Road Cycling - Is it time for a divorce?

After telling my wife that I am looking at road bikes, she seemed fine about it. She cringed a little when I told he how much a good road bike costs. Heck, I cringed too.

So, last night, out of the blue she says. "I don't know why you need a road bike. You love riding up in the mountains (this is very true). Can't you just keep using your slicks on the road?"

She dosen't seem to understand that I just can't seem to hang on to a pack of roadies on my MTB. She also dosen't seem to understand why I would want to. I haven't bought a new bike in 6 years.

SO, anyone out there need a wife, fairly low milage? I'll trade for for a Trek 5200. She's got a cute New Zealand accent.
Sorry, no test rides allowed.
:D

She also dosen't seem to understand why I would want to...hang on to a pack of roadies
:D

Neither can I. They are mostly a pack of mindless, pretentious boobs.

Ride. Enjoy the scenery. Enjoy the smells. Enjoy being alive. Don't worry about how fast anyone else is.

Neither can I. They are mostly a pack of mindless, pretentious boobs.
Dude, what is it with the roadie hate. Everybody get's something different out of cycling and everbody does it for different reasons. His post was meant to be humorous. Why sh*t on the thread with your prejudice.

-s

From a mindless pretentious boob :-p

The cost of bikes can be a problem in relationship. The benefits of a nice shiny new roadbike are not always as great as you expect, I've had my ass easily kicked by roadies riding their training bike which was a MTB with slicks. If I were you, i'd let it lie for now, keep leaving catalogues lying around with huge price tags, e.g. the new silver carbon bikes at $11,000. Give it a few months, then when you start talking about a reasonably priced bike she may agree to it with a sense of relief. So my opinion, buy a bike if you want it, but don't expect it to be able to magically keep you up with a pack, far more gains can be made through training rather than getting the latest lightweight bike.

YOu should do what I did with my wife...

first, find the bike you really want.

second, go and show the wife an outrageously expensive bike, i.e. seven, or my fave, a Merlin Cielo.

She will then freak out about the price...

Third, take her back to the bike you really want, at a much more sane pricetag.

Worked for me... I got my new Lemond... but I showed the Wife a Trek 5900, a Merlin Cielo, and some other high zoot piece of art... as soon as she saw the Lemond selling for around $1200 she thought it was a good bargain :-)


Although, non of this works, if:
a. your wife knows a lot about bikes, and
b. the bike you REALLY want is a Merlin Cielo

Good Luck

Jeff

slider I think cycletourist's reply was supposed to be humorous. I don't mind people poking fun at roadies, hell if i was worried what people thought I certainly wouldn't be spending a lot of hours a week in skin tight lycra of unusually bright colours.

Oh and in reference to the original question I thought of something else useful, maybe you could find out something that your wife wanted too but was always too expensive that she decided never to buy it. If there's nothing that she wants, then you could always buy her a present of similar value. Sure it will mean saving up more money, but you'll both be happy and she won't think you're just wasting money (on yourself).

I train pretty hard for a fitness / recreational rider. And I do pick up with the guys that fall out of the front pack. But you really can't push a MTB for 35 miles at the same speeds that you can a road bike.

And Slider, you were right, I was just being humorous. (Unless someones got that 5200 trade)

I love mountain biking for the workout, scenery, being away from cars, and challange. I have been doing some road work for pure exercise and have really been enjoying it. I do like the speed, it is a great challange and a good way for me to measure progress.

OMG! I can't even hang with mindless pretentous boobs.

She will come around. I think it is a combination of Xmas expense, a large medical bill that we had to pay, and her brother coming to stay for six weeks.

Well, here is my plan. I love the Trek 5200. A bit pricey, but it rides really nice. I fit a 58cm. I am going to Supergo to try a Scattante CFR. If it fits and rides nice, that will be the one. They make a 56cm and a 59cm. Full carbon and full Ultegra for $1500. Sounds reasonable to me.

I might have to wait 6 weeks until the brother in law leaves.

I have a 5200 and I love it. It rides like an extension of your body.

I like the strategy of talking up the superspendy bikes and then falling back on the 5200. How about that white carbon Bianchi? What's that go for? $15K or so, I think.

$15K!!!! That's John Wayne Bobbit territory. I'm all for light weight, but not THAT way.

another place to look is craigslist and ebay. I've seen 5200 go in the $1,100 to $1,500 range. craigslist you could check local listings and you could test ride the bike and look it over.

Most guys can't hang with a pack going at 25 plus. We had a guy ride with us on a mtb for a while but he's in really good shape...and he did get a road bike.

[QUOTE=fogrider]another place to look is craigslist and ebay. I've seen 5200 go in the $1,100 to $1,500 range.

