Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Disposable Bikes

This is a photo from today's Winnipeg Sun (Brian Donogh is the photographer, according to the print version). A smallish pile of some of the hundreds of bikes that are dropped off here every year. Many of them perfectly ridable and about 4000 of them have been refurbished (by whom? I wish the article said) and given to inner city kids.

I've made these points before and for the most part I am preaching to the converted:

1. Don't buy cheap bikes. You won't ride them.
2. Give them away if you have to but don't let them end up here.
Obsessively edited by on this day:

2 comments:

Gianni said...

They are refurbished mainly by two community-run bike shops - the Orioles Bike Cage (www.bikecage.ca) and the Bike Dump (www.bike-dump.ca), with much help from the City of Winnipeg (they donate the bikes, and even deliver them a truckful at a time when they have the means/time).

Just stumbled on your blog - me likey. Keep it up.

Ian (aka Gianni) -

City of Winnipeg Environmental Coordinator
and
co-founder of the Orioles Bike Cage
and
Olympia Cycling Club guy

November 8, 2010 at 2:01 PM
Kim said...

Thanks for stumbling Ian. I try and keep a low profile. ;-) Say hello at the next race...

And thanks for the info. Now that you say that, that's a "West End" Community project, correct? I have a friend on that committee, I believe, and I forgot about that. Good stuff.

November 8, 2010 at 2:31 PM

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