What's the stupidest thing you're lusting after right now?

[Cawl]

Some 40mm bases because one of my box sets were missing them and a Trayzen the Infinite model.

[RetiredAt63]

Clean undershirts.

all of my my crew neck undershirts (3yrs to 10yrs+) have pit stains.
It's one of those little annoyances.

Now that i realized i'm going to die with too much $, i'm going to spend a little more while i'm breathing.
The next time i see hanes or fruit of the loom on sale, i'm buying 2 packages and replacing all of my ratty undershirts

So mustachian!   ;-)

Just remember to never buy white undershirts so the problem doesn't occur again.

Do they come in the colour "pit stain"? 

After all, people buy clothes and furniture all the time that won't show cat and dog hair.

[Villanelle]

Well, the 6000 sqft house I was listing over a few pages back is under contract.  i was suprising quite sad about it, even though it was a pipe dream--less than a pipe dream even as I knew it would never happen.  So much for my grand plans, and for having the basement rooms to rent to traveling nurses. 

[FIREin2018]

A 3 in 1 ski jacket that i can unzip from the bottom so i can reach my cell phone that's on my belt.

Currently i have to lift up my ski jacket 6" above my waist to get to it.
my cell phone is on a belt holder. to pull it out and clear the holder is 6" above my waist.

Waiting for end of winter ski jacket clearance sales.

[GuitarStv]

Clean undershirts.

all of my my crew neck undershirts (3yrs to 10yrs+) have pit stains.
It's one of those little annoyances.

Now that i realized i'm going to die with too much $, i'm going to spend a little more while i'm breathing.
The next time i see hanes or fruit of the loom on sale, i'm buying 2 packages and replacing all of my ratty undershirts

So mustachian!   ;-)

Just remember to never buy white undershirts so the problem doesn't occur again.

Do they come in the colour "pit stain"? 

After all, people buy clothes and furniture all the time that won't show cat and dog hair.

Yes, the internet tells me that they do:


I've always had good luck with black though.  :P

[BlueHouse]

I want this as a recycling bin so much. 

IKEA Dammang.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

[Metalcat]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

Costco makes amazing Lululemon knock off pants that hold up to an insane amount of abuse. They retail here for less than $20.

[Kris]

A bunch of Mark Knopfler's guitars are being auctioned off at Christie's today.

I am lucky that they are all being purchased at insanely high prices, so that I do not have a hope of purchasing one.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

Costco makes amazing Lululemon knock off pants that hold up to an insane amount of abuse. They retail here for less than $20.

All of my best leggings are from Costco. I guess I just need to content myself to - gasp - paying retail if I want to stop tripping over my 15-year-old stretched-out (but otherwise fully functional) sweatpants when my small stash of leggings are dirty. Or I could cuff the sweatpants, but they already feel very frumpy & I never did not feel frumpy in them.

They also have no pockets. Apparently I am more bothered by all this than I was willing to admit to myself!

[Metalcat]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

Costco makes amazing Lululemon knock off pants that hold up to an insane amount of abuse. They retail here for less than $20.

All of my best leggings are from Costco. I guess I just need to content myself to - gasp - paying retail if I want to stop tripping over my 15-year-old stretched-out (but otherwise fully functional) sweatpants when my small stash of leggings are dirty. Or I could cuff the sweatpants, but they already feel very frumpy & I never did not feel frumpy in them.

They also have no pockets. Apparently I am more bothered by all this than I was willing to admit to myself!

My Costco leggings have deep thigh-side pockets that can easily hold my phone. I live in them.

[eyesonthehorizon]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

Costco makes amazing Lululemon knock off pants that hold up to an insane amount of abuse. They retail here for less than $20.

All of my best leggings are from Costco. I guess I just need to content myself to - gasp - paying retail if I want to stop tripping over my 15-year-old stretched-out (but otherwise fully functional) sweatpants when my small stash of leggings are dirty. Or I could cuff the sweatpants, but they already feel very frumpy & I never did not feel frumpy in them.

They also have no pockets. Apparently I am more bothered by all this than I was willing to admit to myself!

My Costco leggings have deep thigh-side pockets that can easily hold my phone. I live in them.

