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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is this going to get DS mugged?

106 replies

ACupOfTeaSolvesEverything · 05/12/2021 10:56

DH is a fan of bikes. He has a Very Expensive mountain bike that he uses once every couple of years!
DS has grown out of his kids bike and needs a new bike to cycle to and from high school when he starts next September. I’ve managed to convince my 6ft husband that no our 4ft8 son can’t “just use Dad’s bike” so DH is going to buy him one of his own. Fine. But he is looking at spending up to £1000. On a bike for an 11 year old to ride to school. We live in an averagely nice area but AIBU that this is going to make DS a target? I don’t want him to get knifed for his bike!!

OP posts:
Branleuse · 05/12/2021 12:40

not worth it at that age. Theres such a high chance of it getting nicked or damaged.
Odd that its either "borrow dads enormous bike" or "get a brand new 1k smaller bike". Clearly a cheaper bike for a kid or something second hand is much better

ElephantOfRisk · 05/12/2021 12:40

I live in an area with hills so mountain biking etc is a fairly big thing. There are bike hire companies. After so many uses they sell off the bikes. They are decent but not outrageous models. This is where we bought bikes for our teens - I think we paid c £200-250 and they services and replaced the tyres before selling them. I'd try to suss out something like that.

Or maybe something like this while he is still growing?:

bikeclub.com/collections/hybrid

Cyberworrier · 05/12/2021 12:43

I know this was a very unusual and tragic situation but a child was murdered for his bike near me a couple of years ago. It was heartbreaking. An expensive helmet and cheap bike sounds sensible.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 05/12/2021 12:43

As a Londoner, I always bought the cheapest bike that would do the job (6 miles to work and 6 miles back, 5 times a week) and spent double on the lock.

Glad you’ve convinced your husband to lower the budget.

Ha! Seems so funny to say that about lowering a budget!

OneTC · 05/12/2021 12:45

If there's a chance he's going to go out riding it and getting use of the price tag then by all means but him a 1k bike.

If it's for going to school he needs a "pub bike"

WhereYouLeftIt · 05/12/2021 12:51

@ArblemarchTFruitbat

I'd have thought a cheaper bike would make sense simply because an 11 year old boy is likely to outgrow a bike very quickly.
Exactly this. An expensive bike at 11 makes no sense, one good growth spurt and he'll need a bigger bike frame. I'd be looking for a second hand one, IIRC that's what we did for DS's first couple of bikes, until he was as tall as DH and could use one of his (but still not as expensive as your DH is suggesting).
ChiefStockingStuffer · 05/12/2021 12:54

It will get stolen.

Buy one in the post-Christmas/January sales when they are actively clearing out this year's models.

Swimminginmud · 05/12/2021 12:56

I go by the saying ‘don’t buy anything you can’t afford to lose’
It will be a prime target. Round where I live bike theft is a huge business. My husband had his bike stolen when his back was turned while he was chatting to someone. It cost him £800 and was really upsetting. He has a fold up now and even that was stolen but luckily found.

Pascal80 · 05/12/2021 12:57

Yes, in the nearest city where I live the child would be knocked off his bike by older boys and the bike stolen. The older and the more unattractive the bike is to thieves, the better.

MeridianB · 05/12/2021 13:00

Definitely a target for mugging or stealing. And it’s so much responsibility for an 11yo. YADNBU!

YoComoManzanas · 05/12/2021 13:02

I have a reasonably expensive£1.5k myb which I ride very often. I also have a crappy old bike which I commute on or go on kids bike rides.
Yanbu.
I would get ds a cheap but reasonable 2nd hand bike to ride to school or park and if he gets ibto mtb with his dad get him a second expensive bike for forest bike parks etc.

Mercurial123 · 05/12/2021 13:02

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I think bikejacking is uncommon

Of course it happens, it's a lot more common than you think it is.

lastqueenofscotland · 05/12/2021 13:03

Bikes getting stolen “to order” is very common.

Vapeyvapevape · 05/12/2021 13:04

I live in a nice area and it seems any bike will get stolen , especially if it’s chained up at the local sports centre.
People are always posting on fb asking if anyone has seen their bike because it’s been stolen , the cost doesn’t seem to come into it.

eightlivesdown · 05/12/2021 13:06

He'll quickly grow out of it and will stand out in the playground as being the kid with the expensive bike, in addition to the theft risk. Better to get him a bike like his mates have.

