BirdsBikeBinocs

IMO, no, you don't need to spend that kind of money on a frame. From my point of view, $2,000 plus money for a few accessories gets anyone into a quality bike that will put a smile on your face every time you ride it. And you will ride it. It's that good. You mentioned travel.... Spend 2 grand on the bike and 2 grand on traveling with your new bicycle and report back. I bet it will be a positive report.

justslow

Between the extremes lies the path.

mynewnchome

That's my definition of investment.....

NoWhammies

This sounds EXACTLY like how I feel when I look at my BH G7. Man I love that bike. Best investment I made, short of asking my wife to marry me.

Padgett

Granted I have a short commute, but I use a 1973 Schwinn Le Tour with a few upgraded components that I haven't spent more than $150 on. I'm not one worried about miles per gallon, but the smiles per gallon I get out of the bike is infinity.

MikeyMK

The most I ever spent on a manual bike was 325 quid, and that was in 1989 when that was a lot of money. But I didn't care. I was in love with it. I had my first part time job, so I could save up, and had never been allowed a bike like that before.

Since, well I don't think I've spent more than two day's wages - until my first e-bike.

I was smashed-up from a brutal car crash and it was my only hope of getting back on a bike. Within two miles I was in love again, and haven't looked back.

Now im back to full fitness but I still ride an e-bike. I spent over 2,000 pounds to build this to the state it's in now. It's the best thing I've ever owned, so it doesn't feel like it's cost me. It's certainly paid for itself since it allowed me to be car-free. Well, it provoked me to be..

So there's my insight into values.

hefeweizen

For 4,000 I would buy 2 bikes.
One 25-28 mm wide tire carbon road bike (giant tcr) and one 35-45 mm wide tire carbon gravel bike (giant revolt or tcx).
A 2019 TCR and TCX can be had for under 4k with tax.
If I only wanted one bike I would buy the Revolt advanced 2 and a pair of Fulcrum Racing 3 wheels and 25 mm tires.

pickettt

Race entries for the next couple of years.

gear64

For $4000 I could buy 30 - 40 vintage steel bikes off Craigslist which are my favorites aesthetically and more than I need performance wise and it would be an awesome variety for the remainder of my life.

OneIsAllYouNeed

We cyclists tend to be frugal. Often that means we feel the need to justify owning a 4- or 5-figure bike. We really don’t need to justify it — not to ourselves, our friends, co-workers, or strangers at the coffee shop. If the bike makes you happy, you’re getting your money’s worth.
However, being on a limited budget for cycling stuff, it’s necessary to have priorities. Start with a proper professional fit for the style of riding you like best. Buy shoes, saddles, and bibs that are seriously comfortable. Budget for a few sets of tires and consumables. Budget for your favorite local events.
After those necessities, you can spend the rest on whatever will make you happy. Weeklong tours, high end frame, travel races, fancy wheels, snazzy kits, and super light components are luxuries. If the luxury you’re drawn to most is a bespoke frame, get one. Email or call the various builders you’re considering to make sure that they understand your vision of the perfect bike. I know that I enjoy my fully custom bike more than my build-to-order bike. And I enjoy that one more than the “custom builds” on production frames. And I enjoy those more than my stock bikes. If it was in my budget, I’d replace all my bikes with fully custom ones.

bkaapcke

The two upgrades that made the most noticeable difference in the ride were upgrading to cartridge bearing wheels and replacing the bottom bracket with a Phil Wood unit.
Tighter and more accurate bearings in the drivetrain really changed the feel of the bike. bk

subgrade

Most of my cycling expenses go into fuel - i.e. food and beer.

Rajavel

Cycling is genuinely the most important piece of product and good, low-impact workout that can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages, from young kids to older adults. Cycling is really the most important product piece and a good, low-impact workout that individuals of all ages, from young kids to older adults, can enjoy. It's a wonderful environmentally friendly way to enjoy
fun, fitness and the fresh air as well. Therefore, cycling expenditure will not waste time. Additionally buying quality cycles will last longer and no maintenance charge to spend, Therefore, cycling expenditure will not waste the time

rumrunn6

1st full year of commuting, it was on tires & clothing

bedtime

I buy at my local bike coop; they have low prices, and I find them to be trustworthy.

downtube42

Take 3 or 4 weeks off. Fly to France or Italy or Spain or Tasmania, wherever suits your level of adventure. Buy or rent a bike. Ride from town to town, village to village. Eat great food, drink coffee and wine, stay in small places. Come home, ride what you have. Money well spent, no worries about obsolescence.

Stuff doesn't matter one bit.

But again that's what makes me happy. YMMV.

big chainring 

Must be a bummer when you wake up.

duffer1960

Tools. I spent more on tools than on any of the individual bikes I've had. Borne of a 1st and last experience trying to get a repair done at my LBS. Fleeced and cheated.

Doge

I like wheels.

downtube42

Not sure what you're saying. I have woken up in some strange places, I suppose.

I could have a number of now obsolete high end bikes on the money I've spent on rides around the world. Instead I have slightly more obsolete bikes, and a number of unforgettable life changing experiences. That's what I suggest the OP consider doing with his thousands of dollars. But again, YMMV. Some people like stuff more than experiences.

big chainring 

Basicly, the description you gave is a dream for many people.

fietsbob

@ the Dive Bar, 1 block from the Bike Shop, on Cold Beers ..

Phil_gretz

I'm guessing that an IP address search by the Mods will identify this poster as a sock of the now infamous @DreamRider85. This particular troll posting is among his most ingenious. Kudos. Really...

NOTE: Now, of course, the Mods will delete my post, and tally more Faber College "double secret probation" points for my pointing that out. Copy it quickly. It's okay, though. Maybe I'll get banished...

Koyote

Sunnyrider56 : If you really "needed" a new custom frame, or anything else, you'd probably know it already - and you wouldn't ask for our advice on spending your money.

Koyote

I'm not sure one can distinguish between "wants" and "needs." But to the extent anyone can do that, we should acknowledge that, here in the incredibly affluent 21st-century Western world, we satisfy those "needs" through socially-conditioned preferences and habits. And the very first of those socially-conditioned habits is that we tend to always spend more, on more stuff - whether or not we actually have the money. Hence my comment, in my post above this one: if you have to ask someone what you should buy next, then you really are just spending money for the sake of spending money.