Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Stuff you tell your partner

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Stuff you tell your partner

Old 09-07-18, 01:57 PM
  #51  
smontanaro 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 5,859

Bikes: many

Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1434 Post(s)
Liked 1,362 Times in 747 Posts
My bike stuff is all in the basement or the garage, so Ellen knows what I have. She has, at times, enabled the addiction, not always in typical ways.
  • She'll send me a picture of a bike at an estate sale and ask me if it's worth buying
  • She stumbled on a bunch of bike-themed fabric and made me a bunch of mouse pads:
  • She spiffed up my workshop peg board with a bike silhouette:
These don't begin to scratch the surface. There's the workbench hauled home from one of her coworkers' house. There's the bike-themed curtains for the basement shop window and the parts cabinet we found at an estate sale and somehow managed to carry out and cram into the back of our car. I'm sure there's more I've forgotten. So, yeah, Ellen gets to see all the bike/parts buying/selling/horse trading nonsense. Heck, she just PayPal'd some $$ to Wayne Bingham at Velo Classique yesterday for a Simplex retrofriction downtube clamp.

What I don't share for the most part are all the near misses and scary stories. Sometimes that's unavoidable though:

but for the most part I'm mum about what goes on out there, and just try to keep the rubber side down and let her know where I'm at.
__________________
Monti Special
smontanaro is offline  
Old 09-07-18, 02:11 PM
  #52  
abellanti
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 269
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 51 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 35 Times in 15 Posts
your kinda screwed at 3 bikes...with twenty bikes it's hard to tell what's new...once you get to a set number you can sell one to buy one. Now it's for financial reasons why not to buy a bike, best listen to the wife.
abellanti is offline  
Old 09-07-18, 03:20 PM
  #53  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,362 Times in 1,381 Posts
Like @smontanaro's wife, my wife encouraged me, too. Wrenching on bikes became a hobby when my daughter's bike got stolen and I went to the police auction to get her a replacement. I came home with three bikes. My wife's birthday gift to me was to clear out an area of our basement to be my bike workshop.

Now we have two homes. I once told her I didn't have a particular tool on hand because it was at the weekend home. She said I ought to have one of each tool in each home. I like the way she thinks. But there's no room for a workbench in the city apartment, and I'm not going to buy a second truing stand or derailleur hanger alignment tool or pair dropout straightening tools. I get by shuttling those between the homes.

She's the home improvement person and the general contractor over the renovations in the weekend home. She has amassed quite a lot of tools and supplies for that work, including a floorboard planer and an air compressor.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 09-07-18, 04:56 PM
  #54  
Cute Boy Horse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 634
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 230 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 18 Times in 11 Posts
I'm confused by the "weekend home". Does the normal house stop working then?
Cute Boy Horse is offline  
Old 09-08-18, 11:46 PM
  #55  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,362 Times in 1,381 Posts
Originally Posted by Cute Boy Horse
I'm confused by the "weekend home". Does the normal house stop working then?
The city is a difficult place to live. Nature is a long way away. The city is noisy and dirty. We basically move twice a week. It's common in some urban areas, among lucky people. We don't have high incomes, but family inheritances affords us two homes. Our weekend home is in a rural area near the Catskill mountain range.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 09-09-18, 02:58 AM
  #56  
Stormy Archer
Peugeot PSV10 or somethin
 
Stormy Archer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 216

Bikes: yes

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 100 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times in 10 Posts
Since moving in with my girlfriend 6 months ago, I've convinced her to buy a Schwinn World sport, a Raleigh Professional, a Miyata 312, and a Tommaso all for herself. We no longer have 2 of those, and I also sold 2 other bikes for her, and supplied parts and build the Tommaso. I just recently bought a 2nd bike here for myself, so... I dunno, I guess we're pretty equal? lol. She commutes most days on her Tommaso and loves it.
Stormy Archer is offline  
Old 09-09-18, 08:58 AM
  #57  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,362 Times in 1,381 Posts
Right, and my wife owns three of her own.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Old 09-09-18, 12:56 PM
  #58  
markwesti
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
markwesti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Seal Beach Ca. On the right , next to Long Beach
Posts: 1,825

Bikes: 86' Centurion Ironman

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 628 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 175 Posts
Originally Posted by abellanti
your kinda screwed at 3 bikes...with twenty bikes it's hard to tell what's new...once you get to a set number you can sell one to buy one. Now it's for financial reasons why not to buy a bike, best listen to the wife.
AH the bicycle passion .This thread is getting some traction . No not financial reasons , we live comfortable . You could even say we have disposable income . Mswesti and I have a mutual hobby , more a life style (google Westsail) but that is more a second home to us as we do live on it in the summer time .

