Big mouth!

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Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
For a reason I have yet to fathom, Mrs Cube thinks cycle clothing is a frivolous waste of money. I spend very little on clothes in general, wearing uniform at work, and about a decade's worth of jeans and T shirts still going strong for when I'm at home.

I am occasionally treated to a few pairs of boxers or socks, but those purchases usually coincide with Christmas, Fathers' Day or whatever.

The other day I decided, rashly it appears, to treat myself to a pair of MTB shorts. I ran it by Mrs Cube, who may or may not have been asleep at the time, (it gets ever more difficult to tell these days) and she answered, with what I took to be irony, that I was to wait until Christmas. Not having heard a definitive "No" I sallied forth to the LBS and bought a pair for the princely sum of £35. I chose an olive green pair of Humvees, and promptly rode off into the wilderness, comfy teflon-coated rip-stop fabric doing everything I expected of it.

When I got home, Mrs Cube was home from work and looked at my crotch. "Have you got padded shorts under your trousers?" she asked "Either that or you're a funny shape today."

I twigged that she thought the shorts were a pair of the Primark Specials I was generously given last summer (possibly why I had chosen Olive) but told her that the padding was from the drop liner. She made no further comment, so I presumed I had got away with it, but had not actually practised any deliberate deception.

A few minutes later young Cubester came in from his ride out, took one look and said "Cool MTB shorts Dad, did you get those today?"

I won't go into the debate that followed, as it involves a long and complicated dicussion about "making do" and "always have to have the right kit" and "don't understand technical niceties" and "waste of bloody money". ;)
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Surely if you paid with your money that you earned then it's your choice what you buy with it.
 
OP
OP
Cubist

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
ianrauk said:
Surely if you paid with your money that you earned then it's your choice what you buy with it.

Of course it is! However, you would only need ten or so minutes with Mrs Cube, or any other Yorkshirewoman to realise that what appears absolute logic to any other human being, is about as far away from reality as can be. It's all about priorities apparently. ;)
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Oh dear! I've only been married 11 years but I have evolved a pretty good working strategy on things like clothes. It sounds like you have a way to go on this!

I buy very few new clothes at all, my wardrobe is limited to a handful of trusty favourites. Mrs RR occasionally moans that she hasn't got a thing to wear then to my amazement goes and buys second-hand quality stuff from Ebay, surprising behaviour for someone so fussy about cleanliness. Anyway every clothing purchase gets "banked" in the bike parts credit so I don't get any complaints when I buy bike parts.

It's a bit the same as denting cars - I dented hers on Tuesday but she didn't get upset because, as she reminded me, I didn't shout at her when she smashed my (company) car into the back of a Land Rover.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
Hmm... Mr Summerdays doesn't seem to notice most of my clothing purchases other than seeing the Credit Card bill... but its always the kids who remark (in front of him of course) - that's new - not seen that before. But he's very good about it other than to remark that we could do with getting rid of some stuff to the charity shop.
 

yoyo

Senior Member
I'm lucky! Mr Yoyo has to be dragged screaming blue murder to buy clothes. He says he doesn't need them and they cost money. However, I get told that I don't spend enough on my clothes.... I'm a spoilt girl!!
 

Wigsie

Nincompoop
Location
Kent
Cubist said:
Of course it is! However, you would only need ten or so minutes with Mrs Cube, or any other Yorkshirewoman to realise that what appears absolute logic to any other human being, is about as far away from reality as can be. It's all about priorities apparently. :laugh:

I am not going to get myself in trouble and say its not just Yorkshire women its all women.... But I will say its the same with South Africans, whether is the Crazy Dutch Ancestry or being raised during aparteit but she is equally closed to discussions of logic and comfort when buying bike gear!

She is also totally against equal spending of our money that I earn. We spent £150 in Homebase on plants flowers and various equipment the other week and I was told specifically not to go out and buy an equal amount on cycling gear, it was as if an alarm in her mind had sounded because i didnt moan and she could see into my thoughts and was seeing me mentally browsing the shelvesofthe LBS... evil woman.

Having said that I love her (and I did NOT just write that just incase she looks over my shoulder later on and see's this post) ;)
 

johnnyh

Veteran
Location
Somerset
I just buy and be damned... with so much stuff of one form or another it doesnt even raise an eyebrow anymore.

The only thing I got sussed on was a big white Canon zoom lens for my camera kit, stood out like a sore thumb and couldn't disguise it. ;) (although I may have disguised the price!!)
 

Landslide

Rare Migrant
Given that my bum is my girlfriend's favourite asset of mine, I can't ever envisage having any problems buying cycling gear (as long as it's figgure-hugging)!;)
 
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