Fifty Plus (50+) - What my husband wants to get me

I have a Litespeed tour frame with mountain bike components that was specially made for me (Thank You Honey!). I have had it the same way for 7 years. My husband was thinking of upgrading my bike with the new Shimano compact crank set and a new set of Shimano shifters. I have a Shimano drive train right now. He is having a new fork put on my bike right now because I had some cosmetic damage to the other fork. Should I let him do all this to my bike?

:DYes, keep him happy! It has its benefits.

If you don't want him to change out the equipment on your bike, I am sure I can find one of mine that he can upgrade instead.

My ex-wife is willing to set up an older Vitus unbonding frame of mine with square wheels, brake lever extensions, steel rims for riding in the wet, and a custom cracked cheap carbon fork from 1984 with rusted drop outs she found on ebay. And, she said she'd even pay a full half the cost.

Glad to see your courtship is still blooming, Litespeed.

I have a Litespeed tour frame with mountain bike components that was specially made for me (Thank You Honey!). I have had it the same way for 7 years. My husband was thinking of upgrading my bike with the new Shimano compact crank set and a new set of Shimano shifters. I have a Shimano drive train right now. He is having a new fork put on my bike right now because I had some cosmetic damage to the other fork. Should I let him do all this to my bike?

Hi Litespeed,

Did you like what he did the first time around? Are you ready for an upgrade? If so, I say trust him and let him do it. If not, I suggest that you find a tactful way to keep your first bike as is and ask him to build you a second bike. As Bob S says, there are benefits to keeping our spouses happy! :D

Really, do you want a compact crank set up? I have one, and like it tons, but not everyone does.
On teh other hnd, if he want sto be nice to you, let him. If you don't like it, he gets to be nice again and get you something else. It's a win-win!

If you have a triple crank now, don't let him change it to a double unless you've thought that through and agree to do it.

One of my co-worker's husbands "upgraded" her bike to a double, because he thought she should be riding a double. Now she can't get it over several hills that she used to be able to climb, and ends up walking it over.

I've done some upgrades for my wife that were not requested and proved to be ill-advised, and she's been nice enough not to get upset about it, but I really can't make changes to her bike without a pre-discussion. It's not good for either of us. Because she's so nice, the main impact for me is having to put it back the way it was, but ...

See if you really want the potential improvement, and if it's worth teh potentially double downtime while the change is being made and then reversed.

My opinion of what makes a better bike is not everyone else's opinion. Why don't I learn better?

Road fan

Show him this thread!

I have a Litespeed tour frame with mountain bike components that was specially made for me (Thank You Honey!). I have had it the same way for 7 years. My husband was thinking of upgrading my bike with the new Shimano compact crank set and a new set of Shimano shifters. I have a Shimano drive train right now. He is having a new fork put on my bike right now because I had some cosmetic damage to the other fork. Should I let him do all this to my bike?

Yes, you should, but keep all the parts. If you decide you liked something better the old way, have him switch it back. If he refuses, divorce him (do you get to keep the cat?) ;) Just kidding!

Sounds like a great relationship. Just a small suggestion, go to a bike store and try out a compact crank before you buy. Take the bike over some varied terrain. You will either love the compact crank or hate it. Best to find out first. Remember you are the one riding the bike not him.

I asked my wife what she thought about your question and she told me to avoid getting involved!!! Sometimes I listen to her.

It's a sickness. Only you can decide if you want to humor him....
Seriously, I tried for years to get my wife interested in cycling, and (mostly to humor me) she went along to the point that she rode a century with me the year I turned 50. To get her to that point, I spent a lot of time making her bike (set up like yours, it sounds like--basically a road frame with mountain components) the way she liked it.
It fit, it worked well and she enjoyed it, but she didn't really love cycling, and after we did the 100 miler, she cut back to occasional rides, 10-milers to the grocery store, stuff like that. I started messing around "upgrading" her bike (we misuse that term--not every change is an upgrade, or should be called one). I spent some time and money doing things she didn't really need or want done, and she likes the bike less than she did.
It's your bike--if you don't want him messing with it, tell him to leave it alone.

Well got my bike back from the shop with the new Reynolds fork on it. It's 85 degrees today so didn't feel like going for a long ride to see if I could notice any difference. Just rode it up and down the street a couple of times to make sure the saddle height was okay. Tomorrow will be the real test. It looks a lot better then my old fork, it matches my bike now--but I know that doesn't have anything to do with it. Now it looks like it will be on to the compact crank set and new shifters, actually I'm looking forward to that upgrade. The LBS said it was possible to have the compact on a 9 speed. My husband will do a little more research to get a consensus and then decide if it should be done. :roflmao:

Well got my bike back from the shop with the new Reynolds fork on it. It's 85 degrees today so didn't feel like going for a long ride to see if I could notice any difference. Just rode it up and down the street a couple of times to make sure the saddle height was okay. Tomorrow will be the real test. It looks a lot better then my old fork, it matches my bike now--but I know that doesn't have anything to do with it. Now it looks like it will be on to the compact crank set and new shifters, actually I'm looking forward to that upgrade. The LBS said it was possible to have the compact on a 9 speed. My husband will do a little more research to get a consensus and then decide if it should be done. :roflmao:

When we bought my wife her Cannondale we had the drivetrain upgraded from triple to compact. They were able to do it as a Shimano 10 speed 12 months ago. 10 v. 9 is not a big deal and will add cost, but it is possible. This was a set of hybrid/MTB wide range components. I wasn't too familiar with them but I could read off the P/Ns if you want.

If you have a MTB triple on your bike now and you switch to a compact double, you will lose some of the lowest climbing gearing. Do you care? Do you think you need your lowest gear for hills? That would be the deciding factor.

I got to test out my new fork today and I LOVE IT! It makes the bike so much more stable going down hills, which I was never good at in the first place. Gee I wish I had him do this years ago, it really helps my confidence.

When I first got this bike, my husband had told me NOT to get a triple that it would just add more weight to the bike so I have only had a double on it, which is fine. I can make it up all the hills I want without any real problem. One of the ladies I ride with occasionally didn't like the fact that my husband talked me out of a triple. She has a triple on her road bike but of course she is 74 years old and a little slower on the hills. I really hope I will be riding my bike if and when I reach that age.

I got to test out my new fork today and I LOVE IT! It makes the bike so much more stable going down hills, which I was never good at in the first place. Gee I wish I had him do this years ago, it really helps my confidence.

When I first got this bike, my husband had told me NOT to get a triple that it would just add more weight to the bike so I have only had a double on it, which is fine. I can make it up all the hills I want without any real problem. One of the ladies I ride with occasionally didn't like the fact that my husband talked me out of a triple. She has a triple on her road bike but of course she is 74 years old and a little slower on the hills. I really hope I will be riding my bike if and when I reach that age.

That sounds great. Going to a compact from a "typical" double will add some lower gearing without losing anything on the top end. No down side at all.

My husband just informed me that he wanted to wait until the 2009 compact crank sets come out to see if there is a big improvement on them. :( He said if there isn't then there is a good chance that we could get the compact crank on sale when the 2009's do come in. That's going to be a long wait for me, even if it is only until August, it's still a long ways off--I want it NOW! ;)

I want it NOW! ;)

You're a true USA citizen. ;)



(And BF member.)