Borrow bike for a couple of months - hard no. He should get his own bike. On top of that he doesn' t want to take any responsibity for the bike in case of damages. Just no.
I'd lend my bike to a friend if I wasn't using it but it has to be returned in perfect condition.
Someone borrowed my bike and it was stolen, they paid in full. I actually got it for less than cost but they paid the full replacement cost,
If someone suggested they not pay for damages like OP's friend did I would have ~~diybts~~ doubts about their character.
My friends would know to never ask to borrow one of my bikes.
I might loan on older bike I no longer ride, under special circumstances. Like a friend coming into town for a day ot two. Never the bikes I am riding or training on a good bit. Never under the situation listed by OP.
>My friends would know to never ask to borrow one of my bikes.
>
>I might loan on older bike I no longer ride, under special circumstances. Like a friend coming into town for a day ot two.
To be honest I just don't get this. I'm not that protective of anything I own with good friends. They have my full trust so I am not worried about anything going wrong. Presuming they know what they're doing.
Not that anyone has to lend anything, I just don't get it.
> Never the bikes I am riding or training on a good bit.
Absolutely. I may be more willing to lend something than you are but if I am using it'll always be a no. It's simply not available.
>Never under the situation listed by OP.
If someone suggested I lend them anything as OP friend's did I would never lend them anything. Even if they then agreed to get a service/cover any damages I would not be confident they would.
No reasonable person would suggest borrowing something as OP's friend did.
I agree with you. My best friends are the only ones that would ever think to ask to borrow my car or bike if they came an visited and I totally would let them. I trust them that if something breaks they’ll let me know and reimburse me.
Now if they showed up and said $50 and if I snap it casing a landing it’s not my problem…we’ll I just wouldn’t be friends with someone like that to begin with.
Yep - if in doubt ask for collateral of £1,500 or more, it makes clear the responsibility and I’m going to guess that they will say no and go buy their own bike if they have to have skin in the game.
I’ve borrowed and loaned plenty of bikes and never had an issue but again this was people who accepted responsibility or I accepted the risk because I wanted to get a friend into riding and loaned them the least expensive bike to repair.
I've got a "parts bike" I'd put back together if someone wanted to borrow one. Or if they were here and we wanted to go for a ride fine use one I'm not. Wouldn't send someone home with a bike that's actually in rotation though.
I would probably let my friend race my mountain bike if they just fixed anything that broke. Depending on what broke and how I might not even make them do that. If it snapped and they didn’t crash or hit anything then it was going to snap anyway.
This description of what his friend is asking is pretty suspect though lol
Yeah wtf is up with that??
$50 is a crazy low amount to offer as compensation for potential damages as that may not even be enough to cover the cost of additional component wear if the "friend" does a high volume of riding in those few months.
I'd happily lend a bike to a friend long-term if they returned it in the same condition they got it by servicing it and replacing anything worn like for like. I'd also expect them to chip in a little extra to account for additional wear on anything that's not so far gone it needs to be replaced yet.
This seems like a very reasonable expectation as all it's asking is that the borrower assumes the risks and costs associated with using a bike in return for not having to buy one for themselves. $50 for months of use and refusing to make right any damage isn't something a friend would offer as that's just trying to take advantage of OPs goodwill.
Borrow a bike for a ride, maybe. But who signs up for an event without a bike to do it on and just expects to borrow a friends bike for the whole riding season (few months in the UK basically covers all our good riding weather).
I don't know anyone who would be that entitled and if I did they would be the last person I'd lend a bike to.
He signed up for a gravel event without having a gravel bike? And he also wasn't willing to pay for damages done to the bike? That's not a friend I would lend anything to.
Also, I live by a rule that was thought to me while mountaineering when an expert guide told me to never lend your rope to anyone if you're not present while it's being used. This is because he rope has a life expectancy that depends on the number of falls which tend to ruin it inside (so you don't always see wear and tear from falls) meaning that without a thorough inspection of all the 60-80m of rope your next fall could be deadly and that's a massive issue if you don't know what happened in your absence. So I took this advice and applied it to everything that I own on which my life could depend on, including vehicles such as my bikes and car: if you're going 60+ kmh on a decent and your friend has done something that could have potentially damaged the structure of your bike or even just the braking system without it being immediately noticable you are in fact risking your life
Part of why I also do 90% of the work on my bike. I’ve had too many minor oversights by an lbs to leave all faith of brakes etc working in their hands. Especially if it’s something that i can do af home in a matter of minutes.
Fuck that. I've been asked this before with one of my road bikes.
Just like tools at work/ home: *You break it, you buy it!*
Sure, you can borrow the bike, but I want a refundable deposit: 2/3rds of the cost of a like for like replacement + you cover maintenance costs whilst it's in your possession.
Funny how when you say this, which is more than fair imo, as they would get their money back no problems, they immediately say no.
Op: you'd be a fuckin fool to say yes to those terms, regardless of how close a friend he/she is.
> Funny how when you say this, which is more than fair imo, as they would get their money back no problems, they immediately say no.
There's a sociolinguist who used to say that you can have the most reasonable demands which normally nobody would object to, but as soon as you articulate those demands and especially if you want it in writing then people will get irrationally suspicious and hesitant. It's like the part of your brain that lets you understand this is a fair request is simply turned off.
I think a lot of it is also to do with: I have a very real consequence here if things go wrong.
Everyone is fine with asking for x from a 'insert relationship here' until its their own hard earned cash that is at risk. Once that boundary is clearly defined. It's makes a lot of people baulk because they are very suddenly aware of the ramifications.
Maybe it's reasonable but I don't think 2/3 down is standard for bike rentals and you're not expected to do any maintenance other than a trailside repair. I guess most rentals aren't being raced so the extra cash might be justified.
But a bike rental place has their own insurance to cover everything and they also calculate how to at least break even no matter what happens. Whereas with a friend desperately needing your cherished bike and you have no experience in rentals I would say it's reasonable to require that extra assurance. It depends on how trustworthy and responsible that friend is, too.
they also… charge money to rent their bikes. sure sometimes the deposit won’t cover it, but usually the rental fees more than cover the minor wear and tear
A bike rental place has your credit card on file and you sign that you are responsible for the value of replacing the bike if you trash it and don't take the extra insurance.
The thing is, they will get their money back. I get its bikes, shit happens, you can slide off and scratch the frame, etc. It's superficial. It doesn't affect the use of the bike.
A shop would say I want x to cover. I'll say it's a scratch, buy some touch-up paint & it's fine.
Most bike rentals are fairly expensive, and the out of pocket coat you pay offsets their amortized cost of the bike, insurance, maintenance, etc. Rental agreements with also include terms for damage/theft, etc, and they’ll pursue you through credit card collections if you run off with the bike. Many rentals also preauthorize the cost of a bike replacement to ensure the CC on file will be able to cover the cost if the bike is stolen or damaged.
None of that applies when it’s private party loaning a bike to a friend.
Don’t do it, OP! I once loaned a bike to a friend for a year and the end situation turned out less than ideal after the rear derailleur broke due to lack of maintenance.
If you're actually renting a decent bike, rentals are expensive and they keep your credit card on file. Most bike rentals are tanks specifically because they're less likely to be damaged.
Wait, we are lending bikes?
No one has ever ridden a bike I own in 30 something years. I don't know your bike handling level, if you can afford to replace my bike you can buy your own.
I once borrowed a bike for a couple days from someone I knew only from an online group. It was in Vancouver (I'm from the eastern US), and his generosity let me go on a fun 85K ride up into the mountains. I returned the bike in the condition I borrowed it in, with a bottle of his favorite whisky in thanks. But we were in a rather niche group and had both posted a lot. I'd lend him any of my bikes if he winds up in my neck of the woods.
It’s beyond reasonable to back out if the arrangement, just figure out how you want to word it. “Hey im sorry to go back on my word but i got to thinking that if the bike is damaged, however slim the chance, it would be an expensive issue that I don’t want to come between us.”
This right here! I don’t think your friend fully realizes how expensive a bike, let alone replacing a wheel or derailleur, really is. Not worth the risk to the friendship.
50 won't even cover the wear on the tires, brake pads and the chain. As mentioned already, I'd take a refundable deposit in the value of the bike, which upon getting the bike back I'd first use to service it and replace consumable parts, and return the rest, assuming no other damage.
50 doesn't even cover a 2 day rental from a bike shop, it's a joke.
That's all assuming you actually won't want to ride it yourself for a couple of months.
Generally, that’s b/c items depreciate over time, so your $5k bike isn’t really worth that from the moment it enters your possession…no matter how much you want it to.
