Need help Convincing my Parents

rick_chasey

PimpMyBike wrote:

Hey guys . I saw a Giant Defy 2 (2011) on the Internet at a heavily discounted price of £500. My parents are saying i can't have it because it's a road bike and they will only let me spend £350 . I can save up the extra £150 that I would need . But they want me to a have a bog standard Hybrid .

So I was wondering how can I convince them that it's better to spend the extra money for a much much much better bike ?

( And I don't know whether this is the right place to post so move this if you want )

Hero.

And yes, this is the right place. Very much so.


Tell them the internet people will hunt them down if you don't get a roadie.

(seriously, what reasons do they have to want a hybrid over a roadie? Send 'em over here. You could even search the term 'hybrid' on the forum and see what all around abuse they get)

PimpMyBike

Rick Chasey wrote:

PimpMyBike wrote:

Hey guys . I saw a Giant Defy 2 (2011) on the Internet at a heavily discounted price of £500. My parents are saying i can't have it because it's a road bike and they will only let me spend £350 . I can save up the extra £150 that I would need . But they want me to a have a bog standard Hybrid .

So I was wondering how can I convince them that it's better to spend the extra money for a much much much better bike ?

( And I don't know whether this is the right place to post so move this if you want )

Hero.

And yes, this is the right place. Very much so.


Tell them the internet people will hunt them down if you don't get a roadie.

(seriously, what reasons do they have to want a hybrid over a roadie? Send 'em over here. You could even search the term 'hybrid' on the forum and see what all around abuse they get)

Hello : D

And because they're apparently more comfortable, just as good as a road bike apparently ( I mean WTF ? ) And they're slightly cheaper

Steve John B

springtide9 wrote:

Start saving for the new bike. I bet when they see you are actually committed (and maybe have £200 towards it) they'll help you out.

At the moment all they can probably hear is ... "I want.. I want... I want..."

Good call. Even if they don't buy you anything, you'll be able to get a decent enough 2nd hand bike for £200, enough to keep you going for a while. Especially if you post on here asking for something, cos you seem to have persuaded most people to your cause!

Plus you'll learn a good work ethic, which means you'll be rich by the time you're the age of most of the old farts on here (me included) and be able to afford all the fangled Italian carbon you could ever want.

And yes, you probably will keep growing. My bro was 6'1 at 13, he ended up 6'5. The goddamn freak.

PimpMyBike

Well guys my parents have sort of forced me to get a hybrid , but it is an ok one . It's got disks , front suspension and decent gears . But I've got about £100 spare so what can I buy to make it better ( Tyres , wheels etc ( I'm not fussed )

Thanks for the advice anyway guys : D

father_jack

meh front suspension :-/

iPete

If its not already purchased and if it has to be a hybrid go for the most 'race like' as possible, no suspension or disks. At that price 'normal' brakes will be better.

My house mate has something like a "Specialized Ariel Ladies Hybrid", it is the worst thing I've ever used and it was only a cheeky trip to the shops.

If you already have it, ride it for a while before you splash any money on it.

Swos

I've got a hybrid but it's a lightweight racer style rather than a mountain bike style hybrid. I've got a 2009 Specialized Sirrus Elite with dropped handle bars instead of the straight bars that came with it. It's a fantastic bike and is a great ride.

slowondefy2

That sort of bike may well be better than a pure road bike for the time being in that it'll be a bit more flexible in where you can ride.

With regards to suggestions on what to buy - seeing as this is the road bike forum, skinny slick road tyres would be a good start But more practically, a good pair of lights and a club membership might be a better idea than going replacing items on a brand new bike

Whatever it is, don't worry about it to much - just go out and enjoy riding it

simon_e

slowondefy2 wrote:

That sort of bike may well be better than a pure road bike for the time being in that it'll be a bit more flexible in where you can ride.

With regards to suggestions on what to buy - seeing as this is the road bike forum, skinny slick road tyres would be a good start But more practically, a good pair of lights and a club membership might be a better idea than going replacing items on a brand new bike

Whatever it is, don't worry about it to much - just go out and enjoy riding it

I agree. Ride it lots, take care of it and learn how to maintain it properly. You can do plenty on a hybrid and, although a year or two seems a long time when you're young, a nice road bike will be a great thing to look forward to. IME you appreciate things more if you have to wait for them (delayed gratification).

Decent tyres will improve the rolling speed a bit, something like 28mm Schwalbe Duranos, but many people on here will admit that once you start upgrading your bike it's a slippery slope on the road to hell...

shouldbeinbed

As a parent I can sympathise to quite a degree with Ma & Pa, having spent out on something nice for the kids only for their lifelong love affair to fizzle out after a few months.

Take the hybrid, keep the money you already have in a savings account and do a deal with them - they either give you money for the savings pot or just give you a cheap present for the next Christmas and Birthday. If you're still mad keen on riding this time next year - ridden it lots, kept it in good nick, learned to fettle it yourself, joined a club etc, they trade the hybrid in at the earlier of your next birthday/christmas for a road bike.

Unfortunately the current good deal Defy will be gone but the cash you've put aside + trading the hybrid + the earlier skimpy birthday/christmas payback will get you something of decent quality whilst you may keep growing. My nephews were ~6 foot tall in their mid teens, they're both 6'6" now in their early 20's.

leshere

I think that as a medium term strategy joining a cycle club is a great move an my sone has prsued this tactic with success. The parents will come into contact with cycling parents...gradually as a parent you begin to learn that the £99.99 bike shaped object from Halfrauds is maybe not the best bargain. That many parents seem happy to accommodate several bikes all with a range of parts. As a parent you get used to the idea that a set of tyres might cost as much as you thought the whole bike would have been. They realise that seeing you hurtle, no doubt incautiously, round a wet tarmac track is better than seeing you throwing up after binging on cider in the local park/ lounging around in the town centre swearing and smoking/spending hour upon hour playing CoD. They might even get used to the odd trip to A and E consoling themselves with the thought that your repairs (unlike those that will be needed on the bike) come courtesy of the NHS and are free.
Les
A cycle daddy