"Bring Your Bike to Work" day

- did you ride your bike to work today? - F asked.
- yeah, up I-95. it was a little dicey around the merge to 495 but i made it.
- really??
- NO, dumbass. i'm meeting a friend to ride after work and didn't want to leave my bike in the car. if it heats up too much the tubes pop.
- oh. hmmm. so, how much does a bike like that cost?
- more than you'd think.
- more than 500 bucks?
- more than 500 bucks.
- more than a grand?
- yes.
- a couple grand?
- more.
- that's crazy! i could go to walmart and get a Huffy for 300 bucks! actually, you can get one for $179; i checked when we were in maine. rust had already begun to filigree the handlebars and brakes, but what do you expect. F picked up my bike and hefted it experimentally.
- man, that weighs like 4 ounces!
- that's why it's more than 500 bucks.

as i climbed 3 flights of steps to the office this morning with my bike on one shoulder (it's more than 4oz, trust me), Lapple® tucked under arm and iphone in pocket, it occurred to me that i was carrying most of my worldly wealth. according to edmunds my laptop's worth more than my car... which gets me to wondering...