Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Throwing away good bike parts

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Throwing away good bike parts

Old 09-21-21, 01:16 PM
  #1  
BadgerOne
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 11 Posts
Throwing away good bike parts

Yep, just like the title reads. I don't like keeping unused stuff around. If you have perfectly good bike parts, how long do you keep them listed before you crap-can them?

I have brand new Claris brifters, some Bontrager bars, a couple Microshift triple shifters, an Altus FD, some new 700x35c Kenda tires and tubes, little stuff like that. Have it listed on the local CL (huge metro area) for CHEAP and not even a sniff. It seems like such a waste to throw this stuff away, but obviously no one wants it. Seems pretty weird given the combination of low availability, cheap prices, and people building and selling bikes for profit right now. I feel like I should give it about 6 weeks, at that point I'm going to be tired of looking at it and will send it to the landfill. It's so cheap it isn't worth shipping (except maybe the brifters) or dealing with 'free' listing crazies. FB marketplace is not an option, I don't have an account with that cesspool site.

Do you guys just throw perfectly good stuff in a garbage when it's as popular as month-old fruit?
BadgerOne is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 01:29 PM
  #2  
70sSanO
Senior Member
 
70sSanO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,750

Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1927 Post(s)
Liked 2,143 Times in 1,309 Posts
No. I’ll give it away to someone who can use it. A bike co-op is a good place.

John
70sSanO is online now  
Old 09-21-21, 01:30 PM
  #3  
Barry2 
LR÷P=HR
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 2,119

Bikes: 1981 Holdsworth Special, 1993 C-dale MT3000 & 1996 F700CAD3, 2018 Cervelo R3 & 2022 R5, JustGo Runt, Ridley Oval, Kickr Bike 8-)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 842 Post(s)
Liked 1,148 Times in 664 Posts
CoOp

Please do find a Bike CoOp in your area.
If you have enough of it, they may even collect it from you.

Barry
Barry2 is online now  
Likes For Barry2:
Old 09-21-21, 01:32 PM
  #4  
BadgerOne
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 35
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 11 Posts
Good call, hadn't thought about a co-op. Let me see if I can track down one in my area.
BadgerOne is offline  
Likes For BadgerOne:
Old 09-21-21, 01:36 PM
  #5  
atnyc
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 102
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Bike clubs?

I tend to use bike club's classified section first, both for buying and selling. It's a more informed audience.

Some people in my club swear by CL, some even frequent eBay for bikes & parts. I use CL for furniture and household items. But haven't had as good a result when it comes to more specialized hobby equipments such as bikes and boats. I have much better luck with specific hobby groups as above.
atnyc is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 01:37 PM
  #6  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,506

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10873 Post(s)
Liked 7,354 Times in 4,125 Posts
Originally Posted by BadgerOne
Yep, just like the title reads. I don't like keeping unused stuff around. If you have perfectly good bike parts, how long do you keep them listed before you crap-can them?

I have brand new Claris brifters, some Bontrager bars, a couple Microshift triple shifters, an Altus FD, some new 700x35c Kenda tires and tubes, little stuff like that. Have it listed on the local CL (huge metro area) for CHEAP and not even a sniff. It seems like such a waste to throw this stuff away, but obviously no one wants it. Seems pretty weird given the combination of low availability, cheap prices, and people building and selling bikes for profit right now. I feel like I should give it about 6 weeks, at that point I'm going to be tired of looking at it and will send it to the landfill. It's so cheap it isn't worth shipping (except maybe the brifters) or dealing with 'free' listing crazies. FB marketplace is not an option, I don't have an account with that cesspool site.

Do you guys just throw perfectly good stuff in a garbage when it's as popular as month-old fruit?
List the Claris and Microshift shifters on ebay if you get no hits locally...or send them to me for the price of shipping.
Donate the rest to a co-op, as mentioned.

I only throw out consumables. The rest go in drawers and sit there until I am fed up enough to sell it or donate it.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 01:53 PM
  #7  
Maelochs
Senior Member
 
Maelochs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,431

Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE

Mentioned: 143 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7618 Post(s)
Liked 3,432 Times in 1,813 Posts
Never hesitate to list stuff here (according to whatever the rules might be. I am sure you can list parts and say "Trying to be adopted" and people can PM you for a price list without creating a furor .... on the other hand, this is BF ,....
Maelochs is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 02:01 PM
  #8  
Retro Grouch 
Senior Member
 
Retro Grouch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225

Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times in 363 Posts
A related question is: "How do you decide which part from your spares bin to use for a particular repair or rebuild?"

