Why throw away kids bikes?

Good going Dave. I'm sure there's a lot of kids who could use the bikes. There's no need for these to be tossed away.

It is a shame, isn't it, how many bikes are used just a little and then thrown away?

But that cloud has a silver lining for cheapskates like me. Bicycling is darned near free. I actually do spend a bit of money on good wheels and such for my motored bikes.

But I'm also a serious pedal bicyclist. And I settle for only the cheapest garbage in bicycles. And spare parts are free because I trash-pick them. I love it.

I also spend time in a forum dedicated to pedal bicycling. It's big, by the way. A lot of members there. And a lot of those folks are very 'quality' conscious. They'll argue over which $250 derrailleur or brake (for cryin' out loud) is better than which. I only discuss riding techniques and such in there. When it comes to bike or component brands, I'm the odd one out.

Every now and then, when I'm feeling a bit churlish, I'll tell some newbie, "Bicycling doesn't have to be expensive. It can be essentially free. I ride a Roadmaster that I bought from Wal-Mart eight years ago. It cost me about $55. Spare parts are almost always free because you can pick them up on the curbside". The silence is deafening. Always. Seriously I don't think anyone has ever commented, pro or con.

I'm actually chuckling as I'm writing this. The same thing happens when people ask for advice about winter riding. I'll tell them to make their own Bar-Mitts out of cheap tarps and cheap insulating material. Or I'll tell them that they can get a rain suit for $8 at Harbor Freight. It's the same thing; total silence. You'd think that I had the plague and that it was contagious over the internet.

Don't get me wrong. While there is a bit too much preening on that particular site, there are some nice people there. Many of them recognize me and speak civilly with me. But I'm not loved, I can promise you that. And I've never yet seen anyone really stand with me on the issue of being a bicycle miser.

But I guess I'm veering off-topic. To all of those fools out there who buy a bicycle and then let it sit in the garage for five years or so before hauling it out to the curb, I say, "Bless You!".

I'm lovin' it.

You made me laugh Blue. So, I guess I should cancel my order for the 8 thousand dollar bike made from unobtanium with the dilithium crystal valve caps?

Oh.....well you see it depends on what you want.

If you want credibility in the bicycling world, then you need unobtanium/dilithium as a minimum. If you want to ride a bike, then cheap steel is just fine.

Geez........I feel like a bit of a traitor dissing those folks over there. Many of whom are genuinely nice. But there is a bit too much worship of form over substance. Even, it seems, among the level-headed people.

I have friends in Newport Beach that live steps away from the sand. I lot of the houses are set up for monthly tourist rentals, and the tourist often buy huffys a schwinns from walmart, then abandon them when they go back home.

We snatch them up and use them for bar hoppers.

We never lock them, sometimes we leave them in the sand after a drunken game of joust, or ghostriders, and they often get disappear, but they're not really stolen.

They end up back at the bar, or leaning against a wall somewhere.

It's kinda like having free community bikes. You'll see a local riding it one way, and someone else riding it the other.

Eventually the young drug-addled homeless will get it, but usually by then they're so beat up that they're barely rideable.

And there's always more to take it's place.

Average life span of a walmart disposable cruiser at the beach is 3-4 months. After that, the junk man gets it and recycles it as scrap. Turning junk back into junk. Completing the cycle.

I've heard from Wal-Mart people that one common trick is for folks to buy a bike, ride it over the weekend and then kick the wheel into a taco and return the bike to the store for a refund.

It sounds like your tourists are a bit more ethical than these.

I went to the dump a few days ago. There's a metal bin sitting out, so I take a look. You would not believe the horror! Brand new-looking bikes galore! Not just kid's bikes, but 26" adult bikes that look very new were just sitting in there. I have more bikes than I know what to do with, so I keep looking and find a horizontal shaft 4 stroke leaf blower sitting right on top. I thought it would be cool for a lightweight bike, so I picked it out. As soon as I did, an attendant rolled up and told me ( in a very disgusted voice) that I had to put it back! I looked the man in the eyes and said "that's illegal, as it's full of gasoline and oil. I could go to jail for putting that in there, so I will not put it back in. And I will call the EPA if you put it in there. Your move, a-hole"

So, he picked it up and put it in his golf cart. I assume he threw it away after i left. Can't re-use things any more I guess.

Glad to hear at least you got to save those kid's bikes and give them to ones that need them!

The 16" and 20" kids bikes can be built into cool FWD or RWD SWB recumbents.

http://www.atomiczombie.com/Tutorial - Simple SWB Recumbent - Page 1.aspx

someone tossed a little kits bike 14-15 inch wheels i think.
rode home with it under my arm.
the wheels are going into my trailer project, and the handlebars fit perfectly on my pedal bike.