RANT; Venting and a "feeler" about selling my cervelo

Triathlon Forum
1

The person who said “love” was easy, was a retard!

After 4.5 years together, the ol’ lady, our friends and both our families, are all questioning and pushing the issue of when I am taking that knee to pop that marriage binding question. What a sucky feeling to have everyone you know coming at you in unison, like a full fledged military operation, bombing away at you with the question “when” and then the statement, “it’s time”!!! Like I didn’t know for God’s sake, but like most people these days, money isn’t just flowing out of my pockets. So maybe it is time to suck it up and choose one over the other, I mean I do have “three” special ladies in my life, the “ol’ lady”, the P2C, and the Soloist…and since the Ol’ Lady helps me pay bills, I guess I am going to have to let another lady go, to spring for the ring…well hopefully most of the cost.

So here’s the feeler; I’ve got a carbon 2006 Cervelo Soloist, size 54cm. It is outfitted with Dura-ace (7800), Ritchey Pro Carbon bars, 80mm FSA Carbon Stem, Easton EC90SL fork, Selle Italia seat, and new 2009 Hed Ardennes Wheels. The bike has roughly 3,000 miles on it. (Sorry about the poor pic quality it was taking with a blackberry just after tonight’s ride and it was pitch black in the garage!)

http://i27.tinypic.com/2prid94.jpg

This bike is 95% perfect with the only flaws being in the form of shoe scuffs along the crank arms and a small chip in the paint on the top tube that does not touch carbon and which was filled in with approved red paint from Cervelo.

I hate this decision, but since the new S2 goes for between 3900 - 5400 new depending on groupo, I am wondering what I could resonably get for mine with the above listed spec. I need help here, because I have a monetary amount in mind that I would have to get to help with the ring and if I don’t think I can get that, then this isn’t going (and I won’t be upset about it, but boy will life suck for another 6-12 months while I continue to save for that darn ring!!!)

If you have an idea of what this might go for, please help me out. I thought this sharing and venting my anxiety to you would help, but it hasn’t so now it’s beer time!

2

for me i could not ride without a road bike. 99% of rides are on road bike, race on TT bike. But I live in a very hilly area, and TT bike would drive me bonkers.

4.5 years, its time, unless ofcourse you dont mind letting her (the woman) go. what are you waiting for!? :slight_smile:

3

You need a road bike, I think. But I have lots of bikes too. Couple thousand with wheels, figure $100 to ship, carbon is more common when you bought it but it’s a popular bike with the tri crowd.

Why would you sell your bike as a reult of getting married? Are you planning on just sitting around talking about the relationship all day? Just because you get married doesn’t turn you into a chick, you know.

4

I thought it sounded like a financial issue.

Its not like shes going to wear the ring anyway after you get married :slight_smile:

5

Out of curiosity how much random “bike stuff” do you have around the house. Due to space limitations anything I’m not using (aside from really small stuff), I sell (usually ebay for a quick sale). With a couple nice rides like that (and a garage) I’m assuming you maybe have a couple wheelsets you don’t need and stuff like that. IMHO sell all that stuff first then move on to the Bike if you find yourself still way short.

I just got a TT bike but I can’t see riding it on the street here, needs too much attention I’d get run down. You really need a road bike for training. JMO

6

Pretty much just had to make the same decision. I bought the ring, popped the question, then decided to sell my TT bike and keep my roadie to pay the ring off right away. No biggie for me, though, as I ride my road bike a ton more than I did my TT bike. Plus, I hope to be able to save some money and get a better TT bike after I graduate from grad school.

Good luck with your decision!

7

#1 - You can get engaged without having an uber bling ring in your hand at the moment of the question. That will get a whack of people off your back (who should back off and keep it to themselves) and you can pick out your engagement ring(gift) together. The two of you can figure out how plush of a ring you’re going to get. I have friends that didn’t want an engagement ring but instead they got a nice painting. My point is that you don’t have to sell the bike…yet.