The sock drawer theory is to grab the oldest, cheapest part that is still useable. Otherwise your spares bin gradually fills up with cheap old stuff that will never get used.
The pope tablecloth theory is to use the best part that will fit. Otherwise you will accumulate a collection of gradually ageing high end parts that never get used.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
Retro Grouch is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 02:06 PM
  #9  
rich110
Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2021
Location: UK
Posts: 21
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
If it's worth your time throw it on ebay, by shipping it you open up to a lot more people
rich110 is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 02:14 PM
  #10  
Riveting
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221

Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 590 Post(s)
Liked 445 Times in 260 Posts
Before you send it to the landfill, simply post it on the FREE section of Craigslist, put it out on the curb on a certain date, and in the listing put "On the curb at 7am on 9/21/2021 at <address>. First come, first serve. Don't contact me to ask if it's still there." I've gotten rid of big furniture, old car batteries, old ski boots, junk aluminum, old (but good) bike frames.
Riveting is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 04:14 PM
  #11  
tempocyclist
Senior Member
 
tempocyclist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 810

Bikes: 2002 Trek 5200 (US POSTAL), 2020 Canyon Aeroad SL

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 305 Post(s)
Liked 662 Times in 323 Posts
I don't throw out anything that may potentially have more life left in it, especially not bike related gear! Waste not.

My local not-for-profit bike co-op is always in need. If it's something in really good nick and still worth a few $$ then I may list it on eBay.
tempocyclist is offline  
Likes For tempocyclist:
Old 09-21-21, 05:45 PM
  #12  
TiHabanero
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,429
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1724 Post(s)
Liked 1,346 Times in 703 Posts
It has taken the entire summer to sell 3 front wheels on CL. The wheels are good quality road wheels, one of them was a new Roval QR wheel at a give away price. I have a 105 9 speed drive train with few miles on it and not a single inquiry, yet reasonably priced. On the other hand I sold 4 bikes without delay this summer. Not sure what gives, but I see the recycling station in the near future.
TiHabanero is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 06:00 PM
  #13  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Stuff that has life in it goes in a bin for a future project. I built up a CX bike and TT with mostly spare parts from road bikes that had been upgraded. Stuff I can't use goes to the Bike Kitchen.
caloso is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 06:07 PM
  #14  
joesch
Senior Member
 
joesch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Hotel CA / DFW
Posts: 1,713

Bikes: 83 Colnago Super, 87 50th Daccordi, 79 & 87 Guerciotti's, 90s DB/GT Mtn Bikes, 90s Colnago Master and Titanio, 96 Serotta Colorado TG, 95/05 Colnago C40/C50, 06 DbyLS TI, 08 Lemond Filmore FG SS, 12 Cervelo R3, 20/15 Surly Stragler & Steamroller

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 596 Post(s)
Liked 764 Times in 489 Posts
Originally Posted by Barry2
Please do find a Bike CoOp in your area.
If you have enough of it, they may even collect it from you.

Barry
You can also donate to a thrift shop.
This will help keep these bits get used again.
Just a little more work than trashing and much more rewarding to others
joesch is offline  
Likes For joesch:
Old 09-21-21, 06:53 PM
  #15  
ofajen
Cheerfully low end
 
ofajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,959
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 641 Post(s)
Liked 1,034 Times in 659 Posts
Agreed on donating to co-op. I’m actually about to text some photos of what I have to the guy who runs our co-op, so he can tell me what he can use and what he doesn’t need.

Some of it I will keep, mostly in case I ever decide to put gears and a shifter back on a bike. And also in case I decide to run drop bars on a bike.

Otto
ofajen is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 06:59 PM
  #16  
WGB 
WGB
 
WGB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Niagara Region
Posts: 5,645

Bikes: Panasonic PT-4500

Mentioned: 45 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1780 Post(s)
Liked 2,299 Times in 1,361 Posts
There is always the "Pay it Forward" thread under Marketplace for Sale
WGB is offline  
Likes For WGB:
Old 09-21-21, 07:01 PM
  #17  
Rolla
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 2,888
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1346 Post(s)
Liked 3,269 Times in 1,439 Posts
If it's just old stuff that I'll never use -- 26mm road bars, 25.4mm mtb bars, short seatposts, OEM saddles, Look pedals, and the like -- it goes to the bike co-op. Anything that's current but unwanted (alt bars, cartridge bottom brackets, wheels, tires, road brakes, 9-speed cassettes) goes on Craigslist. Anything current and useful, I keep until it falls into one of the other categories. 90% of the stuff I think I'll use one day eventually finds a new home.
Rolla is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 07:14 PM
  #18  
Dave Mayer
Senior Member
 
Dave Mayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,464
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1322 Post(s)
Liked 449 Times in 266 Posts
I volunteer regularly at a busy bike Co-op. Please donate your good stuff to your local Co-op, it makes a major difference in keeping decent older bikes on the roads.

We rarely see usable brifters coming in the door. Almost all are unrecoverable, often due to crash damage. Sometimes we do not discover that the shifter bodies are cracked until we attempt to install them on a bike.

