Fine. I admit it! I am a hater. There!
Am I the only surly guy on an old and heavy commuter bike that feels this way?
Lately the water has been cold and it is a little hard to get my butt out surfing when it’s low to mid-40’s in the morning and the water is in the 50’s. Ok, yes, my 3/2mm is also old and leaky so I’m probably due for a new wetsuit. But I digress.
I’ve been biking a ton to train for “24 Hours In the Old Pueblo”, a 24 hour mountain bike race on savory single track February 17th in Tucson, AZ. I’m stoked! For every training ride, I definitely notice anyone that passes me up. I don’t like being passed! Competitive spirit perhaps?
For a 1.5 hour training ride I will most likely get passed by several MAMILs (Middle-aged Men in Lycra). Ok, so they have some high-end carbon-fiber frame and various other NASA materials to lighten their bikes. They shave their arms and legs and are decked out with racing jerseys and probably have spent many thousands on their racing package. I find myself pushing my $200 commuter a little harder as they’re passing me, but it’s futile. No use, they are gone with a whiff of Banana Boat to remind me of the defeat.
For that same 1.5 hour training ride, and the half dozen MAMILs that pass me up, I will also be dusted by another “type” of rider. For every MAMIL there will be 5-10 of these. This one with a stature that is portly, sometimes in flip-flops, t shirts, and floppy shorts. As I have sweat beading off my forehead and arms, this rider appears relaxed, maybe pedaling their rig, maybe not, looking around bone-dry. Possibly intoxicated by ale or some other mind numbing substances, or maybe just high on leisure, it’s hard to say.
Whatever you think of these new relaxed outdoor enthusiasts, they are clearly here to stay. In fact growing in numbers every day. I went for a cross training run this morning and noticed a new type of electric herd. This herd had no respect for the bike lane and were swerving about while yelling at each other at 7:15am! They were probably 12-14 years old and heading to school.
Then I thought, when was the last time I saw a kid on a Razor scooter or a non-electric-assist regular old pedal bike? Yeah, right! The traditional bike now has gone the way of the dinosaur IMO. Society is lazy. Have you noticed the way people will fight for the front row parking spot so they don’t need to walk another 100 feet. In California, they will sit there with their blinkers on for 5 minutes when there is another parking spot open, BUT they must walk 50 feet!! I guess the point is once the lazy cat is out of the bag, it isn’t going back. These kids will likely never go back to a pedal bike unless they decide to go the way of the MAMIL; 0.01% of the population.
Since I’m a financial freedom blog, what the hell is my point you may be asking?
I need to find a way to invest in this surge. If you’re not in California, and you haven’t noticed this yet, buck-up little camper it’s headed your way. So how do we make money if you believe this will take over like I do? I’m guessing that Tesla might at some point make a pretty bitchin’ ride. I’m thinking of components, like lithium ion batteries instead of buying a bike company like Schwinn. Too much competition unless there is a high-end fashionable bike to have that makes you cool.
So the point of this is to invest in things you see everyday and understand. If I own stock of one of these zippy bike companies, every time one of them passes me up in the bike lane I will chuckle a little as my dividend check size increases. In the same way I’m still looking for a pull back on Costco so I can be ok with spending $300 on a shopping trip that was supposed to cost me $100!
I’ll do some research and let you know what I find out! I’m open to any good ideas so please write to me at derek@aviaracapitalinvestments.com.
Best,
Derek
Derek Petersen
www.AviaraCapitalInvestments.com
www.linkedin.com/in/derekpetersen
Disclaimer: I am a financial independence guy and a financial freedom hack. I am not a financial advisor, a CPA, or a broker of anything. I recommend discussing financial decisions and/or planning with the professionals.