Hawkins001 · 05/12/2021 13:07

@ACupOfTeaSolvesEverything

DH is a fan of bikes. He has a Very Expensive mountain bike that he uses once every couple of years! DS has grown out of his kids bike and needs a new bike to cycle to and from high school when he starts next September. I’ve managed to convince my 6ft husband that no our 4ft8 son can’t “just use Dad’s bike” so DH is going to buy him one of his own. Fine. But he is looking at spending up to £1000. On a bike for an 11 year old to ride to school. We live in an averagely nice area but AIBU that this is going to make DS a target? I don’t want him to get knifed for his bike!!
With the bike lock, either a d -lock or a motorbike style one, rules I'd say, look for where the best places are too lock e.g. Cctv coverage ect, a bike that pricy certainly will at least have some intrigue at a guess.

My bikes usually have either been e.g. £10-30 ones from the second hand shop, or ones people put out for scrap and their is a note saying to use it if wanted, so then I ask if I can use it to make sure. and just repair parts as and when needed. Our area has a few thefts and thankfully with mine being cheap, it's not too much worry but at the same time, I still need it to ride.

Rangoon · 05/12/2021 13:09

I went to school with a girl whose teenage son was left brain damaged and in a coma because he was attacked for his shoes. Your husband is insane to think of spending that sort of money - not because it's a lot of money - but because it will make your son a target. I am sure my school friend must rue the day she bought those shoes for her son but you can stop this now.

junecat · 05/12/2021 13:10

I wouldn't, we live in an area really popular with mountain bikers. There have been lots of bikes stolen and some by force 😡

Lonelycrab · 05/12/2021 13:14

It’s so sad that this has become such a thing. I used to cycle to work in a rough area of se London on a very expensive mountain bike, for years and years- all of my mates did too as we were very into mtb.

No way I’d do that now.

iglpgl · 05/12/2021 13:18

@YoComoManzanas

I have a reasonably expensive£1.5k myb which I ride very often. I also have a crappy old bike which I commute on or go on kids bike rides. Yanbu. I would get ds a cheap but reasonable 2nd hand bike to ride to school or park and if he gets ibto mtb with his dad get him a second expensive bike for forest bike parks etc.
Agreed. I'm a keen cyclist and have decent bikes, but when I used to commute I used a beaten-up second-hand (probably more like third or fourth!) hybrid; my lock actually cost more than the bike! Grin

Save the decent bike for weekends and get something cheap and cheerful (and preferably not new) for the school run.

1forAll74 · 05/12/2021 13:21

One of my Grandsons aged 16,had his fairly expensive bike stolen a while ago..He was riding in a park area in Southampton, He came across a friend who was walking, so got off the bike to chat,and just pushed the bike for a while. Then three lads appeared near to them, one lad snatched off some kind of neckchain from my Grandson, then another lad proceeded to try and grab the bike off Grandson, and he tried to stop him,but as this lad was bending down a bit, my Grandson spotted a machete knife thing ,sticking out of the lads trousers,the lad then grabbed the bike, and took off with it, with his mates all following him,. saying they would stab my Grandson if he ran after them.

My Grandson phoned my daughter, the police arrived later, but the nasty lads, and the bike were never traced after.

dreamdoll123 · 05/12/2021 13:25

Someone would rob a £50 bike in my area let alone a bike costing 1K

Beebumble2 · 05/12/2021 13:29

Buy a cheap one. Years ago DS was mugged for his bike, on his way home from school. He’d saved all his birthday and Christmas money for 18 mths. Heartbroken and the police weren’t interested.
He go a cheap replacement from Halfords.

KateInHappyland · 05/12/2021 13:31

I wouldn't bother spending that much until he's finished growing, if I'm honest.

smoko · 05/12/2021 13:37

Bloody hell, just get the kid a BMX. That bike will not only likely get nicked, it's just an extravagant amount for an 11 year old's bike.

If you're really well off & this is the kind of thing all the other kids in your social set have, then say go right ahead.

But it's good to teach kids the value of things & that something doesn't need to be super expensive to be "good". He could be just as happy with a BMX.

It sounds like your DH is one of those cycling nuts & living vicariously through your son by buying him this over the top gift.

Why can't your son choose his own bike at the shop & make a day of it? Why is DH deciding what bike he should have in the first place? Set a budget & let the kid pick his own damn bike.