A Little Philosophy

I am a perfectionist when it comes to bikes. I think any bike can be fun to ride if it is set up right.
I also think bikes and bike parts are overpriced. Compare to car parts. I see plenty of bike tires that cost more than decent car tires. I understand that it’s a supply and demand issue, but I also know that the bicycle is one of the world’s most popular products. So don’t give me that old argument that car parts are mass produced.
Because of this, I hate spending money on bikes if I can fix what I already have.
Think about this for a second: there is a difference between a parts changer and a mechanic. Anyone can change parts until something starts working, but it takes a mechanic to figure out how the thing is supposed to work and then figure out how to get it that way.
A bike is the iteration of a design. The manufacturer’s job is to create the bike from the design, but the manufacturer can mess that up. In other words, the builder of the design may or may not get the machine to a true mechanic is in line with the designer not the manufacturer. The mechanic can see what the designer had in mind and can put the machine into that state. The mechanic takes what was built and makes it true to the design.