How do you get it past the other half???

Verbal

I bought a new bike a couple of years ago and made sure I put some cash aside to buy the wife a nice pair of shoes. Expensive but worth it to avoid any hassle...

Tjeerd

No matter what you try you will always have problems if the other half does not understand it completely.

So you have a domestic anyway regardless if you ask her first if you can buy something.

I would buy it, and than tell her. You will have a domestic but a new bike. Problem solved :evil:

I am fortunate enough that my other half rides a more expensive bike than I do when it came out of the show room. In the last 4 months I bought some new wheels etc. I just asked for her opinion on it, and she said I know you like the wheels... I said at the same time that my old wheels make some money on Ebay (still have to put them up for sale) and so the price of the new wheels are less...

Jay dubbleU

Get her involved - Mrs JW is as keen getting a new bike as I am - unfotunately it means there's no food in the house - again

Squillinossett

coriordan wrote:

So long as you're not cutting spending on 'together' time (holidays, dinners, etc - not at ALL implying physical gifts) then be honest.

As a windsurfer, I tried to cover up new 100% carbon purchases then realised it was better/easier on me and her to be honest in what I bought, justify the saving I had just made to her, which helped me justify it to myself (I am a big advocate of ebay/used).
So when I bought a 200 quid 'pole' as she puts it, i just say 'yeah but its 500 quid new so its such a good saving'. Also means I have to hunt extra hard for the bargains, so I save myself more, so I get to buy more! - Im just Bi-winning here.

Fortunately managed to scrape together enough to visit her in Thailand and off to the theatre before she heads off so am in the good books!

Nice charlie sheen quote :P

double u tee

I got a new bike, knocked £400 off the price I paid, told her my old bike was too small and sold it on Ebay! I still got an ear full and had to take her on holiday! Bloody wives! : )

BoydD

I just got my new Super Six 105 for 1395 22% off RRP.

Missus was not happy since I only brought a Synapse five months ago. However if you add the price of the Synapse £700 (the basic Sora triple version) to my SuperSIx 105 £1395 it equals £2095. Cannondale has stuck a retail of £2000 on the 2012 105 SuperSix so in theory I got my Synapse for £95. How clever am I???

Despite the faultless logic she remains unimpressed.

Squarepants

My apporach was two fold

a) lied about the overall price (common theme)
b) She had just spent 2k on lazer eye treatment 18 months after a BA (4k)

she can't saw awt' really

WIN

Bozman

I retired from work to look after the children so she owes me big time!
Plus, always use wife pounds.

bails87

Bozman wrote:

wife pounds.

You keep putting them on so I decided to spend some?

Does that work?

Anonymous

Surely you can't use your wifes laser eye surgery as an excuse to buy a new bike?

Whats a BA?

Squarepants

Of course I can and stop calling me Shirley..

BA - I'll leave that one with you, you'll get it soon

RedJohn

Got to forget about logic, go for emotion:

"I totally understand this isn't your cup of team, but it will mean so much to me, I really want to be able to do this ... I really appreciate your support, you make me feel so appreciated ..."

Whaddya mean, it sounds girly? That's the point!

e999sam

Managed to buy a complete groupset and two pairs of wheels without her even noticing

Crankbrother

Squarepants wrote:

Of course I can and stop calling me Shirley..

BA - I'll leave that one with you, you'll get it soon

At least you didn't use the acronym BJ ... That would be dodgier than the guy visiting his wife in Thailand ...

gwillis

Can't give you advice on getting a bike past the Mrs .... Hiding them is easy 1 shed and 1 key
Always buy black and red kit .... What this jersey you mean the black one that happens to look the same as all the others...

dartmoorscottydog

Thanks guys -many great suggestions!!

Wife's eyesight is pretty good and certainly not colour blind so likely to notice the change of colour!

Still weighing up my options but would defo finish up in the divorce courts if I get the bike and then head off to Thailand!!

Honesty is usually the best policy and I wouldn't want to be caught out - all some much easier with golf clubs - one rub in the mud then put the headcover on!!

I guess it's a trip to the bike shop then the jewellers / shoe shop / florists. ££££££££
All other ideas still gratefully received....................???????????

Squarepants

Crankbrother wrote:

Squarepants wrote:

Of course I can and stop calling me Shirley..

