General Cycling Discussion - So what's the secret???

Baboon made a comment on another thread that he managed to talk his wife into giving her official Okey Dokey to buy a $2000 bike after buying a $1000 bike eight months earlier.

What's the deal? How can I prevent my lovely wife from having a stroke / coronary / divorce from yours truly, and still get me a spiffy new road bike? :confused:

Pretty please, what's the secret???

Alpha,
In March '99 I bought my Raliegh R600. Before I left the house to go bike shopping, my wife told me to get a nice bike I would like. She figured I'd spend $600-$1200. With all the accessories (helmet, shorts, jersey, pedals, etc.) I spent about $1300. She didn't freak out at all. :)

About 18 months ago I rode it in a metric century with a guy my age who had a Litespeed Ultimate. After I got home I talked about his bike for a couple of days. I went to a bike shop that sold them and picked up a brochure. I drooled for the next 6 months.

Last April (2001) my wife took me shopping for a new bike. She knew I really wanted one. We somehow read each others thoughts. She took me to the Litespeed shop and told me we weren't leaving until I picked out a new bike. It was a tough choice but I picked out a shiny new Tuscany. Well not shiny, 'cause Litespeeds are made of titanium and it doesn't really shine. :D

That's my bike story.
I don't know if the occasional conversation about the Litespeed did it or just the drooling when I pulled out the brochure.
Try whatever works! :thumbup:
Good luck. Hope you don't get bruised too badly. ;)

Well, the bike I bought last year was a Rocky Mountain Spice. It was my first real mountain bike, and it turns out that it's not "enough bike" for me. I am beating the hell out it. I've only been MTB'ing for about two years now, but I have quickly outgrown the bike. So we have the choice of upgrading the wheels, crankset, fork, rear shock, etc to make the bike stronger for me, or just cut our losses and get me a good freeride or tougher trail bike. So we decided to get me a better bike.

Of course, it helps that my wife is a devoted MTBer herself, so she understands my situation. If your wife doesn't ride, I can see how a new bike would be a tough sell. After all, my wife didn't like the idea of new golf clubs for me, and she certainly does not golf.

Good luck convincing her. If all else fails, remember that sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. ;)

It is hard for unriding people to understand a cyclists unflinching at a bike that costs 2000 dollars. I don't start flinching at bike prices until they hit 3000-5000, my dad has a haert attack at 700, my mom doesn't get it, and my bro says I could buy a heck of a lot of CD's.

Damn, I've gotten to the point where I won't even consider a bike unless it's $2000...oh the days when I thought $300 for a bike was alot of money!

A few years ago I was out of a job and decided under the duress of not having any money to start freelance designing. I just got lucky and had some really good accounts that lasted a bit over a year. During that time I as working 80 hour weeks and pulling in some decent dough after expenses and Uncle Sam's share (man that hurt).

My wife knew I really wanted a new bike and the old Trek was getting kind of out of date for the type of riding I wanted to do. After I was offered a full-time position I had some money from the freelance days and I found out about a end-of-year sale at Colorado Cyclist on a Litespeed Classic. I just went for it, bought it and haven't looked back since. She knew I had busted my a** for that long year and deserved the bike. She hasn't to this day ever asked how much it cost. I also splurged two years ago and bought a set of race wheels (again on a special deal from another source). Again she never asked or even frowned. I have a VERY understanding spouse but we've been together a long time and she knows my weakness for things cycling.

It definately helps if your spouse rides or at least understands the "cyclist's psyche". Hey I like that phrase!;)

eschelon, my thoughts exactly!

The key to getting the o.k. from the wife is to make sure that whatever she has is better than your stuff!

That way, your answer is, "Well you've got the xxxx, and mines only aaaaa."

For example: Hers: Cannondale Raven w/Spinergy's, Easton Carbon Bar, Full XT Mine: Specialized P.3 w/ Marzocchi Fork & XT

Hers: Cannondale R4000 w/Mavic Tektronic and Dura-Ace Mine: LeMond w/ full Ultegra!

See, you get nice stuff, but hers is better!

L8R

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
See, you get nice stuff, but hers is better!

That's the way it often works with cars, as well.

My wife wouldn't let me buy the 700 dollar bike, so I bought a new (to me) truck instead. I still haven't figured that out!

only marry women who like bikes more than you do.

:)

I was quite cunning. I'd had my current bike about 5 years and hadn't been able to afford to replace it. It was a Cougar 7005 Alu with a mix of Campy Record, Chorus and Athena bits.

Anyway our financial situation took a turn for the better and I started to think about buying a new bike. Unfortunately my wife was diagnosed as having Gallstones, and was told she would have to wait for 18 months for an operation. She was having very painful attacks every few weeks or so - so we decided to think about going privately (£4000 for the op!!!!!). Any how she had another really bad attack and was taken to hospital. The Doctor told her that as she was suffering so much she'd be operated on within 3 months.

She returned to work after a week off and as luck should have it I was off work. So I was sat there reading Cycling Weekly when an advert caught my eye. "Look KG231 Carbon + Veloce Finishing Kit - only £650 - Frame alone was £600 last year" So I phoned them up ordered the bike. I hadn't even seen a picture of the bike - I bought on specification alone.

The real cunning thing was that I went to my wifes workplace and told her that I'd ordered the bike - she moaned as women do, but not as much as she would have had it been at home. I justified it by saying we were going to pay £4000 for her op so I'd decided to treat myself and besides I got 9 months interest free on the bike :)

Hehe...anything I buy for my bike I feel guilty about :crash: not too long mind

Rich :D

Originally posted by Campag Fetish Boy
I justified it by saying we were going to pay £4000 for her op so I'd decided to treat myself

Err.................so, you compared her needing a necessary and unwanted and painful surgery with your wanting something new and fun?

Your wife is going to get you back for that!!! Better see that she gets something nice to cheer her up when she's out of the hospital, buster.

Originally posted by poptart
only marry women who like bikes more than you do.

:)

Wow! There are women like that?! :eek:

Servus!


Originally posted by AlphaGeek
Wow! There are women like that?! :eek:

Only on television, Alpha, only on television....

Originally posted by AlphaGeek


Wow! There are women like that?! :eek:
My wife was like that when we got married. That was a few years ago...

Originally posted by AlphaGeek
Wow! There are women like that?! :eek:
My GF is a cycling FOOL! She loves her bike as much as I love mine. [And maybe a little more than she loves me.]

Just don't ask her which one of you she'd keep if she was only allowed one of you... :D

Ellie

My wife got me into biking. I hadn't ridden a bike in years until she talked me into riding with her. I AM a lucky man!!