Last edited by markwesti; 09-09-18 at 01:10 PM.
markwesti is offline  
Old 09-09-18, 02:52 PM
  #59  
Essthreetee
Senior Member
 
Essthreetee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Central California
Posts: 1,084

Bikes: 2001 LeMond Nevada City, ‘92 Merlin Titanium, '84 Torpado Super Strada, ‘84 Schwinn Tempo, '81 Bianchi Limites, '73 Raleigh Supercourse

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 161 Post(s)
Liked 69 Times in 41 Posts
My wife and I are honest with each other about our desires. I recently just acquired a Merlin...and all I had to do was talk to her about it. She said...you obviously want it and know what you are doing. You work hard and deserve it. Have fun.

I buy her things. She buys herself stuff. She buys me stuff. We don’t go crazy about anything, but love it when the other is happy.

I prefer being honest and find it makes for good sleep.
Essthreetee is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 01:08 PM
  #60  
lesiz
Flat Ire
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SoCal
Posts: 405

Bikes: Trek 1100, DeRosa Idol

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
The formula

At the onset one needs to reveal the cyclists' formula to the S.O.
X=Y+1
X= The number of bikes one needs.
Y= The number of bikes on currently owns.
lesiz is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 01:42 PM
  #61  
Phil_gretz
Zip tie Karen
 
Phil_gretz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,006

Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1465 Post(s)
Liked 1,542 Times in 806 Posts
Originally Posted by noobinsf
...My wife knows this hobby has a lot of value for me, and I strive to keep things thrifty. Cost neutral is the goal. (Not that I’ve ever hit the goal!)
This is me exactly. I'm also a bike commuter, so our car insurance and gas expenses have gone down due to reduced annual mileage.

When I do try to describe the latest bike project to my wife, she listens initially, which only encourages me to elaborate...then her eyes just glaze over.
Phil_gretz is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 02:25 PM
  #62  
MiloFrance
Senior Member
 
MiloFrance's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Capestang, France
Posts: 1,378

Bikes: Lots of French, some British and a couple of Italian

Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 247 Post(s)
Liked 129 Times in 64 Posts
Although A is not a cyclist, she has been known to enjoy a bike ride, and even organise one or two. I have too many frames that don't fit me that are on the way out but I'm happy with the rest and I can make the case for the occasional extra. Also, sometimes it's easier to get forgiveness than permission.
MiloFrance is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 02:33 PM
  #63  
TheLibrarian
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Hudson Valley, New York
Posts: 481

Bikes: 2014 Giant Roam

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 84 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
What I've always had that bike you just never pay attention to me! and then I accuse her of liking that guy from Americas got dance and storm out.
TheLibrarian is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 03:17 PM
  #64  
michael k
Senior Member
 
michael k's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Portland,Or
Posts: 1,160
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 43 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by katsup
However, she does wish I'd stop talking to her about bikes, I am still working on that.
I use *Code names for my bikes like Louis Vuitton, Gucci sylvie and Fruit of the loom. Keeps them guessing...and curious.
michael k is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 05:11 PM
  #65  
cnicholls
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I realised my wife doesn't know when I buy/swap out wheels. So that's my little dirty secret. Depending on the bike, a new set of hoops can definitely make the bike feel a lot different and/or capable of going off-road, if that's your thing.
cnicholls is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 07:43 PM
  #66  
Maitreya
Member
 
Maitreya's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 25
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
You both are the captain!

Marriage is like a ship that the wife and husband are captains. What is good for the ship is good for the marriage. All things should be discussed, and both sides should be fair to the other capitan. If any one dominates, that is not a good arrangement. Get off the ship!
Maitreya is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 08:03 PM
  #67  
markwesti
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
markwesti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Seal Beach Ca. On the right , next to Long Beach
Posts: 1,825

Bikes: 86' Centurion Ironman

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 628 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 175 Posts
The ship

Originally Posted by Maitreya
Marriage is like a ship that the wife and husband are captains. What is good for the ship is good for the marriage. All things should be discussed, and both sides should be fair to the other capitan. If any one dominates, that is not a good arrangement. Get off the ship!
Getting off the boat is not a option . Plus the boat is not sinking , the bilge pumps are working .
markwesti is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 08:08 PM
  #68  
markwesti
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
markwesti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Seal Beach Ca. On the right , next to Long Beach
Posts: 1,825

