Subject: The free bike
Author: Halchuk
Date: Feb 23, 2005, 6:51 AM
Post ID: 1718441149
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Years ago I learned the free bike lesson. Every now and then someone I meet tells me about a free bike that they or someone else either has available or just picked up.
So I try to explain the real cost of the free bike without discouraging them. So here is a quick analysi from my persective.
What is it? Would you buy it if it wasn't free and for how much?
Now the cost of just getting it "running" : (All prices are estimates and averages)
tires & tubes -$100 each
battery - $50
chain - $100
cables - $100
So you are already into the bike for ~$500 and it still looks the same as when you got it for free. At this point the romance and allure of the free bike starts to touch on reality. Many people get discouraged at this point especially when the free bike is a 1975 350cc Asian model. But that is just a matter of personal taste. Hench the my decision to spruce my Eldo.
I mention this as I start looking at the reciepts for my Eldo and realize that the price of creating a thing of beauty is truly priceless.
Tom
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<DIV><FONT size=2>Years ago I learned the free bike lesson. Every now and
then someone I meet tells me about a free bike that they or someone else either
has available or just picked up.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So I try to explain the real cost of the free bike without
discouraging them. So here is a quick analysi from my persective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What is it? Would you buy it if it wasn't free and for
how much?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Now the cost of just getting it "running" : (All prices
are estimates and averages)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>tires & tubes -$100 each </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>battery - $50</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>chain - $100</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>cables - $100</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So you are already into the bike for ~$500 and it still looks
the same as when you got it for free. At this point the romance and allure
of the free bike starts to touch on reality. Many people get discouraged
at this point especially when the free bike is a 1975 350cc Asian model.
But that is just a matter of personal taste. Hench the my decision to
spruce my Eldo.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I mention this as I start looking at the reciepts for my Eldo
and realize that the price of creating a thing of beauty is truly
priceless. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Tom </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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