Now that I ride my bike around quite a bit, getting socks for Christmas is AWESOME!
Used to suck, though.
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Couldn’t agree more. I rely on my Christmas sock restock 
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Socks for sure. I wear out at least 3 pairs of work socks and bike socks in a year.
Also books. I’ve always liked reading but it’s harder to read a book rather than watch tv, but I’ve been getting a lot of value out of cycling books and that’s transferred to other books and I spend more hours reading then tv most days now. Not counting trainer hours, chads ability to read on the trainer hasn’t quite transferred to me.
I’ve never (before) been upset about people who get me socks for Christmas. There are few “cheap” gifts that have anywhere near the instant positive feelings as the right pair of new socks…
Now since my wife knows I detest “no-show” and other at/below the ankle socks, and that’s what she got me this year, thinking that she’d change me over, there was a discussion about whether or not I should get her a heart rate strap for her purely consistent pace runs (she hates intervals and “six- by- anythings”). A 10 pack of black or gray 1/4 crew socks from champion or whatever would have made me much happier that the expensive brand in a style I have never liked, and at my age, won’t convert to. Ungracious rant over.
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As a former weight-weenie marathon runner who never bought below-ankle socks, I never turned them down as gifts. They may seem useless in the winter and perhaps a bit feminine, but they’re good on rainy days with less material to soak up water. One way to assert your masculinity is to return from a rainy-day run or ride soaked to the bone.
Meanwhile, if your wife was hinting that she’s ready to try something different, it doesn’t sound like she has a TrainerRoad subscription yet. (Power, not heart rate 
. ) Intervals are useful even for those who don’t compete. I’m saving one one-month TR referral for my wife, should she ever decide to try it, but I have one more available.
At 6-3, I can’t justify weight weenie in anything, let alone socks. I could care less about their perceived femininity.
I’ve tried three or four brands of them, including a different expensive brand, but none have fit right. Maybe its the size (I wear an 11/11.5) which is usually the exact breaking point between L and XL in socks, and the risk v reward it way too high with sagging, bunching, etc…
I’m actually a big fan of the Rule 9 ride, but I’ve never thought that minimalist socks would have made any run or ride better, in any way. Maybe I’m lucky in not developing blisters, or maybe wearing full crew smartwools on cool wet rides wicks moisture up the leg to evaporate. Either way, my better half likes ice cream rides and farmers market rides, not training anything on the bike.