genejockey 

I think I spent $30 on Black Rubber Nubs for the brake pivot bolts on my Sante equipped Schwinn.

Mike_Kelly

My new rule to prevent over-spending remorse: Never buy a frame that absolutely needs a paint job. A paint job can over-shadow the whole bike cost.

jdawginsc 

Overspending by that much on a bike is like making a profit to me!!

Seriously though, if overspending gives us something to play with, enjoy and not sell, it is aces!

jdawginsc 

What's a paint job...? That's what evaporust and Sally Hansen nail polish is for!

johnnyace 

I've come to realize that I enjoy riding bikes far more than I like working on them. I buy projects, and then get impatient and frustrated when I start working on them. I am a horrible mechanic, so invariably I end up taking my unfinished projects to the LBS to finish the job, if it's worth it to me. If not, I often end up parting it out and selling it off.

With the money I've spent doing this, I probably could have had a custom steel bike with the finest choice of components made for me, many times over. This is why my most recent acquisition is decidedly not a project bike, but a fully restored, functional, somewhat-modernized vintage bike, done by a competent mechanic.

After this (I swear!), my next bike will be a custom, much like northbend's beautiful Woodrup.

justcynn

I like to get a deal on the acquisition to lessen the feeling of overspending. . And then think long and hard on what I want the new to me bike to be. Restore to original, update to modern group, etc. And once that is determined, I typically overspend. If I need the perfect Brooks saddle for my build, I buy it. I do look at the $100 saddle a diff spend. It will prob still bring $75 separated from the build.

. I have a lot of $500 bikes that might bring $200 locally and possibly $300-$400 to the right buyer on the bay or here but lucky for me, I’m not selling many. My wife or kids will have a lot of liquidating to do one day. It’s in my will they should create an account and come here to display the collection. Hopefully that won’t be for many years as I still have more collecting to do.

John E

Reminds me of my grandfather's story about growing up in rural Colorado and watching a local huckster selling strawberries, two baskets for a nickel, but three for only a dime!

noobinsf 

I just spent a healthy sum on a shiny new crankset that I normally see for 2x or 3x what I paid, and I felt lucky. It’s of course justified with the idea that I will sell other things to compensate, but somehow that step gets delayed again and again.

John E

Been there, done that, splurging $400 on a CyclArt paint job for a $20 yard sale find, plus $85 for the maroon Brooks Team Pro saddle, but the result is beautiful and gets lots of attention.

1959 Capo with Nervar Star crank and Campag. 980 derailleur upgrades and new Brooks Pro saddle.

cocoabeachcrab 

i gave up drinking, and had to cut way back on carbs (and i love carbs!), so i need something for that good ole dopamine requirement! at least with bikes and bike parts, i can recoup at least something at some point.. the beer and cheesecake go right to ass and manboobs, and that just plain sucks.

Bad Lag

It's a hobby not a business.

It's exercise not finance.

Your physical and mental health are both improved by cycling.

You are worth it. Invest your time and RIDE!

Mike_Kelly

It may have cost only $20 but it is a pretty rare beastie.

non-fixie 

I don't think there is such a thing as "over-spending", unless you're in the trade, and need to make money on a bike. I am not.

I tend to buy nice frames and nice parts if I think the price is reasonable. Every now and then I build them into bikes. The result will invariably be more expensive than a used bike and cheaper than a new bike. But it will be a bike that I like, or mrs non-fixie likes. Hopefully.

If it turns out not to be, it will at least have been a learning experience, and the next build will be better for it. Hopefully.

Along the way I have built a few bikes that came out rather well, and I think they were worth whatever I spent on them.

Korina

::thinks guiltily of "learning" bike languishing in garage for (cough) years.:: I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about.

John E

I had a bit of an advantage there, because I knew the marque, having owned a similar bike in the early 1970s.

This one was sitting at the yard sale with an ugly dull red paint job and a $25 price tag, and they jumped at my offer of $20.

I paid extra for the white head tube and panels to make those great lugs stand out. This is historically accurate -- I copied a friend's red-and-white Capo.

