The sad thing is that $2k barely gets you a carbon frame with low end components now. A mid tier bike is maybe $5k, and high end can easily be more than $10k.

Personally I really don't get why anyone would pay $10k for a bike. Amateurs won't benefit nearly enough to make it worth it, and pros are of course sponsored.

I quote your sarcasm.

> Losing weight is effort.

I knew a guy that was training to run an amateur marathon in under I don't remember which time. He went asking to a coach and came back with a long list of training exercises and runs or, the coach told him, lose 3 kg. He lost those 3 kg.

oh, that's a good one. Explaining how brifters work never gets old :-D

On a more serious note, I don't really see the appeal of biking as a social / networking sport. Yeah, we do have a sort of a bike cabal at work too, but if I'd like to network, I guess there are much more efficient ways to do that. Biking as a sport has quite high barriers for entry both in material and in getting fit enough to be able to at least reasonably keep up.