Bikes: 86' Centurion Ironman

Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 628 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 175 Posts
The all seeing eye

Originally Posted by cnicholls
I realised my wife doesn't know when I buy/swap out wheels. So that's my little dirty secret. Depending on the bike, a new set of hoops can definitely make the bike feel a lot different and/or capable of going off-road, if that's your thing.
My wife knows everything ,well not really . She does take notice when the EBay packet shows up .
markwesti is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 08:39 PM
  #69  
Gdfbike
Newbie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have over 100 bicycles and 80 some motorcyles so she (and sometimes I) only notice a new car. This is the Easy way.
Gdfbike is offline  
Old 09-10-18, 09:42 PM
  #70  
Maitreya
Member
 
Maitreya's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 25
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by markwesti
Getting off the boat is not a option . Plus the boat is not sinking , the bilge pumps are working .
Then do what is the best for the boat. Become a true partner, equal and concern to sail to the end with Oneness! Sacrifice, by both, is the foundation of a good relationship and lasting marriage!
Maitreya is offline  
Old 09-11-18, 08:37 AM
  #71  
bark_eater 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Posts: 2,149

Bikes: Road ready: 1993 Koga Miyata City Liner Touring Hybrid, 1989 Centurion Sport DLX, "I Blame GP" Bridgestone CB-1. Projects: Yea, I got a problem....

Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 752 Post(s)
Liked 732 Times in 419 Posts
We each have hobbies. My interests and acquisitions vary, but don't cost any more than her cigarettes and extensive moving violation collection......

Last edited by bark_eater; 09-11-18 at 08:44 AM.
bark_eater is offline  
Old 09-11-18, 08:50 AM
  #72  
Drinian
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: North central Ohio
Posts: 19

Bikes: 1964 Sherwood Flyer, 2017 Raleigh Superbe iE

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Which came first?

I've been married now for 21 years, but bought my bike in 1964 when I needed a way to get to work and my Dad wouldn't let me buy a $50 Ford for sale up the street. As you might have guessed, it's still my first bike, but my second wife. On the other hand, I like keeping my antique running. The proof that she loves me, however, is that soon after we were married she bought me a second old bike at a rummage sale. My "return payment" is to keep her 10-speed in bearings and tuned. Now that I'm over the hill, I tested our marriage by buying a new bike, a Raleigh Superbe iE. As electric assists go, it's on the less expensive side, but mine cost double. Yes, my enthusiasm meant I had to buy her one a few weeks later. She won't ride it much, but it's a great equalizer.
Drinian is offline  
Old 09-11-18, 11:11 AM
  #73  
ollo_ollo
Senior Member
 
ollo_ollo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Soviet of Oregon or Pensacola FL
Posts: 5,339

Bikes: Still have a few left!

Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 462 Post(s)
Liked 496 Times in 253 Posts
Most of my life, one bike met my needs. I always had a work space and tools for wood working and car repair. But, by late middle age my work hours reduced enough to allow the luxury of multiple bicycles, i.e. a collection.. I think it requires a mature relationship to work. Here's my insight:

Male/Female relationships are complex. Some couples have much in common, others little. My wife and I are extreme opposites, but it worked these 58 years because both of us are disciplined and frugal. It took time to know each other and discover our strengths and weaknesses along with what we mutually enjoy. Opposites attract because together we make a whole. Over time, we came to enjoy the things we have in common and appreciate the differences that attracted us so strongly to each other. I know one thing, she is truly "my better half". Don

Last edited by ollo_ollo; 09-11-18 at 11:13 AM. Reason: spelling/grammar
ollo_ollo is online now  
Old 09-11-18, 11:29 AM
  #74  
curbtender
Senior Member
 
curbtender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 8,680

Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1589 Post(s)
Liked 2,486 Times in 1,188 Posts
I get a pass because I fix her friends, and their kids bikes. The other day she asked what happened to one of the bikes I had hanging in the garage, "You mean the Follis? I'm letting someone try it out". She says "I don't know, the blue one that hung by the dryer. I use it to hang my clothes" Ha, she now has a Trek 2300 to use for a clothes line...
curbtender is offline  
Old 09-11-18, 11:31 AM
  #75  
madpogue 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Madison, WI USA
Posts: 6,872
Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2350 Post(s)
Liked 1,727 Times in 1,179 Posts
Half the time it's me telling her "Yeah, let's check it out", after she spots a C&V deal on CL, or spies something at the thrift store bike sale that I overlooked. Other half the time, it's vice-versa. IOW, we're about balanced in our obsession.
madpogue is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.