In Reply to: A serious question for Victor posted by Len_ on March 18, 2004 at 09:48:56:
This reply was offered when someone questioned why Victor, although only an amateur cyclist, needed a $500 handlebar for his road bike. Clearly, he has the money for it and it's his business whether or not he wants to spend it; no one was questioning that. A professional cyclist might consider such an upgrade to cut a few milliseconds off his race time. But, apparently, there are other reasons for $500 handlebars....
Posted by Victor Khomenko ( M ) on October 19, 2003 at 08:22:01
In Reply to: Let's try again posted by late on October 19, 2003 at 07:26:49:
There is something special about fine things... their feel, their history, their beauty. You cynically reduce it to the "serious bucks" thing, but it is far from it. This should be clear to anyone who has ever collected art, for instance. Or emptied that $500 bottle of wine... who... clark? All that his $50 an ounce cheese! There is an undeniable enjoyment one receives from looking at a $15,000 Patek Calatrava that looks just like a $19.95 Timex to the rest of the world.
Which is to say many fine things are also subtle. Some $300 ties look like something from the church sale.Most of the time "fine" coinsides with "expensive", but there are other, far more obvious ways of telling the world you have made it.
Riding in the Central Park is very different from tugging along the Rt. 82 in Delaware - here no one sees you and your equipment, so only you (plus Den and late...) know what it is. There the other riders size you instantly from the distance, and if you have anything less than the titanium straight block, you are shit - so it becomes clear case of slamming dicks on the table.
Of course any time you own fine things you want to talk about them to other similar nuts. Unfortunately often this is not possible.
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Follow Ups
- Here's one of Victor's posts from "Outside" last year that's very illuminating... - Dalton 11:11:57 03/18/04 (8)
- Amazing how that stuck in your craw all these months. Get over it. (nt - dennzio 18:15:03 03/18/04 (5)
- It didn't "stick in my craw", denzio.... - Dalton 20:14:57 03/18/04 (4)
- I don't know... - Chris Garrett 20:31:33 03/18/04 (3)
- The metaphysics of quality at work. (nt - dennzio 08:25:09 03/19/04 (2)
- It's a cliche', but Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance comes to mind.....nt - Chris Garrett 08:27:39 03/19/04 (1)
- ZAMM is one of my favorite books, obviously. Sad about his son Chris. (nt - dennzio 08:48:41 03/19/04 (0)
- Re: Here's one of Victor's posts from "Outside" last year that's very illuminating... - patrickU 11:22:04 03/18/04 (0)
- Sigh... you ARE a liar... - Victor Khomenko 11:20:44 03/18/04 (0)