CFM chuck123wapati Posted June 12, 2021 CFM Report Posted June 12, 2021 This week was free dump week so as i have tons of junk i spent many trips to the dumps this week. On one trip to the steel pile someone threw out about 6 perfectly good bikes. this old guy was the only one that wasn't ran over so i had to sneek it home lol. Everything in perfect shape except the tires and the wiring on the lights and of course the seat is missing. The pedals show no wear whatsoever. What really sucks is that i'll bet a well over a hundred good bikes went to the dumps this week for no other reason except you can buy a new bike cheaper than the darn tires to replace the ones on your old bike. Really i went to walmart and a set of tires and tubes are only 9 dollars cheaper than a brand new Chinese junk pile. Truely what is wrong with the world when big business can set the price on the little things to repair good functioning products so high you cant help but buy a whole new product, thiers, and throw good stuff in the dumps. sorry for the rant i hate what our world has become in this respect. Got on ebay and the rack sells for about 45 bucks, the light set is an old Schwinn set again going for about 40 bucks. How cool is that internal 3 speed wheel. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
CFM Frodo Posted June 12, 2021 CFM Report Posted June 12, 2021 Go back to the dump and grab a seat off of another bike. very cool find in that 3 speed I love junk yards. My play ground for parts. Quote Singer 66, Chi Chi Patcher, Rex 26-188, singer 29k62 , 2-needles D.C.F.M
CFM chuck123wapati Posted June 12, 2021 Author CFM Report Posted June 12, 2021 7 minutes ago, Frodo said: Go back to the dump and grab a seat off of another bike. very cool find in that 3 speed I love junk yards. My play ground for parts. I've been looking but they smash every thing asap there is a no scrounging rule here. I literally had to sneak this out in the back of my burb. Sucks because so much good stuff gets thrown away that could be used by less fortunate folks. The bikes are just a small example of needless waste in our country. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Contributing Member fredk Posted June 12, 2021 Contributing Member Report Posted June 12, 2021 59 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said: . . . The bikes are just a small example of needless waste in our country. Not just in the US, here as well. As soon as anything goes past the fence at the dump no one is allowed to recover it for any purpose Nice find on the bike,. Although I hate those hub gears. Sturmy-Archer? On my bike it always went out of synch too quickly Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
CFM chuck123wapati Posted June 12, 2021 Author CFM Report Posted June 12, 2021 1 hour ago, fredk said: Not just in the US, here as well. As soon as anything goes past the fence at the dump no one is allowed to recover it for any purpose Nice find on the bike,. Although I hate those hub gears. Sturmy-Archer? On my bike it always went out of synch too quickly Its my first look at those internal hub setups this one is a Shimanno and from what i read isn't as good as the sturmy but with the very slight pedal wear i think they are near new and I don't ride like i used to lol. For the few bucks in oil, grease and sweat i figure it is worth it. AND since i wrote this along comes a facebook find in our upcycle page. A Wheeler 16 speed bike for free, i never heard of the company but it is Tiawan made and is an upscale road bike Shimanno sti 600 series derailuer and brake shift handles, european style wheels and tubes. weighs about a pound lol. It appears to be in good order also the tires are flat but i need to get the adapter for the valve stem and figure out the brake shift sytem Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Members Sheilajeanne Posted June 13, 2021 Members Report Posted June 13, 2021 I hear you, Chuck! Locally, some of the people who work at the dump will occasionally rescue things that are too good to toss. I once complained about a perfectly good set of dishes that was tossed, when there was a local family that had just been burned out of their home and needed household items like that. The employee (a woman) immediately rescued them, and didn't mind when I took a small teapot from the set and a sterling silver teaspoon! Still use the teapot now and then. I have been know to shop at the 'curbside boutique'. My two best finds were a lawnmower that was missing its deck, and a dishwasher. The dishwasher had a hole rusted through a panel, but otherwise was in perfect working order. A local appliance shop fixed it for $85. As we were picking it up, the shop owner said, "You DO realize this is a real Cadillac of a machine?" Yup, I knew that because my parents had the EXACT same machine, and it ran for many years without needing any repairs. We used it for many years until we moved to a house that had a built in machine. The lawnmower was equiped with a new deck, and just kept going and going and going. Finally the carbeurator started to leak gas, and I gave it to a local guy who fixes small engines, and bought a mower he'd reconditioned. When I next visited his shop, he'd fixed it up and had it for sale! The one thing I loved about that mower was it was SO easy to start! Even if it had been sitting all winter, all you had to do was prime it, and pull the cord 2 or 3 times, and away you'd go! Quote
Members Klara Posted June 13, 2021 Members Report Posted June 13, 2021 In France there's an organisation called Emmaüs (and smaller ones that operate aöong the same principles) where people can leave stuff that is still useable and the organisation fixes it up (or not, it varies) and sells it for little money. Amongst lots of other things (double-glazed window, furniture) I got a bike there (actually 2, but I haven't gotten around to fixing up the second) and can say that over here new tires and tubes cost less than a new cheapo bike. And the old ones run much better! Quote
CFM chuck123wapati Posted June 13, 2021 Author CFM Report Posted June 13, 2021 lol never bought a lawnmower in my life, there is always one to be given away if you can get it running, usually just a carburetor clean. i got an almost brand new one because the people thought the engine was seized, someone put to much oil in it and it got into the cylinder, i pulled the sparkplug out then pulled the rope and oil went ten feet, cleaned and installed the plug and she ran great for years. Another one of my favorite appliances, sunbeam mixers. About 15 years ago my wife needed a new mixer as the new ones only last a year or two, so i got on ebay and bought an old mixmaster model 10 put on a new cord , new grease new brushes painted it and its still going strong at about 80+years old, i also have bought many of the attachments and dont have 75 bucks into it. I guess i owe it to my folks living during the depression years and my dad a mechanic taught me from day one how to fix things he never put a wrench to any of my bikes or cars but sat patiently and instructed me on how to repair them at 14 i was working in his garage full time. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
CFM chuck123wapati Posted June 13, 2021 Author CFM Report Posted June 13, 2021 i picked this up yesterday afternoon on a curbside free pile before it went to the dumps. Literally 1 hour to pull the brake/shift levers off and clean them up aired up the tires and she is good to go. Another fine example of making things far to complicated those brake/shift levers are far to complicated for the average folk to fix i guess that makes me the lucky one lol. I was worried then i realized all the online fix it info started with spray wd40 in it sometimes that works. Wd 40 is the worst crap in the world, so Brake cleaner and air it was then some pb blaster, more brake cleaner, air, pb about 6 times and they work perfectly. I did order some new tape so my new to me bike cost me $8.47. I'll finish the tune up later today i'm going ridin. Quote Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!
Members Sheilajeanne Posted June 13, 2021 Members Report Posted June 13, 2021 (edited) LOL, good for you! One of my bikes is a nice CCM ten-speed that someone abandoned when I was working as a gardener for the City of Toronto. One day, some maintenance people came along with a pair of bolt cutters to cut it free from the fence it was chained to. The were going to put it in the dumpster. I asked to take it home, and invested about $120 bucks in a new front wheel (someone ripped it off) and a new, more comfy seat, plus general lubrication, which it badly needed after being out in the open for so many months. Newer CCM bikes are made overseas in China or Taiwan, and are pieces of crap compared to this one! I have also just finished reconditioning a 50 year old Dual record turntable that I got at an estate sale. All it needed was some lubrication - everything is in good working order! Geez, how many things are still working after 50 years? No doubt, we've become a throw away society! Edited June 13, 2021 by Sheilajeanne Quote
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