Recommend a Reward for Me

[MattTuck]

I'm slowly closing in on crossing the 200 pound threshold. It will be nice, since I haven't been that light since before my divorce, and I want to give myself a reward.

Whenever it happens, I'll probably take the day off from work and do a nice ride.

Also, I am looking for ideas, cycling and non-cycling related, to buy myself something as a small reward... it is not the end of the road, by any means, but it is psychologically a big deal to move from the 200's to the 100's.

Been considering picking up some Scotch, Ardbeg Corryvreckan (which was recommended on here), or a nice bottle of wine.

I'm dedicating a max of $200 to this event, for fiscal and significance reasons.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm slowly closing in on crossing the 200 pound threshold. It will be nice, since I haven't been that light since before my divorce, and I want to give myself a reward.

Whenever it happens, I'll probably take the day off from work and do a nice ride.

Also, I am looking for ideas, cycling and non-cycling related, to buy myself something as a small reward... it is not the end of the road, by any means, but it is psychologically a big deal to move from the 200's to the 100's.

Been considering picking up some Scotch, Ardbeg Corryvreckan (which was recommended on here), or a nice bottle of wine.

I'm dedicating a max of $200 to this event, for fiscal and significance reasons.

get this

http://www.backcountry.com/campagnolo-miro-corkscrew?CMP_SKU=CPG002I&MER=0406&CMP_ID=SH_PRG001&mv_pc=r120&003=7163972&010=CPG002I&mr:referralID=8dcef8f2-2e2b-11e4-bc5f-001b2166c62d

Ya said ya drink wine..

[jlyon]

You live in a beautiful part of the world!

Hire a guide and go Kayaking on lake Ombagog/androscogin river.

My wife and I had a great time doing that.

[MattTuck]

get this

http://www.backcountry.com/campagnolo-miro-corkscrew?CMP_SKU=CPG002I&MER=0406&CMP_ID=SH_PRG001&mv_pc=r120&003=7163972&010=CPG002I&mr:referralID=8dcef8f2-2e2b-11e4-bc5f-001b2166c62d

Ya said ya drink wine..

Do they make a white one for when I choose white wine? ;)

Will need to consult with my vintner to see if he's using the campagnolo corks or the shimano ones this year. :banana:

[Bradford]

As a reward, buy yourself a touring bike. Then take it for a ride out west for 500-1,000 mile. That way you combine the reward and the ride together.

[weisan]

vegas

[MattTuck]

I'm dedicating a max of $200 to this event, for fiscal and significance reasons.

As a reward, buy yourself a touring bike. Then take it for a ride out west for 500-1,000 mile. That way you combine the reward and the ride together.

vegas

That would be the saddest trip to vegas ever.... Or I could comeback a millionaire! :banana:

[Shortsocks]

I'm slowly closing in on crossing the 200 pound threshold. It will be nice, since I haven't been that light since before my divorce, and I want to give myself a reward.

Whenever it happens, I'll probably take the day off from work and do a nice ride.

Also, I am looking for ideas, cycling and non-cycling related, to buy myself something as a small reward... it is not the end of the road, by any means, but it is psychologically a big deal to move from the 200's to the 100's.

Been considering picking up some Scotch, Ardbeg Corryvreckan (which was recommended on here), or a nice bottle of wine.

I'm dedicating a max of $200 to this event, for fiscal and significance reasons.

Congrats man! I'm proud. It's not an easy thing to do. Buy yourself something from that Rapha sale, to help motivate and create a trophy of yourself for shaping up after your divorce.

A nice new clean, form fitting jersey to show off your new build would be great!

[JAGI410]

Dude...congrats!!!! I'm 6.5lbs off of the same goal and it's been a battle for sure. As for a reward, I think that Campy corkscrew is awesome. It's something you'll have for life and it's a great reminder/conversation piece.

[bargainguy]

A couple C-notes? A night out with friends would be near the top of my list. Whatever you guys do to celebrate.

BTW, congrats!

[MadRocketSci]

champagne room

[biker72]

I can only tell you what I did. I started at over 300 pounds thinking hell would have to freeze over before I ever hit 250. The day I went below 200, I did go out for a nice long ride and had some "sin food" after.