I subsequently picked up the two Siegers, which were the top of the Capo line.

bikemig 

I like working on and riding old bikes so it's hard to think of the money I spend as a loss. I like putting on some music, opening a beer, and working on a bike in the evenings.That said, I have way too many project bikes hanging around.

I don't think I've ever "lost" money on a complete bike that I have bought locally. I can't say the same for the frames I've bought though. And don't get me started on the raleigh competition I picked up from eBay . . . lol.

jdawginsc 

Like non-fixie said, the built up classic...Rossin, Van Tuyl, etc...in my stable are still much cheaper than say a carbon trek or something... Obviously not as light or tech-y, but still fun to ride at speed (not exactly speed per se), and gets the odd looks here and there...

Mike_Kelly

It is a lesson tho. If you are starting out, look to other names than Masi and Colnago because there are gems to be found. The number of lesser known and really good builders is astounding.

Chuck M 

The happiness a bike brings most people, especially an older bike that has either survived the ages or is going to get a second chance through a restoration/preservation is impossible to put a price on. I would bankrupt my family if I were to try flipping bikes. But buying keepers I think I'm damn good at.

Also, the wrenching is cheap and excellent therapy and the riding is preventative medicine. I get a yearly checkup that give my doctor nothing to talk to me about except my bikes and half marathons. As long as I'm going to save money on medical bills, it doesn't cause any harm if I overpay for something I want bad enough.

Kabuki12

Nice job, a bike worthy of your effort.

Wilbur76

I tackled a paintjob on a beat up $50 GT mtb. Cost about $200 in paint and supplies alone. Not to mention the many weekends I gave it. Looks better than before and I learned a lot. Like next time maybe leave it alone or send it away for a powdercoat.

Kabuki12

I bought a 1980 Motobecane Grand Sprint minus the wheels for $20 . I had it powder painted the original color for $150 and bought decals for about $40. I have some Campagnolo NR components for it and an Ideal saddle. Also some nice Araya wheels with Campagnolo Record high flange hubs I will put on it, just because that’s the way I want it. This model is about mid range for the line up and not worth what I’m putting into it but it ain’t for sale. As soon as I finish with my home stuff I plan on putting it all together. It seems very light and I’m looking forward to another French bike in the stable.

JackJohn

The way I see it is that there’s business where one cares about margins, and then there’s passion where overspending is part of the game. I personally enjoy wrenching and riding, so yes it occurs to overspend just for the pleasure of working on a long awaited piece of equipment or riding that great bike you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. When you savor those moments, overspending is just forgotten. On the opposite side, to make the leisure more “sustainable” I try to offset with some occasional bargains that require more research and effort (e.g. 2 hours car trip to a recycling center were I found a front and rear Campy Nuovo Record derailleurs, a Cinelli stem and a 3ttt seatpost for an astonishing total of 10$). In the middle I try to remain reasonable most of the time. To sum up my thought : avoid compulsive spending as much as you can because, like for anything else, it will only cool down your passion. Instead, be patient and wait for the right moment to spend your money and allow yourself a treat by overspending on something you will deeply enjoy.

bark_eater 

I'm coming to terms with how a $100 bike can become a $1000 bike. I have picked up a number of "deals" with bad paint, but the investment anxiety balances out because I could part them out for 2 or 3 times what I paid for them. I'm also free of any guilt related to pondering frame custimization. I am getting to the point where I need to cull the projects I'm not going to get to and break down the parts bikes and focus on which ones I want to be rideing for the next 20 years. To that end I have invested a "bit" into wheelsets and dissapearing drivetrain consumables. Paint jobs can come later.

tkamd73 

Guess I spent a lot of money on old bikes, I do enjoy the search, the build, and then riding them.
It’s a hobby. It’s not the money, it’s the time doing something you like.
Nothing takes the fun out of a hobby, like tracking every cent, and trying to treat it like an investment. Unless of course, accounting and investing are your hobbies, which to me at least, sounds kind of sad.
Guess I also spend a lot of money on old British sports cars, which I enjoy too.
Tim