[Closed] Some people are so xxxxxxx ungrateful...2nd hand bike content

Good luck for the best outcome

thanks...will update next week 🙂

it kind of pisses me off that she clearly doesn't trust me to not hand her a piece of crap, which is a far bigger issue to me than the cash itself.

Quite right, that's the core of it. You might need to have A Conversation. Talk about all this expectation mismatch stuff. Take some blame for your part. Do all the "when you say x it makes me feel y".

women and expectations 👿

If she ums and errs about it again, tell her to bog off. As for some of the twunts on here 🙄

Edric64 YHM and Hebdencyclist my email is in profile if you're interested in that frame.
535mm ST and 125 rear spacing.

[i]her attention went straight to the mismatched and worn-out parts[/i]
If you call 2 different tyres front and back (and the same combo as I rode on my enduro up until very recently) as mismatched then fair enough but thats a bit like complaining that a bike only has 10 gears rather than 33...

As for worn out parts, she didn't even notice them. She commented on the scuffed paintwork on the frame and scuffed seatpost. Ie purely cosmetic...she never even sat on the thing!

[i]"As for worn out parts, she didn't even notice them. She commented on the scuffed paintwork on the frame and scuffed seatpost."[/i]
That's worn parts then, isn't it? You can bet she noticed the grips, pedals, tyres and all the other obvious cosmetic worn/scruffy/mismatching parts, the bits not important to you, but very important to her.
As has already been said, the route of the issue is mostly down to the average punter not appreciating the price of decent lighter weight kit in mtb. I hope she comes round to your thinking, but she wants a new or newer looking bike that's more aesthetically pleasing to her.

It could simply just be the colour of the frame just doesn't do it for her, that's swayed my interests a few times!.

I'm waiting* for a new user to appear, and start a thread "A friend built a bike for me but I don't like it. What should I do?"

*praying for it, actually

This is the most elaborate stealth classified ad we've had in a while...

I'll give you £300 for it. (I won't really)

My suggestion would be to get rid of the canyon, then offer to do what I did for a female friend and my girlfriend.....search for a complete bike which is as good as new at a great price then point it out to her. Let her agree she likes it, and let her pay for it. £450 for a £850 boardman and £270 for a £550 Specialized both in as-new condition are my wins , and something similar may just put you back in the good books.

A hint, get her to pick up the new-bike she has in mind and she'll appreciate how light your suggestions are in comparison. Weight means effort, which even a newbie will realise doesn't equate to fun when you have to pedal the thing up a hill. 😉

Take the bike back, whether it's what she wants or not is irrelevant....the 'taking it for a valuation' thing is a really crappy thing to do and implies she doesn't trust you and thinks you'd rip her off....nice, she isn't your friend.

Sell it to someone else who will appreciate it, have very little to do with her going forward from this....the valuation thing seems to be getting skimmed over by some on here but it's the most insulting part for me.

If a mate built me something for an agreed price I'd know I'm not being fleeced because it's a friend and friendship means we respect and trust each other....she neither respects or trusts you, at least she has revealed her true colours over this episode....steer well clear in future.

hebdencyclist - Member

This is an internet forum. None of us know each other. We can only go on what we read.

and on that basis, in your case i'm going with "riesigercockwomble", which is a German compound adjective that translates to "giant cock womble".

bedmaker ,I have mailed you

I spoke to her and her concern is it will break when shes on a ride and wont be able to fix it as its old. Fair enough, although just as likely to happen to a cheap new bike.

As a peace offering I've offered her an afternoons worth of bike fixing lessons...ie how to repair a puncture 🙂

I kind of want her to take its as its a great wee bike and I know shell enjoy it so much more than a cheaper bike, but not going to fall out with her if not. Can sell on I'm sure.

Thanks for all the comments folks 🙂

Let down, was hoping for a more explosive finale to 6 pages of argumentative horsecockery.

To think I mildly stuck up for you.

So she's decided to keep it now a bike shop's told her it's worth about £750?

All's well that ends well I suppose.

fear not lads...no decision made yet!!!

Stay tuned...

Why not suggest the pair of you go for a ride together, her on the bike you've built, you on the shiny new bike you've bought from the proceeds made from scamming poor defenceless ladies into buying tat from your shed.

Then suggest she go to a shop and take a £400 new bike out on a test ride and she can then compare the 2. That way she might see past the cosmetic issues of the second hand bike and appreciate what you've done for her.