Sin food is the food I either quit eating altogether or drastically cut down on to achieve my goal. It didn't cost much but sure tasted good.

[Saint Vitus]

A new saddle to conform to the new you.

[SlackMan]

Congrats, Matt! I would think about something that simultaneously rewards you and provides strong incentive to keep up the success. Maybe something nice for your bike that would remind you of what you accomplished while you are riding? Or maybe something nice to put near your sofa for those days when you don't feel like riding but know you should get out and do it?!

[jtakeda]

Some nice jeans?

[MattTuck]

Good ideas, all of them.

I'm hesitant to buy expensive new clothes (riding or not) because I'm still shooting for another 20-30 pounds of loss.

Christian's formula (optimum cycling weight = 2.2 x [height in inches]) would give me a weight of 156 lbs, which seems a bit too aggressive. I'm shooting for 175, and we'll see where we go from there. (I'm 5'11'', btw) Scale this morning was in the 202 range, started the year at 226.

To Shane's (SlackMan) point, I have also been considering a light -- I could rationalize that it will extend the riding season as we lose after work light in the fall. But that seems very practical... not that there's anything wrong with that.

[crownjewelwl]

Get yourself a nice juicer or blender!! Keep it up!!

No chance I'll ever get to 162.8lbs...well perhaps if I only consumed green drinks!!

[pdmtong]

Buy yourself something from that Rapha sale

The brevet short sleeve, transfer jacket, or pro team jacket are some of their best pieces and at these prices plus the 10% extra are simply screaming deals.

oops...didnt see your comment about clothing

Congratulations on your achievement!

If you do decide to go scotch, the ardbeg corry is excellent (be sure you like peat, smoke), and you will still have money left over.

I also vote for a get together with close friends

[weaponsgrade]

I'd get something you can look at everyday for inspiration. Like a bike-related painting, photograph, or other art work.

[gdw]

$200.... a cheap hotel room in White River Junction, a couple hookers, and a case of beer. :banana:

[MattTuck]

The brevet short sleeve, transfer jacket, or pro team jacket are some of their best pieces and at these prices plus the 10% extra are simply screaming deals.

oops...didnt see your comment about clothing

Congratulations on your achievement!

If you do decide to go scotch, the ardbeg corry is excellent (be sure you like peat, smoke), and you will still have money left over.

I also vote for a get together with close friends

I believe it was you that pointed me in that direction, it's been hanging in the back of mind since then. I dig Islay :)

No worries, the clothing thing is tough. Right now, I'm just about on the cusp of XL and Large in most brands. I don't think I'll ever be a Medium, so a Large might be a good incentive piece that I could grow(shrink?) into, but it would stink to shell out the money and then find out later that it doesn't fit quite right.

[Louis]

Shopping spree at Omer and Bob's.

[MattTuck]

Shopping spree at Omer and Bob's.

I almost posted a story about them in the recent LBS hate thread.

I went in to look at some new bibs, they only had 6 bibs in the entire store. (I'm not talking about six styles of bibs) Like literally, 6 bibs. 2 brands, with 3 sizes each. THey had some bontrager bibs that I was considering until I read the tag... they were from 2012.

oh, and they moved out of Hanover. They're in Lebanon, NH now... closer to my apartment.

They do sell Oakleys, that I have considered getting some custom Jawbones to match the Kirk.. but north of my budget.

[Louis]

A more serious response:

I'd draw a circle centered on home with a 150-200 mile radius and find a good area to ride somewhere in that circle. Make reservations at a nice hotel / motel / B&B, drive there Thursday afternoon after work, and spend Friday and Saturday riding. Sleep in Sunday and drive home Sunday afternoon.

[Splash]

well done Matt.

This weight loss thing changes your whole life and the time and effort needed to lose the pounds needs a very strong mind.

Now that you are divorced, what about a clean hooker for a few hours?

SPlash

[tiretrax]

Get a buddy and head down to a Sox game.

Or the hookers, but aren't the co-eds back in town soon? That would cover a bar tab at Peter Christian's.

