At the dump
#1
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,446 Times
in
1,557 Posts
At the dump
The rescue stories I've read around here are great but not every bike makes it to a deserving home. Unfortunately, these bicycles I saw today are in the scrap metal area of the county dump and NOTHING can be scavenged or removed from the area but they will let you wander around and look and they don't mind if you feel terrible. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. Nothing really fantastic in the way of classic or desirable bikes but a real shame nonetheless. There was also a wheelchair and a few juvie bikes buried nearly out of sight. Post your finds if you can stand to do so.
Giant Boulder SE
Giant Boulder.JPG
Raleigh cruiser
Raleigh cruiser.JPG
Trek MTB
Trek.JPG
Assorted
mixed.JPG
Giant Boulder SE
Giant Boulder.JPG
Raleigh cruiser
Raleigh cruiser.JPG
Trek MTB
Trek.JPG
Assorted
mixed.JPG
#2
Señor Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hardy, VA
Posts: 17,923
Bikes: Mostly English - predominantly Raleighs
Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1491 Post(s)
Liked 1,090 Times
in
638 Posts
Rather shortsighted of places to not have a policy to permit people to purchase items. Perhaps they don't trust their employees.
__________________
In search of what to search for.
In search of what to search for.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Yukon, Canada
Posts: 8,759
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 16 Times
in
14 Posts
Shame. BMX looks salvageable and probably had minor issues
__________________
1 Super Record bike, 1 Nuovo Record bike, 1 Pista, 1 Road, 1 Cyclocross/Allrounder, 1 MTB, 1 Touring, 1 Fixed gear
1 Super Record bike, 1 Nuovo Record bike, 1 Pista, 1 Road, 1 Cyclocross/Allrounder, 1 MTB, 1 Touring, 1 Fixed gear
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: AZ/WA
Posts: 2,403
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 460 Post(s)
Liked 54 Times
in
30 Posts
The problem is bikes are so cheap now that most won't pay for new tires and tubes or do the work themselves. It's easier to toss and go to Wally World and pick up a brand spanking new MTB or BMX for $50-100. There are and will be tons of these in the dump.
I saw what most would think a nice MTB for $69 or $79 on special around the holidays. There is just no money or value to them once the consumables go or they start having shifting issues. Kinda sad when you think about.
I saw what most would think a nice MTB for $69 or $79 on special around the holidays. There is just no money or value to them once the consumables go or they start having shifting issues. Kinda sad when you think about.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,800
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
Mentioned: 53 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 887 Post(s)
Liked 335 Times
in
225 Posts
Today at the recycling center, I saw a cheap MTB leaning against one of the bins. It did not appear to be damaged, and the tires were inflated. Maybe someone who needs it more than I do will give it a home.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18376 Post(s)
Liked 4,511 Times
in
3,353 Posts
Is this a government dump/transfer site? Is the scrap metal already sold?
Perhaps you could write to your county commissioner that part of "recycling" is also "reusing".
See if you can get permission to repurpose old bikes, or even trade... 10 lbs worth of recyclables for a bike.
Perhaps you could write to your county commissioner that part of "recycling" is also "reusing".
See if you can get permission to repurpose old bikes, or even trade... 10 lbs worth of recyclables for a bike.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Alta California
Posts: 14,265
Mentioned: 415 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3811 Post(s)
Liked 3,338 Times
in
2,178 Posts
-----
could be a legal matter such as liability
or if facility on public land but operated by a private entity could have to do with the terms and conditions of their use permit...
-----
could be a legal matter such as liability
or if facility on public land but operated by a private entity could have to do with the terms and conditions of their use permit...
-----
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18376 Post(s)
Liked 4,511 Times
in
3,353 Posts
One of the local steel recyclers used to have a pick-through yard. I presume they'd sell used steel for 3x or 4x scrap value, but they've chosen to close the pick through area. Not sure of the reasons for closing the area. Perhaps too expensive to maintain, but I think it is a big loss.
#9
smelling the roses
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tixkokob, Yucatán, México
Posts: 15,320
Bikes: 79 Trek 930, 80 Trek 414, 84 Schwinn Letour Luxe (coupled), 92 Schwinn Paramount PDG 5
Mentioned: 104 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7081 Post(s)
Liked 901 Times
in
612 Posts
In Merida, there are two very large lots next to each other; one for confiscated automobiles and the other for confiscated bikes. Once they go in (the bikes anyway) they don't come out that I'm aware of. There are tens of thousands of them in there.
#10
Senior Member
Around my neighborhood people just chuck bikes out on the curb they don't want anymore. All of them are repairable. Most of the time it's something like a flat tire or broken shifter or brake cable. They're always Wally World crap. I guess it's just a part of livin in the USA. Everything is cheap and disposable here. Nothing lasts. Nobody cares.
#11
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4560 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times
in
1,800 Posts
I suspect this is what happens to bikes when the owners post unrealistic prices on craigslist or at yard sales. They don't get the $300 they wanted for a "minty" "vintage" "classic" bike. So they hang onto it until the very last possible moment and it's moving day or the spousal unit issues an ultimatum about spring cleaning.
