[Closed] Lying to the wife about cost of bike parts.

c_g's way was to get rid of the bloke and say hello to a bit of Ti and plastic. Problem solved. 😆

I fine that "well it's better spent on bike parts than booze and hookers" works well.

Mrs A gave up asking years ago and it works for us. She has an idea of some things, mainly the camera gear but otherwise it's all good.

Conversely when she has a minor guilt trip on spend on clothes, I do occasionally say do you [i]know[/i] who much I've spent?

Her only comment when a friend (who's husband had also got into MTB's) was commenting about the cost was to say "if he knew how much she spent on her horses she'd be the one in trouble".

And as I've not been working for the past 18 months, it's her money I've been spending 🙂

pretty similar to convert; we have our own accounts, and pay equally into a joint account that covers our living expenses (mortgage, bills etc etc). I do with my leftover money as I wish and so does Munqe Chick.

Given we have the same interests she knows exactly how much bike stuff costs (she has more mikes than me FFS 🙂 ), usually if I'm considering a purchase she's the one going "ooh that looks cool...".

Also helps that my "cast offs" seem to find their way onto some of her bikes (lyrik forks, hope/mavic wheels, Saint brakes, we're not talking dumping junk).

I've got a new bike hiding in the darkest recesses of our basement that I have *ahem* forgotten to mention to my other half. I've been waiting for the right moment but unfortunately I haven't been able to get a flight to a far-enough-away country yet. 😳

convert

Currently soft furnishing are under negotiation - I'm putting forward an amendment that that there are only so many cushions any one person needs and any future purchases come from her and her alone. I'm going to lose!

You can never have enough cushions though 🙂

Why the eff do you need to cover the whole bed in cushions. They all get chucked on the floor at bed time.
Certifiable.

[i]OR[/i] put them on the sofa and they get covered in Dog Hair. Never buy black cushions if you have a mutt.

Been known to pass the odd purchase under the radar in the past, very much open about it these days.

No point it trying to pull the wool over her eyes on prices, she'd think it was too much whatever I told her!

Both our salaries go into the Joint A/C, we then pay ourselves an allowance into our individual accounts. That way, we boyhood get the same amount each, whatever we earn. The fact she earns more than me is a bonus too!

She doesn't actually hate bikes, just a bit bemused by the whole thing!!

My new bmx arrives tomorrow. Told my wife tonight as I was dropping her off for a night out with her friends. She was cool about it!

We have the separate accounts but a joint account for household stuff but it doesn't stop her going on and on about how much I spend on bikes even though it is clearly my money. We have both been married before and the kids are hers and not mine but strangely she doesn't object to me spending money on them!

I'm in shock reading this, how can you live like that 😯

After 15 years together we have never lied about what either of us has purchase, if I buy a new piece of kit for my bike she expects something for hers... now that's when the looks start ha ha

I don't lie about the purchase price of bits for my bike. Mrs coolhandluke knows its my only hobby and how much I love it. I took it up years agho and its the only hobby that I've actually stuck with. She thought it was a 2 year fad at first!

Anyway, its my money and I don't moan on about how many purses she has or how much they cost.

CAUTIONARY TALE:

A few years ago I built a bike up from spare parts for Mrs stAn to use on the odd occasion.
At the same time I had just about finished building one of my own bikes. I had decided I wanted some black Raceface bars. Coincidently her bike also needed some bars.
I popped off to my lbs and purchased some black Raceface Diabolous bars for myself and a cheap as chips,silver,Trans-X bar.

when I got home she took intrest in both sets of bars and said she wouldlike the blackones on her bike -I replied,'..no,they're for my bike.' She then asked what the difference was - nothing except ones silver and ones black. This went on for some time with her persistently asking for the black bars to be fitted to her bike.

Eventually I had to fess up and tell her mine were actually a lot better and a lot more expensive. To which she replied 'Yes I know. I can tell the difference between a piece of crap etc. etc. I just wanted to see how you would justify it all'

So,be careful. Ask yourself do they not know what you are up to,or is it that they do know but don't really give a sh#t ?

It doesnt matter how much you try to educate the Mrs, the fact is she will never understand why I paid £500 for a wheelset that saves me 200g.

unless...

The most effective policy now is to carefully time an e-bay sale to coincide with the item i bought 3 weeks ago to emerge from its hiding place in the loft. So the conversation then goes.

'' What! £120 for new handlebars, why? What was wrong with the old ones?'
' Not a lot, thats why i got £90 for them on e-bay (lie)'
' oh ok then just dont do it again'
(i will of course)

I gave Mrs Kenny a hard time once about buying another new handbag. She retorted with a question about how many rucksacks I owned for various outdoor activities. I admitted to about nine, and then shut up.

Also, when buying some nice new hand built wheels for my road bike recently I told the guy in the shop that no, I didn't want them delivered to the house. And that I would be paying cash so it didn't go through out joint credit card and appear on the bill. He laughed and said I wasn't the first male customer like that.