Congratulations, Matt. That's awesome. I've been trying to get to that point AND MAINTAIN it. I feel like Moses - I've been close to the promised land, but I can't make it there. As much as I like Christian's formula and it jibes with recent BMI suggestions, I'd never make it to 163 lbs. and be happy to be back at 190.

I saw a friend recently and admired his jersey. It was in a new (XXL) Rapha jersey he bought as incentive to lose 30 lbs (weight watchers and exercise).

[ceolwulf]

Rouleur subscription?

[Shortsocks]

Now that you are divorced, what about a clean hooker for a few hours?

SPlash

Ahaahaha!

Also a GREAT idea!
Make sure she's wearing a campy cycling cap!

[pdmtong]

I believe it was you that pointed me in that direction, it's been hanging in the back of mind since then. I dig Islay :)

No worries, the clothing thing is tough. Right now, I'm just about on the cusp of XL and Large in most brands. I don't think I'll ever be a Medium, so a Large might be a good incentive piece that I could grow(shrink?) into, but it would stink to shell out the money and then find out later that it doesn't fit quite right.

Although there are screaming deals on clothing right now guess what there will be screaming deals later. the most expensive piece of clothing is the one you buy TWICE.

Scotch in general is going up in price and has over the past 3-4 years. worldwide demand exceeding supply etc.

lets look at the islay producers.

Laphroiag - the 10yo is the cheapest and when it was $27 at Trader Joes, sure buy it but IMHO its pretty harsh. I think the quarter cask, cask, and triple wood are all ok but in the end marketing variants. that leaves a big price jump to the 18 at around $140 - there you are paying for supply and not flavor

Lagavulin - the 16yo is thier bread and butter. costco for $54 etc. but the blend has changed over the years and IMHo its not as good as it once was. the distillers editions for $100 are weird and again a marketing thing. I'd rather drink ardbeg corry than the current laga 16 any day

ardbeg - the world loves ardbeg. the 10yo is the best deal going the ulgeadial is sweeter due to the sherry finish. the corry is better than the laga 16 in every way...to me this is the best bottle they sell for mass consumption with ulgeadial a close second. dont worry about the once a year releases. they are hit and miss and its too much a frenzy ot chase those bottles.

caol ila - most caol ila goes into johnny walker but the 12yo is nice...is softer than the ardbeg. the now long gone 18yo was a house favorite, but sadly out of production

bowmore- love bowmore. not as pungent as ardbeg but great mouth feel and rich. the 15yo darkest is nice, as is the 18yo.

bruichladdich - this was my fav islay distillery but since going all corporate when remy martin bought them they are resettling what they want to be. luckily I have older bottles so i can remember how it once was until they get it back together.

bunnahabhain - the 18yo is a great bottle. wont have as much bite as the ardbeg but very rich if you want to spend a bit more.

kilchoman - these guys are doing everything right and proving that great taste can come from a younger age. like 3-5 years. the current edition machir bay is a winner at $55 or so. pay attention to them.

Ardbeg Corry should be $85ish....I know thats a non-trivial dollar amount for someone who isnt buying whisky regularly but its hands down a definitive islay taste and I think the best flavour in the ardbg lineup. older ardbeg gets stupid prices now, like 21yo if you can find it for $350....and guess what...I can taste the difference but it is not mind blowing like it should be for that price.

so, arbeg corry, bowmore 15 darkest, kilchoman machir bay. any of those will make you happy and still have money left over!

[pdmtong]

$200.... a cheap hotel room in White River Junction, a couple hookers, and a case of beer. :banana:

is that really possible for $200? :)

[Louis]

How about a tattoo?

Maybe work related, if you're a true business geek, or cycling, or whatever:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/e/f/5ef2fa747d3a5d684ae67bdc7236e6d4.png

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697871784&stc=1&d=1385750882

[gdw]

"is that really possible for $200?"

Yup, and he should have enough change left over to buy one of those Rapha King of Pain bottle openers.

[MattTuck]

is that really possible for $200? :)

I have no idea what the going rate is, but I'm pretty certain it would be cheaper than a major city... with a commensurate drop in the quality, I'm sure.

That being said, I do have a GF now. So, :no:

[pdmtong]

"is that really possible for $200?"

Yup, and he should have enough change left over to buy one of those Rapha King of Pain bottle openers.