None of my Costco leggings have pockets, but I see the ones online now do. Excellent! I previously couldn't justify it over carrying on with my old, baggy, heel-catching, drawstring, pocketless sweatpants because it was mostly a cosmetic upgrade, but if there is additional FUNCTION on the line, perhaps I can excuse it after all....

[GuitarStv]

Black is the only sensible color of underwear for about 50% of the population about 25% of the time for about 50% of their lifespan. Given that it also hides sweat stains & dyes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, I don't understand why it isn't considered the default color for undergarments, except that so many fabrics aren't made sturdy enough to be opaque anymore.

In this moment I want fancy, high-weight, dense sturdy exercise clothes, even though I have plenty of clothes already & athleisure is priced way too high.

Costco makes amazing Lululemon knock off pants that hold up to an insane amount of abuse. They retail here for less than $20.

All of my best leggings are from Costco. I guess I just need to content myself to - gasp - paying retail if I want to stop tripping over my 15-year-old stretched-out (but otherwise fully functional) sweatpants when my small stash of leggings are dirty. Or I could cuff the sweatpants, but they already feel very frumpy & I never did not feel frumpy in them.

They also have no pockets. Apparently I am more bothered by all this than I was willing to admit to myself!

My Costco leggings have deep thigh-side pockets that can easily hold my phone. I live in them.

None of my Costco leggings have pockets, but I see the ones online now do. Excellent! I previously couldn't justify it over carrying on with my old, baggy, heel-catching, drawstring, pocketless sweatpants because it was mostly a cosmetic upgrade, but if there is additional FUNCTION on the line, perhaps I can excuse it after all....

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

[FIREin2018]

My Costco leggings have deep thigh-side pockets that can easily hold my phone. I live in them.

They were on clearance for $2.50 each at costco last month.
saw pics of a couple of ladies literally grab unopened pallets and put in their cart. :o
Later found out it's for a woman's shelter

[FIREin2018]

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

Bonus points if it has an easily to reach hidden pocket for your concealed carry gun

[GuitarStv]

The only guns I need are between my shoulder and elbows.  And I never voluntarily choose to conceal them.  :D

[sonofsven]

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

Bonus points if it has an easily to reach hidden pocket for your concealed carry gun

Lol, literally the only people I know that use that type of bag carry a handgun in them.

[FIREin2018]

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

Bonus points if it has an easily to reach hidden pocket for your concealed carry gun

Lol, literally the only people I know that use that type of bag carry a handgun in them.

yup with hidden outside pocket for a quick draw and shoot

[ChpBstrd]

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

Bonus points if it has an easily to reach hidden pocket for your concealed carry gun

Lol, literally the only people I know that use that type of bag carry a handgun in them.

yup with hidden outside pocket for a quick draw and shoot

Really all you need is the fanny pack because everyone will assume you're packing.

[nereo]

Currently listing over a triangular window to go above the slider on the gable end of an addition we are planning.

All-in it’ll be about $2k, add just over 12 square feet of glass which would catch the early winter morning sun. Seems extravagant but would last for 30 years.

[Metalcat]

Just buy an extra pocket that you can pair with all your pants:

Bonus points if it has an easily to reach hidden pocket for your concealed carry gun

Lol, literally the only people I know that use that type of bag carry a handgun in them.

yup with hidden outside pocket for a quick draw and shoot

Really all you need is the fanny pack because everyone will assume you're packing.

As a Canadian who lives i na city where fanny packs are a very common fashion accessory for trendy Gen Z women who are most definitely NOT carrying guns, I find this fascinating/horrifying.

[nereo]

[
As a Canadian who lives i na city where fanny packs are a very common fashion accessory for trendy Gen Z women who are most definitely NOT carrying guns, I find this fascinating/horrifying.

I guess I’ve reached the stage in life where I am fascinated/horrified by what’s come back into fashion. Like, of all the things from the 90s to make a comeback, why this??

[Metalcat]

[
As a Canadian who lives i na city where fanny packs are a very common fashion accessory for trendy Gen Z women who are most definitely NOT carrying guns, I find this fascinating/horrifying.

