Goal #47) Buy a Bike

For over a year I’ve wanted to buy a bike.  Last summer I spent a fair amount of time researching different types of bikes trying to decide which model would be best for my needs.  I decided that a road bike would be ideal for my future goals as well as my short term needs as  I have been looking for something that I would be able to ride long distances in a short amount of time.

I continued to put off making my purchase because the cost of the bikes I was interested in were out of my desired price range.  I wasn’t interested in spending over $1,000 on a bike so I waited.  Then I waited some more.  Before I knew it, summer was over and I still didn’t have a bicycle.

As winter approached my goal of purchasing a bike lost importance and soon I lost interest in buying a bike.  Afterall, it was winter and I wouldn’t be able to use it until Spring.  Like all seasons, winter came and now is nearly a memory and my desire to purchase a bike returned.

On Saturday I went to a bicycle sale to see what sort of deals they were offering.  If I was able to find what I wanted at a fair price I would buy my bike.  After looking around I found the same type of bike which I was looking at the summer before.  It was no longer priced over $1,000 and was marked down significantly.  I took it for a test ride and was very satisfied with the quality of the ride. 

I spent some time considering the purchase and how it would affect my financial situation.  I had the money saved so I wouldn’t need to place the purchase on my credit card.  I have some money saved in an Emergency Fund so I wouldn’t be placing myself in a vulnerable situation if something bad happened.  Then I considered whether or not a bike was something which I needed, which it wasn’t.  It was something I wanted but did not need.  I also considered how the purchase would change my life.  If I bought a bike I wouldn’t need to use my car as often.  Riding a bike is a good way to get exercise.  It is also a good way to spend time with friends.

I decided that I should purchase the bike.  It was somewhat difficult knowing that this money wouldn’t be in my bank account anymore, but was a trade I was willing to make.  Knowing that I wouldn’t need to go into debt and that I had the money to pay for the purchase up front made the choice a little bit easier.  I will be able to rebuild my savings in a short amount of time and I will now have a bicycle in order to begin preparing for my goal of bicycling the west coast. 

It would be difficult to accomplish that goal without a bike.