I have no idea what the going rate is, but I'm pretty certain it would be cheaper than a major city... with a commensurate drop in the quality, I'm sure.

That being said, I do have a GF now. So, :no:

Prices here have increased, just like the real estate
http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/11/technology/silicon-valley-prostitution/

[MattTuck]

How about a tattoo?

Maybe work related, if you're a true business geek, or cycling, or whatever:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/e/f/5ef2fa747d3a5d684ae67bdc7236e6d4.png

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697871784&stc=1&d=1385750882

I'm definitely down with getting a tattoo, just need to find something that I could live with for the rest of my life.

THAT is the challenge.

[wc1934]

A nice fountain pen - comes immediately to mind as that is what I am currently shopping for.

[Louis]

I'm definitely down with getting a tattoo, just need to find something that I could live with for the rest of my life.

THAT is the challenge.

I suppose one question is if you're the type to go with something serious or something frivolous. Based on your "rest of my life" comment, I would guess serious for you.

There are a few threads here on tats. (and obviously lots of stuff on the web, in fact I think somewhere out there there's an entire site dedicated to cycling-related tattoos)

A cool frivolous cycling tat posted here by EvanOT:

http://i.imgur.com/weSrKEr.jpg

[daker13]

I'm with pdmtong, get some scotch... but his palate is considerably more developed than mine, which still finds a $60 bottle quite a splurge. Maybe some Pappy van winkle?

A decent motel and some new roads might be a treat. I grew up in Franconia, and can make a recommendation that would fit your budget. And North Conway has great riding, decent food, and plenty o' outlets.

Any event, congratulations on your accomplishment!

[shovelhd]

I have no idea what the going rate is, but I'm pretty certain it would be cheaper than a major city... with a commensurate drop in the quality, I'm sure.

That being said, I do have a GF now. So, :no:

A nice meal, a bottle of chilled bubbly, and a new teddy. For her, of course.

[c-record]

Sweet! Nice job and keep at it.

Either something to keep you chasing that carrot on the bike or something totally unrelated. If you're a music listener you can get a decent set of headphones for ~$200 and enjoy you some tunes now and then.

[MattTuck]

I suppose one question is if you're the type to go with something serious or something frivolous. Based on your "rest of my life" comment, I would guess serious for you.

There are a few threads here on tats. (and obviously lots of stuff on the web, in fact I think somewhere out there there's an entire site dedicated to cycling-related tattoos)

A cool frivolous cycling tat posted here by EvanOT:

http://i.imgur.com/weSrKEr.jpg


The three tattoos that I consider, and come back to, every so often are:

1.) Darwin Tree or Darwin Tree inspired design. This is, to me, one of the seminal moments in humanity and scientific reasoning. The novel idea that the finches were related to each other through a process called evolution -- that the world, and the creatures that live on it, are not static but are in fact changing.

Geometric version
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/48/92/6d48925cd2fc1b346bcec983a250c9cc.jpg

From Charles Darwin's notebook.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4260065268_f410b5da63_m.jpg


2.) A blue bird. Sailors used to get a tattoo of a blue bird when they travelled 5,000 miles. I figured the first year I cycle 5,000 miles I might get one.

3.) Some flanders/classics inspired tattoo. I have a couple ideas gut would need an artist to render them.

[pinkshogun]

the first week of october is a 3 day cyclocross event at roger williams park. friday is the frame builders ball, sat/sun is the racing

book yourself a 2 night stay at one of the hotels in the area and ride your bike to the event(s).

[rounder]

I like OP's idea of the campy corkscrew and a bottle of good wine. It shows reasoned thought and commitment.

On the other hand, gdw had a really good idea that is hard to rule out.

Congrats and good luck.

[pbarry]

Your reward is small daily/weekly improvements in performance on the bike and weight loss. You want more than that?? ;)

Keep on this road. Kudos.

[AngryScientist]

I'm drinking a glass of the Lagavulin on the rocks right now. good scotch is always a good idea.

i'm proud of you matt, losing weight is the gift that keeps on giving.