I guess I’ve reached the stage in life where I am fascinated/horrified by what’s come back into fashion. Like, of all the things from the 90s to make a comeback, why this??

Everything from the 90s came back.

Also, fanny packs are amazingly convenient. I wear one all the time to carry dog treats for training my dog.

They're often now called belt bags and can be worn on your waist or slung on your shoulder. My everyday "purse" is a belt-bag that I wear over my shoulder, the Lululemon version is basically ubiquitous among the women I know, and infinitely easier than carrying a stupid purse.

https://shop.lululemon.com/en-ca/p/bags/Everywhere-Belt-Bag/_/prod8900416?color=0001&sz=ONESIZE&cid=Google_PMAX_CA_NAT_EN_X_Hybrid_Accessories-Omni_GEN_Y23_ag-&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAiP2tBhBXEiwACslfnh53yIFeWKMS-lLpJ5lbsFc5Om8vBATa84LRpbF-3TSjHSfUB2mVZBoCcNYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[eyesonthehorizon]

A fanny pack/ belt bag in any sort of non-trendy color will be interpreted as concealed carry where I live too, particularly among cyclists as generally there's not enough loose fabric to create concealment otherwise.

I used to have a really sturdy one for cycling but I must have left it in the car in summer with a pack of gum in it. The sticky oil became bonded with the material & refused to wash out. I don't think I've gotten rid of it but I haven't found a solution to gum oil either.

I am disappointed to have missed the Great Costco Legging Sale. They still have various brands online but I failed to notice the Kirkland ones with the pockets sold out; other brands have reports that they are crop length, or see-through, etc. This same thing happened when they had those cheap merino tops late last year - already sold out online, in person there was no trace they'd ever been offered.

[getsorted]

A fanny pack/ belt bag in any sort of non-trendy color will be interpreted as concealed carry where I live too, particularly among cyclists as generally there's not enough loose fabric to create concealment otherwise.

My Aldi bag is a black nylon fanny pack. Now wondering how many people in Aldi have been looking at me and thinking I'm prepared for revolution in the aisle of shame.

[Askel]

A fanny pack/ belt bag in any sort of non-trendy color will be interpreted as concealed carry where I live too, particularly among cyclists as generally there's not enough loose fabric to create concealment otherwise.

Hah, if there's a dude on a bike with a fanny pack around here, rest assured he's going to pull a weed vape pen out of it at some point and inquire of anybody in the vicinity, "Yo, anybody wanna hit this?" 

[Just Joe]

Clean undershirts.

all of my my crew neck undershirts (3yrs to 10yrs+) have pit stains.
It's one of those little annoyances.

Now that i realized i'm going to die with too much $, i'm going to spend a little more while i'm breathing.
The next time i see hanes or fruit of the loom on sale, i'm buying 2 packages and replacing all of my ratty undershirts

So mustachian!   ;-)

Just remember to never buy white undershirts so the problem doesn't occur again.

I came up with the idea of brown underwear for men years ago, brand name *Skidders*.
Another million dollar idea given to you folks for free 😂

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

[zolotiyeruki]

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

Is that like a low-cost bathroom fixture?

[GuitarStv]

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

Is that like a low-cost bathroom fixture?

I think they mean the very short water fountains you sometimes see in European washrooms.  :P

[Metalcat]

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

Is that like a low-cost bathroom fixture?

It's okay, I got your pun.

[Just Joe]

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

Is that like a low-cost bathroom fixture?

Autocorrect strikes again...

[sonofsven]

A bidget eliminates that problem. ;)

Is that like a low-cost bathroom fixture?

Autocorrect strikes again...

More like auto mistake ;-)
I was in a bathroom once, I think in France, that had a "normal" toilet, a bidet, and what I called the "starting blocks": a hole that you squat over with recesses for your feet on either side .
AND an attendant standing by the sink. What a job.

[rothwem]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

[ChpBstrd]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

I think you need to direct your lust to watching ebay for a modern bike with a cracked frame. That's the only way this can be done economically - but it can be done.

[Luke Warm]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

Can you get the Lemond fixed? It's steel isn't it?