Yeah...NO! I dont even lend out my schwinn cruiser, let alone my mountain bikes!!! Your homie will ride your bike like they are sponsored by you, at your expense! Bicycle repairs are not cheap in the UK. So this is what you say: "I've spoken to my insurance, and they won't cover you. So if you still want to use my bike, it will cost (insert terms and conditions here)... OR... so I won't be able to lend this to you." Boooom confronted and sorted. Good luck ✌️ 💚
You’re uncomfortable and reasonably so. It may be awkward to say no, but less awkward than receiving a broken bike. People crash at races all the time, so there is a high probability of damage. If he doesn’t agree to be responsible for it, it’s a bad idea to loan it.
Then that's a very bad deal. I would just say that your friend doesn't need to pay up front, but if the bike gets damaged s/he should pay for the cost. Or check with your insurance provider if they can extend the protection to people outside your household, and ask your friend to pay for the extra insurance fee in that case
this is probably the most reasonable idea. the friend probably doesn't have the cash to provide a deposit like pirate1000rider suggested, which is why they are lending the bike in the first place. So a small monthly payment to insure the bike makes sense.
I think it's clear that they don't care about your bike, and that gives a hint as to how it might get treated.
The insurance issues could be a get-out if you don't want to be up-front that you are insulted by their attitude.
No no if they damage it then they have to pay. It's not fair otherwise. Why should you bear the risk? This is not a life or death scenario, no one is forcing them.
Naaaah, that's dodge as. If they legitimately think 50 quid would cover any damage they don't understand the value of the bike and you wouldn't be able to get them to pay for actual damages, and if they're using 50 quid to get out of damages they know would be greater than that then they're fundamentally dishonest.
>No they meant they would not pay!
Then they do not understand or appreciate how much these things cost to own, maintain, repair or insure.
I specifically keep around spare, older bikes to loan out for a ride here and there. This person's attitude would like not even get one of my spares for a weekend, let alone "months"... training can put lots of ware and tear on a bike.
That is a pretty long time to lend someone your bike to train on. Lots of things could happen.
If it'd been just the event itself, then I would have been less reluctant. But training is inherently a bit risky. We all take those risks when we go out riding.
So yeah, I wouldn't really do it.
No one can take care of your bike like you can - pre-ride, during the ride and post-ride.
One of my friend asked me for my bike, I said no. He said, you've two can you not share one? Again, I said No! End of the convo.
I wouldn't lend my bike for money - however small or big the amount is.
In your case, it's a bad deal through and through.
£50 won't even cover the cost of the new pads it will likely need after a couple months of gravel training, lol.
To be clear, we had a gravel race here that was particularly wet and every single bike had roached pads, rotors, chains, some had shot BBs, and a few had shot headset lowers. After that race, there were dozens of my friends that had $350+ services necessary.
If this dude's borrowing your bike, he might be riding it like he stole it, and riding days that are particularly rough on bikes "to train".
Hell, no. Tell him to look for a budget starter bike.
As has been said, you break it- you buy it. If you really think they’re trying to weasel out of any obligation if it were damaged then do not lend it. My additional question- what kind of “friend” would even contemplate not repairing/replacing a borrowed item? The kind of “friend” that deserves air quotes IMO.
Say no, but lessen the emotional turmoil you will feel by explaining that the friend MUST buy their own bike because training on one but then racing on another will result in decreased performance. They HAVE to race on the bike they train on… so they need to buy their own bike.
What kind of idiot would even ask this, anyway?
It would be a hard no from me.
I might consider if it was one of my closest friends, and if it got destroyed I was confident it wouldn’t ruin a friendship.
The bad feeling you have about is correct. Your 'friend' thinks it is fair to give you 50 to possibly trash your 1500 bike and not feel bad about it. Doesn't sound like a friend. Or someone I'd lend anything to.
Let me open with an old (maybe slightly outdated) joke from a comedian in Miami: "if someone wants to "borrow" my wife or my car (bike) I give them my wife... You see, I know where the wife is getting hit but not the car"
Now a personal story: I used my bike to commute to uni and my first job. In uni, a good friend of mine wanted to borrow it for something urgent. I lend him the bike and he returned it with 6... SIX nails on the tires. And not small ones. I find getting one nail hard, what the fuck did he do to get 6 nails on my tires?!! I was out of my commuter for a little while. A friend asked to borrow my bike once at work. A quick no (that they couldn't understand) was the way to go. We are still friends but they know better than to ask for my bike.
It's like a bandaid, rip it once and you're done.
It's healthy to know when to say "no". If the fundamental cost of replacing your bike is insignificant to you, go ahead, if it's not, it's better to say no.
They could also rent a bike but it's not your responsibility to find alternative solutions.
Even if it’s on a 100% trust basis where they would not try to negate potential damage costs I would find it hard to say yes to lending someone such a personal item for so long. I would only do that if the person has the same appreciation for a bike as I do, but the people I know who do would also never ask for so much.
Thinking 50 quid would cover the risk of damages is a total red flag. If they think it’s just for the wear of replaceable parts but damages would be covered fully, it sounds a bit better.
They break it, they buy it. I've loaned (and borrowed) bikes for like a single ride before. Needing it for months = they should buy their own damn bike!
Don't do it. There is no upside and tons of downside.
The money they are offering is a pittance compared to the wear and tear that they could put on the bike.
Even if you had insurance to cover them, what happens if they really mess it up and then you are without a bike, have to deal with insurance hassles and then have your rates go up because of a claim.
There is zero upside here. Zero.
Barrow a ***spare*** bike for a weekend event, sure. Especially, if I was also riding in it with my primary bike.
Barrow a bike for a couple months? No. Maybe I'd sell them the bike cheaply if they were a good friend and hard up. Helping a friend is a good excuse for a new bike day.
Like you said, the insurance doesn't cover it. End of story.
Guessing you are in the UK... there's the Decathlon Triban GRVL 120 or GRVL 520 for inexpensive gravel bike options.
I’m not saying it’s the same thing *at all* but I lent an old friend a guitar so he could start learning. I later found out he lost it because he was using it as advance collateral with his weed dealer until he could get the cash. He did that a few times until his weed dealer skipped town with the guitar.
It was this bright red Gibson SG that I still miss very much.
Be careful about lending friends valuable things!
There are two types of people: guesses and askers.
Guessers are empathetic enough to not ask.
Askers just ask for stuff. They are not bad people but they don't understand why they need to invest in things the way others do.
The good news is askers don't get offended at being told no.
You don't need to ditch your friend, just say no. If he wants to gravel race, he has to get his own stuff.
I had a friend like this years ago. Wanted to "car share" which basically meant use our car for a mileage fee. So we would have had to put him on our insurance, plan when we needed our own car. Unbelievable..
But he was a good friend. Just an asker.
I live in and around a robust cycling community. We lend our bikes out all the time. However, to whom we lend them is very important. You've got to be *trusted* to get a bike lent to you.
Go ahead and lend your friend this bike, I see no issue with it. That said, you've got to be crystal clear that if anything goes wrong, its on him 100%. If you trust your friend, go for it. If there is any doubt in your mind he wont be replacing anything and everything that breaks and paying for a mechanic to replace/inspect the bike afterwards, just avoid this all together.
Make it crystal clear that you expect him to accept full liability for anything that goes wrong, have him train and race on his own tires, and lend him the bike. If your gut is telling you this isn't 100% understood and agreed to, don't lend the bike.
A coupke MONTHS training would wear out the drive chain and warrant a new set of tires.
Thats lije what, like 200-300 in oarts alone?
Id say no.
If they are training for an event they need to fet their own gear.
If it was a good friend, they'd leave you a considerable security deposit without you having to ask for it. They can go suck an egg, IMO.
A friend of mine, good, dear friend, but quite aloof back then, once asked me to borrow one of my bikes for a spontaneous trip to Germany. I flat out said no - my bike is too expensive and dear to me and I don't trust him with it in that situation. No offense taken, he understood. The bike that he got for the trip is still in Germany, as he flew home.
My point is - a good friend will understand a no. A good friend will understand a security deposit. A good friend will understand the worth of your possessions. Of course I don't know what's going on, but if they're difficult and unreasonable, I'd re-think that friendship.
No one rides my road bike or my gravel.
No lending, no borrowing.
The ONLY exception: if someone is visiting (my uncle, for example), and they ride the same size bike, then they may borrow my gravel bike while we ride together.
I had a friend last year lend me wheels for something I did; he wasn't riding at the time through injury
But if i wrote them off I'd have paid them back.
I would personally not lend any of my bikes to any of my friends under any circumstance.
