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Almost stepped off into it, bigtime! Update!

dheffley
My oldest grandson has taken up bike racing. According to him, he needs a professional, carbon fiber bike to be successful, and his dad won't buy one for him.

I came within an inch of saying I would by it, but then I thought about the trouble I've let my mouth get me into lately with commitments, so I told him I would check into it.

Here's the link he sent me,

http://www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.13221/.f


$2,499

I guess I'll have to tell him he's out of luck unless his dad agrees to go halveies! Dang! I almost said yes to something I wasn't ready to follow through on!

Update

Called my son on his cell phone to ask him what the deal was on the bike and see if he wanted me to go half on it, and his exact words were, "No way dad. He hasn't proven he's committed to sticking with it, and we're not spending money until he does. I'll call you if we decide to do it and if you want to help, fine, but I don't think it's going to happen."

Good enough for me.
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Comments

26 comments

Date Votes
  • SuburbanNoize
    What kind of Bike Racing? Certainly not BMX right? A nice BMX bike can be had for less than 800. I raced BMX for a little bit, when i was younger.
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  • Jacob2008
    Is he just starting? If he is, by no means should he need a carbon fiber pro bike.. Or, I wouldnt think so..


    But, thats good for him... [8D]
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  • Marner
    quote:Originally posted by dheffley

    $2,499




    OUCH!
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  • dheffley
    quote:Originally posted by SuburbanNoize
    What kind of Bike Racing? Certainly not BMX right? A nice BMX bike can be had for less than 800. I raced BMX for a little bit, when i was younger.


    Here's the link he sent me,

    http://www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.13221/.f
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  • p3skyking
    You grandson needs to read this months POPULAR SCIENCE, pg. 17. THE BIKE TO HAVE! Only $12,000.



    http://delta7sports.com/products.html
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  • Spider7115
    My son bought one around that price. I think it's a Canondale. I'd rather buy a real cannon for that much money.
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  • dheffley
    quote:Originally posted by p3skyking
    You grandson needs to read this months POPULAR SCIENCE, pg. 17. THE BIKE TO HAVE! Only $12,000.



    http://delta7sports.com/products.html


    He told me this was a cheap one. I'm not sendiong him that link![xx(]
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  • chaoslodge
    I am not a racer but I have friends that are and have cojoled me to take it up. If he is just getting into it he is a lot better off with a nice heavy bike that he can build up strength and technique with rather than some Gucci performance bike. I rode 20 to 30 miles a day when I lived in Philadelphia on a $350 hybrid bike. I regularly beat the trains and other guys who considered themselves seasoned racers.

    This is not about tooting my horn. I ride for transportation. I just know what the results were from a "sub standard" piece of equipment. If he wants equipment like that he should get a sponsor. Or a job as a bike courier.

    My son is 7 and the gun he shoots is a Springfield Model 15 22lr. He can learn everything he needs to on that gun and later when he has, we will see about an "upgrade"

    Stepping off my soap box now,..... looking around sheepishly,.....hehehehe
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  • Jacob2008
    No. He wants one of the best ones out there, and a professional one at that.

    They have them for about $400.00....

    Here is one for intermediate.. he should be riding a beginner, There was a kid in band, first trumpet he got was a professional bach stradivarius ... He ended up not being able to play it, because it took more skill than beginner trumpets.


    http://www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.13227/.f?sc=7&category=18702
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  • dakotashooter2
    While a "professional" bike may provide that ultimate edge for high ranked bikers he is probably better off starting with a good "used" racing bike at a fraction of the price. Conditioning is going to be a bigger factor initially than a pro bike. Tell him if he can prove himself competitive with a lesser bike (like maybe a few top 10 finishes) a new one will be considered. If he gets a new $2,500 bike then quits after a year or two because he isn't in condition to be competitive that money has been wasted.

