Having a more expensive hobby is the answer!

[trilo]

My wife started to question my watch hobby yesterday. Then she said that instead buying new watches, I should spend the money on my bike. I said that it ain't cheap either and sinking 3 digits on a bike which cost me 10e and is an absolute beater, is bit of a no go for me. She said that I should still do it since I use them... 2 years ago she scrutinized me about bikes.

So the only out come of this is:

If your wife starts questioning your hobb/y/ies, get into a more expensive hobby!

[nzwatchdoctor]

What sort of bikes? 

[trilo]

Basically any bicycle frame pre 2000 made out of steel I find worth investing my time into. I started with french bikes and I used have only steel racing bicycles, but then I got fed up with old french standards and realized the potential of 3-speed hubs etc.

At the moment I have 6 bikes of which 4 are in active use. My main rides for summer are Raleigh Professional Mk. IV 1975 and Mercier racing frame from 1982. Both are Reynolds 531 throughout and built for speed and comfort (roads and geometry have changed since).

For the winter I prefer to ride a 90's MTB with 26" wheels. They are agile and easy to manouver on frozen surfaces.

I ride all of them as single speeds. Simple, realiable, no hassle and cheap = more money and time to spend on watches. Nothing against gears, but I'm bit hard pressed to spend 500e on a decent group set when the bikes cost way less. If I'd spend 500-2000e on a frame, then I might do it, but at the moment no need for that.

Bikes are by far the best investment where I live. It's quicker than public transport (and car), cheaper (500e for a year round public transport ticket) and I get my daily dose of excersice when commuting (limits my belly growth). So basically when I spend 100e on frame, build it up with 200e and ride it for 2 years, it has actually produced me concrete savings in hundreds.

And last but not least, these bikes are no waste and can be recycled easily. I would like to see carbon fiber frames banned and professionals returing atleast to aluminium (professional level dictates the trend for majority of the sunday riders, want it or not), because at the moment the amount of carbon fiber crap that will not be recycled is just mind boggling (and that is just a fraction of all the other crap humans produce). Aluminium would be easier to recycle, more long lasting and is the most common metal on earth's crust. Recently there has been some good revival of alumiunium used as a frame material (new innovations).

That's just a scratch on the topic.

[inboost]

I have to say trilo , this can go both ways to one's advantage. My previous hobby was far more expensive in time and money, and had to be enjoyed at far away locations usually without family (I was a semi-professional gunsmith for 15 years). Even the cheapest equipment was more than just about any of the watches I have acquired so far. So for this 'trade' in hobbies my Wife has been far more forgiving of my missteps in judgement. In fact she's even happy to participate in this watchmaking hobby, showing me watches she sees on her social media feeds that have somehow squirmed into her profile (I am forever laughing at contaminating her advertisement feeds with my pursuits). She likes that watchmaking keeps me close by and that she also nets some pretty wrist jewelry of her own from it. Don't get me wrong, I still get myself in hot water regularly over it, but at least the tongue lashings are less severe these days