> I've also seen
> nice vintage frames at our local dump that
> unfortunately has a policy against picking through
> the trash.
That's exactly where all of mine go. They go into the metal scrap recycling bin.
Why? Because I have no use for them, I cannot GIVE them away, and to sell these framesets on eBay is simply an exercise in futility. Vintage bicycle shops will not take them..........for FREE. These are not stolen frames. Most are from bicycles I've had for a long time or that I've purchased from local riders, and from collectors.
The "no picking through the trash" policy at the dump is a total double-standard. Apparently the guys working at the Recycling Center are free to dig through all of that stuff and take what ever they want. There is even sign that says: "No scavenging (as per CA law #----)" I believe they even have a camera aimed at the bin for surveillance purposes.
So here's what used to happen: I would come cruisin' into the recycling center with a car load of vintage framesets, wheels, old handlebars, etc, to recycle. Next thing I know I'd see two Bozos from the recycling center pulling the framesets out and putting them in their own cars.
So now I "prepare" the framesets for the recycle bin; I whip out the hacksaw and saw each frame up in to lots of little pieces. I used a 3-pound sledge on one frame and beat it flat as a pancake.
I wonder if anyone has ever made a "wind-chime" with the remains of the tubing from a cut-up frame?
My constructive solutions to stop practices such as the above would be:
1. All recycling centers should let people scavenge for or should I say let people "scavenge to salvage" old junk.
2. Local bicycle shops (who deal in vintage bikes) should take these old framesets and bring them back to life with all of the parts they have sitting around. There could even be a "drop area" where you could toss your old framesets, handlebars, and wheelsets over a fence. (The fence would would have coiled razor wire on top of course.)
3. Bring back "Free-Stores." There was one right here at Stanford many years ago. It was outdoors. You drove up, parked, got out and looked at what was sitting on the ground or on these big shelves. You could drop off stuff that you didn't need and you were free to take whatever you wanted. There were always a bunch of old Peugeots and other good stuff there. There were no employees--just you and the items.
Ted E. Baer
Palo Alto, CA
> I frequent our local flea market about every weekend
> and have purchased several nice bikes there; an 80s
> Colnago with pantographed Campy NR, a 70s Windsor, a
> Viner, an early Italvega, and a 70s Cilo also with
> a Campy group. I don't know if they had been stolen
> or not, but the prices were unbelievable. It was sad
> to see how they were treated, most flea market
> dealers weren't aware of what they had and the bikes
> were usually just thrown into the back of their
> pickups with all their other junk on top. Luckily,
> the frames survived being dented, but they did incur
> some damage from this mistreatment. Another time, I
> found an old guy that had a back yard full of
> vintage components. So much that the neighbors
> petitioned him to get rid of it. Some were literally
> buried in the dirt. It would have been the
> proverbial goldmine except that the nicer stuff
> suffered from rust and corrosion. I've also seen
> nice vintage frames at our local dump that
> unfortunately has a policy against picking through
> the trash. Alas, to common folk, old bikes aren't as
> attractive as other vintage stuff. The only
> exception seems to be old ballon tire bikes like
> Schwinn Phantoms or Spaceliners that everyone sees
> as collectible.
> Fred Durrette
> Summerville, SC
>
>
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