Tomm Willians

My wife and I are blessed to be involved with a group of incredible people who all enjoy riding. The “leader” is a wonderful lady who is also one hell of a strong rider and destroys me on hills regularly.
She’s really the glue that holds the group together so we decided to do something to show her how much she’s appreciated. Tonight I gave her my 2000 Colnago B-Stay with Campagnolo Record 10, Reynolds Stratus carbon wheels with GP5000’s and a complete custom Candy blue paint job.

It feels silly to say but I simply have more bikes than I can ever ride and as hard as it may be to believe, that one wasn’t one of my favorites. She’s been wanting a new bike to replace her Trek and blue is her favorite color. Now I can watch her stomp me on the hills on my own bike !!🤣🤣🤣

MinnMan

Good for you.

I have a story with some similar elements, some different.

There is a person who is the leader of my main riding group. He is our rock. But he's also not as financially well-off as many in the group. Some years ago, before I was a regular with this group, his road bike was destroyed in a crash (he, thankfully, was OK). The group took up a collection and bought him a new top-end road bike.

A few years later and he is getting on in years. Occasionally he's challenged to keep up with his own rides in some circumstances. So the group (by this time, including myself) again took up a collection to buy him a surprise gift - a top end road Ebike. People contributed what they could, from $50-$500, each. Sometimes he rides his roadbike, and sometimes when he needs a boost, he takes the ebike.

The first one was necessary, though I suppose he would have found a way to obtain some kind of road bike on his own, he didn't have to scrape. The second one wasn't (yet), but he sure did appreciate it.

Totally worth it. He contributes so much to our community and to us as individuals.

zandoval 

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy...

bruce19

Nicely done. Not nearly as good but when I got a COVID check from the government I bought Assos jerseys for two of my female riding friends.

Clyde1820

That sort of thing is the type of giving I most prefer. I've done it occasionally. Can't take stuff with us, once we're gone, so it might as well go to somebody deserving, where you know for a fact it'll get used properly, be appreciated, etc. The feel-good about the gift is a bit of icing on the cake.

Of course, if you were destroyed before, on the hills, it's now impossible. Time to give up cycling altogether, pal. Ha!

Kudos for the gesture. I'm sure it'll be most appreciated. Hopefully it's perfectly sized for her.

rumrunn6

well done you!

we'll assume it's her size & that she wanted it? I can imagine how awkward it might be to have an issue with such a generous gift ...

Tomm Willians

It should be a pretty good fit for her. She’s about 5’-5” and I’m only 5’-7”, it’s a 54cm so should work and yes she has expressed wanting a new bike for some time. She called last night after getting home and is beside herself with joy.

rsbob 

A very generous and heartfelt gift, but if you think she destroyed you on hills before….. Maybe fill the tubes with some lead or sand or iron or….. Nothing like a win - win.

Kabuki12

I sometimes ride on my lunch break and usually when I get back from my ride the mail is just getting there. My shop is in an industrial park and my regular mail carrier “Frank” is a great guy who always takes time to admire my vintage racers. He told me he still had his old Schwinn LeTour from when he was younger and it was stored at his mother’s house but hadn’t been ridden in about 30 years. I told him , now that he is wanting to ride again , that he should have the bike gone through and rekindle that bond with his bike. I told him to let me have it and I would go through the bike , grease and adjust the bearings, new cables and tires/tubes,and adjustments, plus a little polishing. I had his bike for about two weeks , spending the weekends getting it ready. It ain’t my type of ten speed but it was everything to Frank. Strawberry red and in near mint condition, heavy but smooth and comfy, he loves his bike and says it rides just as nicely as when it was new. He spends the odd Saturday or Sunday riding around the neighborhood. I got a text from him right after I finished the bike and he was riding around on his “new” bike enjoying the ride.

gthomson

All super nice stories and a pleasure to read during this ongoing time of madness in the world. if I had any bike friends, I would wish they would be like y'all.

themp

I second that...

BrazAd

My brother is an avid rider in the Tidewater VA area. Last year the LBS sold a SWEET bike (details withheld here for privacy reasons) and the club members paid for the bike and gave it to their longtime ride leader and general all-around good guy.

Thanks to the OP for posting this great story!

Gary

BlazingPedals

Before you gave it to her, did you adjust the brakes so that you could keep up easier?

Rdmonster69

Very nice gift !! and great stories

Carbonfiberboy 

It would certainly be a dimmer world without our riding friends. Bless all those who've stuck with us over the years.

Tomm Willians

I should have……. We were doing some hills two days ago and she murdered me.

Clyde1820

You got your wish. She was tough as nails previously. Now she's gonna be absolutely heinous, on the hills. Suck it up, Spanky.

Killer bike gifted to someone -- $2500.
The look on her face as she "dances" up every hill in sight -- Priceless.

Sounds like it was worth every penny, painful though the hills might now be for you. I'll bet she's loving it, though. All the reward in the world, to see her really "shining" on the thing.