I long ago abandoned the go-nowhere guilt of thinking I didn't "deserve" a really fine bike, a fine banjo, great pair of boots, etc....the hell I don't!!!! Everyone deserves something nice.

Going into debt is perhaps not wise but if the price of something is not going to make you go without rent or food, etc, then why shouldn't you buy something nice? I assume you don't buy a new bike all the time and don't have a garage full of unused expensive bikes.

Think of your bike as just one of various bikes you may ride during your lifetime. The bike itself is not your riding- it's only a tool that enables you to ride a bicycle. You riding "a" bicycle is the important thing here. So, you can either buy a cheap bike and then sell it for next to nothing years later when you get a different bike....OR, you can buy a really great bike and sell it for some reasonable amount years later when you want to get a different bike. Meanwhile, you'll either be riding a cheap bike for those intervening years, or a great bike. Your choice. Just how expensive the "good" bike is depends on your budget of course. Some might consider an expensive bike to be anything over $500, others might think any bike over $2000....etc.

Congratulations on quitting smoking!!! That fact proves you can stick to something healthy with some determination. That might help indicate that you would stick with the healthy habit of bike riding too- that it's not just a whim- it's a whole lifestyle change that you are showing you are committed to.