[GuitarStv]

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

No.  I'm pretty sure that God wants you to build this bike back up with fancy components.

[rothwem]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

Can you get the Lemond fixed? It's steel isn't it?

Haha, that was the first thing I looked into, but it turns out that "fixing" a steel frame is really only worth it for very expensive frames.  They take the the offending tube off, grind it smooth and weld in a new one.  With paint, it ends up costing about the same as a new normal person frame. 

Also, I'm a metallurgist/metallurgical engineer for work and the "air hardening" steels freak me out a bit from a weld repair perspective.  I used to work for a company that made custom valves for power plants and chemical plants, and sometimes we'd get requests for martensitic (what modern steel frames are made of basically) valve materials.  We'd x-ray our casting and if it had a defect, we'd have to dig it out and weld repair, then we'd end up chasing cracks around and around despite all kinds of pre-heat/post heat and PWHT. It was always a pain in the dick and I don't really trust any small bike business to do it right.  I also don't trust myself to weld on tubing that thin.  Maybe @waltworks can chime in on specifics, though I'm not sure if he makes stuff from 853. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

No.  I'm pretty sure that God wants you to build this bike back up with fancy components.

Can't argue with God. 

[Taran Wanderer]

It's super fun to build up a bike, though yeah, you do tend to find out that buying new isn't that much more expensive than buying new components to put on a frame you already have.  The advice to find someone with a cracked frame and surplus components was solid.  In any case, don't let God down.

[Taran Wanderer]

A Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/dune-atreides-royal-ornithopter-10327

[GuitarStv]

A Lego Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/dune-atreides-royal-ornithopter-10327

Booo.  Not even life sized.

[curious_george]

An 8 sleep mattress cover.

https://www.eightsleep.com/product/pod-cover

[Exflyboy]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

Can you get the Lemond fixed? It's steel isn't it?

Haha, that was the first thing I looked into, but it turns out that "fixing" a steel frame is really only worth it for very expensive frames.  They take the the offending tube off, grind it smooth and weld in a new one.  With paint, it ends up costing about the same as a new normal person frame. 

Also, I'm a metallurgist/metallurgical engineer for work and the "air hardening" steels freak me out a bit from a weld repair perspective.  I used to work for a company that made custom valves for power plants and chemical plants, and sometimes we'd get requests for martensitic (what modern steel frames are made of basically) valve materials.  We'd x-ray our casting and if it had a defect, we'd have to dig it out and weld repair, then we'd end up chasing cracks around and around despite all kinds of pre-heat/post heat and PWHT. It was always a pain in the dick and I don't really trust any small bike business to do it right.  I also don't trust myself to weld on tubing that thin.  Maybe @waltworks can chime in on specifics, though I'm not sure if he makes stuff from 853. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

No.  I'm pretty sure that God wants you to build this bike back up with fancy components.

Can't argue with God.

Also an ME who (my metalurgical background is limited tough) happens to weld a lot as a hobby. I'm a little surprised they would weld a tubular steel frame. I would be reluctant to do it Although TIG welding chrome moly tubes has been done Pitts Special aircraft for a couple of decades now.

Are they not brazing steel bike frames any more?

[Weisass]

Am I allowed to say bitcoin? lol

[Villanelle]

Am I allowed to say bitcoin? lol

Sure.  The title does say "stupid thing", after all! 

[Just Joe]

A late model used Nissan Leaf Plus. Good EV for our local driving needs with the ability to go out of town to the nearest metro an hour away occasionally.

Our eldest wants our 25 year old daily driver. Their own 20+ year old daily driver may need to be replaced or relegated to a weekend fair weather driver.

We're happy to give it to them. Not worth much resale. 

[rothwem]

So, story time:

I had a bike (a Lemond, owned by Trek at the time) that I bought a long time ago, like when I was in high school (2003).  It was the first bike I raced on, and it really got me interested in the sport.  I eventually got a team deal on a bike when I got good at racing bikes, but I kept the first one for a while until my brother told me he wanted to get into riding.  I gave it to him, and he rode it until it got a flat and then he never touched it again.  I rescued my old bike and built it up with 11-speed road stuff and rode it from ~2018 to 2021, and one day it started creaking really badly.  I tore everything down, and then realized that the frame had a big crack in it, right where the head tube meets the top tube.  I hung the frame on a wall as a monument to my meager bike racing career and found a cheap used Cannondale racing frame to swap the parts onto to keep me riding road bikes. 

