How much you can afford on upgrades?

spongtastic
spongtastic Posts: 2,651
edited March 2010 in MTB general
yes, we all know that n=n+1 but for upgrades U=(cd)-(wc) where U is the total you can actually afford on upgrades, c is how much you think you can afford, d is how much you simply MUST have that shiney new part, w is how much grief you'll get from the wife all multiplied by c the number of children you've got.

It's proven by the fact that 10 years ago when single I could spend whatever I liked but now married with two children for April I'm stuck well and truly with a negative U value.

This is because I've got to pay car tax on 2 cars, 2 MOTs, 2 pairs of shoes, phone bill, internet bill, council tax, holiday, kennels whilst we're on holiday etc.
Visit Clacton during the School holidays - it's like a never ending freak show.

Who are you calling inbred?

Comments

  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Well that'll teach you to have a fulfilling, well rounded life won't it :wink:

    Now if you had no kids and no missus and not much else to do like me then you'd be able to spend what you wanted...
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • spongtastic
    spongtastic Posts: 2,651
    I know, I wonder sometimes how I managed to get it all right.

    It's just that sometimes you also think what you wanted to do with your money when you had some, only to realise that when you've got it, it isn't yours!
    Visit Clacton during the School holidays - it's like a never ending freak show.

    Who are you calling inbred?
  • bike-a-swan
    bike-a-swan Posts: 1,235
    it worries me that the first thing I noticed wasn't the fact that that was pretty funny, but the fact that the units don't balance on each side. CURSE YOU ENGINEERING!
    Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.
  • llamafarmer
    llamafarmer Posts: 1,893
    You can't use 'c' for 2 different values man! They cancel each other out. What you've got there is:

    U=d-w

    See me after class
    Giant Anthem X
    Cube Ltd Race
  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    Being 19, i get to spend every last bit of my money on my bikes! Of course that's not a great deal of money, and it would be daft to spend it all, but i've got some nice bikes, so i don't mind :)
    Production Privee Shan

    B'Twin Triban 5
  • lawman
    lawman Posts: 6,868
    ilovedirt wrote:
    Being 19, i get to spend every last bit of my money on my bikes! Of course that's not a great deal of money, and it would be daft to spend it all, but i've got some nice bikes, so i don't mind :)

    +1, i work in my LBS so whatever i earn either goes back into the shop, crc or on beeer :lol:
  • MacAndCheese
    MacAndCheese Posts: 1,944
    My formula for this month is:

    U = W-R-B-2D-S-M = big fat zero

    where:

    W=wages
    R = Rent
    B =Bills
    D = Stag Do
    S = New suit
    M = mother's day gift


    On the plus side it's my Birthday at the end of the month so you never know
    Santa Cruz Chameleon
    Orange Alpine 160
  • ExeterSimon
    ExeterSimon Posts: 830
    Married, one little 'un, three bikes and whatever I need for new ones, upgrades etc.

    Have I found the perfect balance for my about to be started Whyte E120 project build?
    Whyte 905 (2009)
    Trek 1.5 (2009)
    Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp (2007)
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    You need to factor in selling off old stuff too
    Uncompromising extremist
  • spongtastic
    spongtastic Posts: 2,651
    llamafarmer wrote:
    You can't use 'c' for 2 different values man! They cancel each other out. What you've got there is:

    U=d-w

    See me after class

    Oh yes I can, but I was always lazy annotating formula with lower case, that's probably why I didn't get on advanced maths.
    Visit Clacton during the School holidays - it's like a never ending freak show.

    Who are you calling inbred?
  • bike-a-swan
    bike-a-swan Posts: 1,235
    strictly speaking, if the two c's were the same it would simplify to U = c(d-w), you can't just forget them altogether
    Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.
  • spongtastic
    spongtastic Posts: 2,651
    lawman wrote:
    ilovedirt wrote:
    Being 19, i get to spend every last bit of my money on my bikes! Of course that's not a great deal of money, and it would be daft to spend it all, but i've got some nice bikes, so i don't mind :)

    +1, i work in my LBS so whatever i earn either goes back into the shop, crc or on beeer :lol:

    Thanks to raging hormones and a house full of women at University when I was 19 most of my money went on food, music and beer, and very little on bikes. It was only a few years later I discovered that bikes managed to counter the effects of the beer.
    Visit Clacton during the School holidays - it's like a never ending freak show.

