Bought three bikes in the past three weeks to keep up north. $55, $35 and $25. Between 24 and 26 inch tires. Going to leave them there permanently so had to be used and cheap. And now I want two more for home, though a neighbour put his supercyle out at the curb last year with two busted inner tubes, and it's been sitting in my shed the whole time. But I'm too lazy or don't have time to learn how fix it up and hope that it's only the tires that are broken so I'm thinking of spending no more than $75 for a bike at home. And I tried to fix that Nakamura, which is my bike from 1996, and I fucked up the gears so it's stuck in gear.
Five of these kids bikes were free while the other two I paid $10. Three sitting at curbs and two someone posted as free on FB and after three days nobobdy wanted them but I grabbed them when I saw the ad. There are lot of free or no more than $10 kids bikes out there. Most run fine. And lots of $20 to $30 adult bikes that have issues that are basic fixes to anyone who knows bikes well. A real opportunity to make a few bucks reselling or gifting to friends and family.
I've been really utilizing this bike trailer I bought used three years ago for $75. Good for kids but also convenient for hauling some stuff. They're pretty cool.
Also saw this ancient bike at a beach house for giveaway today. Could make a for a cool restoration project for someone that knows what they're doing.
I must say though, it really is a pain to deal with classifieds. Most people post 1-3 pics and say bike for sale. No thought of putting the tire or frame size (a quick search for themselves would make them realize it's useful info), or taking extra pics like of the tread on the tire, the seat to show if it's quick release or not, the shifters, etc. Often they put kids bike and given that the pic is just a bike on the driveway, you have no other perspective or frame of reference. So is it for an 8 year old or a 14 year old? It's shit like that that makes you say out loud "Why are you so f'n stupid? Why is the title just Kids Bike and there's only one pic? How the eff do you even get by in life?". But then you realize that lots of your friends and family would do the same thing so you have to temper your expectations and realize you can't go around calling everyone stupid. Hell, some of these people are smarter than you and me, but make stupid classified ads.