E-Bay could work, but is somewhat risky because of the frauds and scams -- often involving the Trek 5200-5500-5900 bikes (watch out for the listings from Andorra and other points overseas). You might also look at the classified on roadbikereview.com -- there's a couple of 58 Trek 5200s in the 1200-2000 range. I bought my bike through roadbikereview.com, and really am pleased with the outcome. (Do your due diligence, of course!)

Just got my bike via ups today. My wife's christmas present to me.

Look KG386i w/ full Dura-Ace.

My wife's a keeper.

Peter

Well do what I did but it almost caused a divorce and she still brings it up. I researched till I was pale and crusty. Then I waited till she went out of town to visit friends for the weekend. On Saturday I test rode the bikes I was eyeing. Sunday afternoon I purchased. Sunday night the world came to an end but I had my Giant TCR1 carbon to sleep with.

slider,

my post was meant to be humorous. And I don't hate roadies- I AM a roadie.

Well, here is my plan. I love the Trek 5200. A bit pricey, but it rides really nice. I fit a 58cm. I am going to Supergo to try a Scattante CFR. If it fits and rides nice, that will be the one. They make a 56cm and a 59cm. Full carbon and full Ultegra for $1500. Sounds reasonable to me.

I might have to wait 6 weeks until the brother in law leaves.

Careful about the Scattante CFR. I heard it is unstable at high speed descents.

My new bike cost $15,000 CAN. $4900 for the Look 361 carbon fibre frame with campy centaur and $10, 000 for the car for the girlfriend . She hasn't said one word about my cycling purchases since she got the car.

After telling my wife that I am looking at road bikes, she seemed fine about it. She cringed a little when I told he how much a good road bike costs. Heck, I cringed too.

So, last night, out of the blue she says. "I don't know why you need a road bike. You love riding up in the mountains (this is very true). Can't you just keep using your slicks on the road?"

She dosen't seem to understand that I just can't seem to hang on to a pack of roadies on my MTB. She also dosen't seem to understand why I would want to. I haven't bought a new bike in 6 years.

SO, anyone out there need a wife, fairly low milage? I'll trade for for a Trek 5200. She's got a cute New Zealand accent.
Sorry, no test rides allowed.
:D

Something's not right here... I smell a rat, but I can't place my finger on...

Cute New Zealand accent?!!? Are you mad? :D

Fush and chups on the hughlund sux.

I talked my wife into letting me buy a used roadie on eBay for $300 (I got lucky). She didn't flinch (too much). As I've continued to put miles on (nearing 1,000) she's seeing the benefits and might consider a *new* bike in a few years. I also got to keep my mtb (which has seen NO use since the roadie). Maybe you wife'd be the same way.

Anyway, if you're serious about unloading her, we'll need to see pics first ;D

PS Diamonds are also a good way to "shut her up" about the bike cost. You get something, she gets something. Everyone's happy :)

Well, here is my plan. I love the Trek 5200. A bit pricey, but it rides really nice. I fit a 58cm. I am going to Supergo to try a Scattante CFR. If it fits and rides nice, that will be the one. They make a 56cm and a 59cm. Full carbon and full Ultegra for $1500. Sounds reasonable to me.

I might have to wait 6 weeks until the brother in law leaves.

Supergo is running a no-tax sale this weekend. Now you can tell her what a deal you are getting!!!

$15K!!!! That's John Wayne Bobbit territory. I'm all for light weight, but not THAT way.

It would take away the need to get the saddle position perfect.

Well hootie whoo lookie here what ya know I'm a roadie too fool!

I'm sorry my medication seems to wearing off.

Sorry, don't need a wife low mileage, cute accent or not. I already have one, can't imagine having two!!!!! I'd be riding my son's tricyle!

Never tell the price.They would'nt understand a good deal,only its to much for a bike.Mine was 1999 and i got it for 1099 but my wife would think 500 is to much.I have my mad money put away and use it for my toys,she doesnt ask how much and i never tell and everybody is happy.Anyway,if she can give the church 4-6 grand a year and not say anything{i saw it a statement**i dont have a problen with a bike or my $1000 B&W speakers.The mad money seems to run out faster then it builds.I NEVER write a check or CC for my toys of pleasure.

I just can't imagine being told you can't have what is so vital to you. We all need what we need to keep us on track.
We are not loaded but comfortable. I want my wife to get what she needs to enjoy life and vice versa...
What is important to all of us to make life complete is not negotiable. Well, maybe we at least can trade down from our earlier expectations.
I hope you can resolve this conflict without a divorce. That cute accent I might miss. I thought the reply, show her a really expensive bike and then lower your expectations a little is a reasonable approach.. You can find decent road bikes from $900 to $1,600 ... My first road bike had 105 components, triple crank, STI index shifting, steel frame for a little under $1,000.
Maybe you need communicate with her a little better your absolute need for this and then go out and find the best bike for the money.. Guess, we all don't need Colagno's...
Giant makes a great road bikes for not much more than $1.000.