Fast forward a couple years, I was talking to friend of a friend who works at Trek bicycles, telling him about my old bike and he told me that Trek would honor the warranty on my bike if I could find the original receipt.  Being that I bought the bike 21 years ago, and I was in high school, I figured that was probably not going happen, but I asked my parents to keep an eye out if they were going through any old stuff to see if they found a receipt.  Well, whaddya know, when I was home for Christmas, my dad pulled out the old owners manual for my Lemond, and tucked into the pages was the receipt from 2003. 

I took it to the shop and sure enough, they honored the warranty and even let me keep my old and busted frame for old time's sake.  So now, I have a brand spanking new frame sitting in my garage.  What I'm realizing though, is that since 2003, everything has changed.  Very few of the parts from my old bike fit this new one.  It's got disc brakes, so my wheels won't swap on, its got internal cable routing so I've got to use hydraulics.  It uses a different bottom bracket, etc etc.  Basically its going to cost me ~$1500 to build this "free" frame up.  If I were to get this thing new, it would be ~$3500, so its a hell of a discount, but I really wasn't planning on spending $1500 on a toy any time soon.  I have a perfectly functioning Cannondale already. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

Can you get the Lemond fixed? It's steel isn't it?

Haha, that was the first thing I looked into, but it turns out that "fixing" a steel frame is really only worth it for very expensive frames.  They take the the offending tube off, grind it smooth and weld in a new one.  With paint, it ends up costing about the same as a new normal person frame. 

Also, I'm a metallurgist/metallurgical engineer for work and the "air hardening" steels freak me out a bit from a weld repair perspective.  I used to work for a company that made custom valves for power plants and chemical plants, and sometimes we'd get requests for martensitic (what modern steel frames are made of basically) valve materials.  We'd x-ray our casting and if it had a defect, we'd have to dig it out and weld repair, then we'd end up chasing cracks around and around despite all kinds of pre-heat/post heat and PWHT. It was always a pain in the dick and I don't really trust any small bike business to do it right.  I also don't trust myself to weld on tubing that thin.  Maybe @waltworks can chime in on specifics, though I'm not sure if he makes stuff from 853. 

Its silly, but I really want to build this thing up. I think I might. Does that qualify as a stupid thing to lust over?

No.  I'm pretty sure that God wants you to build this bike back up with fancy components.

Can't argue with God.

Also an ME who (my metalurgical background is limited tough) happens to weld a lot as a hobby. I'm a little surprised they would weld a tubular steel frame. I would be reluctant to do it Although TIG welding chrome moly tubes has been done Pitts Special aircraft for a couple of decades now.

Are they not brazing steel bike frames any more?

Most mass produced steel frames are TIG’d these days, I think that fillet brazing is tricky to do well at scale and lugs are too limiting for geometry.  I think a lot of the issues with welding thin material are minimized in a production environment also—if you blow through a tube, you cut it out and redo it, there’s no paint/distortion to worry about at that point in the process.

[GuitarStv]

Am I allowed to say bitcoin? lol

Sure.  The title does say "stupid thing", after all!

But bitcoin isn't a thing.  It's an idea.

[Luke Warm]

LAY-Z-BOY Recliner. I have to get shoulder surgery and a friend recommended a recliner for ease of sleeping and getting up. Looked at LAY-Z-BOY and they are sure expensive. Nice though.

[RWD]

LAY-Z-BOY Recliner. I have to get shoulder surgery and a friend recommended a recliner for ease of sleeping and getting up. Looked at LAY-Z-BOY and they are sure expensive. Nice though.

There are often sales. I got my single seat La-Z-Boy recliner for $500.

[Just Joe]

I need to catch a sale. When I have the occasional sickness, this is the easiest way to sleep and breathe. Also, had pinched nerve last year. Might have been more comfortable than bed.