"Wow, You Must Be Rich!"
 

So, I was staring at my old steelie the other day and reminiscing about my college days in 1990s Irbid, Jordan, and I had flashbacks about the many times that people - especially girls - made the assumption about me that I must be loaded for choosing to be commuting on such an expensive bike (which used to be a price-leader 10-speed at the time) instead of driving! What never occurred to a lot of people was that I cycled because I couldn't possibly afford to own a car, not to mention to rely solely on the chaotic public transit system. I always found the remark hilarious, and after a while, I stopped trying to correct people. Good times!

Back in the mid-90s, a kid behind the counter at a Burger King said that very thing to me when I paid for my order with a $20 bill.

Them: You ride a $X-thousand dollar bike?
Me: Yeah. I can't imagine how cheap it is! So much less than just the optional fancy trim package of a new car!
Them: :foo:

They think differently than you but, don't realize it. You rich guys think differently from the rest of us. They think you probably have a BMW to commute to work since you have such a nice bike. And nowadays, a gym membership to stay in shape.

My "expensive" bike was the cheapest road bike in Raleigh's lineup at the time, but it still cost two to three times as much as a "good enough" Indian/Chinese 90s MTB knockoff back then. I did buy one of those for 80 Jordanian dinars first - because I didn't know any better - kept it for three months or so, then sold it for JOD30 after I realized I was spending more time repairing it than riding it. I then took whatever cash I had saved, borrowed some more from friends and family, and picked up the Raleigh for JOD213. I must've been rich or something!

I learned the phrase back in the 80s that ”Perception is reality”. What others perceive is real to them.

Depending how I dress when I enter a store or dealership, has a great deal with the way I am treated, or not treated at all.

When I ride my carbon Bianchi, people my age, or older don’t initiate conversation. When I ride my 80’s steel Bianchi, suddenly I am worth talking to. I’ve had that happen with cars too,

I have to confess to naively assuming lots of people in Saudi Arabia are wealthy. But I also recognize that is probably very inaccurate.

I used to respond to that common comment by saying, "people spend their money on all sorts of weird things... did you know some people spend over THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS on....


... a CAR!!!"

I recently bought a set of fat bike tires for $120 each. I could have bought the ones that cost $270 each, but SAVED $300 by getting the non-studded ones.

Society is approving if you buy a $70K car, but if you spend $8K on a bike, you have to hide that fact or spend the rest of your days explaining and apologizing for that offense.

I grew up driving a Porsche 944 s2 and ppl acted like it came with a new 911 price tag when in reality it cost less than their Honda. Fun car tho especially with race rubber and our track tweaks.

I have spent much of the day trying to assess whether i can afford to quit my job in March, at the age of 58. I think it might be possible. Need a few more pieces of information to make a final decision.

Probably more inaccurate than anyone who hasn't lived here could ever imagine!

THAT is the ultimate luxury.

Side note: as Thorstein Veblen explained in 1899, conspicuous consumption (he coined that term) is more effective if the item is transportable, so we can show off to people we've never met. If he'd written that book in the age of the automobile, that probably would've gotten an entire chapter.

Back in the late 80s I bought a 73 911S for $15,000, which was about the price of a more generic new car. (It originally sold for $10K). People thought I was rich but those people were driving far more expensive name brand cars. That car was sold and I bought a humble 914. People would not chat at the gas station or wherever with the old 911, but the 914 draws people wanting to chat like you wouldn’t believe. The perception is about approachability and if they owned one, wanted to own one or a friend owned one, or their dad or…
That car costed $7K, the same as my wife’s e bike.

One key thing I need to get educated on is the possibility of my Railroad Retirement benefit being negatively impacted by performing something like part time work outside the rail industry between leaving work and starting Railroad Retirement, which I will almost certainly do at age 62. I think I am in the clear, but I need to make sure. Fortunately, there is a Railroad Retirment Board field office here. I can schedule a call or in-person meeting. They should easily be able to tell me what my benefits (unlike Social Security, Railroad Retirement pays two tiers of benefits, but railroad workers are subject to a second payroll tax that funds that benefit) will be at 62. I am going to set up a meeting after Thnksgiving.

My first car ever was a 1978 W123 Mercedes-Benz 200. That was before the days of abject poverty that followed my parents nasty divorce and my having to "downgrade" to a "mere" bike to get around (there were people who actually made snide remarks at me for that!) Of course, being seen driving around campus in a Mercedes-Benz, people had to assume that I must've been filthy rich! What they didn't know was that the engine burned a quart of oil per week; the four-speed manual transmission often shifted out of gear while I was driving; the differential whined like a pack of angry wasps; all four dampers were shot; and the frame rails had plenty of welds from botched accident repairs. But hey, it was a Mercedes-Benz! People looked at 18-year-old me like I was a buffoon at gas stations and avoided being seen around me, but as soon as I sold the tired old MB and bought an even more tired 1981 Honda Accord, suddenly I was everyone's nice-guy, down-to-earth friend!

A few years ago someone on the forum, a forum member suggested that when asked by someone who not a cyclist, "How much was your bike?", the correct answer was $700.

That was a large enough amount that they knew you were a serious cyclist, but small enough amount that they didn't think that you were Cra-Cra.

914s just happen to be cool af I think :lol:

Would love a 914-6 to mess about in.

Are you single, have some healthcare, own transportation, and have no debt?

On the transportation, I think indy has posted a picture of his bike.

I am confused why you posted this? Have you become his spokesperson?

Lighten up, Francis.

I'm confused why you asked him a bunch of personal questions, with the implication that he isn't thinking carefully about early retirement.

(In case you are curious, I will be able to afford to retire at 96.)

It’s sort of a running joke thanks to the number of times I have posted a photo of it.

I am sorry to confuse you. I responded to the members post with the same questions a financial planner would ask.