Originally Posted by trmcgeehan
Last year, I let my college bound daughter take my pristine Kawasaki mountain bike, which she subsequently "stored" in a bike rack outside her dorm. I recently picked up her and the bike (she flunked out), and the bike was a mass of rust, tires flat, etc. I don't think she used it more than a few times. I took it to my lbs, and he said forget it -- too far gone, and would take at least $300 to get back in any kind of shape. He said he could sell me a brand new Fuji with front and rear suspension for what it would cost to restore the Kawasaki. Lesson learned: Don't let your daughter take a good bike to college -- buy her a $25 beater!
Yeah, I agree with you. My son is preparing for college now. He has a beautiful Trek 820 in great condition, and it will be stored in the basement when he leaves. Instead I'm going to give him our family 'spare' bike, a '95, Trek 800. It does not have a suspension, it has cantilever brakes, original tires and a cheap 'Pacific' comfort seat. I paid $25 for it and added a new cassette ($25) and a new chain ($15). So for $65, I'll provide him with reliable transportation, from a good brand, but I won't be upset if it gets stolen and I expect it will be rusted out by the end of the school year.