There is another wife-handling technique. Ride out a dozen miles or so, release the air from a tire or some other such thing, call her to come and pick you up. Repeat.
After 3-5 repititions start bringing up how scared you are these days on your creaky old machine. It's a real SAFETY hazard to continue to ride it.

That in conjucion with other techniques mentioned earlier might do the trick.

I suggest just be honest and state how badly you need this to not feel miserable..Deprived...So many times we are lousy communicators..Is she just being cheap, our is your economic situation that bad..If so, maybe you can find a decent second hand road bike..Some sell road bikes almost new.Certainly the work to restore an older road bike would be less than the mark up on a new bike..Of course, with an older bike, fit is still crucial...
I say this for you as a cycling addict..But then, I think of my wifes needs and we always have to remember their needs too, when they are in the same situation when they have a need for some kind of splurge.
A second option..Some cycling friends bought a beautiful aluminum Moongoose Road bike on E Bay for about 1/3 of what I paid for my Klein..Comes darn close to the amenities on mine for 1/3 the price...Makes me wonder, just a little bit.
Example..On sale I have seen Litespeeds for almost the price I paid for my aluminum frame..Shop around..

After telling my wife that I am looking at road bikes, she seemed fine about it. She cringed a little when I told he how much a good road bike costs. Heck, I cringed too.

So, last night, out of the blue she says. "I don't know why you need a road bike. You love riding up in the mountains (this is very true). Can't you just keep using your slicks on the road?"

She dosen't seem to understand that I just can't seem to hang on to a pack of roadies on my MTB. She also dosen't seem to understand why I would want to. I haven't bought a new bike in 6 years.

SO, anyone out there need a wife, fairly low milage? I'll trade for for a Trek 5200. She's got a cute New Zealand accent.
Sorry, no test rides allowed.
:D

Take it from someone who has been happily married - nay, ecstatically happily married for 33 years, 5 months and 20 days. Bikes come and go, but a wonderful woman is one in a million.

(P.S. after you learn to fake sincerity, you can get away with anything! The bike will be yours in a week or so!)

Roadies are mindless because having your brain removed saves several pounds of weight and at the same time frees up a good amount of energy for use in the legs where it's really needed. It's a tactical advantage. Of course some are dissappointed at the results of brain removal, but that is simply due to the fact that they didn't have much grey matter to start with, and rarely used what they had. So of course they see less improvement than a real "heavy thinker".
YMMV!

My wife is a keeper. been riding 20 years and whenever I look for a new bike she says "get the one you would be most happy with". It my own desire to keep the familu out of the poor house that limits me. I recently upgrades my 105 equipped Cannondale CAAD5 with Chorus. I told her I was going to sell the old kit from the bike on e-bay. When I discovered that used 105 stuff goes for very little on e-bay, she said "why don't you get another frame put the 105 stuff on it and use it as a rain bike?" Keep in mind that I live in Arizona. Gotta love this woman. I told her that I would really like to see the Tour de France some day and ride along the route - she said "that would be the opportunity of a lifetime - you should do it". I am the luckiest man alive. She is really beautiful and smart too, and she's not for trade. Well, maybe for a Pinarello Dogma...

By the way Avalanche - I wouldn't necessarily admit to the wife having "fairly low miles". I know you want to make her look better for that Trek trade - but those roadies will never let you live a comment like that down, if you catch my drift.

If she does not know the feeling, show her. A tandem is a great way to bring your S.O. along the way and you might just find that she loves it more then you.

Might be worth renting a tandem for a weekend.

-clint

there's no good way to ease her into it. Just do it.

I told my wife I was going to spend $800 for an entry level roadie. I ended up paying $2,500 a 5200. She still gives me crap for buying "Lance's bike." Funny, but I never get that from other roadies.

Anyway, the wife has gotten over it. And I am sure glad I didn't buy a "lesser" bike. I am very, very happy with my choice.

Right.She will NEVER forget it and i'll bet you she not over it at all.She's a WOMEN,come on.I don't think some of you guys have been married very long.

Well, this thread prompted me to speak to my wife about an upgrade. I gave her all the pros and cons only to find the locks changed when I returned home from a ride.

It seems, the cute New Zealand accent means very little to her.

Good luck.

