Today's trip to the recycling centre..

[wafter]

Was in the area so popped in for a nose.

Probably more than a hundred bikes down there (plus a big pile of wheels); mostly worthless BSOs but a few that might be worth saving if anyone's feeling brave. Last time I enquired the going rate was a tenner a bike.

Had the work phone so took some pics; not great due to the lighting / cluttered background but you get the idea. The location is Farthinghoe recycling centre (north Oxfordshire / south Northants). I came away with nowt but thought long and hard about the Marin - would probably have taken it if I could have been sure to have got it in the back of the car..

In no particular order:

A couple of old women's Raleigh bikes - the one on the right looked especially old / interesting if more delapidated..

A Claude Butler "Enduro" steel MTB / Hybrid - the Reynolds 500 sticker piqued my interest..

Probably the star of the show - a steel '90s Marin rigid MTB with Tange tubing and a lot of the original purple bits present.. couldn't find a model name, nor see how the (possibly security?) axles were released. Was a bit tatty but looked solid and mostly complete.

A couple more old steel town bikes..

A GT Arrowhead(?) made of coke cans but might make a decent budget off road hardtail / shopping hack..

A Diamondback Coil EX - apparently a fairly entry-level ally full-sus effort from 2007. Despite this it had hydro disc brakes and again looked worth saving as a hack..

A small-framed / kid's Raleigh Mustang - brought a tinge of nostalgia as I had one as a yoof..

Finally a 10sp 501-framed Claud Butler, tucked out the back by the golf clubs. Nowt special but again, might make a good pub hack.

 

[biggs682]

Some decent machines there and at a tenner some bargains. Our local tips either scrap them or take them to one of the retail outlets and ask silly money for them .

 

[Gunk]

This came out of a skip, however it took about £300 to get it back to this condition.

 

[cyberknight]

I have said before , my local tip doesnt sell stuff to anyone who just drives in and asks .Mind you its all bso stuff .

 

[biggs682]

I have said before , my local tip doesnt sell stuff to anyone who just drives in and asks .Mind you its all bso stuff .

Rebuilt quite a few bso's over the years it's amazingly cheap way to start tinkering

 

[cyberknight]

Rebuilt quite a few bso's over the years it's amazingly cheap way to start tinkering

cheap for me means non existent , i get earache if i need brake pads or tyres

 

[sleuthey]

I'd have been out of there with that GT in my boot like Marty McFly

 

[biggs682]

cheap for me means non existent , i get earache if i need brake pads or tyres

I used to use wilkinson's bit's on the bso's if new bits were needed and learnt by the mistakes i made , some of them were not worth doing and were still cheap and nasty but i use to sell them all on

 

[cyberknight]

I used to use wilkinson's bit's on the bso's if new bits were needed and learnt by the mistakes i made , some of them were not worth doing and were still cheap and nasty but i use to sell them all on

around here people want summat for nowt , sold mini ck2 bike last week it was hardly used , probably about 10 miles ever and people were offering me £15 !!

 

[oldwheels]

I have the same problem as @cyberknight as the only bike I disposed of I gave for nothing to make space. I have a good Bike Friday and a Tern Link which I have been offered stupid money for so I hang on to them. My Brompton I would not sell yet but there would be no reasonable offers and the ebike I did sell was to somebody from away visiting a relative.
Eventually I think they will go to Kinetics in Glasgow for resale.

 

[biggs682]

around here people want summat for nowt , sold mini ck2 bike last week it was hardly used , probably about 10 miles ever and people were offering me £15 !!

And that's the same here as well

 

[cyberknight]

I have the same problem as @cyberknight as the only bike I disposed of I gave for nothing to make space. I have a good Bike Friday and a Tern Link which I have been offered stupid money for so I hang on to them. My Brompton I would not sell yet but there would be no reasonable offers and the ebike I did sell was to somebody from away visiting a relative.
Eventually I think they will go to Kinetics in Glasgow for resale.

i have a spesh mtb , needs a new chain ro make it rideable and im giving it away ,The responder expected me to drive 20 odd miles to deliver it for nowt !

 

[Reynard]

In contrast, the tip here in Witchford has gone the other way. Bikes used to be in the £15 to £30 range, and now they're really price gouging, with their cheapest kiddies bikes at £50, and the prices only go north from there. Small wonder most of their stock has been sitting there for the last year and a half gathering dust. Most of the bikes are old & knackered or BSO.

I paid £25 for my Raleigh Max just over 3 years ago, but ended up throwing about £350 of parts at it after most of the originals were found to be a bit knackered / made of cheese. On the flip side, I customised the bike to my needs.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd fit a slightly smaller big ring on the front.

 

[FrankCrank]

Reminded of an old Tommy Cooper joke

When I'm feeling down in the dumps, I get myself a new suit. They're a lot cheaper down there.

 

[RMR]

This came out of a skip, however it took about £300 to get it back to this condition.

View attachment 701570

I should keep an eye on those behind it as they look a bit sheepish.