Where do you spend your money? Questions on cycling spending
I'm not disparaging anyone for spending the money, but sincerely asking because I'm trying to wrap my head around nice gear and where to draw the line, where to maximize the investment.
I really like riding, and have for a few years ridden at least 20 km 5 days a week, be it commuting or groceries or long fun rides (I don't own a car). I have some cash saved in my cycling budget, and I'm wondering if dropping it on something like a custom frame in steel or Ti (Moots, Firefly, etc) is really the best place for it. While having a beautiful, durable, fitted frame would be nice, I also realize that a crash (or theft) would reduce that investment to zero in an instant, or changing standards making a "forever" bike harder to outfit after some years (even if it's 10-15).
I suppose this is several questions:
Is it worth spending on a nice frame alone (north of $4000), considering obsolescence and crashes/theft?
Would it be a better "investment" to spend some of that on travel or other gear to make the riding more enjoyable (clothing, groupset or IGH/Pinion, wheels, computer, etc) and a less-expensive frame, assuming geo was right?
If you're intending to ride a bike every day until it breaks, how much could you justify spending on any single bicycle?