Oh no! I've fallen in love!

[SnappyPix]

I went into our LBS this morning, to check out Camelbaks for an endurance event later in the year, and nearly came out with a carbon fibre bike!
Thank God I have willpower!

The overly-helpful assistant let me go and play on the Specialized Ruby Pro - a bike I've been lusting after for several long, long months. The fit was perfect, the ride was dream-like and the bike itself soo soo sexy.
He was even offering to knock loads off the price (as in nearly a thousand dollars) and throw in half the shop if I bought it!
He kept telling me to touch it, ride it, "see how light it is" - until I had to "Step Away from the Bike" and show resistence!
I'm now in that dreamlike state, where endorphins and adrenaline are still coursing through the veins - and it's several hours afterwards!

I can't possibly buy another bike as I'm returning back to England in December and have already decided to leave one bike behind, so I only have one to take back with me (and the thought of shipping either my current bike or the Ruby 18,000 miles across the world, is too stressful to deal with!)

The assistant was evil though - and knows the Ruby Pro isn't available in the UK!

For the love of God, will somebody please post a mantra I can chant to myself , to stop me from going back and getting myself hideously into debt!
The bike of my dreams is 2 miles away, silently calling me to take it away and love it like a baby ....

I must stay strong, I must stay strong!

[KnottedYet]

You love the bike. You buy the bike. You ride the bike.

(repeat)

sorry, I'm NO help! Now you tell me a mantra so I don't buy a Brooks saddle! (ha ha ha)

[SnappyPix]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Stop it!
Claps hands over ears ...
La la la la, I can't hear you!

My mantra to you ... treat yourself, you deserve it - you know it makes sense ... :o :rolleyes:

[Brandy]

Sounds like a good deal to me. http://www.tinklebelle.com/Smilies/images/devil2.gif

[SnappyPix]

In non-cycling world (what a sad, barren place!) - the response is ...

"You're thinking of spending HOW much? ... On a BIKE?!!!"

In the real world (nice, pink, fluffy world, full of cyclists and lycra) - the response is ...

"My God, that's a fantastic deal, what are you waiting for?"!!


I DID buy the Camelbak - I was hoping that would dispel my bike shop demons!

[DirtDiva]

How about a mantra for your boss: give Snappy a raise, give Snappy a raise, give Snappy a raise, give Snappy a raise, give Snappy a raise... :D

[caligurl]

good gawd... $1000 off!?????? that's awesome!!!!!!!!!!!! and it's brand new??????? sheesh... i paid full retail! (but then... i got the 3rd 48 sent out from the warehouse when they were released!)

the ride only gets better! smooth..... like butter!

oh... i'm not helping! (did you see my pics in the other thread???? maybe that will push you over the edge?)

[tprevost]

You love the bike. You buy the bike. You ride the bike.

(repeat)

Hey, I'm with everyone else on this one.... go grab her! Its amazing how well they can pack bikes these days!!!

sorry, no help here! :p

Tracy

[mtkitchn]

I've always believed you have to follow your heart.
Get a really good case to ship it to the UK.

Oh, I mean...mantra.....
uh....
must not buy the bike of my dreams.
Yeah, that's it.

[Brandi]

How much do these bikes cost normally? Also these opportunity's don't always come along very often. Example- we are trying to watch our money right now, but had a client who was a furniture company. Had an opportunity to buy a couple pieces at wholesale price plus no shipping charge. Couldn't resist. We got this coffee table for a 1/3 of the floor price as well as an awsome wine rack for a 1/3 of the price. That opportunity was not going to happen again. I love our new peices. By the way they charge a lot for furniture. It makes me never want to buy retail again. Our coffee table cost us $129. in the store it would have cost us around $500. AHHHHHHHHH!:eek:

[Aggie_Ama]

Geez and I was having trouble resisting a Ruby that was $150 off retail last week. Question is- can you afford to spend it. If you can that is one heck of a deal. Of course I am biased because I spent a good 30 minutes drooling over one last week before I determined we needed to save more. And I didn't even test ride!

[Quillfred]

Sorry, I can't be of much help here either. Fred the Red, the black and red Redline Conquest Pro would disown me if I dissed a lovely black and red bike. :D

If you can make it happen financially, it would give you the ride you want, and it feel perfect, well????

