And for the record, I own 3 pairs of Zipp 808 FC wheels.

I am confused.

Does this mean that you do not find this post engaging?

But you responded?

Maybe I am engaging with you in a Donald Trump obnoxious way? I guess I have hope within your formula.

My thesis is not that leisure is bad. Not that working at a bike shop is bad. Not that spending on bikes is bad. But rather - making fun of someone for purchasing expensive gear that is not parallel to their personal skills is no more or no less silly than spending a considerable amount of your income on a bicycle. This group overwhelmingly seems to think stretching financially for a bike is okay and enjoys mocking the guy with the financial ability to buy cool gear. I am a very passive reader/user of ST but as a Washingtonian, I see the political demonization of the wealthy as something that has become a commonplace political practice and it disgusts me. You could argue that our President (who I supported) won 2 elections using this strategy as one of his centerpieces. So I am having a little fun with this.

I'm rich myself (in the context of being able to spend $5k of a bike, it is all relative) so I feel comfortable pointing out that many rich people who would make fun of a guy for spending big money on a bike have $300k in home loan debt, $80k in BMW debt, and are actually more financially unsound than the barista with the colnago.

Let me explain the reasons that I buy expensive bike stuff:

1) I can.

2) When it is 5 am and I want to sleep in, I feel compelled not to waste the $ that I have spent so I get on the road. Like spending on a gym membership does for many. New stuff encourages me to use it.

3) When I am on the road with all of my fancy stuff, people (probably secretly complaining about my spending!) try to pass me or avoid being passed. My frail ego and competitive spirit then kick in. Having cool toys forces you to work harder bc it forces others around you to be more aggressive with you. I know it sounds crazy but it is true. EVERY bike shop guy wants to pass me. Some can. Some can't. Note: Most bike shop guys can't stand tri guys so a tri guy with a fancy bike is like a double Satan.

4) I am a sucker for cool stuff. I appreciate good design across a large spectrum of interests.

5) I am 45. My body is in decay. That is just a fact of biology. I am fighting the decay as hard as I can. Every summer I ride a 24 mile, no traffic light loop at the completely flat Coastal Highway of the Delaware-Maryland shore. If I can crank it above 24 mph as an average for the loop - I feel like I have put off decay by a bit. If fancy toys help me cheat a bit then so be it. If fancy toys serve as a placebo - then so be it.

6) It does not interfere with any of my family's short or long term financial interests. My wife and kids are and will be fine.

Is this sensible to you? Probably not.

Agreed 100% with this. I drive a 2001 Honda Accord with 200,000 miles because it runs perfectly fine. I'd rather buy another Honda than waste money on a BMW or massive house. I've often heard the key to being rich is to live modest. A $5000 bike doesn't move the meter that much in the bigger picture of what you could spend money on.

How about:

7) If I, and all of my kind, keep all of our money the US economy will collapse. Consumption is vital to the success of our country.

8) If I don't waste my money, I would get even wealthier and then really piss you off.

Is it okay for me to buy $3600 Zipp wheels now?

Define rich.

Define modest.

The truth is that it is all about the ratio of money spent vs what you have - and not the end #'s. Depending on what you earn/have, driving a fancy car(s) and living in a luxury home(s) may in fact be living modestly compared to what you have.

Ask a real estate agent in a major heated market (NY, SF, LA, DC, Boston) and they will tell you that the vast majority of buyers in the 2-3 million and up bracket are CASH buyers. If they are paying cash, I would assume they can afford it.

Plenty of financial posers out there, but when you get to certain brackets - the bank is simply not going to give you the $. You have to have the $. Can you buy a 500K condo and lease a fancy car? Sure. But that is really the end of the line for most posers. It is very true that some max out every dime they have into lifestyle choices. This of course leads to bad outcomes... like bike shop guys with overly expensive bikes. And $3600 Zipp wheels.

Who am I supposed to envy?

The Zipp guy who makes the wheel and takes all of my money leaving me penniless or at the very least below you?

The guy who rides faster than me without the $3600 wheels?

Someone who is richer than me and we are in a quasi arms race for Zipp products? And he too, may ride faster than me. Richer and faster would be the daily double of envy. Maybe he has a prettier wife and smarter kids? (I may have to buy 2 wheelsets if that is all true.)

I am so confused. Who am I supposed to envy? I just want to buy the wheels.

Only when you admit it's because of your penis envy.

7. No. Production of labor and resources is vital to the success of our country.

8. Doubtful. That assumes your non-capital gains income is more than mine, and that you invest your money better than me. Given your total lack of financial sense, the latter is highly improbable. You might have lucked out into the former though.

If you have or when you do buy a 3 million dollar + piece of real estate (particularly when you have multiple residences and it is not your primary) - you can be the outlier and try to work with the bank on that loan package.

That's only true when the form of financing doesn't affect the availability of the property. It many hot markets, borrowing is not an option because (i) there are multiple bidders for every property, (ii) sellers give priority to all-cash buyers, and therefore (iii) if you are not willing to pay cash you cannot buy.