[pdmtong]

I'm drinking a glass of the Lagavulin on the rocks right now. good scotch is always a good idea.
:eek: that is of course unless you kill it with rocks. :eek:

try this instead. get a bottled water screw cap. add maybe half a cap of water to your standard pour. the water has the effect of opening the scotch up, and softening the hard edges. this is especially noticeable with bottles above say 48% abv. if you want more softness, add more water. youll find the amount that works for your taste.

rocks? that's a 1950s thing when everything was blended (johnny walker, seagrams, crown royal) rocks only serves to add temperature befuddlement and dilution to the experience

this isn't like me being a hands on hips purist saying no mtb pedals on a road bike. this is me saying it really works to add some water and no rocks lets you enjoy the real flavor in the bottle.

do not get tempted by the whisky freezer stones http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2012/04/11/whisky-stones-do-they-rock-or-not/ I feel the same way - more troub;le than not and really ineffective. an overall mess actually

if you really want to go all in, then spend $8 and pick up a glencairn glass. plenty of online places to find them. amazon, etc.
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/the-glencairn-whisky-glass/s330442?a=1552
this is the std glass used at whisky fests and IMHO actually makes a difference since the nose is closed more than a tumbler. dishwasher safe. priced right. makes the evening special

[MattTuck]

Your reward is small daily/weekly improvements in performance on the bike and weight loss. You want more than that?? ;)

Keep on this road. Kudos.

That has been one nice piece of it... almost every ride I upload to strava (that includes hills) gives me a PR.

As long as I keep my variety high, and keep hills separated by a week or so, I'm usually riding them faster just thanks to the weight loss.

[fuzzalow]

^ A tip of the hat to pdmtong as a true connoisseur of the wee dram. Helping us all live better lives one fifth at a time!

[AngryScientist]

:eek: that is of course unless you kill it with rocks. :eek:

try this instead. get a bottled water screw cap. add maybe half a cap of water to your standard pour. the water has the effect of opening the scotch up, and softening the hard edges. this is especially noticeable with bottles above say 48% abv. if you want more softness, add more water. youll find the amount that works for your taste.

rocks? that's a 1950s thing when everything was blended (johnny waker, seagrams, crown royal)

this isn't like a purist saying no mtb pedals on a road bike. this is me saying add some water and no rocks lets you enjoy the real flavor in the bottle

you are, of course - correct. however, i still like my scotch/rocks. i've got a pretty comprehensive collection here, and i mix up my sipping tendencies, but ice isnt that bad, all told.

[pdmtong]

ardbeg corry, bowmore 15 darkest, kilchoman machir bay. any of those will make you happy and still have money left over!

$70, $75, $55 respectively

I'm with pdmtong, get some scotch... but his palate is considerably more developed than mine, which still finds a $60 bottle quite a splurge. Maybe some Pappy van winkle?

I've had the opty to try every bottle in the current release portfolio of the eight producing islay distillery. tried to write my comments with an eye towards value/taste since any fool can spend gobs of money. Just as you find $60 expensive, that is no different than me waffling on buying an enve stem when to others thats just what they do. there is a bottle for any of us at any price. when bottle s get to be 18yo or more, you are paying for scarcity and flavor. not all bottles deliver on the flavor though, at least at the level you would expect for say $300. anything over $500 is scarcity driven. bottles $200-500 are flavor and scarcity driven.

a nice range to be in is $50-75. thats enough of a step for anyone to notice but not so much it kills your wallet. beyond $75 welcome to being addicted....

[cnighbor1]

I would ride out over 65 miles stay overnite have a great dinner than ride back

perhaps a different route
whatever you do enjoy it
Charles

[texbike]

$200 budget? How about a nice, professional massage for you AND the girlfriend? If you include her in the celebration, you may not need that hooker... :)

BTW, congrats on making progress on your goals.

Texbike

[pdmtong]

^ A tip of the hat to pdmtong as a true connoisseur of the wee dram. Helping us all live better lives one fifth at a time!

thanks fuzz...but I am mindful to not let my best friend be seen at the bottom of the glass.

you are, of course - correct. however, i still like my scotch/rocks. i've got a pretty comprehensive collection here, and i mix up my sipping tendencies, but ice isnt that bad, all told.

all preferences...my comments are the ones that let the flavor profile be revealed the most. any big $ bottle though, try it first neat or with a bit of water before defaulting to rocks else I think you will be overpaying for the bottle since diluting. this is not like adding 4 cans of water to frozen OJ to get more yield...:)

[tuxbailey]

Congratulations! I am trying to work myself back down to the same goal since I had a really stressful year, leaving no room for exercise. Keep it up!