I blew my cover on holiday when I pulled out a great big abus chain and fastened my bike to an old fashioned radiator in the house we were renting. I could see it slowly dawn on her the that my bike may be worth a bit more than five hundred quid I'd told her it was worth a few months ago. She never said anything but gave me that knowing scowl for a second.

that they do know but don't really give a sh#t ?

This one.

I once bought my wife a ring; in terms of cost/benefit bikes come out way better and I think she probably agrees with this. Oh I got her two rings actually, think I need some more stuff.

My engagement ring was a Santa Cruz Juliana - best present ever 🙂

My wife wouldn't let me spend 200 quid on a seatpost (reverb) so I said it comes with a sadle.......

Also my new road bike only cost 100 quid.......

Mrs belives everything I buy bike related is second hand, used once or twice and is about 70% off new price.
My Matt black covert was only £1300 and is soon to be kept company by a Matt black bandit which will never be seen together 🙂

c_g's way was to get rid of the bloke and say hello to a bit of Ti and plastic

😆

I tell her the price but use the 'safety' card....... "yes those new XO trail brakes and new floating rotors are dear, but they are much safer as I can stop faster", likewise new Urge helmet etc etc. Always results in being told to buy the safe things as she worries about me getting hurt if I don't have the safest bits!!

My (our) LBS who have built up a number of bikes for us over the years, hers and mine, will if you ask nicely do yo two receipts - known as the receipt and the wife receipt. Interestingly it was my wife who told me about this.

I have never needed this service, but if you do he'll be only too glad of the trade - email me if you want the LBS name.

As long as its roughly the same colour I can get away with it. Put 40mm wider Easton Havoc Carbon Bars on the FS and the missus wondered why she started walking into it. Think I've got away with it though.

My missus used to have a heavy, not so great decathlon cheapie special. After updating that with a properly fitting specialised mykaf fsr she suddenly 'gets' lightweight quality bike parts. That bike was money well spent!

I waited until i was told about a positive pregnancy test before coughing up to some new slant forks, but she got in first coming clean about a £20 handbag. It was a good news day. 😀

Haha nice one Dan.

I don't really spend a huge amount on bike stuff tbh, never hide any expenditure from her though.

Tom83 - Member
My new bmx arrives tomorrow. Told my wife tonight as I was dropping her off for a night out with her friends. She was cool about it!

Cool. Cool as Mt freekin Etna with a dusting of snow on it! Just you wait, just you wait! She may have been drunk or not listening lol.

You may need to hide the cost of that new maxle lite mind Tom!

I had a set of X0 trail brakes sent to my mates house so I didnt have to admit I'd spent another £240 on bike bits.

I did feel a bit embarrassed about buying them anyway - I didn't really need them (but that's no reason for not buying them of course)

My other passion is kayaking and canoeing. That can also get quite pricey. In that world I have a mate who has a 'red' policy. He only ever buys boats, paddles, PFDs, helmets, drysuits etc in red. Thus his wife cannot tell the difference between the new and the old and he easily slips new gear in when he wants. Genius.

My salary goes in joint ac, hers goes in hers, I do have a stash I portage money across to each month.
She never asks how much, good job really cos she'd have kittens 🙄

Loving all these tails of deceit.

glad I have a pair 🙂

the only slightly tricky issue was when the missus got her Blur LTc for a significant birthday present to herself. I was heading down the Alu version route last month until the a deal I couldn't turn down arrived and we now have a matching pair. I asked if she minded...

I'm not deceitful, she doesn't worry about it and never asks

i'll waffle on about the tech specs and how the parts will revolutionise the ride for a good evening. After that, I'm not usually asked. I did get into trouble when i brought a tricross over, but she seemed to like it after trying it out... despite it being ''another bike in the flat''.

I feel like I am attending Bike Buyers Anonymous, anyway I will stand up and say.

"I have a secret slush fund in a UK account that my wife does not know about and it is used for bike purchases, however as she is not stupid and knows when I have made additions or simply replaced bikes altogether, I simply ensure that 20-25% of the cost of new purchase is paid for with one of our joint Credit Cards to keep some semblance or normality so I can lie about the true cost. I am helped in this by the devious bike shop owners who mercilessly pimp out new parts for me and assist me in this despite fully knowing I have a problem, all added and abetted by the bike industry in one general global conspiracy".

One day she will realize that I am actually making a nice profit on renting out my UK house and will asked where the money is, but in the mean time I am enjoying my new XX1 drive train and Float X fork that I put on this month.

In my defense, what am I talking about there is no defense (though I do save 50% of my salary into a joint savings account every month).

I dont buy any bikes parts of value any more so its less of a problem. Generally anything the goes on it the garage is no questions asked providing her car is fixed and maintained.
Motorbikes tend to cause more complaints as does listing bikes on the house insurance.

Although I added up her last months Starbucks receipts last month and it was about £110. I have 'gone on about it' maybe a bit too much.

No I don't if the wife asks I tell her, why would I lie?

How strange you all are - I've just this week dropped £1399 on a new bike and all she said was "can i have your Boardman then?"
Does help that it was money raised through selling some of my old reenactment kit but even so, its my money and i can spend it how i like.

Really need a new bathroom suite and a new stairs carpet but hey,ive 5 bikes 🙂