Is cycling materialistic?

After a load of coffee and some deep thinking while working, I have a question. It may seem a little strange, because it probably is. I absolutely love driving my car, probably the same amount as I do my bike. My car cost 4x as much as my bike yet I don't get 4x the enjoyment out of it, but without the possesion of a car or bike, I couldn't get that 'extra' enjoyment. You get your happiness from your family and friends, but what does cycling actually give you? Which begs the question, is cycling materialistic?

When I ride my bike, I feel freedom, no rules (within the interest of my own and safety of others around me) but this has to be done on a bike, any bike, which has to be purchased.

I've seen pictures on the net of children living in 3rd world countries building bicycles out of wood and thoroughly enjoying them, but is this happiness in possession or is there something physical which we take from it?

I don't really know how to word it properly but I can almost see similarities with having a drink, your body physically needs it to survive, but your brain tells you if you would like a glass of water or orange juice.

Both yes an no, cycling is great but it's lovely to own a nice bike, a bike that both looks and rides nice.

I have omniums on one bike, can I feel the difference between them and £75 on one cranks?
Nope but I love them still.

I have this issue too.

I love cyclng, there's something very fullfilling about getting out on your bike regardless of the weather and arriving somewhere back home hot, tired and aching.

However, the issue is we all on here throw money at parts we really really dont need. - Carbon parts, trispokes etc etc.
And I have nothing to say against anyone as it's everyones individual choice what they use their money on.
My worry is always whether I'm wasting my money to make my bike simply look good. And the truth is yes I am. Part of it is obviously in an effort to improve the riding of the bike but the majority is not.

However I do feel that this is one of the few things I do splash money on (tattoos too and sort of camera stuff). I'm not into fancy clothes or shoes, and I don't go out to drink and party so I feel it sort of balances out.

But overall yeah it is a bit materialistic.

My worry is always whether I'm wasting my money to make my bike simply look good.

I don't worry about this. I know I buy things because they look nice, whether it's for my bike or other unrelated things. But I don't find it's something to worry about. There are more important things to be concerned about than one's habits as a consumer.

yeah yeah that is true.
i just need to ensure i dont fall into a trap of having a gazillion practically identical bikes with shiny parts i dont need

For lfgss yes.

For graham obree no.

If your bike looks good, you will ride it more. Lots of people don't have any kind of hobby

I think it's nice to own something that you've worked hard for, either at work so you can actually buy it, or because you've spent months finding the right parts for a build, which takes money any way. Especially since most cyclists in London ride pretty much every day. I definitely get the money's worth out of my bike. It's not a particularly nice bike and it's not in particularly in great condition, but I worked hard so I could buy it and buy some parts for it, so I'm proud of it.

I think a lot of people on this board earn their gear and work hard putting it all together. I mean, someone might spend £xyz on something they don't really NEED, but if its for their bike then it'll probably get a lot of use. People spend a shit tonne of money on useless and extravagant things and use them once.

I'd say there's a materialistic element to it, but I guess it depends on whether you're making your bike nicer for yourself, or for the guy at the lights to say "nice bike mate."

Materialism isn't about aesthetics.

If you enjoy owning your belongings because of the feeling/joy they bring you and not just because you have some sort of oddball collector/own-all-the-things mentality then you're doing it right.

If you're giving up all your free time to fund a crabon bike that you never have time to ride, then you're doing it wrong.

yes

^

I paid shitload for my bicycle, it better be fucking materialistic.

Yes and no. I don't really see anything wrong with spending a lot of money on something I use every day. I want it to be practical and look good because everything else changes but the bike is the one constant, day in, day out. I don't want to get sick of it or pull it out to ride it and think 'ugh'.

In fact, despite spending a lot of money I didn't really have to replace my bike after my other got stolen, I realised midweek when my housemate came in after buying an iPad and then moaning she had no money, that actually, for something that gets such heavy usage, I actually spent way less than I should have. Considering how much she spent on that iPad and how fuckin useless they are, my purchase was not materialistic in ANY way....

yes

I paid shitload for my bicycle, it better be fucking materialistic.

Rep and repped!

If you are buying bikes to ride I consider it a worthwhile purchase.

If you are buying loads of bikes to just put them on display in an ostentatious fashion there is materialistic aspect.

I still don't have a fucking clue what kids in Africa have to do with it all this, it felt like I was reading some kind of painful Daily Fail attempt at being "right on" and contrite.

Meaning they build bicycles out of wood, no cost involved.

Bit of both!

I'm always quite realistic about the materials used on my bike, so yeah, it's quite materialistic....

Bicycling is not inherently materialistic, however some people treat it in a way which makes it so. The constant coveting and n+1 attitude is consumerist bullshit, often an example of buying shit you don't need to try to mask discontent. However having practical things for practical reasons is rad. I think if you're getting pleasure out of the use of the thing in question, then it's not particularly problematic, but if it starts to become that the pleasure is more in the coveting, acquiring and owning of the thing in question then it can start to become problematic. It's almost inevitable that the good experiences of a thing will make you value said thing, it's just trying to make sure the balance is tipped the right way. But fuck it, if you have a problem with it don't do it, and just sneer at people who don't have a problem with it. Pissed off glances as revolutionary praxis.

To sum up then, in terms of economic materialism:

Is cycling materialistic? No.

Are some cyclists materialistic? Yes.

Next...

Who fucking cares?

the answer is yes

Bitch don't know bout my bikes

Who fucking cares?

You do, depending on the materials involved and their relative densities and volumes to one another.