On 30-Dec-08, at 5:05 PM, Andrew Stepnick wrote:
As others have experienced, we (Toledo Ohio Bike Co-op) have
accumulated unwanted knobby tires (typically 26x2.0) that we don't
often give/reccommend for bikers in our all-flat-pavement city.
Has anyone on the list looked at the best options for getting these
to someone who can really use them? Is there any $ense in $hipping
them to another group who will include them with a shipment to our
third world brothers and sisters? Thanks, Andy-in-Toledo
We've had the same problem, even though there is a fair bit of
mountain biking here due to the great trails on the Quebec side of
the Ottawa river.
For years we pretty much gave such tires away, but now they are all
saved to be shipped to Africa via Bicycles for Humanity (http://
www.bicycles-for-humanity.org/).
As a matter of fact, we don't know what we'd do with our overflow
without this connection, because in addition to the tires we also
donate surplus bikes, and all those extra parts that still work fine
but how many used derailers and brake levers does a shop need to
keep? So now when a bike is being stripped for parts the volunteers
know that if a given parts bin is full then the parts should go into
the BfH bins, whereas before we were sending this stuff off to the
metal recyclers.
If a similar org. is in a nearby city it might be worth the hassle to
find a truck going that way that could deliver your tires, and
whatever else the org. might take. Maybe even do a little
fundraising to cover costs, or get a truck company (or rental place)
to donate services.
Mark re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op http://re-cycles.ca