#2 - I bought the big ring because I know my wife (then girlfriend). If you know her well, you know what you have to buy and how much it’ll cost you (and then add 10-20% on top of that). :slight_smile:

#3 - I have no clue how much you can get for that nice bike. Maybe I have an old ring I can pawn sitting around the house somewhere.

Sarge

8

J. Geils Band – Love stinks, yeah yeah…

Do not let anyone force you into this decision. It’s supposed to be for the rest of your life. If you have to ask yourself if it’s right, it isn’t. You know it when it is. Unlike race preparation, there is no check list that you can run through to know that you’re “ready”.

If you ask because you feel pressured, there’s a good chance for resentment later. If it’s what you want, then jump in with both feet and don’t look back – it’ll be the best thing you ever do.

If it’s not what you want, let her go. She deserves the opportunity to have what she wants, too.

May good fortune come your way.

9

I have been with my (very understanding and adoring) wife for 10 years - with 5 of those years married. It was only within the last year that I actually stopped to think about the institution of marriage. Two people, making a binding commitment that will dictate their personal finances, family associations, property rights, and life/death decisions … all hinged on the most unstable human emotion. Bad idea. If this were a business plan, and I were an investor, I’d take my chances with Madoff.

While this logic makes sense to the male of the species, the female contingent will wreak havoc on anyone that professes this to be the case. It will be much easier to simply tell the outsiders to piss off. Be happy with being happy. A formal union won’t change that.

10

No reason you have to have a 5 lb rock on her hand. When we went to look at rings, the one my wife liked has a really cool filigree design on the band, and a modest sized tanzanite stone (She loves purple). Total cost under $500 and she absolutely loves it. (Engagement ring has the diamond, but that was a family heirloom.)

John

11

While I nearly can’t resist giving unsolicited relationship advice, I’ll try to add something useful.

Surf eBay and see at what price bikes similar to this are selling. That will give you an idea what you might get out of it. I suspect you will be lucky to get even half of what new is selling for right now.

Chad

12

For used bike equipment, I typically see stuff selling for 50% to 2/3 of retail on eBay.

Rik

13

“Two people, making a binding commitment that will dictate their personal finances, family associations, property rights, and life/death decisions … all hinged on the most unstable human emotion.”

or as GB Shaw said,
“Marriage: When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part.”
Many marriages work out fine despite this. I wish I’d known to take one of the premarital inventories first, even though I’ve been lucky - twenty years and she hasn’t left me yet :wink:

To the OP - I get echoes of The Gift of the Magi …
The cost of the ring isn’t a measure of your love, it’s just a measure of the profits De Beers can make from us… but I am old and cynical and over-rational, so don’t believe me.

14

“Two people, making a binding commitment that will dictate their personal finances, family associations, property rights, and life/death decisions … all hinged on the most unstable human emotion.”

or as GB Shaw said,
“Marriage: When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part.”
Many marriages work out fine despite this. I wish I’d known to take one of the premarital inventories first, even though I’ve been lucky - twenty years and she hasn’t left me yet :wink:

To the OP - I get echoes of The Gift of the Magi …
The cost of the ring isn’t a measure of your love, it’s just a measure of the profits De Beers can make from us… but I am old and cynical and over-rational, so don’t believe me.

Here’s what you do:

  1. Make her fav dinner one night at home
  2. Sit down on couch; pop in Blood Diamond and enjoy your payback from DiCaprio for making you sit through Titantic.
  3. If she’s not crying too hard - propose with a ring w/o a diamond.

Everyone wins!

15

Flip a coin:

Heads: the marriage will work, sell the bike.
Tails: you get the picture.

16

Buy a used ring. Diamonds are extremely overpriced. Check out your local craig’s list. Meet the seller at a jeweler. Have them appraise it there to make sure it is the real deal. Enjoy at the much cheaper price. Everyone is happy.