Gravel Bike Buying Spree
That's a title my wife will not like to read. But it's the only one that makes sense here. You see, I've gone and done it: I've ordered a new gravel bike. My first—and, I hope—last one. I've been bitten by the gravel bug. Hard. And I've given in.
What did I buy? Well, that you'll have to wait for. It's not ready yet, and may be six more weeks before it gets here (hopefully by Christmas. That whole supply chain shortage thing). But that's OK. I don't mind waiting, because it gives me a chance to buy all kinds of related goodies, including these new things:
Saddle
Shoes
Pedals
Tires
Bar tape
Etc., etc., etc.
It's been a lot of fun to do research into all these accessories. I like to spend money on good stuff, and rarely regret it. When I buy cheap stuff, I tend to be happy at the low cost. At least for awhile. Typically, I start to quickly hate the compromises I make on quality.
I don't feel like I'm making any compromises on this new bike. Does that mean it'll be expensive?
But it should be the last (and only) gravel bike I'll ever own. In a way, it's similar to my 2020 Trek Domane SL7—I spent a goodly amount on that bike indeed, and I could feel momentary heart palpitations when I decided to plunk down the cash. But I've had it a year-plus now, and absolutely love and adore that bike. It's the perfect road bike for me, and should also last a lifetime.
As Oskar Schindler said, "Nice things cost money." Yes, they do. Of course, there are plenty of nice things that don't cost as much. But this is important enough to me to spend the money. I ride a lot, and will be riding even more in the coming year, including doing lots of events (more on that soon). And riding is, as anyone who's spent time on my site knows, a key factor in controlling my diabetes.
So yeah, I've been spending lately. And I'm not guilty about it. I could certainly spend more on my bikes—it's not hard these days to drop more than $10k on a bike—so there is a limit to my profligacy, but it's true that I don't look at low-end purchases when it comes to my biking hobby. Another important factor is that when I buy a nice bike, I don't feel the need to upgrade to a better model in the future. Components and other stuff can be upgraded, sure, but the bike itself won't need to be replaced.
Money can't buy me love, but it can buy me one sweet ride.