Never expect gratitude, ever - that way you won't be disappointed - but especially never expect gratitude for things that weren't asked for. You said you 'persuaded', her reaction says it was nearer to 'brow-beaten'. In fact, it does sound like classic mansplaining.

Having said that, you are absolutely right that this would be the best bike she could get for an introduction to mountain-biking. Doesn't matter. If a mate came to you asking for advice on a cheap car for a 5 minute commute, and you suggested that a bike would be cheaper and would leave them fitter, healthier, happier, less-stressed and richer I'd warrant they wouldn't be grateful for that advice, either.

What you did was noble and really nice, and it was pretty crappy taking the bike in for an independent valuation, but you were clearly not solving the problem *she* had. Keep the bike, help her spend her £400 on the best bike *she* wants. Sell yours for a profit, feel free to trek her what the profit is.

I can't arsed reading everything that everyone has written but for me the big issue isn't whether she likes the colour or other such aesthetic guff, or that it's built from use parts, it's that she's had the cheek to want it valuing. WTF? That's question your honesty, integrity and seems to challenge the whole notion of friendship. I'd tell her to go **** herself.

She's not likely to get a honest answer from a bike shop either: let's face it, they want to sell her something themselves, so why would they? Ok, they might grudgingly admit the parts were worth more when new, but then drop in negative comments about buying 2nd hand (certain death and fire balls will no doubt feature).

Dont sell the bike to her. If something does go wrong...........

Just tell her that you can see from her response that it isnt what she wants and just say that you have someone else who wants it (even if there isnt), sell the bike to someone else, and move on.

Youll not win this one.

So what was the valuation, and outcome?

And the bike was valued at? ......

I can't stand the tension...

£750 - they haven't got out of bed since 😀

Well she took it to the bike shop...and as expected they said it was a very good bike for the cash. Shes now delighted with it apparently!

She asked me to fix a few things they suggested including a new cassette and chain which she said shed pay extra for which is fair enough as she'll have to replace at a later point anyway, also wanted me to buy her new grips which of course she;ll also pay for.

One thing the bike shop did mention however is that the front brake needs bled, which is odd given it was brand new and worked just fine when I gave it to her. Fair enough however, I said if there is an issue id of course fix it.

Was always going to be about the grips.....

Did she at least apologise?

Was she out of the friends zone pleased?

You could have saved 6+ pages of STW tomfoolery if only you'd just changed one of those ****in tyres.

Now tell her you want some pictures so you can put her up on here and get her valued.

Good outcome, well done OP!

Well that's really shit isn't it? A friend does a favour for a friend and the friendee needs a random bike shop to confirm they are not being ripped off by their friend? And now she has a revised shopping list of amendments and defects for you to sort out before the output of your kindness is acceptable?

For me, now is the time to tell her to **** off and then sell it to someone else. 'This is the speedboat you could have won....'.

She'll be back when it needs more work expecting you to act as her tame bike fixer. All FOC of course. :-/

Agree with that. Second opinion ffs. Tell her to jog on.

Old grips though, that's cheap man. Could have saved a lot of bother.

If you'd found her favourite colour, bought some superstar grips that colour, she would have loved it from the start.

how about a video of her riding it... down a bumpy track?

I've got to echo others comments. I'd be telling her to jog on and sell the bike privately.

Yeah I get what folks are saying about telling her to jog on but its easier to let it go. Wont be doing her any more favours in future however!

Key thing is I'll get my cash and she has a great wee bike to ride, so no real losers...

I am glad this has been resolved amicably.

🙂

If I were you I'd ask her specifically (beforehand) "where will you take it/what will you do if anything goes wrong with it ?"

50p says she's sold it on within a month, for at least £500.

put it all down to experience, doing favours for so called friends, is like pissing in the wind, done similar myself, then everytime something goes wrong, they expect you to fixit, its sometimes not worth the effort,

yep expect the bike to be sold on ebay for £250 advertised as a BSO. Best get first refusal if she sells it!

Atleast you get the warm fuzzy feeling of helping a mate out and it doesnt put you out of pocket. You never know she may surprise you and return the favour in the future.

Quality thread....I'll miss this one as it slides into oblivion ,full of rampant sexism but very funny too. FWIW I would have woken her up and told her to go home.