Would you let your 13 year old son buy a $1200 bike?

Question

the bike has everything i want, it is a cannondale Rush 5 with a full suspension and a lefty fork. it is only $1200 the cheapest in the state, if you were to get a hardtail that would be another $300 .the bike is a 2007.i want to get this to replace my 2005 trek 3900 which is a safety hazard to ride, whenever you are pedeling the chain always gets tied up in the pedels and you dont know when it is going to happen.Also it would be payed off by november which is just half of a year away, so it is not like i am losing that much money. My mom says she wont let me get it because i will be buying a car in 3 years and she thinks it would be a waste. but i disagree because i will be going to college just 1 year after i get my car and my license, and with gas surley being at least $7 dolars a gallon i will be riding my bike around campus to save money and get an exercise. my mom says if i was a little younger like 8-10 she would let me get it, but who would trust an 8 year old with a $1200 bike

Answer 1

Your money?? Sure

Answer 2

You don't need a $1200 bike, your money could be better spent on a bike that's 1/4 that price. Or even better yet, get your present bike repaired for a pittance compared to that new bike you want. It would be paid off when you pick it up from the shop, and would serve your needs just fine.

Answer 3

I'm not a bike expert but I'm sure you can get a very nice one for $200.

Bikes are good for saving on gas but you will also NEED a car, even if you don't drive it very often.

Also consider that bikes are stolen all the time, especially the $1,200 kind.

There will be time in your life when you would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have that extra $1,000 that you spent on the bike for something else.

Answer 4

It depends because if you buy the bike now and use it until college then it could be crappy again and you would want to buy another bike. I think it's more up to you. Also do you have a birthday or something coming up? Because if you do they might want to buy it for your birthday and that could be why they don't want to let you.

Answer 5

it sounds like you're pretty responsible for your age. and when i was your age, i was buying my own bikes and whatever else i wanted. so if my daughter was to come up to me and say she wants to buy her own bike with her own money, i would let her. good luck.

Answer 6

i think i agree with both you and your mom i mean it is your m oney and you should be able to spend it and it will be cheapier to ride your bike on campus.... but when it comes time to get a car i think you will regret that much money lost i bet you could buy a used car with that money. so i say think it thru and if it's really somethign you want then yea that would be great but i think it's all up to your mother

Answer 7

i think you should get it just like you said with the gas being expensive and all

Answer 8

I would if my son paid for it himself and the bike could still be used if my son got taller.

Answer 9

i'm 16.

but, i'll answer this anyways.

so. on college campuses they don't even allow cars. so. yeah. a bike could be a good thing to get around.

also. when you come home from college you could use it. like you said. rising gas prices.

okay. a way to calculate this would be. take 356 days in a year x 3 years that you will be using it = 1,095 days you will use your bike. 1,095/1200 = about 91 cents. so. it will cost you about a dollar a day for 3 years to have your bike. is it worth it? you decide.

isn't a $1,200 bike a little expensive? having a really expensive bike like that on the college campus could be risky. the thought of theft and all. it would stink to have such an expensive bike get stolen. another option is always a nicer but less expensive bike. you never mentioned that you are biking as part of a sport. so. get a little cheaper bike and compromize with your mother.

however. it is your money. and you should ultimately be making the decision. don't go and cry to her though when it gets stolen cause she's just going to say, "i told you so".

my advice? just get your old bike fixed at a bike shop. your current bike should be fine.

Answer 10

absolutely not

Answer 11

Of course I'd let my 13-year-old spend 1200 on a bike.  Assuming the money he needs for college is saved, or he has an income of $1000 a month.   Presuming the previous items are not true, then I'd think 1200 on a bike would be a little extreme.

Answer 12

Lol if you want it gettttt it! Your mum will still buy you a car at the end of the day anyways just get it.

Answer 13

when your 50 years old, you think your gonna remember ever having that bike, if you do buy it, if not waste of time

Answer 14

Maybe....  hard to answer fully without knowing you.  Have you considered getting the bike you have now fixed and hanging on to the difference?  Your spending habits will be changing in the next few years and the cash would be nice to fall back on.

( Not copying Evil Twin , just beat me too it ! )

Answer 15

Dude, you've asked this like 3 times now.

Thumbs-down me, whatever, but BUY THE d**n BIKE already! If you're gonna pay $1200 for the thing, make sure you ride the heck out of it.

Answer 16

No. Get a $100 bike from Wal-Mart. You'll soon be on to other things. I'd put $1100 into a CD and earn some interest. No kid needs a $1200 bike. Sorry..