Hi all,

I've got a real jones for a new bike. After a month of comparing, I even know the make and model I want.

Spouse says, quite reasonably, "Why don't you wait until next spring to buy it? If you get it now you'll just have to put it away for X months. Besides, you've only been back into riding for one season so far, so how do you know you're still going to be into it come spring?"

It's hard to argue with the logic, but as we all know, logic often has little to do with desire.

With other hobbies that I have there is a condition known as "GAS", or "Gear Acquisition Syndrome". It appears to affect males more than females (at least in most things), but it has been known to cause serious repercussions for those afflicted. Clearly, I have a chronic case.

In all honesty, my riding season will be cut short this year (mid Sept) due to some scheduled minor surgery, and the bike that I'm interested is not likely to be phased out of the lineup for next year. But I've still got this massive desire to run down to the bike shop, and if nothing else, put it on layaway or something -- they have my size in stock. Logic says no, emotion says, "Where's my wallet?"

How do you folks deal with this? Should I just relent and wait, or attempt to convince? What are your best tactics for convincing the SO?

-- Sam

Buy it....You will heal faster looking at it.

Get her into cycling too. Once she knows how much fun it is, she will be more tolerant of your GAS.

Oooh... That one has potential. Thanks!

-- Sam

It should be on sale in the fall, right?
Plus, you can ride all winter with that new bike.

Whenever I find myself contemplating a purchase that I don't need, I can bring myself back to sanity pretty quickly by thinking of the houses and garages of some relatives who have a real problem of acquiring too many things.

.. that isn't what you wanted to hear though.

+1 on the fact of fall sales.

Yeah, but my LBS is claiming that Trek isn't going to be putting the Soho on sale any time soon...

As for that "garage" thing... Yeah, I'm already there.

-- Sam

Get the bike and an indoor trainer.

When I was a kid growing up in Corvallis, my Schwinn 12 speed had fenders, and I rode it year round. The only time I didn't ride it was during the very ugliest of downpours.

After 24 years in Texas it would probably be harder to talk me into riding in a 40 degree drizzle, but still, there are opportunities to ride in the wintertime in the Willamette Valley. It doesn't rain every day

Not only should you listen to the SO, you should turn over all financial decisions of more than $10 to her. Use logic for financial decisions.

Trek may not put them on sale, but bike shops that still have stock when the new models arrive often will.

No. 1; hard to argue with this logic.

If you can get a significant discount, then get it. Otherwise I would probably wait till spring to see what the new model is like. Although sometimes new is not always better, and the colour will most likely be different.
Good luck with the surgery.

I'd say this is the critical point -- you are more likely to still be going in spring if you have the incentive of a new bike to get you motivated. What follows is the resulting improvements in health and fitness from remaining motivated and riding.

We don't have any issues like this in our household. If the bikes are there and we can afford them and we want them, it's a done deal...

I admit I'm a fair weather rider, as well as a commuter. I don't like being wet all day, and rain gear is a pain to deal with at the office. Not to mention over-complicating the morning. We'll see what happens this winter.

(Various reactions come to mind...)
Dad, what are you doing here?
There's one in every crowd, eh?
You must be a lot of fun at parties.

This actually does make a lot of sense. Then again, so does the logic that says, "Wait." For the record, it's not a matter of cost, it's just a timing thing. "Why now?" vs. "Why not?"

Thanks for the ideas and discussion! I'm going back to reading mode.

-- Sam

second on getting a roller trainer. you will develop better skills on the roller and by next season you will get better.

Two ways to go with this as I see it.

Does she have a point about you having too much gear? Sell a bunch of your old gear and make some space in the garage for a new bike.

Otherwise look around at her stuff. Point out how many pair of shoes she has. Or the new couch she wanted when the old one was fine.

Then go get your new bike.

LOL.

I needed to balance out the devils here. In this picture, the devil is saying "Not only should you buy the bike, you should buy a set of rollers too."

Well, the devil won, sort of... I got word that Trek discontinued the Soho model, so I beat feet down to my LBS and put a hold on it. After discussing it my Financial Manager (wife) she agreed that it was reasonable to just buy it now, instead of putting it on layaway, or whatever. Today it's mine! Yee-haw!

Thanks for all your help and encouragement!

-- Sam

Photos, or it didn't happen.

Photos should be easy, what sort of camera equipment do you own? That's the hobby I hear GAS mentioned the most.

People think bikes are expensive.

Funny,
My SO was very supportive of me blowing a decent sum upgrading my lighting. I have functional lighting, but the replacement is MUCH better and will be hard to not notice!

I only commute 1 day / week but it is a ways (23 - 24 each) and winter is coming but still I was really thrilled that she was supportive.

Congrats on the new bike.

It looks like you did the right thing, because the Soho is no longer listed on the Trek website.

Yup. That was the kicker for me.

-- Sam