Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it's my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I'm not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don't subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn't be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer "10 cents a pound!"
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn't have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can't use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
BikeWorks_3_wText
coatesvillebikeworks.org http://coatesvillebikeworks.org/
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
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Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart. I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!” Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week. This will be interesting. . . . Doug Franz, President coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349 I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store. On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
*From:* Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org *To:* 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Sent:* Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM *Subject:* [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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Harold, If you're asking me about the store that has donated to the one-day event then sure, I'm happy to help. I am not the direct contact so I will have to check. But let's talk outside the listserv to spare everyone's inbox.
On Jan 25, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Harold Schreckengost mewshi@gmail.com wrote:
Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store.
On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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Harold, If you're asking me about the store that has donated to the one-day event then sure, I'm happy to help. I am not the direct contact so I will have to check. But let's talk outside the listserv to spare everyone's inbox. Matt V NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Harold Schreckengost mewshi@gmail.com wrote:
Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store.
On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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Jimmy from the Boise Bicycle Project here, thought I'd chime in with our experience.
Dealing with the Devil might be the right way to think about it, but maybe not in the sense that you think. First let me say that we have met so many kind and generous people who work at Wally's that we would never say anything bad about their floor staff, and they should keep up the good work where ever they are employed. The store philosophies on the other hand is a different story that reaches far beyond the bicycle, but that is another topic. The adult bikes that they put on the floor are not only tremendously poor quality, and a huge disservice to the uneducated customer, but they are extremely dangerous.
At BBP, we refuse to sell bicycles that are not sustainable and that we wouldn't ride ourselves. Because of our philosophy we will not even consider selling any of their bicycles in our shop, and when they do come in from community donations or from Wally's directly the only option we consider is "parting them out." I use the quotes, because there are really so few parts that are worth keeping (Saddles, cables, grips, threadless headset spacers, and maybe a few other things at most). Why are they dangerous? You will discover when you strip them down. It is very difficult for some of our new volunteers to take apart a brand new bike from Wally's, but a great learning experience when they discover that 7/10 bikes have half of the bearings missing in the hubs and bottom bracket (7/10 in the last batch, no joke). These are bikes with shocks and disc brakes that are selling for $150-$300. That means Wally's is paying $50-$100 for them, and the means the actual manufacture is spending $20-$50 to make each of these bikes. At that price, quality control does not exist, and neither does any other responsible business practice.
Some of the bikes from Wally's are full suspension 29ers and fixies. I challenge you to take these on the trails and streets to see how they actually hold up, but wear a helmet and some good walking shoes, because you'll end up walking home. Wally's should be in legal trouble for selling these bikes to people who actually think they are buying a mountain bike, or bike that can be ridden in high traffic urban setting. Wally's buyers know that these bikes are not what they seem, but they also know they are targeting uneducated people who won't be able to tell the difference in the store. When the bike breaks, the customer is left with a bike that will be more expensive to repair than what it is worth, or they are injured, or worse. Wally's may take returns, but then what? The process that it takes to make bicycles of any quality is extremely bad for the environment. What makes a bicycle environmentally friendly is riding it, riding it often, and riding it for a long time. Wally's bikes are not designed for any of these things, and each time somebody buys one of these bikes instead of finding an old Rockhopper or a Trek Antelope at your coop, the cycle continues.
Maybe you can take them and recycle them for scrap (at least it keeps them from the landfill). Maybe you can save a few of the parts, but be careful with what you save because that wheel is going to come back with a bent axel and blown bearings, and now it will be your fault. Maybe you can take the kids bikes since every kids bike out there is made in China, but if you do, you better be taking that bike completely apart and checking every bearing because you will be the first person to be doing quality control in it's history.
Be careful with this stuff. As coops, it is our responsibility to do a better job and be a better service to the community than the folks at Wallys and other big box store. It can be so temping, but it is a slippery slope.
Sorry for the rant, and I'm sure I missed some grammar and spelling in there, but that's how it goes.