Please do NOT donate if your bike or gear is:
  • covered in rust due to to having been outdoors uncovered for the last 2 winters,
  • has been involved in a crash, and the shop told you it was damaged, and
  • is a department-store full-suspension bike. We get several of these per week; these bikes are so poorly designed, constructed and assembled, and feature such poor componentry, that they all go straight to the landfill. They just consume our resources and impede our ability to serve our mission.
Thank you.
Dave Mayer is offline  
Likes For Dave Mayer:
Old 09-21-21, 07:28 PM
  #19  
dedhed
SE Wis
 
dedhed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,490

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2716 Post(s)
Liked 3,332 Times in 2,024 Posts
Originally Posted by BadgerOne
Good call, hadn't thought about a co-op. Let me see if I can track down one in my area.

Helps if you put your location in the profile.

​​​​​​https://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki..._Organizations
dedhed is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 07:31 PM
  #20  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,227

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4230 Post(s)
Liked 3,841 Times in 2,563 Posts
The amount of parts I have is massive and I wouldn't have it any other way. Parts bins are super handy and I have built a few bikes with mine. One of my favorite bikes is made of some awesome parts that I had laying about or that people gave to me.

Granted really cheap parts might be best donated to those needed if I am already looking to get rid of them. Dave Mayer had excellent advice and you should follow it if donating.
veganbikes is offline  
Old 09-21-21, 08:18 PM
  #21  
jaxgtr
Senior Member
 
jaxgtr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 6,819

Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7, Trek Emonda ALR, Trek FX 5 Sport

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 750 Post(s)
Liked 1,659 Times in 977 Posts
I cleaned house except for a fews things last fall and tried to sell some stuff here, gave some stuff away, and put a lot on ebay. I made of 2k for the stuff I had on ebay. I had this stuff for 7 or 8 years. I have finally decided to start unloading some old cassettes I thought I might use, but realized I wont be any more.
__________________
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Originally Posted by AEO
you should learn to embrace change, and mock it's failings every step of the way.



jaxgtr is offline  
Old 09-22-21, 01:38 AM
  #22  
Lazyass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
I have no co-op anywhere near me and I just threw out a bunch of low end vintage stuff I've had for years. Old cheap non-ramped freewheels, low end dia compe brake calipers that flex like a rubber band, cheapo vinyl covered saddles, ect. But I do remove every allen bolt, nuts and all that from the parts and keep those. You can never have enough spare bolts.
Lazyass is offline  
Likes For Lazyass:
Old 09-22-21, 02:18 AM
  #23  
canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
canklecat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,516

Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4554 Post(s)
Liked 2,789 Times in 1,794 Posts
Eventually I'll box up the bike stuff I'm not using in a USPS flat rate box and charge actual shipping cost. There's a generous weight limit for whatever we can stuff into the box (70 pounds for standard Flat Rate boxes and a limit of 20 pounds for Flat Rate Express services). Good way to let someone else have a crack at potentially useful stuff, rather than tossing it out.
canklecat is online now  
Likes For canklecat:
Old 09-22-21, 10:12 PM
  #24  
Gonzo Bob
cycles per second
 
Gonzo Bob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,930

Bikes: Early 1980's Ishiwata 022 steel sport/touring, 1986 Vitus 979, 1988 DiamondBack Apex, 1997 Softride PowerWing 700, 2001 Trek OCLV 110

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times in 48 Posts
Oh, hell no. I even keep stuff that I don't think I ever will use but sometimes do. Case in point. A couple of weeks ago during a ride, I noticed my MTB headset (a 1" threaded - I know, a really, really old MTB from 1988) had some play. So once I got home, I tried to adjust it to take out the play. I fiddled with it for about an hour or so but every time I got the play out, it was binding really bad, and once I got it to turn freely, it had lots of play. Finally I realized that the top locknut threads were stripped. After thinking about where I was going to try to get a new 1" threaded headset from for a while, I realized that I had a 1" threaded headset in my old crashed Fuji frameset sitting in the corner of my basement. So I took the top nut off the Fuji headset and put it on my MTB and got it adjusted in about 5 minutes. About 20 years ago, I sawed out part of the Fuji's seattube to use as a support for the sagging shelf on top of my homebuilt basement workbench. I only rode that Fuji for about 3 years before the frame was bent beyond repair in a crash. But I still get use out of it.


Last edited by Gonzo Bob; 09-22-21 at 10:18 PM.
Gonzo Bob is offline  
Likes For Gonzo Bob:
Old 09-23-21, 04:52 AM
  #25  
dedhed
SE Wis
 
dedhed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,490

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2716 Post(s)
Liked 3,332 Times in 2,024 Posts
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-eight-16.html
dedhed is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.