We went on amazing trip to Iceland and money from parents paid for a meal in the fancy pants Michelin start restaurant in Reykjavik.
If you really need to get something for them to wrap up then I think every ageing gentleman should own a decent pair of binoculars. If they are a gift you can justify getting a pair more expensive then you would otherwise pay
I got a canoe. 😎
My 40th is at the end of this year. I'm hiring a Caterham for the weekend in the summer courteousy of my family.
Big party on the day, marquee in the garden, that sort of thing. Some exceedingly good value hiking kit from Decathlon as a physical pressie and a couple of weeks to myself to do the Pennine Way from Tan Hill to the top (had done bottom bit already).
Day out at Meatopia and overnight stay in the area, beer and meat, so much beer and meat .... and a trip to another smaller BBQ festival which was nice, but would go to Smoke and Fire next time.
There's a theme here isn't there.
Never been one for ‘experiences’ like Red Letter Day stuff.
A nice holiday yes, but a lot of these experiences seem like a glimpse into a world you can’t afford to live in.
How's a holiday any different in that regard? That's a glimpse of a different life also. You could make the same argument about a fancy restaurant, "oh, I don't want to get a taste for champagne, I can't afford to drink it every day!"
An experience doesn't have to be tasters of expensive adrenaline sports if that's not your bag. How about a cooking course or a weekend spa break? I mentioned Red Letter Days as they were one of the first companies to come up with the concept but they're really just proxies aggregating (and thus advertising) the services of other businesses, and there's many others doing a similar function these days.
Point is, go do something rather than spending half a grand on some tat you don't really want just because you've (probably, fingers crossed) succeeded in staying alive for 14,600 days. Because if a birthday should tell you anything it's that you're not getting any younger. You'll likely fare better windsurfing / riding a black route / climbing a mountain / learning to whip up a kick-ass authentic stir fry whilst aged 40 than when you're pondering what to do for your 80th.
If you absolutely must get $stuff, start a hobby. I'm surprised no-one's suggested a power kite yet.
Big party on the day, marquee in the garden, that sort of thing.
Actually, that's an idea. Ask them to throw you a party and supply all the booze for the guests. (-:
A trip to Canada to do the BC Bike Race followed by a few days in Whistler.
A new snowboard and reet good piss up! Roll on 50....
https://www.bamboobicycleclub.org/en/product/cyclocross-kit/
The experience of building it and then the thing of riding it.
How about some nice art?
If only there was some artists on the forum who had lovely art such as paintings, digital art, knives, or even furniture to share with us.
@mcmoonter
@binners
@kayak23
@Who was the knife guy?
My wife bought me a watch which I absolutely love.
In laws bought me a painting - they asked me to pick one I wanted and I had a budget set by Mrs Infidel!
Ask them to throw you a party
Hell no.
I have already told my wife that if there’s a party I will walk out of it.
There will be a small gathering of maybe 10 people at the local pub and no more.
On the Red Letter Day Thing, they just don’t appeal. If I wanted to sky dive I’d go and do it myself (in fact, I have), and I don’t want to spend £400 on driving a car round a track for the morning. Spa days are fine, but again, we do those from time to time anyway.
At 49 I feel wanting special gifts for "significant" birthdays is a bit odd. It's a day like any other for me.
I'm 40 in February, after this year, just a weekend riding with a few mates would be enough, you know like I used to do, in the olden times.
40th - can't really remember.
50th - a nice new violin, a new bow, and a framed print for the wall - all special to me, make me smile every day, and remind me of the special people who gave them to me. Oh ... and some Lego - not planning to grow up any time soon.
I got a nice Bering watch from my parents and siblings.
My Wife got me a flight in a Tiger Moth from Duxford. It was AMAZING!
We were aloft for about 30mins and I probably spent 20mins of that flying the thing.
If you have a gliding club nearby, I imagine that would get you a lot of flights.
How would I know what I got for my 40th? It was 24 years ago. Can't remember what happened last week never mind 24 years ago!
A Cotic Soul frame.
3 years ago for me. I got a bean to cup coffee machine and a vasectomy! 😎
I got a unicycle, I'm 48 now and still can't ride it
If you’re into wine, how about a trip to one of the better vineyards/regions for a bit of sampling? Or the Douro Valley.
A light blue steel On One 456 frame.
I still have it along with a Ti456 & a C456.
Sadly I don't have the lovely wife that bought them for me 🙁
Rest in peace Carolyn.
These days I DGAF what I get only the friends I have talking to me.
I spent my fortieth birthday it my sister in law’s place in Spain. I spent most of the day floating on an inflatable unicorn drinking beer in the sun. I couldn’t have been happier....
What about a signed TDF jersey? A frame/wheel building or bike maintenance course? There must be something you’d like to do or have in your life?
How about some nice art?
If only there was some artists on the forum who had lovely art such as paintings, digital art, knives, or even furniture to share with us.