Good luck, keep up the good work.
On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 2:35 AM, Matt VanSlyke vanslyke.matthew@gmail.comwrote:
Harold, If you're asking me about the store that has donated to the one-day event then sure, I'm happy to help. I am not the direct contact so I will have to check. But let's talk outside the listserv to spare everyone's inbox. Matt V NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Harold Schreckengost mewshi@gmail.com wrote:
Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store. On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
*From:* Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org *To:* 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org *Sent:* Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM *Subject:* [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~( · ) / ( · ) Join the Boise Bicycle Project's Free Spirit Newsletter list by going to www.boisebicycleproject.org/Newsletter
Jimmy, how do you really feel J
Seriously, though, you're right about all that. What's your experience with the tires on Wally bikes?
Doug Franz, President
BikeWorks_3_wText
http://coatesvillebikeworks.org/ coatesvillebikeworks.org
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
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From: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Jimmy Hallyburton Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 1:55 PM To: The Think Tank; nate rioux; Marcus Orton Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
Jimmy from the Boise Bicycle Project here, thought I'd chime in with our experience.
Dealing with the Devil might be the right way to think about it, but maybe not in the sense that you think. First let me say that we have met so many kind and generous people who work at Wally's that we would never say anything bad about their floor staff, and they should keep up the good work where ever they are employed. The store philosophies on the other hand is a different story that reaches far beyond the bicycle, but that is another topic. The adult bikes that they put on the floor are not only tremendously poor quality, and a huge disservice to the uneducated customer, but they are extremely dangerous.
At BBP, we refuse to sell bicycles that are not sustainable and that we wouldn't ride ourselves. Because of our philosophy we will not even consider selling any of their bicycles in our shop, and when they do come in from community donations or from Wally's directly the only option we consider is "parting them out." I use the quotes, because there are really so few parts that are worth keeping (Saddles, cables, grips, threadless headset spacers, and maybe a few other things at most). Why are they dangerous? You will discover when you strip them down. It is very difficult for some of our new volunteers to take apart a brand new bike from Wally's, but a great learning experience when they discover that 7/10 bikes have half of the bearings missing in the hubs and bottom bracket (7/10 in the last batch, no joke). These are bikes with shocks and disc brakes that are selling for $150-$300. That means Wally's is paying $50-$100 for them, and the means the actual manufacture is spending $20-$50 to make each of these bikes. At that price, quality control does not exist, and neither does any other responsible business practice.
Some of the bikes from Wally's are full suspension 29ers and fixies. I challenge you to take these on the trails and streets to see how they actually hold up, but wear a helmet and some good walking shoes, because you'll end up walking home. Wally's should be in legal trouble for selling these bikes to people who actually think they are buying a mountain bike, or bike that can be ridden in high traffic urban setting. Wally's buyers know that these bikes are not what they seem, but they also know they are targeting uneducated people who won't be able to tell the difference in the store. When the bike breaks, the customer is left with a bike that will be more expensive to repair than what it is worth, or they are injured, or worse. Wally's may take returns, but then what? The process that it takes to make bicycles of any quality is extremely bad for the environment. What makes a bicycle environmentally friendly is riding it, riding it often, and riding it for a long time. Wally's bikes are not designed for any of these things, and each time somebody buys one of these bikes instead of finding an old Rockhopper or a Trek Antelope at your coop, the cycle continues.
Maybe you can take them and recycle them for scrap (at least it keeps them from the landfill). Maybe you can save a few of the parts, but be careful with what you save because that wheel is going to come back with a bent axel and blown bearings, and now it will be your fault. Maybe you can take the kids bikes since every kids bike out there is made in China, but if you do, you better be taking that bike completely apart and checking every bearing because you will be the first person to be doing quality control in it's history.
Be careful with this stuff. As coops, it is our responsibility to do a better job and be a better service to the community than the folks at Wallys and other big box store. It can be so temping, but it is a slippery slope.
Sorry for the rant, and I'm sure I missed some grammar and spelling in there, but that's how it goes.
Good luck, keep up the good work.
On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 2:35 AM, Matt VanSlyke vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
Harold,
If you're asking me about the store that has donated to the one-day event then sure, I'm happy to help. I am not the direct contact so I will have to check. But let's talk outside the listserv to spare everyone's inbox.
Matt V
NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Harold Schreckengost mewshi@gmail.com wrote:
Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store.
On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V.
NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it's my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I'm not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don't subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn't be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer "10 cents a pound!"
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn't have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can't use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org http://coatesvillebikeworks.org/
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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www.boisebicycleproject.org/Newsletter
Harold, give me some time to build this relationship. Ask me again in about three months.
-Doug
Sent from my smarty-pants phone.
On Jan 25, 2013, at 10:58 PM, Harold Schreckengost mewshi@gmail.com wrote:
Excuse me, I have a question. Would you mind giving me this DMs name and general info? I am looking at getting a co-op going, and I work at Walmart... I would love to get something like this at my store.
On Jan 25, 2013 7:17 PM, "Matt VanSlyke" vanslyke.matthew@gmail.com wrote:
You're not alone, Doug. WalMart started donating their scratch and dent bikes to a one-day give away to kids 3 or 4 years ago. I would guess that they've donated about 200 brand new bikes.
Matt V. NYBC
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:05 PM, david bosch davidmbosch@yahoo.com wrote:
Doug, Very interesting. You will have to keep us posted. Maybe if this works out, Wal*Mart will reach out to other non-profits to establish a similar arrangement. Maybe, OK this is a long shot, we can have some influence the the bikes that department stores carry in the future. David
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:45 PM Subject: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
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wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.orgwrote:
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart. ****
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”****
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. ****
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.****
This will be interesting. . . .****
Doug Franz, President****
[image: BikeWorks_3_wText]****
coatesvillebikeworks.org****
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org****
610-383-4349****
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. ****
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in.
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on.
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...
Jason Shop Manager Community Cycles, Boulder www.communitycycles.org
From: Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com To: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!” Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week. This will be interesting. . . . Doug Franz, President coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349 I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind.
Ron King Recycle Bikes for Kids Little Rock, AR
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in.
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on.
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...
Jason Shop Manager Community Cycles, Boulder www.communitycycles.org
From: Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com To: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote: The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
-- ------__o
----_`<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947
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Ron, I see your point. One of the differences between your mission and ours, though, is that we don’t give anything away directly. There’s too much of an entitlement mentality here and we don’t want to support that. However, we have given bikes away through other organizations that are more capable of determining a person’s legitimate need, such as food banks, shelters, and post-prison transition programs.
And, I think somebody said the kid’s bikes from department stores are reasonable. I like them because they only need to last until the kid outgrows them. They don’t need to be the same quality as an adult bike. But, as somebody said, we’ll need to check every component of these bikes if we intend to distribute them.
And, yes, I believe Wal*Mart is the devil. And, yes, I will happily take their money. And, yes, I will still not shop there. Am I compromising my principles? I don’t think so.
Doug Franz, President
BikeWorks_3_wText
http://coatesvillebikeworks.org/ coatesvillebikeworks.org
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
From: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Recycle Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 6:50 PM To: Jason Gendill; The Think Tank Cc: The Think Tank Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind.
Ron King
Recycle Bikes for Kids
Little Rock, AR
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in.
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on.
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...
Jason
Shop Manager
Community Cycles, Boulder
www.communitycycles.org
From: Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com To: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
----_`<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947 _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o... _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
We have been on either side of the fence with Walmart bikes. At one point we would strip them, but as has been mentioned the parts are really the lowest tier, and possibly not worth it. At other times we scrap them completely, but to me that just seems really wasteful. I think our conclusion right now is that we have limited mechanic hours available to us, and that getting them safe is just not worth the time investment.
