Regarding gear, for some people it's a hobby. From a business prospective, gear should only be purchased and implemented if can at least pay for itself (safety gear is exempt from this rule, as are a few other things). But say you use the Buckingham Master II saddle and are thinking about getting the glide. That glide is going to run you dern near 300.00.
Now say by using the Glide, you actually do become faster, for whatever reason. Just by wearing it, you save about 6 minutes at the end of the work day, compared to if you were still using the Master II. 6 minutes per day. 30 minutes a week, 2 hours a month, and so on.
If you get 20.00/hr, (a decent rate), it will take you about seven and a half months before that Glide has earned it's keep.
Now, would switching those saddles really save you 6 minutes a day? Who knows. But a smart business-person would be hard pressed to say, "Yeah, get the Glide!"
But, as many of us know, money is not the only thing to take into account. You could throw all sorts of things into the equation....
...The Glide is more comfortable, it hurts me less. I can climb longer each day, allowing me to make more money. I will also be able to climb for many more years if I use the Glide.
...My employee will be happy if I get him this saddle. Happy employees are more productive. His positve attitude may spread to the whole crew, which will save me all sorts of cash
...My old saddle looks shoddy. Customers like to see new equipment. This saddle will let customers see that I am at the forefront of climbing technology. This means more business.
...And so on.
These are the things I think about whenever I go to buy things. Do I need those Kong double handled ascender? the silky zubat? an 11mm climbing line?
I'll probably just get them anyways!!!!
love
nick
