Sometimes I think I have a problem: every time I find something interesting to do, I automatically think of ways to make money from it.

Is it scalable? How much would I make per hour? What’s the demand? Market trends? Etc. 

I don’t do this on purpose; my mind just goes there automatically. 

This makes it really difficult to do things just as a hobby and leave it at that.

That was until earlier this year, when my wife Antonia had a great idea. She said: “We see old bicycles and bike parts lying on the sidewalks all the time when we’re out. Wouldn’t it be cool to assemble a whole bike just from the pieces we see? It’s like a scavenger hunt! We could do it as our hobby, not to make money, or to spend money, just for fun.”

I really liked this idea for many reasons: I like bicycles, I like working with my hands, and, as a Lego-loving child, I also like assembling things. I especially liked the idea of doing it with the least amount of money involved, but also with no intention of making money either. 

The last time I tried to do something just for fun was back in 2022, when I took carpentry classes. And even then, after a few classes, I was already thinking about whether it could be a profitable endeavor if I kept doing it. I know… pretty bad.

This new bike hobby took patience. We had to wait for the right part to appear, to find it on our way to daycare or on a walk. Some days, I was tempted to just buy the part online so we could finish the project. Luckily, Antonia would remind me that I was missing the point. 

It felt very refreshing to do this and not think about the opportunity cost of my time or if it was worth it. To just do it “por amor al arte”, for the love of it. When I needed a break from the computer, I’d go work on the bike a little, clean this part we’d found, disassemble this, test-fit that. Sometimes we’d work on it together, and even our son joined us once.

Well, after around six months of looking and collecting parts (Antonia is very good at that part; I’m better at assembling), we finally have a complete bike! We did decide to buy a couple of used or cheap parts, the ones we realized were impossible to find in good condition on the street. But besides that, we stayed true to the theme. 

Inspiration is flowing now, and we already have a list of future bikes we want to find or work on. Let’s see what we find next 🙂

So what about you?

Do you have a hobby that you do just for the love of it? Or is there something you’re curious to try? I’d love to hear about it, just send me a message and let me know.

Until next time,

Angel

P.S. I’m halfway through Stalking the Wild Pendulum, an old (and free to read here) book that’s made me see reality differently. You might not agree with it all, but it’s a fascinating read. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts.