Where do all the bikes go?

I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
intentions and big plans.

My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?

Surely there are a multitude of bikes that have been essentially unused
for a couple of years or more sitting around waiting for new someone to
love them.

I ask the question with my own motives, I currently ride a MTB for
commuting and tooling around with the kids. I want to try a Road Bike
but am put off by the large starting price tag for a roadie.

Surely there is a place I can buy someone else's good intentions for a
song.

Any ideas?

Rob

slik wrote:
> I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
> intentions and big plans.
>
> My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
> the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?

Yep. Ask around your friends & family ... "yeah, we have an old bike
in the shed"

> Surely there are a multitude of bikes that have been essentially unused
> for a couple of years or more sitting around waiting for new someone to
> love them.

Or dump them. Most of the bikes I've come across in sheds were
pretty-well stuffed. Not all, but the vast majority have dead bottom
brackets, corrosion everywhere ...


> I ask the question with my own motives, I currently ride a MTB for
> commuting and tooling around with the kids. I want to try a Road Bike
> but am put off by the large starting price tag for a roadie.
>
> Surely there is a place I can buy someone else's good intentions for a
> song.

ebay, trading post, local bike clubs/bugs etc. Google is your friend.

slik wrote:
> I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
> intentions and big plans.
>
> My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
> the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?

Stored in the shed until hard rubbish collection, at which point
cyclists with projects descend like vultures.

I picked up a useful old road bike last week but left behind the ladies
bike next to it (the sight of cotter pins sends a shiver down my spine).
An hour later it was gone. But then on the weekend I spotted the same
bike on the nature strip two blocks away. I assume somebody got it home
and then decided maybe it wasn't such a good find after all.

Dave"vulture"B

"DaveB" <dbuerckner@NOSPAMMOoptusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:44f28abd$0$25163$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> slik wrote:
>> I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
>> intentions and big plans.
>>
>> My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
>> the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?
>
> Stored in the shed until hard rubbish collection, at which point cyclists
> with projects descend like vultures.
>
> I picked up a useful old road bike last week but left behind the ladies
> bike next to it (the sight of cotter pins sends a shiver down my spine).
> An hour later it was gone. But then on the weekend I spotted the same bike
> on the nature strip two blocks away. I assume somebody got it home and
> then decided maybe it wasn't such a good find after all.
>
> Dave"vulture"B

AAAAhhhhhh Cotter Pins......jeeez I remember those horrid little things
scoring valuable skin off my inside ankles just as you need to apply serious
power.

Praise the Lord...and the guy who invented cotter-LESS cranks!!

DJ

>

In aus.bicycle on 27 Aug 2006 22:57:52 -0700
slik <slikkerr@bigpond.com> wrote:
> I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
> intentions and big plans.
>
> My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
> the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?
>

Mine, after a couple of years of commuting and several in the shed
went to a good home via a.b

Zebee

DaveB wrote:

> Stored in the shed until hard rubbish collection, at which point
> cyclists with projects descend like vultures.

Or other Sustainable People with projects.

Or anyone to store temporarily for other people to pick up

Dan

DJ wrote:
> "DaveB" <dbuerckner@NOSPAMMOoptusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> news:44f28abd$0$25163$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
>>slik wrote:
>>
>>>I imagine every year thousands of bicycles are purchased with good
>>>intentions and big plans.
>>>
>>>My question is what happens to them? Are they stored in sheds next to
>>>the "ab-doer" and the Buzz Aldrin elliptical treadmill?
>>
>>Stored in the shed until hard rubbish collection, at which point cyclists
>>with projects descend like vultures.
>>
>>I picked up a useful old road bike last week but left behind the ladies
>>bike next to it (the sight of cotter pins sends a shiver down my spine).
>>An hour later it was gone. But then on the weekend I spotted the same bike
>>on the nature strip two blocks away. I assume somebody got it home and
>>then decided maybe it wasn't such a good find after all.
>>
>>Dave"vulture"B
>
>
> AAAAhhhhhh Cotter Pins......jeeez I remember those horrid little things
> scoring valuable skin off my inside ankles just as you need to apply serious
> power.
>
> Praise the Lord...and the guy who invented cotter-LESS cranks!!
>
> DJ
>
>
>
>
That is amazing. I forgot the pain these horrid little bugger did to
the skin on my "ankle-process-sticky-bits" TM 2006. Since riding
cotterless for the past twenty years I had completely forgotten. That
is until i picked up a going 20" malvern star dragster complete with
flower banana seat. Pumped up the tyres and yep skinned my
"ankle-process-sticky-bits" TM 2006.

Now hanging in shed next to Malvern Star folder. Same thing, going
concern, pumped the tyres, rode it to uni a couple of times, easy. It
is a beaut, something makes me think it was a car boot special to avoid
parking fees in the CBD. Drive to inner city burb, pop the boot and
unfold the bike, extend the seat AND steering stem both locked down by a
quick release lever and cam, and tootle into town.
Steven