BRING OUT YOUR BIKES!
Please come to the SECOND annual OUC bicycle “swap & drop” on Sunday April 29, at 11:30 AM.
Have a bicycle that is too small, or that you don’t want anymore? Drop it off! Someone else may need just that bike. Looking for a bike to get around, or for a child? Pick one up. You may find the ideal ride!
Any leftover bikes will be donated to one of two local bike-related charities.
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Where / when:
at OUC side parking & yard.
bike drop-off Sunday 29 April from 9AM to 2PM – earlier in that window is appreciated
bike “shopping” – pick up a bike from the donated ones on hand Sunday 11:30AM to 3PM
How it works –
If you have a surplus bike that is rideable or could be made rideable without superhuman effort:
Drop it off on Sunday or contact me for other arrangements. (I may be at OUC Saturday afternoon for donations)
If you need a bike –
Come to OUC from 11:30AM to 3PM to see what is there. If you see a bike that suits you, it’s yours, free.
The only bikes there will be ones that somebody generously donated for this event.
Rules & stuff:
-Donate as many bikes as you legally have. We will find homes for them.
-Please shop in person for a bike, and please pick up only one bike per person.
-The person who will ride the bike should be present for sizing & suitability.
-The person who will ride the bike should be present for sizing & suitability.
-We ask people to shop for need, not for another bike to add to the collection.
-Bikes are intended for people to use right away, not for resale, for someone else, or for ‘grow into it next year’.
-All bikes are as-donated. They are not refurbished or formally safety-checked. Event organizers and OUC take no responsibility for the road-worthiness or suitability of any donated item. Anyone picking up a bike accepts it as-is, where-is, with no claim as to operability.
-There is no warranty, return, or follow-on support of any kind for bikes picked up.
-Cash donations are accepted but not solicited. Cash donations, if any, will go to OUC.
Some questions:
–I have a bike in really bad shape. Can I donate it? Yes. “Sad” bikes will go to Re-cycles / Cycle Salvation or to Helping with Bikes for possible refurbishment or parts salvage & metal recycling as appropriate. These organizations are bike-related charities / not-for-profit groups that aim to keep bikes on the road and provide low-cost or free bikes to people who might not otherwise be able to have one.
–I have some bike parts that might be useful. Can I donate them? Yes. We will get them to one of the groups above, who can assess them & use them as spares.
–What happens to donated bikes that nobody picks up? We donate them to Re-cycles / Cycle Salvation or to Helping with Bikes. Last year we donated 8 bikes out of about 40 that came in.
–Can I donate tricycles, kids’ bikes, trailers, or recumbent bikes? Yes. For safety reasons, kids’ trailers will be donated to Re-cycles / Cycle Salvation or to Helping with Bikes for them to process. This is because we are trying to be cautions about safety.
–Can I donate helmets & other gear? It depends. We cannot accept helmets, gloves, shorts, etc. for safety & hygiene reasons. Gear such as lights or locks, & tire pumps we can accept.
-I have a high-end bike to donate. How do I know it goes to a good home? We reserve the right to set aside “special” bikes and either select a suitable shopper, or donate them to Re-cycles / Cycle Salvation. These organizations can sell them for a fair price and put the funds to good social use. When donating, please highlight if your bike is “special” in this way.
–Can I help out? YES! We need some folks to help receive / organize bike coming in & to help ‘shoppers’.
–How do I get some maintenance if my “new” bike needs it? We suggest local bike shops if you are not handy or don’t have a handy friend, or lack tools. Re-Cycles offers a DIY bike maintenance service for $5 per hour at their location (Bronson & Gladstone). If none of these options works for you, you can ask John Gibson.
