Folding Bikes - The perils of lending a bike...

I let a friend borrow my folder (Dahon Speed P8) for a few months, it wasn't really a problem since my necessity for a folder ended last year.

3 months later I get it back, generally in ok condition but the handle bars were loose, off center, tires a bit low and shockingly, the center folding mechanism was extremely loose. The bolt was at LEAST 3 full turns too loose. How this thing didn't collapse mid stroke is beyond me. This guy needs to play the lotto.

It makes me appreciate the care I take of my bikes, attention to detail, and experience.

(just a rant)

Never lend a bike to someone you don't expressly know will bring it back in the same condition you lent it to them.

You're lucky you got your bike back at all...

I only lend out bikes I could afford to loose (plenty dumpsterfinds here). Apart from that somebody could borrow a bike for a ride with us and then leave it when the ride ends.

I find that there is often a reason why peopel do not own a ridable bike, they do not care enough or they did not yet discower what it takes. Often trying to be kind ends up I feel I`ve been stupid instead. I ask peopel if they want a dumpster bike and help on how to rpair it instead of lending out bikes.

I only give a bike to somebody who has already bought a lock.

We keep two older bikes we no longer use as "loaners."

Still maintained and functional with decent tires, but little worry
about the condition after the loan. If the friends are riding with us, no problem.

If they want to ride on their own, we make it clear they're responsible in case of loss.

There are few (very few) people we'd trust with one of our better bikes.

I let a friend borrow my folder (Dahon Speed P8) for a few months, it wasn't really a problem since my necessity for a folder ended last year.

3 months later I get it back, generally in ok condition but the handle bars were loose, off center, tires a bit low and shockingly, the center folding mechanism was extremely loose. The bolt was at LEAST 3 full turns too loose. How this thing didn't collapse mid stroke is beyond me. This guy needs to play the lotto.

It makes me appreciate the care I take of my bikes, attention to detail, and experience.

(just a rant)

Where I live, I have not witnessed any act of lending or leasing (beyond a business matter) for many years. This includes bike lending. Here people socialize out in the street and/or over 6 foot or more fences in the front yard. Even "close" relatives and friends are treated in this matter and are not allowed inside the door. So it is not surpising if someone even speaks to you, you make sure to grab at your pants pocket to be sure if wasn't picked. The same with bikes. If you want some insurance that you would even get a beater back, never let it out of your sight. No exceptions. So I guess this problem of no longer taking care of others & their belongings in society is expanding to other parts of the country.

How tragic & sad that is.

Most people in the world at large have very little mechanical sympathy. By that I mean they don't notice when a machine needs a little attention. I walk a lot around the town I live in and so often am passed by people riding bikes that are literally crying out for a little attention - bone dry chains squeaking agonisingly at every turn of the pedals - chains so dry and rusty that you'd wonder how they can even turn, people riding tyres so soft that you'd wonder how they stay on the rims. Then there are the clanks and rattles that show some part is broken or about to fall off. To be fair, this is a city with 30,000 university students and probably most of these bad cases are of youngsters riding from their flat to classes, but I feel like running after them and telling them to take some care of their horribly abused machines.

I had a mate once who drove a vehicle with a terrible noise coming out from underneath it until there was a loud bang and the flange which bolts the prop shaft to the rear differential broke clean off. Somehow the bolts had come loose and he just kept on driving it rather than take a look what was going wrong. This cost him a lot of money. I helped him by sourcing a second hand differential and fitting it for him.

I swapped my car for a friends larger car for a holiday. The accelerator cable was sticking, the engine noise could be heard through the loose spark plugs, and the car broke down within 2 miles. This caused a lot of hassle to swap cars back again so as we could still go on holiday.

Lending bikes only happens if they will take more care than I do!

Most people in the world at large have very little mechanical sympathy. By that I mean they don't notice when a machine needs a little attention.

Couldn't agree more.

Same can be said about things in their homes, too. No interest in understanding how anything works - just run it until it quits.

I'm working on teaching my 11 yr old grandson - who track races and just got his 1st road bike - how to maintain his bikes. He's very smart so he can understand the what and why, it's just getting his attention for short time that's the trick.