Abandoned bikes

Does anyone know what happens to those abandoned bikes that you see all rusted up chained to railings with the wheels removed etc? They are often there for ages which progressively more bits removed each time you go past. Do the council remove them in the end?

I was wondering if one (a group of people perhaps) could take all the various leftover bits and build some new bikes for homeless people or poor people. I'm sure that such schemes exist already but don't know of any myself.

It's such a shame to see half decent frames go to rust when they could be converted to fixed gear or single speed.

it's a good idea Arup.

from what I've seen, the bikes (sometimes just frames) are eventually removed by the Police and auctioned off.

around here, any old rusbucket left out is collected by the rag n' bone man..I presume he drops them at the scrap metal yard..

council takes them after months in most areas. they sell or destory them depending on the council, im down to start a DIY bike project we need bits, tools, a work space, and dedicated people, i have experince doing free workshops for homless/ poor people in the us, it was a realy positive thing... ill dig up the artical on it from the local papper and post it

Cycle Killer
Why is the city putting the brakes on the Derailer Bike Collective?

http://www.westword.com/2006-07-20/news/cycle-killer/

full artical is in there, might be interesting

Always makes me kind of sad when you see a battered old bike been striped and battered but still locked but looking at these photos they kind of look cool.
http://jschumacher.typepad.com/photos/abandoned_bikes/iluv_bike.html

http://www.londonfgss.com/discussion/446/abandoned-bikes/

some of those look wicked. same as how I found my bike, 'xept my bike had no lock, and it was in a hodge in the back of beyond

Theres an abandoned ss or fixed bike in the little island by Mornington Crescent staion, been there for at least 3 months, still most of it there apart from a few bits n bobs. Its red and looks alright, wonder how youd go about getting it or if it waas even legal to?

liberate the bike!!!!! liberate the bike.

its illegal but more of a crime to let it rot away.

Conan, I walk past that bike twice a day and it really bothers me. It's got a little green natural adornment on the handle bars. Been meaning to take a photo of it for this site. The chain was there till about two months ago, but other than that, nothing seems to have gone missing.

what happened to the owner? died? imprisoned? amnesia? hosptialised?

If I knew the answer to that I would have either taken it for myself or called the Royal Society for the Protection of Bicycles.

won the lottery bought a custom nagasawa and has no need for red bike any longer? deported?

got drunk, locked it there then forgot where they locked it?

got drunk and lost the key?

Yeah well come on someones gotta do summin about it. Would it really be that bad to pop down there one night with summin at set it free?

Take someone to watch your back.

just ware one of those flouro council type things, mate with a van, no one will bother you. it looks offical if you ware floro yellow bib or waist coat.

rg37 just ware one of those flouro council type things, mate with a van, no one will bother you. it looks offical if you ware floro yellow bib or waist coat.

good idea. no-one ever questions a uniform and a van. on the whole.

jv got drunk, locked it there then forgot where they locked it?

I did that in the Netherlands once.. took me friggin ages wandering town at 3am (Zwolle?) before I found it! Idiot!

rg37 just ware one of those flouro council type things, mate with a van, no one will bother you. it looks offical if you ware floro yellow bib or waist coat.

I've got one of those.. Fire Wardon stylee! (Day one in new office.. guess who set off the building's fire alarm?)

Are you health and safety officer too :)

I'm not even a fire warden. I nicked it when we moved :)

cool, you can turn that vest to become the savior of bikes worthy of saving.....if you can be arsed of course!

I have four bikes and a gf in my little flat as it is.. don't need more.
All the ones I see have had the sh1t kicked out of them anyway - even some new ones!
Sad. Vandalising bastards.