How to persuade the other half...

SpinningJenny

An ulterior motive in this question, guys and gals! I have done the show and tell on the bike I would like to buy in the event I do well in my 60 miler in June (as in I finish it and enjoy it and raise decent money for cheridee). This seems to have gone down quite well (the work/reward approach seems to be a winner!).

But now I'm thinking that on the days I can't go out, I might like to get a turbo trainer or something similar, to keep things going. This isn't really so much of a cost issue as a space issue. We live in flat, therefore I will need to broach the subject of taking up a bit of space every now and again and making sure there's a mat down to protect the wooden floor etc.

So, how have you managed to persuade he or she that must be consulted, that what you want to do is a 'good thing'?

mmitchell88

SpinningJenny wrote:

An ulterior motive in this question, guys and gals! I have done the show and tell on the bike I would like to buy in the event I do well in my 60 miler in June (as in I finish it and enjoy it and raise decent money for cheridee). This seems to have gone down quite well (the work/reward approach seems to be a winner!).

But now I'm thinking that on the days I can't go out, I might like to get a turbo trainer or something similar, to keep things going. This isn't really so much of a cost issue as a space issue. We live in flat, therefore I will need to broach the subject of taking up a bit of space every now and again and making sure there's a mat down to protect the wooden floor etc.

So, how have you managed to persuade he or she that must be consulted, that what you want to do is a 'good thing'?

1. Buy it.
2. Deny buying it and claim that you've always owned it.

I've found it's the only approach that works. :roll:

blu3cat

find somewhere to store the trainer and a mat when you are not using it, and set-it up and never put it away - seems to work for me.

Rev\'d Gatlin

Image Credit: Homeless Dave

Any help?

Chaz.Harding

SpinningJenny, just say to your SF, that you'll lose / keep weight down, tone up, become fitter, and be happier (when it rains / snows / too icy / too dark etc to go out - TURBO!!) if you get one.

I think he'll(?) be a confirmed believer by the first 2 bonus's of having a turbo. He may even offer to go out and get it!!

Chaz.Harding

Ok, I meant SO, and also I DIDN'T mean to suggest that your partner wanted to improve you!

Sorry!! :oops:

SpinningJenny

bigchazrocks wrote:

Ok, I meant SO, and also I DIDN'T mean to suggest that your partner wanted to improve you!

Sorry!! :oops:

Hehehe - relax! It sounds exactly like all the excuses - I mean reasons - I'll come up with anyway!

Rev - fantastic! Now, where's me toolkit

Chaz.Harding

Thanks, it's just that I have this amazing talent to pee anybody off, accidentaly, by saying the exact thing they least want to hear, at the exact wrong time.

Glad to know I didn't offend

And if you engineer one, you can do washing with it too - so many reasons to get one

SpinningJenny

bigchazrocks wrote:

Thanks, it's just that I have this amazing talent to pee anybody off, accidentaly, by saying the exact thing they least want to hear, at the exact wrong time.

No, really :shock:

Slow1972

My approach has been to say that if I ride the turbo (in my case in the kitchen) instead of going out on my bike you can sit and chat to me whilst I make myself suffer on the turbo so we spend more time together....!

NB I've usually bored her anyway within 30 minutes and if that doesnt do it the noise, excessive dripping sweat (on to the mat) and groaning once I get on to the high intensity intervals usually finishes any conversation... and she retires to the lounge for some peace

whyamihere

Offer to go 3 months without buying shoes.

/coat

Al_38

Also on the basis that you keep the bike in your flat:

If you used it on the wet rainy days it would come back into the house and make a mess dripping muck and dirty water everywhere. By using the turbo, the bike stays cleaner and so it makes less mess everywhere else

jibberjim

Slow1972 wrote:

the noise, dripping sweat and groaning [...] usually finishes any conversation...

Yep, by the time you get to those things, the time for conversation is over, you can just carry on enjoying yourself.

For me, all I did was agree that she could have the rollers if I could have the turbo...

GavH

Guilt works. As in, "I'm buying this Turbo because you wouldn't want me spending time out on the road when it's dark and/or wet and having an accident and dying, cold, wet and all alone by the side of the road, would you?"

She/he need not actually know that you never had any intention of going out in said conditions anyway.

Failing that, tell him/her that it was 50% off because it was the last one and you had to take the opportunity whilst you could - proper bargain that you only ever hear other people getting.

Special K

Or....


you could grow a pair and buy what you want with your own money in your own place.

SpinningJenny

Special K wrote:

Or....

you could grow a pair and buy what you want with your own money in your own place.

Well, if I DID do that, then I'd be a hermaphrodite and I'd have to change my bike seat for something more accomodating to this new-fangled anatomy. Plus, it was only a jokey question. I assume you were being similarly light-hearted

Everyone else - nice responses. I particularly like the 'this will save me from having to go out in the dark/wet/dangerous road' approach

Of course, at the end of the day, I will buy what I think I need to get me to where I want to be - it is of course a necessity to have all the extra gadgets and gizmos one needs, yes?! :twisted:

Special K

Well, if I DID do that, then I'd be a hermaphrodite and I'd have to change my bike seat for something more accomodating to this new-fangled anatomy. Plus, it was only a jokey question. I assume you were being similarly light-hearted

Everyone else - nice responses. I particularly like the 'this will save me from having to go out in the dark/wet/dangerous road' approach

Of course, at the end of the day, I will buy what I think I need to get me to where I want to be - it is of course a necessity to have all the extra gadgets and gizmos one needs, yes?!

Tripped up over my own preconceptions! How funny. Yes, of course light-hearted, though I do hope you get all the gizmos that your heart desires!

SpinningJenny

Ah, assumptions, assumptions!

As for the gizmos - well whoever said cycling was a cheap way to stay fit - how wrong were they?!

I must have been a magpie in a former life

cougie

I'm not sure a turbo and a flat are a good mix. They are loud and you would probably annoy everyone around you - let alone your partner. Mine is in the garage, and you can hear it in the house.

SpinningJenny

Thanks cougie. It's definitely worth thinking about.

cougie

Turbo tyre quietens it down, and different models are better than others. Mine is a cateye cyclosimulator so a few years old now - but magnetic drag on it and thats still v loud.

If you get the fan drag ones - they're probably about as loud as a jumbo jet....

Liquid ones are meant to be good - but try before you buy !

SpinningJenny

A simple set of rollers, then??

And not the ones that go under a hairnet!!

Stewie Griffin

I got the below due to the recommendation that it was quieter than a "normal" turbo. If it is any quieter I would hate to hear a tyre driven one.

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDeta ... ctID=12065