'You spent how much on your bicycle?'
Being a lifelong bicyclist I do have a few bikes in the stable. Some non-cyclists might call them spendy. I have the same, stock reply to the above question. Which is: 'how much does a jet ski cost?' Alternately I go with 'how much is a nice set of golf clubs?' Or 'how much is a Rolex?'
Jet ski. Golf clubs. Rolex. Elevated pickup trucks. ATVs. Snowmobiles. Speedboats.
Please explain to me the utility of any of these items. Please explain to me how dropping $4,000 on a jet ski, or a snowmobile, is considered a worthwhile expenditure free from scorn.
Jet skis & snowmobiles are good for exactly nothing. Each transports you from worthless destination A to worthless destination B, via liquid water or frozen water. Golf clubs are good for making you fat. ATVs? A to B, as outlined earlier. Raised pickup trucks? I have no idea what they're for other than a reaction to achieving official incel status.
So what's the point of this post? It's not about the price of bicycles, or being asked what they cost. The question I get is real, it does happen often, to me and all other avid cyclists. That's what triggered this post but it's not the point of it.
The point is this: bicycling is a physically healthy, & strenuous, activity. It runs on calories, not gasoline. The others involve simply sitting (jet-ski's, pickups, etc), getting drunk & frustrated while also sitting most of the time (golf), or simply pissing money away (Rolex).
Think of what is required to buy a speedboat. Lots of cash. A trailer. A truck to tow it. The gasoline to power the boat. The time to aimlessly drive to nowhere on a lake. Yes indeed, what an excellent use of your money. Far better than your kid's tuition. Far better than giving to a charity that helps feed the homeless. Far better than funding a poor kid's college scholarship.
Well played, boaters. Well played, golfers. Well played, snowmobilers. Say hi to Jesus in your church for me.