It's been a tough start to the year...
I know we are over half way to Christmas but regular readers will remember I came into 2014 in the middle of moving house, with a fractured elbow and a Wife in labour.
It has calmed down a little. Although the bathroom suite was in the back garden for a couple of weeks, then in a skip. And then a new one got put in. Washing in the sink was worse for the people sitting near me at work I suspect.
Anyway. Amongst all this upheavel a deal was done whereby as a special treat for all of the above as well as my turning 40, I could invest in a new bike.
You may even have abused me in my "What bike for £1000 blog" recently. If so, thanks.
I ended up with a Cannondale Super 6 105 and I bloody love it. But thats not the issue here. Not by a long way.
My trusty old Bianchi Via Nirone 7 had to go. A bike that had served me well in racing and sportives for many, many years was sacrificed. In a manner of speaking.
"I am taking up cycling now we are done having kids" announced the Wife, who up until this point had done a few miles and ridden the turbo on occasion, but never seemed destined to tackle Marianne Vos.
And so a deal was done where the Bianchi stayed and the new bike arrived. That I had thought was that.
And yet...
Last evening I caught a look over the wife's shoulder and some discreet internet browsing she was doing (not that sort...). She was on Wiggle and Chain Reaction, compairing of all things tyres.
"Don't worry" I said. "Those Continentals are new on that Bianchi and have not been through a winter yet. They will do you for a while"
"I don't like them. I want to change them"
"They are tyres, what's not to like?"
"They are neither purple or pink James, and therefore they will not do"
I haven't spoken to anyone since as I am still in shock. I think she did go on to mention a pink saddle. But I might have already passed out on the rug at that point.
Can this end well?
James has been blogging for road.cc for 5 years and racing bicycles (averagely) for 20 years.
16 comments
I don't know which is worse. That or getting 'but why do i need to spend money on it, it works fine'......my OH just doesn't seem to get it.
Nice to see someone rebelling against the contemporary disdain for shrink-it-and-pink-it!
Embrace it. Go for the Giro look - pink bar tape and all!
but pink on celeste .... hhhmmmmmmm
I've been trying to find a pro example of a celeste Bianchi being pinked up for the Giro, but to no avail. Perhaps there is a reason for that!
Maybe she needs a new bike!
Mr W,
Pink and Celeste not so bad
That looks pretty good to me!
Wish I could convince the domestique to take up riding. She resists my attempts however...
You have to let it go mate, it's her bike now. Although everytime I see that handlebar bag on my old XC race bike it pisses me off.
I was trying to imagine pink and celeste, but this is an Italian bike... absolutely MADE for pink highlights!
Glad my wife's shorter than I am though... wouldn't want her pinching any of my bikes!
I think there might end up being a little less seat stem showing when she has finished "tinkering" with a set of allen keys.
Encourage and nurture her interest in bikes! Indulge her taste for colour. She deserves it.
My OH has recently ridden the furthest ever - 40 miles in 2 days, with 400m of climbing - and I have high hopes this can be extended in time. She's keen to ride in France. All good so far.
@watlina: You're joking, presumably? I know beauty's in the eye of the beholder but that's a terrible colour combo!
I love the role reversal: the man being appalled to find the woman buying cycle stuff she doesn't strictly need from Wiggle to make her bike look better. Women's cycling is certainly catching up quickly.
You refer to your better half as "the domestique"...?
Bloody hell, you're brave... just don't let her near a French dictionary