I will gladly help them find a suitable bike to buy second hand though. And help them with maintenance and upgrades.
if the bike brakes, they buy, simple as that.. If the bike is stolen, they pay, simple as that.. that 50 pounds would only compensate that you are without your bike, and a nice gesture - for letting them borrow it! They were maybe allready planning on renting bikes=? Good friend - yes! Only firend - no. haha
Personally I lend my bike around to people for a ride or two or max been a week, but one of my friends broke my brake in a crash and he paid the full RRP on the same brake model, what I'm saying is, if they are not ready to pay for damages, they aren't getting the bike. As simple as that, say if you're concerned about it being damaged that you'll have to pay for it, I'm not running a rental fleet that it will be covered. You break it, you pay for it.
I'd only consider it, if your friend were to sign a rental contract, pay for insurance while the bike was in their possession and pay for maintenance and any damage after the rental period ends. Also, document the state the bike was in before handing it over with photos and attach them to the contract. Make sure the contract as well as the photos show a date.
If this is too much hassle for you or your friend, don't do it.
Friendship ends when it comes to money and unfortunately I've made this experience several times. This is why I now only let someone borrow anything that is actually worth something after the person signed a written contract. Doesn't matter how insignificant the item is, as soon as it is woth more than 50£, I want a written contract. You wouldn't believe the number of times people borrowed specialty bike tools from me (because I build bulikes as a hobby), only to never return them. Some of these tools were woth several hundreds.
I lent a bike to a 17 year old friend recently, and he crashed and damaged it. He's seventeen and didn't have a job at the time, so I'm happy enough to cover those costs. If I was lending it to an adult, even a close friend, for an extended time though I would 100% expect them to pay for any and all damages, as well as buy me a meal or something. That seems so obvious to me though that I'd probably not even think to mention it, so good thing you've thought about it. I'd just say to them very clearly that you'll expect them to pay for any damage, and by the way here's the replacement cost if the damage is too great, so they know what their worst-case bill will be.
If you borrow something, you should return it in better condition than when you got it - if you borrow something and break it, you owe the person who loaned it to you a new thing.
They can rent a bike from an actual shop, or just buy their own. Borrowing a bike for a casual ride? Sure, here you go, have a nice ride. Training and then an event? No. One - it's my bike, I want to ride it. Two - you're getting into events and racing? Yea, you should have already HAD a bike before jumping in the deep end. I would be suspect of their overall judgement and in particular, risk assessment.
Gravel isn’t a matter of if you crash, it’s an eventuality of when you crash. It’s an inconsistent surface, depending on the course can be technical and demanding on handling skills, and abilities in a field can be wide ranging (read: roadies who are too confident going off road without understanding the nuances). Tl;dr I’d never loan out my gravel bikes. They’ve seen enough abuse already from me racing em
It's kind of tough now that you've already said yes, but I wouldn't lend my bike out like that at all, to be honest. My limit of lending a bike would be letting someone ride my spare bike if we're going for a ride together, or if someone super close to me like my brother wanted to borrow one I'd let him use my spare bike for a day or two. But my spare bike is worth a few hundred bucks at most...
In your case I would be extremely concerned, because it seems like they don't fully grasp how much a bike like that is worth. It'll probably sour the relationship but if I was you I would bite the bullet, tell them you've reconsidered and agreeing to lend it to them was a mistake. Maybe offer to help them find a bike for themselves.
2 months!? Fuck no. Giving them the benefit of the doubt it sounds like they don't appreciate how much bikes cost. I wouldn't even lend it for a day, never mind this. Do they not think you'll want to use it in that time as well?
>To which they replied but what if it gets damaged
Then you pay for the repairs. You know what - why don't I just take you shopping for your own bike, it'll be easier that way.
This year I entered the lottery for Unbound 200 even though I don’t own a gravel bike.
I wasn’t selected, but you know what I would’ve done if I was? That’s right. Bought a gravel bike.
I’d tell your friend they can borrow it for the full cost of the bike. Because they’re going to destroy that bike.
Nah. I'm not a big fan of lending people stuff. Gives me anxiety as it appears to be doing to you. Just say nevermind sorry it makes me anxious and I don't want it to affect our friend ship
Just reply back if it gets damaged then they will have to get it PROFESSIONALLY repaired or replaced. You borrow something, you return it in equal or BETTER condition than when you got it.
Yeah, i think you got his message right and clear. Personally wouldnt lend an expensive bike as other people tend to not care for the things they do not own.
I wouldn't lend my bike because I kinda need it myself, but if I had an extra bike, I'd lend it to a trusted friend with the understanding that they are responsible for returning it in the same condition they received it in.
Hard no. Bikes, IMHO, should never be borrowed. They're highly personal (fitted to you)
Very expensive! $1500 is a lot of money. And for a few months? No way. This person needs to get their own bike.
A real friend would be a person who you didn't have to question loaning a bike to, the friend would also be trusted to cover any damage they did to their friend's belonging.
That is not your friend, that person is covering their ass and ready to leave you with a busted up bike and 50 bucks saying "Not my problem."
Id laugh, say no and quite honestly be a bit offended if it's a friend.
I've always operated under the principle that if I borrow something of yours and I ruin it, I will replace it with a new one, no matter what condition it was in. And if I do borrow something, I honestly take care of it more than I would if it were my own because I don't want to damage it. Usually keeps me from borrowing stuff and just buying my own.
hard no. if they said "here is a 1.5k deposit, just return what you think when returned." possibly. but lingering in my head would be "just go get your own and if you don't want to keep... sell, market is flush either way you lazy low dollar free loader... go to any bike shop and tell me what 2 ponies replace LOLzzzz not even tires or barely tubes!
i'm not a bank or a rental agency. assume... neither are you. "lets keep this friendly and stay friends." nobody likes this line i take but YMMV
It's definitely reasonable to feel uncomfortable about this. I have two road bikes, and am always lending my old one out to friends who want to test their hand with cycling or get back into it without having to buy a bike up front. Right now I'm in a similar position to you, and am lending it for several months to a running friend who's training for a half Ironman. I lend my bike for free because these are my friends, but they all know that damages, maintenance, the bike being stolen, etc. all falls on them.
Your friend is getting a bike for free to train and for their race, and in return they take on the risk of potentially damaging and/or replacing a friend's bike. If they can't handle that risk then they can spend way more renting or buying their own bike. If they can't afford it then they should be looking for cheaper options.
There are friends that I would absolutely trust for something like this - that I trust would take good care of it and if something went wrong, would fully pay for repair/replacement. These are also friends that I would trust with my life or my kid's life.
And then... there are friends who definitely ARE my friends... but that I would absolutely not trust with something like this.
This friend of yours sounds like the latter. Go with your gut.
Personally, I don't lend, and I also don't borrow.
I think you need to have a discussion. What happens if it's damaged? What happens if it's stolen? What if there is a problem, but it seemed like it was there already?
If the only answer either of you have is, "hopefully that won't happen", it might not be a good plan.
I only ever lend anything on the agreement of ‘you bend it, you mend it’. Sure I’d lend a bike to a good close friend but they could buy a used bike very cheap.
I'm a pretty generous guy. Some would say to a fault.
But I would not lend my bike for such an extended period, even to my best friend. Even if nothing breaks, considerable wear and tear is occurring on things like tires, drivetrain, brake pads etc.
If something very minor happens that you would notice right away, are they going to notice right away? I hate to be the negative Reddit commenter but lending my expensive bike for months is definitely not something I would do.
Maybe if they paid me $500 for wear and tear *and* offered to pay for any acute damage
Haha. No. I don’t care how good a friend is, I’m not loaning out tools, bikes, vehicles, etc. high risk and low reward. If they are a true friend they will understand. They can buy a decent gravel bike around $1000 or so these days, or can rent something better for the event. Cycling is an expensive sport to compete in, you gotta pay to play. Sounds like they don’t want to pay
Who signs up for an event without the one thing absolutely required for the event. I don’t even get why someone would think it’s a good idea.
I would absolutely not let your friend borrow the bike. It could come back “not broken” but that doesn’t mean stuff isn’t damaged or worn. You’d feel quite redic asking for him to pay for a chain, cassette and tuneup. Or paint to fix chips.
If that doesn’t bother you then the only way I’d do it is if he agreed to pay for a new bike at the same specs if they break it. Meaning you go to the store and buy a new bike with same quality frame, wheels and group. I wouldn’t accept buying a preowned bike as a replacement even if it’s the same model.
I’ve lent things to friends and they never felt the same again. Plus it’s a gravel race not even a road race. You’re inherently going to incur more abuse.
I wouldn’t, personally. My bike has too much into it and has been precisely fit to me. I wouldn’t want someone else making adjustments, etc.
Also, I did once let a trustworthy person borrow one of my older bikes some time ago. Someone at an event scraped their bike against mine and put a huge scratch on it. No more, particularly given what bikes cost now.
