trytri3 wrote:
It seems to me that we are all focused on "cost" versus "value" which is wholly subjective. This whole forum throws up their hands whenever they think something is expensive based on their personal ruler. I swear, if it were up to ST, we would only have restaurants that serve chipped beef and drive Honda Accords because, darn it, they get the job done. I happen to believe, every once in a while, paying for a great filet is the reason why I work my ass off. And I pair it with a nice bottle of cab. Guess what? I think that was the best "value" because of the experience I just had. Do I do that a lot? No. Was it expensive? Yup. Did I enjoy it? You're damn right I did.
So I paid a shit-ton of money to participate in IMAZ, including entry fee and new wetsuit (which did nothing more than make me feel more secure in the water), new helmet, plane ticket, AirBnB, and bike transport. Guess what? Best use of my money as I had a blast. My wife gets a healthy husband. My kids see that they can succeed even with all of the setbacks. I fulfilled a lifelong dream that I didn't think was possible. Once again, it costs money but the
value I got from it was worth every penny.
If you don't think you are getting value for your money then stop doing it. Simple.
I totally agree. If you are into Nascar or F-1 racing, you cannot buy a car anything like what the pros drive. (Well, almost nobody) If you are into aviation, most of the coolest aircraft are not for sale at any price.
But if you are into triathlon or bike racing, you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to ride something exactly like the very best in the world ride. That is pretty cool. Sure, you don't NEED that P-5X, you can be competitive without it. But for those of use who love the racing AND the gear it is awesome that it is as least possible to buy the best bike in the world.
I can't personally justify spending that much, but I still want to upgrade my 2008 P3C sometime soon. You only live once.