Maybe folks on this list could put together a guide on "how to make a Walmart bike safely rideable." That would at least give everyone an idea about what kind of time/effort is really involved. Missing bearings on a new bike hadn't even occurred to me...
Andy Broke Spoke Lexington, KY
On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 8:01 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.orgwrote:
Ron, I see your point. One of the differences between your mission and ours, though, is that we don’t give anything away directly. There’s too much of an entitlement mentality here and we don’t want to support that. However, we have given bikes away through other organizations that are more capable of determining a person’s legitimate need, such as food banks, shelters, and post-prison transition programs.****
And, I think somebody said the kid’s bikes from department stores are reasonable. I like them because they only need to last until the kid outgrows them. They don’t need to be the same quality as an adult bike. But, as somebody said, we’ll need to check every component of these bikes if we intend to distribute them. ****
And, yes, I believe Wal*Mart is the devil. And, yes, I will happily take their money. And, yes, I will still not shop there. Am I compromising my principles? I don’t think so. ****
Doug Franz, President****
[image: BikeWorks_3_wText]****
coatesvillebikeworks.org****
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org****
610-383-4349****
*From:* thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] *On Behalf Of *Recycle *Sent:* Saturday, January 26, 2013 6:50 PM *To:* Jason Gendill; The Think Tank *Cc:* The Think Tank
*Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!****
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind. ****
Ron King****
Recycle Bikes for Kids****
Little Rock, AR****
Sent from my iPhone****
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:****
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in. ****
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on. *
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...****
Jason****
Shop Manager****
Community Cycles, Boulder****
www.communitycycles.org****
*From:* Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com *To:* Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> *Sent:* Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!****
wow. interesting.****
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!****
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).***
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.****
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.****
a****
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:****
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart. ****
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”****
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. ****
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.****
This will be interesting. . . .****
Doug Franz, President****
<image002.png>****
coatesvillebikeworks.org****
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org****
610-383-4349****
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. ****
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-- ------__o ----_`<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947
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Doug. Thank you for the response. I shouldn't have taken you to task publicly. For that I apologize I do think there is a place for WM bikes, mainly as a stage bike for kids who will outgrow them in a season, I too struggle with those who feel entitled but that is parents not kids. Ron
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 26, 2013, at 7:01 PM, "Doug Franz" doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:
Ron, I see your point. One of the differences between your mission and ours, though, is that we don’t give anything away directly. There’s too much of an entitlement mentality here and we don’t want to support that. However, we have given bikes away through other organizations that are more capable of determining a person’s legitimate need, such as food banks, shelters, and post-prison transition programs.
And, I think somebody said the kid’s bikes from department stores are reasonable. I like them because they only need to last until the kid outgrows them. They don’t need to be the same quality as an adult bike. But, as somebody said, we’ll need to check every component of these bikes if we intend to distribute them.
And, yes, I believe Wal*Mart is the devil. And, yes, I will happily take their money. And, yes, I will still not shop there. Am I compromising my principles? I don’t think so.
Doug Franz, President
<image003.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
From: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Recycle Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 6:50 PM To: Jason Gendill; The Think Tank Cc: The Think Tank Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind.
Ron King
Recycle Bikes for Kids
Little Rock, AR
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in.
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on.
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...
Jason
Shop Manager
Community Cycles, Boulder
www.communitycycles.org
From: Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com To: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart.
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes.
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.
This will be interesting. . . .
Doug Franz, President
<image002.png>
coatesvillebikeworks.org
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
610-383-4349
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
-- ------__o
----_`<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947
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Hey Doug, The tires are certainly cheap and not very puncture resistant, but neither are a lot of older used tires. They certainly have some miles in them though and they are not dangerous and that is main thing. If things can be used instead of thrown away then they should be, but only if it's something that is safe and something that isn't going to fail on the user when they need it most.
If coops sell bikes, give them away, or do earn-a-bike, they have an opportunity to change someone's life for the better. These big box store know there marketing and do it well. Un -bicycle- educated people see these bikes and they look the part. What teenage wouldn't want that flashy full suspension Vertical, but if we really want to make a difference in that teenagers life and want them to have a joy and passion for cycling, then we can't feel good about sending them out the door on that thing.
Kid's bikes are different, even Trek kid's bikes are made in same Chinese factories as Mongoose. The difference is some of the components that go on afterwords and the quality control that Trek and the bicycle shop that assembles does before they go out the door. BBP donates bikes to kids too, 1000s of them, and many of them are department store (Wallys) bikes, but our staff and volunteers who are preparing them, are inspecting every single bearing to make sure they're there, facing the right direction, and greased. Keep in mind these kids bikes aren't being use to commute to work in traffic, aren't being ridden by +150 pound adults, and even the lowest quality 1 piece crank is made out of solid steel that won't spontaneously strip out. This can't be said about the adults bikes that cost $25 to make, but sell for $200 (the same price that a quality use bike would cost).
Thanks for the support Doug, keep cranking, your earn-a-bike program looks like it's doing awesome.
By the way, a helpful hint about those cheap tires- The black ones will last at least twice as long as the white ones. Hey your earn-a-bike program looks like it's doing awesome.
On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 6:01 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.orgwrote:
Ron, I see your point. One of the differences between your mission and ours, though, is that we don’t give anything away directly. There’s too much of an entitlement mentality here and we don’t want to support that. However, we have given bikes away through other organizations that are more capable of determining a person’s legitimate need, such as food banks, shelters, and post-prison transition programs.****
And, I think somebody said the kid’s bikes from department stores are reasonable. I like them because they only need to last until the kid outgrows them. They don’t need to be the same quality as an adult bike. But, as somebody said, we’ll need to check every component of these bikes if we intend to distribute them. ****
And, yes, I believe Wal*Mart is the devil. And, yes, I will happily take their money. And, yes, I will still not shop there. Am I compromising my principles? I don’t think so. ****
Doug Franz, President****
[image: BikeWorks_3_wText]****
coatesvillebikeworks.org****
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org****
610-383-4349****
*From:* thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] *On Behalf Of *Recycle *Sent:* Saturday, January 26, 2013 6:50 PM *To:* Jason Gendill; The Think Tank *Cc:* The Think Tank
*Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!****
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind. ****
Ron King****
Recycle Bikes for Kids****
Little Rock, AR****
Sent from my iPhone****
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:****
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in. ****
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on. *
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...****
Jason****
Shop Manager****
Community Cycles, Boulder****
www.communitycycles.org****
*From:* Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com *To:* Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> *Sent:* Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!****
wow. interesting.****
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!****
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).***
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.****
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.****
a****
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org wrote:****
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart. ****
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”****
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. ****
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.****
This will be interesting. . . .****
Doug Franz, President****
<image002.png>****
coatesvillebikeworks.org****
like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org****
610-383-4349****
I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. ****
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
-- ------__o ----_`<,_ ---(_)/ (_) andrew lynn 518-573-7947
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~( · ) / ( · ) Join the Boise Bicycle Project's Free Spirit Newsletter list by going to www.boisebicycleproject.org/Newsletter
www.brockvillebikeministy.com accepts all donations, from anyone. We teach our youth the value of everything including bikes by our example. No matter where the bikes are made or how expensive or inexpensive they may be. Why are grateful for the great gifts of self esteem we see growing in our youth when they are finished assembling , their own bikes in the one week we have them each summer. We are not a church either, but more Like the ministry of self transportation. Eric Montgomery On Jan 26, 2013 4:50 PM, "Recycle" recyclebikesforkids@gmail.com wrote:
For three years various WalMart stores have given us bikes which have been returned or have missing parts when they are assembled. To a kid with little hope of getting a bike of any kind, a Wal-Mart bike is a treasure. All the bikes we repair are given free to kids. Last year we gave away 1,603 bikes many of which were Wal-Mart bikes. It's funny to note that some who would call Wal-Mart the devil can have their principles compromised for $20.00. What does it say about a person who makes fun of a child s bike from a position of authority? Bully comes to mind.
