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Went for an arse measuring and saddle buying session.
Came out with 2x saddles, bib shorts, gloves, lights....and nearly a new set of bars... 😂
Thankfully the bike I was eyeing up is too big for me...
Is it just me?
Went for an arse measuring and saddle buying session.
Is that sort of kink freely available in Dunblane? 🤨
Is it just me?
Some free stickers once cost me 2 and a half grand in ‘additional purchases’
Is that sort of kink freely available in Dunblane? 🤨
We went to the filth centre known as Doune....
Some free stickers once cost me 2 and a half grand in ‘additional purchases

Thankfully the shop I work in is devoid of any interesting bike. Plenty of 8k+ road bikes though * yawn *
Roll on summer 2022 & some exciting stock if we make it that far!
Went into my LBS to talk about cranks and walked with a set of eeWings, new bottom bracket and fitting tool. Lesson learned, don't go into shop with spare money.
Can someone explain spare money please?
Can someone explain spare money please?
Money that's not spent on bikes or bike related stuff
I have been avoiding going into the local shop as I always end up coming out with something I didn't go in for.
Can someone explain spare money please?
This. A lot this.
Many years ago, I walked into Nirvana Cycles for a new inner tube and walked out with the Rocky Mountain Blizzard frame that was in the window. Damn their cunning ruse.
Can someone explain spare money please?
yeah AKA Humblebrag.
It's not bike related, but a few years ago my missis bought some new bath/sink plugs for the bathroom. They came with new wastes, which seemed silly not to fit. Things kind of escalated from there which ended up with an entirely refurbished bathroom, the last 'job' being dropping a cold chisel into the sink and smashing it. 😭
A mate of mine owned a small bike shop years back. I went in for a chat one day and he said "hello Dave, would you like a free t-shirt? Here's a t-shirt for you. Now, you should buy this bike". Not only did I buy the bike but the t-shirt was a shop one, I subsequently gave it back to him years later because he had failed to keep one for himself. Mugged off twice!
I went in for a couple of gels and ended up with a gopro, and next visit, FOR NOTHING AT ALL, gained me a new helmet.
A friend of mine went to the supermarket for milk and came back with a new car.
Once went to buy a table and came back with a Labrador puppy. Didn't buy the table 🙂
My local bike shop doesn't have much of interest in. Clif bars and a few bits is all I buy. Put me on the Internet tho with 10% off or Free Postage with £x spend, and I've ended up with all sorts of useful stuff I don't have an immediate need for.
Latest being that Wera socket set with the ace ratchet. It's been added to my collection of similar 😉
My friend did a similar thing browsing at a Ford garage with a hangover. He came out having bought a brand new Focus ST 🙂
I once went into an LBS for a cheap pair of gloves for commuting. Couldn't find a pair of gloves I liked but I did end up buying a Giant Trance 2 (what was I supposed to do, it was on sale!).
The best part of it was the mental gymnastics I did to convince myself to buy it because I didn't need a new bike. I eventually came to the conclusion that my girlfriend needed it.
She was extremely skeptical at first but once she started riding it she loved it to the point that I managed to convince her that we should take our summer holidays in Norway's answer to Tweed Valley, Nesbyen.
My hands are still cold but I have to save up for a while before I can go looking for gloves again.
Did this in February went in for a headlight bulb and some chain lube, walked out with paperwork for my new motorbike 😀
Wife and I escaped for the day riding in Glentress. Came home with a new corner sofa having accidentally wandered into a popup furniture store in Galashiels while looking for trail snacks.
Not bike related but needed a new exhaust for my 2006 Audi A4 Avant Special Edition (220bhp petrol version)
Cant be bought off the shelf from the likes of Audi/National tyres/Quickfit etc.. so spoke to a mate who had one custom made for his track car a few months ago at a cost of £800
Said chat ended up with me buying his 280 bhp (Revo fitted) 2016 Ford Focus ST3 off him for 13k and selling the Avant Specail Edition for 3k still needing a new exhaust!
BITD I went for a ride at Glentress. Wandered over to the 'old' Hub bike shop to buy a pair of the £15 SPDs they had a basketful of - walked out with an ex-hire Genesis Altitude hardtail bike. Doh.
And on holiday in Cornwall 5 years ago, sitting with a beer and an internet browser and got caught looking at naughty stuff (the STW classifieds). Journey back home involved diverting off the M6 briefly into Wales to meet a bloke and a Genesis High Latitude in a service station. Doh again.
Spare money?
It's what people who don't ride mountain bikes have.
A friend of mine went to the supermarket for milk and came back with a new car.
Did similar although it was for a train set (Flying Scotsman, wanted a winter project) and ended up with the train set and a brand new Ka. Well, it was my birthday.
Bike-wise I used to work in the local Halfords. Every payday for what felt like years most of it would go back through the till for bike parts I'd put aside over the previous weeks. I think my record was getting paid £620 and spending £560, was for Hope brakes, wheels and some tyres IIRC.
A bit like when your girlfriend says that you need to show some more commitment to your relationship. So you think your off to look for holidays and end up coming home with a diamond engagement ring. 😭
Went into the Grizedale bike shop for a wander around before completing the rest of the North Face Trail for a 'look around'. The woman accompanying me was looking at the full suss Kona stock when I uttered the immortal 'there's room in the car'.
We finished the trail to allow them time to PDI it and collected the car before loading said bike into the now quite full car!
Had the caddy serviced left with a t6 still not sure how.
Went into the "bike chain" and left with some forks I didn't need, he's good that mark chap.
£247 for a new transmission yesterday after a two month wait for parts.
Gah!
Can't complain too much I suppose as the last one lasted 7 years and I've gone for the same spec.