rruff wrote:
If we raced the same age group. You spent 5k more than me on tri gear. And you beat me by 30 seconds - kudos to you. This is a hobby to a lot of us. 5k in the bank is a few week vacation I can take. It isn't about spending $$$, it's using the noggin.
Exactly - If I only have $x and y hours to devote to my hobby per year (doesn't matter what the numbers are), some of that time and money is better served knowing how to do well in that hobby. This includes knowing where best to spend those limited resources.
I can see not being able to afford the latest frames, and wheels - those are specific things which require a large budget and not everyone can afford. Tires & tubes, on the other hand, cost little, and need to be re-purchased often anyway as part of the baseline cost to participate.