u/Interesting-Eagle581

I recently bought a second hand mtb and every time I go out riding, at the beginning I hear a sort of “water-like” noise coming from the shock, and it doesn’t sound like it should. After I ride for a while, that sound gets weaker and weaker but still doesn’t sound right.

I assume this is because the shock hasn’t been serviced in a long time and probably needs to be opened up, have the oil replaced, and be cleaned.

My question is: is it dangerous to keep riding while the shock is not serviced? Is there a chance that I could damage it more or make the repair more expensive later?

Also, how long can I safely keep riding with a shock in this condition? Right now I don’t really have the money to get it serviced immediately.

I’m 14 years old and I want to buy a full-suspension mountain bike. The problem is that I don’t really have anything I can sell to make money. My parents also don’t want to help me pay for the bike, which means I have to figure it out on my own and save up the money myself.

I’ve saved up for things before, but this time I’ll need a lot more than usual. I actually built my entire gaming setup on my own—no money from my parents or anyone else. I bought everything myself: PC, monitor, desk, mouse, keyboard, everything. My PC cost around €1000, the keyboard about €150, the mouse around €100, the monitor €150, the desk €50—so yeah, you get the idea.

The problem now is that I don’t really have a way to make money. I live in a country where things like babysitting, dog walking, or mowing lawns for people aren’t really an option, because almost everything here is apartment buildings, not houses.

I really need to find a relatively fast way to make around €2000, because summer is coming and I don’t have a bike. I’d much rather be outside riding with friends than sitting at my computer. I don’t have a lot of friends, but the ones I do have all ride bikes—and they have good ones too. I’m the only one without a bike. Also my parents don’t allow me to sell my pc!

I want to have a social life outside of school. I want to talk to people outside of school, not just when I’m there. Right now, after school I just go home and stay there.

I’ve ridden bikes before—I can do jumps and I’m pretty good. That’s why I want a full-suspension mountain bike, so I can ride, progress, and meet people. I really want to be outside in nature because I genuinely love it.

So does anyone have ideas on how I could realistically make money at my age in a country like mine?