Bike borrowing etiquette

deejay.

Hi All,

I am feeling a little righteous indignation at the moment, and wanted to check in with the cogniscenti, to see if I am justified in doing so.

I recently lent, to a good friend of mine, my racing bike, so that he could participate in a northern UK sportive. He'd smashed his up (I won't say how - info is minimised to protect the guilty :evil: ) and was waiting to hear from his insurance company on a replacement frame. Either way, he'd have nothing to ride on the day. I was out of action at the time, and offered him my exotic italian racebred superbike (lighter and better equipped than his bike) - all he had to do was switch the wheels as my tyres were shot and I hadn't got around to replacing them due to lack of funds.

He used the bike for the event and put in a good ride - he admitted to enjoying my bike, too: as he is a convert to another brand, that was some concession! Once the event was over I was keen to get my bike back, as I was on the mend, and as it is my bike, I preferred to have it in my possession than in his. I was concerned about insurance cover versus theft, too - it's one thing if it's insured on my premises, another whether or not it's insured on his.

He brought the bike back a week or so later. And he brought two bottles of wine with it too, which was very nice. My bike, however, was covered in crap from the ride, including energy drink on the top tube and loads of brake dust and road dirt around the front brake and head tube; there were still stickers on the stem (alloy) and seat pin (carbon) which he'd not removed properly (adhesive everywhere); he'd not put the seat tube collar back on properly and he'd left my saddle in a completely different position to the one I left it in. The seat pin, from a certain italian manufacturer, is a complete plumber's nightmare to adjust, so I wasn't too chuffed.

I know it may be ridiculous of me to be annoyed with him about the state of the bike in the face of two bottles of wine, but I thought that the convention was if you borrow a mate's bike to get out of a tight spot, you bring it back no less clean than when you borrowed it. Am I wrong?

Opinions sought! If I'm being an arse, please tell me (I know you will )

deej

Cleat Eastwood

Its just life dude, he just doesnt have your high standards....is he a tri athlete by any chance

Team Banana Spokesman

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

is he a tri athlete by any chance

if so then that 'energy drink' on the top tube could well be energy drink thats come out the other end. :shock:

mtb-idle

the etiquette is if you brake it you pay for it.

He hasnt broken anything

Get over it

Frank the tank

If I borrowed a mates bike they would get it back spotlessly clean and lubed etc and there would be a tipple (at the very least) for my mate. That's the way I care for my bikes and I would expect if I leant a mate my bike that's the condition I would expect my bike to be returned in. I'd have made it perfectly clear the bike was loaned on that condition.

Ben6899

Wipe it down and chill the f*** out. Your heart and nerves will thank you for it.

Smokin Joe

Frank the tank wrote:

If I borrowed a mates bike they would get it back spotlessly clean and lubed etc and there would be a tipple (at the very least) for my mate. That's the way I care for my bikes and I would expect if I leant a mate my bike that's the condition I would expect my bike to be returned in. I'd have made it perfectly clear the bike was loaned on that condition.

+1

Ben6899

Frank the tank wrote:

If I borrowed a mates bike they would get it back spotlessly clean and lubed etc and there would be a tipple (at the very least) for my mate. That's the way I care for my bikes and I would expect if I leant a mate my bike that's the condition I would expect my bike to be returned in. I'd have made it perfectly clear the bike was loaned on that condition.

Aye, but we're talking a mucky top tube. Wipe it down? If it came back with f***ed indexing and buckled rims then I could be angry. But a dirty frame? Nah... brush that under the carpet.

Frank the tank

Ben6899 wrote:

Frank the tank wrote:

If I borrowed a mates bike they would get it back spotlessly clean and lubed etc and there would be a tipple (at the very least) for my mate. That's the way I care for my bikes and I would expect if I leant a mate my bike that's the condition I would expect my bike to be returned in. I'd have made it perfectly clear the bike was loaned on that condition.

Aye, but we're talking a mucky top tube. Wipe it down? If it came back with f***ed indexing and buckled rims then I could be angry. But a dirty frame? Nah... brush that under the carpet.

It's all about standards, no disrespect my owd.You may be fanatical about your bikes.

I'll say this. My friends say if you want a used bike buy one off Patto you'll get a good un.

Airwave

I'd be pretty p*ssed off too.You were good enough to help him out of a spot,surley 10mins cleaning the bike off&returning it in the condition you gave it him was'nt to much to ask.After all you said he had the bike for over week after the event-lazy f*cker!

