Saw a couple walking their bikes on the path yesterday, slowed down and asked if I could help them with the obvious puncture. "No, well just take it to the shop." Oh dear. "I can fix it in 5 minutes." "OK"
Really nice couple, but no clue about bikes, after I comment on their high zoot bikes the guy challenges me to guess how much he spent. One Dura Ace/Carbon, the womans was carbon/105. I said, "$2500 and $1500". "Naw, he said, we have to get the best as were never satisfied if we dont, these were $3500 and $2500.". Sheesh. For just riding up and down a bike path.
He asked me what I would get if I had $3500, as sort of a challenge. I said Id fly to the UK to have a beer with my internet buddies, but first stop by the Mercian shop to be measured for a custom frame, then a week of drinking, then pick up the custom frame, fly home, and build it up.
"Yeah, but that would be a heavy bike". "Yeah, I said, it would build up to around 21 pounds." "Mines 19!" he exclaimed proudly.
When I was patching the tiny puncture, the man said to his wife Michelle, "look hon, hes doing it just like the video, I told you we should get one of those pump things." The wife, who was sweet as could be, was terribly annoyed at her bicycle, "with all I spent on this thing, and to think, a flat in the first WEEK!."
Anyway, before yall get too judgmental on these folks, and mind, they were very very polite southern folk, enjoy this one: Man asks, "Dude, youre always passing us here in the evenings at 50 mph, or at least it seems like it, what you ride, and how do you get that fast?!" "Just that old single speed laying in the grass, its got about $300 worth of parts hanging from it. To get fast, you have to simply get out and suffer routinely." "Oh..." he replied,a bit crestfallen.
Anyhow, Im not going to begrudge the uber wealthy their toys, and $6K isnt much compared to other hobbies, but its just a lesson to be learned in the attitudes of folks that think that money is the final solution.