[schwa86]

Used pair of XC skis so you can keep it up all winter? The Hanover golfcourse is pretty nice...

[moose8]

[QUOTE=pdmtong;1612198]:eek: that is of course unless you kill it with rocks. :eek:

I used to live in Ireland and my roommates mocked me mercilessly when I drank Jameson on the rocks. That, combined with the inability of our cheap student fridge to make ice turned me onto drinking it neat, and now I definitely prefer it that way.

I'd spend the $200 on a variety of awesome beers - you could spend that on a great Belgian selection to keep with a Flanders theme - and then invite a friend or two over for some sampling.

And kudos on dropping the weight - it is hard to do for most of us.

[cash05458]

Hmmm...200 bucks...lost weight and survived a bad divorce? I would get a nice hooker...:banana:

[djg]

Dunno how long it has been since your divorce, but how about picking up one of those dates the kids talk about? A night out with an agreeable woman (or whatever type o' person you'd prefer)? Somebody to keep you from drinking that whole bottle of Scotch by yourself, mebbe.

[pdmtong]

turned me onto drinking it neat, and now I definitely prefer it that way

I would guess that EVERYONE up until the recent single malt craze drank their scotch on rocks, myself included. why wouldn't you, unless someone mentioned otherwise? if angry likes rocks, keep drinking rocks. if someone poured a big $ bottle and it went on the rocks, yes i would cringe, but only because that really dilutes (pun intended) the flavor experience that was paid for. Frowning upon the habits of others isn't being a snob, its being a jerk. so hopefully folks can take my comments as additive to their experiences...

[giordana93]

Interesting responses wrt sex, booze and food. I would get sth that I would see every day or ride that reminded me of my new lifestyle change. How bout some fancy new bar tape, like leather that can age as you put on the miles with a set of new tires and lightweight tubes? Sth along those lines is my vote

[SlackMan]

I would guess that EVERYONE up until the recent single malt craze drank their scotch on rocks, myself included. why wouldn't you, unless someone mentioned otherwise? if angry likes rocks, keep drinking rocks. if someone poured a big $ bottle and it went on the rocks, yes i would cringe, but only because that really dilutes (pun intended) the flavor experience that was paid for. Frowning upon the habits of others isn't being a snob, its being a jerk. so hopefully folks can take my comments as additive to their experiences...

I got a chuckle out of the "...EVERYONE up until the recent..." comment. Over twenty years ago I and others I knew were drinking almost all spirits neat...except Tequila, which I drank on the rocks.

[pdmtong]

Well maybe not EVERYONE but
single malt only started becoming more broadly available USA a few decades ago. The 750ml bottle required special bottling since the Europe std was and still is 70cl. Remember when macallan 18 was <$100? Yeesh if we could have a way back machine
Someone tapped me on the shoulder back then and said no rocks. Neat ever since

[MattTuck]

Well maybe not EVERYONE but
single malt only started becoming more broadly available USA a few decades ago. The 750ml bottle required special bottling since the Europe std was and still is 70cl. Remember when macallan 18 was <$100? Yeesh if we could have a way back machine
Someone tapped me on the shoulder back then and said no rocks. Neat ever since

You must account for inflation. ;)

[SlackMan]

While we're talking about better ways to enjoy spirits, and in case Matt decides to go the Scotch route, I'd offer the advice of learning to "drink on the inhale." Lots of people try to drink spirits on the exhale, i.e., they exhale, take a sip and then inhale. This pushes volatile alcohol vapors back into the throat and increases the chance of coughing and chocking and generally looking uncool. Drinking on the inhale means that you inhale, take a sip, and then exhale. Exhaling pushes the alcohol vapors out. On the next inhale, you get to taste and smell the aromas of what you are drinking without the alcoholic vapor making you want to cough. And, of course, you look way cooler not coughing!