Ron King Recycle Bikes for Kids Little Rock, AR
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 25, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Jason Gendill andwrong@yahoo.com wrote:
I normally only use the ThinkTank as random reading material, but never chime in.
Community Cycles in Boulder, generally does the same thing with Walmart bikes. We might keep the seat/pedals/shifters (especially the gripshift mrx model!) but otherwise we do strip/recycle most of these bikes. The bikes we put into our recycle trailer go to any number of things; I know we have at least 2 scrappers that take it for cash, but we also have many artist-types coming by to take random parts for whatever project they are working on.
I have moved up in Community Cycles, from a volunteer to the head mechanic to shop manager. And I will never forget a few of the tune-ups I took on as head mechanic. Normally things we wouldn't touch, but in these instances I did. I did more than I should have, but that "cheap" wal-mart bike performed better than it ever would have, and the customer was extremely happy with it. Sure, BSO's need a little more time and a little more love than most other bikes, but it is possible. I wonder if wal-mart would donate bikes and money (the money donation along with the bicycle is HUGE) to other non-profits so that others could investigate into selling a "lesser bike" to help fund what we all love to do? Or would other non-profits even want it? I'd be interested in doing a wal-mart-refurbish thing, but I know it add's another layer into the already trying world of non profit bike shops...
Jason Shop Manager Community Cycles, Boulder www.communitycycles.org
*From:* Andrew L breathingplanet@gmail.com *To:* Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org; The Think Tank < thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org> *Sent:* Friday, January 25, 2013 6:11 PM *Subject:* Re: [TheThinkTank] Deal with the devil!
wow. interesting.
our scrapper George (a local scrapper who brings us random stuff and takes our scrap steel on a weekly basis - no cash exchanged) gets bikes from wal-mart from the scrap yard. he reported with confidence that they come to the scrapyard from Wal-mart by the trailer truck load !!!
the bike he had salvaged was in perfect condition minus being poorly assembled. the gyro brake was seized (pretty common, as you all know).
he suggested talking to someone there, and i nodded, but placed it pretty far down on my mental to do list.
we are swamped with bikes... but dont turn anything away. wal-mart sending a check with the bikes! whoa.
a
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 6:45 PM, Doug Franz <doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org
wrote:
The strangest thing happened last night. I was at an open house for another charity here in Coatesville, talking up our charity because it’s my job, and I was introduced to the District Manager of Wal*Mart. ****
I’m not a Wal*Mart fan. I understand they fill a need in society, and obviously lots of people don’t subscribe to my point of view or else they wouldn’t be as successful as they are. But for me, I would rather give up other luxuries to afford the more expensive products at my neighborhood store than buy them from the Wal*Mart in town. I actually feel some joy when one of our kids asks me what his Wal*Mart bike is worth, and I answer “10 cents a pound!”****
Anyhow, this woman explained to me that Wal*Mart doesn’t have a system for handling the bicycles that get returned to them or that arrive with defects from the manufacturer. She asked me if they could be sent to us as a donation. I explained to her that we accept bicycle donations, but typically the Wal*Mart bikes get stripped for parts and recycled. She asked if they could send them to us anyhow. I pointed out that we incur some costs in the processing of this material, and if we decide to fix some of them up there is the costs of the parts. She asked if they could send a check along with the bikes. ****
So, we made a deal. Wal*Mart stores in her district will send us bikes they can’t use, along with $20 per bicycle. We have 35 bikes arriving next week.****
This will be interesting. . . .****
Doug Franz, President****
<image002.png>****
coatesvillebikeworks.org**** like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks****
doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org**** 610-383-4349****
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participants (10)
-
Andrew L -
Andrew Shooner -
david bosch -
Doug Franz -
Eric Montgomery -
Harold Schreckengost -
Jason Gendill -
Jimmy Hallyburton -
Matt VanSlyke -
Recycle