The £400 question

So, last night Amanda and I had the briefest conversation about The Price of The Bike.

She knows about the decision to buy it (obviously) and supports it too (bonus, considering how many other gadget fantasies I have, usually involving items of imported, Asian origin). Now the real question is how we are going to afford the damn thing.

I do pretty well for myself, thankyouverymuch, but living and working in Brighton ain’t cheap. Nor’s paying off our debt, which isn’t mountainous, more… hilly. Still, it doesn’t leave much cash aside each month to fritter away on things like two-wheeled vehicles.

This is where you expect me to slap a PayPal icon on the side and ask for donations, right? Wrong. But hey, I need something to talk about before I can go on about the wind in my (lack) of hair and the road underneath my wheels.

So the aim is to get £400 or so together, which is what I figure I might need to get the bike plus the helmet, uncrackable lock and whatever else I need. At least, I’d like to think that’s what it’ll cost. Going over £500 enters into strange psychological territory, the kind of place that’s only entered by people who want to go home with a PlayStation 3 on launch day.

That number, incidentally, is not for a ‘top of the range’ bike these days, oooh no. Getting that will easily set you back four figures, from the looks of things. No, I’m talking about pre-assembled bikes from ‘known’ manufacturers here - just like I wussed out the last time I bought my PC and went with Dell*, I don’t want to learn how to make a bike. Just how to ride it. I recall it involves moving my legs up and down.

To get to that magical figure, however, is going to take some sacrifice I expect. First thing to go: the Nintendo DS I first purchased from Amazon.co.uk, and then cancelled - no less than twice. That’s £150 in my mythical Bike Savings Account. Only £250 to go, then… time to rob a bank or two.

* A decision which I’m repenting at leisure now, stranded as I’ve been these last few weeks in Customer Support Hell.