So I’ve literally been looking into a bicycle for about the past month. Every day scowering the internet, papers, and spots around town, talking to cyclists and the such just to find a cheap road bike that I will eventually just convert into a fixie. If you bike (ehem Cowboy and maybe some others) you know that this is a decision to be made.
So I wake up today and I go into the basement, to find a brand new mountain bike sitting at my office door (Birthday gift, yay I’m a year older, I’ll die soon). I kind of figured this would be something my parents would do (buy me something I don’t want/can’t use).
There are no mountains in Camden County.
I can’t convert this to fixed gear.
I can’t commute with this heavy ass bike (carry it around crowded subway stations).
So, I act all appreciative and that shit and now I’m just kind of mad. I feel as though it was an impulse buy and If anything I would kind of just want him to help me contribute to buying a decent road bike.
This is worded rather harshly but I don’t know what to say. Should I man-up and tell him I’d like to return it and contribute the money to a better bike? Or should I basically let it sit in the basement and collect dust? Hypothetically speaking of course.
Fixies are an urban fad at the moment but are great tools for training if you are a road cyclist. Mine is a ton of fun and the purest expression of the beauty of the bicycle. But I am a bit bias. Been racing off and on for over 20 years.
[quote]rsg wrote:
Nothing wrong with a mountain bike, I got one of these and cycle to work most days - it’s not that heavy in actual fact so what the problem is?
You got a free bike, I say be happy.[/quote]
For one, that’s a Cannondale. It’s going to last longer, you’ll have less problems, and it’s most definitely lighter. Seeing as you don’t have these hardcore (aka absolutely unnecessary) shocks on it.
[quote]HK24719 wrote:
It’s pretty arrogant to get mad at people for buying you a gift.[/quote]
I’m not mad at him, did I say that? I’m kind of mad at myself for telling him that I wanted a bike. And I’m kind of mad at Mongoose for producing $100 mistakes and making them look like hardcore mountain bikes.
Anyhow, not the answers I’m looking for. There’s nothing wrong with knowing what you want.
[quote]rsg wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Tell them politely you would like to exchange it and then thank them profusely.
Well if it’s anything like that bike you pictured, then I agree.
Edit:
Funny, you’d think after spending over $1000 on a bicycle you wouldn’t get leaking forks after only 6 weeks.[/quote]
And don’t tell them rsg’s $ 1000 bike has leaking forks.
If you tell them you have a specific bike in mind and you are already saving for it they should respect that (unless it is something crazy and then you should repsect them enough to see if their concerns are valid)
Go in calmly and say “dad, thank you for your thoughtful gift, I know you knew I wanted a bike and it was nice of you to buy one for me however I had my heart set on X bike, would you be upset if we returned this one and put that money toward the one I really want?” Something like that. He shouldn’t get mad at you if you’re honest with him.
[quote]meangenes wrote:
RWElder0 wrote:
Nothing sader than being the guy (me) on the road bike being passed by that mountain biker.
(Insert a tear in my right eye and a quiet “fucker” under my breath.)
Gears = Maintenance.[/quote]
I guess there might be a tiny amount more maintenance with cables and such once a year, but the difference in maintenance required between fixed and regular is insignificant.
I have a fixed gear track back and a road bike and I can’t say that I spend any more time maintaining one over the other for the amount of time spent riding each.
[quote]dday wrote:
Go in calmly and say “dad, thank you for your thoughtful gift, I know you knew I wanted a bike and it was nice of you to buy one for me however I had my heart set on X bike, would you be upset if we returned this one and put that money toward the one I really want?” Something like that. He shouldn’t get mad at you if you’re honest with him.[/quote]
Then when he sees you on the bike you really wanted you can be like “No bro I keep the bike you got me for when I’m being sick and tight on the weekends bro-ing out, bro and offroading”
[quote]HK24719 wrote:
rsg wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Tell them politely you would like to exchange it and then thank them profusely.
Well if it’s anything like that bike you pictured, then I agree.
Edit:
Funny, you’d think after spending over $1000 on a bicycle you wouldn’t get leaking forks after only 6 weeks.
Seeing as how decent suspension fork start around $500, I wouldn’t much out of one on a $1,000 bike.
In that price range you’re better off going fully rigid.[/quote]
Yeah, I know the price of the bike may seem high the the average person, but it’s still a pretty average bike. The frame is decent, so I’ll work on upgrading the forks and such bit by bit - it’s only used for work so I’m not going to get too hellbent on building it up.