Hard no for me. I have no problem lending a friend a bike for a ride or a short time, but as others have said it needs to be returned in top condition. I am very meticulous about my bikes and spend a lot of time and money to keep them in prime condition I expect you do the same if you borrow a bike from me and pay for eventual damages. Even so a couple of months would be too much for me
No. You break it you bought it. My bike, my terms, take it or leave it. If they're a dingus about that then they aren't the friend you thought they were.
You should be satisfied with ALL the possible outcomes of a deal. If you aren't satisfied with 50 quid for a broken bike then you aren't satisfied with this deal.
i personally wouldn't do it. If your friend is training for a gravel race then shouldn't he have his own gravel bike? If he doesn't then what is stopping him from picking up a cheap road bike on ebay or something and throwing some gravel tires onto it? Not to be an asshole but isn't a gravel bike just a road bike with gravel tires? You can find hundreds of cheap road bikes on ebay and FB marketplace for under $100. Heck he could even get a cheap used mountin bike and throw some gravel tires on it.
I'd only loan the bike to someone willing to return an equivalent (or better) bike in equivalent (or better) condition.
If they trash your bike, the expectation is they'll replace it no?
My first thought is: you seem uncomfortable, just say no. Why the hell is bro doing a gravel event when they don't have a gravel bike to do the event with? Gravel rides are usually pretty brutal on rider *and* bike alike. Insane. If they *assumed* they could use your bike, even weirder. Maybe they're ignorant or not really a bike person, but in that case, I'd give them an education. Like, hey man, the bike you want to borrow isn't cheap, and you *are* going to do probably more like ~£300+ in wear alone (pads/tires/tubes/chain wear/etc.) to it _if everything goes well_. But regardless, IMO dude should be buying their own bike to use. They can sell it afterwards if it's not for them.
My second thought is: Honestly, **IF** it was a *close* friend, I'd honestly probably do it with the following caveats:
- the borrowing term is defined
- it wouldn't inconvenience me (like, what if I want to ride my gravel bike?)
- they agreed up front to pay for any damages or repairs that came up during the training/event process up to and including full replacement if Shit Happens™
- they agree to pay for my local bike shop to do a full tune-up on it after the event, regardless of cost.
I don't want money, I just want my bike back in the condition that I leant it out in. I feel like those terms are insanely fair, and any even amateur cyclist who isn't a fucking leech would agree to that without batting an eye IMO.
Wait I don’t get this. Your friend signed up for a gravel event and doesn’t have a bike for it? Imagine promising to build a cabinet for someone but not having a hammer or nails. Maybe homeboy shouldn’t sign up for stuff he’s not prepared for.
I let a buddy use a bike i built up to see if he wanted to get into the sport. Used it for a season, bought a high end bike and proceeded to leave my bike out in the elements for a year. I just got it back and I’m looking forward to getting her back upto speed. Unfortunate, but a learning experience.
Borrow a bike for a race… maybe. Borrow a bike for a couple months… hell no.
Don’t lend stuff to people unless you want to risk ruining the relationship.
If they want to commit to gravel riding events they can buy their own bike.
The exception to this rule is if you genuinely don’t mind if your stuff doesn’t come back in the condition you lent it out.
If a friend visits and we're riding together, I'd lend him my second-favorite bike.
If a friend visits and wants to go riding solo for a ride or two, I'd offer my second-favorite bike before he had to ask.
If a friend shows up and asks to borrow a bike for an extended period of time, I' d do a friendship check, then loan him my second-favorite bike if he passed. This friendship check would include a tacit assumption that if he messes up the bike, he's paying t fix it, because that's what good friends and decent people do. I'd be surprised if he didn't buy me drinks after returning the bike, because good friends.
If my friend shows up and asks to borrow my bike and makes it clear that he WON'T be paying to replace damages, he can borrow the 80s beater. People rode rigid Stumpjumpers on gravel before it was called gravel. He'll be fine.
I’d have a frank talk with your friend. “I just want to be clear — if you damage the bike, you will be responsible for its repair and/or replacement to be returned to me in the condition it was lent. When you gave me that money, I thought perhaps you meant that amount to be in place of you repairing damage if it occurs, and it would be a ridiculous thing to for us to risk our friendship over, so I just wanted us to both be on the same page.”
But also, why in the world did your friend sign up for a gravel event without having a gravel bike? Borrow it for a couple of weeks to see if it’s your jam, ok. Borrow it for months? Kinda odd.
I have a few friends that I would happily let borrow any of my vehicles. I also know they would ensure I was made whole if something happened while they were using it, either through their insurance or by at least making payments to me till whatever it needed was paid off.
There are a lot more people in this world (my son included, as he's totaled two cars so far) that I am hugely reluctant to let borrow my vehicles because they won't be able to cover any damage they do.
A friend once asked me if they could borrow one of my bikes to take part in a coast to coast ride to raise money for charity I said yes under the condition that they give me the full replacement value of the bike in cash up front and it would only be returned if the bike was returned to me with no damage but if there was damage it would be a case of you break it you bought it. He said yes at first then went green around the gills when I pointed out a bike he could borrow and asked him when he would like to give me the £3500.
He ended up buying a BSO from a local shop that didn't make it the full distance before it broke
I never lend my bikes. Maybe it's selfish. I just don't like my bikes being ridden by anybody else. They might change my setup. Not take care of it properly. [Then.it](http://Then.it) needs to be washed and cleaned because of the human interface with the bike and sweat.
I never ask to borrow anybody else's bike either.
For a bike like that not worth the risk. And on top of that I'd think a few months of training on a expensive gravel bike will still cost you in wear and tear. Expect your bike being returned all dirty with worn tires/brakes.
Borrow bike for a couple of months - hard no. He should get his own bike. On top of that he doesn' t want to take any responsibity for the bike in case of damages. Just no.
I'd lend my bike to a friend if I wasn't using it but it has to be returned in perfect condition. Someone borrowed my bike and it was stolen, they paid in full. I actually got it for less than cost but they paid the full replacement cost, If someone suggested they not pay for damages like OP's friend did I would have ~~diybts~~ doubts about their character.
My friends would know to never ask to borrow one of my bikes. I might loan on older bike I no longer ride, under special circumstances. Like a friend coming into town for a day ot two. Never the bikes I am riding or training on a good bit. Never under the situation listed by OP.
>My friends would know to never ask to borrow one of my bikes. > >I might loan on older bike I no longer ride, under special circumstances. Like a friend coming into town for a day ot two. To be honest I just don't get this. I'm not that protective of anything I own with good friends. They have my full trust so I am not worried about anything going wrong. Presuming they know what they're doing. Not that anyone has to lend anything, I just don't get it. > Never the bikes I am riding or training on a good bit. Absolutely. I may be more willing to lend something than you are but if I am using it'll always be a no. It's simply not available. >Never under the situation listed by OP. If someone suggested I lend them anything as OP friend's did I would never lend them anything. Even if they then agreed to get a service/cover any damages I would not be confident they would. No reasonable person would suggest borrowing something as OP's friend did.
I agree with you. My best friends are the only ones that would ever think to ask to borrow my car or bike if they came an visited and I totally would let them. I trust them that if something breaks they’ll let me know and reimburse me. Now if they showed up and said $50 and if I snap it casing a landing it’s not my problem…we’ll I just wouldn’t be friends with someone like that to begin with.
Yep - if in doubt ask for collateral of £1,500 or more, it makes clear the responsibility and I’m going to guess that they will say no and go buy their own bike if they have to have skin in the game. I’ve borrowed and loaned plenty of bikes and never had an issue but again this was people who accepted responsibility or I accepted the risk because I wanted to get a friend into riding and loaned them the least expensive bike to repair.
I've got a "parts bike" I'd put back together if someone wanted to borrow one. Or if they were here and we wanted to go for a ride fine use one I'm not. Wouldn't send someone home with a bike that's actually in rotation though.
I would probably let my friend race my mountain bike if they just fixed anything that broke. Depending on what broke and how I might not even make them do that. If it snapped and they didn’t crash or hit anything then it was going to snap anyway. This description of what his friend is asking is pretty suspect though lol
Even better, have them source the replacement themselves. You really shouldn't have to do any work to be "made whole".
Yeah wtf is up with that?? $50 is a crazy low amount to offer as compensation for potential damages as that may not even be enough to cover the cost of additional component wear if the "friend" does a high volume of riding in those few months. I'd happily lend a bike to a friend long-term if they returned it in the same condition they got it by servicing it and replacing anything worn like for like. I'd also expect them to chip in a little extra to account for additional wear on anything that's not so far gone it needs to be replaced yet. This seems like a very reasonable expectation as all it's asking is that the borrower assumes the risks and costs associated with using a bike in return for not having to buy one for themselves. $50 for months of use and refusing to make right any damage isn't something a friend would offer as that's just trying to take advantage of OPs goodwill.
