). Over eight years the expenditure works out at £68/month. Each of these are very comfortable, a pleasure to ride but do perform differently.
Over the same period my wife has been a gym member. Today she is paying £85/month. She's there 5 days a week for tennis, pilates, yoga etc. our two hobbies seem quite balanced in terms of cost.
Both activities are the centre of our independent social activities, our joint activities tend to be cheaper, walking, theatre etc. We are retired but not wealthy.
I see the price of a bike as relevant to its use, my pleasure and health not the price of a car.
I also think Hammond is an idiot...... well several words I wouldn't generally use.
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