Chuck M 

I still have these bikes sitting around. I've been feeling a bit guilty about not making a priority of getting them out as they missed being able to ride them this summer. But I don't think that they would have rode them much at all as hot as the summer was here in northeast Oklahoma. They also moved this summer and they still don't have a place to keep them out of the weather so they would get right back to the condition that they were brought to me in. To be fair, I have put off my own bike projects because I didn't put mine before theirs and my new job as well as making our building what my wife wants it to be for her business have kept me too busy to spend time with these junkers.

Yesterday I was thinking about biting the bullet and getting them out of my hair when the lady messaged me about them. Today I started pulling parts out of my bin to get them put together and hopefully get them ridable. I have a 1954 Hercules built Western Flyer that is in miserable shape and I want to work on it so bad and make it like new that I can't stand it. With any luck, next week I can post something important to me in the "What have you been wrenching on" thread instead of venting about this mess.

ofajen

Walking can be good, healthy exercise.

Otto

Flip Flop Rider

you may have to switch churches

but seriously, who asks someone to fix their neglected bike for them?

SurferRosa

Isn't there a Bible verse about not taking advantage of the less fortunate cycling expert by dumping your old, rusty, cheap and ugly ass crap on him?

Before they make a house call, always ask for photos.

Eric F 

People who don't know anything about bikes. Same people who buy crap bikes and store them outside.

Chuck M 

That is among my many regrets with this fiasco. We were out when they wanted to bring the bikes by so I remotely opened the garage door for them. Had I been home or went to their house, I would have advised them to go to Walmart and buy two new bikes to neglect.

SpedFast

Obviously most of my neighbors

Lucillle

Cast your bread upon the waters...

Wildwood 

I had a male neighbor ask me to fix a flat tire on his kid's bike. Being 24" wheels I replied, "get a new tube and I will teach you and your son how it's done.". Never heard back.

Everyone wants things done, fewer want to learn.

BTinNYC 

The only unfixable bike I've taken on was one of those $399 specials from the low end online place, did it for a very good friend.

After several failed go-rounds, I stripped it, put the horrid frame and fork in the recycle bin and gave my friend a box of parts. He immediately bought another $399 $h1tbox from the same outfit. Of course, he's a wealthy guy living in a hilltop mansion in Westchester County with a 40' motor sailer.

*shrugs and gives up*

Pantah

Saying no is something I finally got good at doing this spring.
For about the past decade, I've been known in several circles of friends as the go-to car guy for anything and everything. I'd typically charge half of what a shop charges so an enticing proposition for my many friends without deep pockets. Since I wasn't making good money at my day job yet, it was decent extra money. However, I'm finally making a good wage and wanting to take more advantage of my accrued vacation days, plus getting tired of working basically 7 days a week, so I was starting to think about taking on fewer side jobs. Then, as luck (both good and bad) would have it, I had two back to back jobs for friends go rather poorly and that was the kicker for me to let everyone know I was no longer doing side work. Let me say, it's been great. I have so much more time and way less stress. There are still a select few friends whose cars I'll service, plus one friend's dad who pays VERY well (it's hard to turn down $150 an hour), and I happily do consulting and give recommendations, but don't do the hard work. It's hard to say no at first but once you do it, you stop feeling bad about it.

Thankfully for bikes, my brother runs his own bike shop so I can deflect any bike projects from friends to him. Any bike project that winds up in my garage will be of my own doing.

7up

It’s healthy to say no.Good Luck

SpedFast

That explains my wife's great health!!#%

Chuck M 

Notified them this weekend that the bikes were ready and I could deliver the bikes to them. Long story short, they are still in my garage. But the silver lining is she said her husband is clearing space in the storage shed so they will be out of the weather this time.

a1penguin

And here I thought I was going to find someone who joined last week and this was their first post and turns out it's OP! I probably would have taken one look at the condition of the bikes and not wanted to donate that much time/effort/$ to people who can't be bothered to take care of their things. Perhaps they didn't realize just how many hours and replacement parts would be required to do the job right. It's fine to help out neighbors/church folks, but it's another to feel like you are working for them full time!