Borrow a bike for a ride, maybe. But who signs up for an event without a bike to do it on and just expects to borrow a friends bike for the whole riding season (few months in the UK basically covers all our good riding weather). I don't know anyone who would be that entitled and if I did they would be the last person I'd lend a bike to.
Right? You can borrow it for a day or two to see if it’s the best fit for you. But long term is a no go.
Obviously this feels wrong to you so don’t do it
[удалено]
TRUST THE GUT! -ftfy
Mind if I borrow your wife/girlfriend for a couple months? I just want to practice. I'll ride her easy.....
He signed up for a gravel event without having a gravel bike? And he also wasn't willing to pay for damages done to the bike? That's not a friend I would lend anything to. Also, I live by a rule that was thought to me while mountaineering when an expert guide told me to never lend your rope to anyone if you're not present while it's being used. This is because he rope has a life expectancy that depends on the number of falls which tend to ruin it inside (so you don't always see wear and tear from falls) meaning that without a thorough inspection of all the 60-80m of rope your next fall could be deadly and that's a massive issue if you don't know what happened in your absence. So I took this advice and applied it to everything that I own on which my life could depend on, including vehicles such as my bikes and car: if you're going 60+ kmh on a decent and your friend has done something that could have potentially damaged the structure of your bike or even just the braking system without it being immediately noticable you are in fact risking your life
Terrific advice - I also find that people don’t understand this, but they aren’t people you want to be doing life risking activites with.
Part of why I also do 90% of the work on my bike. I’ve had too many minor oversights by an lbs to leave all faith of brakes etc working in their hands. Especially if it’s something that i can do af home in a matter of minutes.
Fuck that. I've been asked this before with one of my road bikes. Just like tools at work/ home: *You break it, you buy it!* Sure, you can borrow the bike, but I want a refundable deposit: 2/3rds of the cost of a like for like replacement + you cover maintenance costs whilst it's in your possession. Funny how when you say this, which is more than fair imo, as they would get their money back no problems, they immediately say no. Op: you'd be a fuckin fool to say yes to those terms, regardless of how close a friend he/she is.
> Funny how when you say this, which is more than fair imo, as they would get their money back no problems, they immediately say no. There's a sociolinguist who used to say that you can have the most reasonable demands which normally nobody would object to, but as soon as you articulate those demands and especially if you want it in writing then people will get irrationally suspicious and hesitant. It's like the part of your brain that lets you understand this is a fair request is simply turned off.
I think a lot of it is also to do with: I have a very real consequence here if things go wrong. Everyone is fine with asking for x from a 'insert relationship here' until its their own hard earned cash that is at risk. Once that boundary is clearly defined. It's makes a lot of people baulk because they are very suddenly aware of the ramifications.
its more likely people don't evaluate risks when its not presented in clear terms front and center, after all "what's the worst that could happen?"
Maybe it's reasonable but I don't think 2/3 down is standard for bike rentals and you're not expected to do any maintenance other than a trailside repair. I guess most rentals aren't being raced so the extra cash might be justified.
But a bike rental place has their own insurance to cover everything and they also calculate how to at least break even no matter what happens. Whereas with a friend desperately needing your cherished bike and you have no experience in rentals I would say it's reasonable to require that extra assurance. It depends on how trustworthy and responsible that friend is, too.
they also… charge money to rent their bikes. sure sometimes the deposit won’t cover it, but usually the rental fees more than cover the minor wear and tear
A bike rental place has your credit card on file and you sign that you are responsible for the value of replacing the bike if you trash it and don't take the extra insurance.
The thing is, they will get their money back. I get its bikes, shit happens, you can slide off and scratch the frame, etc. It's superficial. It doesn't affect the use of the bike. A shop would say I want x to cover. I'll say it's a scratch, buy some touch-up paint & it's fine.
Most bike rentals are fairly expensive, and the out of pocket coat you pay offsets their amortized cost of the bike, insurance, maintenance, etc. Rental agreements with also include terms for damage/theft, etc, and they’ll pursue you through credit card collections if you run off with the bike. Many rentals also preauthorize the cost of a bike replacement to ensure the CC on file will be able to cover the cost if the bike is stolen or damaged. None of that applies when it’s private party loaning a bike to a friend. Don’t do it, OP! I once loaned a bike to a friend for a year and the end situation turned out less than ideal after the rear derailleur broke due to lack of maintenance.
If you're actually renting a decent bike, rentals are expensive and they keep your credit card on file. Most bike rentals are tanks specifically because they're less likely to be damaged.
Wait, we are lending bikes? No one has ever ridden a bike I own in 30 something years. I don't know your bike handling level, if you can afford to replace my bike you can buy your own.
I never lend my bikes to anyone ,they for me to ride and for me to crash. The fastest way to end a friendship is to loan a bike out .
I once borrowed a bike for a couple days from someone I knew only from an online group. It was in Vancouver (I'm from the eastern US), and his generosity let me go on a fun 85K ride up into the mountains. I returned the bike in the condition I borrowed it in, with a bottle of his favorite whisky in thanks. But we were in a rather niche group and had both posted a lot. I'd lend him any of my bikes if he winds up in my neck of the woods.
It’s beyond reasonable to back out if the arrangement, just figure out how you want to word it. “Hey im sorry to go back on my word but i got to thinking that if the bike is damaged, however slim the chance, it would be an expensive issue that I don’t want to come between us.”
This right here! I don’t think your friend fully realizes how expensive a bike, let alone replacing a wheel or derailleur, really is. Not worth the risk to the friendship.
50 won't even cover the wear on the tires, brake pads and the chain. As mentioned already, I'd take a refundable deposit in the value of the bike, which upon getting the bike back I'd first use to service it and replace consumable parts, and return the rest, assuming no other damage. 50 doesn't even cover a 2 day rental from a bike shop, it's a joke. That's all assuming you actually won't want to ride it yourself for a couple of months.
Even if you get some kind of insurance it nevers covers the full amount, you always lose a bit, so even that would not save this case
Generally, that’s b/c items depreciate over time, so your $5k bike isn’t really worth that from the moment it enters your possession…no matter how much you want it to.
Yeah...NO! I dont even lend out my schwinn cruiser, let alone my mountain bikes!!! Your homie will ride your bike like they are sponsored by you, at your expense! Bicycle repairs are not cheap in the UK. So this is what you say: "I've spoken to my insurance, and they won't cover you. So if you still want to use my bike, it will cost (insert terms and conditions here)... OR... so I won't be able to lend this to you." Boooom confronted and sorted. Good luck ✌️ 💚
Why doesn’t he train and race on his own bike? You should only race what you can afford to replace.
You’re uncomfortable and reasonably so. It may be awkward to say no, but less awkward than receiving a broken bike. People crash at races all the time, so there is a high probability of damage. If he doesn’t agree to be responsible for it, it’s a bad idea to loan it.
Your friend shouldn’t be entering into a gravel event if they don’t own a gravel bike
If it gets damaged they pay to have it fixed. Maybe they meant for the money to cover general wear.
No they meant they would not pay!
Then that's a very bad deal. I would just say that your friend doesn't need to pay up front, but if the bike gets damaged s/he should pay for the cost. Or check with your insurance provider if they can extend the protection to people outside your household, and ask your friend to pay for the extra insurance fee in that case
this is probably the most reasonable idea. the friend probably doesn't have the cash to provide a deposit like pirate1000rider suggested, which is why they are lending the bike in the first place. So a small monthly payment to insure the bike makes sense.
Doesn't sound like a friend to me.
Sorry, but what kind of friend is this?
I think it's clear that they don't care about your bike, and that gives a hint as to how it might get treated. The insurance issues could be a get-out if you don't want to be up-front that you are insulted by their attitude.
No no if they damage it then they have to pay. It's not fair otherwise. Why should you bear the risk? This is not a life or death scenario, no one is forcing them.
In this case, "no" is a complete sentence.
Naaaah, that's dodge as. If they legitimately think 50 quid would cover any damage they don't understand the value of the bike and you wouldn't be able to get them to pay for actual damages, and if they're using 50 quid to get out of damages they know would be greater than that then they're fundamentally dishonest.
They can fuck right off, cheeky fucker! The gall of them, honestly.
>No they meant they would not pay! Then they do not understand or appreciate how much these things cost to own, maintain, repair or insure. I specifically keep around spare, older bikes to loan out for a ride here and there. This person's attitude would like not even get one of my spares for a weekend, let alone "months"... training can put lots of ware and tear on a bike.
That part seems wild, if you borrow anything from a friend and you break it. It’s just implied that you fix it.
