Strawbunyan

"You can expect the gift bike to be left outside in the winters, forever with no air in both tyres. They wil say, "Meh who cares. I didn't pay for it anyways." "

I just want to add that, while i understand this, it is not always the case. Maybe mpre entitled folks who never had to want for much may feel this way but I grew up poor and if someone gives me something i wouldnt have otherwise i charish it as irreplacable....because it is.....someone gave me a set of realllly nice sunglasses once and I remember a friend being upset that i wouldnt let him put them on his big wide head. I told him that they are 200 dollar sunglasses and I wasnt letting him ruin them. He responded with "you didnt pay that for them"(he is the guy you are talking about...) i explained that while i didnt purchase them, if i have to replace them, their valie exceeds my income and ill have to go back to my 5 dollar walmart glasses.


not everyone can show how much they may value something with money. someone may being willing to spend top dollar to prove they will appreciate something but not have the money to prove it and they may treat that same item if gifted as a prized possesion.
on the flip side ive watched millionaires spend top dollar on Lambos just to light them on fire in their backyard...meanwhile every kid who grew up poor and could barely afford the Lambo poster that was on their wall would have gladly accepted that car and probably treated it better than they treat themselves.

I am not saying you are wrong and it is likely in this day and age of waste and lack of want you are actually more and more right each passing day. The fear that someone may not care for an item we have memories with, the way we would, is understandable and valid (even though sometimes it may just be a Hoarder crutch excuse to keep stuff we dont need)
Take it on a case by case basis, and maybe take a chance on someone once in a while.....it is just a bike, may be a cool bike, but just a bike...if you cant take it with you when you die and you have 20 more and giving one away may improve someone elses life? Go for it.

I dont know OP or his co worker but I vote give him the bike. Even if he rides it once, it is more love than it has gotten in the basement theblast 3 years.