Is it worth lending your bike?

[Glow worm]

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

That is very true. My sister and her fella stayed here for a weekend recently and I planned to show him a few of the local tracks and byways by bike, as he likes cycling but lives in London and won't ride there. I only have one bike, so I considered asking a neighbour if I could borrow theirs. I decided not to, as there is no way I would lend my bike to anyone, so I reckoned the answer would have been a no! (I would of course have looked after it though!). In the end we all just went to the pub instead.

 

[Dayvo]

Never a borrower nor a lender be, used to be my grandmother's advice.

At a guess, I'd say your cone nuts have become loose:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NGopD4ZD2M

 

[fossyant]

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

You'll be in Cycling Weekly for Road Bike Abuse charges.

I'm off to tell

 

[Leaway2]

If you take the wheel off and the axle does not fall out of each side, it is not broken. I replaced an axle on my hybrid. Not difficult, just a bit of a faff getting the correct tension on the bearings.

 

[mickle]

at times like this violence is the only answer.

 

[albion]

That is exactly what your emergency BSO is for

 

[Boris Bajic]

I lend bikes fairly often. Not super-spanky-new ones, but good, honest bicycles. Once or twice I've lent my 'best' bicycle, but only to trusted and close friends.

I've lent MTBs for off-roading, but I do get a little agitated when they're due back. I wouldn't lend one for an off-road event as I've had rim-brake pads go from fat to nothing in 100km. It's only children and their friends who don't wash MTBs down after borrowing them.

Lending bikes is a nice thing to do. Stuff does get knackered, but I've never had a 'bad' thing go. One chap lost a computer (cheapo Cateye job) and replaced it before I knew it was gone.

I lent a motor mower the other week and the clutch went from 'just right' to u/s in two days on a small, town lawn.... That got me slightly riled, but I think it had more to do with the person who borrowed it. And anyway it was a 5-minute fix.

Lend stuff. Lend everything. People will be nice to you and it will make you happy. And people will lend things back to you.

Amen.

 

[gavroche]

Thanks for all the advice. I will take the wheel off and have a good look. God knows when I will do it though as I hardly use that bike, but nevertheless, I am still not pleased about it,especially when he put it back without saying a word. He must know I was going to find out eventually.

 

[Globalti]

He may not have realised it was broken; some people are mechanically useless twerps.

 

[400bhp]

I'd lend my bike or parts to someone who I know would take care of it.

 

[derrick]

What does that word lend mean

 

[simon the viking]

My wife's bike was off the road a while back (can't remember exact problem) but I said i would take it in the car the next day to the LBS near where I work "oh good" she said "If you're not using your bike i can borrow it then" I didn't worry about her using it for a second.....

At 5ft 4 and my bike a 56cm frame it was never going to happen but it did bring a smile to my face seeing her try!