It's hard to get $100 for a Trek or other decent brand mountain bike that might have scuffed paint or need tires or a chain, when new looking BSOs are available at the big box store or pawn shop for $50-$75.
It's hard to get $100 for a Trek or other decent brand mountain bike that might have scuffed paint or need tires or a chain, when new looking BSOs are available at the big box store or pawn shop for $50-$75.
#12
Senior Member
Japanese Engineers figured out how to use robotics to build bicycles by the early 1990's. Now they can roll 1000's of these BSO's off an assembly line every day. These new bikes have absolutely no soul at all. Welcome to the future. Pretty soon the question will be: do the machines work for us or, do we work for the machines?
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,223
Mentioned: 654 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4722 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3,036 Times
in
1,874 Posts
In my area it's an insurance liability issue that prevents reclaiming items from these sites. It's far too easy to get injured rummaging through these sites. Given the rusty items, even a simple cut could lead to serious problems if your tetanus vaccines are not up to date.
#14
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,525
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
It irks me that my town has a place they call “the recycle center”, it’s really the scrap center. They don’t let you buy an item that has a higher use like a bicycle. Instead they turn them into scrap for about $1 per bike.
Sometimes our co-op gets overloaded with bottom end bikes. At that point, many are donated to the other co-op in town (yes we have two). I donated one BSO and later that day, I needed an RD to fix a bike for a customer. So I took the one off the BSO and the repaired bike was ready to live again. So even if just a part or two gets reused, its a benefit.
Sometimes our co-op gets overloaded with bottom end bikes. At that point, many are donated to the other co-op in town (yes we have two). I donated one BSO and later that day, I needed an RD to fix a bike for a customer. So I took the one off the BSO and the repaired bike was ready to live again. So even if just a part or two gets reused, its a benefit.
Last edited by wrk101; 04-19-18 at 07:34 AM.
#16
Bad example
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Seattle and Reims
Posts: 3,068
Bikes: Peugeot: AO-8 1973, PA-10 1971, PR-10 1973, Sante 1988; Masi Gran Criterium 1975, Stevenson Tourer 1980, Stevenson Criterium 1981, Schwinn Paramount 1972, Rodriguez 2006, Gitane Federal ~1975, Holdsworth Pro, Follis 172 ~1973, Bianchi '62
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 825 Post(s)
Liked 212 Times
in
96 Posts
In Seattle, all bikes and equipment that have been left in the trash are separated out and delivered to Bike Works, which builds them up either for sale or for use by needy folks. We save thousands of bikes a year, I suspect.
__________________
Keeping Seattle’s bike shops in business since 1978
Keeping Seattle’s bike shops in business since 1978
#17
Senior Member
In actuality, I've seen scrapyards that do this sort of thing with steel. You go over there and tell them that you want a 4" by 4" steel tube with .125 (or close) wall thickness (for a fence repair). They give you a piece of paper and you go out to the yard and talk to the guy with the cutoff saw who will cut it to length and load it on your truck. They're set up to do it and know what to charge in order to make money. But, they are dealing with a commodity and they can calculate the value added by their custom scrap sales and they are staffed for it. They don't, for example, allow you to go out to where the washing machines are and try to salvage a motor for a specific model.
Auto scrap yards are a different deal, too.
#18
The Huffmeister
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: The Le Grande HQ
Posts: 2,738
Bikes: '79 Trek 938, '86 Jim Merz Allez SE, '90 Miyata 1000, '68 PX-10, '80 PXN-10, '73 Super Course, '87 Guerciotti, '83 Trek 600, '80 Huffy Le Grande
Mentioned: 45 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1226 Post(s)
Liked 3,552 Times
in
1,409 Posts
I called a local metal recycler to see if they had any bikes they would sell. Same thing as some posters above. Anything that comes through the doors will not leave - it is a liability for the company and they have a policy in place that prevents this.
I haven't called them all, but I'd imagine many are the same. It's a cool and romantic notion to save bikes from the scrap heap, but unless you are tied to a non-profit that has a very specific infrastructure for making it super easy for the company and getting past the liability stage, then its not really feasible for the end user.
I suppose the next best thing is to try to get to those bikes before they end up at the scrap yard
I haven't called them all, but I'd imagine many are the same. It's a cool and romantic notion to save bikes from the scrap heap, but unless you are tied to a non-profit that has a very specific infrastructure for making it super easy for the company and getting past the liability stage, then its not really feasible for the end user.
I suppose the next best thing is to try to get to those bikes before they end up at the scrap yard
#19
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 171
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 49 Post(s)
Liked 172 Times
in
73 Posts
In my area it's an insurance liability issue that prevents reclaiming items from these sites. It's far too easy to get injured rummaging through these sites. Given the rusty items, even a simple cut could lead to serious problems if your tetanus vaccines are not up to date.
#20
Old bikes, Older guy
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Fiscal Conservative on the Lefty Coast - Oregon
Posts: 843
Bikes: A few modern, Several vintage, All ridden when weather allows.
