<Road Cycling> Would you sell your Mercedes for cash to buy a $7,000 road bike?

How much are you willing to spend for that perfect bicycle? If I was a millionaire I would definitely have 5 or 6 different road bikes with $2,000 wheels on every one of them. If I had a million dollars I would gladly sign a check for $12,000 to get that perfect bike that weighs under 14lbs (I know its under the UCI limit but thats okay I'm not a pro) with Dura-Ace or SRAM RED or CAMPY RECORD. Get a few RAPHA jerseys and shorts. I dream about making enough money to enjoy the finer machines on two wheels. So how much are you willing to spend on a bike? And how far would you go to get that bike?

I agree with the sentiments that the rider, not the bike, is what counts. Still, if you can afford it why not have the best? Both the performance and the aesthetics of top end bikes is terrific.

I have a couple of very high-end road bikes, but at my age I don't have the illusion that I am going to out perform a pro in his 20's.

Bicycling is the cheapest hobby I've ever had. Think about it this way. In this part of the country, not even counting initiation fees, it would cost you in the range of $500 a month just to be able to play golf at a private club, even if you never went. More if you did. That's a $7,000 bike in one year.

I used to take my family skiing on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains at least once a year. Total cost of that hobby was over $5,000 with one trip -- more than the price of the highest priced road bike of that day. And that's if we only went once.

And don't even get me going about flying airplanes or sailing a yacht. Minimum $25,000 a year activities just to be in the game, again not counting the acquisition cost or any significant use.

From this perspective my new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL with all Campy Record equipment is cheap, and wow is it beautiful. It's also under 15 pounds. I couldn't have afforded it when I was young, but I can now and I love having it. I've worked hard for many years and am not ashamed of indulging myself when it comes to my hobby of bicycling.

Just an old guy's perspective. Hope it helps.

Well i have a full carbonfibre velodrome bike that is worth $13,000 so i have basically reached my limit. Unless you are going to use your bike for racing i wouldn't worry about how much it was worth or how many gadgets it has, as long as you like it and it works for you.
From supermarket bikes to bikes made to suit your needs all will work as long as as you look after them.

i agree with bob a. the better the bike, the better the people tink you are, and then you just end up being lame and they tink u suck and your a poser...

I hate cyclists like you.

All the gear but no idea.

It's all well and good to have a good bike, but if you can' ride it well you will look like a tard.

It's not about the bike.

$7,000 for a road bike, eh? Talking about the Trek Madone 6.9? A Litespeed? Used Cannondale Super Six? I've sold or worked on all of the above.

I've almost drooled upon taking them out of the shipping boxes to assemble. They are fine machines indeed, but really, I've known guys who absolutely have to get the best that money can buy...and a pro-cyclist can whip them on 25 year old Raleigh any day of the week. It makes a difference, but not that much of a difference.

I wouldn't spend more than 2,000 of my hard earned dollars. Most of the money goes into the frame, second to that are the wheels, anything else isn't all that relevant.