    Who are you calling inbred?
  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    Ah, but you see, I also have a formula, with specific values:

    A = number of days commute to work by car = £5 fuel
    B = number of days commute to work by bike = ligitimate £5 towards upgrades
    C = total upgrade allowance
    D = total number of days worked in a month.

    So if A>D-B then C = :cry:

    However, if B>D-A then C = :D

    So far this month, A = 3, B = 5, so currently C = £25.
    1 2 3 4 (Dead)5 6
  • joshtp
    joshtp Posts: 3,966
    what do i spend on upgrades? well whatever i get for the old stuff, plus whatever iv got from my last few weeks paper round - whatever i spent fixing my bike from the last ridiculus crash - money spent on other junk, and coffee.

    so, in all, not much! :lol:
    I like bikes and stuff
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    joshtp/mbukman wrote:
    what do i spend on upgrades? well whatever i get for the old stuff, plus whatever iv got from my last few weeks paper round - whatever i spent fixing my bike from the last ridiculus crash - money spent on other junk, and coffee.

    so, in all, not much! :lol:

    Aren't you like 15? Why do you need coffee?! :P
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • joshtp
    joshtp Posts: 3,966
    bails87 wrote:
    joshtp/mbukman wrote:
    what do i spend on upgrades? well whatever i get for the old stuff, plus whatever iv got from my last few weeks paper round - whatever i spent fixing my bike from the last ridiculus crash - money spent on other junk, and coffee.

    so, in all, not much! :lol:

    Aren't you like 15? Why do you need coffee?! :P
    ust becouse im only 15 doesnt mean im not sophisticated, darling! :lol::wink:
    what about that famnous quote?
    "coffee is the opium of the people"
    I like bikes and stuff
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    I've gone a little wiser with me old age, used to think feck it, buy it but now I try and ebay stuf to make up all or part of the cost. Just treated my bike to a new cassette, chain, steel pro 2 freehub and a rear pro 2 bearing replacement ready for summer. All that came from ebay sales.

    Now do I put those Cobalt wheels on the credit card? :shock: :shock:
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • phz
    phz Posts: 478
    im 'lucky' enough to be a dinkie (what a shite acronym that is) so all my stupidly expensive gear-intensive hobbies (bikes / archery / audio production) are well supplied with 'stuff'

    and yes - i DO know how lucky i am to be in that position at this moment in economic time

    slainte :oops: rob
    Rocket
    BFe
    trailstar
    lee cooper
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    pHz wrote:
    dinkie (what a shite acronym that is)

    Eh? :roll: :roll:
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • fletch8928
    fletch8928 Posts: 794
    scale20 wrote:
    pHz wrote:
    dinkie (what a shite acronym that is)

    Eh? :roll: :roll:

    DINKY. Double Income No Kids Yet. Thought it didnt look right with ie

    My formula is. If its broke mend it. If its shot, replace it.
    fly like a mouse, run like a cushion be the small bookcase!
  • peter413
    peter413 Posts: 5,120
    I spend all my money on my bike except maybe 10% of it that I spend on other stuff usually leading back to bikes :lol:

    I am only 14 though so don't really get to much money but I just took delivery of a Hope M4 for the front since I "broke" the last one and I just ordered some new red pedals :D

    Thats my budget back down to ummmmmmmm zero :roll: :lol:

    BTW Balis87, I like coffee as well so dinnie dis :lol:
    Transition Patrol
    Cube LTD 29er

    Glentress Trailfairies
  • phz
    phz Posts: 478
    fletch8928 wrote:
    scale20 wrote:
    pHz wrote:
    dinkie (what a shite acronym that is)
    Eh? :roll: :roll:
    DINKY. Double Income No Kids Yet. Thought it didnt look right with ie
    My formula is. If its broke mend it. If its shot, replace it.
    heh - didnt look right to me either TBH

    double income no kids imminent ever ?

    slainte :lol: rob
    Rocket
    BFe
    trailstar
    lee cooper
  • *AL*
    *AL* Posts: 1,185
    What ever I make from my 2nd job :D

    I only work 14 days a month for my main job, so I've managed to do a couple of 12hr days each week for the past 5/6 weeks which has taken me from upgrade time to new bike time.
  • The Spiderman
    The Spiderman Posts: 5,625
    I`m not sure how this equation works but I`m sure that at the age of 40 I have less dsiposable income than I had than when I did a paper round.
    That just might be something to do with a big mortgage,3 kids,2 cars and being a single income family.
    2006 Giant XTC
    2010 Giant Defy Advanced
    2016 Boardman Pro 29er
    2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
    2017 Canondale Supersix Evo

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