Thursday, October 1, 2009

Voicemail

6:15pm
"Hi you've reached Rick and Rachelle Sunderlage......please leave a message"

Jamie "Hey Rick, just calling to talk about your new bike......."

6:16pm
(Jamie calls my cell) "Dude, I think I may have messed up. I left a vm on your home phone about your new bike. Does Rachelle know about it?"

If you are a cyclist who has tried to upgrade your bike(s) and had to get creative about it, you might relate to this scenario.

I've tried to do a good job of planting the seed with Rachelle before I make a purchase. Although I don't have a perfect record. There was the time I somehow ended up as the high bidder on ebay for a frame. Or the time I used my RC Willey account to buy my first nice mountain bike (back when we were fresh out of college). For those of you not from Utah, RC Willey is a large furniture store that offers a generous line of credit. How a bike shop would accept an RC Willey card, I have no idea. I didn't ask questions. And I'm sure you would have done the same.

I know people who have purchased very expensive bikes without getting the proper approvals from their wife and were terrified to let them know about. In some cases, the hiding game went on for several weeks before it was finally discovered.

I'm fortunate that Rachelle has always been super cool about supporting my biking addiction. I guess there are worse things I could be involved in (like golf- the worst sport ever invented).

And in exchange, I try not to make a stink about the hundreds of pillows and baskets we've managed to accumulate over the course of our marriage.

I can deal with the pillows if she can deal with the bikes.

For me, bikes are like investments. You buy one, ride it for a year or two, sell it, take whatever you can get and apply that to a slightly nicer set up. After several years, you can end up with your dream bike and not need to pay out the nose for it.

My dream bike (at the least the frame) has finally arrived. Hopefully I'll have a week to dial it in before the big race next weekend.

9 comments:

KanyonKris said...

You're a compulsive and unrepentant tease. What bike is it?

Racer Jared said...

you need a 27.2 seatpost

Kenny said...

I finally found it in the back of racer's office. I sat and stared at the drop outs for about 5 minutes. Pretty cool.

South County Ciclista said...

I was at the shop yesterday as well picking up some stans and I beheld the machine/wonder as well. You are a lucky man.

KanyonKris said...

From Kenny's hint I'm guessing it's a SuperFly SS. Sweet!

Flyin' Ute said...

No use hiding the bike. I scored my Moots with full XTR for around $700 bucks. (I mean who would pay $5,000 for a bike?)

It also helps to be in charge of the checkbook.

Fish said...

I hate golf. And there's nothing better than getting something new out of the bike circle.

Ski Bike Junkie said...

Steve has a very high-end Cannondale road bike in his basement that's been there for a few months now. It belongs to a coworker. The guy still hasn't mustered the courage to tell his wife about it and can't bring it home (or ride it for that matter) until he does. The dude has already had to buy new soccer shoes for his son to keep him quiet.

Whitney said...

I'm on the edge of my seat!!How does it end? Who got the message?