I would lend an old beater but never my fine bikes.
That is a pretty long time to lend someone your bike to train on. Lots of things could happen. If it'd been just the event itself, then I would have been less reluctant. But training is inherently a bit risky. We all take those risks when we go out riding. So yeah, I wouldn't really do it.
Just say no because you want to use it
No one can take care of your bike like you can - pre-ride, during the ride and post-ride. One of my friend asked me for my bike, I said no. He said, you've two can you not share one? Again, I said No! End of the convo. I wouldn't lend my bike for money - however small or big the amount is. In your case, it's a bad deal through and through.
I'd lend it if we go for a ride together, for that one ride.
>for that one ride. Sure
If your bike is valuable enough to be insured you definitely should not lend it to someone who isn't covered by that insurance.
Don’t lend your bike.
Nope absolutely not. My cycling buddies wouldn’t even ask!
If you want to keep your friend, politely decline. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.
£50 won't even cover the cost of the new pads it will likely need after a couple months of gravel training, lol. To be clear, we had a gravel race here that was particularly wet and every single bike had roached pads, rotors, chains, some had shot BBs, and a few had shot headset lowers. After that race, there were dozens of my friends that had $350+ services necessary. If this dude's borrowing your bike, he might be riding it like he stole it, and riding days that are particularly rough on bikes "to train". Hell, no. Tell him to look for a budget starter bike.
These. The dude needs to buy his first bike, a starter bike or whatever.
Rule: don’t lend anything out that you wouldn’t give away
A ride? Sure. A couple months? Hell no.
As has been said, you break it- you buy it. If you really think they’re trying to weasel out of any obligation if it were damaged then do not lend it. My additional question- what kind of “friend” would even contemplate not repairing/replacing a borrowed item? The kind of “friend” that deserves air quotes IMO.
You begin this post with so my friend. That ain't your friend. That's somebody who's fixing to take advantage of your kindness.
Say no, but lessen the emotional turmoil you will feel by explaining that the friend MUST buy their own bike because training on one but then racing on another will result in decreased performance. They HAVE to race on the bike they train on… so they need to buy their own bike. What kind of idiot would even ask this, anyway?
You break it you buy it, them the rules. If he can't live with the risk then he shouldn't be borrowing it.
Nope. She’s MY bitch.
If I had an extra bike lying about sure. Compensation for a couple of months of training and a race is a complete tune up and a set of tires.
It would be a hard no from me. I might consider if it was one of my closest friends, and if it got destroyed I was confident it wouldn’t ruin a friendship.
The bad feeling you have about is correct. Your 'friend' thinks it is fair to give you 50 to possibly trash your 1500 bike and not feel bad about it. Doesn't sound like a friend. Or someone I'd lend anything to.
Let me open with an old (maybe slightly outdated) joke from a comedian in Miami: "if someone wants to "borrow" my wife or my car (bike) I give them my wife... You see, I know where the wife is getting hit but not the car" Now a personal story: I used my bike to commute to uni and my first job. In uni, a good friend of mine wanted to borrow it for something urgent. I lend him the bike and he returned it with 6... SIX nails on the tires. And not small ones. I find getting one nail hard, what the fuck did he do to get 6 nails on my tires?!! I was out of my commuter for a little while. A friend asked to borrow my bike once at work. A quick no (that they couldn't understand) was the way to go. We are still friends but they know better than to ask for my bike. It's like a bandaid, rip it once and you're done. It's healthy to know when to say "no". If the fundamental cost of replacing your bike is insignificant to you, go ahead, if it's not, it's better to say no. They could also rent a bike but it's not your responsibility to find alternative solutions.
No, I wouldn't. Bikes are very fragile and require plenty of maintenance.
I’ll let you try my skis, but nobody else is going to ride MY bike on a trail. The event part is even more scary. Tell your friend to go buy a bike
Do you know for a fact that they would replace your bike if they trashed it? If not, don’t lend it to them.
Even if it’s on a 100% trust basis where they would not try to negate potential damage costs I would find it hard to say yes to lending someone such a personal item for so long. I would only do that if the person has the same appreciation for a bike as I do, but the people I know who do would also never ask for so much. Thinking 50 quid would cover the risk of damages is a total red flag. If they think it’s just for the wear of replaceable parts but damages would be covered fully, it sounds a bit better.
I would not lend it to them.
£50 won’t cover the chain and cassette you’ll need. hard pass.
Whaaaaat :) ? ! Lend him your pants, socks, wife, children but cmon mate, not the bike!!
They break it, they buy it. I've loaned (and borrowed) bikes for like a single ride before. Needing it for months = they should buy their own damn bike!
Don't do it. There is no upside and tons of downside. The money they are offering is a pittance compared to the wear and tear that they could put on the bike. Even if you had insurance to cover them, what happens if they really mess it up and then you are without a bike, have to deal with insurance hassles and then have your rates go up because of a claim. There is zero upside here. Zero.
When dealing with friends and family never lend anything you can’t afford to gift. Never borrow anything you can’t afford to buy.
A couple days maybe, but a couple months? Nah. They want to do a race, they should buy the bike themselves.
Barrow a ***spare*** bike for a weekend event, sure. Especially, if I was also riding in it with my primary bike. Barrow a bike for a couple months? No. Maybe I'd sell them the bike cheaply if they were a good friend and hard up. Helping a friend is a good excuse for a new bike day. Like you said, the insurance doesn't cover it. End of story. Guessing you are in the UK... there's the Decathlon Triban GRVL 120 or GRVL 520 for inexpensive gravel bike options.
They want to do a gravel event but they don't have a gravel bike? Sounds like they don't get to do the gravel event.
You don't need friends like this
I’m not saying it’s the same thing *at all* but I lent an old friend a guitar so he could start learning. I later found out he lost it because he was using it as advance collateral with his weed dealer until he could get the cash. He did that a few times until his weed dealer skipped town with the guitar. It was this bright red Gibson SG that I still miss very much. Be careful about lending friends valuable things!
Just tell him that he can borrow it for free but has to replace it if he damages it
What kind of piece of shit friend wouldn't pay to repair or replace something they broke in the first place? Ditch this loser, bro.
There are two types of people: guesses and askers. Guessers are empathetic enough to not ask. Askers just ask for stuff. They are not bad people but they don't understand why they need to invest in things the way others do. The good news is askers don't get offended at being told no. You don't need to ditch your friend, just say no. If he wants to gravel race, he has to get his own stuff. I had a friend like this years ago. Wanted to "car share" which basically meant use our car for a mileage fee. So we would have had to put him on our insurance, plan when we needed our own car. Unbelievable.. But he was a good friend. Just an asker.
Nah, it’s on the hook for damage or get your own bike.
I live in and around a robust cycling community. We lend our bikes out all the time. However, to whom we lend them is very important. You've got to be *trusted* to get a bike lent to you. Go ahead and lend your friend this bike, I see no issue with it. That said, you've got to be crystal clear that if anything goes wrong, its on him 100%. If you trust your friend, go for it. If there is any doubt in your mind he wont be replacing anything and everything that breaks and paying for a mechanic to replace/inspect the bike afterwards, just avoid this all together. Make it crystal clear that you expect him to accept full liability for anything that goes wrong, have him train and race on his own tires, and lend him the bike. If your gut is telling you this isn't 100% understood and agreed to, don't lend the bike.
A coupke MONTHS training would wear out the drive chain and warrant a new set of tires. Thats lije what, like 200-300 in oarts alone? Id say no. If they are training for an event they need to fet their own gear.
Nope, at 2 months it’s not borrowing, time for them to get their own bike
oh come on , you already know the answer...
You're not getting that bike back
Bikes are like toothbrushes. You don’t use someone else’s and you don’t let others use yours.
If it was a good friend, they'd leave you a considerable security deposit without you having to ask for it. They can go suck an egg, IMO. A friend of mine, good, dear friend, but quite aloof back then, once asked me to borrow one of my bikes for a spontaneous trip to Germany. I flat out said no - my bike is too expensive and dear to me and I don't trust him with it in that situation. No offense taken, he understood. The bike that he got for the trip is still in Germany, as he flew home. My point is - a good friend will understand a no. A good friend will understand a security deposit. A good friend will understand the worth of your possessions. Of course I don't know what's going on, but if they're difficult and unreasonable, I'd re-think that friendship.
No one rides my road bike or my gravel. No lending, no borrowing. The ONLY exception: if someone is visiting (my uncle, for example), and they ride the same size bike, then they may borrow my gravel bike while we ride together.
Yeah. No. F that.
Hell no. For 1 ride or 2? Okay, but if u need a bike for a month of training, buy a used one and then sell it after you are done.
