Surfing Waves

Right I posted a while ago that I wanted a mountain bike but needed info on what to get, and then got leant one indefinately by my chick's bro.
Well thats all cool but it still hasn't quite hit the mark, the bike is an old(2000 maybe?) Claude Butler Cape Wrath which is cool but its way too big as its 20 or 21" frame, and I'm only 5'8". I can ride it ok but the seat is right down as far as it can go, and its not mine so I don't want to break it so I can't go silly on it.

I still have gear lust tho.

I have read up on mtbs and now know that I need a GT Avalanche Expert 2006 for £550 reduced from £800.

At first I felt this was way too much to blow on a bike but its all ok now as I have stared long enough at pictures of 2, 3, and even 4 grand £ bikes and so £550 is nothing really !

...but how do I convince my chick that this is what should be without incurring some sort of cruel or painfull retribution? Erm...also bearing in mind we just bought a house and it does need a wee bit of work doing to it. Like the bathroom. Then the kitchen. 'N' stuff like that really .

Yeah so come on guys, how do I help her out and lead her into enlightenment?

Bike here :- http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s2p98&z=184

Ok, back in the day I used to ride Cannondale, and then later on Merlin. Both (more so the Merlin) were top dollar bikes; I often faced the question - what does a man need 11,000 dollar bicycles for? I explained it thus.

1) if I take the purchase price of the bike and divide it by the hours I spend using it - I'm actually getting good value for money (at the time I was doing 20-28 hours a week training & racing.
I was often posed this question by guys who own yachts & the like - seems they didn't get the fact that my 'toy' was offering far better value for money than their toy based on cost = actual usage.

2) quality costs, sorry, unless you want a weekly money pit of ongoing small maintence items then you need to buy a tool (toy) that will not break often. The trick is buy good & look after it, oil the damn chain every time it gets wet, tune the headset etc.....

3) pleasure of ownership, this to me really hit home with my recent Al Merrick fish purchase, the dearest surfboard I've ever bought....but well, it's just beautiful to look at all resin tinted, goss & polished & sexy Volan glass.....oh baby!

You're going to die one day - enjoy life & have a toy or two...

B

ps - the irony is I still have the same Merlin, still looks brand new, and my mates who thought I was mad spending 6000 nz dollars on a bike frame in the mid 90's have long since surpassed me in frame expenditure as they have to replace their carbon & alum ones every 2 years or so when the go soft...

Your girl shouldn't have any issues with it in my opinion, if she knows you well enough then she should know that stuff like mountain bikes, surfboards etc are not just toys they are essentials.

I will never tut at Brent when he buys surfboards even if it means we have to eat sand for the next few months because thats just part of who he is.

PS she'll probs also find them as sexy as you do - Brents bike and fish? Prrrrrrrrrrr

Cheers guys, its all good advice.

I still can't quite go ahead and buy it yet, very nearly clicked the add to basket button just now but I bottled!

Hmm... I'm sure I dreamt about it last night is that wierd?

Libby wrote: not just toys they are essentials.

Brent, you are a lucky man

Broosta wrote: I need a GT Avalanche Expert 2006 [/url]

Mmmmmmmmmmm.... nice.... mmmmmmm..... If my garage wasnt already stuffed with bikes, I'd consider getting one myself

Yes Brent you are a lucky man!

...but then again so am I, she said I should get the bike !
Yesterday we had a whole day set aside to sort out choosing the bathroom stuff and layout and everything. Originally I really wanted a wet room but she was really against it so I backed off and we compromised and I think she's just so pleased we're not arguing about the bathroom anymore she'll say anything's cool!