Originally Posted by
bbbean
FWIW, I live in one of the poorest counties in the US, and note that I routinely pass house trailers that have $30-50K pickup trucks and $4-8K 4 wheelers parked in the yard next to the satellite dish. People will adjust their spending to afford what they really want. Compared to trucks and 4 wheelers, a few thou on a bike that requires minimal maintenance seems pretty cheap.
I live in the wealthiest state in the nation (or one of them, CT), and have been on bike rides where people are on 20 year old Specialized Allez or Cannondale RS-400s.
No matter what your income, you're going to spend the money on what's important to you. Be that a new car, a top of the line iPhone, or $5k bike.
Originally Posted by
tommy2000
I just bought a $3K bike last week, a Specialized Diverge Comp, and I was still astounded that I was spending that much on a bike. And my LBS had a good number of $5K and up bikes too. But at 59, I feel like I can spend a bit more on myself. I'd have never considered it when the kids were still in the house.
I'm younger than you, but have ridden this exact bike, and to me it was worth every penny you spent. That is the most fun, comfortable, responsive, balanced bike I have ever ridden. If I didn't have a nice Giant Defy already, I wouldn't hesitate to drop that on the Diverge carbon. It's the perfect harmony between a road bike and a grinder. It handled tough roads and dirt fine, but felt completely like a road endurance bike on the asphalt. Don't look back my friend.