Your partner's better be better. photo: Eroica Cicli
Rule #12. Someone was working overtime to come up with this beauty. One should always be dreaming about the next bike unless the next bike means divorce, restraining orders and/or living in a van down by the river. Velominati need and enjoy having some limits set as were are prone to excess in all things.
S-1. I learned an important lesson the first time I was brought down to Frank’s basement bicycle stable. There, at least four badass bikes were hanging on the wall and he was quick to point out that two of them were his partners. And her #1 was better than his #1; you have to make sure she has a better bike than you.
That was all that needed to be said. The deep wisdom of it was obvious and obviously passed down through the ages. Unless you are a professional (you are not), you are paying for your bikes (you are) and if your finances are shared with a partner, pay attention. The best way of not getting to s-1 is to make sure your partner’s #1 is nicer than yours. All upgrades to your own bike barely merit discussion as long as said upgrades don’t improve it past you know what.
So your partner is not a cyclist? That does complicate things. Whatever they love the most, upgrade it beyond reason. She loves to read and her book group is her favorite thing? Make believe you actually want to join it (?!), to scare her, then don’t. That is like an upgrade, in that you are not ruining the thing she most enjoys.
I’ve been trying this for a long time. I tried unsuccessfully to gift my fiancée a new racing bike instead of an engagement ring. While that bombed badly, I did learn. After I finally bought out the clone, my wife ended up with the LBS owner’s Merlin and you best believe shop owners tend to have the best bike in the shop. Before I finally upgraded to a carbon bike I made sure my wife was already upgraded to something better. And just yesterday, as she was putting her front carbon tubular wheel (yes, slightly lighter than mine) in the back of the truck, I saw her kiss it. Yes, brothers and sisters, these things do pay off.
If you want n+1, start planning for partner’s n+1. It’s going to cost, but it is going to be fun, and it’s better than s-1.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@wilburrox
Such is the nature of an equation! Although balance does not equate fairness. I still get the "we have a child to feed" talk if I come within 100m of the LBS.
@frank
Has it occured to you that this may have already started..?
@frank
Track bike...there is no other option...just sayin...
Slow poison? Maybe I should worry about that. My wife occasionally refers to my bike as my mistress. Experience has taught me to let the comment go.
@Teocalli
Just gotta find my camera now . Think one of my 3 Chihuahua,s located it and quite possibly chewed it up then hid it somewhere . Started out with one of these little hellions and ended up with 3 Seems I am not only compliant with Rule #12 regarding bikes but also with creatures of the 4 legged variety .
@rhods
Thinking of going for a halfway house between the Raleigh and the Isla, in either a Ridgeback or a Saracen - not as light as an Isla but lots lighter than the cheaper bikes. I'm pretty sure I've spent longer deciding on my son's bike than I did choosing mine.
Love the Basso, beautiful.
My wife doesn't ride, so I have to buy a large, heavy and usually expensive piece of furniture to compensate for any n+1 related purchases. Quite often I don't even like the piece of furniture, but don't really care if I can manage to improve my bike purchase positioning..
Thankfully, my VMH and I are very similarly sized. She has an old Takara to ride around town on, but I gifted her my De Bernardi that I wasn't riding enough. Going from DT shifters to 105 5700 10-s shifters was a revelation. It's not nicer than my road bikes, but it is a nice road bike and she's happy. Plus, the only thing I need to do is swap the saddle and I can ride it! I've tried to get her a cross bike, but she doesn't love the "thrill" of possible washouts.
Yes, that lead Basso is a stunner!
@Haldy
It has, actually. Although she's have gotten it wrong...
@brett
Yeah nice. Shame about the front wheel though. Spoke pattern is wrong.