-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike Giveaway?
From: DancesWithCars <
danceswithcars@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, August 14, 2015 12:40 am
To: The Think Tank <
thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>
There is an implied elitism in the above/below statements.
Say Bikes for the World donation of low end bikes, considered fit for third world, but low brow for first world, or local upper mechanics v. common users/pedallers...
But transportation as a necessity, still better than bus, walk or drive, in many instances... A spare bike where others might have to be mere pedestrians...
Realize poverty exists in Your communities too, with very rare exception, or expand you consciousness / boundaries/ zoning model and serve that need, likely part of the true mission...otherwise work in regular, must sell new year model commercial high end race oriented shops... Ala "Got carbon|titanium? We do!"
/SteppingOffToConsiderLastCritMassAttendanceDates
Hi all:
Random thoughts:
1. Selling bikes as is with a sheet explaining exactly what is wrong with the bike can provide a few benefits. It establishes a public facing evaluation process for every bike that goes through your program. It establishes a value based on condition and components. It allows volunteers and workers to quickly determine which bikes are worthy of further work (overhaul, tune up, etc). It also provides minimum standards for the bikes in your program or fleet. I've worked at shops where low end dual suspension bikes are automatically red tagged and stripped of usable parts, if any. Other shops have drawn the line at anything with cotter pins or electro forged schwinns. The point is, have minimum standards for safety and performance, then educate the community about those standards. That may free up some inventory and provide a path for rehabbing or stripping bikes that are worthy of your efforts, and sending the rest to the scrap yard.
2. If you have a substantial burning man/festival community locally, they would probably be interested in anything that is a beach cruiser coaster brake singlespeed or a Mountain bike converted to singlespeed with at least one usable brake. I keep my prices fairly high for playa bikes, but do so with a guarantee and support at the event, which nobody else does.
Tom Martin
ASPCC bike program coordinator
Cascade
Sent on the go. Please excuse brevity and typos.
Andy,
so are you giving away bikes that are already repaired or still in need of repair?
we do two kids bikes (coaster brake only) giveaways a year, at new years time and in June at an annual local festival. we stockpile them all and then do a work party to ready about 50-70 each time.
your list of pros and cons is a good one and a lot of the same issues we grapple with. we have $5 bikes that are basically repaired walmart bikes and those are sometimes given away to someone who needs a bike but cant afford that.
we are currently going through a big culling process where we are closing shop for a week and just working on pulling out bikes we will never have time to work on and are just taking space. some will be given away in bulk and moved off site, and others will be scrapped.
Andrew
Troy Bike Rescue
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