Is it worth lending your bike?

[gavroche]

My grandson needed trannsport to get to work, about 3 miles from his house, so I lent him my second road bike. A few weeks ago, he brought it back saying he did not need it anymore. I put the bike away and thought no more about it until today when I decided to use it to go into town. Pumped up the tyres as it had not been used for weeks, re-adjusted the seat as he is taller than me and jumped on it. Right away I realised that something was wrong, so I dismantled and to my surprised, noticed that the back wheel was woobling. Ok I thought, it must be loose. Out came the spanner and proceeded to tighten it.
Nothing wrong with the nuts as they are tight to the frame.
The only thing I can think of is that he must have jumped on and off pavements and knackered the bearing on the back wheel.
What do you think and is it easy to fix?

 

[Canrider]

I'd think rather than the bearings being knackered, it could be a bent axle or the wheel gone out of true. Bent axle should be a easy replacement. Truing the wheel can be done at home but is a bit trickier than putting in a new axle/skewer (well, I think so at any rate).

 

[cyberknight]

Looks like your grandson is off the Christmas list then!
I have lent loads of stuff to family members and sometimes you feel like sending them a bill for repairs but its family so your a bit stuck .

 

[e-rider]

I'm not keen to lend stuff to anyone, as in the past it either gets damaged, lost or never returned!
People really take the piss borrowing stuff and then not giving a shoot about it

 

[Rob3rt]

Of all the things I won't lend to others, bikes rank highly, somewhere up there next to underwear!

 

[Dave Davenport]

I once lent my pristine Cannondale road bike to my brother in law when he was over from Australia. He went out with my father in law and they drove somewhere first. After the ride they put the bikes back on the rear carrier.........but forgot to tie them on. I could have wept when I saw it after it had bounced a 100 yards down the road

 

[gavroche]

I'd think rather than the bearings being knackered, it could be a bent axle or the wheel gone out of true. Bent axle should be a easy replacement. Truing the wheel can be done at home but is a bit trickier than putting in a new axle/skewer (well, I think so at any rate).

I don't think the wheel is out of true as you can move it from side to side, freely.

 

[Globalti]

He's probably broken the axle. I've done it by riding my 10 speed off road.

 

[DWiggy]

If the wheel moves wobbles side to side then could just be play in the bearings (if loose bearing type), the end nut wouldn't necessarily indicate this issue, try and tighten cone below the nut innermost item , you will need a cone spanner. Doubt it would be a bent axle

 

[VamP]

I've now lent two bikes to father in law. Heither have come back yet, so the jury's out.

 

[guitarpete247]

A few years ago I was made to feel guilty that GF's son was having to work the mile to work and my bike was in the garage doing nothing throughout the week. Why don't you let him use it? I was asked.

Why did he no longer have a bike that was road worthy?

I found out too quickly.

He could only stop by slamming on the back brake and sliding to a halt, shredding the tyre in the process. He couldn't stand the bike up but just let it drop to the floor whenever he dismounted. I never found out how he did it but he destroyed the rear, ESGE, mudguard that had been on, undamaged for 15 years.
New set of tyres, new mudguards (Not got ESGE's or equivalents yet) and lots of paint chips all over frame later and he's not borrowing a bike of mine again. Although he was working he never had the money to help pay for anything.

By the way he was 23 at the time, now 30 and I still won't lend him bike as he still takes little care of anything of his own never mind other peoples property.

When he punctured tyre in his bike, 2nd time out (last year), he borrowed track pump (thank god it was Lidl), tyre levers, repair kit and spanners. Wheel, pump, frame, tools went flying about the garden when he struggled to get tyre off .

 

[guitarpete247]

If the wheel moves wobbles side to side then could just be play in the bearings (if loose bearing type), the end nut wouldn't necessarily indicate this issue, try and tighten cone below the nut innermost item , you will need a cone spanner. Doubt it would be a bent axle

If it's hollow q/r axle it could be bent more easily. Take skewer out and look through centre.
If it's bent change as soon as possible before cups in the hub get damaged.

 

[Rob3rt]

A few years ago I was made to feel guilty that GF's son was having to work the mile to work and my bike was in the garage doing nothing throughout the week. Why don't you let him use it? I was asked.

I'd have told her, to tell him, to jog on, literally, it would take less than 10 mins to jog a mile!

By the time you get the bike out, ride a mile in traffic, then lock it up at the other end etc, you could probably have walked there!

 

[guitarpete247]

I'd have told her, to tell him, to jog on, literally, it would take less than 10 mins to jog a mile!

By the time you get the bike out, ride a mile in traffic, then lock it up at the other end etc, you could probably have walked there!

Lock it up??????

I doubt he got round to doing that. I think he just threw it down outside the building. No self respecting bike thief would take a bike the owner/rider thought so little of.

 

[palinurus]

Depends.

I've just lent my 'cross bike to a clubmate for a duathlon. I was a bit embarassed about the condition of it since I was going to service it before next season, the BB feels a little rough, the brakes are a bit squeally and the pedals are rusty (although nice and spinny, it's just cosmetic). Chances are it'll come back in better condition.
Once I lent an old MTB to a friend to get to work, it came back in a bit of a state. I've no idea how he bent the rack the way he did, it was junk after. The headset was really loose- and oddly not completely worn just really badly adjusted. Mudguards broken. I wanted it back for touring, but there was too much work to do to get it ready so I took another bike. I've subsequently given it to someone else and it's doing just fine.