More money than sense?

[steveindenmark]

Speaking of Denmark, @steveindenmark , do you often run across people who buy more boat than they are capable of handling? I ran into that quite often, back when I lived near the water. Boat envy, especially sailboat envy, seemed .

GA. Funny you say that. Im a sailmaker but have too many things on the go to get time to sail in the summer. A couple of years ago I found a Sunflower Jolle in Belgium and bought it home with me. I have yet to get it in the water. So I could be one of those people you are talking about.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I have my serious doubts about that there. You're just busy. I may have been in the same situation, I almost bought an Aquarius 40 footer or thereabouts last year, though I live now 40 miles from an appreciable body of water, and have no property on which to store or maintain the boat.( I do have seagulls on a pond just north of me. They mock me when I pass on the bike.) While I could handle that boat quite well, it would be quite well beyond my ability to make it a sensible proposition, like myself on carbon wheels. But you're a sailmaker, live near the water, and had the good sense to buy a Sunflower Yolle. I still keep my eyes open for a Mayflower, which may be a bit more sensible for me.

 

[simongt]

A few years ago I was reading a cycling mag and on the back was an advert for Airborne road bikes averaging about £1k each. A pal who looked at the advert said that it's each to their own, as a pal of his who is a musician had just shelled out £1500 on a new saxaphone. And THAT is exactly the point which is relevant - !

 

[djmc]

The point made about sailing is very apposite about cycling. Very technical equipment is totally unsuited to those who lack the experience and skill to use it. One should ask oneself - can I use it, do I have the skill. I can drive, but wouldn't dream of driving a F1 racing car. Then one should ask - even if I could use it, would it function any better for what I want to use it for. Even if I do race it is not given that really expensive wheels would be any better for me, and if I don't race they would have no advantage whatsoever. The point made by Simongt about the cost of saxophones just shows that some things particularly things made by hand are expensive. Stringed instruments (a Stradivarius violin for instance) can have an astronomic value, but I would imagine that all musical instruments have a quite significant cost.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Alternatively one could ask: Do I want it? Can I afford it?. If yes to both then buy it, and nuts to what other people think one should do.

Some hobbies can be money pits, but we are all free to make our own decisions.

I have spent far more (both money and time) than is logically sensible on my heavy old Dawes. A purely utilitarian view would have had it in the tip long ago.

 

[Smokin Joe]

It's my money and I'll spend it how I please has always been my philosophy.

 

[Racing roadkill]

If there is a demand for overpriced bits of fancy gear, with a pretty label on it, then people will supply it. I can see why a small performance advantage would be worth the price, for a pro / pro team, but I fear a lot of this type of kit will end up on the bike of someone who is just trying to wave the William.

 

[subaqua]

They're for people who can afford them. It's not only wealthy people who spend £4k on wheels, a lot of people on average salaries spend huge amounts of money on their hobbies. I've never got the term more money than sense, people with lots of money usually have lots of sense as that is how they accumulated their wealth. It's more likely poor people who lack sense.

Donald Trump the exception to your rule then ?

oh and all the other chinless wonders who struggle with common sense but inherited massive amounts of money .

 

[123456789]

Fri night Pub, Club, kebab then Taxi Home. £50
Sat night Pub, Club, KFC then Taxi Home £45

48 weeks of the year = £4,560

And what do you have to show for it at the end of the year a big belly and most likely a STD

Buy a £4,500 wheel set you will most likely be quite fit as you are into your riding may try your hand at racing therefore will become super fit, likely have a very flat belly and have a set of wheels at the end of year (providing they don't shatter into a million pieces or dissolve in the rain). I'm not sure on the STD

What one really makes more sense?

EDIT: I suppose it all depends on what value you place on your hobby be that drinking, cycling or any other hobby

 

[Dogtrousers]

Fri night Pub, Club, kebab then Taxi Home. £50
Sat night Pub, Club, KFC then Taxi Home £45

48 weeks of the year = £4,560

And what do you have to show for it at the end of the year a big belly and most likely a STD

What provides the STD? KFC or Kebab?
This reminds me of some lines, the source of which escapes me:
I've got piles / Me mate's got crabs / And we blame it all / On doner kebabs.

 

[123456789]

What provides the STD?

I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to have a birds and the bees chat on cyclechat. Ok then when you travel home in a taxi and you drop chilli sauce into your lap after hitting a pothole that burning sensation you get afterwards well.......

 

[Gravity Aided]

Donald Trump the exception to your rule then ?

oh and all the other chinless wonders who struggle with common sense but inherited massive amounts of money .

Donald trump, in his book, always kind of left me with the impression his father lost all of his money, but I guess not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Trump

 

[subaqua]

Fri night Pub, Club, kebab then Taxi Home. £50
Sat night Pub, Club, KFC then Taxi Home £45

48 weeks of the year = £4,560

And what do you have to show for it at the end of the year a big belly and most likely a STD

Buy a £4,500 wheel set you will most likely be quite fit as you are into your riding may try your hand at racing therefore will become super fit, likely have a very flat belly and have a set of wheels at the end of year (providing they don't shatter into a million pieces or dissolve in the rain). I'm not sure on the STD

What one really makes more sense?

EDIT: I suppose it all depends on what value you place on your hobby be that drinking, cycling or any other hobby

wheels aint much good without the rest of the bike tho.

and riding a £4k wheeled bike isn't going to make me any fitter than riding a £400 wheel bike is it .

I baulked at paying £60 for a new front wheel from Rose last week. ( who were excellent in terms of communication, cost and speed of delivery.

I baulk at paying for anything to be honest , including scuba gear.

sure spend what you want on what you want , but please dont make out its going to make you any better than anybody else

 

[123456789]

wheels aint much good without the rest of the bike tho.

and riding a £4k wheeled bike isn't going to make me any fitter than riding a £400 wheel bike is it .

I baulked at paying £60 for a new front wheel from Rose last week. ( who were excellent in terms of communication, cost and speed of delivery.

I baulk at paying for anything to be honest , including scuba gear.

sure spend what you want on what you want , but please dont make out its going to make you any better than anybody else

I think you've completely missed my point. I was comparing going out on the P155 each weekend against the cost of wheels. One would make more sense to me value wise rather than the other. In actuality I wouldn't spend that on either. I would not spend 4.5k on wheels, in fact I wouldn't spend half that amount on a complete bike but each to their own if someone wants to spend £50 quid on their bike great if someone want to spend £5,000 great I will begrudge neither person. I agree with you that someone having the money to spend on top end kit does not automatically make them better than anyone else apologies if my post came across that way it wasn't meant to as I cannot abide snobbery likewise inverse snobbery. As regards fitness I think it safe to say that any pro racer would whoop our arses on a £250 bike even if we were on a bike made of unobtanium that cost 200 x as much.

 

[Globalti]

Late to the discussion as usual.... I was too busy banking this month's salary....

My attitude to cycling is that it's my one and only expense and, since I don't have enough free time to go away for weekends climbing or mountaineering as I used to in my batchelor days, cycling is my only source of exercise and enjoyment. I don't often go drinking or clubbing or to theatre or cinema or concerts and I spend very little on clothes. So I'm prepared to spend up to £2,500 on a bike in the knowledge that it will be light and will ride well and handle nicely and give me enjoyment.

My current wheels are a set of Mavic Ksyrium SLs that I got almost new from somebody on Cycle Chat for £500 and they have repaid the money many times over by being fast, light, reliable and stiff for around four years. I don't think a set of £5000 carbon wheels would give me much more enjoyment; probably less because I'd be worrying about them all the time.