You think bikes are expensive, you should check out watch collecting. Most enthusiasts don't consider a particular watch to be "expensive" till around the $10,000 range. To many in the community, a $5,000 watch is a nice starter piece. There are production watches out there that cost more than your house. Cycling is a relatively inexpensive hobby for a true enthusiast. Most people have been accustomed to purchasing their watch or bike at Walmart, so anything that is significantly more expensive than a Timex or a Schwinn is considered extravagant to the general public.