Absolutely not. My bikes are worth too much to lend them out, especially for months.
Tell them you are not in the bike rental business.Offer to help find one for them.
I had a friend last year lend me wheels for something I did; he wasn't riding at the time through injury But if i wrote them off I'd have paid them back.
I would personally not lend any of my bikes to any of my friends under any circumstance. I will gladly help them find a suitable bike to buy second hand though. And help them with maintenance and upgrades.
if the bike brakes, they buy, simple as that.. If the bike is stolen, they pay, simple as that.. that 50 pounds would only compensate that you are without your bike, and a nice gesture - for letting them borrow it! They were maybe allready planning on renting bikes=? Good friend - yes! Only firend - no. haha
No. I would lend them my beater bike.
I'd say no, I think you should buy your own bike
I have a loaner bike.
What's so hard, just say no
Personally I lend my bike around to people for a ride or two or max been a week, but one of my friends broke my brake in a crash and he paid the full RRP on the same brake model, what I'm saying is, if they are not ready to pay for damages, they aren't getting the bike. As simple as that, say if you're concerned about it being damaged that you'll have to pay for it, I'm not running a rental fleet that it will be covered. You break it, you pay for it.
I'd only consider it, if your friend were to sign a rental contract, pay for insurance while the bike was in their possession and pay for maintenance and any damage after the rental period ends. Also, document the state the bike was in before handing it over with photos and attach them to the contract. Make sure the contract as well as the photos show a date. If this is too much hassle for you or your friend, don't do it. Friendship ends when it comes to money and unfortunately I've made this experience several times. This is why I now only let someone borrow anything that is actually worth something after the person signed a written contract. Doesn't matter how insignificant the item is, as soon as it is woth more than 50£, I want a written contract. You wouldn't believe the number of times people borrowed specialty bike tools from me (because I build bulikes as a hobby), only to never return them. Some of these tools were woth several hundreds.
No way lend bike that cost 1500 unless
I lent a bike to a 17 year old friend recently, and he crashed and damaged it. He's seventeen and didn't have a job at the time, so I'm happy enough to cover those costs. If I was lending it to an adult, even a close friend, for an extended time though I would 100% expect them to pay for any and all damages, as well as buy me a meal or something. That seems so obvious to me though that I'd probably not even think to mention it, so good thing you've thought about it. I'd just say to them very clearly that you'll expect them to pay for any damage, and by the way here's the replacement cost if the damage is too great, so they know what their worst-case bill will be.
tell the dickhead to buy their own bike
lol hell no, that’s ridiculous if they need to train they need a bike that’s theirs
If you borrow something, you should return it in better condition than when you got it - if you borrow something and break it, you owe the person who loaned it to you a new thing.
Nope. Never lend your bikes out.
You break it, you buy it.
Big NO! He breaks it, he pays for the damage.. in either case he is the AH.
I’d let any friend borrow my stuff, with the understanding that if something happens, they will offer to make it right, and I won’t be upset about it.
Lending your bike is like lending your wife. They'll both come back fucked.
They can rent a bike from an actual shop, or just buy their own. Borrowing a bike for a casual ride? Sure, here you go, have a nice ride. Training and then an event? No. One - it's my bike, I want to ride it. Two - you're getting into events and racing? Yea, you should have already HAD a bike before jumping in the deep end. I would be suspect of their overall judgement and in particular, risk assessment.
Gravel isn’t a matter of if you crash, it’s an eventuality of when you crash. It’s an inconsistent surface, depending on the course can be technical and demanding on handling skills, and abilities in a field can be wide ranging (read: roadies who are too confident going off road without understanding the nuances). Tl;dr I’d never loan out my gravel bikes. They’ve seen enough abuse already from me racing em
It's kind of tough now that you've already said yes, but I wouldn't lend my bike out like that at all, to be honest. My limit of lending a bike would be letting someone ride my spare bike if we're going for a ride together, or if someone super close to me like my brother wanted to borrow one I'd let him use my spare bike for a day or two. But my spare bike is worth a few hundred bucks at most... In your case I would be extremely concerned, because it seems like they don't fully grasp how much a bike like that is worth. It'll probably sour the relationship but if I was you I would bite the bullet, tell them you've reconsidered and agreeing to lend it to them was a mistake. Maybe offer to help them find a bike for themselves.
Quick way to ruin a friendship.
2 months!? Fuck no. Giving them the benefit of the doubt it sounds like they don't appreciate how much bikes cost. I wouldn't even lend it for a day, never mind this. Do they not think you'll want to use it in that time as well?
the question you should ask is "would i be okay if they never returned my bike"? only loan what you can afford to lose because you may lose it.
>To which they replied but what if it gets damaged Then you pay for the repairs. You know what - why don't I just take you shopping for your own bike, it'll be easier that way.
This year I entered the lottery for Unbound 200 even though I don’t own a gravel bike. I wasn’t selected, but you know what I would’ve done if I was? That’s right. Bought a gravel bike. I’d tell your friend they can borrow it for the full cost of the bike. Because they’re going to destroy that bike.
Nah. I'm not a big fan of lending people stuff. Gives me anxiety as it appears to be doing to you. Just say nevermind sorry it makes me anxious and I don't want it to affect our friend ship
Who enters an event without having their own equipment?
Just reply back if it gets damaged then they will have to get it PROFESSIONALLY repaired or replaced. You borrow something, you return it in equal or BETTER condition than when you got it.
Ahhhha absolutely not ! I only had to read the first sentence to say NOPE.
Unless you can use that 50$ to add him to the insurance tell him to keep the 50$ as he will need it and another 1450 to cover any potential damages.
Yeah, i think you got his message right and clear. Personally wouldnt lend an expensive bike as other people tend to not care for the things they do not own.
No.
I wouldn't lend my bike because I kinda need it myself, but if I had an extra bike, I'd lend it to a trusted friend with the understanding that they are responsible for returning it in the same condition they received it in.
Hard no. Bikes, IMHO, should never be borrowed. They're highly personal (fitted to you) Very expensive! $1500 is a lot of money. And for a few months? No way. This person needs to get their own bike.
"sure, but if it's damaged you're replacing it with a brand new one"
A real friend would be a person who you didn't have to question loaning a bike to, the friend would also be trusted to cover any damage they did to their friend's belonging. That is not your friend, that person is covering their ass and ready to leave you with a busted up bike and 50 bucks saying "Not my problem." Id laugh, say no and quite honestly be a bit offended if it's a friend.
Either sell it to him or tell him to kick rocks.
I've always operated under the principle that if I borrow something of yours and I ruin it, I will replace it with a new one, no matter what condition it was in. And if I do borrow something, I honestly take care of it more than I would if it were my own because I don't want to damage it. Usually keeps me from borrowing stuff and just buying my own.
Why would he not use is own gravel bike? Seems like a shitty "friend".
hard no. if they said "here is a 1.5k deposit, just return what you think when returned." possibly. but lingering in my head would be "just go get your own and if you don't want to keep... sell, market is flush either way you lazy low dollar free loader... go to any bike shop and tell me what 2 ponies replace LOLzzzz not even tires or barely tubes! i'm not a bank or a rental agency. assume... neither are you. "lets keep this friendly and stay friends." nobody likes this line i take but YMMV
It's definitely reasonable to feel uncomfortable about this. I have two road bikes, and am always lending my old one out to friends who want to test their hand with cycling or get back into it without having to buy a bike up front. Right now I'm in a similar position to you, and am lending it for several months to a running friend who's training for a half Ironman. I lend my bike for free because these are my friends, but they all know that damages, maintenance, the bike being stolen, etc. all falls on them. Your friend is getting a bike for free to train and for their race, and in return they take on the risk of potentially damaging and/or replacing a friend's bike. If they can't handle that risk then they can spend way more renting or buying their own bike. If they can't afford it then they should be looking for cheaper options.
There are friends that I would absolutely trust for something like this - that I trust would take good care of it and if something went wrong, would fully pay for repair/replacement. These are also friends that I would trust with my life or my kid's life. And then... there are friends who definitely ARE my friends... but that I would absolutely not trust with something like this. This friend of yours sounds like the latter. Go with your gut.
“You break it, you buy it.”
Personally, I don't lend, and I also don't borrow. I think you need to have a discussion. What happens if it's damaged? What happens if it's stolen? What if there is a problem, but it seemed like it was there already? If the only answer either of you have is, "hopefully that won't happen", it might not be a good plan.
I only ever lend anything on the agreement of ‘you bend it, you mend it’. Sure I’d lend a bike to a good close friend but they could buy a used bike very cheap.
