The throw away bike

[paddypete]

i was at the tip the other day,and theres a huge skip full of bikes,and this is in an area of 50 thousand population,it makes you wonder how many bikes get dumped each day in britain,i know most of them are given to charitys and are reused,but it brings home todays throw away mentallity

 

[Hip Priest]

I thought this was going to be about....

 

[Gravity Aided]

i was at the tip the other day,and theres a huge skip full of bikes,and this is in an area of 50 thousand population,it makes you wonder how many bikes get dumped each day in britain,i know most of them are given to charitys and are reused,but it brings home todays throw away mentallity

In our town, police used to auction off the bicycles found around places, and you really got some good deals. They sent them to Bikes for Africa for a few years, but now they have a volunteer project called "Walk In, Bike Out" where guys fix up these bikes and give them to poor people. Some bikes still go out for garbage. Mrs GA is quite good about spotting these and sometimes picks them up, if it is obvious they are for the garbage men. There are lots of scrappers in my community, guys who drive around in pickup trucks who pick up scrap metal and sell it at the metals recycler. I either sell what few I get at the pawnshop, or give the bike away, or take the parts for projects, or for Walk In Bike Out.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Imagine that, a centre for disposing of items being full of disposed items.

 

[Piemaster]

I'm slightly regretting not making a rag'n'bone man an offer of a few quid for the Raleigh Twenty he had on the back of his truck a couple of weeks ago.
I have absolutely no use for one but I had one as a kid and it brought back memories, mostly of it being a heavy sod to pedal and being an object of derision from my Chopper owning mates. Those bits may not have changed.

 

[cyberknight]

I thought this was going to be about....

 

[vickster]

Doesn't any bike that cost under a grand fall into the 'throw away' category once it's been used a few times and the chain has got a bit dirty?

 

[paddypete]

SPOILED BRAT,THREW HIS DUMMY OUT OF THE PRAM

 

[The_Cycling_Scientist]

That's the kind of place I could spend hours rummaging for nice shiny bits! These days not many tips let you do that any more.. sodding HSE forbid it! B****rds! Lol

 

[paddypete]

yes,when i was there i seen a nice old racer,i asked the guy if i could buy it of him,but beause of the cameras it was a no go

 

[The_Cycling_Scientist]

I had a couple of old mountain bikes from my old home town tip because they had one spot that was a camera dead spot, all you had to do is line their pocket in the site office and he'd put it round there.. And you could just pass it over the fence! Can't imagine they'd do it anymore. Place has changed hands a few times since then

 

[Gravity Aided]

I'm slightly regretting not making a rag'n'bone man an offer of a few quid for the Raleigh Twenty he had on the back of his truck a couple of weeks ago.
I have absolutely no use for one but I had one as a kid and it brought back memories, mostly of it being a heavy sod to pedal and being an object of derision from my Chopper owning mates. Those bits may not have changed.

I used a Raleigh twenty for years around work, especially for errands that would otherwise have caused me to lose my parking space and have to hunt for another, taking even more time. Saved lots of time, so I got to do alot of the errand running.

 

[Gravity Aided]

yes,when i was there i seen a nice old racer,i asked the guy if i could buy it of him,but beause of the cameras it was a no go

A little baksheesh goes a long way in this situation.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

I remember going to tip years ago with my dad and having to be careful of throwing stuff in as the council workers were stood in the skips claiming stuff!!

 

[Smokin Joe]

Let's face it, most bikes that are in skips are there for a reason.