Barrettscv 

I've gained a healthy level of satisfaction while accumulating and restoring several C&V bikes in the last 4 years. I've also accumulated about 50 lbs of parts. Now that my bikes are 100% road worthy and 98% optimized, I've decided to declutter.

Last weekend I separated the really interesting Record, Dura Ace and other hoard-worthy parts from the useful but "meh" stuff. I still managed to separate 40 lbs of reliable stuff that will help local commuters and flippers complete a repair or restoration. I'll hang on to my hoard-worthy stuff and possibly offer it here this winter.

Does anyone else donate to their CO-OP?

52telecaster

all the time. i buy from there too.

nesteel 

Donate, buy, volunteer, and serve on the board of directors.

jon c. 

I've never been in our local co-op, but I have an old bike I really need to get rid of that I was thinking of taking down there. Decent CroMo Bianchi frame, but it needs a bit of headset and derailleur work so I figured if I give it to an individual the cost of getting it serviced, even if it wouldn't be more than $50, would negate the value of a "free" bike.

merziac

I would go check them out, take the bike with you, tell them the deal and see what they can do.

Insidious C. 

I have donated. It feels good to be rid of excess projects.

qcpmsame 

Good on you Michael, I hope our parish can start a co-op as a ministry shortly. With retirement close by, I am planning to pitch the idea to out Rector.

Bill

wrk101

I donate just about every week, volunteer weekly, and occasionally buy too. I have pretty much eliminated the lower end bikes I used to flip along with parts. I have more to go, but a lot has gone to the co-op.

Our co-op only has one paid employee (who only works part time). The rest of us are volunteers.

wrk101

At our co-op, we have volunteer mechanics, and we use donated materials including consumables. So bike I could not break even on for personal flips actually make sense for the co-op. We take everything. Even if we only get a few parts off of it, its worth the trouble for us.

We are affiliated with Trips for Kids, so the profits from our thrift store go straight to the kids. There are Trips For Kids chapters all over the USA.

rjhammett

Last Wednesday I donated 3 saddles and a hair dryer to the co-op that I volunteer at. The hair dyer is to remove decals and stickers. I used the hair dryer on the day I donated it to remove a grungy sticker on a bike I was working on.

dedhed

Yep, donate, buy stuff from DreamBikes here.

fixedweasel

I've donated, volunteered and most recently made one of our co-ops here a custom Garden Cart from a Burley Trailer. It was used to help out for a community vegetable/herb garden. Thank you everyone above for helping out. Every hour and part makes a difference for those in need.

Ex Pres 

I've dropped off a few things, and have more I need to get rid of. Unmatched and lower-end tires I'd never ride. Odd saddles. Lots of spokes.

Dave Cutter

The CO-OP that I favor gives bikes away to any child that needs one. I sometimes see decent kid-sized mountain bikes at local yard sales. I'll buy the bike cheap, and do any repairs or tire replacement to the bike it might need. (I know full well the CO-OP will inspect the bike anyway.) Then I drop it off... and let them find a child that fits the bike.

oddjob2

I bring my take offs to the Hub of Detroit, which builds bikes for kids. Mostly it includes cosmetically challenged saddles and pedals, cables and housing, steel handlebars, + orphan parts. I don’t patch tubes, so they get those too. Given my observation of riders patching their tubes with multiple patches at the Hub’s workstand, a one hole tube is an upgrade.

FBOATSB

I took advantage of my COOP's work stands occaisionally until I got up off my wallet and bought some tools and a stand. Still buy stuff there from their bins and also new stuff, always make a point to round their very reasonable prices up ten or fifteen $.

ollo_ollo

Yes, bikes, parts, and $$. When I needed a Stronglight crank extractor, I ordered 2 and gave one to the HUB. Don

IrishBrewer

That's awesome. I work as the bike mechanic for a local organization that gives bikes to kids (and adults in need for that matter). Most of what we get donated are WalMart bikes and they almost always need some work. The multi-gear bikes with cheap brakes and the trick bikes always need the most work. Once in a while we get some decent ones donated and even some new ones. We don't operate as a bike co-op, just an organization that matches up bikes with kids in need and we work with the local school counselors to identify the kids. It would be great to have a lot more people like you to assist with this effort.

degan

I once went in to my local co-op and watched a dude collect like 100 lbs of stuff while giggling and commenting on how much he is going to get for this and that on ebay.

speedy25

Glad to read there are so many of you that support the co-ops. I'm a long time helper and cant stop in when I'm in a hurry because people want me to fix their complicated problems all the time. Anything that supports bicycling is a good thing.

-SP

nesteel 

That is a constant problem. We're working on shutting the behavior down at our co-op.this spring should prove to be interesting, as we're also making some orginizational and procedural changes to our shop.
Our primary function is to provide free bikes to kids under 13. Kids 14 to 18 have to provide 5 hours of volunteer time, and adults enrolled.in the earn a bike need to provide 10 hours. Bike repairs are free, donations gladly accepted. We subsist upon donations and grants. This year we gave out over 400 kids bikes. Our staff is all volunteer, no paid help. It's very rewarding, yet can be terribly frustrating at times.

mstateglfr 

Its a place where old bikes and parts exist- yeah people on here donate to co-ops.

Mine is hit/miss for much of anything above Tourney level components. Every 6 months they seem to go thru a reorganization as a new shop manager comes in or something else shakes up the structure. Its a great organization- i donate to it, have volunteered, and buy things when they have what i need.

Pretty common storyline amongst the c&v crowd, id guess.

wrk101

Yep, sadly there is always someone trying to work the system. Don't let those few ruin it for the rest.

Squeeze

Yes.

Bikes Together | Denver's Nonprofit Bike Shop

jamesdak 

I do too although not often enough probably. I just put together another box of stuff to take down next time I go.