@mcmoonter
@binners
@kayak23
@Who was the knife guy?
Don't forget @JoB, also of this parish, and the STW mag art department could likely rustle up one or two bits and pieces, photographically or scribbled too while cashflow is tight.
@MrOvershoot - sounds like you have great perspective....respect 👊🏻
Wife and kids gave me a bunch of guitar lessons, lovely leather belt, dozen golf balls and a nice golf glove. We are also going to go on a city break next year hopefully as our trip to Berlin got cancelled this year.
Father: I asked for a day out playing golf with him as I don’t need more stuff and I like spending time with my dad.
Mother: Green fee at Royal Dornoch
Sister: TBC
A weekend in mid wales and dragged the kids up pen y fan on my birthday. Was fab.
A mate got a group of us together for his 40th and we did the velodrome taster at Manchester and then went to a climbing wall. Was a cracking day, saw Sir Chris Hoy
I got a Ceilidh for mine, with a bunch of friends and family. Was amaze balls.
Another year older and deeper in debt
Albanach
Member@MrOvershoot – sounds like you have great perspective….respect 👊🏻
I guess its born out of loss. Father, Mother, both step parents and my beautiful wife all by the time your 53 gives you a window on mortality.
I have some wonderful friends that have kept me sane and looking forward during these dark times.
Cherish your true friends as they will not judge you only help you through the worst of times.
Thank you my friends you know who you are.
A weekend mtbing in Afan with mates and another weekend hill walking with my wife. Ace.
Sounds that you’re keen to avoid waste and disposable carp.
Well, on that theme I’ve been working over the last few years to replace my every day items with top notch quality items that are a pleasure to use and will outlast me.
Look around you at the things, tools, furnishings you use everyday. What crap are you left with from your student days that should long ago have been replaced? Jolly dull, but this is you’re 40th not your 16th
Had a week riding in Spain with a few mates for my 50th
https://flic.kr/p/25PwY9j
My 50th next year, thinking if hiring a chalet in the Alps for some big col road rides with friends, might see if I can still manage the Marmot course without completely dying, been a while since I've ridden that.
I think I get what some are trying to say about red letter days - a bit like Argos catalogue of days out, bit impersonal.
But do agree that an experience is good idea- but should be something you value but wouldn't usually do for yourself.
If it wasn't for covid, I'd say as a runner something like a major marathon entry and maybe hotel- maybe something like Berlin.
But now maybe one of the smaller niche ones that might be less affected by social distancing, scandi ice one or midnight sun race. Or hold off about a year. A lot of "experiences" aren't going to be quite the same during covid.
Got a new garden shed for my 40th.
Back in Uni, I lost my St Christopher pendant. Looking for something a bit different to wear around my neck I bought a pair of cheap earings (about £5) and repurposed one of them. It's a stylised pewter frog with a bit of blue plastic in the middle. Over the years I became quite attached to it, wore it all the time and quite often got comments on it. It's quite small, about 2 cm high.
For my 40th, Ms Beej had it copied in white gold and blue topaz.
I bought a VW California a couple of months before so sacked off any other pressies bar any special birthday treats 😉 So try a campervan.
Can someone say they got an emtb so I can send my missus/family a link to this thread for ideas? Thanks!
PADI course
Another who can't really remember. Seems like a lifetime ago due to 1 x toddler + 1 x 3yo, but was only 5 years. It was supposed to be a standout but I didn't know what I wanted, it wasn't known what to get me. Ah, I did get a waterproof MTB jacket from my parents, an expensive gift by our standards. Didn't do anything with friends because we'd drifted apart although I didn't want to admit it. We quite often say we're going to do things but don't because daily mundane run of the mill life...
Reading this thread, maybe I'll try and get myself something to do for my 50th. Probably try and arrange a holiday somewhere... if we've not managed a family holiday to Scotland (only been once, and that was a weekend) I'll try for that, or maybe the Alps (again, been once, but got sick after a couple of days) or somewhere we generally only dream of going.
Riding with good friends at Whistler bike park. Definitely a day to remember...
As Cougar says, experiences rather than gifts. For my 50th, me and the family stayed in Sitges and popped into Barcelona a couple of times. Great memories of both locations.
For my wife's 50th we went to Copenhagen. Very expensive but such a beautiful city.
Do a weekend away for the money even if you have to add to it.
Marlin Cyrene titanium road bike. It was stolen a few years later a work of art that I enjoyed riding hugely. And a family party in Devon with friends I’d know since school. Bank holiday on August with sun, a hotel we’ve used many times, a pool and a lovely day. It was just wonderful.
My mother staged my 40th and my twin sister played football with my two sons. Neither lived to my 50th and I laid on a party on a Thames steamer for 50 friends and family after racing the UCI Masters World Championships which fell over my 50th weekend.
A new fly rod, a copy of fly fishing by jr hartley and a new Welcome skateboard deck... I was pretty stoked
