11/27/14 11:42 AM

I got an e-mail ad this morning advertising a "Black Friday" sale from Ribble Cycles.

Now Ribble is a UK company and, as far as i know, the Brits don't celebrate Thanksgiving, at least not the 4th Thursday in November. So "Black Friday" should have no meaning there unless our orgy of buying has spread well beyond out shores.

11/28/14 9:20 AM

I've received Black Friday announcements from other UK vendors as well. Then again, it's possible that they only send these emails to US customers...

It only makes sense that they would cater to our annual feeding frenzy (which I avoid like the plague!).

11/28/14 5:24 PM

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...our annual feeding frenzy (which I avoid like the plague!)

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11/29/14 9:02 AM

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I had a good size list of items I wore out and need replacing by the time I got to the end of the season...

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11/29/14 9:49 AM

I took the "feeding frenzy" at its literal meaning, to merely indicate the manner not the end result, of the Black Friday buying "experience".

While there're some people who buy things they absolutely don't need because it's a bargain, many more only buy what they could use. I know I'm not the only one who delay buying non-urgent items until the holiday sale period. Many of my friends and their family do the same. The snow shovel handle is rotting? Well, make do till Black Friday. The space heater is not keeping the garage warm enough? It won't be that cold at Thanksgiving anyway, so let's wait... etc.

More over, there's a grey area between "need" and "un-need" that I call "delayed need", for consumables such as tubes and tires, to cassettes and chains, to shorts and gloves. I have tendency to not buy things until I really need them. But sometimes that results in my having to buy something I really, really NEED at close to full price 2 months after the big sale I passed up back in the holiday sale.

It reminds me of the credit card advice: keep only one card! Well, for people who can't control their spending, that's a good advice. But for those of us who don't have a problem, that doesn't help. Some of us actually prefer to have more than one card for bookkeeping reason.

Black Friday, from the retailers' perspective, it's just one day of the year many more people will be out shopping regardless. So they're trying to win them over their competitors. Just because some percentage of the population buy too much stuff they don't need on that day doesn't mean the rest of us can't take advantage of the deals.

So no, I don't avoid it. I embrace it. :D

(though I have to admit, I haven't bought even 10% of my list yesterday! The deals doesn't seem to be that good)

11/29/14 9:59 AM

Back to the title of the thread. Apparently, the Brits doesn't seem to have a "national shopping day" like us Americans. So some retailers are trying to create one, despite them not celebrating Thanksgiving.

Alibaba, the Chinese eBay equivalent, created their own "national shopping day" call the "Single's Day".

Perhaps, as the sole female of this forum, I'm the only one who actually ENJOY SHOPPING as an "activity". Walking down the street of Manhattan (or Danbury Fair Mall), is perfectly enjoyable as hiking in Pound Ridge Park, my neighborhood park. I put in good mileage by the end of the day, with something in my hands coming through the door of my house too. ;-)

11/29/14 1:26 PM

...which is also "celebrated" in Canada. It's "Boxing Day", which is the day AFTER Christmas.

Personally, I buy almost everything on sale, generally out of season. I'm fine with shopping, though I generally find more bargains for Linda than myself, since her petite size is common in the leftovers at the end of any season. I imagine that you're in the same situation, April.

11/29/14 2:06 PM

"Boxing Day"


Thanks, sez Brit wife sitting besides me. ;)

11/29/14 4:30 PM

I only hit up one Black Friday Deal.

Moonshine from a local distillery was 30% off and I grabbed a quart for an old friend I met here.

Odd, doorbuster prices on moonshine.

11/29/14 4:59 PM

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I generally find more bargains for Linda than myself, since her petite size is common in the leftovers at the end of any season. I imagine that you're in the same situation, April.

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11/29/14 9:10 PM

Linda's only 5'1" on a good day. ;-)

11/30/14 2:13 AM

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When I used to lived in the midwest, I was a 5'4 midget (I think the average Midwestern women are something like 5'8). So I almost always found great left over deals.

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11/30/14 8:44 AM

I have quite a few friends significantly shorter than me (at least 2 comes to mind who are shorter than 5'). They had a heck of a hard time finding bikes that fit. And most shops also don't stock any extra small, never mind women's extra small.

I consider myself to be in the "best" height range! Tall enough to find stuff that fits. But short enough to take advantage of left over odd sizes. ;-)

Except I have small hands and feet for my height. So I had a more difficult time finding my shoe size in stock. Brake levers...? Well, I had learned to just accept the trade-off on power vs reach.

12/2/14 6:24 AM

Once they become ubiquitous on road bikes, issues with lever reach will be eliminated. That's already the case with MTBs. With disks, you can have all the power you want with whatever reach you need.