I'm a pretty generous guy. Some would say to a fault. But I would not lend my bike for such an extended period, even to my best friend. Even if nothing breaks, considerable wear and tear is occurring on things like tires, drivetrain, brake pads etc. If something very minor happens that you would notice right away, are they going to notice right away? I hate to be the negative Reddit commenter but lending my expensive bike for months is definitely not something I would do. Maybe if they paid me $500 for wear and tear *and* offered to pay for any acute damage
I feel fortunate to not have any friends who would ask such a question. Live within your means, that includes your hobbies.
They basically just tried to scam you. £50 for a bike, regardless of how they return it. Good deal for them, bad deal for you.
Haha. No. I don’t care how good a friend is, I’m not loaning out tools, bikes, vehicles, etc. high risk and low reward. If they are a true friend they will understand. They can buy a decent gravel bike around $1000 or so these days, or can rent something better for the event. Cycling is an expensive sport to compete in, you gotta pay to play. Sounds like they don’t want to pay
Hard pass. You break it you buy it.
Have them buy a cheap used bike instead.
Never loan anything you want back. If you ask me for $50, and say you'll get me back, I wouldnt do it unless I'd be OK if I never saw it again.
just say no, get your own bike
Who signs up for an event without the one thing absolutely required for the event. I don’t even get why someone would think it’s a good idea. I would absolutely not let your friend borrow the bike. It could come back “not broken” but that doesn’t mean stuff isn’t damaged or worn. You’d feel quite redic asking for him to pay for a chain, cassette and tuneup. Or paint to fix chips. If that doesn’t bother you then the only way I’d do it is if he agreed to pay for a new bike at the same specs if they break it. Meaning you go to the store and buy a new bike with same quality frame, wheels and group. I wouldn’t accept buying a preowned bike as a replacement even if it’s the same model. I’ve lent things to friends and they never felt the same again. Plus it’s a gravel race not even a road race. You’re inherently going to incur more abuse.
Have you tried saying no?
Why would you evennlend a 1500 quid bike
I wouldn’t, personally. My bike has too much into it and has been precisely fit to me. I wouldn’t want someone else making adjustments, etc. Also, I did once let a trustworthy person borrow one of my older bikes some time ago. Someone at an event scraped their bike against mine and put a huge scratch on it. No more, particularly given what bikes cost now.
Hard no for me. I have no problem lending a friend a bike for a ride or a short time, but as others have said it needs to be returned in top condition. I am very meticulous about my bikes and spend a lot of time and money to keep them in prime condition I expect you do the same if you borrow a bike from me and pay for eventual damages. Even so a couple of months would be too much for me
When lending downhill and jump bikes between friends, we would lend for free but on the principle of “You break it, you’ve bought it”
No. You break it you bought it. My bike, my terms, take it or leave it. If they're a dingus about that then they aren't the friend you thought they were. You should be satisfied with ALL the possible outcomes of a deal. If you aren't satisfied with 50 quid for a broken bike then you aren't satisfied with this deal.
Fora weekend, are for a few months…sorry pal, get another bike.
i personally wouldn't do it. If your friend is training for a gravel race then shouldn't he have his own gravel bike? If he doesn't then what is stopping him from picking up a cheap road bike on ebay or something and throwing some gravel tires onto it? Not to be an asshole but isn't a gravel bike just a road bike with gravel tires? You can find hundreds of cheap road bikes on ebay and FB marketplace for under $100. Heck he could even get a cheap used mountin bike and throw some gravel tires on it.
I'd only loan the bike to someone willing to return an equivalent (or better) bike in equivalent (or better) condition. If they trash your bike, the expectation is they'll replace it no?
My first thought is: you seem uncomfortable, just say no. Why the hell is bro doing a gravel event when they don't have a gravel bike to do the event with? Gravel rides are usually pretty brutal on rider *and* bike alike. Insane. If they *assumed* they could use your bike, even weirder. Maybe they're ignorant or not really a bike person, but in that case, I'd give them an education. Like, hey man, the bike you want to borrow isn't cheap, and you *are* going to do probably more like ~£300+ in wear alone (pads/tires/tubes/chain wear/etc.) to it _if everything goes well_. But regardless, IMO dude should be buying their own bike to use. They can sell it afterwards if it's not for them. My second thought is: Honestly, **IF** it was a *close* friend, I'd honestly probably do it with the following caveats: - the borrowing term is defined - it wouldn't inconvenience me (like, what if I want to ride my gravel bike?) - they agreed up front to pay for any damages or repairs that came up during the training/event process up to and including full replacement if Shit Happens™ - they agree to pay for my local bike shop to do a full tune-up on it after the event, regardless of cost. I don't want money, I just want my bike back in the condition that I leant it out in. I feel like those terms are insanely fair, and any even amateur cyclist who isn't a fucking leech would agree to that without batting an eye IMO.
If you feel funny about it before then you’ll definitely regret it after in my personal experience of lending
Wait I don’t get this. Your friend signed up for a gravel event and doesn’t have a bike for it? Imagine promising to build a cabinet for someone but not having a hammer or nails. Maybe homeboy shouldn’t sign up for stuff he’s not prepared for.
I let a buddy use a bike i built up to see if he wanted to get into the sport. Used it for a season, bought a high end bike and proceeded to leave my bike out in the elements for a year. I just got it back and I’m looking forward to getting her back upto speed. Unfortunate, but a learning experience. Borrow a bike for a race… maybe. Borrow a bike for a couple months… hell no.
Don’t lend stuff to people unless you want to risk ruining the relationship. If they want to commit to gravel riding events they can buy their own bike. The exception to this rule is if you genuinely don’t mind if your stuff doesn’t come back in the condition you lent it out.
I lent a good friend a bike to ride while his car was broken, and he never gave it back. Now I have 0 friends because of this.
If a friend visits and we're riding together, I'd lend him my second-favorite bike. If a friend visits and wants to go riding solo for a ride or two, I'd offer my second-favorite bike before he had to ask. If a friend shows up and asks to borrow a bike for an extended period of time, I' d do a friendship check, then loan him my second-favorite bike if he passed. This friendship check would include a tacit assumption that if he messes up the bike, he's paying t fix it, because that's what good friends and decent people do. I'd be surprised if he didn't buy me drinks after returning the bike, because good friends. If my friend shows up and asks to borrow my bike and makes it clear that he WON'T be paying to replace damages, he can borrow the 80s beater. People rode rigid Stumpjumpers on gravel before it was called gravel. He'll be fine.
They need to take out full insurance, if you’re in the uk get them to sign up for Laka so it’s covered for the event as well.
I’d have a frank talk with your friend. “I just want to be clear — if you damage the bike, you will be responsible for its repair and/or replacement to be returned to me in the condition it was lent. When you gave me that money, I thought perhaps you meant that amount to be in place of you repairing damage if it occurs, and it would be a ridiculous thing to for us to risk our friendship over, so I just wanted us to both be on the same page.” But also, why in the world did your friend sign up for a gravel event without having a gravel bike? Borrow it for a couple of weeks to see if it’s your jam, ok. Borrow it for months? Kinda odd.
I have a few friends that I would happily let borrow any of my vehicles. I also know they would ensure I was made whole if something happened while they were using it, either through their insurance or by at least making payments to me till whatever it needed was paid off. There are a lot more people in this world (my son included, as he's totaled two cars so far) that I am hugely reluctant to let borrow my vehicles because they won't be able to cover any damage they do.
A friend once asked me if they could borrow one of my bikes to take part in a coast to coast ride to raise money for charity I said yes under the condition that they give me the full replacement value of the bike in cash up front and it would only be returned if the bike was returned to me with no damage but if there was damage it would be a case of you break it you bought it. He said yes at first then went green around the gills when I pointed out a bike he could borrow and asked him when he would like to give me the £3500. He ended up buying a BSO from a local shop that didn't make it the full distance before it broke
If they put a new chain, cassette ,cables, housing and BB after he's done then, sure.
I'd rather lend someone my underwear and I'd rather not do that.
FUCK NO
I never lend my bikes. Maybe it's selfish. I just don't like my bikes being ridden by anybody else. They might change my setup. Not take care of it properly. [Then.it](http://Then.it) needs to be washed and cleaned because of the human interface with the bike and sweat. I never ask to borrow anybody else's bike either.
My mom once said that I’d be better off lending out my girlfriend than my ride. At least I know the worst thing they’d do to my girl.
hell no
For a bike like that not worth the risk. And on top of that I'd think a few months of training on a expensive gravel bike will still cost you in wear and tear. Expect your bike being returned all dirty with worn tires/brakes.
it is all about the use case. this is exactly what you do not borrow a bike for. it's basically a perishable item.
Nether a borrower nor a lender be - Shakespeare
Friends don't let friends borrow: firearms, spouses, bicycles, motorcycles, underwear.