Buy The Best!!!!

[ladyjai]

BLEH!!!! Sorry, I have to get this out. No offense to anyone who has said it, I myself have said and thought it. But then I got to thinking.

Does and Atmos helmet protect any better than say, a Monza? What about last year's models on sale?

Does an 'arm warmer' keep you warmer than a cut up tube sock?

Is a 120$ pair of shorts better, if you find that the chamois on a $50 pair suits your body shape perfectly?

Is a 70$ pair of sunglasses better than a 20$ pair of glasses if that 70$ pair allows too much wind flow and your contacts fall out? (both have UV protection)

Is a 50,000$ SUV better than a reliable old car you can fix yourself?

Is a $6000 carbon fiber bike better than a $1200 dollar steel bike you absolutely love?

Is a $1200 pure blood golden retreiver with hip displasia and a few other genetic diseases better than a mutt at the pound who needs a home, has no inbreeding problems and is super loveable?

Is a $600 flatscreen monitor better than a $100 monitor if all you do is surf the web?

What do you bet this is part of why america is in such a big debt? How much of all that is hype? By saying "buy the best you can afford" is one not saying that if you cannot afford the top of the line, you are somehow:
-unprotected
-missing out on some great pleasure in life
-missing out on some great need in life
-less than the Joneses.

It is easier to buy the best, but there are ways to find what is good, and still 100% safe and enjoyable with a little effort. Finding out what ratings something needs to be safe is good. Unless you make oogles of money and can afford to splurge on everything, some practicality is in order.

We have sales reps come through our company. their marketing ploys are simple:
you have "good", "better", and "best".

"Good" items are less attractive, and less "cool", but fully safe, functional and enjoyment can still be obtained. of course, they want you to buy "best." But for "best" you are not getting anything safer. The extra functions are bonuses, perks and comodities which allow multitasking or laziness, depending on your pick. are they more enjoyable? in the end... not really.

Picking between companies comes next. Usually the cheapest is less than "good", and probably should be avoided unless you have no choice.
but not always. did you know that the sale fruits and vegetables are the ones which will be healthier for you? they haven't had a chance to sit around, or need to chemically ripened. They are also the ones that taste the best, as vine/bush/tree/etc ripened tastes the best!

Many of us have our things we splurge on, and grow comfortable with. if you buy an atmos helmet, will you feel safe going to a $30 Giro helmet later? I don't know. Ask me after my next crash

[DrBee]

Wow! That must have been very cleansing. It made me let out a big aaaahhh sigh at the end! You are so right. I believe you get what you pay for. However - so very often so many items are totally overpriced and we get sucked into buying them anyway.

[madisongrrl]

Does an 'arm warmer' keep you warmer than a cut up tube sock?

Is a 120$ pair of shorts better, if you find that the chamois on a $50 pair suits your body shape perfectly?

Is a 70$ pair of sunglasses better than a 20$ pair of glasses if that 70$ pair allows too much wind flow and your contacts fall out? (both have UV protection)

I agree with most of your post....American's are in way too much debt and creditors are handing out loans hand over fist.


but..... I'll take the arm warmer because the cotton tube sock ain't gonna wick away the sweat and I don't like to be cold. And i'll take the $120 pair of shorts especially if I'm on a 60 mile training ride hunched over in the aerodynamic position for 4 hours.

[Nanci]

I finally discovered the critical difference between the Atmos and a cheaper, heavier helmet. After wearing even the lightest helmet for 22 hours straight, it feels like a ton of bricks and you want to rip it off your head. Imagine something heavier, less vented...

Nanci

[latelatebloomer]

Right on. ladyjai! Year ago in Berkekley, I was at a big produce market (anyone remember the old Berkeley Bowl?) The place had stuff for all kinds of cuisine. I used to keep an eye out for what people from different parts of the world would buy and sometimes find out a great new recipe and have a great conversation. So one day, a Latina woman was in front of the orange bin, picking out all the oranges with scars on them. I said, "I think they're going to charge you the same price for those whether they're banged up or not..." and she laughed and explained. "These are little pecks from the birds. The birds know the fruit on the sunny side of the trees is sweeter, so I look for these oranges. They're the ones that taste the best. Here." She was right! The next week, at the store, I went to the orange bin and there was a yuppie woman who eyed me up and down with a sneer. I was poor and not wearing Espirit or whatever the secret handshake was that year. She'd pick up an orange and throw it aside if it had a scar. So I got a bag, and whatever orange she threw aside, I picked up. Freaked her out. I'd have told her my secret for the merest hint of a smile.

[allabouteva]

There's a lot there that I agree with ladyjai, but sometimes you do get what you pay for...Quality does come at a price.

For example, I'd rather fly Qantas (perfect safety record) and pay a few more bucks than say Aeroflot (no offense meant!).

But then again I can't tell the difference between a Maybelline lipstick and a Dior lipstick!

[yellow]

ladyai...oh boy, do I hear ya. I am currently going through a life simplification process, learning to make do with less.

This year we moved from a 2100 sq foot house with lots of storage into a 1300 sq foot house with minimal storage (it's 120 years old...ONE real closet). AND, I left a good paying job and have since been unemployed, looking for the "right" thing.

We have had to cut way back on everything and have had to get rid of a lot of stuff, some of which we still were using. While I absolutely agree that you get what you pay for, we are finding ourselves going the, shall I say, "lighter" or "lesser" route. It's been really hard. But many times we have simply gone without because we know that often you get what you pay for. And it works out OK.

So we reprioritize, make do with what we have, and learn every day because we are trying very hard to stay out of debt (the handcuffs, the life-controller, etc) and stay focused on what really matters. So far so good.

Fortunately, we already have very functional (and pretty nice) bikes!