Lust

I want one and I know it makes absolutely no sense at all. I went through the same thing every year in my moto days. Trying to rationalize the purchase of a new toy. My current Stumpjumper bicycle is fine. It does everything I need it to (except hop the root on Cadillac). It may be a little on the heavy side compared to what the other guys in the crew ride but not by much.

Still the seed has been planted.

First a little science lesson. There's a part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System, RAS for short. Once your RAS gets focused on something it has the ability to convince the rest of your brain that you really need it. It's amazing the rationalizations you can come up with once you get your RAS focused. Of course you can get focused on good things or bad things so be careful. As for me, I'm focused on a new bike.

I will admit it's a wake up call to think about spending money and how it will effect retirement. Really, am I at that point already? I tell myself all the usual things, you only live once, this may be the last chance to have a bike like this, just delay retiring for a couple of years, and what's wrong with community college for the kid. Then my RAS speaks up,"Think how much fun it will be to ride, how amazingly fast you'll be, you might even be able to stay up with Steve if you get one". Oh it's all so tempting to believe.

When you're young you just do these things. Time stretches out in front of you so far you don't even think about it ending. Ahh but sometime in your 50's you wake up one day and realize there may not be that much time left. "All the more reason to buy it NOW" my RAS says. Will you just shut up!

I've got the bike in my sights and my finger on the trigger. "Pull it!" says RAS. I'm so weak.