The long and the short of it.

Mungecrundle wrote:

I'd like to think that I'd sooner put €300 in a charity box rather than for a pair of shorts.

Well, if you care what happens to that €300 you may want to choose carefully.

After a GCN feature when they said they'd match my donation I bought an Elephant bike with World Bicycle Relief. A little later I wondered just how efficiently/effectively they spent the money that was donated and wanted to find out whether they'd had to pay GCN for the publicity so fired off an email. I received an very informative and friendly email from the UK office clarifying that GCN paid for the fundraising campaign. I am likely to buy another one this year as I believe they will be matching donations again. Not all charities are so transparent.

Simon E wrote:

Other brands are available.

Lots of people pay a premium for what I'd describe as overpriced kit - look at how many German SUVs there are on the roads, all the Nike and other branded sportswear worn by people who never move faster than 2.5mph and whose idea of lifting weights is pulling a 24-pack of Carlsberg off the shelf.

Bling watches are surely the biggest con, people part with hundreds or even thousands of pounds for a piece of jewellery that only tells the time (when they have a plethora of other devices that do it already).

If Rapha can sell it then why shouldn't they?

... or even hundreds of thousands for a watch!  Check out Richard Mille but mind you don't choke on your tea and biscuit...