Funny how...
homercles
Posts: 499
...through no fault of your own - ahem 
- a straightforward new bike purchase totalling around £500 can suddenly end up being a much more involved and expensive business.
I've been eyeing up a road bike for a few months now and was waiting for the announcement of the cycle2work scheme before doing it. So in the interim I have a bright spark idea - cycling so much these days that I might as well ditch the gym membership, freeing up around £40 a month which can be sacrificed as cycle2work monthly payment. So suddenly the budget is up to around £750.
Then yesterday the scheme is announced and it's Halfords (ugh) and I'm crestfallen as don't fancy the idea of ordering in some other brand through them and associated hassle.
Then I see that Condor Cycles are affiliated to the Halfords scheme and as I work on Gray's Inn Road decide to investigate how easy it is to do through them. They explain I can just use the Halfords voucher there without having to involve the towbar salesmen and it's a result as it means I'm essentially buying from my LBS with all associated benefits if problems occur etc. Now here I am having had a browse at lunch and a chat with one of the staff, been smitten (with a bike, not the guy serving me) and in all likelihood I'm going to end up throwing £900 at a Condor Italia (EDIT: except I'm not because of the tax bonus stuff of course).
So you see, it wasn't my fault, OK?
- a straightforward new bike purchase totalling around £500 can suddenly end up being a much more involved and expensive business.I've been eyeing up a road bike for a few months now and was waiting for the announcement of the cycle2work scheme before doing it. So in the interim I have a bright spark idea - cycling so much these days that I might as well ditch the gym membership, freeing up around £40 a month which can be sacrificed as cycle2work monthly payment. So suddenly the budget is up to around £750.
Then yesterday the scheme is announced and it's Halfords (ugh) and I'm crestfallen as don't fancy the idea of ordering in some other brand through them and associated hassle.
Then I see that Condor Cycles are affiliated to the Halfords scheme and as I work on Gray's Inn Road decide to investigate how easy it is to do through them. They explain I can just use the Halfords voucher there without having to involve the towbar salesmen and it's a result as it means I'm essentially buying from my LBS with all associated benefits if problems occur etc. Now here I am having had a browse at lunch and a chat with one of the staff, been smitten (with a bike, not the guy serving me) and in all likelihood I'm going to end up throwing £900 at a Condor Italia (EDIT: except I'm not because of the tax bonus stuff of course).
So you see, it wasn't my fault, OK?
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Comments
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But after your tax saving it IS around £500, so jobs a serious goodun
And anyway, the more you spend, the more you save.
DanFelt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 180 -
sounds about right!
look, the way i see it there are far worse things you could be spending your hard earned cash on. you did well to ditch the gym membership in favour of being realistic and putting the money towards something you'll actually use and thoroughly enjoy.
just enjoy it!
p.s. if it's any comfort i've just shelled out a fortune on winter kit.Only the meek get pinched. The bold survive.0 -
Daniel B wrote:And anyway, the more you spend, the more you save.
Dan
A man who has the same grasp of economics as I do! 0 -
homercles wrote:Daniel B wrote:And anyway, the more you spend, the more you save.
Dan
A man who has the same grasp of economics as I do!
It seems that you both must have studied economics at the same institute as my wife :? She seems to think the same way...only it this case the theory applies to her and not me
Beer, the reason my ambitions have not become my achievements0