Homer J

Ask to borrow a suit, do some diy in it, hand it back with 2 bottles of wine

secretsqizz

I sort of get the feeling that those who have just uttered 'chill' ' getalife'
would definitely be those who would also hand back a borrowed item covered in shit.

stock

secretsqizz wrote:

I sort of get the feeling that those who have just uttered 'chill' ' getalife'
would definitely be those who would also hand back a borrowed item covered in shoot.

Don't forget the two bottles of wine..

Spender45

Lending a mate your bike is like lending them your wife. Don't go there, it will only end in tears.

Garry H

Would let it go for the sake of friendship, but would never again lend him so much as a valve cap. Would think it would just be common courtesy to return it in the same state that it was received.

deejay.

Thanks All! I'm going to let it go (except for a minor snipe in an email suggesting that he could have taken the stickers off), at least verbally. As revenge is a dish best served on a 25% gradient I am going to train my ars* off (still in recovery, but improving all the time) so that the next time we go out I can drop him on every climb

deej

westerburk

and if that fails brake suddenly in front of him so he hits the dirt and fu cks his teeth in

Chip \'oyler

secretsqizz wrote:

I sort of get the feeling that those who have just uttered 'chill' ' getalife'
would definitely be those who would also hand back a borrowed item covered in shoot.

+1

If I lend anything I treat it with respect.

westerburk

Chip \'oyler wrote:

secretsqizz wrote:

I sort of get the feeling that those who have just uttered 'chill' ' getalife'
would definitely be those who would also hand back a borrowed item covered in shoot.

+1

If I lend anything I treat it with respect.

what if you borrow it?

ilm_zero7

you know the guy... and therefore his bike standards - if they are not up to yours, dont lend - 'simples'

I avoid borrowing, but if essential or unavoidable always make a point of giving it back in better shape than it was offered..

Sirius631

If you're like me, you enjoy cleaning your bike. Look on it as an opertunity to do so. Cleaning your bike is almost a sign of affection, so be glad that your mate didn't clean your bike or you will feel like your bike was being unfaithful.

westerburk

Sirius631 wrote:

If you're like me, you enjoy cleaning your bike. Look on it as an opertunity to do so. Cleaning your bike is almost a sign of affection, so be glad that your mate didn't clean your bike or you will feel like your bike was being unfaithful.

This is soo true! riding her is one thing but tenderness and affection Bang out of order!

teulk

The point is, regarding of how trivial some people think it is he should have returned it how he got it. If he borrowed it clean and spotless then thats how he should have handed it back.

deejay.

westerburk wrote:

and if that fails brake suddenly in front of him so he hits the dirt and fu cks his teeth in

Well, perhaps not quite that... :shock:

Frank the tank

Felt so Good wrote:

you know the guy... and therefore his bike standards - if they are not up to yours, dont lend - 'simples'

I avoid borrowing, but if essential or unavoidable always make a point of giving it back in better shape than it was offered..

+1 to both points.

El Gordo

Sure, he should have cleaned it but what if he used the wrong sort of lube or even the dreaded Fairy Liquid! It's a minefield.

I keep my bikes in decent order and if I ever did borrow a mates bike I would give it back cleaned but it's no big deal. I've leant out bikes before and they've come back dusty or with shreaded brake pads but what's a few minutes with a damp cloth or a few quids worth of brake rubber between friends? Just take a bit of pleasure in the knowledge that he had a good ride as a result of your generosity and leave it at that.

sheffsimon

No two ways about it, should be brought back clean and shiny, as it was lent to him.

Two bottles of wine is nice, but isn't an excuse for being too lazy to clean it.

Not a matter of chillin or getting over it, its about respect for somebody elses property.

Tom Butcher

I wouldn't take it to heart - maybe he meant to clean it but left it til the last minute and then didn't have time and was too embarassed to apologise so thought the wine would make up for it. You are obviously fairly good mates to lend him your bike so not worth falling out over even if it would have been nice if he'd cleaned it - life is too short.

stigofthedump

I have just got in after spending a happy hour and a half cleaning my mates bike. He was good enough to lend it to me for a weekend away at Afan Argoed as i am waiting for a warranty replacement frame from Marin.
I would consider it dishonourable if i returned it anything less that 100% clean and tidy.

Frank the tank

stigofthedump wrote:

I have just got in after spending a happy hour and a half cleaning my mates bike. He was good enough to lend it to me for a weekend away at Afan Argoed as i am waiting for a warranty replacement frame from Marin.
I would consider it dishonourable if i returned it anything less that 100% clean and tidy.

You're just stirring the pot.

mididoctors

I don't lend bikes or tools

period