Your question reminds me of a recent "encounter" ... I was riding with 3 other people and we stopped at Starbucks to warm-up/coffee/etc. An older gentleman drove up to us and asked if our bikes cost $50 or was it more "these days"? We politely told him it "was more". He then asked how much more? We said that it depends on the bike but anywhere from a few $100 to a few $1000. He was shocked and started sharing with us his experience at "use to own a good 10 speed bike that cost $50 ... ". We all smiled, listened, and told him to have a good day.

I have found it best not to give specifics but general ranges or vague terms. In fact, a good friend of mine, a non-cyclist, and I were having a "what did you do this weekend conversation" and I mentioned something about riding and mechanical bike troubles. She responded, because she knew no better and was trying to be supportive, that it is only a bike and if this one breaks I can always go buy a new one. It was then that I informed her that it didn't really work that way and it was very cost prohibitive to run out and buy another equal quality bike ... I gave her a rounded figure. Let's just say, we don't talk about bikes anymore.

So, it is all a matter of perspective. Those who don't ride or are lost in the "good old days" think over $100 is LOTS for a bike. Shoot, to spend $200 or more is "just plain stupid". Of course, many of these same people are the ones yelling at us to "find something better to do" than ride our bikes on their streets/paths/etc. Sometimes it is better to just smile and say nothing.