BA - I'll leave that one with you, you'll get it soon

At least you didn't use the acronym BJ ... That would be dodgier than the guy visiting his wife in Thailand ...

and that's uglier than a bag of mashed up ar.... I'll leave the rest to Rob Walker

BA - Breast Augmentation 8)

APIII

When I bought my first serious road bike my girlfriend encouraged me to spend the extra and get Campag record. I married her.

Mccaria

I am currently passing off a Dogma as a Chinarello

unixnerd

When I mentioned a new road bike tonight my wife told me if I wanted to spend 3k on one I should as it's time I spent something on myself! No way I'd spend that much though.

AndyD2574

There is always 3 prices

price 1 - what YOU actually pay......this is not to be ever discussed again and is a secret between you and your LBS

price 2 - what you tell HER it costs......this is of course discussed with your LBS in case she ever checks up

price 3 - what you SHOULD have paid if you hadnt got a cracking deal which shoudl convince you to buy it!!

simple

RedJohn

APIII wrote:

When I bought my first serious road bike my girlfriend encouraged me to spend the extra and get Campag record. I married her.

You swallowed the bait then ...

mouth

there was a whole thread about secret bikes a few weeks ago. see this for inspiration.

my mrs works on a needs/wants basis. if i NEED it - new tyre cos of a hole in the old one,helmet cos i fell off and damaged my last one etc i can have whatever i want within reasonable price limits..

if i WANT something - newest sky top, giro ionos, pedals/shoes, the there are enough occasions such as birthdays, fathers day, xmas for me to get what i want over the year.

as for the bike itself, currently on the basis that it is my main form of both transport and exercise i am on trial and if i use it a justifiable amount of times i can have a better budget next year for something a little more desirable. really want an fp2 just cos i like it but for the money i can get a much better spec. thats a whole other thread though.

when it came to getting a road bike she had a fit about the fact i already have a mountain bike and she didn't understand the difference and i must sell the mtb if i get the roadie. at this point i told her to pick between the xbox and the wii to keep and sell the other one. she understood the difference after that. and still has both.

the kind of money you're talking about. LIE.

g00se

This works for me.

Save up a bit more and then buy her something expensive FIRST...

Then it's your go...

dartmoorscottydog

In reply to one of the earlier replies I have 2 bikes - road x1 and mtb x1 - so not so bad compared with some!!

It seems by the number of views and posts I am not alone in this dilemma!!

I freely admit to having been infected by the n+1 virus - a low grade virus that creeps up on through the years (bit like nasal hairs!!). This virus though also has a cousin - the n+1 shoe&boot virus which seems to have infected Mrs DSD from an early age and also the n+1 Wii game virus which tends to only infect the younger generation of DSD!

Better start saving................

Ringo 68

I do the only decent thing and lie my ass off.

But today I made a major mistake. Needing some new clothing for the colder months I took my missus around 3 large bike shops in the area. She likes buying clothes (as all woman do) so I thought I would involve her to keep her interested.

Big mistake.

All I got was "OMG, have you seen the price of that bike" followed by "OMG, that helmet is £100 and it looks just like yours" etc, etc.

I think my clandestine days of bike buying, which was very short anyway, may well be over.

superkenners

As far as I can see there is no option list, you have to lie.

I bought my Mrs a £2500 eternity ring thinking this will smooth the way for a new bike, I still get "how much" comments on everything.

I bought some energy bars the other week, my response was, well I might not have enough energy to get home - I think this has given her ideas.

Buy it, say you won it in a competition, just ask the bike shop to deliver it with a big bow around it.

Ringo 68

The problem with women is they just don't understand the male need to upgrade everything.
When I bought my hybrid 3 years ago my wife asked said "why do you need a new bike, you have already got one?"
It was a 20 year old Dawes that was in bits in the garage.
When I told her I wanted a road bike I got the same question and again when I wanted a new helmet to replace the cheap Trax one I was using.
However, mention the 30 pairs of shoes in the wardrobe that have been worn once and the subject gets changed very quickly.

Anonymous

I'm actually considering leaving my MTB outside Sainsbury's so it gets stolen.

Then come home absolutely devastated (almost - but not quite - in tears). Ham it up a bit about how emotionality attached I was to that bike and I'll never be able to replace it.

Carry this on for as long as it takes till she mentions that I could "always buy a new one". Then, BANG straight on to the Rose web site. New bike and the misses suggested it. WIN.

letap73

Surprised nobody has suggested seduction/emotional manipulation.
Thats what some ladies do to get the latest Michael Korrs or Louis Whatisname and to great success as well. Just turn the tables on them lads!