I was just about to say "look, it is keeping you off the streets", but that would be accurate. :rolleyes:

Quill

[Surlygirl]

See if the guy at the LBS will take care of the packing and shipping and throw that into the deal. One can never have to many bikes. :D

[KnottedYet]

Ooooh, SurlyGirl has a great idea there!

C'mon, you know you want the bike. Need the bike.

Go ask the nice shop-guys if they'll pack and ship. And give your beloved another look while you're at it. Another little ride. Just give it a little love and see if it loves you back, like a puppy up for adoption at the animal shelter.

Love the bike. Buy the bike. Ride the bike.

[Jones]

Hard side bike cases fit two bikes, don't they? If you're bringing one bike home with you pack in a hard case and bring home two. Oh, wait, you weren't asking for practical solutions on how to get two bikes from NZ to the UK, were you?

[KnottedYet]

Snappypix -

How 'bout we make a deal? We each want something we're not sure we should get. Even though we know we really should. Sort of.

If you buy the bike, I'll buy the Brooks; and we'll share financial suffering in spirit.

Together, we can do this. Arms linked in solidarity, we can march (ride) off to the poor house, steadfast in our knowlege that in the real world (pink fluffy cyclists and lycra) we did the RIGHT thing!

K

[pkq]

How many miles will that bike love you back?

I've looked at cost/mile and cost/entertainment hour with bike purchases. From that perspective, they are pretty cheap and even non-cyclists don't have a comeback. :)

[plantluvver]

Are there on imported goods? It might be a bargain to get the bike now, and then you wouldn't pay taxes. I don't mnow anything about these sorts of things, but if you truly love this bike enough to give up the one you PLANNED to move, it might make sense to do.

After all, the shipping costs will be the same for the bike of your dreams and any other bike.

I have no idea what a Ruby costs (even with $1000 off.)

Can you get a decent price for your other bikes?

But if you've already decided to only ship a certain number of bikes, try to stay within that parameter.

Mary

[SnappyPix]

Sigh. :(
With very heavy heart, and after a rather giddy, sleepless night, I'm afraid that commonsense has prevailed and I'm now relegated to pressing my nose up against the glass again.
Decided the logistics and cost of getting an extra bike home (including shipping costs, insurance, etc) were too much - combined with the unexpected expense of the bike. :rolleyes:
Ho hum. Real life sucks!
But thank you so much for all your wonderful words of encouragement and support - that's why I LOVE this place - it's a sanctuary where everyone just understands that it's ALL about the bike (and accessories, and essential sundry purchases!)

At least now I have a dream bike that will one day be mine (all mine!), when the time is right!

So, Knotted Yet, I'm afraid to let you down. :o It's all up to you now, petal! Stay true to your beliefs and find whatever justification possible to make that saddle your's!!

Caligurl - yes, of course I've seen your pics! Good grief woman, I've pored over those pics like bike porn! :rolleyes: Not enough close ups and frame full-frontals for my liking, but I got the general gist!! I have serious bike envy!

Sorry to have worked myself up into public a state of giddiness - where WAS my head?!! At least I can still respect myself in the morning!

[Bad JuJu]

OK, just promise yourself this: not to buy any LESSER bike than the Ruby.

I once tried to quiet my cravings by spending about $100 less and getting less bike, but I was never happy with that lesser bike, and ended up ditching it finally and spending way more than I would've if I'd just gotten the one I really wanted to begin with. Wait until you can get the one you truly want.:)

[caligurl]

Caligurl - yes, of course I've seen your pics! Good grief woman, I've pored over those pics like bike porn! :rolleyes: Not enough close ups and frame full-frontals for my liking, but I got the general gist!! I have serious bike envy!



OH NO! i'm posting porn! lol!!!!!!!!!! hmmmmm ok..... close ups and full frontals... let me see if i can remedy that! oh... and she's already gotten a slight face lift... GORGEOUS silver fizik handlebar tape....

i'm really sorry that real life gets in the way... (or rather that you are smart enough to let it get in the way if that's the way it has to be!) it IS an awesome deal... but if it would put a hurt on things... then... .*sigh*..... you have to do what you have to do..... maybe something will come up and real life will let you get her!!!!!!!! i KNOW you'd love her! hell... you know that though... you test rode her!

{{{HUGZ}}}

[MomOnBike]

We're not stiffining your spine much, are we?

Ask yourself this: Will you kick yourself more for buying or not buying the bike? I know all about debt :( but if the bike is something you will use, enjoy & treasure, well, maybe it will be Good Debt.

Me, I'd get the bike.