    Set up an incentive for him. $10-20 for every top 10 or whatever goes into a "bike" account with his name on it. That way he earns his way to a new bike without having to be ultra competitive.
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  • soop
    Just go to Wallmart and buy him a Huffy.
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  • bigtire
    There is a carbon fiber frame bike here for $1199

    http://www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.13179/.f?sc=7&category=53


    Or you could tell him what my dad used to tell me.

    Get a job and pay for it yourself!
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  • tomahawk
    how about a western flyer, thats what we rode, they didn't even have speeds, 'cept what you could pedal[;)][:D]
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  • jpwolf
    Geez, dheff! You had better just honor dad's wishes and leave it at that. I can't believe he would even have the nerve to ask. If he was my boy, he'd be gettin' an ass whoopin' for this little stunt!

    Remember the "Drug problem" post? One of the statements was something like "And then I'd get drug over to neighbors to help, and if mom had found out that had taken even a dime as tip for that help, I would've gotten drug out behind the woodshed again."
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  • stevenrayspeck
    HE DOES NOT NEED A PROFESSIONAL RACE BIKE....PERIOD!

    Just a average riding bike will do good for starters and after a while if he continues in the sport and shows that he has some talent in the sport... Then you can look into getting him a better bike.

    A carbon fiber bike is for people that do nothing but ride there bike all day long and actualy will compete in a hundred different races throughout the year, Serious competitors to put it simply....... Something tells me that your grandson isn't quite to that level yet[;)]
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  • Dakota308
    and thats at 42% off
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  • gun_runner
    Check out www.sierratradingpost.com they have several carbon fiber bikes under that price and they are all top of the line. You should be able to get one for half that price!!!
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  • tr fox
    Why don't you just buy him a $59.95 Wal-mart bike and cover it with carbon fiber tape?
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  • jpwolf
    yea![:D]What fox said!

    Here's another option dheff. My nephew was into BMX, but his family was on the poor side. He was 12-13 when this phase hit. He went and got a job at a bike shop, and worked and earned his way into some pretty nice equipment. Man he is a good kid. He's in his 5th year of college to become a school teacher. He went 4 years to Southern Nazarene University and was going to be a youth pastor. Now he is in Michigan State University to become an elementary school teacher. Point is, if he wants it bad enough he will earn it. And it will make him a better person![:D]
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  • needmyguns
    MAN THATS MORE THAN I PAY FOR MOST MY VEHICLES.[:0][:0]
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  • daveald
    I too used to ride daily 30+ miles avg. saturdays 50-60 mi. My brother has a 3000 pro road bike he kicks my butt on the level parts of the road, but I allways caught him on the hill with my $250.00 hybred road/mountain bike. It pizzed him off.
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  • iceracerx
    Well, I guess it could have been worse? He could have asked for a Lance Armstrong rep made by TREK, at a mere $3,519.oo

    http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-1-383-16322-1,00.html

    Most of the road racers I know have switched from Carbon fiber to Titanium for stiffness. Your grandson needs a good bike (and wheels) to be successful, but he needs to understand that he should seek a sponsorship other then grandpa. There are 100s of teams looking for good riders. And like most things in life... you have to work your way to the top.
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  • Horse Plains Drifter
    quote:Originally posted by needmyguns
    MAN THATS MORE THAN I PAY FOR MOST MY VEHICLES.[:0][:0]
    Yeah no kidding! I rarely spend that much on an automobile.
    The young lad needs to see how professional he can be at splitting wood, cleaning the barn, driving the tractor, baleing hay, bucking bales, harnessing the team, learning to repair machinery, learning to weld..............
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  • KEVD18
    lance armstrong says its not about the bike, its the rider.
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  • FrancF
    A used Honda 50/100, $800 and a real back yard crash course.[:D] and when he can do it with the throttle wide open you have a winner!

    I know it's not BMX but you know that will be the next step. You know who has road time to show him-[;)]
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  • cce1302
    quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
    lance armstrong says its not about the bike, its the rider.

    But lance has only one nut.


    Your grandson should be looking to buy from a local shop (where they'll make sure his bike fits right) test ride it before he buys, and look to spend maybe a thousand for his first bike.
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