<p>The cost of the bike might be the “tuition” necessary to teach your son about taking an expensive bike to school. That’s what it cost my son.</p>
<p>DD took an old bike, probably cost $100 in middle school to university, no room in the suite, so parked it in the bike racks of the underground parking garage and it was stolen fairly soon :(</p>
<p>D had a pretty decent bike stolen at Rice first semester. Unfortunately, you can pretty much kiss bikes goodbye at college.</p>
<p>ID…sorry but see no relevance about college “drunks” here. Your quote about damage to others’ property doesn’t mention “drunks”. Bike theft or vandalism are common, drunk or not. </p>
<p>An old bike is best for riding on campus due to risk of theft. An expensive bike is worth having along if there is a secure place to store it and if he anticipates going on rides off campus in a significant way. It remains to be seen where, if any place, at his school there is room to secure his bike indoors.</p>
<p>old bike. When S brought his fairly new, fairly nice bike to campus as a freshman, he was advised at bike registration (I was there, I heard it) to take the can of spray paint that was sitting on the bike registration table and essentially deface his own bike to discourage theft. </p>
<p>(He didn’t, and his bike survived for four years; but the point was made I think to be very careful and to use a very good lock, which he did)</p>
<p>Another vote to leave the nice bike at home. We love bikes at our house–and I have garage full of bikes to prove it. But I would never recommend taking a nice bike to campus–it’ll get stolen. Guaranteed. </p>
<p>If your son really wants to take the bike to college–he may want to get in contact w/ the school’s cycling club/team and see if they have secure storage and if they will allow him to keep his bike there.</p>
<p>My husband is a cyclist so I totally understand your son’s desire to buy such a great bike at such a great deal. Many schools have a cycling club/team - see if your school has one and, if so, try to contact one of the members and find out what they do with their bikes. Also, if not, he may be able to pay for special storage or arrange with the college for protected storage. </p>
<p>My husbands’ bikes cost a fortune and people would not only steal the bike, but steal the bike parts if they know their worth. If your son just wants it for transportation, he will be taking a risk using traditional storage - I would also vote for the old bike. If he wants to train or join the cycling club/team then he may very well want to bring his new bike and perhaps there is a way.</p>
<p>One other thought - could you possibly encourage him to wait until after school starts to buy the bike? My oldest son thought he would bring one of his father’s old bikes and join the cycling club but he went so far away to school that we could not pack it in the car and decided to bring it to him on the next trip there. When we were ready to bring it down he said, don’t bother, I won’t use the bike here…! </p>
<p>He might also contact a bike shop in the area and see if he can store it there, provided it is close by, if he is not going to use it for daily transportation. </p>
<p>Good luck. There are special locks for expensive bikes, too, but I would worry about vandalism if someone could not break the lock…</p>
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<p>Whatever. </p>
<p>You are, of course correct. It could be sober students pushing entire racks of bikes down an embankment for kicks.</p>
<p>^^ ANYTHING bad that happens at a college HAS to be alcohol-related and due to the drunken tomfoolery of Otis and Ollie the Town Drunks.</p>
<ol>
<li>Take two bikes. Keep the beater as everyday use. Keep the better bike for more recreational use and in a more secure location. </li>
<li>By student property insurance which would probably be used on a bike theft rather than on a computer theft.</li>
<li>as Susantm, our S at CMU where there is student higher affluence, likewise had one beater stolen and another beater heavily damaged to where it was junked.</li>
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<p>Summer orientation at son’s big state U told parents their kids should take cheap/old bikes if they wanted one on campus. Not enough room in a dorm for storage in room- and what about while he is using it?</p>