Most of you know I build with junk from the thrift store. My bikes are all Frankenstein types. A little from this and a little from that.
So here is what's going on now in this economy. I know they blame everything on George Bush and I don't care whose fault it is, but in the last two years the number of bikes at the thrift store has fallen dramatically. I have seen over twenty bikes on the porch there at times a couple of years ago. Yes it was in the winter when people weren't thinking about bikes much. But the last two winters the number fell to less than ten. Now it is down to three full size bikes, one 20" two 16" and two 12".
I bought full size, fair condition, bikes there two years ago on sale for about ten bucks now that same bike is forty bucks and never makes it to sale day. I bought a 12" bike to make a trailer last winter for 2 bucks this year its 6.
The availability of used bikes is way down and the price is way up. Craigs list used to have lots of bikes under fifty bucks now almost all are over a hundred. Inflation and demand for used bikes is way up, is all I can figure.
I am seeing a lot of people on bikes these days. Pedal of course, but there are still a lot of them. Older people and other low income types, as you would expect, seem to be the users mostly. When I ride the bike trail with my ebike for exercise, I do see a fair number of high end bikes roll past me.
Just thought I would make the comment to see if anyone else has noticed our slide to third world country status. Okay that's a little too dramatic, but bikes are an indication. Just look at the streets of major cities in other parts of the world. Bikes and scooters are in heavy use there.
So here is what's going on now in this economy. I know they blame everything on George Bush and I don't care whose fault it is, but in the last two years the number of bikes at the thrift store has fallen dramatically. I have seen over twenty bikes on the porch there at times a couple of years ago. Yes it was in the winter when people weren't thinking about bikes much. But the last two winters the number fell to less than ten. Now it is down to three full size bikes, one 20" two 16" and two 12".
I bought full size, fair condition, bikes there two years ago on sale for about ten bucks now that same bike is forty bucks and never makes it to sale day. I bought a 12" bike to make a trailer last winter for 2 bucks this year its 6.
The availability of used bikes is way down and the price is way up. Craigs list used to have lots of bikes under fifty bucks now almost all are over a hundred. Inflation and demand for used bikes is way up, is all I can figure.
I am seeing a lot of people on bikes these days. Pedal of course, but there are still a lot of them. Older people and other low income types, as you would expect, seem to be the users mostly. When I ride the bike trail with my ebike for exercise, I do see a fair number of high end bikes roll past me.
Just thought I would make the comment to see if anyone else has noticed our slide to third world country status. Okay that's a little too dramatic, but bikes are an indication. Just look at the streets of major cities in other parts of the world. Bikes and scooters are in heavy use there.