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Liked 167 Times
in
115 Posts
Hello,
Like Seattle, in Salem, OR we have a solution. Our regional recycling center, called the “Transfer Station”, has a separate bin where scrapped or discarded bikes and parts a placed. Once a week our local co-op, The Northwest Hub, collects these. We reuse, recycle and repair or refurbish what is economically feasible and then sort the remaining materials for returning to the recycling stream. As stated earlier, most of this is junk or poor quality, but we do get a remarkable amount of useable stuff.
I understand that the Transfer Station also burns non-toxic combustibles to generate electricity.
Cheers,
Van
Like Seattle, in Salem, OR we have a solution. Our regional recycling center, called the “Transfer Station”, has a separate bin where scrapped or discarded bikes and parts a placed. Once a week our local co-op, The Northwest Hub, collects these. We reuse, recycle and repair or refurbish what is economically feasible and then sort the remaining materials for returning to the recycling stream. As stated earlier, most of this is junk or poor quality, but we do get a remarkable amount of useable stuff.
I understand that the Transfer Station also burns non-toxic combustibles to generate electricity.
Cheers,
Van
__________________
Remember: Real bikes have pedals.
...and never put a yellow tail on a Red, White and Blue kite!
Remember: Real bikes have pedals.
...and never put a yellow tail on a Red, White and Blue kite!
#21
Senior Member
The problem is bikes are so cheap now that most won't pay for new tires and tubes or do the work themselves. It's easier to toss and go to Wally World and pick up a brand spanking new MTB or BMX for $50-100. There are and will be tons of these in the dump.
I saw what most would think a nice MTB for $69 or $79 on special around the holidays. There is just no money or value to them once the consumables go or they start having shifting issues. Kinda sad when you think about.
I saw what most would think a nice MTB for $69 or $79 on special around the holidays. There is just no money or value to them once the consumables go or they start having shifting issues. Kinda sad when you think about.
The bicycle nonprofit that I volunteer at has so many junky/cheap bikes donated on a regular basis that we've run out of storage space. Once a used box store bike has compromised paint and/or corrosion issues, the cost to refurbish and make functional exceeds the value. This is especially true of bikes with suspension, as a day or two of being rained on quickly turns these boat anchors into non-functioning boat anchors.
Our local scrap yard pays out .4 cents a pound for bicycle scrap, rubber and all. We try to salvage what we can in usable parts (usually not much) and then haul a load to the scrapper which nets about $20.
As much as I disagree with Trump, I hope his new policy directed toward unbalanced trade and Chinese steel dumping in particular, brings about some change to this situation.
__________________
your ticket is at will call
your ticket is at will call
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18376 Post(s)
Liked 4,511 Times
in
3,353 Posts
As a kid, I remember going to the dump, and there were always a few bikes discarded... it isn't a new thing. But, at that time, they were mixed in with the refuse. Generally Murrays and similar bikes. But, often in good condition.
One thing that gets me. The local thrift stores (St. Vincents, Goodwill, etc) all have big garbage bins.
If they can't sell it... it goes into the trash.
Unfortunately, there is a grey area where stuff isn't worth $20, but it would get snagged for free (which might compete with their other business).
Most bikes they sell have 2 wheels, etc... But, for many of the bike enthusiasts... well, at least for me... I look at a bike as more of a collection of usable parts. So, if it has a good frame or good parts, I could care less if it was complete... that is if the price is right.
In fact, some of the bikes you're seeing at the dump may be there because they've been refused by the thrift stores.
One thing that gets me. The local thrift stores (St. Vincents, Goodwill, etc) all have big garbage bins.
If they can't sell it... it goes into the trash.
Unfortunately, there is a grey area where stuff isn't worth $20, but it would get snagged for free (which might compete with their other business).
Most bikes they sell have 2 wheels, etc... But, for many of the bike enthusiasts... well, at least for me... I look at a bike as more of a collection of usable parts. So, if it has a good frame or good parts, I could care less if it was complete... that is if the price is right.
In fact, some of the bikes you're seeing at the dump may be there because they've been refused by the thrift stores.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 2,648
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 478 Post(s)
Liked 634 Times
in
336 Posts
Our dump has a bicycle recycle section (usually only scrap worthy bikes are left as people are quick to get anything decent); unfortunately its optional so I still see (better) bikes in the metal bin - and no we can't take anything out of the bin once its in.....
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,959
Bikes: Too many Bicycles to list
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 90 Post(s)
Liked 137 Times
in
45 Posts
Same here once it comes through the gate it is not allowed to leave. It really makes no sense at our place, there are not piles everywhere where someone can get hurt.I see a lot of other things there from time to time that could use a good home rather then scrap it.
Glenn
Glenn
#25
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2647 Post(s)
Liked 2,446 Times
in
1,557 Posts
The sad part about our place is that across the yard there's a "re-use" area where people dump furniture and tools for others to take. Never seen bikes there, so perhaps the place requires bikes to be recycled as scrap and not offered for reuse. Shame.