If you are over-extended and finances are tight, I can understand such attitudes. However, if your budget is not reasonable strained- I just can't comprehend.
Both marriages, we respected each others space....If this disagreement is being stingy and deprive each other of their basic needs,then that would be a problem.... I could not tolerate that situation... As suggested, unless it broke the bank, I would state this is something I really need and go out and get it..The amount of the splurge would be dependent upon how badly it hurt finances.
Certainly, the medical and school needs of children, mortgage payments come first. If if does not unduely jeopardize those needs- I would communicate those needs and just do it. Of course, you want to maintain your marriage, (I would miss cute accents) you need to state your absolute needs, be reasonable, and expect she needs splurges too. .......If I were the sole bread winner and the household finances were reasonably secure, I would be all the more adamant.
But certainly being reasonable is reasonable...That is just me..My wife knows I don't get my bike time in, she would rather not put up with me....I still leave time for both of us..Just house chores suffer big time..
Never wanted a house anyway.. I am more a condo kind of guy, but then where would all my bike fit.?

Gregg...Are you like Robin Williams..I understand he has a whole garage just for his collecton of bikes..Williams loves bikes..Sure some of them are collector items and he does not have 76 5200 Treks.?
If you have a garage full of bikes and are stumbling over them, maybe I can understand a spouses concerns..
I have four bikes. Sometimes, I think maybe I should have a better bike for off road and maybe I would not mind upgrading my touring bike. Six..Guess, I would have to sell one or two? Our garage is dedicated to cars.

If you are over-extended and finances are tight, I can understand such attitudes. However, if your budget is not reasonable strained- I just can't comprehend.
Both marriages, we respected each others space....If this disagreement is being stingy and deprive each other of their basic needs,then that would be a problem.... I could not tolerate that situation... As suggested, unless it broke the bank, I would state this is something I really need and go out and get it..The amount of the splurge would be dependent upon how badly it hurt finances.
Certainly, the medical and school needs of children, mortgage payments come first. If if does not unduely jeopardize those needs- I would communicate those needs and just do it. Of course, you want to maintain your marriage, (I would miss cute accents) you need to state your absolute needs, be reasonable, and expect she needs splurges too. .......If I were the sole bread winner and the household finances were reasonably secure, I would be all the more adamant.
But certainly being reasonable is reasonable...That is just me..My wife knows I don't get my bike time in, she would rather not put up with me....I still leave time for both of us..Just house chores suffer big time..
Never wanted a house anyway.. I am more a condo kind of guy, but then where would all my bike fit.?

He doesn't need a new bike, he wants one.

Croak..I suggest Robin Williams' analogy might be closer to Gregg's situation.... Maybe the original creator of the thread, might need a road bike; since mountain bikes can't do the job of a road bike in a race. What, was the Avalanche?

My ex-wife never let me forget how stupid and wasteful it was for me to buy a new Schwinn LeTour in 1985. She would rather have the money in the bank so she could spent it. My happiness and the health benefits didn't concern her.


My present wife :love: told me to buy the bike I wanted when I got back into cycling in 1999. She was more concerned with my happiness and health than the cost, so I got a "high-end" entry level Raleigh.
Then in 2001, when she knew I wanted a better bike, she took me to the LBS and told me to pick out the bike I wanted. I told her we couldn't afford it. She said we weren't leaving the shop until I picked a bike.
I know better than disobey my wife :) so I picked my bike. I had been looking at Trek 5200 and 5500 and Litespeed. I think you all know which bike (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Litespeed01.jpg) I got. :D

What other things do you do with your spare time? I have so many interests (all of them expensive) at the mention of buying new kit (Think Rohloff) I hear a servo in her brain shut off the ears and its all downhill from there :). IF this is your only real money user and you are not going to be in the workhouse after the bill comes in, surely you can wangle it?

Note: The Tiffany box is an ear servo jammer. Once she is unwrapping the box and distracted you can get her to agree to almost anything. Be quick though the spell only last an hour or so :)

slider,
my post was meant to be humorous. And I don't hate roadies- I AM a roadie.
Apologies for blowing my cool. Just seemed that for awhile every thread had someone knocking roadies and I was a little tired of it.

-s

Let her buy something really expensive that she does not need. Then, it will be harder for her to tell you no.

I let my wife buy useless crap all the time, in hopes that one day, she'll feel guilty about telling me no when I want to get another computer or bike. It worked once already.

I think all is well. I am sure she was just having a bad day. It did catch me off guard though which is why I needed to vent my frustrations to you guys. Thanks for listening!

I did the South Pasadena ride on Saturday on my MTB. (45miles) She saw how enthused I was about it. And she actually asked some questions.

So, I think I am clear to the $1500 - $1600 range without conflict. I might have to wait until the brother in laws visit is over. Damn - six weeks.