Originally Posted by Chuck M

Since we are talking about bikes, finances and responsibility...

Forty years ago my wife and I lived paycheck to paycheck on a family pack of hamburger, couldn't pay our rent, my bike sat outside and rotted because I couldn't afford tires for it so I rode to work with a friend. Eventually I tossed that old Takara bike on the pile at the dump. In the last couple of weeks I've restored another old Takara and probably have about $300 dollars in it so I can have one just like the one I gave up back in the day. While spending $300 to get a bike that is worth $30 may not be in line with spending $3K for that Wilier, it still doesn't make good financial sense. But I can go out to whatever restaurant in town that I want to and spend what I want on bikes because I worked my butt off for many years.

Larry, surly you can see where some people have an issue with you buying something you can't afford when you could have got by with a cheaper bike and then maybe not had to resort to the food bank that others possibly need worse.